Professor Alexander Seifalian poses for photographs with a synthetic polymer nose at his research facility in the Royal Free Hospital in London, Monday, March 31, 2014. In a north London hospital, scientists are growing noses, ears and blood vessels in the laboratory in a bold attempt to make body parts using stem cells. AP

In a north London hospital, scientists are growing noses, ears and blood vessels in the laboratory in a bold attempt to make body parts using stem cells.

It is among several labs around the world, including in the U.S., that are working on the futuristic idea of growing custom-made organs in the lab.

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In a north London hospital, scientists are growing noses, ears and blood vessels in attempt to make body parts using stem cells

"It's like making a cake," said Alexander Seifalian at University College London, the scientist leading the effort. "We just use a different kind of oven."

During a recent visit to his lab, Seifalian showed off a sophisticated machine used to make molds from a polymer material for various organs.

Last year, he and his team made a nose for a British man who lost his to cancer. Scientists added a salt and sugar solution to the mold of the nose to mimic the somewhat sponge-like texture of the real thing. Stem cells were taken from the patient's fat and grown in the lab for two weeks before being used to cover the nose scaffold. Later, the nose was implanted into the man's forearm so that skin would grow to cover it.

Seifalian said he and his team are waiting for approval from regulatory authorities to transfer the nose onto the patient's face but couldn't say when that might happen

The potential applications of lab-made organs appear so promising even the city of London is getting involved: Seifalian's work is being showcased on Tuesday as Mayor Boris Johnson announces a new initiative to attract investment to Britain's health and science sectors so spin-off companies can spur commercial development of the pioneering research.

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Ears, noses grown from stem cells in lab dishes

London's Royal Free hospital is among several in the world that are working on the futuristic idea of growing custom-made organs in the lab Few have received the lab-made organs so far - including ears and windpipes - but researchers hope they will soon transplant more They hope to transplant world's first nose made partly from stem cells

By Associated Press and Ellie Zolfagharifard

Published: 05:38 EST, 8 April 2014 | Updated: 12:09 EST, 8 April 2014

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At London's Royal Free hospital, scientists are growing noses, ears and blood vessels in the laboratory in a bold attempt to make body parts using stem cells.

It is among several labs around the world, including in the U.S., that are working on the futuristic idea of growing custom-made organs in the lab.

Only a handful of patients have received the British lab-made organs so far - including tear ducts, blood vessels and windpipes.

But researchers hope they will soon be able to transplant more types of body parts into patients, including what would be the world's first nose made partly from stem cells.

Excerpt from:
British scientists make custom-made body parts using stem cells

Bradley J. Fikes

Stem-cell biologist Mahendra Rao expected five projects to receive support to set up clinical trials.

Stem-cell researchers at the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) have been left frustrated and confused following the demise of the agencys Center for Regenerative Medicine (CRM). The intramural programmes director, stem-cell biologist Mahendra Rao, left the NIH, in Bethesda, Maryland, on 28March, and the centres website was taken down on 4 April. Although no official announcement had been made at the time Nature went to press, NIH officials say that they are rethinking how they will conduct in-house stem-cell research.

Researchers affiliated with the centre say that they have been left in the dark. When contacted by Nature on 7April, George Daley, a stem-cell biologist at Harvard Medical School in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of the centres external advisory board, said that he had not yet been told of Raos departure or the centres closure.

The CRM was established in 2010 to centralize the NIHs stem-cell programme. Its goal was to develop useful therapies from induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells adult cells that have been converted into embryonic-like stem cells and shepherd them towards clinical trials and regulatory approval. Its budget was intended to be $52million over seven years.

Rao took the helm in 2011. Relations seem to have soured last month owing to an NIH decision to award funding to only one project aiming to move iPS cells into a clinical trial. Rao says he resigned after this became clear. He says that he had hoped that five trials would be funded, especially because the centre had already sorted out complex issues relating to tissue sources, patents and informed consent.

