StemCell Therapy

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International stem cell clinics advertise curesfor a price. Understand the concerns over stem cell tourism and what CIRM is doing to bring real cures to patients who need them.

International (and even domestic) clinics have begun advertising unproven therapies at great cost to the patient and at great profit to the clinicthis is whats referred to as stem cell tourism. But a closer look will often reveal no information about what type of stem cells are being offered. These sites also rely heavily on video testimonials from people soon after the stem cell injections, but little information about how those people fared long-term.

At the 2010, meeting of the International Society for Stem Cell Research in San Francisco, CIRM co-hosted a panel in which the worlds top experts discussed the steps leading to a stem cell therapy, and concerns about stem cell tourism.

At that panel, the ISSCR previewed their new web site designed to help patients and their families assess international clinics advertising stem cell cures.

CIRM is also one of 13 organizations who issued a joint advisory on stem cell tourism, which addresses questions about how to identify regulated stem cell clinical trials. You can read that advisory here.

Find out More: A Dose of Reality on Alternative Stem Cell Treatments (video) ISSCR: A closer look at stem cell treatments The Power of Stem Cells

Go here to see the original:
Stem Cell Tourism | California's Stem Cell Agency

Every day we get a call from someone seeking help. Some are battling a life-threatening or life-changing disease. Others call on behalf of a friend or loved one. All are looking for the same thing; a treatment, better still a cure, to ease their suffering.

Almost every day we have to tell them the same thing; that the science is advancing but its not there yet. You can almost feel the disappointment, the sense of despair, on the other end of the line.

If its hard for us to share that news, imagine how much harder it is for them to hear it. Usually by the time they call us they have exhausted all the conventional therapies. In some cases they are not just running out of options, they are also running out of time.

Chasing hope

Sometimes people mention that they went to the website of a clinic that was offering treatments for their condition, claiming they had successfully treated people with that disease or disorder. This week I had three people mention the same clinic, here in the US, that was offering them treatments for multiple sclerosis, traumatic brain injury and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Three very different problems, but the same approach was used for each one.

Its easy to see why people would be persuaded that clinics like this could help them. Their websites are slick and well produced. They promise to take excellent care of patients, often helping take care of travel plans and accommodation.

Theres just one problem. They never offer any scientific evidence on their website that the treatments they offer work. They have testimonials, quotes from happy, satisfied patients, but no clinical studies, no results from FDA-approved clinical trials. In fact, if you explore their sites youll usually find an FAQ section that says something to the effect of they are not offering stem cell therapy as a cure for any condition, disease, or injury. No statements or implied treatments on this website have been evaluated or approved by the FDA. This website contains no medical advice.

What a damning but revealing phrase that is.

Now, it may be that the therapies they are offering wont physically endanger patients though without a clinical trial its impossible to know that but they can harm in other ways. Financially it can make a huge dent in someones wallet with many treatments costing $10,000 or more. And there is also the emotional impact of giving someone false hope, knowing that there was little, if any, chance the treatment would work.

Shining a light in shady areas

U.C. Davis stem cell researcher, CIRM grantee, and avid blogger Paul Knoepfler, highlighted this in a recent post for his blog The Niche when he wrote:

Paul Knoepfler

Patients are increasingly being used as guinea pigs in the stem cell for-profit clinic world via what I call stem cell shot-in-the-dark procedures. The clinics have no logical basis for claiming that these treatments work and are safe.

As the number of stem cell clinics continues to grow in the US and morephysicians add on unproven stem cell injections into their practices as a la carte options, far more patients are being subjected to risky, even reckless physician conduct.

As if to prove how real the problem is, within hours of posting that blog Paul posted another one, this time highlighting how the FDA had sent a Warning Letter to the Irvine Stem Cell Treatment Center saying it had serious concerns about the way it operates and the treatments it offers.

Paul has written about these practices many times in the past, sometimes incurring the wrath of the clinic owners (and very pointed letters from their lawyers). Its to his credit that he refuses to be intimidated and keeps highlighting the potential risks that unapproved therapies pose to patients.

Making progress

As stem cell science advances we are now able to tell some patients that yes, there are promising therapies, based on good scientific research, that are being tested in clinical trials.

There are not as many as we would like and none have yet been approved by the FDA for wider use. But those will come in time.

For now we have to continue to work hard to raise awareness about the need for solid scientific evidence before more people risk undergoing an unproven stem cell therapy.

And we have to continue taking calls from people desperate for help, and tell them they have to be patient, just a little longer.

***

If you are considering a stem cell treatment, the International Society for Stem Cell Research had a terrific online resource, A Closer Look at Stem Cells. In particular, check out the Nine Things to Know about Stem Cell Treatments page.

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Guest Author Geoff Lomax is CIRMs Senior Officer for Medical and Ethical Standards.

In the spirit of Stem Cell Awareness Day, Cell Stem Cell has compiled a Public Interest collection of articles covering ethical, legal, and social implications of stem cell research and made it freely available. The collection may be found here.

The collection covers issues ranging from research involving human embryos to the use of stem cell therapies in patients. For those of you interested in a good primer on the history of stem cell controversies, Herbert Gottweis provides a detailed review of the federal policy debate in the United States. This debate has resulted in inconsistent policy and disrupted research. Gottweis uses this history to support his message that a comprehensive, and proactive policy approach in this field beyond the quick legal fix is needed for patients to ultimately benefit from the science.

What I found most interesting about this collection was the focus on stem cell treatments and tourism. A majority of the articles address the use of stem cells in patients. This focus is an indicator of how far the field has progressed. Stem cells clinical trials are now a reality and this results in two separated but related considerations. First, is how to make sure prospective patients are well informed should they participate in a clinical trial. Second, how to avoid stem cell snake oil where someone is pitching an unproven procedure. These issues are related by their solution that involves empowerment and education of patients and their support networks.

For example, in Stem Cell Tourism and Public Education: The Missing Elements, Master writes:

It is important for the scientific, medical, ethics, and policy communities to continue to promote accurate patient and public information on stem cell research and tourism and to ensure that it is effectively disseminated to patients by working alongside patient advocacy groups.

Masters team found that groups committed to the advancement of good science, including patient advocates and researchers, often lacked basic information about clinical trials and other options for patients. This lack of information may contribute to patients being wooed by those pitching unproven procedures. Thus, the research community should continue to work with patients and advocacy organizations to identity options for treatment.

Another aspect of patient empowerment is what Insoo Huyn refers to as therapeutic hope in his piece: Therapeutic Hope, Spiritual Distress, and the Problem of Stem Cell Tourism. Huyn suggests that a supportive system for delivering cell therapies should includes nurturing hope. He writes, patients might understand when an interventions chances of success are extremely remote at best, but may still want to give it a shot as long as a beneficial outcome cannot be ruled out as categorically impossible. Huyn recognizes that well developed early-stage clinical trials are not expected to provide a benefit to patients (they are designed to evaluate safety), but the nature of the therapeutic (often cells) means there may be some real effect.

A third piece by the ISSCR Ethics Taskforce titled Patients Beware: Commercialized Stem Cell Treatments on the Web presents a guide to evaluating therapies. They present five principles that patients, researchers and advocates can rally around to identify credible interventions. The taskforce states:

The guiding principles for the development of the recommended process were that (1) the standards for identifying and reviewing clinics and suppliers should be objective and clear; (2) the inquiry and review process should be publicly transparent and relatively straight- forward for any clinic or practitioner to comply with; (3) conflicts of interest, if any, of the declarant ought to be disclosed to the ISSCR; (4) there should be no actual or apparent conflicts of interest of staff or others involved in the inquiry or review process for any particular matter; and (5) any findings that a clinic fails to meet standards should be communicated in a specific factual way, rather than with broad conclusions of fraudulent practices.

While the Cell Stem Cell Public Interest series covers a range of issues related to stem cells and society, the emphasis on treatments and patients is a reminder of how far the field has come. There is broad consensus that patients, researchers and advocates have roles to play in advancing safe and effective cell therapies.

Geoff Lomax

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Here are some stem cell stories that caught our eye this past week. Some are groundbreaking science, others are of personal interest to us, and still others are just fun.

The zebrafish (Danio rerio) owes its name to a repeating pattern of blue stripes alternating with golden stripes. [Credit: MPI f. Developmental Biology/ P. Malhawar]

How the Zebrafish Got its Stripes. Scientists in Germany have identified the different pigment cells that emerge during embryonic development and that determine the signature-striped pattern on the skins of zebrafishone of sciences most commonly studied model organisms. These results, published this week in the journal Science, will help researchers understand how patterns, from stripes to spots to everything in between, develop.

In the study, scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology mapped how three distinct pigment cells, called black cells, reflective silvery cells, and yellow cells emerge during development and arrange themselves into the characteristic stripes. While researchers knew these three cell types were involved in stripe formation, what they discovered here was that these cells form when the zebrafish is a mere embryo.

We were surprised to observe such cell behaviors, as these were totally unexpected from what we knew about color pattern formation, says Prateek Mahalwar, first author of the study, in a news release.

What most surprised the research team, according to the news release, was that the three cell types each travel across the embryo to form the skin from a different direction. According to Dr. Christiane Nsslein-Volhard, the studys senior author:

These findings inform our way of thinking about color pattern formation in other fish, but also in animals which are not accessible to direct observation during development such as peacocks, tigers and zebras.

Sound Waves Dispense Individual Stem Cells. It happens all the time in the lab: scientists need to isolate and study a single stem cell. The trick is, how best to do it. Many methods have been developed to achieve this goal, but now scientists at the Regenerative Medicine Institute (REMEDI) at NUI Galway and Irish start-up Poly-Pico Technologies Ltd. have pioneered the idea of using sound waves to isolate living stem cells, in this case from bone marrow, with what they call the Poly-Pico micro-drop dispensing device.

Poly-Pico Technologies Ltd., a start-up that was spun out from the University of Limerick in Ireland, has developed a device that uses sound energy to accurately dispense protein, antibodies and DNA at very low volumes. In this study, REMEDI scientists harnessed this same technology to dispense stem cells.

These results, while preliminary, could help improve our understanding of stem cell biology, as well as a number of additional applications. As Poly-Pico CEO Alan Crean commented in a news release:

We are delighted to see this new technology opportunity emerge at the interface between biology and engineering. There are other exciting applications of Poly-Picos unique technology in, for example, drug screening and DNA amplification. Our objective here is to make our technology available to companies, and researchers, and add value to what they are doing. This is one example of such a success.

The Dangers of Stem Cell Toursim. Finally, a story from ABC News Australia, in which they recount a womans terrifying encounter with an unproven stem cell technique.

In this story, Annie Levington, who has suffered from multiple scleoris (MS) since 2007, tells of her journey from Melbourne to Germany. She describes a frightening experience in which she paid $15,000 to have a stem cell transplant. But when she returned home to Australia, she saw no improvement in her MSa neuroinflammatory disease that causes nerve cells to whither.

They said I would feel the effects within the next three weeks to a year. And nothing I had noticed nothing whatsoever. [My neurologist] sent me to a hematologist who checked my bloods and concluded there was no evidence whatsoever that I received a stem cell transplant.

Sadly, Levingtons story is not unusual, though it is not as dreadful as other instances, in which patients have traveled thousands of miles to have treatments that not only dont cure they conditionthey actually cause deadly harm.

The reason that these unproven techniques are even being administered is based on a medical loophole that allows doctors to treat patients, both in Australia and overseas, with their own stem cellseven if that treatment is unsafe or unproven.

And while there have been some extreme cases of death or severe injury because of these treatments, experts warn that the most likely outcome of these untested treatments is similar to Levingtonsyour health wont improve, but your bank account will have dwindled.

Want to learn more about the dangers of stem cell tourism? Check out our Stem Cell Tourism Fact Sheet.

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One of the big concerns among scientists including many at the International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR) conference in Vancouver, Canada is that patient expectations about stem cells are often greater than researchers are able to deliver today. That can result in patients in search of a cure heading to overseas clinics that offer unproven therapies.

Megan Munsie head of the Education, Ethics, Law and Community Awareness Unit at the University of Melbourne in Australia wanted to find out what happens when patients hopes for new treatments come into conflict with scientific views on medical evidence. So she started with a small survey of 16 Australians, patients and patient-caretakers, who had travelled outside Australia for stem cell treatments for a variety of diseases including MS and cerebral palsy.

She says there were a number of interesting findings:

Perhaps the most surprising finding was that all of them talked about the benefits they gained from going abroad for the treatment, that it gave them a sense of hope even if there was no evidence of medical benefit.

What happens when patients hopes for new treatments come into conflict with scientific views on medical evidence?

This led to a bigger study where Munsie surveyed patients and patient advocates but also stem cell scientists and physicians. Not surprisingly the researchers had a very different view of the subject than the patients.

Researchers/doctors said they felt that patients dont understand science and dont appreciate the subtleties of clinical trials

What was interesting, however, is that many doctors said they didnt try to persuade their patients not to go, instead they chose to respect their autonomy but did at least try to give them the facts so that they could make a decision based on knowledge not ignorance.

When asked why they didnt tell patients not to go, they said they respected the patients need for hope and didnt want to take that away from them because they had nothing they could offer to replace it.

Munsie says recently some doctors have started offering these kinds of unproven therapies in Australia. She talked to four of them asking how they could justify it. All four said there is a huge unmet medical need and it was better to offer these therapies in Australia than have patients travel to other countries for them. They also said that they felt competent to provide treatment because they had undergone some kind of training or had a license to use equipment needed for the therapy.

Ironically while they all considered themselves legitimate providers of a needed medical therapy albeit an unproven one and only interested in the science, they regarded others doing the same as cowboys and only interested in the money.

When asked if they would support more regulation of the kinds of therapies they were already offering they said yes, saying that the other doctors who claimed they were self-regulating is like giving the keys to the asylum to the lunatics.

Munsie says its clear that its not just patients who could benefit from some guidance on expectations about stem cell therapies.

She says we need to do a better job of managing patient expectations without robbing them of a sense of hope, perhaps by offering them information that is more tailored to their particular needs.

We also need to manage what she called the unbridled enthusiasm of providers who are offering speculative treatments as medical practice. That might take regulatory change by the government.

She says its difficult to strike a balance between hope and scientific evidence, in maintaining a patients sense of optimism while acknowledging the reality of the science and the risks posed by unproven treatments.

Kevin McCormack

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One of the big concerns among scientists including many at the International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR) conference in Vancouver, Canada is that patient expectations about stem cells are often greater than researchers are able to deliver today. That can result in patients in search of a cure heading to overseas clinics that offer unproven therapies.

Megan Munsie head of the Education, Ethics, Law and Community Awareness Unit at the University of Melbourne in Australia wanted to find out what happens when patients hopes for new treatments come into conflict with scientific views on medical evidence. So she started with a small survey of 16 Australians, patients and patient-caretakers, who had travelled outside Australia for stem cell treatments for a variety of diseases including MS and cerebral palsy.

