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Myocardial Stem Cell Patch Developed with 3D Printer BusinessKorea The myocardial patch, which is printed with a 3D printer and attached to the hearts of such patients for blood vessel and tissue regeneration, has a structure in which cardiac extracellular matrices are used as bio ink and cardiac stem cells and ...

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Myocardial Stem Cell Patch Developed with 3D Printer - BusinessKorea

Cardiac Stem Cells Comments Off on Myocardial Stem Cell Patch Developed with 3D Printer – BusinessKorea | February 11th, 2017

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Bone Marrow Stem Cells Comments Off on Stem cell registry drive at SAU Feb. 14-15 – SAU | February 11th, 2017

NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

Saturday, February 11, 2017, 5:00 AM

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

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

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

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

Bradley Cooper urges public to join bone marrow registry

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

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

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

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

EXCLUSIVE: Bone marrow recipients to meet FDNY donors

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

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

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

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

New York tries to increase organ donations to those in need

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

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

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

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

A 45-year-old Salina man who was diagnosed with leukemia in November is being honored by a bone marrow registration drive Saturday being held at his church.

This is open to the whole community we want to stress that, said Linda Ourada, a member of the health ministry committee at St. Mary Queen of the Universe Catholic Church Parish Center, 230 E. Cloud. The drive will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at the parish center.

Its possible that Phong Vos sister is a match for him, said Vos wife, Mary Pham.

More blood work is planned to determine if the match is close enough. In the meanwhile, the effort to sign up possible donors for Vo or anyone else who needs a bone marrow or peripheral blood stem cell donation is planned.

Pam Welsh, of Salina, said that more than a decade ago, she had her cheek swabbed during a bone marrow registration drive when a Bennington woman needed a match. She said she was called about a year later and told she was one of three people who were a possible match for a patient. She said she went to Salina Regional Health Center to have blood drawn for further testing.

I was given a choice if I wanted to continue in the process, she said. There was never any pressure.

She said that after the blood tests showed she was a good match for the patient, a nurse came to her house to give her shots to boost her stem cell count. Then she and a friend drove to a Wichita hospital, where she underwent an outpatient procedure during which her blood was drawn from one arm and passed through a machine that filtered out blood stem cells before the blood was returned to her other arm. Welsh said the procedure took one day, and then she took the next day off to recover. All expenses were paid by DKMS, an international organization that fights blood cancer and blood disorders, she said.

She said she found out that her blood was given to a 55-year-old man with some form of leukemia. She was told he was still alive when DKMS contacted her for a five-year checkup.

Although she never met him, Welsh said that for her there was a huge reward in knowing that I was able to help this man knowing that I gave him more years.

Its just a good feeling, she said.

Pham said Vo started feeling ill in October and has since undergone chemotherapy at Via Christi Hospital in Wichita and the University of Kansas Medical Center in Kansas City. However, the leukemia has persisted.

Pham, who works for Schwans, has lived in Salina since her grandparents and an aunt, who had lived here since 1975, acted as her sponsors when she immigrated from Vietnam about 21 years ago. She met Vo, who moved here in the late 1990s, at work, and they were married at St. Marys. They have four sons, ages 11, 11, 10 and 8, who have missed their father during his long hospital stays.

When my husband got sick, I was panicked, and I was like, What do I need to do? I dont know what to do, Pham said. Soon she was told about DKMS, which will attempt to match potential donors who register at the Salina drive with Vo and other patients.

The bone marrow registration process for DKMS is simple, said Linda Ourada, who is helping to organize the event.

Its not like drawing blood, Ourada said. People get this mixed up with a blood drive. Theres no blood involved.

A swab is taken from the inside of the cheek, which is then sent for DNA analysis and entered into a global donor computer registry that already includes information about 7 million potential donors.

Every day in the United States, there are 14,000 people waiting for this blood stem cell donation, and only 30 percent get a family match, so that leaves 70 percent out there looking for a suitable donation from someone like us, Ourada said.

Ourada said that in 2012, more than 250 people registered and nine potential matches were contacted for further testing during a bone marrow drive at the church to honor a St. Louis family with Salina ties who had four boys with a rare form of blood cancer.

There is no cost to register as a donor, although monetary donations are being accepted to cover the approximately $65 in costs associated with registering each possible donor.

Potential donors must be between the ages of 18 and 55, in general good health and be willing to donate should their marrow be matched with a person who needs it. Further details about weight and height requirements or other limiting factors can be found at dkmsamericas.org.

The donation process may be accomplished one of two ways, depending on the patients needs. The preferred method is a blood transfusion, but for some patients, an actual bone marrow graft is necessary. The marrow is harvested through a hollow needle from a hip bone in an outpatient surgical procedure.

Bone marrow could be used to treat blood cancers, anemias, genetic disorders and other life-threatening ailments.

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Bone marrow registration drive planned to honor Salina man - Salina Journal (subscription)

Bone Marrow Stem Cells Comments Off on Bone marrow registration drive planned to honor Salina man – Salina Journal (subscription) | February 11th, 2017

OCASCR scientist Lin Liu at work. Photo provided.

Working together, scientists from Oklahoma State University, the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center and the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation are advancing adult stem cell research to treat some of todays most devastating diseases.

Under the umbrella of the Oklahoma Center for Adult Stem Cell Research (OCASCR), created with funding from the Oklahoma Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust, these scientists have amassed groundbreaking findings in one of the fastest growing areas of medical research.

We have made exciting progress, said OCASCR scientist Lin Liu, director of the Oklahoma Center for Respiratory and Infectious Diseases and director of the Interdisciplinary Program in Regenerative Medicine at Oklahoma State University.

We can convert adult stem cells into lung cells using our engineering process in petri dishes, which offers the possibility to repair damaged lung tissues in lung diseases, said Liu, whose research primarily focuses on lung and respiratory biology and diseases.

Using our engineered cells, we can also reverse some pathological features. These studies give us hope for an eventual application of these cells in humans.

Adult stem cells in the body are capable of renewing themselves and becoming various types of cells.

Until recently, stem cell treatments were largely restricted to blood diseases. However, new studies suggest many other types of adult stem cells can be used for medical treatment, and the Oklahoma Center for Adult Stem Cell Research was created to promote this branch of research.

OCASCR scientist Lin Liu and his team discussing their work. Photo provided.

Liu said the discipline provides hope for many ailments.

What most fascinated me in stem cell research is the hope that we may be able to use stem cells from our own body; for example, bone marrow or fat tissues to cure lung diseases, Liu said.

It is impossible to know exactly which diseases will respond to treatments.However, results of early experiments suggest many diseases should benefit from this type of research, including lung, heart, Alzheimers and Parkinsons diseases, as well as cancer, diabetes and spinal cord injuries. The field is often referred to as regenerative medicine, because of the potential to create good cells in place of bad ones.

While the application of stem cells can be broad, Liu hopes that his TSET-funded work will help develop treatments for diseases caused by tobacco use.

The goal of my research team is to find cures for lung diseases, Liu said. One such disease is chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

COPD is the third leading cause of death in the country and cigarette smoking is the leading cause of COPD.

Cigarette smoking is also a risk factor for another fatal lung disease, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), which has a mean life expectancy of 3 to 5 years after diagnosis, he added.

There is no cure for COPD or IPF. The current treatments of COPD and IPF only reduce symptoms or slow the disease progression.

Using OCASCR/TSET funding, my team is researching the possibility to engineer adult stem cells using small RNA molecules existing in the body to cure COPD, IPF and other lung diseases such as pneumonia caused by flu, Liu said.

This is vital research, considering that more than11 million peoplehave been diagnosed with COPD, but millions more may have the disease without even knowing it, according to the American Lung Association.

Despite declining smoking rates and increased smokefree environments, tobacco use continues to cause widespread health challenges and scientists will continue working to develop treatments to deal with the consequences of smoking.

We need to educate the public more regarding the harms of cigarette smoking, Liu said. My research may offer future medicines for lung diseases caused by cigarette smoking.