James Anderson, director of the NIHs Division of Program Coordination, Planning, and Strategic Initiatives, which administered the CRM, counters that only one application that made by Kapil Bharti of the National Eye Institute in Bethesda and his colleagues received a high enough score from an external review board to justify continued funding. The team aims to use iPS cells to treat age-related macular degeneration of the retina, and hopes to commence human trials within a few years. Several other proposals, which involved the treatment of cardiac disease, cancer and Parkinsons disease, will not receive funding to ready them for clinical trials. Anderson stresses that Bhartis trial will not be affected by the CRMs closure.

NIH

Therapies based on induced pluripotent stem cells, here differentiating into retinal cells on a scaffold, were the focus of the Center for Regenerative Medicine.

Other human iPS-cell trials are further along. For example, one on macular degeneration designed by Masayo Takahashi at the RIKEN Center for Developmental Biology in Kobe, Japan, began recruiting patients last August.

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NIH stem-cell programme closes

The director of the agency's Center for Regenerative Medicine resigned on March 28 after just one clinical-trial award had been made

Therapies based on induced pluripotent stem cells, here differentiating into retinal cells on a scaffold, were the focus of the Center for Regenerative Medicine. Credit: NIH

Stem-cell researchers at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) have been left frustrated and confused following the demise of the agencys Center for Regenerative Medicine (CRM). The intramural programs director, stem-cell biologist Mahendra Rao, left the NIH, in Bethesda, Maryland, on 28March, and the centers website was taken down on 4 April. Although no official announcement had been made at the timeNaturewent to press, NIH officials say that they are rethinking how they will conduct in-house stem-cell research.

Researchers affiliated with the center say that they have been left in the dark. When contacted byNatureon 7April, George Daley, a stem-cell biologist at Harvard Medical School in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of the centers external advisory board, said that he had not yet been told of Raos departure or the centers closure.

The CRM was established in 2010 to centralize the NIHs stem-cell program. Its goal was to develop useful therapies from induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells adult cells that have been converted into embryonic-like stem cells and shepherd them towards clinical trials and regulatory approval. Its budget was intended to be $52million over seven years.

Rao took the helm in 2011. Relations seem to have soured last month owing to an NIH decision to award funding to only one project aiming to move iPS cells into a clinical trial. Rao says he resigned after this became clear. He says that he had hoped that five trials would be funded, especially because the center had already sorted out complex issues relating to tissue sources, patents and informed consent.

James Anderson, director of the NIHs Division of Program Coordination, Planning, and Strategic Initiatives, which administered the CRM, counters that only one application that made by Kapil Bharti of the National Eye Institute in Bethesda and his colleagues received a high enough score from an external review board to justify continued funding. The team aims to use iPS cells to treat age-related macular degeneration of the retina, and hopes to commence human trials within a few years. Several other proposals, which involved the treatment of cardiac disease, cancer and Parkinsons disease, will not receive funding to ready them for clinical trials. Anderson stresses that Bhartis trial will not be affected by the CRMs closure.

Other human iPS-cell trials are further along. For example, one on macular degeneration designed by Masayo Takahashi at the RIKEN Center for Developmental Biology in Kobe, Japan, began recruiting patients last August.

Anderson says that the CRM will not continue in its current form. The field is moving so fast that we need to rethink. To that end, the NIH plans to hold a workshop in May to gather stem-cell researchers together and decide what to do with the program and its remaining budget. To me thats just smart science, he says. If somethings not on track you dont keep spending money on it.

One option could be to allow CRM projects to be absorbed by the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, an NIH institute established in 2011 to translate basic research into therapies. But Anderson says that participants at the workshop will also discuss whether the NIH needs to replace the CRM with another dedicated stem-cell program.

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NIH Stem-Cell Program Closes

Emcell Autism Arabic

By: Stem Cell Therapy Center EMCELL

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Stem Cell Therapy for Chronic Pain

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News 12: Stem Cell Therapy for Pain

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News 12: Stem Cell Therapy for Pain - Video

A doctor offering stem cell therapy may face charges for the death of a cancer patient who allegedly underwent treatment similar to that administered to former president and incumbent Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

This was after it was found out that she is not a licensed doctor in the Philippines.

