StemCell Therapy

Don Christensen will board a plane Thursday morning for a flight that he hopes will change his life. Christensen, of Webster, Wis., suffers from multiple sclerosis. He and two personal attendants will fly to Panama, where he is scheduled to receive a stem-cell transplant. The transplants have proven effective in reducing the symptoms associated with MS, according to the testimony of others who have received the treatments. The transplants are not available in the United States.

I think itd be cool if I could reach up and scratch an itch, said Christensen, a quadriplegic. Well give it a shot. Hopefully, it works. Whatever happens, its been a really neat ride.

Don Christensen of Webster, Wis., demonstrates how he shoots his crossbow with a breath-activated trigger device. (News Tribune file photo)

Christensen, 50, is an avid outdoorsman who hunts and fishes from his wheelchair. He uses a breath-activated device to trigger his shotgun, rifle or crossbow. He has hunted deer, turkeys and bears. In February, friends and supporters gathered at a fundraiser in Spooner for Christensen, raising $27,800 for his transplant and associated travel. Donations have now topped $28,000, he said.

The transplant, to be done at the Stem Cell Institute in Panama City, Panama, will cost $21,200, Christensen said in a telephone interview Monday. Travel, lodging other other costs will total about $4,000.

Ive spent last couple weeks talking to people who have done stem cell transplants in Panama, he said. Its amazing. Theres been some miracles happening. It definitely keeps hope alive.

Christensen has been on his MS medicine for seven years. While it has kept his MS symptoms in check, the medicine has a serious potential side effect. The longer a person takes the medicine, the more likely it is that he or she will develop progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy, or PML.

After a recent screening, he learned that his risk of PML had increased dramatically. PML is caused by a virus infection that affects the white matter in the brain and targets cells that make myelin the material that insulates nerve cells.

PML has a 30 to 50 percent mortality rate within the first few months of diagnosis, but that depends on the severity of the underlying disease and treatment received, according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. People who survive PML can be left with severe neurological disabilities.

Christensen researched the option of the stem-cell transplant and decided it was worth trying. He and two attendants, Jennifer Tripp of Spooner and Dawn Elliott of Trego, plan to be in Panama City for 10 days.

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Wisconsin man headed for stem-cell transplant in Panama ...

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In February 2010, I met with one of my doctors to determine what path to take next. In that appointment, it was suggested that we had gotten the majority of the benefit I would get from further antimicrobial or detoxification therapies. It wasn't that I wouldn't continue to need to address both infections and toxicity on an ongoing basis, but we seemed to be in "maintenance mode" with these aspects of my condition. I had done quite a bit of work on the emotional aspects of illness along the way as well. So, what next?

It was suggested to me that it was time to look for ways to reverse the 14 years of damage that had taken place as a result of having had Lyme disease; untreated for almost 9 years before it was diagnosed. In looking at regenerative therapies, stem cell therapy is one of the emerging options that appears to be quite promising. So, over the next several months, I started to do research on the various options.

Stem Cell Therapy Options

The first option was embryonic stem cell therapy in India. I had at least half a dozen friends that had already gone to India for therapy and the results were quite impressive overall. It was not a miracle for all of them, but it was probably the closest thing to a miracle I had seen from any one intervention. However, I never seriously considered this option as it would have required several months away from work which wasn't a viable arrangement for me at the time. For those that are interested in the India option, one of the best sources of information is available here.

The second option that I considered was autologous stem cell therapy which is available in the United States. This is a procedure where your own stem cells are obtained via a blood draw, activated, and then reintroduced into your body. One benefit is that they are your own cells so they should in theory not provoke any kind of a negative immune response. At the time I started my research, I only knew of one clinic doing this work with Lyme disease patients, and it was far too early for me to feel ready to take the leap. I knew a few people that were doing the therapy with unclear results so I crossed this option off the list. (Interestingly, I'm more open to it now and will discuss that later.)

The third option that I was aware of was umbilical stem cell therapy in Panama. The Stem Cell Institute was the same clinic where Dr. Paul Cheney had been sending his CFS patients with reportedly good results. The stem cells are taken from donated umbilical cords of healthy babies born in Panama or Costa Rica. About this time, I met a lady that had already gone once prior and had very promising results. She was a CFS patient but also had Lyme and related tick-borne infections.

