Portland, Oregon and Miami, Fla. (PRWEB) February 10, 2015

Global Stem Cells Group and the Regenerative Technology Alliance (RTA) have signed a memorandum of understanding to evaluate and promote stem cell training programs. RTA, a global provider of standards and certification for the emerging fields of regenerative medicine and science, will work with the Global Stem Cells Group to evaluate the regenerative medicine companys training programs and assess GSCGs participating physicians against the RTAs established international standards for the practice of regenerative and cell-based medicine.

Our new alliance with the RTA is a natural step toward establishing GSCGs recognition as a global leader in stem cell medicine, says Global Stem Cells Group CEO Benito Novas. This is a perfect fit for us, as Global Stem Cells Group shares the RTAs focus on high standards and transparency, especially when it comes to patient safety and advancing the field of stem cell medicine.

We are very pleased to have this alliance, says David Audley, General Secretary and Chair of the RTA. Our goal is to provide the highest level of transparency and oversight for the industry. Working with Global will allow us to have a direct and dramatic impact on physician training.

For more information, visit the Global Stem Cells Group website, email bnovas(at)stemcellsgroup(dot)com, or call 305-224-1858.

About Global Stem Cells Group:

Global Stem Cells Group, Inc. is the parent company of six wholly owned operating companies dedicated entirely to stem cell research, training, products, and solutions. Founded in 2012, the company combines dedicated researchers, physician and patient educators, and solution providers with the shared goal of meeting the growing worldwide need for leading edge stem cell treatments and solutions. With a singular focus on this exciting new area of medical research, Global Stem Cells Group and its subsidiaries are uniquely positioned to become global leaders in cellular medicine.

About the RTA

The Regenerative Technology Alliance (RTA) a global provider of standards and certification for the emerging fields of regenerative medicine and science, is a 501(c)3 and is supported by donations from individuals, corporations and foundations to help advance its critical mission of bringing peer oversight and transparency to the field of cell-based and regenerative medicine.

For more information visit the RTA website, email david(at)regen-tech(dot)org, or call 503-446-5039.

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Global Stem Cells Group Announces Alliance with Regenerative Technology

DUBLIN, Feb .10, 2015 /PRNewswire/ --Research and Markets

(http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/7zf9mz/cell_therapy) has announced the addition of Jain PharmaBiotech's new report "Cell Therapy - Technologies, Markets and Companies" to their offering.

This report describes and evaluates cell therapy technologies and methods, which have already started to play an important role in the practice of medicine. Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation is replacing the old fashioned bone marrow transplants. Role of cells in drug discovery is also described. Cell therapy is bound to become a part of medical practice.

Stem cells are discussed in detail in one chapter. Some light is thrown on the current controversy of embryonic sources of stem cells and comparison with adult sources. Other sources of stem cells such as the placenta, cord blood and fat removed by liposuction are also discussed. Stem cells can also be genetically modified prior to transplantation.

Cell therapy technologies overlap with those of gene therapy, cancer vaccines, drug delivery, tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. Pharmaceutical applications of stem cells including those in drug discovery are also described. Various types of cells used, methods of preparation and culture, encapsulation and genetic engineering of cells are discussed. Sources of cells, both human and animal (xenotransplantation) are discussed. Methods of delivery of cell therapy range from injections to surgical implantation using special devices.

Cell therapy has applications in a large number of disorders. The most important are diseases of the nervous system and cancer which are the topics for separate chapters. Other applications include cardiac disorders (myocardial infarction and heart failure), diabetes mellitus, diseases of bones and joints, genetic disorders, and wounds of the skin and soft tissues.

Regulatory and ethical issues involving cell therapy are important and are discussed. Current political debate on the use of stem cells from embryonic sources (hESCs) is also presented. Safety is an essential consideration of any new therapy and regulations for cell therapy are those for biological preparations.

The cell-based markets was analyzed for 2014, and projected to 2024.The markets are analyzed according to therapeutic categories, technologies and geographical areas. The largest expansion will be in diseases of the central nervous system, cancer and cardiovascular disorders. Skin and soft tissue repair as well as diabetes mellitus will be other major markets.

The number of companies involved in cell therapy has increased remarkably during the past few years. More than 500 companies have been identified to be involved in cell therapy and 294 of these are profiled in part II of the report along with tabulation of 285 alliances. Of these companies, 160 are involved in stem cells. Profiles of 72 academic institutions in the US involved in cell therapy are also included in part II along with their commercial collaborations. The text is supplemented with 61 Tables and 16 Figures. The bibliography contains 1,200 selected references, which are cited in the text.