Under the umbrella of the Oklahoma Center for Adult Stem Cell Research (OCASCR), created with funding from the Oklahoma Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust, these scientists have amassed groundbreaking findings in one of the fastest growing areas of medical research. Photo provided.

Liu has been conducting research in the field of lung biology and diseases for more than two decades.

However, his interests in adult stem cell therapy began in 2010 when OCASCR was established through a grant with TSET, which provided funding to Oklahoma researchers for stem cell research.

I probably would have never gotten my feet into stem cell research without OCASCR funding support, he said. OCASCR funding also facilitated the establishment of the Interdisciplinary Program in Regenerative Medicine at OSU.

These days, Liu finds himself fully immersed in the exciting world of adult stem cell research and collaborating with some of Oklahomas best scientific minds.

Dr. Liu and his colleagues are really thriving. It was clear seven years ago that regenerative medicine was a hot topic and we already had excellent scientists in the Oklahoma, said Dr. Paul Kincade, founding scientific director of OCASCR. All they needed was some resources to re-direct and support their efforts. OSU investigators are using instruments and research grants supplied by OCASCR to compete with groups worldwide. TSET can point to their achievements with pride.

The Oklahoma Center for Adult Stem Cell Research represents collaboration between scientists all across the state, aiming to promote studies by Oklahoma scientists who are working with stem cells present in adult tissues.

The center opened in 2010 and has enhanced adult stem cell research by providing grant funding for researchers, encouraging recruitment of scientists and providing education to the people of Oklahoma.

We are fortunate that the collaboration at the Oklahoma Center for Adult Stem Cell Research is yielding such positive results, said John Woods, TSET executive director. This research is leading to ground breaking discoveries and attracting new researchers to the field. TSET is proud to fund that investments for Oklahomans.

Funding research is a major focus for TSET and it comes with benefits reaching beyond the lab. For every $1 TSET has invested at OCASCR, scientists have been able to attract an additional $4 for research at Oklahoma institutions, TSET officials said.

TSET also supports medical research conducted by the Stephenson Cancer Center and the Oklahoma Tobacco Research Center.

For more information, visit http://www.ocascr.org.

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OCASCR scientists make progress in TSET-funded adult stem cell research - NewsOK.com

Bone Marrow Stem Cells Comments Off on OCASCR scientists make progress in TSET-funded adult stem cell research – NewsOK.com | February 11th, 2017

(WXYZ) - When we get sick, it's common for us to reach for some medicine or maybe even have surgery to deal with disease or pain, but what if you could use your own healthy cells to fight back instead?

Right now, there's a procedure being performed in metro Detroit where healthy stem cells are stored so they can be reintroduced to your system and potentially have life changing or life saving benefits.

Dr. Michael Schenden is the first plastic surgeon in the US to perform the Forever Labs stem cell collection. He starts by harvesting her bone marrow to save those healthy stem cells.

"They should be available for many, many different medical applications is a wonderful thing," says Dr. Schenden.

The company behind this procedure is based in Ann Arbor and it's called Forever Labs.

We're told about 30 people have decided to store their stem cells this way. Sonja Michelsen is one of them. She had her daughter in her early 40s and felt like storing her own stem cells could pay off in the future.

"I want to be able to be here with her throughout her life," she says.

She knows there's no guarantee banking her stem cells will help her in the future, but she sees it as an investment that could pay off if her health takes a turn.

"To have that peace of mind that you do have something to use down the road .. is huge," she says.

Steven Clausnitzer is CEO of Forever Labs. He says by re-introducing your own healthy cells, you may be able to fight disease in the future.

"There are a number of ways people are already using these cells. Maybe the most promising .. orthopedic surgeons .. are reintroducing them into joints in lieu of surgery," he says.

Clausnitzer says there are about 500 clinical trials right now that are using stem cells that, one day, may be able to treat everything from osteoarthritis to multiple scleroses to cardiovascular disease.

This kind of stem cell banking is a 15 minute outpatient procedure. It starts with a local anesthetic in the lower back.

He says the number of your stem cells diminishes with age, as does their therapeutic quality.

"My stem cells were stored at 38. I'm going to turn 40 this year. I rest assured knowing I have my 38-year-old stem cells rendered biologically inert. They're no longer aging .. even as I do," says Clausnitzer.

Mark Katakowski is president of Forever Labs. He says his research showed him the rejuvenating and healing power of stem cells in animals. He believes it can have the same effect in humans.

He says the best time to store the stem cells is when you're young.

"There's a slower decline between 20 and 40 years-old and then it picks up. When you put them in the right place at the right time, they can actually improve recovery in a bunch of therapeutic applications," he says.

Katakowski says there's no limit as to how long they can be stored.

Should a person pass away, their stored stem cells would be destroyed unless arrangements have been made for them to be given to a family member.

At this point, the procedure is not FDA approved. The Forever Labs stem cell collection isn't covered by insurance. It costs around $3,500 to have the procedure done and $250 a year for storage.

The company says it plans to bring the first clinical trials for longevity to market in the next 7-10 years, once there is a large enough differential time between when our first clients stored their cells and can then reintroduce.

It says its goal is that its clientele will be able to participate in the first longevity based human trials utilizing autologous stem cell treatments of healthy individuals.

To learn more about Forever Labs, go to: https://www.foreverlabs.co/

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Can storing your stem cells be the key to fighting disease and living longer? - WXYZ

Bone Marrow Stem Cells Comments Off on Can storing your stem cells be the key to fighting disease and living longer? – WXYZ | February 11th, 2017

Genetic profiling can guide stem cell transplantation for patients with ... Science Daily A single blood test and basic information about a patient's medical status can indicate which patients with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) are likely to benefit ... and more »

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Genetic profiling can guide stem cell transplantation for patients with ... - Science Daily

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OCASCR scientist Lin Liu at work. Photo provided.

Working together, scientists from Oklahoma State University, the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center and the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation are advancing adult stem cell research to treat some of todays most devastating diseases.

Under the umbrella of the Oklahoma Center for Adult Stem Cell Research (OCASCR), created with funding from the Oklahoma Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust, these scientists have amassed groundbreaking findings in one of the fastest growing areas of medical research.

We have made exciting progress, said OCASCR scientist Lin Liu, director of the Oklahoma Center for Respiratory and Infectious Diseases and director of the Interdisciplinary Program in Regenerative Medicine at Oklahoma State University.

We can convert adult stem cells into lung cells using our engineering process in petri dishes, which offers the possibility to repair damaged lung tissues in lung diseases, said Liu, whose research primarily focuses on lung and respiratory biology and diseases.

Using our engineered cells, we can also reverse some pathological features. These studies give us hope for an eventual application of these cells in humans.

Adult stem cells in the body are capable of renewing themselves and becoming various types of cells.

Until recently, stem cell treatments were largely restricted to blood diseases. However, new studies suggest many other types of adult stem cells can be used for medical treatment, and the Oklahoma Center for Adult Stem Cell Research was created to promote this branch of research.

OCASCR scientist Lin Liu and his team discussing their work. Photo provided.

Liu said the discipline provides hope for many ailments.

What most fascinated me in stem cell research is the hope that we may be able to use stem cells from our own body; for example, bone marrow or fat tissues to cure lung diseases, Liu said.

It is impossible to know exactly which diseases will respond to treatments.However, results of early experiments suggest many diseases should benefit from this type of research, including lung, heart, Alzheimers and Parkinsons diseases, as well as cancer, diabetes and spinal cord injuries. The field is often referred to as regenerative medicine, because of the potential to create good cells in place of bad ones.

While the application of stem cells can be broad, Liu hopes that his TSET-funded work will help develop treatments for diseases caused by tobacco use.

The goal of my research team is to find cures for lung diseases, Liu said. One such disease is chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

COPD is the third leading cause of death in the country and cigarette smoking is the leading cause of COPD.

Cigarette smoking is also a risk factor for another fatal lung disease, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), which has a mean life expectancy of 3 to 5 years after diagnosis, he added.