I asked several different doctors for their thoughts on the Panama option and other than cost/potential benefit ratio, I got very positive feedback, including from one doctor that had personally toured the Costa Rican facility that had previously been run by the same company. So, after months of researching and weighing the options, I decided to proceed with umbilical stem cell therapy in Panama.

The Trip

In late August 2010, I went to Panama to have stem cell therapy. I decided at the time that I wasn't ready to talk about it publicly and that I needed to have my own experience with the millions of new friends that would soon be running around within me. I also felt like I didn't really have anything to say early on in the process and honestly, I'm still forming my opinion on the benefits of the stem cell therapy.

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Panama Stem Cell Therapy - BetterHealthGuy.com

Stem Cell Panama- Doctor Rodriguez #39;s Interview
Watch great and informational interview of Doctor Rodriguez. The innovative treatment by using Stem Cells is available in Panama. Contact PlacidWay. For More...

By: placidways

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Stem Cell Panama- Doctor Rodriguez's Interview - Video

MIAMI--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

More than 500 business executives, entrepreneurs, academics and other stakeholders gathered at the JW Marriott Marquis for BioFloridas 15th Annual Conference, the hallmark industry event for Floridas bioscience industry. This years event was stacked with dynamic speakers and panelists representing the states growing bioscience community. The conference was kicked off with a keynote speech from Floridas 43rd Governor and bioscience champion, Jeb Bush, followed on Tuesday by an engaging keynote address from Bernie Siegel, J.D., founder and executive director of the Genetics Policy Institute and founder and chair of the World Stem Cell Summit.

BioFloridas goal is to support and maintain the momentum that Floridas bioscience industry has gained by coordinating and facilitating informative, interactive and industry-advancing networking events such as this years annual conference, said Russell Allen, president and CEO of BioFlorida.

The BioFlorida conference featured other high-profile speakers including the leaders of two Florida universities: Florida International University President Mark R. Rosenberg and University of Miami President Donna E. Shalala. Frank R. Nero, president and CEO of The Beacon Council, joined Rosenberg and Shalala for a discussion on higher educations role in building a bioscience economy.

Attendees engaged with state and global leaders from top research institutions, including the Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute and the University of Florida Sid Martin Biotechnology Incubator; and leading bio-focused companies including Medtronic, Merck & Company Inc., Biotest Pharmaceuticals Corporation and GE Healthcare. The conference discussions included panelists from several different countries including China, Denmark, England and Panama.

Not only did the conference provide a platform for the exchange of innovative ideas, global perspectives and best practices, it provided young companies an opportunity to connect with investors, said Les Croland, conference chair and attorney with Edwards Wildman Palmer, an international law firm that specializes in private equity, venture capital, corporate and finance transactions, among other specialties.

Over the past five years, an increasing number of bio-focused companies have chosen to open facilities in Florida. According to the University of Florida Sid Martin Biotechnology Incubators Florida BioDatabase, 215 biotechnology companies now call Florida home a more than 40 percent increase from five years ago. The state has also seen an increase in venture capital investment among start-up bioscience companies. As outlined in Floridas BioPulse: A Snapshot of the Bioscience Industry, the biomedical venture capital investments in Florida increased during 2011 to nearly $87 million, a 200 percent jump from 2010. BioFlorida is supporting this growth by providing networking and professional development platforms, such as the 15th Annual Conference for the states rising bioscience industry stakeholders.

Dr. Shailesh Chavan senior director of clinical research, medical affairs & drug safety at Biotest Pharmaceuticals, which opened a Florida facility in 2007 said the companys move was fueled by Floridas rising bioscience reputation.

While Biotests corporate headquarters are in Germany, Florida was strategically selected as the location of our state-of-the art manufacturing facility, said Dr. Chavan. Through investment and accelerated growth, Florida has established itself as a state that supports the advancement of bioscience research, innovation and business.