Key Topics Covered:

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Cell Therapy Report 2014-2020 - Technologies, Markets and Companies

Kansas City, MO (PRWEB) February 09, 2015

One in five Americans will develop heart failure in their lifetime. It is the number one cause of hospitalization for adults over 65. The cost to treat heart failure is $32 billion and expected to double by 2030. There is no doubt heart failure is a significant health problem. The good news is proper care and treatment can dramatically improve a patients outcome and potentially promising new treatments are on the horizon.

February 8-14, 2015 is National Heart Failure Awareness Week. Saint Lukes Mid America Heart Institute, in Kansas City, Missouri specializes in treating heart failure and other complex cardiovascular conditions and has long been one of the leaders in cardiovascular care not only in the Midwest, but across the country.

Heart failure occurs when the heart is unable to efficiently move blood to the rest of the body either due to thickening or weakness. Onset can come from a variety of causes including heart attack, viral illness, abnormal heart valves, genetic traits and even after pregnancy. Symptoms can be subtle; shortness of breath, fatigue, dizziness, swelling in the legs and or stomach.

The good news is a variety of treatments are available and proper care and treatment can dramatically improve symptoms and quality of life for patients.

Treatments include:

The exciting news for patients is we have promising treatments currently in the research phase of development, said Bethany Austin, M.D., Associate Medical Director of the Advanced Heart Failure Program at Saint Lukes Mid America Heart Institute. These treatments range from clinical trials involving catheter based treatments, treatment of sleep apnea, and gene therapy with stem cells for damaged heart muscles. In addition, there is a new medication which has shown in recent trials to provide significant benefit to heart failure patients compared to standard therapy although it is not yet commercially available. All of these offer new hope to heart failure patients.

Saint Lukes offers a multidisciplinary heart team, including the regions only team of cardiologists board certified in Advanced Heart Failure and Cardiac Transplant, cardiothoracic surgeons, and critical care anesthesiologists.

The Saint Lukes Heart Failure Program also features:

In 2014, The Joint Commission awarded Saint Lukes Hospital Advanced Certification in Heart Failure. Only 53 other hospitals in the United States currently have Advanced Heart Failure Certification. Saint Lukes Hospital also received the Get With The GuidelinesHeart Failure Gold-Plus Quality Achievement Award for implementing specific quality improvement measures outlined by the American Heart Association/American College of Cardiology Foundation secondary prevention guidelines for heart failure patients.

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Saint Lukes Mid America Heart Institute Offers Tips & Treatments For Heart Failure Awareness Week 2015

Biotechs may be flush with cash, thanks to the ol bullish IPO market and an uptick in venture funding. But startups remainon the lookout for alternative funding models with crowdsourcing front and center.

This makes British biotech startup Cell Therapyparticularly interesting,itjustraised 689,246 or a bit over$1 million to launch a stem cell therapy for heart failure. This is one of the highest life sciences-related crowdfunding efforts topped only by Scanadu, whose handheld consumer diagnostic tool raised $1.6 million in Indiegogo.

Cell Therapy, which was founded by 2007 Nobel Prize winner Martin Evans, raised the funding on thesite Crowdcube exceeding its goal of 250,000 with backing from nearly 300 investors. It ceded a mere 0.39% in equity to the backers thatinclude investment bankers, hedge fund employees and scientists, CEO Ajan Reginald said.

It was very fast and very efficient, Reginaldtold Reuters. We have spent 5 percent of our time on fundraising, which enables me to spend 95 percent of my time on the business.

Crowdfunding is increasingly becoming an option for early stage biotechs that want to sidestep the traditional venture-backed approach. On one hand, its a relatively simple means to raise a large amount of seed capital but on the other, there are many more (potentially irate) investors to answer to when a companys in its nascence.

New York-based Poliwoggs entire premise is on bringing crowdfunding to healthcare with aims to help companies raise fundsfrom accredited investors beyond the seed stage, with rounds ranging from $2 million to $10 million mark.Notably, ithas its own regenerative medicine fund.

Part of the idea here is that people want to invest in the things they care about, but they havent always had the opportunity to invest in them, CEO Greg Simon told MedCity News.Were giving people the opportunity to put their money where their passion is.