There is no cure for COPD or IPF. The current treatments of COPD and IPF only reduce symptoms or slow the disease progression.

Using OCASCR/TSET funding, my team is researching the possibility to engineer adult stem cells using small RNA molecules existing in the body to cure COPD, IPF and other lung diseases such as pneumonia caused by flu, Liu said.

This is vital research, considering that more than11 million peoplehave been diagnosed with COPD, but millions more may have the disease without even knowing it, according to the American Lung Association.

Despite declining smoking rates and increased smokefree environments, tobacco use continues to cause widespread health challenges and scientists will continue working to develop treatments to deal with the consequences of smoking.

We need to educate the public more regarding the harms of cigarette smoking, Liu said. My research may offer future medicines for lung diseases caused by cigarette smoking.

Under the umbrella of the Oklahoma Center for Adult Stem Cell Research (OCASCR), created with funding from the Oklahoma Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust, these scientists have amassed groundbreaking findings in one of the fastest growing areas of medical research. Photo provided.

Liu has been conducting research in the field of lung biology and diseases for more than two decades.

However, his interests in adult stem cell therapy began in 2010 when OCASCR was established through a grant with TSET, which provided funding to Oklahoma researchers for stem cell research.

I probably would have never gotten my feet into stem cell research without OCASCR funding support, he said. OCASCR funding also facilitated the establishment of the Interdisciplinary Program in Regenerative Medicine at OSU.

These days, Liu finds himself fully immersed in the exciting world of adult stem cell research and collaborating with some of Oklahomas best scientific minds.

Dr. Liu and his colleagues are really thriving. It was clear seven years ago that regenerative medicine was a hot topic and we already had excellent scientists in the Oklahoma, said Dr. Paul Kincade, founding scientific director of OCASCR. All they needed was some resources to re-direct and support their efforts. OSU investigators are using instruments and research grants supplied by OCASCR to compete with groups worldwide. TSET can point to their achievements with pride.

The Oklahoma Center for Adult Stem Cell Research represents collaboration between scientists all across the state, aiming to promote studies by Oklahoma scientists who are working with stem cells present in adult tissues.

The center opened in 2010 and has enhanced adult stem cell research by providing grant funding for researchers, encouraging recruitment of scientists and providing education to the people of Oklahoma.

We are fortunate that the collaboration at the Oklahoma Center for Adult Stem Cell Research is yielding such positive results, said John Woods, TSET executive director. This research is leading to ground breaking discoveries and attracting new researchers to the field. TSET is proud to fund that investments for Oklahomans.

Funding research is a major focus for TSET and it comes with benefits reaching beyond the lab. For every $1 TSET has invested at OCASCR, scientists have been able to attract an additional $4 for research at Oklahoma institutions, TSET officials said.

TSET also supports medical research conducted by the Stephenson Cancer Center and the Oklahoma Tobacco Research Center.

For more information, visit http://www.ocascr.org.

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OCASCR scientists make progress in TSET-funded adult stem cell ... - NewsOK.com

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Science Daily

Scientists discover an unexpected influence on dividing stem cells ... Science Daily When it divides, a stem cell has a choice: produce more stem cells or turn into the specific types of cells that compose skin, muscle, brain, or other tissue. and more »

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Scientists discover an unexpected influence on dividing stem cells ... - Science Daily

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Induced pluripotent stem cells don't increase genetic mutations Science Daily Using skin cells from the same donor, they created genetically identical copies of the cells using both the iPSC and the subcloning techniques. They then sequenced the DNA of the skin cells as well as the iPSCs and the subcloned cells and determined ...

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Induced pluripotent stem cells don't increase genetic mutations - Science Daily

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When Becky's baby girl started sweating, vomiting and struggling to breathe while breastfeeding , she knew something was wrong.

But despite taking her daughter, Kirsty, to the GP numerous times, she was dismissed as "neurotic" and "unable to cope", a new book reveals.

Even when the six-month-old was finally referred to hospital for X-Rays, paediatricians wrongly diagnosed her condition as bronchitis.

It was only when she was close to death, lying limp and grey in her terrified mum's arms, that the true cause of her illness was diagnosed.

She had severe heart failure after "multiple heart attacks" - which she had suffered from 'silently', unable to communicate or understand them.

Kirsty wasnt gaining weight," writes world-famous cardiac surgeon Stephen Westaby in his remarkable book, Fragile Lives , published today.

"She had a pasty, washed-out look and a cough like a dogs bark.

In reality, this baby was suffering repeated small heart attacks with excruciating chest pain that she could neither communicate nor understand.

"The human body can be outlandishly cruel.

Stephen, from Oxford, operated on Kirsty following her ALCAPA (anomalous left coronary artery from the pulmonary artery) diagnosis.

He found the situation "even worse" than he had thought and, at one point, Becky and her husband were warned they would likely lose their baby.

However, in a desperate, last-ditch attempt to save the youngster's life, Stephen carried out a procedure that had never been done before in a child.

He made her heart smaller by removing almost a third of it, before stitching the organ back up until it looked like a "quivering black banana".

Amazingly, he saved his tiny patient's life.

Today, Kirsty is an 18-year-old, athletic student. She has been able to attend school, go to prom and spend time with her friends.

Her incredible story is one of many featured in Stephen's new book, which details some of the surgeon's most extraordinary and poignant cases.

Others include a woman who lived the horror of locked-in syndrome, and a man whose life was powered by a battery for more than seven years

They all include drama, emotion and blood (lots of it).

Having grown up on a council estate in Scunthorpe, North Lincolnshire, Stephen went into cardiac surgery after watching his granddad die of heart failure.

He tells Mirror Online that, despite his passion for the speciality and his determination, he "never anticipated" he would even get to medical school.

But over the past nearly 40 years, he has become an acclaimed heart surgeon and pioneer, responsible for a number of significant developments in the field.

He invented a T-Y stent - dubbed the "Westaby" tube - to bypass damaged airways, and became the first surgeon to fit a patient with a new type of artificial heart.

The patient, Peter, died aged 69 after over seven years of "extra life". "He was the first to reveal the true potential of blood pump technology," writes Stephen in his book.

The surgeon, who has worked in hospitals in the UK and abroad, says he learned "very early on" that a lot of patients were being turned away for heart transplants.

"Although transplants were great for patients, a lot of others were being turned away," he says. "Very few people can have heart transplants.

"They need someone else to die to get their heart.

He says that, even as a trainee, he was interested in alternative options for the unfortunate patients who could not receive a transplant.

In his book, he describes how, as a student, he was called to assist an operation on a young car crash victim after drinking pints in the pub.

"Bad problem, both the injury and the beer," he writes in his book.

"Not so much the amount of alcohol - we were used to that - more the volume of urine to pass during a four-hour operation."

To get through the surgery without losing concentration or having to leave, he reveals how he used rubber tubing so his urine would run into his surgical boots.

He admits, at one point, he had to cough loudly to disguise the "squelching sound".

When you start doing any surgery, it is scary. It takes you a few months to get into," says the dad-of-two. "Its very taxing."

In subsequent decades, Stephen went on to save hundreds of lives, repeatedly taking chances and pushing the boundaries of heart surgery.

This was all part of being a pioneer, pushing the profession to its limit," he says.

Far from working nine-to-five, the surgeon spent his mornings, afternoons and evenings dedicated to his "day job".

To become a heart surgeon I believe you have to work continuously in the way I did in the old days," he tells Mirror Online.

"We had ward rounds at 5am, then wed operate at 7am.

Stephen would spend the rest of the day operating on patients, before going to the research lab. In the evenings, he'd return to intensive care.

"It needs that sort of dedication," he says.

Indeed, it was this dedication that saw him cut a conference in Australia short to rush back to perform life-saving surgery on Kirsty.

Stephen had been in the country for just 13 hours when he received a call from Nick Archer, his paediatric cardiology colleague at Oxfords John Radcliffe Hospital.

No one calls with good news at night, he notes in his book.

And he was right.

