DR ANDREW J ROCHMAN: ON STEM CELL THERAPY

By: Len Promoter

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DR ANDREW J ROCHMAN: ON STEM CELL THERAPY - Video

Phoenix, AZ (PRWEB) July 17, 2014

Arizona Pet Vet Family of Animal Hospitals is hosting San Diego, California based Regenerative Veterinary Medicine company, Vet-Stem, Inc., for a summer session of RACE approved Credentialing Courses and wet-labs on stem cell therapy. AZ Pet Vets Family of 17 Animal Hospitals has been offering Vet-Stems Regenerative Cell Therapy to its small animal patients since 2010, and continuously strives to educate their team members on cutting-edge services like stem cell therapy.

Since Vet-Stems last training session with AZ Pet Vet in the summer of 2013 the number of pets diagnosed with arthritis has increased as much as an estimated 13% say industry sources. As many as 65% of dogs between the ages of 7 and 11 years old will be inflicted with some degree of arthritis. For certain specific breeds the percentage is as high as 70%, with an additional estimated 7% remaining undiagnosed. AZ Pet Vets Family of Animal Hospitals equips their veterinarians with a complete package of services to help diagnose and treat dogs that are suffering pain or inflammation from osteoarthritis or polyarthritis. Stem cell therapy is one of these services, most commonly used to help decrease inflammation, help with the pain of osteo or polyarthritis, as well as other joint or ligament issues, and muscle injuries.

Vet-Stems Corey Orava, DVM will be leading a series of daily training sessions which include a RACE (Registry of Approved Continuing Education from the American Association of Veterinary State Boards) approved credentialing course, and the ability to consult on potential stem cell therapy cases with current patients of AZ Pet Vets Family of Animal Hospitals. Each of these sessions will help veterinarians and their staff to learn the ins and outs of stem cell therapy, as well as benefit from a hands-on experience to bring the best care to their patients and pet owners. Under the mentorship of Dr. Orava all of the 17 AZ Pet Vet Animal Hospitals will have the potential to collect fat and inject stem cells on qualifying pet patients.

AZ Pet Vet is a family of 17 animal hospitals with one vision: to provide the best comprehensive care for their highly valued patients. Whether it be routine wellness, or other type of medical care, AZ Pet Vet provides loving care and treatment for pets. As animal lovers and pet owners, they understand the connection owners have with your pet. The doctors and staff at each hospital strive to build a long term relationship with their client families and their pets, always making recommendations in the pets best health interest. The AZ Pet Vet Family of Animal Hospitals offer complete veterinary care from wellness, to vaccines, spays and neuters, dental, surgical and now regenerative medicine. Their animal hospital locations can be easily found at http://www.arizonapetvet.com/.

Since its formation in 2002, Vet-Stem, Inc. has endeavored to improve the lives of animals through regenerative medicine. As the first company in the United States to provide an adipose-derived stem cell service to veterinarians for their patients, Vet-Stem pioneered the use of regenerative stem cells for horses, dogs, cats, and some exotics. In 2004 the first horse was treated with Vet-Stem Regenerative Cell Therapy for a tendon injury that would normally have been career ending. Ten years later Vet-Stem celebrated its 10,000th animal treated, and the success of establishing stem cell therapy as a proven regenerative medicine for certain inflammatory, degenerative, and arthritic diseases. As animal advocates, veterinarians, veterinary technicians, and cell biologists, the team at Vet-Stem tasks themselves with the responsibility of discovering, refining, and bringing to market innovative medical therapies that utilize the bodys own healing and regenerative cells. For more information about Vet-Stem and Regenerative Veterinary Medicine, visit http://www.vet-stem.com or call 858-748-2004.

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Arizona Pet Vet, a Family of Animal Hospitals in Central Arizona, is Hosting Vet-Stem, Inc. for Continued Education ...

Experts say a $15 million trial to explore stem cells from cord blood for treating autism is premature.