A report on GMA News TV's "News To Go" on Wednesday said a complaint has been filed against Dr. Antonia Carandang-Park at the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) by Bernard Tan, who claims that his daughter, Kate, died after going through the said alternative treatment.Cancer patient Kate Tan received stem cell therapy from Dr. Antonia Carandang-Park, Gloria Arroyo's doctor.

Park owns the Tagaytay-based Green & Young Health and Wellness Center where Arroyoburdened by persistent trouble with her cervical spinesought treatment in 2012.

In an interview with GMA News, Tan said his daughter, who had Hodgkin's lymphoma (a type of cancer of the blood), was given "the same treatment that [Park] did with Gloria," which included "juicing diet, vegetable diet... acupuncture coffee enema, at 'yun na nga, stem cell."

Stem cell therapy introduces new adult stem cells into damaged tissue in order to treat disease or injury.

"Ang sabi niya, 'Give me three months, magaling na 'yan,'" Tan told GMA News. He added that his family was easily convinced to take their daughter to Park's wellness center because "Presidente na ng Pilipinas ang pumunta doon."

"Siguro naman na-scrutinize na nila 'yan, na-background check na nila 'yan," he said. "Kumbaga, 'yung credibility no'n, nag-build up na."

Kate was fed nothing but bananas and vegetable juices for three months, and had eight rounds of "embryonic" stem cell treatment, he said.

However, the 23-year-old lost even more weight, prompting the family to seek the assistance of a different doctor. Kate had eight rounds of 'embryonic' stem cell treatment, her father Bernard Tan said.Seven months later, in July 2013, Kate passed away.

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Gloria Arroyos stem cell therapy doc blamed for cancer patient's death

New York, NY (PRWEB) April 09, 2014

The Stem Cell Institute, located in Panama City, Panama, will present an informational umbilical cord stem cell therapy seminar on Saturday, May 17, 2014 in New York City at the New York Hilton Midtown from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm.

Speakers include:

Neil Riordan PhD Clinical Trials: Umbilical Cord Mesenchymal Stem Cell Therapy for Autism and Spinal Cord Injury

Dr. Riordan is the founder of the Stem Cell Institute and Medistem Panama Inc.

Jorge Paz-Rodriguez MD Stem Cell Therapy for Autoimmune Disease: MS, Rheumatoid Arthritis and Lupus

Dr. Paz is the Medical Director at the Stem Cell Institute. He practiced internal medicine in the United States for over a decade before joining the Stem Cell Institute in Panama.

Light snacks will be served afterwards. Our speakers and stem cell therapy patients will also be on hand to share their personal experiences and answer questions.

Admission is free but space in limited and registration is required. For venue information and to register and reserve your tickets today, please visit: http://www.eventbrite.com/e/stem-cell-institute-seminar-tickets-11115112601 or call Cindy Cunningham, Patient Events Coordinator, at 1 (800) 980-7836.

About Stem Cell Institute Panama

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Stem Cell Institute Public Seminar on Adult Stem Cell Therapy Clinical Trials in New York City May 17th, 2014

Kent Stephenson lies down during voluntary training while Katelyn Gurley (not seen) tracks his level of muscle activity and force at the Human Locomotion Research Center laboratory, Frazier Rehab Institute, as part of the University of Louisvilles Kentucky Spinal Cord Injury Research Center in Louisville, Kentucky. Photograph: University of Louisville/Handout via Reuters

Four men who had each been paralysed from the chest down for more than two years and had been told their situation was hopeless regained the ability to voluntarily move their legs and feet - though not to walk - after an electrical device was implanted in their spines, researchers reported today.

The success, albeit in a small number of patients, offers hope that a fundamentally new treatment can help many of the millions of paralysed people.Even those whose cases are deemed so hopeless they are not offered further rehabilitation might benefit, scientists say.

The results also cast doubt on a key assumption about spinal cord injury: that treatment requires damaged neurons to regrow or be replaced with, for instance, stem cells. Both approaches have proved fiendishly difficult and, in the case of stem cells, controversial.

The big message here is that people with spinal cord injury of the type these men had no longer need to think they have a lifelong sentence of paralysis, Dr Roderic Pettigrew, director of the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, part of the National Institutes of Health, said in an interview.