She says there were a number of interesting findings:

Perhaps the most surprising finding was that all of them talked about the benefits they gained from going abroad for the treatment, that it gave them a sense of hope even if there was no evidence of medical benefit.

What happens when patients hopes for new treatments come into conflict with scientific views on medical evidence?

This led to a bigger study where Munsie surveyed patients and patient advocates but also stem cell scientists and physicians. Not surprisingly the researchers had a very different view of the subject than the patients.

Researchers/doctors said they felt that patients dont understand science and dont appreciate the subtleties of clinical trials

What was interesting, however, is that many doctors said they didnt try to persuade their patients not to go, instead they chose to respect their autonomy but did at least try to give them the facts so that they could make a decision based on knowledge not ignorance.

When asked why they didnt tell patients not to go, they said they respected the patients need for hope and didnt want to take that away from them because they had nothing they could offer to replace it.

Munsie says recently some doctors have started offering these kinds of unproven therapies in Australia. She talked to four of them asking how they could justify it. All four said there is a huge unmet medical need and it was better to offer these therapies in Australia than have patients travel to other countries for them. They also said that they felt competent to provide treatment because they had undergone some kind of training or had a license to use equipment needed for the therapy.

Ironically while they all considered themselves legitimate providers of a needed medical therapy albeit an unproven one and only interested in the science, they regarded others doing the same as cowboys and only interested in the money.

When asked if they would support more regulation of the kinds of therapies they were already offering they said yes, saying that the other doctors who claimed they were self-regulating is like giving the keys to the asylum to the lunatics.

Munsie says its clear that its not just patients who could benefit from some guidance on expectations about stem cell therapies.

She says we need to do a better job of managing patient expectations without robbing them of a sense of hope, perhaps by offering them information that is more tailored to their particular needs.

We also need to manage what she called the unbridled enthusiasm of providers who are offering speculative treatments as medical practice. That might take regulatory change by the government.

She says its difficult to strike a balance between hope and scientific evidence, in maintaining a patients sense of optimism while acknowledging the reality of the science and the risks posed by unproven treatments.

Kevin McCormack

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See more here:
stem cell tourism | The Stem Cellar

Autism Treatment

Current investigative therapies for autism attempt to reverse these abnormalities through administration of antibiotics, antiinflammatory agents, and hyperbaric oxygen. Unfortunately, none of these approaches address the root causes of oxygen deprivation and intestinal inflammation.

Mesenchymal stem cells can regulate the immune system. It is thought that they may help to reverse inflammatory conditions and is currently in the final stages of clinical trials in the US for Crohns disease, a condition resembling the gut inflammation in autistic children.

Through administration of mesenchymal stem cells, we have observed improvement in patients treated at our facilities. The biological basis for our scientists in the peer published treatment method reviewed in the Journal of Translational Medicine: Stem Cell Therapy for Autism.

The adult stem cells used to treat autism at the Stem Cell Institute come from human umbilical cord tissue (allogeneic mesenchymal). Umbilical cords are donated by mothers after normal, healthy births. Before they are approved for treatment all umbilical cord-derived stem cells are screened for viruses and bacteria to International Blood Bank Standards. In some cases, we also utilize stem cells harvested from the patients own bone marrow. Umbilical cord-derived stem cells are ideal for the treatment of autism because they allow our physicians to administer uniform doses and they do not require any stem cell collection from the patient, which for autistic children and their parents, can be an arduous process. Because they are collected right after (normal) birth, umbilical cord-derived cells are much more potent than their older counterparts like bone marrow-derived cells for instance. Cord tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells pose no rejection risk because the body does not recognize them as foreign.

Because HUCT stem cells are less mature than other cells, the bodys immune system is unable to recognize them as foreign and therefore they are not rejected. Weve treated hundreds of patients with umbilical cord stem cells and there has never been a single instance rejection (graft vs. host disease). HUCT stem cells also proliferate/differentiate more efficiently than older cells, such as those found in the bone marrow and therefore, they are considered to be more potent.

Through retrospective analysis of our cases, weve identified proteins and genes that allow us to screen several hundred umbilical cord donations to find the ones that we know are most effective. We only use these cells and we call them golden cells.

We go through a very high throughput screening process to find cells that we know have the best anti-inflammatory activity, the best immune modulating capacity, and the best ability to stimulate regeneration.

The umbilical cord-derived stem cells are administered intravenously by a licensed physician.

*NOTE Treatment protocol will be assigned by staff physicians after the patient has submitted all requested medical information and received approval. A patients recommended protocol may differ from the example given below.

Below is an example of a typical autism protocol:

Proper follow-up is an essential part of the autism treatment process. Our primary goal is to ensure that your child is progressing safely. Regular follow-up also enables us to evaluate efficacy and improve our autism treatment protocols based on observed outcomes.

Therefore, our medical staff will be contacting you after 1 month, 3 months, 4 months, and 1 year to monitor your childs progress.

Yes, you may. Once your child has been evaluated and approved for treatment by our medical team, your patient coordinator will be happy to put you in touch with a few.

We also welcome you to view testimonials, news articles and videos from treated cerebral palsy. Please take a look!

You may contact us by telephone 1 (800) 980-STEM (toll-free in US) and 1 (954) 358-3382.

To apply for stem cell treatment, please complete this Patient Application Form.

Stem Cell Therapy for Autism Ichim T, Solano F, Glenn E, Morales F, Smith L, Zabrecky G, Riordan Neil. Journal of Translational Medicine 2007, 5:30

Read the original here:
Stem Cell Therapy for Autism - Medical Information - Panama Ci

Why Spray Supplements Work Best Monday, July 20th, 2015

On a regular basis we are asked why is it best we take the supplementintraorally (sprayed under the tongue)?

We reply: because this enables almost all of the nutrients to hit the bloodstream quickly, which is extremely effective. The absorption rate for an intraoral spray delivery (referred to as sublingual in certain contexts) enables up to 95% of the nutrients to be absorbed into the bloodstream, whereas pills and capsules have an absorption rate of only 10% to 20% at best.

So Why Is This?

When certain molecules are placed under the tongue, they are absorbed through the sub-mucosal membrane (a layer of connective tissue that sits beneath your tongue), that has a direct route into the bloodstream. This enables almost all of the nutrients to get into the bloodstream in their entirety and get to work straight away. There are no road blocks, no waiting just straight into the bloodstream (the bodys principal carrier of nutrients throughout the entire body) and off to work they go.

So What About When You Swallow a Pill or Capsule?

Good question. When you swallow a pill or capsule it must go through your entire gastrointestinal tract. This means the stomach (which has acid and bile), and the intestines (where most of the absorption takes place), and then off to the liver, where more filtering is done. THEN finally what is left of the nutrients is delivered to where it is needed. If you have a healthy gastrointestinal tract, healthy stomach and liver, the absorption rate of nutrients that finally get into your bloodstream and the intended destination point will be 20%. The problem is over 70% of the American population suffer from digestive and/or gastrointestinal tract issues. This results in very poor absorption through the intestines and liver (i.e. leaky gut syndrome is common), and these issues reduce the absorption rate when taking a pill or capsule to less than 10%.

Speed is also an important factor. Not only is the absorption rate of nutrients far superior with intraoral delivery, the speed via this route is fast and direct, and because the potency of the formulation stays intact, less nutrients are needed making this delivery very cost effective.

The digestive tract is one incredibly harsh route and it is set up this way for a purpose. It is how our food is broken down. The nutrients get stripped out, the waste gets filtered. This is why pills are getting so large, as many companies try to squeeze more nutrients into them. Many people cut a pill or capsule in half and then put the contents under the tongue, but the problem is often the compressed manufacturing processes of a pill have already destroyed many of its nutrients. Another big negative with a pill and capsule is its coating and fillers.

Coatings and fillers are used in most pills and capsules to bind the ingredients together, fill and/or lubricate the contents, and accelerate manufacturing through the equipment so they dont stick together. This is not the case for liquid health supplements. Fillers and binders are not nearly so common in liquid supplements because they are not needed.

Pills and capsules generally contain a lot more low grade ingredients than liquid supplements.

Never buy proprietary blends. Most proprietary blends contain a bunch of low grade ingredients that are grouped together so you dont have a clue of the purity or source of each ingredient. Always look on the label for the individual ingredients to be noted separately with their actual percentage of purity displayed.

Yes, quality supplements are more expensive, but when the ingredients are stated individually on the label, with a high percentage of purity noted, you are receiving quality. Also look for the ingredients to be stated in milligrams (mgs) or grams. Mcgs (watch for that little c) and IUs equate to zilch. If you see IUs, Mcgs or Ng measurements, do the math using an online conversion calculator.

Liquid intraoral / sublingual formulations are the way of the future. You want to ensure you spray the formulation under your tongue, hold for at least 7 seconds, then swallow the remainder of the formulation. If you look around in the Health Stores today, you will find a good range of liquid and spray health supplements but ensure when taking any liquid supplement you dont just chug-a-lug it downso it all runs down your throat. The spray under the tongue method is by far the best delivery method for health supplements as stated in the Physicians Desk Reference. Pharmaceutical companies are moving quickly to develop many sublingual and intraoral applications (including diabetic medications).

For more information on intraoral health supplements click here: http://www.stemcellworx.com

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Doctors and Scientists all around the world acknowledge a persons own adult stem cells have the ability to provide remarkable repair, renewal and anti-aging abilities throughout a persons entire life time.In the last decade, more recent research shows we can treat, heal and repair our existing organs, blood, cartilage, muscle and tissue with our own stem cells.

As reported in the Health Digest you can do this by:

Here are ways stem cell activation can be done.

A) Some people undergo full stem cell replacement therapy (in a medical setting) where a persons own stem cells or those from a donor are drawn from the blood. The blood is then put into a centrifuge to spin down and separate out the stem cells so they become very concentrated. They are then put back into the body (by injection / intravenous administration) where the stem cells are precisely directed into the actual site of injury or damage where the repair and renewal is needed. This is a very effective form of treatment however it can be very expensive. For this treatment the stem cells are mostly taken from the bone marrow, blood or skin. When a persons own stem cells arent able to be used, they can be obtained from a donor (often the case for those suffering from a life threatening disease).

B) Take a powerful stem cell supplement.

Stem Cell Worx Intraoral Spray is the most powerful stem cell supplement in the market due to:

C) Other methods that have been found to have some stem cell stimulating properties include:

Just as healthy lifestyle choices have the ability to help maintain and trigger your healthy stem cells, Scientists also report that negative lifestyle habits have the opposite effect and can greatly suppress your bodys ability to produce and release stem cells.Negative effects include cigarette smoking, lack of sleep, stress, emotional extremes, a lazy lifestyle and poor nutrition.

As we age, our own adult stem cells diminish in quality and quantity. It is now possible to stimulate, increase and trigger your adult stem cells with Stem Cell Worx Intraoral Spray (sprayed under the tongue enabling maximum absorption of nutrients for natural stem cell stimulation).

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As we age:

Stem Cell Worx Is At The Forefront of Nutritional Supplementation

Stem Cell Worx Intraoral Spray is a natural dietary health supplement that activates your own adult stem cells naturally and provides robust immunity. With 50 to 70 trillion cells in our body, cellular health is crucial to our overall well-being and good health. Adult stem cells working at optimal levels provide the platform for many cumulative health benefits. Stem Cell Worx is the most powerful stem cell supplement on the market. It is taken sublingually (sprayed under the tongue) enabling 95% of its nutrients to be absorbed quickly into the bloodstream compared to the 10% to 20% absorption rate that pills and capsules only provide. Stem Cell Worxs pure ingredients provide the highest grade of natural growth and immune factors available. Growth and immune factors are vital in the initiation process as they have the ability to bind with the adult stem cells in order to activate them.

Stem Cell Worx Intraoral Spray targets anti-oxidant optimization, adult stem cell activation and provides advanced immune response, cellular repair and renewal. Clinical studies and research back up this new wave of nutrition.

Stem Cell Worx Intraoral Sprayis a leader in the field of nutritional supplementation providing many benefits including:

For further information visit: http://www.stemcellworx.com

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Here Doctor Daniel Pompa from Park City, Utah talks about how you must fix the cell in order to get well.

In this short video he provides an overview of why the cells in our body are being damaged, and why so many diseases and disorders are on the increase.

Stem Cell Worx Intraoral Spray is a natural dietary health supplement designed specifically to improve and activate ones own adult stem cells (the repair and renewal cells of the entire body). Manufactured by a specialized Laboratory in the U.S.A. it is one of the only stem cell supplements on the market that contains abundant natural growth and immune factors, that are absolutely necessary to bind with adult stem cells in order to active them. It is the only stem cell supplement delivered in intraoral spray format (spray under the tongue, hold then swallow), providing an absorption rate of up to 95% of its nutrients.

Tags: cell supplement, cellular health, fix the cell you'll get well, stem cell supplement Posted in activate stem cells, cell health, fix the cell, stem cell nutrition, stem cell supplement, stem cell supplements, stem cell therapy, Stem Cell Worx | Comments Off on Fix The Cell And Youll Get Well with Stem Cell Worx

T cells are a type of blood cell that protect the body from infection.

All T cells originate fromhaematopoietic stem cells (a type of adult stem cell) locatedin thebone marrow. There are certain sub-populations of T cells (that include a number of the CD+ cells). See more about adult stem cells below.

The thymus is a specialized organ of the immune system and contributes fewer cells as a person ages. This is because thethymus shrinks by about 3%a year throughout middle age, resulting in a corresponding fall in the thymic production ofnaive T cells.

A study published this week on May 15th 2013, by Immunity & Ageing, shows slower immune system aging in women than men.

Study Conclusion

The study (ref: doi: 10.1186/1742- 4933-10-19) concluded:

the rate of increase of these immunological parameters was greater in women than in men (p < 0.05). T cell proliferation index (TCPI) was calculated from the T cell proliferative activity and the number of T cells. It showed an age-related decline that was greater in men than in women (p < 0.05). The rate of decline in IL-6 and IL-10 production was also greater in men than in women (p < 0.05).

Age-related changes in various immunological parameters differ between men and woman. Our findings indicate that the slower rate of decline in these immunological parameters in women than that in men is consistent with the fact that women live longer than do men.

Recent research on adult stem cells has generated a great deal of excitement. Scientists now have technologies available to stimulate and replace these adult stem cells using a variety of stem cell therapies. Powerful adult stem cell supplements, such as Stem Cell Worx Intraoral Spray are also available. Stem Cell Worx Intraoral Spray has been scientifically proven to be one of the most powerful stem cell supplements on the market. Its pure, natural ingredients provide a triple effect of stem cell production from the bone marrow, enabling adult stem cells and their subsets CD+ cells, T cell and IL-6 proliferation to increase by as much as 50% within two weeks of taking the Stem Cell Worx Intraoral Spray supplement.

What are Adult Stem Cells?