Cold comfort: Researchers are trying to find out whether stem cells taken from frozen cord blood can improve autism symptoms. Credit:Tbsdy lives via Wikimedia Commons

A team at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, is set to launch a $40 million clinical trial to explore stem cells from umbilical cord blood as a treatment for autism. But experts caution that the trial is premature.

A $15 million grant from the Marcus Foundation, a philanthropic funding organization based in Atlanta, will bankroll the first two years of the five-year trial, which also plans to test stem cell therapy for stroke and cerebral palsy. The autism arm of the trial aims to enroll 390 children and adults.

Joanne Kurtzberg, the trials lead investigator, has extensive experience studying the effectiveness of cord blood transplants for treating various disorders, such as leukemia and sickle cell anemia. Most recently, she showed that cord blood transplants can improve the odds of survival for babies deprived of oxygen at birth. A randomized trial of the approach for this condition is underway.

To really sort out if [stem] cells can treat these children, we need to do randomized, controlled trials that are well designed and well controlled, and thats what we intend to do, says Kurtzberg, professor of pediatrics and pathology at Duke. We firmly believe we should be moving ahead in the clinic.

Early animal studies have shown that stem cells isolated from umbilical cord blood can stimulate cells in the spinal cord to regrow their myelin layers, and in doing so help restore connections with surrounding cells. Autism is thought to result from impaired connectivity in the brain. Because of this, some groups of children with the disorder may benefit from a stem cell transplant, Kurtzberg says.

But others are skeptical of the approach. Autism is a complex disorder with many possible causes. Also, its unclear how stem cells derived from cord blood can improve connections in the brain. Given these important caveats, its too soon to conduct a test of this scale and investment, some experts say.

Its probably premature to run large trials without evidence that they have a therapeutic effect that [we] understand, cautions Arnold Kriegstein, director of the Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research at the University of California, San Francisco.

Pilot trials In June, Kurtzberg launched the first phase of the trial, with 20 children between 2 and 5 years of age. Her team plans to infuse the children with a single dose of their own cord blood cells, banked at birth and preserved by freezing.

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Large Study of Stem Cells for Autism Draws Criticism

A study led by Humboldt University of Berlin claims that a a group of embryonic stem cells called the neural crest, link traits in tame animals Charles Darwin first noted that domesticated mammals share a strange mixture of characteristics such as floppier ears and white patches of fur The modern scientists' hypothesis hasn't been tested, but is the first to connect several components of the domestication syndrome They think that humans inadvertently selected animals to breed that had mild neural crest deficits, resulting in smaller adrenal glands

By Sarah Griffiths

Published: 10:50 EST, 15 July 2014 | Updated: 11:18 EST, 15 July 2014

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It is a mystery that has gone unsolved for more than 140 years since Charles Darwin noticed something peculiar about domesticated mammals.

But now scientists think they know why domestic species tend to have certain characteristics that accompany their tameness, such as floppier ears, patches of white fur, and more juvenile faces with smaller jaws.

Geneticists believe that a group of embryonic stem cells called the neural crest, link all these traits, which are seen in many peoples pet cats and dogs.

Domestic science: Scientists think they know why domestic species tend to have certain characteristics that accompany their tameness, such as floppier ears, patches of white fur, and more juvenile faces with smaller jaws (illustrated by this spaniel) - and it's because of a group of embryonic stem cells called the neural crest

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Does your dog have 'domestication syndrome'? Scientists reveal why pets tend to have baby faces and white patches of fur

Freeport, Bahamas (PRWEB) July 15, 2014

Okyanos Heart Institute, a leader in cardiac adult stem cell therapy, has selected Perkins Healthcare Technologies to provide video integration solutions for its new state-of-the-art cardiac catheterization lab. The video integration system is paired with Phillips equipment, creating a top-grade comprehensive solution for the cath lab by providing the ability to view high definition clinical cardiac procedures video information on a large screen collaged layout 8-megapixel display. Built to US surgical standards, the lab equipment is being installed over the next few weeks, bringing the highest standard of care and most advanced technology to cardiac care.