He was told that there was a sick baby with ALCAPA - a rare but serious cardiac anomaly - who desperately needed his help.

He later discovered that Kirsty - in whom fate had installed a lethal self-destruct mechanism" - had shown signs of distress within days of her birth.

Her mum Becky, who already had a three-year-old son, noticed beads of sweat were trickling from her baby's nose whenever she tried to breastfeed her.

However, a paediatrician dismissed the infant's symptoms, Stephen writes in his book, deeming the move an example of "p***-poor medicine".

Within a matter of weeks, Kirsty was sweating, vomiting and struggling to breathe during feeds. However, she had no temperature.

Her concerned mum repeatedly took her to visit the doctor, but was "deemed neurotic and unable to cope", according to Fragile Lives.

At the time, Becky's husband was working abroad, away from their daughter who had a "pasty look" and a "cough like a dog's bark".

After eventually managing to get Kirsty referred to a hospital for X-Rays, Becky was told that her baby was suffering from bronchitis.

Feeling desperate and certain that something "dreadful" was going to happen, she later took the "grey" youngster to another hospital.

But there, she was diagnosed with the same condition.

Now late at night, Becky demanded a further X-Ray. Shockingly, she was "told off for her unreasonable attitude," Stephen writes in his moving book.

However, after the scan, the mum finally had her fears confirmed.

Her daughter was found to have a massive heart, with medics having reportedly misinterpreted heart shadows on her X-Rays as fluid.

Kirsty was rushed to Oxford's specialist childrens heart unit. By then, she was very cold and suffering from severe heart failure, Stephen says.

While flying back from Australia, the surgeon devised an alternative technique for the operation in a bid to increase the baby's chance of survival.

After landing in the UK, however, he was shocked by Kirsty's condition.

"She was emaciated, with virtually no body fat, her heaving ribs and rapid breathing a consequence of her congested lungs, and her abdomen swollen with fluid," he writes.

He adds: Without immediate surgery, shed be dead within days.

Joined by his surgical team, Stephen opened up the baby's small body with a scalpel blade, an electrical saw and a rib retractor while her parents faced an anxious wait.

He describes in his book how he found her heart to be the size of a lemon.

Babies' hearts are typically the size of a walnut.

Stephen then goes on to explain how he replumbed Kirsty's heart's blood supply and removed up to 30 per cent of her organ in an attempt to save her.

Incredibly, the surgery was a success.

The operation "provided some of the first evidence that an infants own cardiac stem cells can regenerate heart muscle and actually remove fibrous tissue," Stephen says.

"Adult hearts cannot recover in the same way," he writes.

Speaking to the Mirror Online, the surgeon describes how he "always put the patient first", even if it meant the possibility of being sacked.

He admits he did things "off piste" and, when he didn't have the money to perform certain procedures, he would raise charitable funds.

I used to operate on everyone from premature babies in their cots to people all the way through to their nineties," he says.

"Every one is precious."

He adds that it takes a "special sort of person" - one who is extremely skilled, gutsy and empathetic - to operate on babies and children.

"I think you find it difficult every time you lose a patient, no matter how high risk they are," he says.

"I used to really hate having to go out of an operating theatre and telling [relatives] their loved one had died.

Stephen, who describes his own story as one of "grim determination", worked on around 12,000 patients during his career.

He estimates between 300 and 400 died earlier than they would have.

I did lose an awful lot of patients," he says.

"There are lots of cases that have stuck with me.

But he adds: "Very few heart patients die because the surgeon doesnt do a good job.

He says some patients suffer complications which aren't managed well, while the quality of the intensive care team can also have an impact.

Nowadays, surgeons' death rates are published. There is also a risk of legal action by grief-stricken and angry relatives, Stephen says.

This 'naming and shaming' culture, he claims, is having a negative effect on the profession and putting graduates off from going into heart surgery.

"It's a worrying time for trainees," he says, describing how there are "serious weaknesses" with the system. "Surgeons now have their death rates published."

He adds that this also means it's difficult to maintain consistent intensive care teams.

"There's a lot of agency nurses, people not familiar with protocol," he says.

Stephen, who established the Oxford Heart Centre in the 1980s, recently retired from surgery after developing Dupuytren's contracture, or a 'claw hand'.

"My hand was warped into the position in which I held the scissors, the needle holder, the sternal saw," the 68-year-old writes in his book.

Now, he is working in two "very exciting" roles, one of which involves a proposed Wellness and Life Science Village in Llanelli, Wales.

He is also medical director at the regenerative medicine firm, Celixir , which he says has made "very important" developments for people with heart failure.

Reflecting on his incredible career, Stephen, who lives with his wife, Sarah, 63, acknowledges that he "didn't give enough time" to his family.

He met his spouse - a "free spirit from Africa" - over an open chest in Accident & Emergency, where she was working as a sister.

Stephen has a 38-year-old daughter - by his first wife, Jane - and a 28-year-old son - by Sarah, as well as two young granddaughters.

I never gave enough time to my kids and my grandchildren," he admits.

But he adds that one of the reasons he wrote his book, "was so they could see why I wasnt with them as much as I could be".

Stephen appeared on ITV's This Morning today, along with Kirsty and Becky.

Viewers have since taken to social media to praise his "amazing" and "remarkable" work, with some calling for him to be knighted.

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Mum dismissed as 'neurotic and unable to cope' after baby girl ... - Mirror.co.uk

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This post was originally published on this site New Facility at Sunnybrook Part of Plan to Expand Care for People with Blood Diseases

Ontario is investing in a new facility at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre that will offer specialized treatment for people with blood cancers such as leukemia.

Premier Kathleen Wynne was at Sunnybrook in Toronto Tuesday to announce the governments support for a new Complex Malignant Haematology (CMH) site. Sunnybrook will become the second hospital in the Greater Toronto Area along with Princess Margaret Cancer Care to provide a full range of potentially life-saving CMH services, including stem cell transplants.

Ontario is also improving treatment for people with blood diseases by:

Investing to improve care for people with blood cancers and disorders is part of our plan to build a better Ontario by providing patients with faster access to the right health care.

Kathleen Wynne: Premier of Ontario

Stem cell transplants can help lessen the terrible toll that cancer takes on families. We are providing support so hospitals can offer more patients access to a life-saving treatment and the chance for a new lease on life.

Dr. Eric Hoskins: Minister of Health and Long-Term Care

Today marks a major milestone for Ontario patients needing stem cell transplants. With this investment, patients will have better access to timely service and state-of-the-art treatment, but most importantly, more patients will be able to receive stem cell transplants right here in Ontario.

Dr. Barry McLellan: President and CEO, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre

This is a life-saving investment. We are grateful to the Ontario government for the funding to provide care and build a new state-of-the-art facility for patients who are afflicted with this serious illness.

Michael Sherar: President and CEO, Cancer Care Ontario; Co-convener, Complex Malignant Hematology Hematopoietic Cell Therapy Consultation Group

Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre is an important and valued partner in Ontarios cancer care system. The addition of a new Complex Malignant Haematology site is a critical step in our efforts to ensure that patients receive timely access to transplant services in Ontario.

Source Government of Ontario press release

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More people to get access to life-saving stem cell transplants - Erie Media

Bone Marrow Stem Cells Comments Off on More people to get access to life-saving stem cell transplants – Erie Media | February 9th, 2017

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

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

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

Among otherevent highlights:

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

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

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

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

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

The 2017 Australian of the Year award went to Professor Alan Mackay-Sim for his significant career in stem cell science.

The prize was linked to barbeque-stopping headlines equating his achievements to the scientific equivalent of the moon landing and paving the road to recovery for people with spinal cord injuries.

Such claims in the media imply that there is now a scientifically proven stem cell treatment for spinal cord injury. This is not the case.

For now, any clinic or headline claiming miracle cures should be viewed with caution, as they are likely to be trading on peoples hope.

Why stem cells for spinal cord injury?

Put simply, injury to the spinal cord causes damage to the nerve cells that transmit information between the brain and the rest of the body.