The history of research on adult stem cells began more than 50 years ago. In the 1950s, researchers discovered that the bone marrow contains at least two kinds of stem cells. One population of adult stem cells is calledhaematopoietic stem cells, that form all the types of blood cells in the body. A second population, calledbone marrow stromal stem cells(also called mesenchymal stem cells, or skeletal stem cells by some), were discovered a few years later. With the latest advancements in the scientific and medical fields, especially in the last 5 years, its now possible to activate these adult stem cells through medical and specialized health supplement means.

An adult stem cell is an undifferentiatedcell. This means that under the right direction, adult stem cells can transform into a specific type of cell that promotes tissue, muscle, cartridge and organ repair and renewal.

The human bodys lymphatic system

References:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T_cell

Immunity & Ageing Research Paper: doi: 10.1186/1742-4933-10-19

Tags: Adult Stem Cell News, stem cell activator, stem cell supplement, Stem Cell Worx, T cell production Posted in activate stem cells, cellular health, cellular nutrition, stem cell activator, stem cell supplement, stem cell supplements, Stem Cell Worx, Stem Cell Worx Intraoral Spray, stemcellworx, T cells | Comments Off on Why Do Men Die First? No, Its Not Because They Want Too Its All About Stem Cells

A natural activator of your own adult stem cells. Click here:

Stem Cell Supplement

Tags: adult stem cells, stem cell activator, stem cell supplement, Stem Cell Worx Posted in activate stem cells, adult stem cells, cellular nutrition, I am a Stem Cell, liquid stem cell supplement, stem cell mobilizer, stem cell news, Stem Cell Products, stem cell supplement, stem cell supplements, Stem Cell Worx, stemcellworx | Comments Off on Stem Cell Supplement

Dr. Edward D. Wagner is one of the most renowned Chiropractors and foremost holistic healers in the world.

Dr. Wagners healthcare career began over 35 years ago in one of the original health clubs in Southern California where he partnered with Jack La Lanne in the Jack La Lanne Nutrition Centers in Torrance and Rolling Hills, California.

In 1992 Dr. Wagner published Dr. Edward D. Wagners Complete Guide to Healing the Entire Body, Mind, and Spirit. Doctor Wagner has a Degree in Sports & Recreational Injuries; he is a licensed member of the American and Californian Chiropractic Associations; and Board Certified Fellow of the American Academy of Clinical Applied Spinal Biomechanical Engineering. He stops at nothing to restore a persons emotional, mental and physical well-being.

Today, Dr. Wagner practices from his California Office, Wagner Chiropractic situated in Sunset Blvd, Suite A230, Pacific Palisades, CA 90272, nestled between Malibu Beach and Santa Monica.

In this video, Dr. Wagner provides a review of a leading stem cell supplement called Stem Cell Worx Intraoral Spray. He explains why this natural health supplement is such an important requirement in todays world especially when the exposure to super bugs and nasty allergies is growing at an alarming rate, and younger people are more prone to illness than ever before. Good health starts at the cellular level and it is vital your immune system remains strong and robust throughout your entire lifetime. In this video, hear why Dr. Wagner puts this stem cell supplement, Stem Cell Worx Intraoral Spray at the forefront of nutritional supplementation.

Tags: Adult Stem Cell Supplement, nutritional health review, nutritional products review, stem cell supplement, Stem Cell Supplement Review, stem cell supplements Posted in activate stem cells, best supplement, best supplement review, cellular health, nutritional supplement, stem cell supplement, stem cell supplement review, stem cell supplements, Stem Cell Worx, top health supplement | Comments Off on Stem Cell Supplement Reviewed By World Renowned Chiropractor

First Responders recognize the potential and benefits of banking their own adult stem cells.

Watch the video below to see why First Responders are banking theirown adult stem cellsin preparedness should they be exposed to hazards as they may well require these life-savers at a later date.

Tags: Adult Stem Cell Supplement, Banking Stem Cells, stem cell supplement, stem cell supplements, Stem Cell Worx Posted in activate stem cells, adult stem cell supplement, stem cell supplement, stem cell supplements, Stem Cell Worx, Stem Cell Worx Intraoral Spray, stemcellworx | Comments Off on Benefits of Banking Own Adult Stem Cells

Pre-clinical research has generated very promising findings using adult stem cells from bone marrow for the treatment of diabetic wounds.

Research carried out by scientists at the National University of Ireland Galway is published in this months official journal of The American Diabetes Association. The work was led by researchers at the Universitys Regenerative Medicine Institute (REMEDI), which is supported by Science Foundation Ireland.

Tags: adult stem cell supplements, stem cell news, stem cell supplement, Stem Cell Worx, wound healing for diabetics Posted in activate stem cells, adult stem cells, bone marrow cells, bone marrow stem cells, cellular supplement, diabetic wound healing, stem cell diabetes, stem cell facts, stem cell news, stem cell supplement, stem cell supplements, Stem Cell Worx, Stem Cell Worx Intraoral Spray, stemcellworx, wound healing | Comments Off on Adult Stem Cells For Diabetic Wound Healing

Michael Phelan is the CEO ofSevOne. My Forbes colleagueTomio Geronrecentlywrote about his fast-growing IT company and Phelan contributed a guest post earlier this year atEric SavitzsCIO Network.

Phelan also has multiple sclerosis. Frustrated by the limited effectiveness of standard drugs for MS, he decided to try something more radical.

He traveled to a clinic in Panama and had infusions of adult stem cells generated from his own body fat.

It worked so well, hes going back for another treatment.

After mylast post, highlighting some research on the potential adverse consequences of adult stem cell treatments, some readers, including Phelan, protested that such studies represented but a small fraction of the thousands of successful treatments people were getting offshore, and that I was overlooking the patients perspective.

I asked if hed be interested in recounting his own story in more detail. Our Q&A was conducted by email.

Q: When did you first show symptoms of MS?

A: My symptoms started 7 years ago, in my late 40s. Im 56 now.

Q: Im assuming you began by seeking standard medical therapy. Can you tell me a bit about this, which drugs, and what led you gradually (or more speedily) to try a stem cell therapy?

A. I still use standard medical therapy. I have the best Neurologists in Philadelphia, at theUniversity of Pennsylvania Hospital, and Jefferson. I was on Copaxone for 5 years. Last month I started on Gilenya. Unfortunately, the approved, standard drug therapy has not been effective for me. I considered theTysabri (natalizumab)risks too high.

Q. Before going abroad, you attempted to get into some clinical trials here in the U.S. Can you tell me about the clinical trials you registered forand whether they explained why you did not qualify?

A. The first: Stem Cell Therapy for Patients With Multiple Sclerosis Failing Interferon A Randomized Study

The evaluation process is not funded; therefore I paid approximately $10,000 for travel to Chicago, for tests, MRIs, etc. The opinion of the investigators was the risk related to aggressive chemotherapy was not worth the potential gain because I was 55 years old, and the MRI evidence did not confirm enough recent disease activity. The treatment is most effective in active, early stages. My stage was questionable.

A second clinical trial:Autologous Mesenchymal Stem Cell (MSC) Transplantation in MS. The research team is headed up by Jeffrey Cohen, MD, of the Cleveland Clinics Mellen Center for Multiple Sclerosis Treatment and Research. I did not qualify because I would be over 55 at the end point. This study is very similar to the treatment that I received in Panama.

Q. How did you come to learn about theStem Cell Institute in Panama?

A. I researched Pubmed, talked to physicians involved in U.S. studies and reviewed conference publications. I first learned about the Stem Cell Institute from Dr. Roger Nocera, author ofCells That Heal Us From Cradle To Grave.

I also noted that the Medical Director of the Stem Cell Institute was published:Non-expanded adipose stromal vascular fraction cell therapy for multiple sclerosis.

Plus I read and viewed many personal testimonies of patients, such as famous Texas High School football coach,Sam Harrell.

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Stem Cell Supplement | Stem Cell Worx News

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Salt Lake researchers are launching a groundbreaking clinical trial to see if adult stem cell transplants will reverse or prevent kidney failure. If it works, it will be the kind of self-healing everybody has been waiting for. Stem cell transplants have proven successful in animal experiments in Germany and Salt Lake, but now the time has come to start clinical trials in humans. Two patients here have already had the stem cell transplants. Open heart surgery places a lot of stress on the kidneys, patients who have other complications often go into kidney failure. That's why this group has been selected for the clinical trial. A special kind of adult stem cell taken from the bone marrow of living donors will be injected into the blood stream shortly after their heart surgeries. Christof Westenfelder, M.D., the Chief Medical Officer at Allocure, said "These cells, after they read what's going on in the injured organ, then instruct the surviving cells in the injured organ to defend themse

Salt Lake researchers are launching a groundbreaking clinical trial to see if adult stem cell transplants will reverse or prevent kidney failure. If it works, it will be the kind of self-healing everybody has been waiting for. Stem cell transplants have proven successful in animal experiments in Germany and Salt Lake, but now the time has come to start clinical trials in humans. Two patients here have already had the stem cell transplants. Open heart surgery places a lot of stress on the kidneys, patients who have other complications often go into kidney failure. That's why this group has been selected for the clinical trial. A special kind of adult stem cell taken from the bone marrow of living donors will be injected into the blood stream shortly after their heart surgeries. Christof Westenfelder, M.D., the Chief Medical Officer at Allocure, said "These cells, after they read what's going on in the injured organ, then instruct the surviving cells in the injured organ to defend themselves, to repair the organ." The stem cells linger until the repair is complete, then, as programmed, self-destruct within three days so they won't go to other organs where they're not needed.

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Stem Cells to be Tested for Kidney Repair

CLINAM 9 / 2016 Conference and Exhibition

European & Global Summit for Cutting-Edge Medicine

June 26 29, 2016

Clinical Nanomedicine and Targeted Medicine

Enabling Technologies for Personalized Medicine

Conference Venue: Congress Center, Messeplatz 21, 4058 Basel, Switzerland, Phone +41 58 206 28 28, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Organizers Office:CLINAMFoundation, Alemannengasse 12, P.B. 4016 Basel Phone +41 61 695 93 95, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Scientific Committee

Prof. Dr.med.PatrickHunziker, University Hospital Basel (CH) (Chairman)

Prof. Dr.med. ChristophAlexiou, UniversityHospitalErlangen(D)

Prof. Dr. Lajos Balogh, Editor-in-Chief Nanomedicine,Nanotechnology in Biology and Medicine, Elsevier and Member of the Executive Board, American Society for Nanomedicine, Boston (USA)

Prof. Dr. GerdBinnig, Nobel Laureate, Munich(D)

Prof. Dr. Yechezkel Barenholz, HebrewUniversity, Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem(IL)

Prof. Dr. med. Omid Farokhzad, Associate Professor and Director of Laboratory of Nanomedicine and Biomaterials, Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women's Hospital; Founder of BIND Therapeutics, Biosciences and Blend Therapeutics, Cambridge, Boston (USA)

Prof. Dr. med. Dong Soo Lee, PhD. Chairman Department of Nuclear Medicine Seoul National University Seoul, (KOR)

Dr. med. h.c. Beat Lffler, MA, European Foundation for Clinical Nanomedicine, Basel (CH)

Prof. Dr. Jan Mollenhauer, Lundbeckfonden Centerof Excellence NanoCAN, Universityof Southern Denmark, Odense (DK)

Prof. Dr. med. Marisa Papaluca Amati, European Medicines Agency, London (UK).

Prof. Dr. GertStorm, Institutefor Pharmaceutical Sciences, Utrecht University, (NL)

Prof. Dr. Viola Vogel, Laboratory for Biologically Oriented Materials, ETH, Zrich (CH)

In the previous eight years, the CLINAM Summit grew to the largest in its field with 12 presenting Noble Laureates and more than 500 participants from academia, industry, regulatory authorities and policy from over 40 different countries in Europe and worldwide. With this success and broad support by well beyond 20 renowned collaborating initiatives, the CLINAM-Summit is today one of the most important marketplaces for scientific exchange and discussions of regulatory, political and ethical aspects in this field of cutting-edge medicine.

In particular, the CLINAM Summit emerged as exquisite forum for translation from bench to bedside for European and international networking, for industrial collaboration between companies, with academia, and as point-of-contact with customers. The summit is presently the only place to meet the regulatory authorities from all continents to debate the needs of all stakeholders in the field with the legislators.

CLINAM 9/2016 continues with its successful tradition to cover the manifold interdisciplinary fields of Clinical and Targeted Nanomedicine in major and neglected diseases. As special focus area, CLINAM 09/2016 adds translation and enabling technologies, including, for example, cutting-edge molecular profiling, nano-scale analytics, single cell analysis, stem cell technologies, tissue engineering, in and ex vivo systems as well as in vitro substitute systems for efficacy and toxicity testing.

CLINAM 09/2016 covers the entire interdisciplinary spectrum of Nanomedicine and Targeted Medicine from new materials with potential medical applications and enabling technologies over diagnostic and therapeutic translation to clinical applications in infectious, inflammatory and neurodegenerative diseases, as well as diabetes, cancer and regenerative medicine to societal implications, strategical issues, and regulatory affairs. The conference is sub-divided into three different tracks running in parallel and provides ample possibilities for exhibitors as indicated by steadily increasing requests.

Track 1: Clinical and Targeted Nanomedicine Basic Research Disease Mechanisms and Personalized Medicine Regenerative Medicine Novel Therapeutic and Diagnostic Approaches Active and Passive Targeting Targeted Delivery (antibodies, affibodies, aptamers, and nano drug delivery devices) Accurin Technology Nano-Toxicology

Track 2: Clinical and Targeted Nanomedicine: Translation Unsolved Medical Problems Personalized Medicine and Theranostic Approaches Regenerative Medicine Advanced Breaking and Ongoing Clinical Trials Applied Nanomedical Diagnostics and Therapeutics

Track 3: Enabling Technologies Nanomaterial Analytics and Testing Molecular Profiling for Research and Efficacy/Toxicology Testing (Genomics, Proteomics, Glycomics, Lipidomics, Metabolomics) Functional Testing Assays and Platforms Single Cell Analyses Cell Tracking Stem Cell Biology and Engineering Technologies Microfluidics Tissue Engineering Tissues-on-a-Chip-Bioprinting In vivo Testing Novel Imaging Approaches Medical Devices

Track 4: Regulatory, Societal Affairs and Networking Regulatory Issues in Nanomedicine Strategy and Policy The Patients` Perspective Ethical Issues in Nanomedicine University Village Cutting-Edge EU-Project Presentations Networking for International Consortium Formation Regulatory Authorities Sessions

Based on last years exhibition it is expected to have about 30 Exhibitors at this Summit. Exhibitors can profit of the possibility to meet their target visitors on 1 single spot in Basel at CLINAM 9 / 2016. With its concept for the exhibition, the international CLINAM Summit becomes also the place for the pulse of the market and early sales in the field of cutting-edge medicine.

Deadline April 25, 2016 for oral Presentations Deadline for Poster Only Submission is May 15, 2016. Later submitted Posters can still be accepted but will not be included in the Summit-Proceedings. (See instruction in Folder on Page 25).