Okyanos Heart Institute utilizes adult stem cells derived from ones own adipose (fat) tissue, placing them in the heart to help it repair damaged or diseased tissue. This is done using a minimally invasive catheterization procedure, as demonstrated in multiple rigorous clinical trials from around the world.

Okyanos Chief Medical Officer Howard T. Walpole, Jr., M.D., M.B.A., F.A.C.C., F.A.C.A.I. noted, The most important functions of the video integration system are to provide high quality images with the right projections of the image. When you visualize a heart, you need to be able to get a complex angle to see the back side of the heart. This enables the cardiologist to deliver the stem cells where they are most needed. The size of the image detector is smaller and the more flexible positioner makes it easier to pivot around the patients body to obtain those difficult views.

Perkins Healthcare Technologies has been providing clinical video integration solutions for over 25 years and looks forward to bringing its expertise to Okyanos Heart Institute. We are very excited to have our state-of-the-art video integration system included as a part of this innovative solution for cardiac care. Our video integration system provides Okyanos a flexible solution to meet its staff needs, said Steve Plaugher, COO of Perkins Healthcare Technologies. Instead of having to assimilate patient data from multiple sources and locations, the staff can now access and view this information in their respective work area in an instant.

The combination of Okyanos adult stem cell treatments and Perkins state-of-the-art video integration solutions are designed to enhance patient care, improve the quality of life and deliver an exceptional patient experience.

To learn more about Okyanos and cardiac stem cell therapy, take a few minutes to view this video or visit http://www.Okyanos.com.

To learn more about Perkins and its clinical video integration and control technology, visit http://www.PerkinsHealthcareTechnologies.com for information on Perkins Solutions.

About Okyanos Heart Institute: (Oh key AH nos) Based in Freeport, Grand Bahama, Okyanos Heart Institutes mission is to bring a new standard of care and a better quality of life to patients with coronary artery disease using cardiac stem cell therapy. Okyanos adheres to U.S. surgical center standards and is led by CEO Matt Feshbach and Chief Medical Officer Howard T. Walpole Jr., M.D., M.B.A., F.A.C.C., F.A.C.A.I. Okyanos Treatment utilizes a unique blend of stem and regenerative cells derived from ones own adipose (fat) tissue. The cells, when placed into the heart via a minimally-invasive catheterization, stimulate the growth of new blood vessels, a process known as angiogenesis. Angiogenesis facilitates blood flow in the heart and supports intake and use of oxygen (as demonstrated in rigorous clinical trials such as the PRECISE trial). The literary name Okyanos, the Greek god of rivers, symbolizes restoration of blood flow.

About Perkins Healthcare Technologies: Perkins Healthcare Technologies has designed, developed, manufactured and distributed clinical video integration solutions for more than 25 years. Perkins vendor neutral video integration solutions work seamlessly with new or existing imaging, surgical, or hybrid procedure suites; complementing the functionality, improving workflow, and providing critical patient information to the stakeholder where and when they need it.

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Okyanos & Perkins Partner for Cardiac Stem Cell Therapy Innovation

Nicola Cockx with her baby sadly died just eight months after giving birth[Cavendish Press]

Nicola Cockx, 35, was so intent on having a child that she postponed having chemotherapy and a stem cell transplant for fear it would risk the health of her future child.

Instead she fought Multiple Myeloma - a form of bone marrow cancer which affects plasma cells- by using holistic methods of treatment and even completed a one year nutrition course to help with a healthy diet.

But, tragically, Mrs Cockx, from Little Bollington, Cheshire, passed away in February 2013, eight months after giving birth to her daughter Harriet.

She had began limping in July 2008 and three months later as she was about to see an orthopaedic specialist she slipped and broke her femur whilst on business trip in Germany with her father John Flowers, who runs a glazing company.

Mrs Cockx's husband Rudy, 39, an IT consultant, told a Manchester inquest: "Following the leg break in the hip area the multiple myeloma was diagnosed. It was extremely stressful."