They can achieve some level of voluntary function, which he called a milestone in spinal cord injury research. His institute partly funded the study, which was published in the journal Brain.

The partial recovery achieved by hopeless patients suggests that physicians and rehabilitation therapists may be giving up on millions of paralysed people. Thats because physical therapy can mimic some aspects of the electrical stimulation that the device provided, said Susan Harkema, a specialist in neurological rehab at the University of Louisvilles Kentucky Spinal Cord Injury Research Center (KSCIRC), who led the new study.

One of the things this research shows is that there is more potential for spinal cord injury patients to recover even without this electrical stimulation, she said in an interview. Today, patients are not given rehab because they are not considered good investments. We should rethink what theyre offered, because rehabilitation can drive recovery for many more than are receiving it.

The research built on the case of a single paralysed patient that Ms Harkemas team reported in 2011. College baseball star Rob Summers had been injured in a hit-and-run accident in 2006, paralysing him below the neck.

In late 2009, Summers received the epidural implant just below the damaged area. The 72-gramme device began emitting electrical current at varying frequencies and intensities, stimulating dense bundles of neurons in the spinal cord. Three days later he stood on his own. In 2010 he took his first tentative steps.

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Paralysed men regain movement after spinal implant, study finds

A Calgary blood and marrow transplant doctor says hes looking forward to the establishment of a national cord blood bank, which will provide stem cells for procedures at two city hospitals once its fully up and running later this year.

The National Cord Blood Bank, run by Canadian Blood Services, is set to become the first public cord blood bank in the country, with hospitals in Edmonton, Ottawa, Vancouver and Brampton designated as collection sites.

Dr. Victor Lewis, a pediatric oncologist at the Alberta Childrens Hospital, said the stem cells collected from cord blood can make a huge difference for patients by increasing the inventory doctors can search to find donors.

Theres a good chance we may find donors for Canadian children in the Canadian cord bank, he said, noting cord blood stem cells are biologically younger and considered more flexible for treatment options compared to adult cells.

Umbilical cord blood is a sought-after source for stem cells since the match doesnt have to be as precise for the young cells, compared with bone marrow sources, said Heidi Elmaoazzen, director of the national public cord blood bank.

Until the first phase of the project opened in Ottawa last year, umbilical cords were considered medical waste, said Elmaoazzen, speaking to a Calgary Herald editorial board meeting.

The national centre will now cryopreserve the material collected from the four donor hospitals and store it indefinitely for use treating diseases such as leukemia and lymphoma.

In Calgary, it will allow physicians to perform stem cell transplants at the Alberta Childrens Hospital and Tom Baker Cancer Centre.

The agency has raised about $7.8 million of its $12.5-million fundraising goal for the project, said campaign co-chair Dale Sheard.

The rest of the funds for the $48-million blood bank are set to come from provincial and territorial governments, apart from Quebec.

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Calgary childrens hospital eager for access to national cord blood bank

(PRWEB) April 08, 2014

CELL SURGICAL NETWORK

Originating in California, CSN is the worlds largest cell surgical network and first multidisciplinary Regenerative Medicine group. CSN is collaborating with the Australian Adult Stem Cell Foundation to bring the research network to Australia.

CSN HAS OVER 40 LOCATIONS within the United States and several more worldwide. CSN has recently been launched in Australia with hand selected approved board certified Physicians. The ASCF has played an important role to identifying physicians who are passionate about regenerative and integrated medicine with a strong interest in SVF cell transplants.

INTERNATIONAL PHYSICIAN GROUP- Physicians belonging to the CSN network join an international network of Board certified Physicians, creating a multidisciplinary team where they receive training, technology and IP transfer, education and support for physicians and staff, access to IRB approved research protocols, the opportunity to submit their own protocols for IRB approval, website presence, and access to a university quality research database that collects outcomes from all sites.

SVF PROCUREMENT- The CSN SVF isolation system is a completely closed sterile surgical procedure. There are no laboratory requirements (e.g. laminar flow hood or otherwise) avoiding issues of GMP maintenance or possible cross contamination from laboratory handling. Further, the unique double filtration system avoids any risks of Pulmonary Emboli (PE) or problems due to particulate matter. The CSN has over the last 4 years researched and designed equipment that supports new requirements supported by the FDA/TGA. As the CSN system is a closed sterile surgical system it can be done in a doctors office and adheres to FDA/TGA regulations.