For full programme download the PDF Folder

Registration Fees (For Exhibition Pricing Look Folder, Page 25)

The European Foundation for Clinical Nanomedicine is a non-profit institution aiming at advancing medicine to the benefit of individuals and society through the application of nanoscience. Aiming at prevention, diagnosis, and therapy through nanomedicine as well as at exploration of its implications, the Foundation reaches its goals through support of clinically focussed research and of interaction and information flow between clinicians, researchers, the public, and other stakeholders. The recognition of the large future impact of nanoscience on medicine and the observed rapid advance of medical applications of nanoscience have been the main reasons for the creation of the Foundation.

Nanotechnology is generally considered as the key technology of the 21st century. It is an interdisciplinary scientific field focusing on methods, materials, and tools on the nanometer scale, i.e. one millionth of a millimeter. The application of this science to medicine seeks to benefit patients by providing prevention, early diagnosis, and effective treatment for prevalent, for disabling, and for currently incurable medical conditions.

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CLINAM - The Conference at a Glance

Many people are searching for something more they can do for their health in addition to standard medical treatment. At the Myrna Brind Center of Integrative Medicine at Jefferson in Philadelphia, we take personalized medicine to a new level. We care about your health and wellness goals, and it is our primary mission to help you achieve them.

Our physicians are guided by the science of medicine and are experts in the art of incorporating complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) therapies into the healing approach. This combined or "integrative" way of practicing is what makes the Myrna Brind Center so unique and effective.

We welcome you to our Center, and we think you'll agree that our new state-of-the-art facilities create an environment that allows the healing process to start the moment you walk through the door. The space is architecturally magnificent and bathed in light from high windows, as well as ceiling and glass panels. We also have a tranquil outdoor healing garden accessible from our suite.

Brind-Marcus Center now open

Our professional staff includes board-certified physicians with expertise in using diet and nutritional supplements and herbal and homeopathic medicines. Our physicians treat adults and children and are able to address either common health problems or complex medical conditions. They are available to work with you directly or in close consultation with your primary care provider or specialist.

The Center staff also includes acupuncturists, nurses and psychologists. And we have practitioners who can teach you to access the healing potential of your mind and spirit. We all work closely together in order to collaborate on treatment strategies and coordinate your care.

Based at Thomas Jefferson University's main campus, our academic program promotes research and educational activities related to integrative medicine. Researchers study health outcomes of all patients treated through our programs. Collaborative study protocols are developed with Jefferson clinical investigators and basic scientists. Our academic program has been providing professional education programs in integrative medicine for physicians, medical students, nurses and other health providers since 1995.

The Center is located at: 925 Chestnut Street Suite 120 Philadelphia, PA 19107 215-955-2221

Please enter the building by the 10th Street entrance between Chestnut and Market Streets on the east side of Chestnut (to avoid the steps at the 925 Chestnut Street entrance).

Academic Title: Professor

Executive and Medical Director of the Jefferson-Myrna Brind Center of Integrative Medicine

Excerpt from:
Myrna Brind Center of Integrative Medicine at Jefferson ...

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM)

For thousands of years, TCM has been practiced in China. TCM includes dietary recommendations and manipulation, Qigong, a form of meditation and exercise, Tuina, a form of massage, herbal medicine and acupuncture.

Traditional Chinese Medicine uses terms that may sound strange to our modern ears, but it is a highly logical and effective system of medicine. Our Western system and the TCM system both have the same goal - to maintain health and treat patients who experience illness or injury. These two methods have different views of the body. The TCM view is a more holistic view and the Western is more mechanistic and linear. These two systems can often be combined for the benefit of the patient, thus the term 'Integrative Medicine' as opposed to 'complementary' or 'alternative'.

A melding of Western medicine with complementary, alternative and holistic modalities, integrative medicine offers many healing options. It is a gentle, comprehensive approach to achieving wellness and maintaining health, while honoring an animal's innate healing power.

One of our great joys as veterinarians is developing personal relationships with patients and their caregivers. We provide a welcoming atmosphere (lower lighting, calming music, blankets for comfort, ample time for an unhurried visit), and yummy treats (if appropriate and allowed) in an effort to create a relaxed and enjoyable experience. You will be present during the exam and treatment and engaged in discussion about nutrition, exercise, and Tuina, a gentle, easy-to-learn method of body work. Time and intention (or attention) are key components to forming a partnership in caring for your pet and promoting his or her health and healing.

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Holistic Medicine - Newtown Veterinary Hospital, LLC

Dr. Rosenzweig offers natural therapies and supportive care for patients with cancer or other life-challenging illnesses.

Please see Dr. Rosenzweigs website for more information: http://www.StevenRosenzweigMD.net

Steven Rosenzweig, MD graduated the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine in 1986 and completed his residency training in Emergency Medicine at Jefferson University Hospital in 1989. He was a full-time, Jefferson physician until 2007; during that time he served as Founding Medical and Academic Director of the Thomas Jefferson University Center of Integrative Medicine, which opened its doors in 1998. In 2007 he established his independent, private practice in Integrative Medicine and also joined the teaching faculty of Drexel University College of Medicine.

Dr. Rosenzweig is Board Certified in Emergency Medicine and in Palliative Medicine. He extended his medical training through the study of Anthroposophical Medicine, a European-based system of Integrative Medicine. He participated in professional training under the direction of Jon Kabat-Zinn, PhD, founder of the Stress Reduction Clinic at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center (UMMC), and has completed the Teacher Development Intensive in Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction offered at the Stress Reduction Clinic at UMMC. He also completed Professional Certification Training in Interactive Guided Imagerysm through the Academy for Guided Imagery.

Dr. Rosenzweig is Clinical Associate Professor at Drexel University College of Medicine where he is Director of the Progam in Medical Humanism and Professional Values in the Office of Educational Affairs. He directs courses in Bioethics, Community Service Learning, and Professionalism. He teaches mindfulness and Integrative Medicine, and has been developing mind-body projects as part of the community service curriculum. He is also an Adjunct Associate Professor at Jefferson Medical College where he currently lectures on botanical medicine and racial disparities in healthcare. Dr Rosenzweig is a member of the medical staff of Hahnemann University Hospital and Abington Memorial Hospital.

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Integrative Medicine - Healing Arts Center

Abstract

Adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) are a subset of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) that possess many of the same regenerative properties as other MSCs. However, the ubiquitous presence of ADSCs and their ease of access in human tissue have led to a burgeoning field of research. The plastic surgeon is uniquely positioned to harness this technology because of the relative frequency in which they perform procedures such as liposuction and autologous fat grafting. This review examines the current landscape of ADSC isolation and identification, summarizes the current applications of ADSCs in the field of plastic surgery, discusses the risks associated with their use, current barriers to universal clinical translatability, and surveys the latest research which may help to overcome these obstacles.

Recent advances in regenerative medicine, in particular the discovery of multipotent, easily accessible stem cells such as adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs), have provided the opportunity of using autologous stem cell transplants as regenerative therapies. The field of plastic surgery, centred on the restoration and enhancement of the body, is logically positioned to utilize such new technologies focused on the repair and replacement of diseased cells and tissues [1]. The ability of stem cells to self-renew, to secrete trophic factors and to differentiate into different cell types has allowed for the development of more flexible therapies to redefine the classic autologous tissue transplant and offer more customizable treatment options. ADSCs are being utilized for a variety of different applications in plastic surgery [2-11], and as our understanding of the basic science of stem cells continues to develop, the plastic surgeon should be prepared for the translational and clinical implications of this progress.

Adipose-derived stem cells are particularly useful as they can be easily harvested with minimal donor site morbidity and have a differentiation potential similar to other MSCs [12, 13]. In addition, ADSCs have higher yields and greater proliferative rates in culture when compared to bone marrow stromal cells [14-16]. The discovery that ADSCs are not only precursors to adipocytes but also are multipotent progenitors to a variety of cells [17] including osteoblasts, chondrocytes, myocytes, epithelial cells and neuronal cells [18], creates the potential to treat a variety of tissue defects from a single, easily accessible autologous cell source.

Adult stem cell research has made significant strides as a therapeutic modality in recent years. However, there remain significant barriers to the safe and efficacious use of stem cell therapies. With regard to ADSCs, this includes better defining the source population of multipotent cells, optimizing the isolation of these cells in compliance with regulatory standards, and better understanding the behaviour of ADSCs in their transplanted niche. The purpose of this review is to (i) explore the utilization of ADSCs in plastic surgery, (ii) describe the current limitations of ADSC treatments with regard to developing translatable clinical therapies and (iii) describe certain techniques used in our laboratory that may help overcome these barriers. Understanding the current status of clinical ADSC treatments and defining the challenges ahead may bring us closer to achieving desired outcome while minimizing unwanted side effects with these therapies.

The most commonly published method of ADSC isolation involves enzymatic digestion of lipoaspirate to release the stromal vascular fraction (SVF) of cells which include stromal & endothelial cells, pericytes, various white blood cells, red blood cells and stem/progenitor cells [19]. The enzyme preparations used to achieve this fraction include dispase, trypsin and more commonly collagenase. In our laboratory, we take freshly harvested lipoaspirate and wash it with sterile 1% PBS until golden in colour. The adipose tissue is then digested with 0.01% collagenase/PBS solution at a ratio of 1ml of enzyme solution to 1cm3 of adipose tissue. This mixture is incubated at 37C with intermittent agitation until it becomes cloudy (usually 30min.). The infranatant is then carefully aspirated, transferred to 50ml conical tubes and centrifuged at 706g for 8min. The supernatant is discarded and resulting pellet, the SVF, is resuspended in control media [DMEM supplemented with 10% foetal bovine serum (FBS), 500IU penicillin and 500g streptomycin; Mediatech, Manassas, VA, USA]. The cells are then counted and plated in uncoated T75 flasks at a concentration of 1106 cells. Consistently, 20mg of lipoaspirate is ample tissue to harvest an adequate yield of SVF (>1107 cells).

In 2006, the International Society for Cellular Therapy (ICTS) defined a set of minimal criteria for identifying cells as ADSCs. These include plastic adherence while maintained in standard culture conditions, expression of CD73, CD90 and CD105 while lacking the expression of CD45, CD34, CD14 or CD11b, CD79 or CD19 and HLA-DR surface molecules [20]. In conjunction with the International Federation for Adipose Therapeutics and Science in 2013, the ICTS has denoted additional surface markers CD13, CD29 and CD44 as being constitutively expressed at >80% on the surface of ADSCs, while CD31, CD45 and CD235a are the primary negative markers that should be expressed on less than 2% of the cells [19]. Ultimately, the viability of the isolated cells should exceed 70% and the presence of at least two positive and two negative markers are necessary for foundational phenotyping. Finally, ADSCs must possess the ability to differentiate into osteoblasts, adipocytes and chondroblasts.

Identification of ADSCs in our laboratory is accomplished by labelling our plastic-adherent cells with a mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) phenotyping kit after the second passage (Miltenyi Biotec Inc, Auburn, CA, USA). Cells are analysed using a C6 Accuri Flow Cytometer (BD Biosciences, San Jose, CA, USA) which demonstrate positive staining for CD90 (81.3%), CD105 (86.6%) and CD73 (99.9%) and negative staining for CD14, CD20, CD34 and CD45 (1.97% Fig.1). To complete the identification of our ADSCs, we culture these cells in adipogenic, osteogenic, or chondrogenic conditions provided in commercially available kits (Cyagen Biosciences Inc., Sunnyvale, CA, USA). Cells subjected to adipogenic or osteogenic conditions reveal lipid droplets or calcium synthesis after staining with Oil Red O or Alizarin Red S, respectively, after fixation in 4% formalin. Cells subjected to chondrogenic conditions reveal proteoglycan synthesis upon staining with Alcian Blue after paraffin embedding (Fig.2). The ease at which ADSCs can be isolated has led to rapid and widespread translational applications.

Figure1. Flow cytometry analysis of isolated ADSCs after collagenase method. Cells stained (A) 81.3% positive for CD90, (B) 99.9% positive for CD73, (C) 86.6% positive for CD105 and (D) 1.97% positive for CD14, CD20, CD34 and CD45.

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Figure2. Undifferentated and differentiated ADSCs visualized using microscopy. Original magnification, 10. (A) Control stain uADSCs stained with Oil Red O (other controls not shown). (B) Staining with Alcian Blue revealing presence of chondroblasts. (C) Staining with Oil Red O revealing presence of adipocytes. (D) Staining with Alizarin Red S revealing presence of osteoblasts.

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A number of groups have described the isolation of ADSCs using non-enzymatic methods. Studies show that ADSCs reside in the infranatant layer of the suction canister after liposuction and that these cells can be expanded ex vivo. And while these cells exhibit phenotypic and differentiation potential similar to ADSCs isolated via collagenase digestion, their presence is significantly lower with reported yields ranging from a 3- to 19-fold decrease in comparison [21-24]. Interestingly, it has been found that multiple variables, including medical comorbidities of the patient, location adipose tissue stores, and the method in which this tissue is harvested, all affect the properties of the ADSCs therein. For example, diabetic patient fat stores have been found to contain fewer ADSCs with a reduced phenotypic expression profile and ability to proliferate [3]. The anatomical location of adipose tissue harvest also appears to have an effect on the yield and characteristics of the isolated ADSCs [25, 26]. More recently, Gnanasegaran etal. demonstrated that the gene expression levels and tendency towards specific germ layer differentiation is affected by whether the fat is harvested via liposuction versus lipectomy [27].

In Europe, ADSCs are considered Advanced Therapy Medicinal Products, as defined by the European Union (European Commission) 1394/2007 which contains rules for authorization, supervision, and pharmacovigilance regarding the summary of product characteristics, labelling, and packaging of Advanced Therapy Medicinal Products that are prepared commercially and in academic institutions [68]. This regulation refers to the European good manufacturing process (eGMP) rules [69]. The process of converting protocols, including collagenase-processed ADSCs, into a process that is compliant with eGMP requires assays that have had careful consideration of all the risks and benefits for the patient end user. As a result, the general recommendation on the use of enzyme-processed CAL in the clinical setting is not prohibited as this technique has been demonstrated to provide satisfying results in terms of long-term outcome, most likely because of the dramatic release of angiogenic growth factors and the differentiation of ADSCs into adipocytes and vascular endothelial cells [5, 10, 11].

In the United States, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates Human Cells and Tissue-Based Products (HCT/P) intended for human transplant and maintains two levels of classifications: 361 and 351 products. HCT/P 361 encompasses tissue (e.g. bone, ligaments, vein grafts, etc.) and their related procedures that take place in the same operative session, all of which fall under the jurisdiction of practice of medicine which is governed by state medical boards and professional societies; not the FDA. HCT/P 351, on the other hand, includes drugs/biologics (e.g. cultured cells, lymphocyte immune therapy, cell therapy involving the transfer of genetic material, etc.) which is fully governed by FDA [70, 71]. Regulation 21 CFR 1271 directly demonstrates the FDA's position on enzymatically isolated adipose stem cells derived from SVF for reconstructive purposes as beyond the scope of minimal manipulation and therefore, a drug [72]. Thus, the practical implication is the need for any surgeon who wishes to use ADSCs isolated via collagenase to submit an Investigational New Drug application to the FDA and have an approved Institutional Review Board with the referring Institution.