The condition affects places in the body where there is bone marrow such as the spine, hips, skull and pelvis.

Nicola Cockx with her husband, Rudy [THE COCKX FAMILY]

Mr Cockx said his wife was initially treated with radiotherapy in the area of her hip where the cancer had struck but despite this she sought alternative medication and therapy.

She even considered an autologous stem cell transplant - where your own stem cells are removed and blasted with chemotherapy- but she backed out last minute for fear the chemo toxins would affect her fertility.

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Woman who delayed cancer treatment to give birth died eight months after becoming a mother

Karen Mitchell, 39, was inspired after reading plight of Alice Pyne Teenager lost battle with rare form of cancer in January 2013, aged 17 Before she died she urged people to join the bone marrow register Ms Mitchell tweeted Alice to promise she would - and teenager was delighted Butat 25st and with a BMI of 60, Ms Mitchell was rejected for being too fat Has now lost 11st 7lb and next week will donate bone marrow stem cells

By Anna Hodgekiss

Published: 05:19 EST, 15 July 2014 | Updated: 05:47 EST, 15 July 2014

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A woman so inspired by the plight of a young girl dying from cancer shed 11st in order to help other people battling the disease.

Encouraged by a tweet from terminally ill Alice Pyne, Karen Mitchell created her own 'bucket list', which included losing weight and saving lives.

Pride Of Britain winner Alice, who had fought Hodgkin's lymphoma from the age of 12, took to social media to urge people to join the bone marrow register.

Karen Mitchell shed 11st 7lb after promising a dying teenager she would join the bone marrow register

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Woman loses 11st after promise to join bone marrow register

Insight: Stem Cells -- Perry and Matt
Perry Cross and Matt Battista share their experiences trying highly experimental stem cell therapy to treat a spinal cord injury. Catch the full episode on Tuesday, July 15 at 8:30pm AEST on...

By: Insight SBS

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Insight: Stem Cells -- Perry and Matt - Video

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AP Photo/Agapito Sanchez, Baylor College of Medicine

MONTREAL Finding a donor for a stem cell transplant is perhaps one of the most difficult things for a cancer patient.

This is because stem cells are one of the few things that patients cannot rely on their immediate family to donate, according to to Doctor Silvy Lachance, Director of the stem cell transplant program at Hpital Maisonneuve-Rosemont.

Of course, we first look within the family, she said.

But there is only 25 per cent chance of identifying a donor. If we dont find a donor within the family, we try the international donor registry.

According to the National Cancer Institute, bone marrow and peripheral blood stem cell transplantations are most commonly used to treat leukemia, lymphoma, neuroblastoma (a cancer that affects mostly infants and children) and multiple myeloma.

While they wait for a compatible donor, patients will be assigned a conditioning regiment, which may include radiation.

This conditioning regiment will be followed by the infusion of stem cells that are compatible with the recipient, said Lachance.

Yet, for most ethnic minorities or anyone of mixed-birth, the chances of finding an anonymous donor remain very difficult.

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The possible alternatives to bone marrow transplant

University of Wisconsin-Madison

The ability to reliably and safely make in the laboratory all of the different types of cells in human blood is one key step closer to reality.

Writing today in the journal Nature Communications, a group led by University of Wisconsin-Madison stem cell researcher Igor Slukvin reports the discovery of two genetic programs responsible for taking blank-slate stem cells and turning them into both red and the array of white cells that make up human blood.

[ Watch the Video: What Are Stem Cells? ]

The research is important because it identifies how nature itself makes blood products at the earliest stages of development. The discovery gives scientists the tools to make the cells themselves, investigate how blood cells develop and produce clinically relevant blood products.

This is the first demonstration of the production of different kinds of cells from human pluripotent stem cells using transcription factors, explains Slukvin, referencing the proteins that bind to DNA and control the flow of genetic information, which ultimately determines the developmental fate of undifferentiated stem cells.

