Orange County, CA (PRWEB) January 06, 2014

Top West Coast Stem Cell Clinic, TeleHealth, is now offering stem cell injections for ligament sprains. This includes injuries of the ankle, knee, wrist and other extremity joints. Board Certified doctors administer the outpatient injections which can help patients heal quicker than conventional treatments. For more information and scheduling, call (888) 828-4575.

In adults, ligament sprains can take months to heal due to limited blood supply and healing potential. This can keep athletes off the field and inhibit the ability of even recreational athletes to walk and run without pain.

Conventional pain relief treatments are able to provide pain relief. This may include steroid injections or anti-inflammatories by mouth. However, these treatments do not alter the course of the healing.

With the advent of regenerative medicine treatments, the potential exists for quicker healing. These treatments include fat or bone marrow derived stem cell injections along with platelet rich plasma therapy.

Platelet rich plasma therapy, known as PRP therapy, involves a simple blood draw from the patient. The blood is spun in a centrifuge, which concentrates the platelets and growth factors. These are then injected into the area of ligament injury.

With the fat or bone marrow derived stem cells, the material is harvested in an outpatient procedure from the patient. It is processed immediately to concentrate the patient's stem cells and then injected right away into the injured region.

Small published studies have shown the treatment to be very effective for healing the injuries faster than with conventional treatments. There is low risk involved, the treatments are outpatient and performed by highly experienced Board Certified doctors who have over twenty years combined experience in regenerative medicine treatments.

Along with the injections for ligament injury, stem cell injections are also offered for degenerative arthritis, rotator cuff injury, back and neck pain, achilles tendonitis, plantar fasciitis and more.

TeleHealth has two offices for treatment, one in Orange and a second in Upland, CA. Call (888) 828-4575 for more information and scheduling.

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West Coast Stem Cell Clinic, TeleHealth, Now Offering Stem Cell Injections for Ligament Sprains

Despite some ethical concerns, most patients are now broadly endorsing stem cell research.

In the case of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), which are stem cells made from skin or other tissues, researchers at the Johns Hopkins University found patients were largely in favour of participating in iPSC research even if personal benefit was unlikely.

The patients, however, raised concerns about consent, privacy and transparency.

"Bioethicists as well as stem cell researchers and policy-makers have discussed ethical issues at length but till date, we didn't have any systematic information about what patients think about these issues," said Jeremy Sugarman, the Harvey M. Meyerhoff professor of bioethics and medicine at Johns Hopkins Berman Institute of Bioethics.

Unlike human embryonic stem cells, iPSCs are derived without destroying a human embryo. Research with human iPSCs is valuable for developing new drugs, studying disease, and perhaps developing medical treatments, said the study published in the journal Cell Stem Cell.

According to the study, consent was highly important for patients. Some patients even suggested that proper informed consent could compensate for other concerns they had about privacy, the "immortalisation" of cells and the commercialisation of stem cells.

There was a "strong desire among participants to have full disclosure of the anticipated uses, with some participants wanting to be able to veto certain uses of their cells", the study added.

"The idea that donated cells would potentially live forever was unnerving to some participants," the report stated.

"This study is a first step in getting crucial information about what values are factored into a decision to participate in iPSC research, and what those participants expect from the experience," said Sugarman.

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Patients endorse key stem cell research

Cofounder of Stem Cell Theranostics and StartX Med Divya Nag is attacking one of medicine's biggest problems: the fact that most types of human cellslike those in the heart or liverdie when you keep them in a petri dish. This makes testing new drugs a risky, costly and time-consuming business: 90% of medicines that start clinical trials turn out to be too unsafe or ineffective to market. But a new technology, the induced pluripotent stem cell, may help. Nag's company, Stem Cell Theranostics, was created from technology funded by a $20 million grant from the California Institute of Regenerative Medicine and is closing a venture round. It turns cellsusually from a piece of skininto embryonic-like stem cells, then uses them to create heart cells. These cells can live in petri dishes and be used to test new drugs. Someday they might even replace heart tissue that dies during a heart attack. Three large pharmaceutical companies are customers, though revenues are small. Nag, who was already publishing in prestigious scientific journals when she was an undergraduate, dropped out of Stanford to pursue her dream. No regrets: "Our technology was so promising and I was so passionate about it that nothing else made sense to me," she says. "It was very clear this was what I wanted to do."