Thats all fine and good to have a passion for a cause, but the traditional accredited investor whos enmeshed in a crowdfunding effort may still not understand the intricacies of what it takes to get results or a return in a tricky field like regenerative medicine.

John Carroll over atFierce Biotechopined that crowdfunding wont make a significant dent in the approach to life sciences crowdfunding. Stem cell therapy, after all, generated tons of media pomp and flair a decade ago, but has yet to deliver on many of its curative promises from back then. VCs are often burnt and reticent, and investors on crowdfunding sites will likely be, as well. Carroll says:

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Cell Therapy may have just raised $1M, but will crowdfunding have a lasting place in biotech?

Cell Therapy, which is based in the Welsh capital Cardiff, says the medicine has the potential to reduce scarring of the heart muscle caused by a heart attack or failure.

Chief executive Ajan Reginald, who was previously at Roche, said crowd funding was a quick way to raise money for final stage trials or commercial launches.

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"It was very fast and very efficient," he said. "We have spent five per cent of our time on fundraising, which enables me to spend 95 per cent of my time on the business."

The company's founder Martin Evans shared the 2007 Nobel Prize for medicine for groundbreaking stem cell research.

Cell Therapy used website Crowdcube to raise nearly three times its original target from more than 300 investors.

Mr Reginald said the backers included investment bankers, hedge fund employees and scientists.

"Crowd funding allows investors to look in detail at a company in their own time," he said, adding that some 10,000 investors had seen the pitch.

The company plans to publish data from clinical trials of the drug, called Heartcel, next month, before final stage trials with a view to a launch in 2016.

Link:
Biotech firm Cell Therapy claims crowdfunding record with heart drug

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Continue reading here:
Stem cells cure hope for diabetes

FAQ Part 4: MEsenchymal Stem cell therapy for CAnadian MS patients (MESCAMS)
The Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada and the Multiple Sclerosis Scientific Research Foundation have announced a $4.2 million grant in support of the MEsenchymal Stem cell therapy for CAnadian.

By: MSSocietyCanada

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FAQ Part 4: MEsenchymal Stem cell therapy for CAnadian MS patients (MESCAMS) - Video

The Human Genome Unlocked
The Aspen Health Forum, 2009. With the mapping of the human genome complete, scientists are hoping to use stem cell therapy and related interventions to alleviate or even cure diseases. What...

By: The Aspen Institute

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The Human Genome Unlocked - Video

Exciting research . . . Spinal Cord Society research director Dr Jim Faed demonstrates a Terumo sterile tube welder, in use in Dunedin Hospital. PHOTO: BRENDA HARWOOD

A Dunedin-based research team, working on a cure for type 1 diabetes, is reaching out for support.

The Spinal Cord Society of New Zealand research team, based at the University of Otago's Centre for Innovation, has been developing methods for using patients' stem cells to ''turn off'' the auto-immune response that causes type 1 diabetes.

Research director Dr Jim Faed said the work built on the research of a

Chinese-American group, which was able to show a way to cure type 1 diabetes using a patient's own stem cells to reset the body's immune system, helping the return of insulin production.

''That work now needs repeating and improving, to speed up the recovery process,'' Dr Faed said.

Type 1 diabetes destroys the body's insulin-producing cells as an auto-immune response to a trigger, such as an infection, in people with an inherited tendency. These people, who number about 25,000 in New Zealand, ''need some help to flick the switch and turn that auto-immune response off'', he said.

''We feel we have the right strategy for that. What we need now is to buy the equipment to progress from just lab-scale work to producing cells that are safe to use in people [in clinical trials].''

The research was ''on the verge of a real breakthrough'' and could be one of the most exciting scientific advances since antibiotics, he said.

If a cure for type 1 diabetes could be established, it could open the way for researchers to look into other auto-immune diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, he said.

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Help us `break through': scientists

FAQ Part 2: MEsenchymal Stem cell therapy for CAnadian MS patients (MESCAMS)
The Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada and the Multiple Sclerosis Scientific Research Foundation have announced a $4.2 million grant in support of the MEsenchymal Stem cell therapy for CAnadian.

By: MSSocietyCanada

Excerpt from:
FAQ Part 2: MEsenchymal Stem cell therapy for CAnadian MS patients (MESCAMS) - Video

Knee arthritis; 2 years after stem cell therapy by Harry Adelson, N.D.
Patricia describes her outcome two years after bone marrow and adipose stem cell therapy for her arthritic knee by Harry Adelson, N.D. http://www.docereclinics.com.