Depending on which part of the spine is involved, the injury can affect the nerves that control the muscles in our legs and arms; those that control bowel and bladder function and how we regulate body temperature and blood pressure; and those that carry the sensation of being touched. This occurs in part because injury and subsequent scarring affect not just the nerves but also the insulation that surrounds and protects them. The insulation the myelin sheath is damaged and the body cannot usually completely replace or regenerate this covering.

Stem cells can self-reproduce and grow into hundreds of different cell types, including nerves and the cells that make myelin. So the blue-sky vision is that stem cells could restore some nerve function by replacing missing or faulty cells, or prevent further damage caused by scarring.

Studies in animals have applied stem cells derived from sources including brain tissue, the lining of the nasal cavity, tooth pulp, and embryos (known as embryonic stem cells).

Dramatic improvements have been shown on some occasions, such as rats and mice regaining bladder control or the ability to walk after injury. While striking, such improvement often represents only a partial recovery. It holds significant promise, but is not direct evidence that such an approach will work in people, particularly those with more complex injuries.

What is happening now in clinical trials?

The translation of findings from basic laboratory stem cell research to effective and safe treatments in the clinic involves many steps and challenges. It needs a firm scientific basis from animal studies and then careful evaluation in humans.

Many clinical studies examining stem cells for spinal repair are currently underway. The approaches fit broadly into two categories:

using stem cells as a source of cells to replace those damaged as a result of injury

applying cells to act on the bodys own cells to accelerate repair or prevent further damage.

One study that has attracted significant interest involves the injection of myelin-producing cells made from human embryonic stem cells. Researchers hoped that these cells, once injected into the spinal cord, would mature and form a new coating on the nerve cells, restoring the ability of signals to cross the spinal cord injury site. Preliminary results seem to show that the cells are safe; studies are ongoing.

Other clinical trials use cells from patients own bone marrow or adipose tissue (fat), or from donated cord blood or nerves from fetal tissue. The scientific rationale is based on the possibility that when transplanted into the injured spinal cord, these cells may provide surrounding tissue with protective factors which help to re-establish some of the connections important for the network of nerves that carry information around the body.

The field as it stands combines years of research, and tens of millions of dollars of investment. However, the development of stem cell therapies for spinal cord injury remains a long way from translating laboratory promise into proven and effective bedside treatments.

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Yes There's Hope, But Treating Spinal Injuries With Stem Cells Is Not A Reality Yet - IFLScience

Bone Marrow Stem Cells Comments Off on Yes There’s Hope, But Treating Spinal Injuries With Stem Cells Is Not A Reality Yet – IFLScience | February 9th, 2017

In 2016, scientists in Japan revealed the birth of mice from eggs made from a parent's skin cells, and many researchers believe the technique could one day be applied to humans.

The process, called in vitro gametogenesis, allows eggs and sperm to be created in a culture dish in the lab.

Though most scientists agree we're still a long way off from doing it clinically, it's a promising technology that has the potential to replace traditional in vitro fertilization to treat infertility.

If and when this process is successful in humans, the implications would be immense, but scientists are now raising legal and ethical questions that need to be addressed before the technology becomes a reality.

In vitro gametogenesis, or IVG, is similar to IVF -- in vitro fertilization -- in that the joining of egg and sperm takes place in a culture dish.

Trounson believes IVG can provide hope for couples when IVF is not an option.

This procedure can "help men or women who have no gametes -- no sperm or eggs," said Trounson, a renowned stem cell scientist best known for developing human IVF with Carl Wood in 1977.

Another potential benefit with IVG is that there is no need for a woman to receive high doses of fertility drugs to retrieve her eggs, as with traditional IVF.

In addition, same-sex couples would be able to have biological children, and people who lost their gametes through cancer treatments, for instance, would have a chance at having biological children.

In theory, a single woman could also conceive on her own, a concept that Sonia M. Suter, professor of law at George Washington University, calls "solo IVG." She points out that it comes with some risk, as there will be less genetic variety among the babies.

She added that the risk is even greater than with cloning and although you could use genetic diagnosis to find disease in embryos before implantation, it wouldn't fully reduce the risk.

This all contributes to the fact that IVG is much more complicated than one might think, and experts add that the process will be even more complex in humans than in mice.

"It's a much tougher prospect to do this in a human -- much, much tougher. It's like climbing a few stairs versus climbing a mountain," Trounson said.

"Gametogenesis (in a mouse) is much faster. Everything is much faster and less complicated than you have in a human. So you've got to make sure there's very long intervals to get you the right outcome. ... Life, gametogenesis, everything, is much, much briefer than it is in a human."

Most scientists are reluctant to commit to an exact time frame, but it's probably safe to say they're many years away.

Knoepfler used the example of an unapproved and, he says, potentially dangerous three-person baby produced in Mexico in 2016 by a US doctor without FDA approval.

Creating a three-person baby involves a process known as pronuclear transfer, in which an embryo is created using genetic material from three people -- the intended mother and father and an egg donor -- to remove the risk of genetic diseases caused by DNA in a mother's mitochondria. The mitochondria are parts of a cell used to create energy but also carry DNA that is passed on only through the maternal line.

This process recently received approval in the UK, but it remains illegal in many countries, including the US.

"Because it seems rogue biomedical endeavors are on the increase, someone could try IVG without sufficient data or governmental approval in the next five to 10 years," Knoepfler said.

"IVG takes us into uncharted territory, so it's hard to say legal issues that might come up," he said, adding that "even other more extreme technologies, such as cloning, of the reproductive kind are not technically prohibited in the US."

For IVG to be researched further, it will be necessary to perform IVF using the derived gametes and then to study the embryos in ways that would involve their destruction. "At a minimum, federal funding could not be used for such work, but what other laws might come into play is less clear," Knoepler said.

In several countries, the implantation of a fertilized egg is not allowed if it's been maintained longer than 14 days.

Dr. Mahendra Rao, scientific adviser with the New York Stem Cell Foundation, explained that in the US, scientists can legally make sperm and oocytes (immature eggs) from other cells and perform IVF. But they would not be able to perform implantation, even in animals.

He said there needs to be clarity that this rule doesn't apply to "synthetic" embryos scientists are building in culture, where there's no intention of implanting them.

Daley and his co-authors highlight concerns over "embryo farming" and the consequence of parents choosing an embryo with preferred traits.

"IVG could, depending on its ultimate financial cost, greatly increase the number of embryos from which to select, thus exacerbating concerns about parents selecting for their 'ideal' future child," they write.

With a large number of eggs available through IVG, the process might exacerbate concerns about the devaluation of human life, the authors say.

Also worrying is the potential for someone to get hold of your genetic material -- such as sloughed-off skin cells -- without your permission. The authors raise questions about the legal ramifications and how they would be handled in court.

"Should the law consider the source of the skin cells to be a legal parent to the child, or should it distinguish an individual's genetic and legal parentage?" they ask.

As new forms of assisted reproductive technology stretch our ideas about identity, parentage and existing laws and regulations around stem cell research, researchers highlight the need to address these thoughts and have answers in place before making IVG an option.

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Could we one day make babies from only skin cells? - CNN

Skin Stem Cells Comments Off on Could we one day make babies from only skin cells? – CNN | February 9th, 2017

PARIS and STOCKHOLM, Feb. 9, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Laboratoire Fleur de Sants new Champagne Collection uses Extrait de Champagne, fueled by grape seed Phyto-StemCell's Resveratrol, for the ultimate antioxidant protection and photo-aging prevention. By reinforcing the skin's structural matrix (collagen and elastin) and stimulating its natural regeneration process, this powerful antioxidant postpones skin aging and leaves it smooth and even toned. One more reason to love Champagne!

"Antioxidant rich, Champagne extract is used in our products because it's incredibly effective at protecting and nourishing your skin. We believe that beautiful, healthy skin is worth celebrating every day," says Mathias Tonnesson, CEO of Laboratoire Fleur de Sant.