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2014 30 Under 30: Science & Healthcare

Beverly Hills, California (PRWEB) January 06, 2014

The top stem cell clinic in Beverly Hills and Los Angeles, Beverly Hills Institute of Cellular Therapy, is now offering revolutionary stem cell facelift procedures with a New Years pricing special. The procedure involves a nonoperative technique with amniotic stem cells performed by licensed providers. No incisions are necessary, and the outpatient procedures are being offered at 20% off regular price. Call (424) 253-5577 for more information and scheduling.

Traditional facelift procedures involve anesthesia, incisions and significant healing time. A stem cell facelift procedure is performed as an outpatient with no incisions or systemic anesthesia necessary. The Beverly Hills Institute utilizes amniotic stem cells, which are processed at an FDA regulated lab and have been used over 10,000 times without adverse events.

Stem cells have the capability to eliminate wrinkles and provide the skin with a more youthful, glowing appearance. The procedure allows patients to avoid the risks of infection and no stitches are necessary. It costs considerably less than a traditional facelift and now at 20% off is a great option for those desiring to look younger without going through separate procedures for each facial area.

As individuals age, the skin tone in the facial area and texture begin to decline. Stem cells are able to rejuvenate collagen deficient areas and have the capability to change into all types of cells in a procedure that is natural, affordable and safe.

Amniotic fluid is extremely rich in stem cells, growth factors, hyaluronic acid and anti-inflammatory cells. The combination works extremely well for the stem cell facial procedure, with results that are often noticeable quickly and long lasting.

This new technology is performed by licensed aestheticians, nurses and Double Board Certified physicians at the Institute. The procedure takes less than an hour to complete. In addition to the stem cell facelift, the Institute also offers stem cell injections for numerous musculoskeletal conditions including tendon and ligament injury along with degenerative arthritis. This includes stem cell therapy for knees, shoulders and hips.

For more information and scheduling to discuss options with stem cell procedures for looking and feeling younger while avoiding surgery, call the Beverly Hills Institue for Cellular Therapy at (424) 253-5577.

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Beverly Hills Institute for Cellular Therapy Now Offering Revolutionary Stem Cell Face Lift Procedure at Special New ...

Ras Al Khaimah, UAE (PRWEB) January 05, 2014

The executive team of UAE based international research and private equity consultancy, Grace Century, FZ LLC is in Boston, Massachusetts this week to attend Provia Laboratories' first quarterly meeting of 2014. The meeting is designed specifically to implement the next phase of the health services company's dental stem cell bio banking service.

According to Scott Wolf, CEO of Grace Century, this week's meeting will be much more than a typical quarterly meeting for Provia Labs and its bio-banking service, Store-A-Tooth. Upon moving into its new headquarters--triple the companys previous space---and bringing all of its operations under one roof, Provia Labs has been able to simultaneously reduce fixed costs and accommodate dramatic growth. The company is ready for its planned North American, European, and Middle East expansion. "These are incredibly exciting times for Provia and its expansion. When we promote a firm, we believe that there is an obligation of oversight to our members that is ongoing. This will be our third visit to Provia," said Wolf.

"2013 was designed to prove our model works. With tremendous dental professional interest and acceptance, we have built not only an existing dentist network of over 6,000, but the model to replicate this nationwide," explains Provia Laboratories CEO, Howard Greenman. "While each geographical territory has its challenges, the common denominator is that there is tremendous demand by families to harvest and bank their childrens stem cells. The key is increasing awareness of their opportunities to do so from teeth."

Provia Labs is presently providing services directly or through collaborators in seven countries and three states in the U.S. The plan is to expand into ten states in 2014. Europe, the Caribbean, and possibly the Middle East will also be added in the New Year.

Besides the bio banking of dental stem cells, Provia has also completed numerous federal consulting contracts and provides bio-specimen containers to some of the worlds premier research facilities through its Proviasette division.

About Grace Century, FZ LLC

Grace Century is an international research and private equity consultancy located in Ras Al Khaimah (north of Dubai) in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Grace Century specializes in "game-changing" life science and health related private equity projects. For more information, visit: http://gracecentury.com.