IRB STUDIES- Areas of study by the Cell Surgical Network include Orthopedics, Urology, Neurology, Cardiac/Pulmonary, Auto-Immune Diseases, Lichen Sclerosis, Ophthalmology. See http://www.stemcellrevolution.com

JOINING CELL SURGICAL NETWORK - Physicians interested in participating in the Cell Surgical Network please contact Chris Lindholm for more information by emailing clindholm(at)cellsurgicalnetwork(dot)com or phone 800-231-0407.

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Cell Surgical Network Opening in Australia

Stem Cells for back pain, Dr. Grande
Stem cell Therapy for spine disease explained.

By: SunCoastSeminars

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Stem Cells for back pain, Dr. Grande - Video

Desiccated L4/5 disc five months after stem cell therapy by Dr Harry Adelson
A decorated war hero, Chris, discusses the stem cell injection into his L4/5 disc by Dr Harry Adelson http://www.docereclinics.com.

By: Harry Adelson, N.D.

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Desiccated L4/5 disc five months after stem cell therapy by Dr Harry Adelson - Video

Stem Cell Therapy for Dogs and Cats
Stem Cells are extracted from your pet #39;s fatty tissue, and processed with Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) into an injectable solution, which is then activated usi...

By: Vet4bulldog

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Stem Cell Therapy for Dogs and Cats - Video

A new way to artificially control muscles using light, with the potential to restore function to muscles paralyzed by conditions such as motor neuron disease and spinal cord injury, has been developed by scientists at UCL and King's College London.

The technique involves transplanting specially-designed motor neurons created from stem cells into injured nerve branches. These motor neurons are designed to react to pulses of blue light, allowing scientists to fine-tune muscle control by adjusting the intensity, duration and frequency of the light pulses.

In the study, published this week in Science, the team demonstrated the method in mice in which the nerves that supply muscles in the hind legs were injured. They showed that the transplanted stem cell-derived motor neurons grew along the injured nerves to connect successfully with the paralyzed muscles, which could then be controlled by pulses of blue light.

"Following the new procedure, we saw previously paralyzed leg muscles start to function," says Professor Linda Greensmith of the MRC Centre for Neuromuscular Diseases at UCL's Institute of Neurology, who co-led the study. "This strategy has significant advantages over existing techniques that use electricity to stimulate nerves, which can be painful and often results in rapid muscle fatigue. Moreover, if the existing motor neurons are lost due to injury or disease, electrical stimulation of nerves is rendered useless as these too are lost."

Muscles are normally controlled by motor neurons, specialized nerve cells within the brain and spinal cord. These neurons relay signals from the brain to muscles to bring about motor functions such as walking, standing and even breathing. However, motor neurons can become damaged in motor neuron disease or following spinal cord injuries, causing permanent loss of muscle function resulting in paralysis

"This new technique represents a means to restore the function of specific muscles following paralysing neurological injuries or disease," explains Professor Greensmith. "Within the next five years or so, we hope to undertake the steps that are necessary to take this ground-breaking approach into human trials, potentially to develop treatments for patients with motor neuron disease, many of whom eventually lose the ability to breathe, as their diaphragm muscles gradually become paralyzed. We eventually hope to use our method to create a sort of optical pacemaker for the diaphragm to keep these patients breathing."

The light-responsive motor neurons that made the technique possible were created from stem cells by Dr Ivo Lieberam of the MRC Centre for Developmental Neurobiology, King's College London.

"We custom-tailored embryonic stem cells so that motor neurons derived from them can function as part of the muscle pacemaker device." says Dr Lieberam, who co-led the study. "First, we equipped the cells with a molecular light sensor. This enables us to control motor neurons with blue light flashes. We then built a survival gene into them, which helps the stem-cell motor neurons to stay alive when they are transplanted inside the injured nerve and allows them to grow to connect to muscle."