During development, blood cells emerge in the aorta, a major blood vessel in the embryo. There, blood cells, including hematopoietic stem cells, are generated by budding from a unique population of what scientists call hemogenic endothelial cells. The new report identifies two distinct groups of transcription factors that can directly convert human stem cells into the hemogenic endothelial cells, which subsequently develop into various types of blood cells.

The factors identified by Slukvins group were capable of making the range of human blood cells, including white blood cells, red blood cells and megakaryocytes, commonly used blood products.

By overexpressing just two transcription factors, we can, in the laboratory dish, reproduce the sequence of events we see in the embryo where blood is made, says Slukvin of the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine in the UW School of Medicine and Public Health and the Wisconsin National Primate Research Center.

The method developed by Slukvins group was shown to produce blood cells in abundance. For every million stem cells, the researchers were able to produce 30 million blood cells.

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Wisconsin Scientists Find Genetic Recipe To Turn Stem Cells To Blood

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Tuesday 07/15: Dangerous Additives in Beer? Stem Cell Therapy; Summer Health Tips - Show Promo - Video

Clive Randell, 57, injured his leg in a motorcycle accident in 2011 Thanks to a new stem cell procedure, he can now ride his bike again Stem cells taken from the pelvis are blended with gel to 'glue' the bone

By David Gerrie

Published: 16:01 EST, 12 July 2014 | Updated: 19:59 EST, 12 July 2014

A pioneering stem cell procedure to repair fractured bones could provide a lifeline for accident victims facing the amputation of a limb.

The development involves harvesting stem cells master cells that are able to transform into any kind of body tissue from the patients pelvis, blending them with a specially created gel and injecting the solution into the damaged bone.

One patient already benefiting is lifelong motorcycle enthusiast Clive Randell who suffered horrific injuries to his left leg when his Harley-Davidson was rammed by a car in 2011.

On yer bike: Clive Randell, 57, pictured with his 'saviour' Professor Anan Shetty at Kents Canterbury Christ Church University, can now ride his bike again after undergoing the new stem cell procedure

He suffered multiple open fractures, leaving bone protruding through the skin, and extensive skin loss. Doctors repeatedly told him his leg would have to be amputated.

Today, though, Clive, 57, is back on his feet and, astonishingly, also his bike thanks to the ground-breaking stem-cell treatment.

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Saved from amputation - how a stem cell gel rebuilt my shattered leg

How safe is stem cell therapy for children affected with autism spectrum disorder
In conversation with Dr Alok Sharma (MS, MCh.) Professor of Neurosurgery Head of Department, LTMG Hospital LTM Medical College, Sion, Mumbai. Explains, H...

By: Neurogen Brain and Spine Institute

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How safe is stem cell therapy for children affected with autism spectrum disorder - Video

For breast cancer patients, the era of personalized medicine may be just around the corner, thanks to recent advances by USC Stem Cell researcher Min Yu and scientists at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School.

In a July 11 study in Science, Yu and her colleagues report how they isolated breast cancer cells circulating through the blood streams of six patients. Some of these deadly cancer cells are the "seeds" of metastasis, which travel to and establish secondary tumors in vital organs such as the bone, lungs, liver and brain.

Yu and her colleagues managed to expand this small number of cancer cells in the laboratory over a period of more than six months, enabling the identification of new mutations and the evaluation of drug susceptibility.

If perfected, this technique could eventually allow doctors to do the same: use cancer cells isolated from patients' blood to monitor the progression of their diseases, pre-test drugs and personalize treatment plans accordingly.

In the six estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer patients in the study, the scientists found newly acquired mutations in the estrogen receptor gene (ESR1), PIK3CA gene and fibroblast growth factor receptor gene (FGFR2), among others. They then tested either alone or in combination several anticancer drugs that might target tumor cells with these mutations and identified which ones merit further study. In particular, the drug Ganetspib -- also known as STA-9090 -- appeared to be effective in killing tumor cells with the ESR1 mutation.