About Provia Laboratories, LLC

Provia Laboratories is a health services company specializing in high quality stem cell bio banking (the collection, transport, processing, and cryogenic storage of biological specimens). Its dental stem cell banking service, Store-A-Tooth, gives parents the option to store stem cells today to protect their childrens health tomorrow. Store-A-Tooth preserves stem cells from baby and wisdom teeth that would otherwise be discarded, so parents can be prepared for advances in stem cell therapies that someday may help treat conditions such as type 1 diabetes, spinal cord injury, heart attack, stroke, and neurological disorders like Parkinsons and Alzheimers. For more information about Store-A-Tooth dental stem cell banking, call 1-877-867-5753 or visit http://www.store-a-tooth.com.

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Grace Century Attends Provia Labs First Quarter Expansion Meeting January 5-10

MADISON--After Susan Derse Phillips had chemotherapy for leukemia, she received a stem cell transplant, getting blood-forming cells from a donor to restore her immune system and attack any remaining leukemia cells.

The procedure apparently cured her leukemia, a type of blood cancer. But her skin turned red, her mouth and eyes became dry and she developed diarrhea, fatigue, bronchitis and pneumonia.

She had graft-versus-host disease, or GVHD, a life-threatening complication of the transplant. Her donors cells the graft werent attacking just her leukemia. They were attacking her skin, her gut, her lungs and other organs essentially, her body, the host.

It got pretty scary pretty quickly, said Phillips, 66, of Madison, who continues to struggle with the condition two years after the transplant.

More than half of patients who get donor stem cell transplants develop GVHD, and at least 20 percent of them die from it, said Dr. Mark Juckett, a hematologist at UW Health. But the complication, which likely is under-reported, receives relatively little attention.

Phillips, former president and CEO of Agrace HospiceCare in Fitchburg, set out to change that in Wisconsin. With $500,000 from two donors as seed money, she persuaded UW Health to launch a program to focus on the condition.

UW Carbone Cancer Centers new GVHD program aims to provide better treatment for the 250 or so UW Health patients with the condition and up to 1,000 such patients in Wisconsin and parts of neighboring states, said Juckett, one of the programs two leaders. The program will also study ways to prevent GVHD.

Too often, when doctors give donor stem cell transplants, were trading one disease for another, said Juckett, Phillips doctor. Theres been a lot of focus on how best to do the transplant ... but theres never been a real recognition of dealing with GHVD as a real problem.

Nationwide, about 18,500 stem cell or bone marrow transplants were performed in 2011, according to the Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research in Milwaukee.

At UW Hospital, about 150 patients receive the transplants each year. Roughly 100 of them get infusions of their own stem cells, after high-dose chemotherapy or radiation, for conditions such as multiple myeloma and non-Hodgkins lymphoma. They are not at risk for GVHD.

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Stem cell transplant complication gains attention at UW Health

Cellogica
Cellogica is a non-greasy formula that uses revolutionary stem cell technology to regenerate new skin stem cells, prevent the loss of existing skin stem cell...

By: Jordan Kaleb

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Cellogica - Video

Regenocyte Adult Stem Cell Therapy - Peter Holler
Patient Peter Holler discusses his health after receiving adult stem cell therapy.

By: RegenocyteStemCells

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Regenocyte Adult Stem Cell Therapy - Peter Holler - Video

Regenocyte Adult Stem Cell Therapy - Ron O #39;Leary

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Regenocyte Adult Stem Cell Therapy - Ron O'Leary - Video

Regenocyte Adult Stem Cell Therapy - Vince Cincinelli

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Regenocyte Adult Stem Cell Therapy - Vince Cincinelli - Video

Regenocyte Adult Stem Cell Therapy-Neim Malo

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Till June of 2013, our department has treated 1508 patients with sequela of spinal cord injury, including 713 patients with cervical cord injury, 562 patients with thoracic cord injury (do not include T12-L1), 51 patients with both cervical cord and thoracic cord injury, and 182 patients with thoracic and lumbar cord injury (mainly T12-L1). We invented CT-guided intraspinal injection in 2006 and stem cell transplantation via endovascular intervention in 2011 to treat sequela of spinal cord injury, which apparently improved the treatment effect. Form the end of 2011 to now, the improvement rate of patients with sequela of cervical cord injury is 91.9%; 82.4% improvement rate of patients with sequela of thoracic cord injury (do not include T12-L1); 70.3% improvement rate of patient with sequela of thoracic and lumbar cord injury (mainly T12-L1); the total improve rate of patients with sequela of spinal cord injury is 87.4%. The improvement can be seen from 1) increase of muscle strength under the injured surface, better motor function than before. 2) Lower sensory level and skin temperature come back to almost normal. 3) Improvement in postural hypotension which was caused by damaged vegetative nerve function (especially for high-level spinal cord injury patients), and the body temperature is close to or back to normal. 4) A certain degree of improvement in dysdefecation and urinate disorder which were caused by sphincter disturbances, patients will have better bowls movement than before and can be aware of and control urinating. 5) Reduction of abnormal high muscular tension.