Champagne takes on a whole new meaning in skin care

The most famous sparkling wine in the world isn't just for drinking any more.

Fleur de Sant has captured its essence for the ultimate global anti-aging range of products. Extremely rich in antioxidants (Resveratrol), Champagne is one of the most beneficial ingredients protecting skin from free radicals and stress to which we are exposed every day by breathing in pollution or being unprotected from UV light.

By counteracting these factors, Champagne extract reduces the damaging marks photo-aging leaves on your skin (wrinkles, sagging skin, dark spots). It works by restoring the skin's structural tissue collagen and elastin to make it more resistant to various environmental aggressors. Antioxidants, which Champagne owes to grape seed extract, are of the highest potency, being at least 20 times more powerful than Vitamin C or E. In Fleur de Sant products, the exclusive Extrait de Champagne is further enhanced by grape seed Phyto-StemCell Infusion, which together deliver tremendously strong anti-aging force.

For more information about Fleur de Sant Champagne Collection, visit http://www.fleurdesante.com/products/

What makes phyto-stem cells so special?

Phyto-stem cells counteract the negative effect of the UV light, help maintain skin stem cell's functions and reinforce their capacity to grow, which in turn slows down the skin aging process. On top of this, they accelerate regeneration and the tissue building functions of skin, resulting in restoration of firmness and wrinkle reduction.

About Laboratoire Fleur de Sant

Fleur de Sant was founded in 1980, with the distinction of being the only brand in the world to utilize Swedish and French medicinal flowers in their beneficial formulations. The tradition continues as the brand is experiencing a re-birth with CEO Mathias Tonnesson. His passion to create skin care with "every detail considered" sees the latest clinically proven collections containing antioxidant-rich Champagne extract, plant stem cell-boosted flowers, and airless packaging that makes every formulation more effective. 95% natural and never tested on animals, Fleur de Sant is more than premium skin care it is the result of one man's passion to create products made from love.

Visit: http://www.fleurdesante.com

Contact: Mathias Tonnesson CEO, Laboratoire Fleur de Sant +1 (646) 893-4100Ext: 100 145363@email4pr.com

To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/celebrate-your-skin-with-champagne--phyto-stemcells-300404181.html

SOURCE Laboratoire Fleur de Sante

http://www.fleurdesante.com

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Celebrate Your Skin with Champagne & Phyto-StemCells - PR Newswire (press release)

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Greg Iger/Keck Medicine of USC

Kristopher Boesen, who broke his neck in a car accident, regained the ability to move his arms and hands after his spinal cord was injected with stem cells.

Two years after having a stroke at 31, Sonia Olea Coontz remained partially paralysed on her right side. She could barely move her arm, had slurred speech and needed a wheelchair to get around. In 2013, Coontz enrolled in a small clinical trial. The day after a doctor injected stem cells around the site of her stroke, she was able to lift her arm up over her head and speak clearly. Now she no longer uses a wheelchair and, at 36, is pregnant with her first child.

Coontz is one of stem-cell therapy's miracle patients, says Gary Steinberg, chair of neurosurgery at Stanford School of Medicine in California, and Coontz's doctor. Conventional wisdom said that her response was impossible: the neural circuits damaged by the stroke were dead. Most neuroscientists believed that the window for functional recovery extends to only six months after the injury.

Stem-cell therapies have shown great promise in the repair of brain and spinal injuries in animals. But animal models often behave differently from humans nervous-system injuries in rats, for example, heal more readily than they do in people. Clinical trial results have been mixed. Interesting signals from small trials have faded away in larger ones. There are plenty of unknowns: which stem cells are the right ones to use, what the cells are doing when they work and how soon after an injury they can be used.

The field is still young. Stem cells are poorly understood, and so is what happens after a spinal-cord injury or stroke. Yet, there are success stories, such as Coontz's, which seem to show that therapy using the right sort of stem cell can lead to functional improvements when tried in the right patients and at the right time following an injury. Researchers are fired up to determine whether stem-cell therapies can help people who are paralysed to regain some speech and motor control and if so, what exactly is going on.

Neurologists seeking functional restoration are up against the limited ability of the human central nervous system to heal. The biology of the brain and spinal cord seems to work against neuroregeneration, possibly because overgrowth of nerves could lead to faulty connections in the finely patterned architecture of the brain and spine, says Mark Tuszynski, a neurologist at the University of California, San Diego. Local chemical signals in the central nervous system tamp down growth. Over time, scarring develops, which prevents the injury from spreading, but also keeps cells from entering the site.

It's really hard to fix the biology, says Charles Yu Liu, a neurosurgeon and director of the University of Southern California Neurorestoration Center in Los Angeles. Stem cells seem to promise a workaround.

So far, neural regeneration cell therapy has had only anecdotal success, leaving investors and patients disappointed. In people with Parkinson's disease, for example, neurosurgeons replaced dead and dying dopamine-producing neurons with fetal neurons. Although initial results were promising, in larger studies, patients reported involuntary movements. Another effort tried treating people who'd had a stroke with cells derived from tumours; the results were mixed, and researchers were uneasy about the cells' cancerous source.

In recent years, researchers have had success with stem cells coaxed to develop into particular cell types, such as neural support cells. Tuszynski has showed how well stem cells can work at least, in animal models1. His group implanted neural stem cells derived from human fetal tissue into rats with severe spinal-cord injuries. Seven weeks later, the cells had bridged the gap where the spinal cord had been cut and the animals were able to walk again. The cells used in the study were manufactured by Neuralstem of Rockville, Maryland. The group has shown that other kinds of stem cell, including those derived from adult tissue, also work. Tuszynski has seen similar results in a rat spinal-cord-injury model, using neural stem cells made from the tissues of a healthy 86-year-old volunteer2.

Mark Tuszynski/Ken Kadoya/Ref. 3

Regeneration of axons (red) beyond implanted neural progenitor cells (green) in a rat with a spinal injury.

But animal studies are also making it clear that simply regrowing the connective wiring of the nervous system to bridge damaged areas is not enough, says Zhigang He, who studies neural repair at the Harvard Stem Cell Institute in Cambridge, Massachusetts. No matter what the animal model is, he says, the axons don't always grow into the right places. It's not enough to have a nerve, that nerve must become part of a functional circuit.

There is growing evidence that besides becoming replacement nerves, stem cells perform other functions they also seem to generate a supportive milieu that may encourage the natural recovery process or prevent further damage after an injury. Many types of neural stem cell secrete a mix of molecules that unlock suppressed growth pathways in nerves. Earlier this year, Tuszynski reported that any sort of spinal-cord stem cell, whether derived from adult tissues or embryos, from humans, rats or mice, could trigger native neural regeneration in rats3. But his success in rats has not yet translated into clinical trials. More work is needed, Tuszynski says, to determine which type of cell will work best for which particular injury.

For people who have had a stroke or spinal-cord injury, physical therapy is currently the best hope for recovery in the weeks and months after the injury. The brain is plastic and can co-opt other circuits and pathways to compensate for damage and to restore function. Once the inflammation ebbs and the brain adjusts, people can start to regain function. But the window of opportunity is short. Most people don't make functional gains after six months.

That timeline is why the remarkable recovery enjoyed by Coontz and other patients with chronic stroke in the same clinical trial is so surprising, says Steinberg. This changes our whole notion of recovery, he says. There were 18 people in the trial Coontz took part in, and all were treated using stem cells manufactured by SanBio of Mountain View, California. The company's cells are bone-marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells. The cells are treated with a DNA fragment that is transiently expressed in them, and causes changes in their protein-expression patterns. In animal studies, these cells promote the migration and growth of native neural stem cells, among other effects.

The trial, which was designed to look at safety as well as efficacy, recruited patients after an ischaemic stroke. During this kind of stroke, a clot cuts off the blood supply to part of the brain, causing significant damage. Patients in the trial had all had ischaemic strokes deep in the brain 736 months earlier past the 6-month window for significant recovery. Each patient was injected with either 2.5 million, 5 million or 10 million of SanBio's cells4. Steinberg has followed participants for 24 months; an interim study at 12 months reported that most patients showed functional improvements. Some, like Coontz, achieved almost complete recovery.