"Metastasis is the leading cause of cancer-related death," said Yu, assistant professor in the Department of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine at the Keck School of Medicine of USC. "By understanding the unique biology of each individual patient's cancer, we can develop targeted drug therapies to slow or even stop their diseases in their tracks."

Story Source:

The above story is based on materials provided by University of Southern California - Health Sciences. The original article was written by Cristy Lytal. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.

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Stem cell researcher targets 'seeds' of breast cancer metastasis

For many years scientists have been trying to unravel mechanisms that guide function and differentiation of blood stem cells, those cells that generate all blood cells including our immune system. The study of human blood stem cells is difficult because they can only be found in the bone marrow in specialized "niches" that cannot be recapitulated in a culture dish. Now a group of scientists from Dresden led by stem cell researcher Prof. Claudia Waskow (Technische Universitt Dresden) was able to generate a mouse model that supports the transplantation of human blood stem cells despite the species barrier and without the need for irradiation. They used a mutation of the Kit receptor in the mouse stem cells to facilitate the engraftment of human cells.

In the new model human blood stem cells can expand and differentiate into all cell types of the blood without any additional treatment. Even cells of the innate immune system that can normally not be found in "humanized" mice were efficiently generated in this mouse. Of significance is the fact that the stem cells can be maintained in the mouse over a longer period of time compared to previously existing mouse models. These results were now published in the journal Cell Stem Cell.

"Our goal was to develop an optimal model for the transplantation and study of human blood stem cells," says Claudia Waskow, who recently took office of the professorship for "animal models in hematopoiesis" at the medical faculty of the TU Dresden. Before, Prof. Waskow was a group leader at the DFG-Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden where most of the study was conducted.

The trick used by Claudia Waskow's team to achieve optimal stem cell engraftment was the introduction of a naturally occurring mutation of the Kit receptor into mice that lack a functional immune system. This way they circumvented the two major obstacles of blood stem cell transplantation: the rejection by the recipient's immune system and absence of free niche space for the incoming donor stem cells in the recipient's bone marrow. Space is usually provided by irradiation therapy, called conditioning, because it damages and depletes the endogenous stem cells and thus frees space for the incoming human cells. However, irradiation is toxic to many cell types and can lead to strong side effects. The Kit mutation in the new mouse model impairs the recipient's stem cell compartment in such a way that the endogenous blood stem cells can be easily replaced by human donor stem cells with a functional Kit receptor. This replacement works so efficiently that irradiation can be completely omitted allowing the study of human blood development in a physiological setting. The model can now be used to study diseases of the human blood and immune system or to test new treatment options.

The results from Prof. Waskow's group also show that the Kit receptor is important for the function of human blood stem cells, notably in a transplantation setting. Further studies will now focus on using this knowledge about the role of the receptor to improve conditioning therapy in the setting of therapeutic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in patients.

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

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Opening-up the stem cell niche: Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation without irradiation

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10-Jul-2014

Contact: Meng Zhao eic@nrren.org 86-138-049-98773 Neural Regeneration Research

There is evidence that selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor antidepressants can promote neuronal cell proliferation and enhance neuroplasticity both in vitro and in vivo. Dr. Javad Verdi and his team, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Iran proposed that citalopram, a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, can increase the efficacy of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) differentiating into neuronal-like cells. Experimental results confirmed that citalopram can improve the neuronal-like cell differentiation of BMSCs by increasing cell proliferation and survival while maintaining their neuronal characteristics. These results were published in Neural Regeneration Research (Vol. 9, No. 8, 2014).