Our department work closely with CT room, and by using advanced 64 rank CT and double source CT, we performed more than 800 CT-guided intraspinal stem cell injections for patients with sequela of spinal cord injury. This is a new transplantation method invented by our department, which has many advantages such as minimally invasive, short time of surgery (only about half an hour), precise localization, little pain, no need of general anesthesia, fast recovery time (only need to stay in bed for 12 hours), and obviously effective. This treatment covers patients with injury of cervical cord, thoracic cord and thoracic lumbar cord.

In addition, our department started using transplantation via endovascular intervention to treat sequela of spinal cord injury in the end of 2011, and our treating effect keeps improving.

These new methods help us to improve our treating effect and increase the improvement rate, now these methods are becoming the unique feature and main means of our department to treat sequela of spinal cord injury.

Excerpt from:
Spinal Cord Injury Treatment Status | Stem Cell ...

In December 2010, we received authorization from Swissmedic, the Swiss regulatory agency for therapeutic products, to initiate a Phase I/II clinical trial in Switzerland of our HuCNS-SC human neural stem cells in chronic spinal cord injury. Enrollment in this trial is expected to begin inearly 2011.

Learn more about our clinical trial in spinal cord injury

Human neural stem cells promote long-term functional motor recovery. Learnmore

Human neural stem cells were transplanted into a group of spinal-cord injured mice and their motor function over time was compared against a control (non-transplanted) group of similarly injured mice as measured by the BBB score (a standard measure of function). The motor function of the transplanted mice was shown to be higher to a statistically significant degree. When the transplanted human cells were subsequently ablated by the researchers using Diphtheria toxin (DT), the greater function of the transplanted group was lost, demonstrating that the presence of the human cells was necessary for the functional motor recovery.

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DT treatment to ablate transplanted cells

Restored motor function lost

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StemCells, Inc. - Therapeutic Programs: Spinal Cord Injury

C. Carreau/ATG Medialab/ESA

An artists impression of the European Space Agencys Rosetta probe, which aims to be the first to land on a comet.

Several research groups, including a team led by geneticist Erika Sasaki and stem-cell biologist Hideyuki Okano at Keio University in Tokyo, hope to create transgenic primates with immune-system deficiencies or brain disorders. This could raise ethical concerns, but might bring us closer to therapies that are relevant to humans (mice can be poor models for such disorders). The work will probably make use of a gene-editing method called CRISPR, which saw rapid take-up last year.

The European Space Agencys Rosetta spacecraft could become the first mission to land a probe on a comet. If all goes well, it will land on comet ChuryumovGerasimenko in November. Mars will also be a busy place: Indias orbiter mission should arrive at the planet in September, about the same time as NASAs MAVEN probe. And NASAs Curiosity rover should finally make it to its mission goal, the slopes of the 5.5-kilometre-high Aeolis Mons, where it will look for evidence of water. Back on Earth, NASA hopes to launch an orbiter to monitor atmospheric carbon dioxide.

Neurobiologist Miguel Nicolelis at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, has developed a brain-controlled exoskeleton that he expects will enable a person with a spinal-cord injury to kick the first ball at the 2014 football World Cup in Brazil. Meanwhile, attempts are being made in people with paralysis to reconnect their brains directly to paralysed areas, rather than to robotic arms or exoskeletons. In basic research, neuroscientists are excited about money from big US and European brain initiatives, such as Europes Human Brain Project.

In the pharmaceutical industry, all eyes are on trial results from two competing antibody treatments that harness patients immune systems to fight cancer. The drugs, nivolumab and lambrolizumab, work by blocking proteins that prevent a persons Tcells from attacking tumours. In early tests, the drugs evoked a better level of response in patients than ipilimumab, a similar therapy that was launched in 2011 to treat advanced melanoma.