Floridas bioscience industry has a full calendar of events for the remainder of 2012, including the World Stem Cell Summit in West Palm Beach December 3 5. Additional upcoming events hosted by BioFlorida can be found here.

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Florida’s Largest Bioscience Event Exhibits Industry Innovation, Growth

On March 3, 2011, Chris Niles was cutting down a branch in his woody backyard. The tree fell, and Niles wasnt able to get out of the way in time.

He lay in the woods for more than three hours before he was found. He was wearing a red hat that day, which he propped on a branch that allowed his family to spot him.

I remember it was late at night when my mom found out, and she told me, Just pray for him, said Elizabeth Yazbek, a Youngstown State University graduate student and Niles cousin. We werent sure if he was going to makeit or not.

The tree shattered Niles spinal cord from the sixth thoracic vertebrae, leaving him paralyzed from the chest down. Wheelchair-bound, he attends therapy three times a week to work out his upper body.

Niles was told that he would never be able to walk again. As a father of two sons and an active individual before his accident, he wasnt able to accept this.

My family researched stem cell treatment and found this place in Panama, Niles said.

He now travels to Panama a few times a year to receive stem cell treatments. So far, hes had four treatments. The treatments have been working, he said.

Niles now has limited feeling in his toes, and hes shown progress toward being able to walk again.

These treatments cost upward of $10,000 a visit.

So, to help with expenses, Yazbek plans to run a marathon; all of the money she raises will go toward her cousins treatments.

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26 miles for Chris Niles

07/03/2012 . (TMZ) Mel Gibson THREATENED his own 78-year-old step-mom ... SPIT IN HER FACE ... and sabotaged her marriage ... this according to legal docs filed by the woman and obtained by TMZ.

Teddy Joye Hicks Gibson -- who married Mel's father Hutton Gibson in 2001 -- has filed for a restraining order against Mel ... claiming he exploded on her several times and now she fears for her safety.

In the docs, Joye claims Mel and his sister Maura hate her guts ... because she doesn't approve of the controversial medical treatments they've been pressuring Hutton to undergo to treat his various ailments.

In the docs, filed by attorney Brian J. Kramer, Joye describes several outbursts in detail:

October 2011 -- Mel screams at Joye because Joye does not approve of "experimental Ozone treatments" Hutton was undergoing for an undisclosed illness.

"Mel began yelling and saying, 'f*ck this and f*ck that' while leveling other extremely offensive language at me."

Joye claims Mel warned her "not to f*ck with [Hutton's] treatments in any way."

January 2012 -- While visiting Hutton in the hospital, Joye claims she said something that set Mel off ... and "Mel got up, looking wild and began yelling at me in a very loud and terrifying voice."

"Mel was so upset and screaming so fiercely that I could see his face turn red."

March 2012 -- Joye, along with Mel and his sister Maura, accompanied Hutton to Panama for stem cell treatment for his hip.

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Mel Gibson's Step-Mom Files For Restraining Order Against The Star

Mel Gibson's stepmother has filed a restraining order against the actor, claiming he unleashed his anger at her several times and now fears for her safety, it was reported today.

Teddy Joye Hicks Gibson -- who married Mel's father Hutton Gibson in 2001 -- has filed the documents detailing the alleged abuse, TMZ reported.

In the documents, Joye said the hot-headed actor and director and his sister Maura hate her because she doesn't approve of the controversial medical treatments they've been pressuring Hutton to undergo to treat various ailments.

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Mel Gibson

In October 2011, Joye said Gibson screamed at her because Joye did not approve of "experimental Ozone treatments" Hutton was undergoing for an undisclosed illness, according to TMZ.

"Mel began yelling and saying, 'f--k this and f--k that' while leveling other extremely offensive language at me."

Joye claims Mel warned her "not to f--k with [Hutton's] treatments in any way."

This past March, Joye said Gibson accompanied Hutton to Panama for stem cell treatment for his hip. Gibson was cooking and offered some to Joye. When she declined due to a stomach ache, Gibson allegedly reamed her out, according to TMZ.

"Mel looked at me in disgust and said that I was insulting him by not eating. He then threatened that if I did not eat he would have me put outside," she said.