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Article: "Citalopram increases the differentiation efficacy of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells into neuronal-like cells" by Javad Verdi1, 2, Seyed Abdolreza Mortazavi-Tabatabaei1, 2, Shiva Sharif 2, 3, Hadi Verdi2, Alireza Shoae-Hassani1, 2 (1 Department of Applied Cell Sciences, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran; 2 Department of Stem Cells and Tissue Engineering, Research Center for Science and Technology in Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran; 3 Department of Tissue Engineering, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran)

Contact:

Meng Zhao eic@nrren.org 86-138-049-98773 Neural Regeneration Research http://www.nrronline.org/

AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

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Citalopram increases the differentiation efficacy of BMSCs into neuronal-like cells

Is there Scientific Evidence of How Stem Cell Therapy work in Autism Spectrum Disorder?
Dr. Hemangi Sane from Neurogen Brain and Spine Institute show Scientific Evidence of How Stem Cell Therapy work in Autism Spectrum Disorder. Published Paper ...

By: Neurogen Brain and Spine Institute

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Is there Scientific Evidence of How Stem Cell Therapy work in Autism Spectrum Disorder? - Video

Im not betting on it, but if, by some miracle, Argentine winger Angel Di Maria is on the pitch against Germany Sunday in the 2014 World Cup final, get ready for another explosion of interest in stem cell therapy, a now familiar occurrence every time a famous athlete undergoes the treatment.

Di Maria, who either tore or strained a thigh muscle in Argentinas World Cup win over Belgium, is so determined to play in the final that, according to some reports, he is having the muscle injected with stem cells in the hope of healing by Sunday. (This Associated Press report from Thursday said he was practicing at 60 to 80 percent, so Im guessing were talking about a strain.)

If those reports are true, Di Maria will join a long line of elite athletes who have resorted to the unproven and possibly risky therapy. This kind of stem cell therapy is experimental in every sense of the word, according to the International Society for Stem Cell Research. There also is some evidence that the procedure can promote tumor growth or create an immune response to a patients own cells, or that injected stem cells might migrate to another part of the body.

Never mind. There is soccer to be played!

No one denies that stem cells hold promise as a therapy down the road, perhaps in as little as five or 10 years, says Kevin McCormack, communication director for the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine. With $3 billion supplied by voters in a 2004 ballot initiative, the organization is funding trials of the use of stem cell therapies for scarring after heart attacks, sickle cell anemia, leukemia and other conditions.

But for now, stem cells are known to be effective only for certain disorders of the blood, immune system and bone marrow. Beyond that, little has been proven, although clinics in the United States and around the world are offering the therapy and raking in bucks from desperate patients.

Di Maria may even see some benefits, McCormack said. In theory, they might [help] because they may have an anti-inflammatory effect or they may stimulate the bodys own natural healing, he said. But the problem is that they havent done any research to prove that.

The stem cells are harvested from a patients bone marrow and sometimes run through a centrifuge to concentrate them. Then they are injected into the damaged tissue.

For athletes, who are always looking for ways to prolong their careers and bounce back from injury, the fad began in 2010, when Major League pitcher Bartolo Colon had a slurry of stem cells that can turn into a variety of tissues injected into his injured elbow and shoulder. Within months, he was throwing 93 mile per hour fastballs for the New York Yankees. Later, Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning, one of the most famous athletes in the United States, reportedly had stem cell therapy on his injured neck.

McCormack and others express concern that when pro athletes and other celebrities have unproven treatments, it sends the rest of us weekend warriors out in search of the same. Here a good bit of blame goes to us in the media. A 2012 analysis conducted for the journal Molecular Therapyshowed that 72.7 percen of the media coverage of athletes and stem cell therapy didnt address whether the treatment works, and 42 percent referred to alleged benefits. Only 5.7 percent of the stories brought up possible safety issues and risks.

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Injured Argentine winger Angel Di Maria may be resorting to unproven stem cell therapy

PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:

11-Jul-2014

Contact: Jia Liu liujia@genomics.cn BGI Shenzhen

July 3, 2014, Shenzhen, China Researchers from Salk Institute for Biological Studies, BGI, and other institutes for the first time evaluated the safety and reliability of the existing targeted gene correction technologies, and successfully developed a new method, TALEN-HDAdV, which could significantly increased gene-correction efficiency in human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC). This study published online in Cell Stell Cell provides an important theoretical foundation for stem cell-based gene therapy.