Semiconductors known as perovskites convert light energy into electricity. They are cheap to build and have already shown conversion rates of more than 15% (a leap from 4% when the feat was first reported in 2009). Expect to see still-higher efficiencies this year, perhaps reaching 20% the same as the lower end of existing commercial silicon-based photo-voltaics. A team at the University of Oxford, UK, also hopes to make lead-free perovskites.

In 2013, two research teams showed that broadly neutralizing antibodies that target an array of HIV types quickly cleared an HIV-related virus in monkeys. The therapy will be tested in people who carry HIV, with results expected in the autumn. Meanwhile, last years curing of a baby born with the virus might lead to wider trials of the technique used: high doses of antiretroviral drugs given at birth.

Technology that rapidly sequences DNA as it is fed through a ring of proteins, known as a biological nanopore, will hit the market this year after decades of development. Oxford Nano-pore Technologies in Oxford, UK, aims to release the first data from a disposable sequencer the size of a memory stick, which it is sending to scientists for testing. It promises to read longer strands of DNA than other techniques (potentially useful in sequencing mixed samples of bacterial DNA, for example), and to show results in real time.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change will complete its fifth assessment report by November. The findings of working groups II and III will focus on the impacts of climate change, and on how societies can adapt to or mitigate those effects (working groupI published its findings last year). Away from formal negotiations, United Nations secretary-general Ban Ki-moon is hoping for bold pledges on emissions at a summit in New York in September. In research, a large carbon capture and storage project in Canada the Can$1.24-billion (US$1.17-billion) Boundary Dam coal power-plant in Saskatchewan begins commercial operation in April.

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What to expect in 2014: Neural feats

(U-T San Diego) -- A new stem cell treatment may help heart attack patients do something once thought medically impossible regenerate dead heart muscle.

Scripps Health in La Jolla is one of three centers testing the therapy from Capricor, a Los Angeles biotech company. The cardiac stem cells are meant to boost the heart's natural ability to perform minor repairs. If it works, scars should shrink and functional heart muscle should grow.

Capricor gets the cells from donor hearts, grows them into the amount needed for treatment, then sends them to doctors taking part in what is called the Allstar trial. Doctors inject the cells into the coronary artery, where they are expected to migrate to the heart and encourage muscle regrowth.

The trial has successfully completed Phase 1, which mainly evaluates safety. On Dec. 17, Capricor said it had received permission to begin Phase 2, which will examine efficacy in about 300 patients who will get the treatment or a placebo. More information can be found at clinicaltrials.gov under the identifier NCT01458405.

The Allstar trial is funded with a $19.7 million "disease team" grant from the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine, or CIRM, the state's stem cell agency.

"This is a highly significant announcement for us at CIRM as it's the first time we've funded a therapy into a Phase 2 clinical trial, Chairman Jonathan Thomas said in a Dec. 23 statement.

About 600,000 Americans die of heart disease annually, making it the leading cause of death, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta. Even those surviving may be left permanently impaired, if the heart is severely damaged. These are the patients Capricor seeks to help.

Mark Athens received Capricor's treatment on Sept. 25, about a month after having a moderate heart attack. The Encinitas resident was the last treated under Phase 1, said Scripps cardiologist Richard Schatz, who performed the procedure. It will take about six months to know whether the treatment worked, Schatz said.

Unlike many trials, Phase 1 was not placebo-controlled, so Athens knows he got the therapy. He appeared cheerful, smiling and bantering with his examining doctor during a Dec. 17 checkup at Scripps Green Hospital.

There's good reason to be optimistic about the treatment, Schatz said, because an earlier Capricor trial with a slightly different approach showed evidence of working.

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Stem cells tested to repair dead heart muscle

BERLIN, Jan. 3 (Xinhua) -German scientists have developed a prototype of artificial bone marrow, which can simplify the treatment of leukemia in a few years, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) announced on Friday.

Scientists from KIT, Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems in Stuttgart and the University of Tubingen have recreated basic properties of the natural bone marrow artificially in a laboratory.

The haematopoietic stem cells provide replenishment of red blood cells or immune cells, so they can be used for the treatment of leukemia, in a way that the diseased cells of the patient are replaced with healthy haematopoietic stem cells from a matched donor.

However, at present not every leukemia patient can find a matchable doner, so a simple solution to this problem would be to increase hematopoietic stem cells.