What is not clear, however, is what the stem-cell injections do in the brain. In animal studies, the SanBio cells do not turn into neurons, but seem to send supporting signals to native cells in the brain. Indeed, preclinical research shows that the cells do not integrate into the brain most die after 12 months. Instead, the cells seem to secrete growth factors that encourage the formation of new neurons and blood vessels, and foster connections called synapses between neurons. And in rats, the nerve-cell connections that extended from one side of the brain to the other, as well as into the spinal cord, lasted, even though the injected cells did not4.

But these mechanisms are not sufficient to explain Coontz's overnight restoration of function, says Steinberg. He is entertaining several hypotheses, including that the needle used to deliver the cells may have had some effect. One week after treatment, we saw abnormalities in the premotor cortex that went away after one month, he says. The size of these microlesions was strongly correlated with recovery at 12 months. A similar effect can happen when electrodes are implanted in the brains of people with Parkinson's, although this deep-brain stimulation quietens tremors for only a short time. The people who'd had a stroke had a lasting recovery, suggesting that both the needle and the stem cells may have played a part.

The SanBio trial was small, and did not have a placebo control; the company is now recruiting for a larger phase II trial. Of the 156 participants that will be recruited, two-thirds will have cells injected the others will have a sham surgery. Even the trial surgeons, including Steinberg, will not know who is getting which treatment. The main outcome measure will be whether patients' motor-skill scores improve on a test called the Fugl-Meyer Motor scale six months after treatment. Participants will be monitored for at least 12 months, and will also be evaluated with tests that look for changes in gait and dexterity. Meanwhile, Steinberg plans to study microlesions in animal models of stroke to determine whether they do have a role in recovery.

An ongoing clinical trial evaluating escalating doses of neural stem cells in patients with acute spinal-cord injuries is also looking promising. Asterias Biotherapeutics of Fremont, California, coaxes the cells to develop into progenitors of oligodendrocytes, a type of support cell that's found in the brain and spinal cord and that creates a protective insulation for neuronal axons.

The trial tests the safety and efficacy of administering these cells to people with recent cervical, or neck-level, spinal-cord injury. Interim results for patients who had received the two lower doses were presented at the International Spinal Cord Society meeting in September. After 90 days, 4 patients who received 10 million cells showed improved motor function; a fifth patient had not reached the 90-day mark yet. At one year, the three patients receiving a lower dose of two million cells showed measurable improvement in motor skills.

These cells were initially developed by Geron, a biotechnology company that has since moved away from regenerative medicine. Before spinning out Asterias in 2013, Geron had run a safety trial of the cells in people with a chronic lower-back injury. No issues were identified, and the US Food and Drug Administration agreed to let the company test the cells in patients who'd been recently injured. Asterias focused the current trial on patients with cervical injuries because these are closer to the brain, so new nerve cells have a shorter distance to grow to gain functional improvements. People with severe cervical spine injuries are typically paralysed below the level of the damage. The company's hope is to restore arm and hand function for people with such injuries, potentially making a tremendous difference to a person's independence and quality of life.

Asterias seems to have realized this hope in at least one patient who received one of the higher doses. Kristopher Boesen, who is 21, has had a dramatic recovery. In March, Boesen's car fishtailed in a rainstorm; he hit a telephone pole and broke his neck. About a month later, Boesen was still paralysed below the injury, and his neurological improvements seemed to have plateaued. His doctors at a trauma centre in Bakersfield, California, were in touch with Liu, who is an investigator in the Asterias trial. As soon as he was stable, Boesen travelled to Los Angeles to join the trial.

Liu injected Boesen's spinal cord with Asterias's cells in April. Two days later, Boesen started to move his hands, and in the summer, he regained the ability to move the toes on one foot.

Asterias Biotherapeutics

A surgeon prepares to inject stem cells to treat a spinal injury as part of Asterias's clinical trial.

Liu is excited about Boesen's response. He was looking at being quadriplegic, and now he's able to write, lift some weights with his hands, and use his phone, says Liu. For somebody to improve like this is highly unusual I want to be jumping out of my shoes. But Liu cautions that this is still a small trial, and that Boesen's response is just one anecdotal report. Until the results are borne out in a large, placebo-controlled clinical trial, Liu will remain earthbound.

The trial is currently recruiting between 5 and 8 patients for another cohort that will receive a doubled dose of 20 million cells. As the trial goes on, Asterias hopes to find clues about the underlying mechanism. We're looking at changes in the anatomy of the injury, says the company's chief scientific officer, Jane Lebkowski. She says that there is some evidence that axons have traversed the injury site in patients who have recovered function. Preclinical work suggests that the cells might be sending growth-encouraging chemical signals to the native tissue. And, as support cells, the astrocytes may also be preventing more neurons from dying in the aftermath of the acute spinal injury.

Not all clinical trials have performed so well. The SanBio and Asterias results are positive signals in a sea of negative or mixed trials. For example, StemCells of Newark, California, terminated its phase II trial of stem cells for the treatment of spinal-cord injury in May, and shortly afterwards announced that it will restructure its business. The company declined to comment for this article.

Physicians such as Liu and Steinberg temper their public enthusiasm about stem-cell therapies, so as not to give false hope to desperate patients. People with paralysing injuries or those who have a neurodegenerative disease are easy marks for unscrupulous stem-cell clinics, whose therapies are not only unproven, but also come with risks.

Patients say, 'Go ahead, doc, you can't make me any worse,' says Keith Tansey, a neurologist and researcher at the Methodist Rehabilitation Center in Jackson, Mississippi, and president-elect of the American Spinal Injury Association. Unfortunately, that is not the case. Cell therapies given at a clinic, outside the context of a clinical trial, can lead to chronic pain, take away what little function a patient has left and render a patient ineligible for future studies, says Tansey. He has seen the consequences in his clinical practice. I treated a kid who had two different tumours in his spinal cord from two different individuals' cells, he says.

Many unanswered questions remain about whether stem cells can heal the central nervous system in people, and how they might do it. Researchers also don't know what cells are the best to use. Is it enough for them to grow into supportive cells that send friendly growth signals, or is it better that they grow into replacement neurons? The answer is likely to differ depending on the site and nature of the disease or injury. If the stem cells are producing supportive factors that encourage growth and repair, it might be possible, says He, to discern what these are and give them directly to patients. But biologists are not yet close to deciphering the recipe for such a cocktail.

Every time we get an experiment done we realize it's more complex than we thought it would be.

Tansey agrees that there are many unknowns and these seem to be multiplying. Every time we get an experiment done we realize it's more complex than we thought it would be, he says. Tansey thinks that the best way to resolve such uncertainties is with carefully regulated clinical trials. Rat models will only tell us so much the human nervous system is much larger and is wired differently. If stem cells help patients such as Coontz and Boesen to regain their speech and give them greater independence without adverse effects, then it makes sense to continue, he says, even without knowing all the details of how they work.

Until these positive, but small, results are replicated in larger, controlled clinical trials, neurologists are containing their optimism. I'd like to hear of any clinical trial that has more than an anecdotal benefit, says Tansey. And Liu is anticipating the day when he won't need to control his elation. In a few years, perhaps there will be a genuine opportunity to jump for joy.

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Neuroscience: New nerves for old - Nature.com

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Ally Little described the past month of her life as a nightmare from which she just cant wake up.

On Dec. 22, the University of Southern Maine soccer player learned she had a rare and life-threatening disease in which her bone marrow stops producing healthy blood cells. However, the words severe aplastic anemia meant nothing to Little at the time.

Its really hard because I didnt know what this was before I had it, said Little, a 20-year-old sophomore from Stoneham, Massachusetts. No one has really heard of aplastic anemia or what the treatment is.

A bone marrow transplant is the cure for this disease, and Little has yet to find a matching donor. Littles teammates have organized a bone marrow donor registry drive from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday at Abromson Mezzanine at the USM Portland campus and from 2:30 to 5:30 p.m. at Costello Complex at the Gorham campus.