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Mel Gibson's stepmom files restraining order against him

A white earpiece connects to a cellphone atop a piece of Plexiglas surrounding her wheelchair. Her limp yet functional fingertips push the screen to accept a call one of many throughout the day from an ever-growing client base.

Novatos Abelina Magana, a mother of three teenagers, is an optimistic woman, a quality she says was essential in her survival, her recovery and her journey back to work in May.

Magana, 39, smiled as her caregiver wheeled her into her new home office, which is filled with paperwork, computers and a large whiteboard on the wall that lists potential clients. With seven escrows in the works, she focuses on four home listings, just weeks after restarting her career.

Five years ago Maganas husband gunned her down in an attempted murder-suicide, leaving her a quadriplegic. Shes amazed doctors by not only returning to her real estate career at Novato-based Frank Howard Allen Realtors but gaining mobility in her arms through controversial stem cell treatments.

She is so successful because she is a great agent, said Miguel Paredes, Maganas business partner. Its because people respect her and shes extremely intelligent.

Paredes assisted Magana on her first lease and has since eagerly committed to working with this woman who inspires him with her ambitious attitude.

She was rookie of the year and sold over 40 homes during her first year in 2002, Paredes said. Shes a fighter. Shes always had that reputation in the community.

Magana keeps motivated by biking eight miles a day with the help of an electric stimulator pad that forces her muscles to respond. Its part of a four-hour daily regimen of physical therapy. Shes also gained the use of both arms after undergoing two stem cell treatments in Panama.

Were at the beginning stages, but I know for a fact that it helps people, she said. It helped me.

The expensive treatments were made possible by local fundraising efforts. The first treatment cost $30,000, the second $21,000, and the final will cost $15,000. Travel and hotel expenses are not included.

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Eternal optimist

LAS VEGAS, June 25, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Cord Blood America, Inc. (OTC BB: CBAI) is pleased to announce it has finalized an Agreement with the individuals from whom CBAI acquired its majority interest in BioCordcell (BioCells) Argentina, S.A. regarding the 2011 earn-out, previously in dispute as disclosed in the Company's most recent 10Q and 10K filings.

The terms of the Agreement limit the cash payout to the sellers during 2012 to $60,000. Additionally, the Agreement provides for future cash amounts, not to exceed $440,000, to be paid through CBAI's percentage portion of dividends earned solely based on BioCells' operating performance in 2012 and 2013. This structure should also reverse a portion of the previous accrual related to the 2011 earn-out amount on the balance sheet booked for year ending 2011, and negates any further balance sheet liability which could have been recorded upwards of $455,000 if no such agreement was reached.

"I am most pleased that the sellers of BioCells, through Diego Rissola, President of BioCells, and Cord Blood America management were not only able to reach an agreement on the final year of the earn-out, but also use the extensive dialogue to strengthen several components of the relationship that will leverage the two entities in the years ahead," said Chairman and President Joseph Vicente.

Mr. Vicente in addition said:

"It is exciting to see the ever increasing recognition by the Latin American population of the value of storing stem cells. We believe our relationship with BioCells places us in a unique position to continue to expand our knowledge and presence in South America and Central America for this growing population, as we also continue to expand our efforts in reaching the Hispanic population in the United States," Mr. Vicente concluded.

About Cord Blood America

Cord Blood America, Inc. is the parent company of CorCell Companies, Inc., which facilitates umbilical cord blood stem cell preservation for expectant parents and their children. Its mission is to be the most respected stem cell preservation company in the industry. Collected through a safe and non-invasive process, cord blood stem cells offer a powerful and potentially life-saving resource for treating a growing number of ailments, including cancer, leukemia, blood, and immune disorders. To find out more about Cord Blood America, Inc. and CorCell Companies, Inc., visit our websites: http://www.corcell.com/ for customer information and http://www.cordblood-america.com/ for investor information.