As the hematopoietic stem cells retain their stem cell properties only in their natural environment, the scientists need to create an environment that resembles the stem cell niche in the bone marrow.

To accomplish this goal, the German scientists created with synthetic polymer a porous structure that mimics the structure of the spongy bone in the area of the hematopoietic bone marrow.

In the artificial bone marrow, the researchers directed isolated hematopoietic stem cells freshly from umbilical cord blood and incubated them for several days.

Analyzes with different methods showed that the cells actually proliferate in the newly developed artificial bone marrow.

Now the scientists can study the interactions between materials and stem cells in detail in the laboratory to find out how the behavior of stem cell is influenced and controlled by synthetic materials.

This knowledge could help to realize an artificial stem cell niche for the targeted increase of stem cells to treat leukemia patients in 10 to 15 years.

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German scientists develope artificial bone marrow - Xinhua ...

Bone marrow stem cells

Diseases such as aplastic anaemia, or infections (such as tuberculosis) can negatively impact the ability of the bone marrow to produce blood cells or platelets. Other diseases, such as leukaemia, also affect the progenitor/stem cells in the bone marrow and are diagnosed by a bone marrow biopsy where a sample of the tissue is taken using a large hollow needle inserted into the iliac crest (the pelvic bone). Harvesting bone marrow is usually done under general anaesthetic, although local anaesthetic is also a possibility.

Recent advances in stimulating and harvesting stem cells from the peripheral blood may mean that the invasiveness of bone marrow harvesting can be avoided for some donors and patients. Stimulatory pharmaceuticals, such as GM-CSF, and G-CSF, which drive the stem cells out of the bone marrow and into the peripheral circulation, can allow for a large yield of stem cells during apheresis. However, bone marrow stem cells have been found through research in the past five years or so to be able to differentiate into more cell types than previously thought. Mesenchymal stem cells from bone marrow have been successfully cultured to create beta-pancreatic cells, and neural cells, with possible ramifications for treatment of diabetes and neurodegenerative diseases. Clinical trials involving stem cell treatments for such conditions in humans remain theoretical however as there are a number of issues that need further investigation to confirm efficacy and safety.

The stem cells contained within bone marrow are of three types; haematopoietic stem cells, mesenchymal stem cells, and endothelial stem cells. Haematopoietic stem cells differentiate into both white and red blood cells, and platelets. These leukocytes, erythrocytes, and thrombocytes, respectively, play a role in immune function, oxygen transportation, and blood-clotting and are destroyed by chemotherapy for cancers such as leukaemia. This is why bone marrow transplants can mean the difference between life and death for someone suffering from such a disease as it is vital to replace and repopulate the bone marrow with stem cells that can then create new blood- and immune-forming cells.

Mesenchymal stem cells are also found in the bone marrow and are responsible for creating osteoblasts, chrondrocytes, and mycocytes, along with a number of other cell types. The location of these stem cells differs from that of the haematopoietic stem cells as they are usually central to the bone marrow, which makes it easier to extract specific populations of stem cells during a bone marrow aspiration procedure.

Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells have also been found to differentiate into beta-pancreatic islet cells, with potential ramifications for treating those with diabetes (Moriscot, et al, 2005). Neural-like cells have also been cultured from bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells making the bone marrow a possible source for stem cell treatment of neurological disorders (Hermann, et al, 2006). More recent research appears to show that donor-heterogeneity (genetic differences between those donating the bone marrow) is at the heart of the variability in mesenchymal stem cells ability to differentiate to neural cells (Montzka, et al, 2009). This means that careful selection of donor stem cells would have to be carried out in order for treatment to be successful if the research ever displays clinical significance. Conditions such as spinal cord injury, Alzheimers Disease, and Multiple Sclerosis, may be able to be treated in the future using mesenchymal stem cells from bone marrow that were previously thought to only be able to produce bone and cartilage cell types.

Patients with leukaemia or other cancer are likely to be treated with radiation and/or chemotherapy. Both of these treatements kill the stem cells in the bone marrow to some degree and it is the effect that this has on the immune system that is responsible for many of the symptoms of chemotherapy and radiation sickness. In some cases, a patient with cancer may have bone marrow harvested and some stem cells stored prior to radiation treatment or chemotherapy. They then have their own stem cells infused after the cancer treatment in order to repopulate their immune system. This presents little risk of graft versus host disease which is a concern with, non-autologous, allograft bone marrow transplants. The use of a patients own stem cells is unlikely to be helpful in cases where an in-borne mutation of the blood and lymph system is present and such procedures are not usually performed in such cases.