Given the time, expense and complexity of the regulatory issues surrounding ADSCs intended for transplantation, it is evident that U.S. physicians are discouraged to perform any cell-supplemented lipotransfer techniques in the current commonly accepted practices. Furthermore, automated devices for separating adipose stem cells are regulated as class III medical devices by the FDA, and currently, none are approved for human use in the United States. Kolle etal. demonstrated that CAL, when supplemented with ADSCs expanded ex vivo after collagenase digestion, yields superior results when compared to lipotransfer alone [38]. The FDA restrictions that would preclude such a study to be conducted in the United States prompt an impetus to develop methods for CAL that results in minimal manipulation of source adipose tissue.

In 2006, Yoshimura etal. described a cell population in the liposuction aspirate fluid that exhibited similar phenotypic properties to ADSCs harvested in the traditional manner (collagenase) from processed lipoaspirate cells; however, the yield was reduced by athird when comparing to the two methods [23]. Since that time, additional studies have been published touting the benefits of non-enzymatic ADSC isolation. In 2010, Francis etal. described a method of ADSC Rapid Isolation in ~30min. that excluded the use of collagenase, however, a significant disadvantage of this study was the low yield of ~250,000 cells from a starting volume of ~250ml liposuction aspirate fluid [21]. Zeng etal. describe a rapid and efficient form of non-enzymatic ADSC isolation in which adipose tissue is cut into tiny pieces and placed in culture flasks with 100% FBS in which the plastic-adherent cells were allowed to expand over a period of days [24]. One obvious downside to this method is the requirement to expand the cell population in calf serum. Most recently, Shah etal. describe aform of non-enzymatic ADSC isolation combining the cells of the liposuction aspirate fluid with the cells captured from the processed lipoaspirate tissue wash that is typically discarded prior to collagenase digestion [22]. They observed significant improvement in MSC-related phenotypic markers and similar adipogenic and osteogenic differentiation characteristics. While their isolation time was cut by one-third, they observed a 19-fold decrease in ADSC isolation when compared to the traditional method. In our laboratory, we have adopted a very similar protocol of non-enzymatic isolation that includes processing the processed lipoaspirate effluent. The primary difference in our protocol, however, is the method of plating cells. While Shah etal. plate the entire SVF pellets in T175 flasks, we resuspend our pellets in culture media and then plate the cells at specific concentrations. In one experiment for example, we plated the SVF pellet after collagenase digestion at a concentration of 5105 in a T75 flask. Concurrently, we plated the SVF pellet obtained after non-enzymatic isolation at 2106. After 6days of culture, these two flasks appeared nearly identical in terms of confluence, correlating to a fourfold decrease in ADSC harvest when using the latter method. The two cell populations were then analysed under flow cytometry as previously described. There is little difference in the phenotypic expression between the two populations as demonstrated by >80% expression of CD90, CD73 and CD105 and <5% expression of CD14, CD20, CD 34 and CD45 (Fig.3).

Figure3. Flow cytometry analysis of isolated ADSCs after rapid isolation (no collagenase). Cells stained (A) 85.8% positive for CD90, (B) 99.9% positive for CD73, (C) 99.4% positive for CD105 and (D) 3.79% positive for CD14, CD20, CD34 and CD45. (E) Collagenase-isolated ADSCs after 6days of primary culture seeded at 5105 in T75 flask. (F) Rapid isolation ADSCs after 6days primary culture seeded at 2106 in T75 flask.

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Most convincingly, Kolle etal. demonstrated a clear benefit to CAL over lipotransfer alone. They isolated and expanded ADSCs ex vivo from human cases followed by lipotransfer to the cases arms with or without ADSC supplementation. They demonstrated a 65% improvement in fat graft survival after 4months in the experimental group [38]. The major drawback to their experimental model was that to achieve these results, the 34ml of lipotransfer was supplemented with 6.5108 ADSCs or 2000 times the physiological level [38]. The methods of rapid isolation, previously mentioned, demonstrate the ability to isolate ADSCs without the aid of enzymatic digestion, but at a cost of greatly reduced yields. There is significant doubt that ADSCs used at such low concentrations would serve for any clinical benefit. As previously discussed, ex vivo expansion of ADSCs is not practical for application in the United States or other principalities with strict regulations. Therein lies an impetus to discover innovative methods of ADSC isolation and characterization of the regenerative components of the SVF that might yield similar results to concentrated ADSCs alone.

There is promise in capitalizing on the plastic-adherent properties of ADSCs as a form of non-enzymatic isolation. The same group that first described the isolation of cells from the LAF, Doi etal., has demonstrated that an adherent column of rayonpolyethylene non-woven fabrics may also be used to isolate ADSCs, though at an inferior yield to the traditional method [73]. Further advancements in harnessing the plastic-adherent properties of these cells are clearly needed as Buschmann etal. demonstrated that 3050% of ADSCs remain in suspension after 24hrs of primary culture [74].

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Vision therapy: Can we train our sight?

Meghan Dukes

Table of Contents

What is vision therapy?

Who, What, When, and How Long?

What is vision therapy NOT?

Optometrists vs. Ophthalmologists

What does the research say?

Problems with vision therapy

References

The American Optometric Association defines vision therapy (VT) as a treatment plan used to correct or improve specific dysfunctions of the vision system. It includes, but is not limited to, the treatment of strabismus (turned eye), other dysfunctions of binocularity (eye teaming), amblyopic (lazy eye), accommodation (eye focusing), ocular motor function (general eye movement ability), and visual-perception-motor abilities. Optometric vision therapy is based upon a medically necessary plan of treatment which is designed to improve specific vision dysfunctions determined by standardized diagnostic criteria. Treatment plans encompass lenses, prisms, occlusion (eye patching), and other appropriate materials, modalities, and equipment (http://www.children-special-needs.org/vision_therapy/optometric_vision_therapy.html).

Vision therapy, also known as eye exercise, vision training, or orthoptics, (for a definition of these and other vision terms, go to this glossary of terms) is a non-surgical, physical therapy for binocular visual problems; however, vision therapy is not a direct treatment for learning disabilities (http://www.visiontherapy.org/).

Patients of any age can undergo vision therapy, but the treatment varies with each individual based on condition.

Successful vision therapy enhances and improves visual abilities such as fixation, acuity, visual memory, and binocular fusion, to name a few. Treatment plans involve prisms, lenses, computer modalities, and other materials.

The estimated program consists of weekly office visits, along with therapies to be conducted at home.

The treatment requires a great deal of commitment, for it may last for extensive periods of time depending on the individual. However, research has shown that the improvements due to vision therapy continue post-treatment (http://www.children-special-needs.org/questions_pf.html).

Further information regarding the dynamics of vision therapy may be located here.

It is important not to confuse optometric vision therapy with holistic practices such as the Bates Method, integrated vision therapy, or natural eye exercises. There is no scientific research or results that indicate these methods are valid; however, the internet is swarming with advertisements and descriptions of products that claim otherwise (http://www.vision-therapy.com).

The See Clearly Method is a series of daily eye exercises that claim to naturally reduce the need for glasses or contact lenses by toning and relaxing your eye muscles and relieving stress that hampers clear vision (http://www.seeclearlymethod.com/content/see clear.html).

A similar program called Vision for Life provides daily optical exercises that claim to stimulate and strengthen the muscles of the eye, resulting in improved vision and decreasing the dependency on glasses or contact lenses. Through testimonials, quotes, and flashy pictures, the Vision for Life website attempts to promote their method of natural vision improvement (http://www.rebuildyourvision.com).

Yoga is another branch of holistic therapy for vision. Yoga exercises claim to stretch, relax, and tone the optical nerves, which improves eyesight and alleviates tension, irritability, and itchiness of the eyes (http://www.indolink.com/Vasantha/eyeYoga.html).

The Bates Method is a psychosomatic approach to vision impairment. Without using strengthening exercises for the eye muscles, the Bates Method claims to improve visual clarity through relaxation exercises (http://www.seeing.org).

Several examples of holistic eye exercises can be found at Holistic-online.

An optometrist is licensed by the state to provide primary eye care, while an ophthalmologist is a physician of osteopathy who specializes in prevention of eye disease, eye care, and the visual system. The ophthalmologist is medically trained and licensed in all eye care, and is not trained in vision therapy.

Thus, support of vision therapy in the United States mainly comes from optometrists. Vision therapy saw its beginnings in the late 1800s in orthoptics, which is the science of correcting binocular vision impairments, and is now a form of vision therapy (http://www.vision-therapy.com/Glossary_of_Terms.htm). Present day ophthalmologists, for the most part, do not support vision therapy, and it has been speculated that this is due to the fact that they are trained to use drugs and surgery to treat eye dysfunction (http://www.children-special-needs.org/questions_pf.html).

There have been several concerns regarding the reliability and validity of the research surrounding the efficacy of vision therapy (http://members.aol.com/scottolitsky/vt.htm).

The sample population is not random, there are small numbers of patients in each study, and the results cannot be generalized because it does not reflect the population

Research that shows support of vision therapy have conflicts of interest in proving the

validity of vision therapy

There are many definitions of vision therapy found on the internet and in research studies. Thus, most of the data cannot be compared or generalized because vision therapy is defined differently (Coffey, B., Wick, B., Cotter, S., Scharre, J., & Horner, D., 1992).

Eye exercises, lenses, and perceptual training have not been scientifically proven to be useful. In addition, the problems that they intend to treat have never been proven to cause a learning disability.

As well, the American Academy of Ophthalmology and the American Academy of

Pediatrics made this statement regarding vision therapy:

No scientific evidence supports claims that the academic abilities of children with learning disabilities can be improved with treatments that are based on 1) visual training, including muscle exercises, ocular pursuit, tracking exercises, or 'training' glasses (with or without bifocals or prisms), 2) neurologic organizational training (laterality training, crawling, balance board, perceptual training), or 3) colored lenses. These more controversial methods of treatment may give parents and teachers a false sense of security that a child's reading difficulties are being addressed, which may delay proper instruction or remediation. The expense of these methods is unwarranted, and they cannot be substituted for appropriate educational measures. Claims of improved reading ... are almost always based on poorly controlled studies that typically rely on anecdotal information. These methods are without scientific validation. Their reported benefits can be explained by the traditional educational remedial techniques with which they are usually combined. (http://www.allaboutvision.com/parents/vision_therapy.htm)

A study by Adler (2002) concluded that vision therapy is an effective treatment for convergence insufficiency. The restoration of near point of convergence values to normal accompanied by a reduction in symptoms was concluded as successful treatment. Routine eye exercises were shown to have a highly significant (t = 14.61, p < 0.001) effect. Although treatment times were longer, the rate of success was greater than that reported by previous studies. As well, Verma & Singh (1997) reported that active visual therapy improved visual impairments in amblyopic children and young adults. The study used various methods of therapy on 160 patients, ranging from 3.5 to 25 years of age, who had lens implants, and visual acuity improved in the majority of the patients.

However, research surrounding the effects of visual therapy on learning disabilities has had mixed results. Having a visual impairment does not result in a learning disability, nor does the treatment of the impairment cure the disability. In fact, according to this study, there has been no scientific evidence for the efficacy of eye exercises in the elimination of the learning difficulties (Learning disabilities, dyslexia, and vision: a subject review, 1998). Vision therapy does not claim to directly treat the learning disability; however, it is an indirect influence, for it treats the visual impairments that influence reading and learning (http://www.visiontherapy.org). Research by Simons & Grisham (1987) supports a relationship between particular binocular disorders and reading problems. From these results, it can be hypothesized that if binocular disorders are alleviated, the reading disability, due to the positive correlation, will be less severe (Simons & Grisham, 1987).

Further research studies on the effects of vision therapy for eye disorders:

Accomodative Disorders (eye focusing problems)

Binocularity Dysfunctions (eye teaming problems)

Ocular Motility Dysfunctions (eye tracking problems

Strabismus (turned eye)

Amblyopic (lazy eye)

Adler, P. (2002). Efficacy of treatment for convergence insufficiency using vision therapy. Ophthalmic and Physiological Optics, 22, 565-571.

Cirigliano, Suzette. Glossary of Vision Terms. http://www.vision-therapy.com/Glossary_of_Terms.htm 9/22/2003

Cirigliano, Suzette. (2003). Research studies about vision therapy treatment. http://www.vision-therapy.com/vt_research_studies.htm 9/22/2003

Coffey, B., Wick, B., Cotter, S., Scharre, J., & Horner, D. (1992). Treatment options in intermittent exotropia: a critical appraisal. Optometry of Visual Science, 69, 386-404.

Glackin, Stella. (1990). The office eye workout; heres how to ensure that your VDT doesnt come to stand for Vision Destroying Terminal. East West, 20, 60.

http://members.aol.com/scottolitsky/vt.htm 9/22/2003

http://www.allaboutvision.com/parents/vision_therapy.htm 9/22/2003

http://www.indolink.com/Vasantha/eyeYoga.html 9/22/2003

http://www.seeclearlymethod.com 9/22/2003

http://www.seeing.org 9/22/2003

Learning disabilities, dyslexia, and vision: a subject review. (1998). Pediatrics, 102, 1217.

Optometrists Network. http://www.children-special-needs.org/questions_pf.html 9/22/2003

Press, L. J. Vision therapy FAQs. http://www.visiontherapy.org/vision-therapy/faqs/vision-therapy-FAQs.html 9/22/2003

Rouse, M. W. (1987). Management of binocular anomalies: efficacy of vision therapy in the treatment of accommodative deficiencies. American Journal of Physiological Optometry, 64, 415-420.

Simons, H. D., & Grisham, J.D. (1987). Binocular anomalies and reading problems. Journal of American Optometry Association, 58, 578-87.

Toufexis, A. (1989). Workouts for the eyes; therapies to improve visual performance get mixed reviews. Time, 133, 86.

Verma, A., & Singh, D. (1997). Active vision therapy for pseudophakic amblyopic. Journal of Cataract and Refractive Surgery, 23, 1089-1094.

Vision for life. (2002). Our program for rebuilding your vision naturally. http://www.rebuildyourvision.com/our_program.htm 9/22/2003

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Vision Therapy: Can We Train Our Sight (Vanderbilt.edu)

Points toRemember

Diabetic eye disease can affect many parts of the eye, including the retina, macula, lens and the optic nerve.

Diabetic eye disease is a group of eye conditions that can affect people with diabetes.

Diabetic eye disease also includes cataract and glaucoma:

All forms of diabetic eye disease have the potential to cause severe vision loss and blindness.

Chronically high blood sugar from diabetes is associated with damage to the tiny blood vessels in the retina, leading to diabetic retinopathy. The retina detects light and converts it to signals sent through the optic nerve to the brain. Diabetic retinopathy can cause blood vessels in the retina to leak fluid or hemorrhage (bleed), distorting vision. In its most advanced stage, new abnormal blood vessels proliferate (increase in number) on the surface of the retina, which can lead to scarring and cell loss in the retina.