Story Source:

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

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Light-activated neurons from stem cells restore function to paralyzed muscles

Bone marrow stem cells needed

By: RBCLife Malaysia

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Bone marrow stem cells needed - Video

By Estel Grace Masangkay

CardioCell LLC announced that it has received FDA approval for its investigational new drug (IND) application for a U.S.-based Phase IIA clinical study evaluating its allogeneic stem-cell therapy for patients with chronic heart failure (CHF).

Dr. Sergey Sikora, CardioCells president and CEO, said, With the FDAs IND approval, CardioCell is pleased to proceed with a Phase 2a CHF clinical trial based on the safety data reported in previous clinical trials using our unique, hypoxically grown stem cells. At the studys conclusion we will understand if our therapy produces signs of improvement in a population of patients with dilated CHF, a condition largely unaddressed by current therapies. Dilated CHF is characterized by a viable but non-functioning myocardium in which cardiomyocytes are alive but are not contracting as they should. We hope that unique properties of our itMSCs will transition patients cardiomyocytes from viable to functioning, eventually improving or restoring heart function.

The company has developed an ischemic tolerant mesenchymal stem cells (itMSC) treatment for the type of dilated CHF that is not related to coronary artery disease. The treatment could potentially apply to about 35 percent of CHF patients. Only CardioCells CHF therapies feature itMSCs, exclusively licensed from CardioCells parent company Stemedica Cell Technologies Inc. The company said Stemedicas bone marrow-derived, allogeneic MSCs are different from other MSCs because they are grown under hypoxic conditions that closely resemble the environment in which they thrive on in the body.

Dr. Stephen Epstein, CardioCells Scientific Advisory Board Chair, said Although past trials have tested the efficacy of different stem cells in patients with DCM, CardioCells itMSCs, grown under chronic hypoxic conditions, are unique. As compared to stem cells grown under normoxic conditions, they express higher levels of factors that could exert beneficial effects on the mechanisms contributing to myocardial dysfunction and disease progression. This study, therefore, provides an exciting opportunity to test the potential of these itMSCs to attenuate or eliminate these mechanisms and, in so doing, improve patient outcomes.

The trial entitled A Phase 2a, Single-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Crossover, Multi-Center, Randomized Study to Assess the Safety, Tolerability, and Preliminary Efficacy of a Single Intravenous Dose of Ischemia-Tolerant Allogeneic Mesenchymal Bone Marrow Cells to Subjects With Heart Failure of Non-Ischemic Etiology, will be conducted at Emory University, Northwestern University, and the University of Pennsylvania in May this year.

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FDA Approves CardioCell's Phase 2A Trial For CHF Stem Cell Therapy

Dallas, TX (PRWEB) April 03, 2014

Translational Biosciences, a subsidiary of Medistem Panama, has received the green light for a phase I/II clinical trial using human umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells (UC-MSC) for multiple sclerosis from the Comit Nacional de Biotica de la Investigacin (CNEI) Institutional Review Board (IRB) in Panama.

According to the US National Multiple Sclerosis Society, in Multiple Sclerosis (MS), an abnormal immune-mediated T cell response attacks the myelin coating around nerve fibers in the central nervous system, as well as the nerve fibers themselves. This causes nerve impulses to slow or even halt, thus producing symptoms of MS that include fatigue; bladder and bowel problems; vision problems; and difficulty walking. The Cleveland Clinic reports that MS affects more than 350,000 people in the United States and 2.5 million worldwide.

Mesenchymal stem cells harvested from donated human umbilical cords after normal, healthy births possess anti-inflammatory and immune modulatory properties that may relieve MS symptoms. Because these cells are immune privileged, the recipients immune system does not reject them. These properties make UC-MSC interesting candidates for the treatment of multiple sclerosis and other autoimmune disorders.

Each patient will receive seven intravenous injections of UC-MSC over the course of 10 days. They will be assessed at 3 months and 12 months primarily for safety and secondarily for indications of efficacy.

The stem cell technology being utilized in this trial was developed by Neil Riordan, PhD, founder of Medistem Panama. The stem cells will be harvested and processed at Medistem Panamas 8000 sq. ft. ISO-9001 certified laboratory in the prestigious City of Knowledge. They will be administered at the Stem Cell Institute in Panama City, Panama.