Forward-Looking Statements

Some statements made in this press release are forward-looking statements, which are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. We use words such as "anticipate," "believe," "expect,'' "future," "intend," "plan," and similar expressions to identify forward-looking statements. These statements including those related to the growth of the industry, new stem cell treatments, and the Cord Blood America's performance, are only predictions and are subject to certain risks, uncertainties and assumptions. Additional risks are identified and described in the Company's public filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Statements made herein are as of the date of this press release and should not be relied upon as of any subsequent date. The Company's past performance is not necessarily indicative of its future performance. The Company does not undertake, and the Company specifically disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statements to reflect occurrences, developments, events, or circumstances after the date of such statement.

CONTACT: Paul Knopick E & E Communications 949/707-5365 pknopick@eandecommunications.com

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BioCells (Argentina) and Cord Blood America, Inc. Reach Agreement on Payments

Daniel Leonard is doing all he can to walk again, and after a recent course of stem cell treatment hes as close as he has been since a few months after the 2005 injury that put him a wheelchair.

He was 22 years old and about to begin his third year of college when he woke up one August morning on the floor at his familys Johnson City home unable to move and struggling to breathe.

While the cause of his injury remains a mystery, what is known is that three vertebrae near the top of his spine had been crushed, leaving him paralyzed from the neck down, on a ventilator and not expected to never walk or even breathe on his own again.

Six months after undergoing surgery to remove the bone fragments from his spinal cord, Leonard, who had played several sports in high school and was boxing at the Johnson City Athletic club prior to his injury, was exceeding all expectations.

In treatment at the Patricia Neal Rehabilitation Center in Knoxville, he was not only breathing independently, he was pulling himself up on parallel bars and being fitted with leg braces to help him take his first steps.

Then the unthinkable happed, again. Because there had been nothing done to stabilize his damaged vertebrae, his spine collapsed at the site of his injury and all of his progress was lost.

I worked my butt off to get to the point I was about to start walking, he said. But the gains he had made in upper body strength were erased and there was no longer any movement in his legs.

After a second surgery to fuse the bones, his condition was labeled as incomplete paraplegia characterized by limited movement and sensation in all the muscles below his neck and none at all in his legs. Doctors told his family he would never be able to move his legs, and for many years he could not.

For a while, he lived independently with the assistance of a caregiver. When his caregiver left, he moved to a nursing home, expecting to stay only long enough to find another place and another caregiver. But without money to finance that plan, months turned into years and the Four Oaks Health Care Center in Jonesborough became his home for the long term.

Early last year, things took a turn for the better when for reasons unknown he began to regain some movement in his legs. Encouraged, Leonard once again threw all his effort into physical therapy. In October, he began working out regularly with Amy Caperton, a personal trainer at the Tri-Cities Lifestyles fitness center in Johnson City, and coupled that with physical therapy at the new Mountain States Rehabilitation Center.

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The fight to walk

13-02-2012 21:11 Documenting THE CURE is a funding project to write a book about patients leaving the US to receive natural healing Stem Cell treatments in Panama. DONATE: http://www.kickstarter.com The FDA ban on all stem cell treatments forces Americans to seek adult (non-embryonic) stem cell treatments offshore. This new type of stem cell treatment is documented in Dr. Roger Nocera's new book, Cells That Heal Us From Cradle To Grave: A Quantum Leap in Medical Science. JL Thompson will document the effectiveness of this treatment on an MS patient, and other patients seeking treatment at the Panama clinic.

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Documenting THE CURE: Seeking Stem Cell Healing Offshore -- MS patient - Video

Posted: Monday, February 13, 2012 7:30 am | Updated: 1:35 pm, Mon Feb 13, 2012.

The time is ticking toward the 100th anniversary of when Balboa Park became a jewel. We need to move quickly if we want to make the park look more like it did when it first sparkled in front of a worldwide audience in 1915.

There seems to be a general consensus that the park could use some work. But an embittered battle has erupted over exactly what needs to be nipped, tucked and relocated.

Our Scott Lewis ponders the debate over the park's future in the latest of his look at stories to watch in 2012.

He notes that the group planning for a big 2015 celebration has hired a new CEO and says the City Council could decide as soon as June whether to remove cars from the Plaza de Panama (the section of the park between the art museum and the organ pavilion). Preservationist leaders have lined up against the plan.

Lewis says it helps to think of it as the same type of argument that may precede major elective surgery. Find out how.