By: Harry Adelson, N.D.

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Knee arthritis; 2 years after stem cell therapy by Harry Adelson, N.D. - Video

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Hospital pioneers Magneto-style stem cell surgery

Feb. 2, 2015

Su-Chun Zhang (center), a UW professor of neuroscience, talks with staff in his lab as they prepare stem cell cultures in March 2013.Zhangs new research may lay the foundation for treating neurodegenerative diseases like ALS.

Photo: Jeff Miller

This story starts in 1955, upon the death of Albert Einstein, when the pathologist charged with performing the famous scientists autopsy stole his brain.

Fast forward to the 1980s when a University of California, Berkeley scientist was studying parts of the stolen goods involved in complex thinking and discovered that the father of relativity had more of certain types of cells, called astrocytes, than other human brains studied.

Today, another 30 years later, scientists still dont have a solid grasp on everything these cells do in the human nervous system, largely because theyre difficult to study. But Su-Chun Zhang, a professor of neuroscience and neurology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Waisman Center, and his research team have published a unique model for learning more about the role of human astrocytes in the Journal of Clinical Investigation today.

Su-Chun Zhang

The findings may lay a foundation for the treatment of a number of neurodegenerative diseases, including ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) and debilitating spinal cord injuries.

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Laying a foundation for treating ALS, spinal cord injury

Late-Breaking Basic Science Research Presented at American Heart Association Scientific Sessions Shows Stem Cell Treatment Restores Heart Function Damaged by Muscular Disease

Contact: Sally Stewart Email: sally.stewart@cshs.org

Los Angeles - Nov. 17, 2014 Researchers at the Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute have found that injections of cardiac stem cells might help reverse heart damage caused by Duchenne muscular dystrophy, potentially resulting in a longer life expectancy for patients with the chronic muscle-wasting disease.

The study results were presented today at a Breaking Basic Science presentation during the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions in Chicago. After laboratory mice with Duchenne muscular dystrophy were infused with cardiac stem cells, the mice showed steady, marked improvement in heart function and increased exercise capacity.

Duchenne muscular dystrophy, which affects 1 in 3,600 boys, is a neuromuscular disease caused by a shortage of a protein called dystrophin, leading to progressive muscle weakness. Most Duchenne patients lose their ability to walk by age 12. Average life expectancy is about 25. The cause of death often is heart failure because the dystrophin deficiency leads to cardiomyopathy, a weakness of the heart muscle that makes the heart less able to pump blood and maintain a regular rhythm.

"Most research into treatments for Duchenne muscular dystrophy patients has focused on the skeletal muscle aspects of the disease, but more often than not, the cause of death has been the heart failure that affects Duchenne patients," said Eduardo Marbn, MD, PhD, director of the Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute and study leader. "Currently, there is no treatment to address the loss of functional heart muscle in these patients."

During the past five years, the Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute has become a world leader in studying the use of stem cells to regenerate heart muscle in patients who have had heart attacks. In 2009, Marbn and his team completed the world's first procedure in which a patient's own heart tissue was used to grow specialized heart stem cells. The specialized cells were then injected back into the patient's heart in an effort to repair and regrow healthy muscle in a heart that had been injured by a heart attack. Results, published in The Lancet in 2012, showed that one year after receiving the experimental stem cell treatment, heart attack patients demonstrated a significant reduction in the size of the scar left on the heart muscle.

Earlier this year, Heart Institute researchers began a new study, called ALLSTAR, in which heart attack patients are being infused with allogeneic stem cells, which are derived from donor-quality hearts. Recently, the Heart Institute opened the nations first Regenerative Medicine Clinic, designed to match heart and vascular disease patients with appropriate stem cell clinical trials being conducted at Cedars-Sinai and other institutions.

"We are committed to thoroughly investigating whether stem cells could repair heart damage caused by Duchenne muscular dystrophy," Marbn said.

In the study, 78 lab mice were injected with cardiac stem cells. Over the next three months, the lab mice demonstrated improved pumping ability and exercise capacity in addition to a reduction in heart inflammation. The researchers also discovered that the stem cells work indirectly, by secreting tiny fat droplets called exosomes. The exosomes, when purified and administered alone, reproduce the key benefits of the cardiac stem cells.

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Cardiac Stem Cell Therapy May Heal Heart Damage Caused by ...