Diagnosed during winter break, Little broke the news to her teammates on social media.

It hit home, said USM womens soccer coach Lisa Petruccelli. This is really the first time someone their age at this juncture is struggling with something like this.

Littles initial symptoms didnt seem serious. She started getting pounding headaches around Thanksgiving, but she had gotten headaches before. Physical activities such as skiing or working out for soccer became unusually exhausting, which Little attributed to dehydration. She didnt go to her doctor until she noticed blood in her stool.

(Aplastic anemia) is believed to be an autoimmune system gone wrong, said Paul Scribner, Senior Director of Patient Advocacy Programs with the Aplastic Anemia and MDS International Foundation (AAMDS). The disease usually results from the destruction of bone marrow stem cells by the immune system. Other symptoms include infections and the tendency to bruise and bleed easily. With such innocuous warning signs, Scribner said a lot of people find out when they go to their doctor because theyre feeling run down.

After bloodwork, Little was told that her results were very abnormal. She spent the next few days in the hospital undergoing tests while doctors prepared her for the worst case scenario leukemia.

That was obviously horrifying, Little said. We didnt find out until about three days later that it was severe aplastic anemia.

Aplastic anemia is rare and can occur at any age. In the United States, about 600 to 900 people are diagnosed each year, according to AAMDS. The disease is considered severe when all three types of blood cells red blood cells (carry oxygen), white blood cells (fight infections) and platelets (help blood to clot) are very low in number.

I was kind of relieved it wasnt cancer, Little said. Then, doctors explained to me that its really not that good. It was devastating.

Little couldnt go back to school. With her compromised immune system, crowds are off limits. She cant play contact sports or do anything that could put her at risk of internal bleeding. She gets blood transfusions every week, and she can tell when shes due for another by the dizziness and headaches she gets. The long-term risk of too many transfusions, Scribner said, is iron overload.

Most days, I feel OK, Little said. I dont really feel sick, which is good. But its hard to remember I cant do certain things.

Little is buying time until she can get a bone marrow transplant. Bone marrow is the spongy tissue inside of the bones that produces the bodys blood cells. She didnt find a match among her family or with Be The Match a national bone marrow registry that contains 22.5 million adult donors.

Registering at the drive is simple. Potential donors must be between 18-44 years old and fill out basic paperwork and get their cheek swabbed to have their tissue type added to the registry a process that takes just a few minutes. After that, they will remain registered until age 61, unless they withdraw.

However for those in need of bone marrow finding a perfect match is not so easy.

Think about Megabucks and how hard it is to match that, said Jackie McLoon, Assistant Account Executive with Rhode Island Blood Center as well as a bone marrow donor. McLoon, a representative with Be the Match, has helped the USM soccer team organize its drive. Everyday, there are donors getting added to the database. Hopefully, her match shows up one of these days.

Only 30 percent of patients in need of a marrow transplant have a matching donor in their family. Be The Match helps the 14,000 patients a year who suffer from leukemia, lymphoma or a variety of bone marrow functioning diseases. McLoon said a protein called human leukocyte antigen (HLA) is used to match patients with donors, and potential matches will then undergo bloodwork to determine if they would be a good fit. Only about 1 in 500 registrants go on to actually donate marrow.

There are 10 things that they are supposed to match, Little said. They think one of my 10 is very rare.

But her teammates are optimistic. On Saturday, they attended a home basketball game clad in T-shirts adorned with the phrase: All for Ally. They gushed about Littles kind personality and reminisced about all the times they crashed in her room.

Shes the best teammate ever. Shes so sweet oh my god, I love her, said Jessica Preble, a sophomore on the team. If you ask anything of her, shell drop everything and do it.

This team is kind of used to bad things happening to our girls, said Dayna Staffiere, noting that one of their teammates lost her dad at sea last season when the cargo ship El Faro sank after encountering Hurricane Joaquin. It just brings us all closer.

When Little isnt at the hospital, shes usually working on her online classes or walking her dog. She said the support from family, friends and her soccer team is what keeps her going.

Were the ones who are supposed to be strong for her, but shes so strong for us, Preble said. Just a cheek swab and some paperwork could help save her life.

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USM women's soccer players organize bone marrow drive for teammate with rare disease - Press Herald

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February 08, 2017 09:45 ET | Source: BioRestorative Therapies, Inc.

MELVILLE, N.Y., Feb. 08, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- BioRestorative Therapies, Inc. ("BRT" or the Company") (OTCBB:BRTX), a life sciences company focused on stem cell-based therapies, today announced that it has received clearance by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to commence a Phase 2 clinical trial using its lead cell therapy candidate, BRTX-100, to treat chronic lower back pain due to degenerative disc disease related to protruding/bulging discs.

The Phase 2 clinical trial is a 72 patient, randomized, double-blind, controlled, multi-center study designed to evaluate safety and efficacy of a single dose of BRTX-100 in treating chronic lower lumbar disc disease. BRTX-100 will be administered via intradiscal injection into one disc of a subject with chronic lumbar disc disease and whose pain is not responsive to conservative treatment measures (e.g., oral medication, epidural injections and physical therapy). The primary goal of the treatment is to both reduce pain and increase function in these patients.

In January 2017, the Company had submitted an Investigational New Drug Application (IND) to the FDA to obtain clearance to commence this clinical trial using BRTX-100. BRTX-100 is a product formulated using a patients own cell population (autologous), which consists of hypoxic (low oxygen) cultured mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) that are optimized for specific use for a non-surgical, conservative intradiscal procedure that can be performed in a physicians office.

"We are excited to be able to begin our clinical development of BRTX-100 with this Phase 2 clinical trial," saidMark Weinreb, President and Chief Executive Officer of BioRestorative Therapies. This treatment has the potential to positively impact millions of Americans suffering from chronic lumbar disc disease as an alternative to surgery. We believe that this technology can be truly transformative and addresses a large market underserved by current therapies.

About BioRestorative Therapies, Inc.

BioRestorative Therapies, Inc. (www.biorestorative.com) develops therapeutic products using cell and tissue protocols, primarily involving adult stem cells. Our two core programs, as described below, relate to the treatment of disc/spine disease and metabolic disorders:

Disc/Spine Program (brtxDISC): Our lead cell therapy candidate, BRTX-100, is a product formulated from autologous (or a persons own) cultured mesenchymal stem cells collected from the patients bone marrow. We intend that the product will be used for the non-surgical treatment of protruding and bulging lumbar discs in patients suffering from chronic lumbar disc disease. The BRTX-100 production process involves collecting a patients bone marrow, isolating and culturing stem cells from the bone marrow and cryopreserving the cells. In an outpatient procedure, BRTX-100 is to be injected by a physician into the patients damaged disc. The treatment is intended for patients whose pain has not been alleviated by non-invasive procedures and who potentially face the prospect of surgery.

Metabolic Program (ThermoStem): We are developing a cell-based therapy to target obesity and metabolic disorders using brown adipose (fat) derived stem cells to generate brown adipose tissue (BAT). BAT is intended to mimic naturally occurring brown adipose depots that regulate metabolic homeostasis in humans. Initial preclinical research indicates that increased amounts of brown fat in the body may be responsible for additional caloric burning as well as reduced glucose and lipid levels. Researchers have found that people with higher levels of brown fat may have a reduced risk for obesity and diabetes.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and such forward-looking statements are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. You are cautioned that such statements are subject to a multitude of risks and uncertainties that could cause future circumstances, events or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements as a result of various factors and other risks, including those set forth in the Company's Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. You should consider these factors in evaluating the forward-looking statements included herein, and not place undue reliance on such statements. The forward-looking statements in this release are made as of the date hereof and the Company undertakes no obligation to update such statements.

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BioRestorative Therapies Receives FDA Clearance to Initiate Phase 2 Clinical Trial for the Treatment of Patients ... - GlobeNewswire (press release)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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