Diabetic retinopathy may progress through four stages:

DME is the build-up of fluid (edema) in a region of the retina called the macula. The macula is important for the sharp, straight-ahead vision that is used for reading, recognizing faces, and driving. DME is the most common cause of vision loss among people with diabetic retinopathy. About half of all people with diabetic retinopathy will develop DME. Although it is more likely to occur as diabetic retinopathy worsens, DME can happen at any stage of the disease.

People with all types of diabetes (type 1, type 2, and gestational) are at risk for diabetic retinopathy. Risk increases the longer a person has diabetes. Between 40 and 45 percent of Americans diagnosed with diabetes have some stage of diabetic retinopathy, although only about half are aware of it. Women who develop or have diabetes during pregnancy may have rapid onset or worsening of diabetic retinopathy.

The same scene as viewed by a person normal vision (Top) and with (Center) advanced diabetic retinopathy. The floating spots are hemorrhages that require prompt treatment. DME (Bottom) causes blurred vision.

The early stages of diabetic retinopathy usually have no symptoms. The disease often progresses unnoticed until it affects vision. Bleeding from abnormal retinal blood vessels can cause the appearance of floating spots. These spots sometimes clear on their own. But without prompt treatment, bleeding often recurs, increasing the risk of permanent vision loss. If DME occurs, it can cause blurred vision.

Diabetic retinopathy and DME are detected during a comprehensive dilated eye exam that includes:

A comprehensive dilated eye exam allows the doctor to check the retina for:

If DME or severe diabetic retinopathy is suspected, a fluorescein angiogram may be used to look for damaged or leaky blood vessels. In this test, a fluorescent dye is injected into the bloodstream, often into an arm vein. Pictures of the retinal blood vessels are taken as the dye reaches the eye.

Vision lost to diabetic retinopathy is sometimes irreversible. However, early detection and treatment can reduce the risk of blindness by 95 percent. Because diabetic retinopathy often lacks early symptoms, people with diabetes should get a comprehensive dilated eye exam at least once a year. People with diabetic retinopathy may need eye exams more frequently. Women with diabetes who become pregnant should have a comprehensive dilated eye exam as soon as possible. Additional exams during pregnancy may be needed.

Studies such as the Diabetes Control and Complications Trial (DCCT) have shown that controlling diabetes slows the onset and worsening of diabetic retinopathy. DCCT study participants who kept their blood glucose level as close to normal as possible were significantly less likely than those without optimal glucose control to develop diabetic retinopathy, as well as kidney and nerve diseases. Other trials have shown that controlling elevated blood pressure and cholesterol can reduce the risk of vision loss among people with diabetes.

Treatment for diabetic retinopathy is often delayed until it starts to progress to PDR, or when DME occurs. Comprehensive dilated eye exams are needed more frequently as diabetic retinopathy becomes more severe. People with severe nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy have a high risk of developing PDR and may need a comprehensive dilated eye exam as often as every 2 to 4 months.

DME can be treated with several therapies that may be used alone or in combination.

Anti-VEGF Injection Therapy. Anti-VEGF drugs are injected into the vitreous gel to block a protein called vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), which can stimulate abnormal blood vessels to grow and leak fluid. Blocking VEGF can reverse abnormal blood vessel growth and decrease fluid in the retina. Available anti-VEGF drugs include Avastin (bevacizumab), Lucentis (ranibizumab), and Eylea (aflibercept). Lucentis and Eylea are approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for treating DME. Avastin was approved by the FDA to treat cancer, but is commonly used to treat eye conditions, including DME.

The NEI-sponsored Diabetic Retinopathy Clinical Research Network compared Avastin, Lucentis, and Eylea in a clinical trial. The study found all three drugs to be safe and effective for treating most people with DME. Patients who started the trial with 20/40 or better vision experienced similar improvements in vision no matter which of the three drugs they were given. However, patients who started the trial with 20/50 or worse vision had greater improvements in vision with Eylea.

Most people require monthly anti-VEGF injections for the first six months of treatment. Thereafter, injections are needed less often: typically three to four during the second six months of treatment, about four during the second year of treatment, two in the third year, one in the fourth year, and none in the fifth year. Dilated eye exams may be needed less often as the disease stabilizes.

Avastin, Lucentis, and Eylea vary in cost and in how often they need to be injected, so patients may wish to discuss these issues with an eye care professional.

The retina of a person with diabetic retinopathy and DME, as viewed by optical coherence tomography (OCT). The two images were taken before (Top) and after anti-VEGF treatment (Bottom). The dip in the retina is the fovea, a region of the macula where vision is normally at its sharpest. Note the swelling of the macula and elevation of the fovea before treatment.

Focal/grid macular laser surgery. In focal/grid macular laser surgery, a few to hundreds of small laser burns are made to leaking blood vessels in areas of edema near the center of the macula. Laser burns for DME slow the leakage of fluid, reducing swelling in the retina. The procedure is usually completed in one session, but some people may need more than one treatment. Focal/grid laser is sometimes applied before anti-VEGF injections, sometimes on the same day or a few days after an anti-VEGF injection, and sometimes only when DME fails to improve adequately after six months of anti-VEGF therapy.

Corticosteroids. Corticosteroids, either injected or implanted into the eye, may be used alone or in combination with other drugs or laser surgery to treat DME. The Ozurdex (dexamethasone) implant is for short-term use, while the Iluvien (fluocinolone acetonide) implant is longer lasting. Both are biodegradable and release a sustained dose of corticosteroids to suppress DME. Corticosteroid use in the eye increases the risk of cataract and glaucoma. DME patients who use corticosteroids should be monitored for increased pressure in the eye and glaucoma.

For decades, PDR has been treated with scatter laser surgery, sometimes called panretinal laser surgery or panretinal photocoagulation. Treatment involves making 1,000 to 2,000 tiny laser burns in areas of the retina away from the macula. These laser burns are intended to cause abnormal blood vessels to shrink. Although treatment can be completed in one session, two or more sessions are sometimes required. While it can preserve central vision, scatter laser surgery may cause some loss of side (peripheral), color, and night vision. Scatter laser surgery works best before new, fragile blood vessels have started to bleed. Recent studies have shown that anti-VEGF treatment not only is effective for treating DME, but is also effective for slowing progression of diabetic retinopathy, including PDR, so anti-VEGF is increasingly used as a first-line treatment for PDR.

A vitrectomy is the surgical removal of the vitreous gel in the center of the eye. The procedure is used to treat severe bleeding into the vitreous, and is performed under local or general anesthesia. Ports (temporary water-tight openings) are placed in the eye to allow the surgeon to insert and remove instruments, such as a tiny light or a small vacuum called a vitrector. A clear salt solution is gently pumped into the eye through one of the ports to maintain eye pressure during surgery and to replace the removed vitreous. The same instruments used during vitrectomy also may be used to remove scar tissue or to repair a detached retina.

Vitrectomy may be performed as an outpatient procedure or as an inpatient procedure, usually requiring a single overnight stay in the hospital. After treatment, the eye may be covered with a patch for days to weeks and may be red and sore. Drops may be applied to the eye to reduce inflammation and the risk of infection. If both eyes require vitrectomy, the second eye usually will be treated after the first eye has recovered.

An eye care professional can help locate and make referrals to low vision and rehabilitation services and suggest devices that may help make the most of remaining vision. Many community organizations and agencies offer information about low vision counseling, training, and other special services for people with visual impairment. A nearby school of medicine or optometry also may provide low vision and rehabilitation services.

The NEI is conducting and supporting research that seeks better ways to detect, treat, and prevent vision loss in people with diabetes. This research is being conducted in labs and clinical centers across the country.

For example, the Diabetic Retinopathy Clinical Research Network (DRCR.net) conducts large multi-center trials to test new therapies for diabetic eye disease, and to compare different therapies. The network formed in 2002 and comprises more than 350 physicians practicing at more than 140 clinical sites across the country. Many of the sites are private practice eye clinics, enabling the network to quickly bring innovative treatments from research into community practice.

NEI-funded scientists are also seeking ways to detect diabetic retinopathy at earlier stages. For example, researchers are harnessing a technology called adaptive optics (AO) to improve imaging techniques such as OCT. AO was developed by astronomers seeking to improve the resolution of their telescopes by filtering out distortions in the atmosphere. In the clinic, diagnostic devices that use AO may improve the detection of subtle changes in retinal tissue and bloodvessels.

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Facts About Diabetic Eye Disease | National Eye Institute

Often as people age, their quality of life declines with it. At HealthGAINS, were in the business of keeping you happy and healthier, despite what age you are.

If youre having difficulty concentrating like you used to, or youre not able to build your muscles mass and maintain it like before, you may be experiencing some symptoms of male menopause (known as andropause). If so, Sermorelin therapy could be the right course of action for you.

Sermorelin, a hormone releasing factor helps encourage the production of HGH,testosteroneand other hormones. In turn, youll start to see some of the following:

Sermorelin is only available via a doctors prescription. At HealthGAINS our doctors do not prescribe sermorelin unless a hormone deficiency is present. If you have optimal hormones already, then you will most likely not qualify forhormone replacement therapy.

To determine if sermorelin therapy is for you, youd need to undergo our lab panel to see if sermorelin therapy will be effective for you.

Upon analyzing your blood work, HealthGAINS will schedule an appointment with a doctor if necessary. From there, youll be started on a customizable sermorelin plan to make you feel young again. Its a fairly straightforward process, and be there to walk you through each step of the process.

The first step to feeling like you again, is contacting HealthGAINS, our specialists can see if sermorelin hormone replacement can improve your health. Or you can give us a call at 1-866-812-7641. You never know unless you ask, so make sure you speak to one of our health specialists today!

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Sermorelin Therapy for Men | Physician Prescribed ...

Visit the Experts at UHealth Sports Medicine and Save Money UM/Aetna members pay less in copays and save money when visiting UM physicians and facilities. If you need treatment to prevent an injury, recover from an injury, or learn how you can safely enhance your athletic performance, consider UHealth Sports Medicine. UHealth Sports Medicine offers a comprehensive, multidisciplinary approach to the evaluation and care of patients with injuries or other medical conditions that affect their ability to exercise, participate in sports, or maintain an active lifestyle.

UHealth Sports Medicine is the official sports medicine provider for the University of Miami Hurricanes, and is the only academic-based sports medicine program in South Florida that is part of a comprehensive orthopaedics department. The chief of the Division of Sports Medicine, Lee Kaplan, is a renowned specialist in sports medicine and arthroscopic surgery, and an expert on conditions resulting from sports-related injury. Kaplan is the author of multiple articles on sports medicine and articular cartilage, as well as a wide range of other orthopaedic disciplines. His articles have been published in numerous medical journals in the United States, Canada, and abroad. A member of many professional and honorary organizations, such as the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine, the American College of Sports Medicine, and the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, Kaplan has received many prestigious honors and awards.

To learn more about UHealth Sports Medicine, visit http://www.uhealthsportsmedicine.com.

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Sports Medicine | University of Miami

Fat vs. Bone Marrow Stem Cells: A Clinicians Perspective

This week I treated a patient with adipose SVF stem cells to augment a low stem cell yield from bone marrow. I dont do this often, as the quality of fat stem cells for orthopedic applications like arthritis is much less. We do use fat for an occasional structural graft in various procedures. Today I wanted to give you a clinicians eye view of the harvest procedures for both stem cell types that you wont see elsewhere, so let Fat vs Bone Marrow Stem Cells begin.

In summary, harvesting fat in a mini-liposuction is a violent affair, harvesting stem cells from a bone marrow aspirate is like an advanced blood draw. Let me explain.

In order to get fat through a mini-liposuction you need to first use a scalpel to open a small incision in the skin. This isnt at all required for a bone marrow aspiration as the needle is just inserted into the skin like any other needle. In the liposuction, the whole goal is disrupting large amounts of normal tissue. In fact, the stem cells live around the blood vessels, so you have to chew up as many blood vessels in the fat as possible to get a good stem cell yield. This involves placing a small wand like device under the skin and into the fat and moving it back and forth (through much resistance) to break apart large sections of tissue. The bone marrow aspiration simply involves directing the needle under the x-ray to the desired area of bone. The needle is then turned back and forth a few times to enter the bone (which is like hard plastic instead of cement). At this point in the liposuction the doctor must continue to break up large swaths of tissue with suction, sucking the broken tissue and blood vessels into a syringe. On the other hand, in the bone marrow aspiration the doctor simply draws the bone marrow aspirate (which looks like blood) into the syringe like a common blood draw.

The complication rates for these two procedures tell the rest of the story. Mini-liposuction procedures have surgical style complication rates of 3-10%, while bone marrow aspiration complication rates are so rare that only a handful occurred in more than 20,000 procedures in one U.K. registry. The upshot? It always makes me chuckle (in a bad way) when I hear fat stem cell advocates claim that a bone marrow aspiration procedure is so invasive. Youhavent seen invasive until youve seen a lipo-suction!

Disclaimer: Like all medical procedures, Regenexx Procedures have a success & failure rate. Not all patients will experience the same results.

If you liked this post, you may really enjoy this book by the same author - Dr. Chris Centeno

Written by Regenexx Founder, Dr. Chris Centeno, this 150 page book explains the Regenexx approach to patients and orthopedic conditions. Whether youre are an existing patient or simply interested in the human body and how everything in the body ties together, you will enjoy exploring this book in-depth. With hyperlinks to more detailed information, related studies and commentary, this book condenses a huge amount of data and resources into an enjoyable and entertaining read.

Chris Centeno, M.D. is a specialist in regenerative medicine and the new field of Interventional Orthopedics. Centeno pioneered orthopedic stem cell procedures in 2005 and is responsible for a large amount of the published research on stem cell use for orthopedic applications. Centeno regularly lectures on regenerative medicine and has spoken twice at the Vatican Stem Cell Conference.

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Fat vs. Bone Marrow Stem Cells: A Clinicians Perspective

Our story began in the 1970s with a young student in a lonely laboratory. So consumed with his work, he barely had time to attend to classes. So advanced, that his education was not found in books, but in the fabric of what makes us human: our DNA. His dedication is now legendary, and his work set in motion countless genetic discoveries, including the Human Genome Project, the first initiative to map all genes in the human genome. Today, Dr. George Church is a recognized giant in genetic science and one of the co-founders of Veritas Genetics. Along with an esteemed group of visionaries and scientists, including a few from Harvard Medical Schools Personal Genome Project, Church and Veritas Genetics have become the leader in genetic sequencing and interpretation. It took 10 years and nearly $3 billion dollars to sequence the first whole human genome. Now, were delivering it into the palm of your hand in a matter of weeks, all for less than half the cost of the average family vacation.

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Veritas Genetics - Committed to disease prevention, early ...