Bone marrow transplantation from a donor source will normally require the destruction of the patients own bone marrow in a process called myeloablation. Patients who undergo myeloablation will lose their acquired immunity and are usually advised to undergo all vaccinations for diseases such as mumps, measles, rubella, and so on. Myeloablation also means that the patient has extremely low white blood cell (leukocyte) levels for a number of weeks as the bone marrow stem cells begin to create new blood and immune system cells. Patients undergoing this procedure are, therefore, extremely susceptible to infection and complication making bone marrow transplants only appropriate in life-threatening situations. Many patients will take antibiotics during this time in an attempt to avoid sepsis, infections, and septic shock. Some patients will be given immunosuppressant drugs to lower the risk of graft versus host disease and this can make them even more susceptible to infection.

It is also possible that the new stem cells do not engraft, which means that they do not begin to create new blood and immune-system cells at all. Peripheral blood stem cells harvested at the same time as bone marrow harvesting were found in one study to speed the recovery of the patients immune systems following myeloablation, thus reducing the risk if infection (Rabinowitz, et al, 1993). Peripheral blood stem cells do appear to be quicker in general at engrafting and they may become more widely involved in the treatment of diseases traditionally addressed through bone marrow transplants (Lewis, 2005).

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Bone Marrow Stem Cells – Stem Cell Treatment

Berlin, Jan 3 : German scientists have developed a prototype of artificial bone marrow, which can simplify the treatment of leukemia in a few years, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) announced Friday.

Scientists from KIT, Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems in Stuttgart and the University of Tubingen have artificially recreated basic properties of the natural bone marrow in a laboratory, Xinhua reported.

The haematopoietic stem cells provide replenishment of red blood cells or immune cells, so they can be used for the treatment of leukemia, in a way that the diseased cells of the patient are replaced with healthy haematopoietic stem cells from a matched donor.

However, at present not every leukemia patient can find a matchable donor, so a simple solution to this problem would be to increase hematopoietic stem cells.

As the hematopoietic stem cells retain their stem cell properties only in their natural environment, the scientists need to create an environment that resembles the stem cell niche in the bone marrow.

To accomplish this goal, the German scientists created with synthetic polymer a porous structure that mimics the structure of the spongy bone in the area of the hematopoietic bone marrow.

In the artificial bone marrow, the researchers directed isolated hematopoietic stem cells freshly from umbilical cord blood and incubated them for several days.

Analyses with different methods showed that the cells actually proliferate in the newly developed artificial bone marrow.

Now the scientists can study the interactions between materials and stem cells in detail in the laboratory to find out how the behaviour of stem cell is influenced and controlled by synthetic materials.

This knowledge could help to realise an artificial stem cell niche for the targeted increase of stem cells to treat leukemia patients in 10 to 15 years.

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German scientists develop artificial bone marrow

London (PRWEB UK) 3 January 2014

Research on how to harness the potential use of stem cells for common conditions is a worldwide subject of scientific discovery spanning over 3 decades. Incredible results in laboratory experiments have been recorded in 2013 for areas such as tissue regeneration for coronary disease, diabetes, cancer, Parkinsons and Alzheimers disease. All stem cells, whether gathered from an early embryo, a foetus or an adult, have two key properties.

Stem cells have the ability to replicate themselves as needed and can generate any specialised cells that make up the tissues and organs of the body with proper direction. This opens up an exciting potential for the generation of therapies for repair and replacement of damaged and diseased tissues and organs, as models for the testing of new drugs and helping us to understand at a cellular level what goes wrong in many conditions. 1

Stem cells derived from bone marrow or fat has been found to improve recovery from stroke in experiments using rats. This study was published in BioMed Central's open access journal Stem Cell Research & Therapy early last year. Treatment with stem cells improved the amount of brain and nerve repair and the ability of the animals to complete behavioural tasks. Using stem cell therapy holds promise for patients but there are still many questions which need to be answered, regarding treatment protocols and which cell types to use. 2

Other areas in which stem cell transplants are already being successfully used in the clinic trials are for treatment for spinal lesions and the regeneration of epidermal surfaces and in leukaemia, where stem cells are replaced during stem cell-containing bone marrow transplants. 3 These treatments demonstrate the potential of stem cells and intensive research is being performed all over the world to improve our understanding of stem cells and how these can be used therapeutically for PD.