• This is part of a series of 12 stories Lewis thinks should pay attention to for the next year. Here was No. 12: the Chargers; No. 11: the Convention Center; No. 10: The city of San Diego's financial problems; No. 9: the San Diego Police Department; and No. 8: affordable housing.

In Escondido, a Donor Keeps Streets Smooth

For years, we've been following what we call "the dissolving city" as San Diego has increasingly left it to residents to take care of things like building maintenance and school expenses. Scott Lewis explained the concept here for the city and here for the schools.

When the mayor admitted the city would never have the funds to take care of Balboa Park while introducing the conservancy, that was part of the trend.

But parks have always attracted donor support. In Escondido, a local contractor has taken things to an extreme: He's donated as much as $100,000 a year to help the city fill hundreds of potholes.

The contractor's crew boosted the city's pothole-filling services by about a third, the NC Times reports.

• Related, in New York City, the City Council will begin identifying city needs and helping businesses and civic groups use the crowdfunding service Kickstarter to fund them. On Kickstarter, you pitch an idea for a effort that needs donations and people can pledge support. If you meet your goal, then the project is kickstarted.

Last Day to Decry Football Blackouts

Many San Diegans are horrified when home Chargers games get blacked out because too few people buy tickets. Some fans feel obliged to go outside, where there's a disturbing shortage of couches, beer commercials and TV screens. Shudder.

Well, you can try do something about the blackouts, but you better hurry. The Federal Communications Commission is reviewing the rules and accepting public comment, but only until today. "Aggrieved fans in Cincinnati, Tampa, Oakland, San Diego, Buffalo, Jacksonville — you have the floor," says deadspin.com. A website says it will accept your comments and ideas online and deliver them to the FCC.  

Beep No More

If you're like me -- and please see a doctor if that lasts more than four hours -- you're always setting off security gate alarms even though you're not a shoplifter. Those flapping security gate things at libraries are a special problem for me, perhaps due to my electric personality.

Well, now I'm in luck and you may be too: the city's libraries have quietly stopped turning on their security gate systems, and the county library system has dumped the gates entirely, the U-T reports.

Numbers from the city library system suggest that thefts may be on the rise, big-time, but the meaning of the statistics is fuzzy. 

"Long story short: People steal from libraries. U-T wants to blame the libraries, but can't figure out how," wrote the mayor's special projects man Gerry Braun, a former U-T columnist, on Twitter.

In Focus at UCSD: Occupiers, Dead Bees, Stem Cells

The folks at UCSD's media relations department may deserve a raise. The university's faculty has gotten plenty of press lately:

• A stem cell scientist explains in a Sacramento Bee commentary why the public has to support the kind of research he does because venture capitalists aren't cough up money as much as before.

• USA Today says a professor's new course on social movements is focusing on the Occupy Wall Street protesters

• A biology professor tells alternet.org that "pesticides, disease, parasites, and human mismanagement" are responsible for the big bee die-off.

Check our earlier stories for details about UCSD's research into why so many bees have gone to that big hive in the sky.

A Kiss Before Leaving

"Unconditional Surrender," the hulking statue honoring the famous kissing sailor-nurse couple from V-J day, drives some naysayers around the bend. Former U-T art critic Robert Pincus was forced to turn to the words of noted philosopher Woody Allen to find the perfect way to describe his disgust: "It's a travesty of a mockery of a sham of a travesty of two mockeries of a sham.”  

But tourists love it. Just check out all the photos of it online. (Not all are from here, though, since the statue has many twins).

Now, the 6,000-pound statue -- a "foam-urethane object," as the U-T not-so-smoothly describes it -- is scheduled to move on and torture art critics somewhere else. But there's a catch, and no, it's not the unwillingness of anyone else to take the thing.

A local architect wants to raise almost $1 million to keep the statue here in town permanently, the U-T reports. The port's public art committee rejected the proposal in December, although it was divided.

If the "foam-urethane object" does stick around, here's hoping the port makes triple-sure that it's earthquake-safe. Otherwise, some unsuspecting bystander -- like, say, me -- may give a new meaning to the statue's name the next time the ground shakes.