Ever since the cellular clock called telomerase was discovered, it was hailed as the next big thing in anti-aging research. And the science world has been divided in two. One side evoked unlimited cell regeneration that might make degenerative diseases a memory of the past. The other side cautioned us that cancer cells unlock telomerase to make themselves immortal while hastening our own death. So where lies the truth? This is exactly what youll find out in these 8 frequently asked questions on telomeres, telomerase and aging. Read on.

Q: What exactly is telomerase?

A: Lets start with what telomeres are: repeated units ending linear(eukaryotic) chromosomes. They are normally deleted with each cell division. Once the cell reaches the maximum number of divisions (also called the Hayflick limit), it remains in this state for some time and then dies.

Some cells do not like being limited and they add back their telomere units with the help of an enzyme called telomerase. This way, telomere length stays the same despite repeated cell divisions. Which brings us to the next question.

Q: Do all cells express telomerase?

A: No, they dont. When it comes to humans, telomerase is expressed in cells that are needed for development germ cells during replication and embryo cells or regeneration stem cells. Cancer cells use telomerase as well. All the other cells are inhibited from expressing it.

Before we move even further, lets stop for a moment and clear something up: not all cells normal or not use telomerase expression to keep on dividing. More to the point, some cells are able to add back telomeric units with the help of ALT or the alternative lengthening of telomeres.

Telomerase is not equally expressed during the life cycle of an organism, of its tissues or of its cells. Telomerase peaks in proliferative tissues and it is downregulated in postmitotic ones. Even in colonial animals like the Botryllus schlosseri golden star tunicate, telomerase peaks in bud rudiments and further decreases in its zooids. In other words, telomerase activity peaks in progenitor and stem cells and it is downregulated during differentiation. Telomerase is highly expressed in cells which actively divide and it is downregulated during quiescence.

Telomerase differences exist between growth patterns as well. Mammals grow only during the embryonic and juvenile stages. They exhibit determinate growth. On the other hand, species with indeterminate growth often express telomerase in their somatic cells. They grow throughout their lives and often exhibit very slow senescence.

And when it comes to plants, the latter have two types of tissues:

Q: But do all species inhibit telomerase in their adult somatic cells?

A: The short answer is no.

Poikilotherms or cold-blooded animals like invertebrates, fish, amphibians and reptiles persistently express telomerase in adult somatic tissues. This could have an impact on their regeneration abilities. Temperature increases metabolism, hence it may increase cancer mutation rates and endotherms do have higher metabolic rates than poikilotherms. This could be the reason for which endotherms or warm-blooded animals like birds and mammals supress telomerase in their adult somatic tissues as a cancer-protection mechanism.

Q: Which are the telomeric parameters that modulate long lifespans?

A:There are a set of important parameters to study in long-lived species:

Q: How does absolute telomere length influence lifespan?

A: Generally speaking, telomere length is indirectly proportional to lifespan. In other words, short telomeres are associated with long lifespans and viceversa.

Well start by examining the telomere length of humans, then rodents, sea urchins and turtles. The first two examples are gradual senescence species while the latter display negligible senescence signs.

The length of human telomeres is 10-15 kb.

Unlike humans, rodents have extremely long telomeres of 25-150 kb which dont decrease with age. Rodents have a much higher cancer rate than humans. Rodents usually have telomeres that are longer than 30kb and telomerase activity seems to inversely correlate with body mass. In other words, larger rodents express less telomerase. And when it comes to rodents, there is no correlation between telomere length with size or lifespan. But lets go further to negligible senescence species and how they fare about telomere length.

In sea urchins at least, long-lived species like Strongylocentrotus franciscanus and medium-lived ones like Strongylocentrotus purpuratus have short telomere lengths of around 5 kb, while short-lived species like Lytechinus variegatus have long telomeres of around 20 kb. Nevertheless, no telomere shortening takes place in any of these three examples.

And the telomere length of the Chrysemys picta painted turtle is over 60 kb. Apparently, this length and its subsequent growth rate is maintained with age. The related Emys orbicularis European freshwater turtle doesnt show any signs of senescence according to current knowledge. The latter maintains its 20 kb telomeres constant with age.

Q: Does the precise telomeric sequence vary among species?

A: Yes, major groups of animal species contain different telomeric sequences as follows.

The vertebrate (TTAGGG)n telomeric repeat sequence is common in most multicellular organisms, including:

Exceptions include roundworms and arthropods. The nematode telomere motif is (TTAGGC)n, while the arthropod telomere motif is (TTAGG)n. Beetles lost the arthropod telomere motif and likely employ alternative lengthening of telomere elongation.

Q: Does telomerase cause cancer?

A: According to the telomere loss theory, telomere shortening leads to the aging of cells and that of the whole organism and presumably, this phenomenon evolved to protect us from cells replicating to their hearts content and giving us cancer in exchange.

Telomeres shorten with age and that leads to replicative senescence. Making these somatic cells express telomerase is desirable for allaying many degenerative processes, but the greatest fear is that such a process may lead to the onset of cancer.

Here are two reasons for which this is an unfounded fear:

Q: Does telomerase increase lifespan?

A: Not exactly. Telomerase expression seems to correlate with the regenerative potential of a species or at least that of its germ and stem cells and not so much with its maximum lifespan.

In one experiment, telomerase was inserted in adult and old mice with the help of a viral vector. A life extension of 24 % in the adults and 13 % in the elderly was achieved. And compared to controls, the treated mice did not develop cancer at a higher rate.

But several species express telomerase in their somatic cells when indeterminate growth and/or vegetative reproduction is at play and yet, several cases of aging can be encountered in there as well.

In another experiment previously cited as well 3 species of sea urchins express telomerase in their cells and yet, their wildly differing lifespans include:

Telomerase is present in the early and adult stages of all these sea urchins and their telomere lengths show no age-related shortening. So telomere length is not the mechanism underlying their lifespan differences. And there is no difference in oxidative damage between them. All of the previously mentioned sea urchins maintain regeneration abilities with age. Go figure. Can you solve this puzzle? Can you explain why do these types of urchins have wildly different lifespans when they start out with all the cards in their favor? Id love to hear from you in a comment!

To wrap things up, I view telomerase insertion in somatic cells as paving the way for regenerative medicine to do wonders in acute and chronic diseases of the aged, but I doubt it could impact human lifespan other than by alleviating what cant be alleviated today.

Cited studies include:

Francis, N., T. Gregg, R. Owen, T. Ebert, and A. Bodnar. Lack of Age-associated Telomere Shortening in Long- and Short-lived Species of Sea Urchins. FEBS Letters580, no. 19 (August 2006): 4713-7. doi:10.1016/j.febslet.2006.07.049

Gomes, N.M., J.W. Shay, and W.E. Wright. Telomere Biology in Metazoa. FEBS Lett 584, no. 17 (September 2010): 3741-3751. doi:10.1016/j.febslet.2010.07.031.

De Jesus, B., E. Vera, K. Schneeberger, AM Tejera, E. Ayuso, F. Bosch, and MA Blasco. Telomerase gene therapy in adult and old mice delays aging and increases longevity without increasing cancer. EMBO Mol Med 4, no. 8 (August 2012): 691-704. doi:10.1002/emmm.201200245.

Note: this blog post includes excerpts from The aging gap between species book.

Anca Iovi is the author of Eat Less Live Longer: Your Practical Guide to Calorie Restriction with Optimal Nutrition ,The Aging Gap Between Species and What Is Your Legacy? 101Ways on Getting Started to Create and Build One available on Amazon and several other places. If you enjoyed this article, dont forget to sign up to receive updates on longevity news and novel book projects!

Dont miss out on the Pinterest board on calorie restriction with optimal nutrition where she uploads new recipes every day. https://www.pinterest.com/longevityletter/eat-less-live-longer/Or the Comparative Gerontology Facebook Group where you can join the discussions on how species rate at different speeds and what could be the mechanisms underlining these differences! https://www.facebook.com/groups/683953735071847/

The dose makes the poison.

In large doses, a stressor can kill you. In low doses, it can make you stronger. The specific adaptation that a cell derives from being exposed to a low dose of some stressor is called hormesis. And this concept is central to understanding aging.

Because if cells for whatever reason lack what they need, autophagy sets in and they often survive. Autophagy or self-eating is the process through which a cell recycles its own intercellular junk and damaged organelles in order to get the building blocks it needs to continue living. Unfortunately, the ability of a cell to undergo autophagy in response to stress declines with age. That is why you must avoid the buildup of intracellular junk as much as possible and if possible, train the ability to undergo autophagy.And this is exactly what you will learn from this blog post.

Here are 3 simple things you must do to initiate autophagy and stop the aging clock:

I admit I am not a sports buff. Worse than this, I hated sport during my school years because it took me away from reading books and frankly, I found it boring and useless. Things only began to change once I learned how to swim at the mathusalemic age of 25. I now swim 1-2 times per week and I still view it as the best sport ever. I used to ride a bike during my college years, but Bucharest is not a bike-friendly place so I ended up giving away my bike and renting one out when Im in the mood for it.

But after reading Stop the clock the optimal anti-aging strategy by P.D. Mangan, I realized that I was doing it all wrong. When compared to aerobic exercise, weightlifting and high-intensity exercise training are better options to stress the body and induce autophagy. Of course, this wont make me give up swimming, but now I wont hesitate to catch the subway if the situation calls for it. And the subway always seems to be arriving when its too late for me to catch it. Murphys law.

I wish all mothers of grown-up kids would read this. Skipping eating for more than the usual 8-hour night fast is not the end of the world. It wont kill you. Better still, fasting will activate autophagy. As your cells sense they lack nutrients, they will start recycling whatever intracellular junk you accumulated. In Stop the clock the optimal anti-aging strategy, the author recommends fasts of 12-16 hours including the 8-hour fast. That could be achieved by skipping breakfast and dinner from time to time. And in my case, thats often what I do during hectic days.

Plants are literally rooted in the ground, so the only way they can protect themselves from being eaten is chemical warfare. They cant shade themselves from the sun and they cant run away to save their lives like animals do so they synthesize all sorts of toxins and pigments. This may be the reason for their purported health benefits. Personally, I never really liked meat until I discovered sushi during college , but Ive always loved colors; a plate full of veggies and/or fruits looks so beautiful. Its nice to know that having an eye for color turns out to be another simple way to initiate autophagy. And many phytochemicals like anthocyanins, resveratrol, curcumin can be ingested from veggies, fruits, herbs, tea, coffee, chocolate (the real one!) and/or dietary supplements.

And while I wholeheartedly agree with most of the advice given inStop the clock the optimal anti-aging strategy, I dont condone the low-carb paleo diet as being efficient on the long term. The moment youll lower your carbs, you will by default ingest more fats and more protein. And the body can definitely use fats and proteins to get you some energy, but it takes time to mostly complete your glycogen stores. Not to mention that half of the effect of calorie restriction is protein or more exactly methionine restriction. Paleo diets with no sugar, grains or oils sound very good in theory, but in practice people will replace them with lots of daily animal products. I personally find the paleo diet slows me down both mentally and physically. I need carbs to move fast and think fast. But if you found success by trying paleo, good for you!

Summing up, the dose makes the poison. And this is true for the 3 simple steps mentioned above too.

Most life extension animal studies stressed those animals at a bearable limit by using all sorts of stressors: calorie restriction, cold, toxins and many others. And the common denominator in all these studies is the inhibition of growth which is a positive thing after the maturity stage has been achieved.

Nevertheless, species in the wild often adapt to nutrient-poor, water-poor and oxygen-poor environments by varying the age at which maturation takes place and by varying the degree of necessary maturation. In other words, such species may either delay their maturation age (the tiny Arctica islandica clam needs 10 years to become an adult) or they may undergo reproductive system maturation only. The latter is the case of neotenic amphibians that forgo the costly metamorphosis and preserve their youthful appearance (the Proteus anguinus olm). These are evolutionarily conserved mechanisms that inhibit growth and cell division stimulating hormones like insulin and thyroid hormones.

But since most of you reading this post already finished growing up, the lesson is simple: comfort is your enemy.

(Hint: if you want to read this book, you can check it out on Amazon)

Anca Iovi is the author of Eat Less Live Longer: Your Practical Guide to Calorie Restriction with Optimal Nutrition ,The Aging Gap Between Species and What Is Your Legacy? 101Ways on Getting Started to Create and Build One available on Amazon and several other places. If you enjoyed this article, dont forget to sign up to receive updates on longevity news and novel book projects!

Dont miss out on the Pinterest board on calorie restriction with optimal nutrition where she uploads new recipes every day. https://www.pinterest.com/longevityletter/eat-less-live-longer/ Or the Comparative Gerontology Facebook Group where you can join the discussions on how species rate at different speeds and what could be the mechanisms underlining these differences! https://www.facebook.com/groups/683953735071847/

Books

Although physicians have better technologies today to uproot cancer from the human body, receiving a diagnosis of cancer is still a very stressful ordeal, even when it is cured in the end or even when the tumor is not proved to be malignant in the first place!

Lifestyle is important in preventing cancer, but at the end of the day, there is only so much you can do. I mean, humans still have a 33% chance of developing cancer during their lifespan just because they are humans.

But thats not the case in all animal species. Unfortunately, when it comes to oncology research, very few types of animals are studied to help us find treatments. Mice have an 80% rate of developing cancer if raised in a lab. They live about 2 years in the wild, so they dont need to worry about the possibility of developing cancer. But nature develops all sorts of evolutionary experiments and when it comes to cancer, here are 10 of them:

1 The naked mole rat is a rodent species where no individual was ever found of developing tumors. Even if tumors are discovered in the near future, its rarity is a mystery for a rodent the size of an average mouse. One mechanism supporting this increased cell contact inhibition of the average naked mole rat is their constituent hyaluronan, which has a molecular weight 5 times larger than ours. It sure helps that growth is expensive in their environment and they developed an uncanny ability to survive prolonged periods of starvation and intermittent oxygen restriction.

2 The smaller and shorter-lived the animal, the easier and cheaper it is to study it in the lab. The problem with this approach is that the more cells an animal has and the longer one lives, thereby surviving more cell divisions, the higher the chance of an animal should be to develop cancer, right? Only that its wrong! Known as the Petos paradox, larger animals actually have a decreased rate of cancer throughout their lifespan. One such interesting animal is the bowhead whale which is the longest-lived mammal surviving up to 2 centuries. Although hunted by humans for food apart from rivaling killer whales cancer is almost never found in these giant sea lords who are just as accustomed to prolonged starvation and intermittent oxygen restriction (during diving for feeding) as naked mole rats.

3 Another animal of considerable size with very few cases of cancer is the elephant. Now bigger animals have cells with bigger cell diameters as well. But when it comes to weighing several tonnes, the elephant living around 70 years in the wild must be an evolutionary experiment as well since cancers are so rare. One recent explanation could be the sheer number of copies of the p53 gene compared to healthy humans who have only 2 or cancer-prone Li-Fraumeni syndrome who have only 1 copy.