Recently published research by a team of scientists in Wales has shown early signs of being able to regenerate damaged heart tissue. By experimenting at Cardiff and Swansea university laboratories, a team of scientists working in the private sector hopes to develop new treatments for heart failure over the next five years.

In a statement for the research team Ajan Reginald said, "We've identified what we think is a very potent type of stem cell which is heart specific. The interim analysis looks very positive and very fortunately the study does show some signs of early regeneration. What the therapy does is reproduce more cells in large numbers to regenerate the part of the heart that is damaged. The first stage of clinical trial is now completed which was focused on safety. 4

Further research during the next five years will produce more alternative solutions to diseases which currently have treatment but no permanent cures for. 5

References

1.http://www.hta.gov.uk/_db/_documents/stem_cell_pack_200806170144.pdf 2.http://www.parkinsonsnsw.org.au/assets/attachments/research/Stem-Cells.pdf 3.http://stemcellres.com/content/4/1/11 4.http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-25560547 5.http://www.cell.com/stem-cell-reports/abstract/S2213-6711(13)00126-4#Summary

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Chemist Direct reports continued benefits of stem cell research for potential tissue regeneration

January 3, 2014

Rebekah Eliason for redOrbit.com Your Universe Online

Early reports indicate that lay opinions regarding stem cell research with stem cells made from skin or other tissues, known as induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), are generally positive, despite several ethical concerns.

Regardless of personal benefit, most patients indicated during focus group discussions that they would be will to participate in iPSC. When considering donating tissue, patients raised concern regarding consent, privacy and transparency. Jeremy Sugarman, senior author and the Harvey M. Meyerhoff Professor of Bioethics and Medicine at the John Hopkins Berman Institute of Bioethics, said, Bioethicists, as well as stem cell researchers and policy-makers, have discussed the ethical issues of induced pluripotent stem cells at length, but we didnt have any systematic information about what patients think about these issues, and that is a huge part of the equation if the potential of this research is to be fully realized.

Somewhat taking the edge off of the controversy is the fact that iPSCs do not require the destruction of a human embryo. Using iPSCs in research is extremely valuable in the development of new drugs, disease study and may help develop medical treatments. Although still far off, Sugarman explained that there is hope that iPSCs could eventually be used in the development of organs for transplantation that the bodys immune system will not attack since they can be formed from the persons own cells.

In all five of the focus groups, consent for iPSC research by the patient was highly important. Several of the patients believed that properly informed consent could alleviate other concerns about privacy, the immortalization of cells, and the commercialization of stem cells.

The report noted a strong desire among participants to have full disclosure of the anticipated uses. Some of the participants expressed a desire to be able to veto some of the uses of their cells. Although the authors recognize the practical difficulties of this request, they hope their study will help to prompt investigation into creative approaches to meeting these desires.

The study exposed an additional side to some patients selfless motivations in research participation in relation to eventual commercialization. One participant from the report is quoted as saying, It wont be just taken to become a money maker and the very people who need it the most will no longer be able to benefit from it and another, it was a donation. Its a humanitarian effort.

Unique characteristics of the small study that could influence results were noted by the authors. For example, since the study was conducted in Baltimore, Maryland with patients who have received care at Johns Hopkins, which is home to the first immortal cell line produced from tumor cells that were taken from cancer patient Henrietta Lacks in 1951, related stem cell issues are at the forefront of various focus groups. The report stated, The idea that donated cells would potentially liveforever was unnerving to some participants. In particular, the story about the creation of the HeLa cell line from Henrietta Lacks cervical cancer tissue, taken without consent, was raised in four out of the five focus groups.

In addition, the report suggested that a patients opinion may be affected by their own health and whether they had any personal experience with a debilitating illness. It seems fair to say that everyone experiences serious illness in their lives, whether themselves or through someone they know and care about, and this influences their opinions of healthcare and research, Sugarman says. This study is a first step in getting crucial information about what values are factored into a decision to participate in iPSC research, and what those participants expect from the experience. This study was reported in the journal Stem Cells.

Original post:
Public Opinion Generally Supports Stem Cell Research