For patients with brain cancer, radiation is a powerful and potentially life-saving treatment, but it can also cause considerable and even permanent injury to the brain. Now, through preclinical experiments conducted in rats, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center researchers have developed a method to turn human stem cells into cells that are instructed to repair damage in the brain. Rats treated with the human cells regained cognitive and motor functions that were lost after brain irradiation. The findings are reported in the February 5 issue of the journal Cell Stem Cell.

During radiation therapy for brain cancer, progenitor cells that later mature to produce the protective myelin coating around neurons are lost or significantly depleted, and there is no treatment available to restore them. These myelinating cells--called oligodendrocytes--are critical for shielding and repairing the brain's neurons throughout life.

A team led by neurosurgeon Viviane Tabar, MD, and research associate Jinghua Piao, PhD, of the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City, wondered whether stem cells could be coaxed to replace these lost oligodendrocyte progenitor cells. They found that this could be achieved by growing stem cells--either human embryonic stem cells or induced pluripotent stem cells derived from skin biopsies--in the presence of certain growth factors and other molecules.

Next, the investigators used the lab-grown oligodentrocyte progenitor cells to treat rats that had been exposed to brain irradiation. When the cells were injected into certain regions of the brain, brain repair was evident, and rats regained the cognitive and motor skills that they had lost due to radiation exposure. The treatment also appeared to be safe: none of the animals developed tumors or inappropriate cell types in the brain.

"Being able to repair radiation damage could imply two important things: improving the quality of life of survivors and potentially expanding the therapeutic window of radiation," said Dr. Tabar. "This will have to be proven further, but if we can repair the brain effectively, we could be bolder with our radiation dosing, within limits." This could be especially important in children, for whom physicians deliberately deliver lower radiation doses.

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

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Human stem cells repair damage caused by radiation therapy for brain cancer in rats

Advanced stem cell treatments instead of surgery - Denver Regenerative Medicine
If you #39;re tired of treating a chronic injury with prescription drugs, and you #39;ve been told surgery is your next option, there may be a different treatment for you. Dr. Joel Cherdack of...

By: Denver Regenerative Medicine

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Advanced stem cell treatments instead of surgery - Denver Regenerative Medicine - Video

Neck and Shoulder arthritis two years after stem cell therapy by Harry Adelson, N.D.
Steve describes his outcome two years after stem cell therapy for his arthritic neck and shoulder by Dr Harry Adelson http://www.docereclinics.com.

By: Harry Adelson, N.D.

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Neck and Shoulder arthritis two years after stem cell therapy by Harry Adelson, N.D. - Video

Freeport, Grand Bahama (PRWEB) February 04, 2015

In just a few short months since Okyanos opened its doors, remarkable results are becoming a daily reality. In light of these mounting successes, Okyanos, the leader in cell therapy, has augmented its adult stem cell therapy for severe heart disease and expanded their offerings to include treatments for patients with other chronic unmet needs. Now, patients like Patsy and Dylan are experiencing the tangible benefits that Okyanos cell therapy provides.

Patsy, 72 years old, lived a normal life until 2012 when a diagnosis of congestive heart failure (CHF) put a halt to her active lifestyle. Patsys health quickly deteriorated. Despite open heart surgery, a pacemaker and medications, all were insufficient to arrest her physical decline. Faced with a heart transplant as her next option and fearful of the idea, Patsy began searching for another alternative.

I was looking at going to Mexico, and my cardiologist was talking to me about being a part of a clinical trial where they inject two different kinds of drugs into the heart, but I was hesitant about that idea and worried I would get the placebo. A friend knew I had a heart problem, and she recommended Okyanos.

Patsys arrival at Okyanos quickly allayed any apprehension as she said, I couldnt ask to be treated any better than if they were my own sisters or brothers. It was truly amazing. You just dont get that kind of care in regular hospitals.

After just a few short months since her mid-October (2014) treatment with Okyanos cell therapy, Patsy is noticing improvements. Im doing better. I can already tell the difference. Im getting up the stairs more easily. Im doing the laundry again. I have more energy, and when you have more energy and you feel better, your point of view on life is betterit really makes a big difference.

Dylan is another success. At 16, Dylan had dreamt of a career playing tennis but began experiencing extreme pain with his hips locking up, causing him to fall to the ground. He was diagnosed with a rare condition that causes abnormal growth of tissue lining the joints that can later break off and damage cartilage. After 2 surgeries to clean out his hips, constant pain and an inability to walk without a limp, run or bend over, the condition worsened. After speaking with doctors, it was clear that continuation of regular surgeries would further deteriorate Dylans hips. Determined to see her son walk normally, Dylans mother discovered Okyanos and both decided to move forward with cell therapy.