Please contact Randy Dotinga directly at randydotinga@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter: twitter.com/rdotinga.

Excerpt from:
Morning Report: Balboa Park's Future

Published: Feb. 11, 2012 at 1:56 AM

TORONTO, Feb. 11 (UPI) -- Increasing numbers of Canadians are traveling to countries for stem cell treatments that are expensive and unproven, which may be risky, researchers said.

Dominique McMahon, a postdoctoral fellow at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health at the University of Toronto, said stem cell treatments are being marketed via the Internet in China, India, Mexico, Panama, Thailand and Ukraine. In China alone, there are more than 200 hospitals offering stem cell therapies.

One Canadian couple traveled to Shenyang, China, in 2007 for multiple system atrophy. For $30,000, along with travel and living expenses for her and husband, the woman received four weeks of treatment consisting of six stem cell injections as well as acupuncture and physiotherapy five to six times per week.

The facility offers to arrange treatment for a wide variety of conditions, including ataxia, brain injury, cerebral palsy, diabetic foot disease, lower limb ischemia, multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophy, spinal cord injury and optic nerve damage, McMahon said.

The Stem Cell Network said stem cells are used effectively in Canada only for bone marrow transplants, skin grafting and treating blood diseases, McMahon added.

"In some cases, it is not clear what is being injected," McMahon said in a statement. "Some facilities use a patient's own stem cells, while others use embryonic or fetal cells, which can create a risk of rejection. There's no proof of safety and efficacy. The quality of facilities varies. The protocols are poorly documented and not available to the patients. Even in the best-case scenarios, the doctor doesn't know whether it's safe or efficacious because of a lack of data."

The findings were published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal.

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Stem cell tourism can be pricey and risky

PANAMA CITY, Fla. — The stakes are high, but Mitt Romney isn?t
showing much worry as he caravans across Florida this weekend
with a sudden swagger and the newfound looseness of a
front-runner who thinks he?s cleared the obstacles in his path.

Romney is coming out of the toughest stretch of his campaign,
which was punctuated by a stinging loss to Newt Gingrich in the
South Carolina primary. Now, he has opened a lead in the
Florida polls before the state?s primary on Tuesday and is
aggressively trying to dispatch Gingrich and focus on President
Barack Obama.

Gingrich, however, said Saturday he would go ?all the way to
the convention? and predicted a ?wild and woolly? campaign for
the next few days. His well-financed allies showed no signs of
letting up their televised assault on Romney, while former
Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin rushed to Gingrich?s defense, in a sign
he might mobilize the party?s grass-roots conservatives.

The former House speaker, who has drawn large and enthusiastic
crowds all week, said he would become the nominee if he wins
Florida. And if he doesn?t, he said, he would be back in Tampa
for this summer?s Republican National Convention.

?I will go all the way to the convention,? Gingrich said. ?I
expect to win the nomination. You just had two national polls
that show me ahead. Why don?t you ask Governor Romney what he
will do if he loses since he is behind in both national polls??

Earlier this week, Romney launched methodical attacks at
Gingrich designed to rattle him and raise questions about his
trustworthiness and leadership skills. But the past few days,
while Gingrich takes bitter swipe after bitter swipe at him,
Romney has hardly attacked his rival at all. When he has, his
lines have been more humorous than high-handed.

In Pensacola Saturday morning, Romney jabbed his sidekick, John
McCain of Arizona, about the mischievous tales of the senator?s
Navy pilot youth. He won polite laughter after telling an
awkward joke about a pick-up driver in Wyoming with stinky
animals in the back. He confided his nervousness about making
?chitchat? with actor Jon Voight while phoning him to seek his
endorsement.

And Romney said nothing about Gingrich other than to liken him
to ?Goldilocks.?

?We?ve had about 18 debates so far,? Romney told hundreds of
supporters who filled the docks and balconies. ?They?re getting
more and more fun as time goes on. This last one, Speaker
Gingrich said he didn?t do so well because the audience was so
loud. The one before, he said he didn?t do so well because the
audience was too quiet. This is like Goldilocks, you know,
you?ve got to get it just right.?