From his research laboratory in Dallas, Texas, Dr. Riordan commented, Umbilical cord tissue provides an abundant, non-controversial supply of immune modulating mesenchymal stem cells. Preclinical and clinical research has demonstrated the anti-inflammatory and immune modulating effects of these cells. We look forward to the safety and efficacy data that will be generated by this clinical trial; the first in the western hemisphere testing the effects of umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells on patients with multiple sclerosis.

The Principle Investigator is Jorge Paz-Rodriguez, MD. Dr. Paz-Rodriguez also serves as the Medical Director at the Stem Cell Institute.

For detailed information about this clinical trial visit http://www.clinicaltrials.gov . If you are a multiple sclerosis patient between the ages of 18 and 55, you may qualify for this trial. Please email trials (at) translationalbiosciences (dot) com for more information about how to apply.

About Translational Biosciences

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Umbilical Cord Stem Cell Therapy Clinical Trial for Multiple Sclerosis Gets Green Light

I found the whole process fascinating and rewarding, and when Alison contacted me to tell me that the first couple Id donated to hadnt eventually conceived, she also told me she was setting up Altrui, and I got involved. Its an amazing thing to be a part of. I wouldnt donate again, as Im focusing on my own family now, but I love supporting other donors with their journeys.

I told Lyndon about it all not long after we met, but there was never a problem he has two children from a previous relationship so we both come with a past. Having my daughter has just confirmed how precious my eggs must have been to the couples whose lives I have changed. Im sure that when she is able to understand what Ive done she will be proud of her mum.

Alan Fisher 35, is a data analyst and lives in Nottingham with his girlfriend, Cat. He joined the UKs blood cancer charity and bone marrow register, Anthony Nolan (anthonynolan.org), in 2010 and donated bone marrow at the London Clinic in January

It was a memorable drive to work the day I decided to donate. I tuned into the local radio station to hear a six-year-old boy hosting the breakfast show: he had leukaemia and was raising awareness for the Anthony Nolan register. It was amazing to hear a young, confident voice doing such a brave thing, and I pulled into the office car park feeling uplifted. But as I reached down to turn off the engine the show ended, and I heard the usual presenter explaining that it had been a tribute to the boy, who had died because a donor hadnt been found in time. There and then I knew I would sign up.

I went along to a Join for Joel event organised in memory of the boy, Joel Picker Spence. It was easy: all I had to do was give a saliva sample. Knowing I could be called to donate within months, years or never, I didnt think about it much after that.

A year and a half later I was contacted and told there was a potential recipient for my bone marrow, but after more tests it transpired that they didnt need me. It was a bit of an anticlimax, to be honest. But in 2013, just before Christmas, I got another phone call and recognised the number on my phone. Its my turn now, I thought.

My employers were great about me taking time off. The hospital wanted to take bone marrow under general anaesthetic from my pelvic bone. It seems like the more invasive option you can sometimes give by a stem cell blood donation but as I dont like needles I didnt mind the idea of being knocked out.

The procedure itself went fine: I spent the night before at hospital and was taken to theatre early. When I awoke after the operation, which took less than an hour, I actually thought it hadnt happened. I was left feeling drained, but only for a few days. I also had two small puncture wounds in the small of my back, but they healed nicely. For me, it was a minor inconvenience for the recipient and their family, I hope it has meant a lot more. I found out afterwards that the amount of bone marrow needed indicated that the recipient was a child. Before I was discharged, I also found out it was a young boy, about the same age as Joel.

Jay Kelly 36, is a fertility and birth hypnotherapist. She is divorced and lives in Harrogate with her four daughters, aged 13, 10 and seven (twins). She recently gave birth to a baby for another couple, whom she met through Surrogacy UK (surrogacyuk.org)

Deciding to become a surrogate wasnt some road to Damascus moment. It was something that had been bubbling under for a long time. Through my work I meet a lot of women unable to conceive and I just cant imagine how distressing it must be for them. My children are everything to me, and it struck me that if I could help a couple who couldnt have what I have, it would be a pretty amazing thing to do.

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Would you donate a kidney to someone you had never met?