Dylan underwent cell therapy wherein stem cells were separated from his own fat tissue for direct injections into the hip as well as delivery by IV to address underlying causes of ischemia, inflammation and abnormal immune response. Ten days later, Dylan was pain-free and able to walk normally, run and bend over.

Im pinching myself. Its amazing. No, its miraculous! says Elena about her sons recovery. If Dylan had not had the cell therapy, we would have kept doing other treatments and crossed our fingers. At 20 years old, his future would have been hip replacement surgery and a lifetime of problems walking, painful movement and an inability to bend down.

Stem cell therapy is a relatively simple and minimally-invasive same-day procedurea stark contrast from open heart surgery or hip surgeryyet offers patients the hope of a more normal life. Patients like Patsy concur, Its going to give people hope. And give them a life. You get to a point with a body where you push and push and run out of energy. Thats not really life to me. I think stem cell therapy can give back life.

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Okyanos Cell Therapy Success Brings Hope for a Normal Life

Nicholasville, KY (PRWEB) February 04, 2015

Rescued when he was only 4 weeks old, Nakiia, a 15-year-old Panther, has been living in severe pain after a jumping incident. Jan Hall, Nakiias owner has dedicated her life to rescuing animals. Nakiia, the namesake of her rescue foundation The Nakiia Foundation is the love of her life. Witnessing this fabulous animal in such pain was too much for Jan to bear. The Doctors treating Nakiia decided to undertake a revolutionary medical procedure, which centers on regenerative medicine.

Newman Veterinary Center in DeLand Florida performed MediVets Adipose (fat)-derived stem cell therapy. The male Florida panther underwent this procedure, more commonly performed on domestic animal such as dogs, cats and horses. The procedure is an effort to ease the pain from severe arthritis in his joints. This was a last stage effort for the panther that can no longer continue to live in such pain.

Though stem cell treatments have been performed in exotic animals before, it is still a rare and exciting undertaking. Utilizing MediVet Biologics procedure, Dr. Ted Oliver was able to ensure the process will produce the best possible results. MediVets procedure is completed in one day and in-clinic.

Stem Cell treatments in the past have often been controversial when embryonic cells where involved, with adipose or fat tissue Nakiias own adult stem cells could be easily concentrated and activated with minimal risk. Until recently Veterinarians only had the option of utilizing outside labs for processing of autologous cells, with the one step surgical treatment available from MediVet Biologics, Veterinarians all around the country can eliminate the costs and variability in shipping by utilizing an onsite simple procedure.

During the procedure, Dr. Oliver removed about four tablespoons of belly fat from the panther. The fat was then processed in-clinic by a trained technician. The cells are incubated, isolated and activated by a patented process. Dr. Oliver carefully re-administered the cells directly back into Nakiia. Nakiias excess cells will be stored for future use eliminating the need to surgically re-harvest additional tissue.

MediVets primary mission and goal is to help all animals live a pain free life. In regenerative medicine and biologic intervention age is not a disease rather a challenge that presents us many opportunities to develop cutting edge treatments to combat issues related to the aging process. Our partnerships with progressive Veterinarians such as Newman Veterinary Centers allow us to extend affordable cutting edge treatments to animals who otherwise potentially have limited treatments available. We look forward to following Nakiias progress." - Jeremy Delk, CEO of MediVet Biologics.

Newman Veterinary Center was honored to be a part of Nakiias stem cell procedure. The excitement that this 146-lb. cat brought to our clinic was unparalleled. We have very high hopes that Nakiia will be feeling much better very soon. - Erica Kent Director of Operations at Newman Veterinary Centers.

Nakiias story will air on Wednesday, February 4th on CBS WKMG (local 6) with Mike Holfeld, Investigative Reporter.

About MediVet Biologics MediVet Biologics is the Worlds leading provider of Veterinary regenerative medicine. The central Kentucky based company was founded in 2009 and quickly gained favor in the Veterinary industry with the advent of in-clinic adipose derived stem cell and platelet rich plasma treatments. Since gaining wide appeal in the small and large veterinary market MediVet Biologics has developed a strong biologic pipeline that includes, among other cutting edge treatment options, patient specific immunotherapy services.

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Florida Panther Receives Cutting Edge Stem Cell Procedure from MediVet Biologics

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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