Aides say Romney is having more fun here than he has all during
the campaign, and the campaign put that confidence on display
Saturday afternoon by turning up Van Halen and driving Romney?s
campaign bus up to the dock at a Panama City shipyard to
deliver the candidate to his rally in grand fashion.

?I just feel like things are going in our direction,? Romney
said at the rope line following the rally. ?I think we are
going to win here.?

Romney?s candidacy is on the line in Florida; a loss here to
Gingrich would cast fresh and serious doubt on his ability to
consolidate the party behind his candidacy. But buoyed by his
newly aggressive performance in Thursday?s debate — McCain
called it a rare ?knockout? — Romney is rallying Republicans in
this sprawling swing state with talk not of the primary, but of
the fall general election.

?When I debate the president, I?m not going to worry about the
audience,? Romney told the Pensacola crowd. ?I?m going to make
sure that we take down Barack Obama and take back the White
House.?

Yet as the sun started to fall Saturday afternoon, Romney
returned briefly to his tough talk against Gingrich. ?I?m
speaking to you today as if I?m already the candidate for the
Republican party, but I?m not,? he acknowledged. ?I?m running
against Speaker Gingrich — a very nice fellow, and he?s a
historian. But that doesn?t give him the right to rewrite
history.?

Romney revisited the tumultuous end of Gingrich?s speakership,
noting that he ?resigned in disgrace. . . .We have to go back
and look at history and say he may be a great guy with great
ideas, but he?s not going to be the leader we need.?

At Boston headquarters, meanwhile, Romney?s team kept its boot
on Gingrich?s neck. Aides launched a Twitter campaign to brand
Gingrich ?Newtorious.? For weeks, Romney has been running an
aggressive early-voting and absentee-ballot campaign here,
holds with his allies a more than 2-1 advantage in television
advertising spending.

Romney?s campaign released a tough new ad in Florida titled
?History Lesson,? which entirely consists of Tom Brokaw
anchoring a vintage ?NBC Nightly News? broadcast about Gingrich
being reprimanded for ethics violations as speaker.

NBC News quickly asked the Romney campaign to pull the ad off
the air.

?I am extremely uncomfortable with the extended use of my
personal image in this political ad,? Brokaw said in a
statement.

Gingrich?s campaign pounced too, issuing a statement slamming
Romney for ?another big lie.? Gingrich aides said the ad
neglects to point out that the IRS cleared Gingrich of the
?substance? of the ethics charges.

Palin took to Facebook to defend Gingrich in a post titled:
?Cannibals in GOP Establishment Employ Tactics of the Left.?

?We need a fair primary that is not prematurely cut short by
the GOP establishment using Alinsky tactics to kneecap Governor
Romney?s chief rival,? Palin wrote, referring to Saul Alinsky,
the left-wing community organizer Gingrich often quotes.

On the stump, Gingrich tried to keep his focus on Obama and the
stark contrast he believes he would provide with the incumbent.
He said the GOP nominated a ?moderate? in 1996 and 2008 and
lost. ?If we nominate a moderate, we are in real trouble,? he
said. ?It?s that simple.?

Later, addressing a tea party crowd in Winter Haven, Gingrich
got a standing ovation for saying that stem-cell research
amounts to ?the use of science to desensitize society over the
killing of babies.?

But Gingrich is struggling to keep his message focused on
Obama. At each turn, he kept returning to his grievances
against Romney. It hasn?t helped that four congressmen
supporting Romney have been following Gingrich to his campaign
events to spin the press corps.

At a golf course in Port St. Lucie, Gingrich spokesman R.C.
Hammond led reporters and TV cameras to provoke a confrontation
with Rep. Connie Mack of Florida, a Romney supporter, over who
would make the better president. When Hammond came over, Mack
quickly launched into a browbeating about Gingrich?s work for
Freddie Mac, the federally backed mortgage giant that paid his
firm $1.6 million for consulting work.

?Is he a lobbyist?? Mack asked. ?The Florida voters deserve and
answer about what kind of influence he?s been peddling. He
won?t answer. Instead he belittles them.?

Original post:
Polls lift Romney campaign

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