The combination of stem cells and targeted genome editing technology provides a powerful tool to model human diseases and develop potential cell replacement therapy. Although the utility of genome editing has been extensively documented, but the impact of these technologies on mutational load at the whole-genome level remains unclear.

In the study, researchers performed whole-genome sequencing to evaluate the mutational load at single-base resolution in individual gene-corrected hiPSC clones in three different disease models, including Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome (HGPS), sickle cell disease (SCD), and Parkinson's disease (PD).

They evaluated the efficiencies of gene-targeting and gene-correction at the haemoglobin gene HBB locus with TALEN, HDAdV, CRISPR/CAS9 nuclease, and found the TALENs, HDAdVs and CRISPR/CAS9 mediated gene-correction methods have a similar efficiency at the gene HBB locus. In addition, the results of deep whole-genome sequencing indicated that TALEN and HDAdV could keep the patient's genome integrated at a maximum level, proving the safety and reliability of these methods.

Through integrating the advantages of TALEN- and HDAdV-mediated genome editing, researchers developed a new TALEN-HDAdV hybrid vector (talHDAdV), which can significantly increase the gene-correction efficiency in hiPSCs. Almost all the genetic mutations at the gene HBB locus can be detected by telHDAdV, which allows this new developed technology can be applied into the gene repair of different kinds of hemoglobin diseases such as SCD and Thalassemia.

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About BGI

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A new genome editing method brings the possibility of gene therapies closer to reality

The ability to switch out one gene for another in a line of living stem cells has only crossed from science fiction to reality within this decade. As with any new technology, it brings with it both promise-the hope of fixing disease-causing genes in humans, for example-as well as questions and safety concerns.

Now, Salk scientists have put one of those concerns to rest: using gene-editing techniques on stem cells doesn't increase the overall occurrence of mutations in the cells. The new results were published July 3 in the journal Cell Stem Cell.

"The ability to precisely modify the DNA of stem cells has greatly accelerated research on human diseases and cell therapy," says senior author Juan Carlos Izpisua Belmonte, professor in Salk's Gene Expression Laboratory. "To successfully translate this technology into the clinic, we first need to scrutinize the safety of these modified stem cells, such as their genome stability and mutational load."

When scientists want to change the sequence of a stretch of DNA inside cells-either for research purposes or to fix a genetic mutation for therapeutic purposes-they have their choice of two methods. They can use an engineered virus to deliver the new gene to a cell; the cell then integrates the new DNA sequence in place of the old one.

Or scientists can use what's known as custom targeted nucleases, such as TALEN proteins, which cut DNA at any desired location. Researchers can use the proteins to cut a gene they want to replace, then add a new gene to the mix. The cell's natural repair mechanisms will paste the new gene in place.

Previously, Belmonte's lab had pioneered the use of modified viruses, called helper-dependent adenoviral vectors (HDAdVs) to correct the gene mutation that causes sickle cell disease, one of the most severe blood diseases in the world.

He and his collaborators used HDAdVs to replace the mutated gene in a line of stem cells with a mutant-free version, creating stem cells that could theoretically be infused into patients' bone marrow so that their bodies create healthy blood cells.

Before such technologies are applied to humans, though, researchers like Belmonte wanted to know whether there were risks of editing the genes in stem cells. Even though both common gene-editing techniques have been shown to be accurate at altering the right stretch of DNA, scientists worried that the process could make the cells more unstable and prone to mutations in unrelated genes-such as those that could cause cancer.

"As cells are being reprogrammed into stem cells, they tend to accumulate many mutations," says Mo Li, a postdoctoral fellow in Belmonte's lab and an author of the new paper. "So people naturally worry that any process you perform with these cells in vitro-including gene editing-might generate even more mutations."

To find out whether this was the case, Belmonte's group, in collaboration with BGI and the Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences in China, turned to a line of stem cells containing the mutated gene that causes sickle cell disease.

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No extra mutations in modified stem cells