4 One of the mechanisms larger animals learned to keep cancer at bay was to turn off telomerase in their somatic cells. Certainly, telomerase is an enzyme present in most human cancer cells that allows them to escape normal limits on growth and become immortal. But although telomerase suppression is present in many longer-lived species, I doubt it does them any good as it stops regeneration in its tracks and it increases genomic instability. In other words, somatic telomerase repression could be a side effect and not necessarily a desired effect. And the way to check for that is to study species that dont bother with it what are their usual cancer rates? Youd expect that an animal with indeterminate growth that avoid somatic telomerase suppression to have at least an average if not higher cancer rate, right? Well the red sea urchin certainly does not. Although living close to a century, its cancer rate is close to zero.

5 You may think that the red sea urchin and many of its sea urchin relatives are rarely studied, so thats why its cancer rate is so low. But take lobsters these are commercially important species that cater to most peoples plates. The average lobster leads a benthic lifestyle as well, living at the bottom of the water and being exposed to many carcinogens. And the average lobster goes on growing for the rest of its life. And yet its cancer rate is extremely low.

6 Decapod crustaceans in general are useful biological models in oncology research because they display indeterminate growth and rarely get cancer. Apart from lobsters, these include crabs, shrimp and crayfish.

7 One small rodent that displays abundant telomerase in its tissues is the gray squirrel and yet when it comes to placing its cells in a culture dish, their spontaneous proliferation is extremely slow. Go figure.

8 The axolotl is a frequently used animal in regenerative medicine studies, but rarely used in oncology research even if its cancer rate is low.

9 A group of species in which the cancer rate is surprisingly low is formed of long-lived seabirds.

10 Another rodent with cancer-proofing strategies is the blind mole rat. Living underground just like the naked mole rat, this rodent has a double set of interferon genes which may kill cancer cells in the first place.

Classical cancer studies were extremely helpful in developing chemoterapy, novel cancer surgery techniques, radiotherapy and hormone blockers, but whats the next step? Can we do better than this? Can we adopt genetic strategies from animal species that learned how to prevent cancer in the first place?

References

Most references were taken from the Cancer chapter in The aging gap between species.

Dang, CV. A metabolic perspective of Petos paradox and cancer. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 370, no. 1673 (July 2015). doi:10.1098/rstb.2014.0223.

Gomes, N.M., J.W. Shay, and W.E. Wright. Telomere Biology in Metazoa. FEBS Lett 584, no. 17 (September 2010): 3741-3751. doi:10.1016/j.febslet.2010.07.031.

Gorbunova, V., A. Seluanov, Z. Zhang, VN Gladyshev, and J. Vijg. Comparative genetics of longevity and cancer: insights from long-lived rodents. Nat Rev Genet 15, no. 8 (August 2014): 531-40. doi:10.1038/nrg3728.

Maciak, S., and P. Michalak. Cell size and cancer: a new solution to Petos paradox? Evolutionary applications 8, no. 1 (January 2015): 2-8. doi:10.1111/eva.12228.

Nagy, J.D., E.M. Victor, and J.H. Cropper. Why dont all whales have cancer? A novel hypothesis resolving Petos paradox. Integrative and Comparative Biology 47, no. 2 (August 2007): 317-28. doi:10.1093/icb/icm062.

Prokopov, A.F. Theoretical paper: exploring overlooked natural mitochondria-rejuvenative intervention: the puzzle of bowhead whales and naked mole rats. Rejuvenation Research 10, no. 4 (December 2007): 543-60. doi:10.1089/rej.2007.0546.

Roy, S., and S. Gatien. Regeneration in Axolotls: a Model to Aim For! Exp Gerontol 43, no. 11 (November 2008): 968-973. doi:10.1016/j.exger.2008.09.003.

Abegglen LM, Caulin AF, Chan A, et al. Potential Mechanisms for Cancer Resistance in Elephants and Comparative Cellular Response to DNA Damage in Humans. JAMA. 2015;314(17):1850-1860. doi:10.1001/jama.2015.13134.

Anca Iovi is the author of Eat Less Live Longer: Your Practical Guide to Calorie Restriction with Optimal Nutrition ,The Aging Gap Between Species and What Is Your Legacy? 101Ways on Getting Started to Create and Build One available on Amazon and several other places. If you enjoyed this article, dont forget to sign up to receive updates on longevity news and novel book projects!

Dont miss out on the Pinterest board on calorie restriction with optimal nutrition where she uploads new recipes every day. https://www.pinterest.com/longevityletter/eat-less-live-longer/ Or the Comparative Gerontology Facebook Group where you can join the discussions on how species rate at different speeds and what could be the mechanisms underlining these differences! https://www.facebook.com/groups/683953735071847/

Publication Year: 2015 ISBN: 9781517484811

Continued here:
Longevity Letter | Aging is a natural disease, but a ...

Nature has cures for all diseases. In Cure the Incurable the author suggests some successful alternative treatments of diseases written off by traditional medicine as incurable.

One book that has already changed thousands of lives. Let it change yours too!

Mikhail Tombak, Ph.D. graduated from the faculty of biology and chemistry of the Russian University. For many years he was the head of Center for Health Sciences in Moscow; also the author of several bestsellers on the subject of health and healing.

Much has been written lately about ways to attain long and healthy life. Numerous miracle diets are presented, formulas are praised for their extraordinary qualities, weight-reduction and aging-reversal methods are advertised. People are led to believe that good health may be the result of taking a miraculous pill. In reality, return to full health requires many years of effort, just as our diseases are caused by many years of neglect.Full health does not depend on miraculous medication and formulas that cause weight loss or aging reversal, but on the lifestyle that is in harmony with nature. This philosophy permeates the contents of this book. The author, Mikhail Tombak, created a holistic system of maintaining good health.

Before you medicate, educate yourself!

The book does not contain miraculous diets; it contains simple principles for maintaining andprotecting our health. There is no requirement of strict calorie counting but there are simple, obvious, and natural nutritional principles. The author emphasizes close connection between our health and the way we eat, breathe, and take care of all our physical and psychological needs. The question is not limited to nutrition onlyas is the case with many dieting programs.

This book is intended to be a practical health maintenance guide. If you feel that your health has begun deteriorating, waste no time - start acting quickly and take better care of yourself. The sooner you start acting the speedier your health will be restored! It is important to make gradual lifestyle changes and allow your body enough time for adjustment.

This toolbox of simple guidelines enables thousands of readers every day to live healthier, and more fulfilling lives. Let this book be your guide to anti aging, longevity, vibrant health, and overall wellbeing.

Buy "Can We Live 150 years?" and "Cure the Incurable"now!

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Troha ... assistant location manager: Uruguay Adrian Truss ... adr loop group Martin Ubillos ... second unit production assistant: Uruguay Yasuhide Uno ... corporate executive: GAGA Communications Milagros Uria Strauch ... assistant unit production secretary: Uruguay Mirella Valente ... assistant location manager: Brazil Laura Varela Mller ... unit production assistant: Uruguay Dolores Vargas ... second assistant accountant: Uruguay Bruno Vecchi Ricci ... production runner: 02 Filmes Al Vrkljan ... firearms wrangler: Canada (as Alan Vrkljan) Masazumi Watanabe ... director of creative affairs: IFF/CINV Wendy Williamson ... assistant production coordinator: Canada Sherry Wolfson ... travel assistant Fernando Hitoshi Yagyu ... production runner: 02 Filmes Michiko Yamaguchi ... business coordinator: GAGA Communications Celso Yamashita ... blindness coach: Brazil & Uruguay Kazuya Yamashita ... business affairs: Filosophia Mandela Youga ... craft service: Brazil Marcelo Yuar ... stand-in: Brazil Mara Zanocchi ... location manager: Uruguay (as Maria Zanocchi) Phillip Zelante ... first assistant set manager: Brazil Ricardo Zrnini ... assistant animal wrangler: Brazil & Uruguay Lucas Kater ... set assistant: Brazil (uncredited) Vanessa King ... assistant to ms. moore (uncredited)

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Blindness (2008) - Full Cast & Crew - IMDb

Change blindness is a surprising perceptual phenomenon that occurs when a change in a visual stimulus is introduced and the observer does not notice it. For example, observers often fail to notice major differences introduced into an image while it flickers off and on again.[1] People's poor ability to detect changes has been argued to reflect fundamental limitations of human attention. Change blindness has become a highly researched topic and some have argued that it may have important practical implications in areas such as eyewitness testimony and distractions while driving.

Outside of the domain of psychology, phenomena related to change blindness have been discussed since the 19th century.[2] When film editing was introduced in movies, editors began to notice that changes to the background were not noticed by those watching the film.[2] Going back much earlier, William James (18421910) was the first to mention the lack of ability to detect change in his book Principles of Psychology. (1890) [2]

Research on change blindness developed from investigation in other phenomena such as eye movements and working memory.[2] Although individuals have a very good memory as to whether or not they have seen an image, they are generally poor at recalling the smaller details in that image.[3][4] When we are visually stimulated with a complex picture, it is more likely that individuals retain only a gist of an image and not the image in its entirety.

The laboratory study of change blindness began in the 1970s within the context of eye movement research. McConkie conducted the first studies on change blindness involving changes in words and texts; in these studies, the changes were introduced while the observer performed a saccadic eye movement. Observers often failed to notice these changes.[5]

In the late 1980s, the first clear experimental demonstration was published showing very poor change detection in complex displays over brief intervals without eye movements being involved. Pashler (1988) showed that observers were poor at detecting changes introduced into arrays of letters while the display was flickered off and on, even if the offset was as brief as 67 milliseconds (although offsets briefer than that produced much more effective change detection). Pashler concluded by noting how odd it was that people generally report having a "clear sense of apprehending the identities and locations of large numbers of objects in a scene" (p.377), and that given this introspective sense, it seemed quite surprising how poor is their detection of changes.[2]

With the rise of the ability to present complex, real-world images on a computer screen, Dr. George McConkie, in the early 1990s, as part of the new initiatives of the new Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, began a renewed attempt to investigate why the world looked stable and continuous despite the shifting retinal input signal that accompanied each saccade.[6][7] This research began when John Grimes and Dr. George McConkie (1996) began to use actual photographs to study visual stability.[8] This development in change blindness research was able to show the effects of change blindness in more realistic settings.[9] Additionally, further research stated that rather large changes will not be detected when they occur during saccadic movements of the eye. In the first experiment of this kind, in 1995, Blackmore et al forced saccades by moving the image and making a change in the scene at the same time.[10] Observers ability to detect the changes fell to chance. The effect was stronger using this method than when using brief grey flashes between images, although subsequent research has mostly used grey flashes or masking stimuli. Another finding based on similar studies stated that a change was easily picked up on by participants when the eye was fixated on the point of change. Therefore, the eye must be directly fixated on the area of change for it to be noticed. This was called the saccade target theory of transsaccadic memory of visual stability.[6][7][11] However, other research in the mid-1990s has indicated that individuals still have difficulty detecting change even when they are directly fixated on a particular scene. A study by Rensink, ORegan, & Clarke demonstrated that change blindness can have an effect even if the eye was fixated on a scene. In this study, a picture was presented followed by a blank screen or masking stimulus, which was followed by the initial picture with a change. The masking stimulus almost acts like a saccadic movement of the eye which makes it significantly more difficult for individuals to detect the change.[9] This was a critical contribution to change blindness research because it demonstrated that a change can remain unnoticed with the smallest disruptions.

Research on change blindness proceeded one step further into practical applications of this phenomenon. For example, there does not have to be a masking stimulus in order for individuals to miss a change in a scene. Individuals often take significantly longer to notice certain changes if there are a few small, high contrast shapes that are temporarily splattered over a picture.[12] This method for testing change blindness is called mudsplashes.[12] This method is particularly relevant to individuals driving in a car when there is a visual obstruction on the windshield. This obstruction may impair an individuals ability to detect a change in their environment which could result in severe negative consequences while driving.

Research indicates that detecting changes in a change blindness task is easier when items are holistically processed, such as faces. Individuals notice a change faster when required to detect changes in facial features than when required to detect changes in images of houses.[13] However, individuals are better at identifying the nature of the change in houses.[13]

Other researchers have discovered that mental processing in change blindness begins even before the change is presented. More specifically, there is increased brain activity in the parietal-occipital and occipital regions prior to the emergence of a change in a change blindness task.[14]

Researchers have also indicated there is a difference in brain activity between detecting a change and identifying change in an image. Detecting a change is associated with a higher ERP (Event-related potential) whereas identifying change is associated with an increased ERP before and after the change was presented.[15]

Additional research using fluctuations in ERPs (Event-related potentials) has observed that changes in pictures (change blindness) are represented in the brain, even without the perceivers conscious awareness of the change.[16]

Lucid dreaming occurs when one realizes that the events experienced within a dream are bizarre or would not occur in ones waking life.[17] As such, the inability to notice the bizarre nature of the dream has been coined as an example of change blindness, also known as individuals who are non-lucid dreamers. However, a recent study found that lucid dreamers did not perform better on a change blindness task than non-lucid dreamers.[17] Therefore, the relation between lucid dreamers and change blindness has been discredited to some degree.

Another interesting area of research is the decreased susceptibility to change blindness when individuals are placed in teams. Although change blindness is still observed within teams, research has indicated that changes between images are noticed more when individuals work in teams as opposed to individually.[18] Both teamwork and communication assist teams in correctly identifying changes between images.[18]

Another recent study looked at the relation between expertise and change blindness. Physics experts were more likely to notice a change between two physics problems than novices.[19] It is hypothesized that experts are better at analyzing problems on a deeper level whereas novices employ a surface-level analysis. This research suggests that observing the phenomenon of change blindness may be conditional upon the context of the task.

Cognitive psychologists expanded the study of Change Blindness into decision-making. In one study, they showed participants ten pairs of faces and asked them to choose which face was more attractive. For some pairs, the experimenter used sleight of hand to show participants a face they had NOT chosen. Only 26% of subjects noticed the mismatch between their choice of face and the different face they were shown instead. The experimenters tested pairs of faces that were either high in similarity or low in similarity, but the detection rate was no different between those conditions. Subjects were also asked to give reasons why they had chosen a face (although due to the sleight of hand they actually hadn't chosen it). Despite the mismatch, subjects gave responses that were comparable in emotionality, specificity, and certainty for faces they had or had not actually chosen.[20] Further research has showed that the failure to detect mismatches between intention and outcome exists in consumer product choices [21] and in political attitudes.[22]

This method was used in the first, 1995, experiment. A change is made in an image at the same time as the image is moved in an unpredictable direction, forcing a saccade. This method mimics eye movements and can detect change blindness without introducing blank screens, masking stimuli or mudsplashes.[10]

In this paradigm, an image and an altered image are switched back and forth with a blank screen in the middle.[1] This procedure is performed at a very high rate and observers are told to click a button as soon as they see the difference between the two images.[1] This method of studying change blindness has helped researchers discover two very important findings. The first finding is that it usually takes a while for individuals to notice a change even though they are being instructed to search for a change.[1] In some cases, it can even take individuals over one minute of constant flickers to determine the location of the change. The second important finding is that changes towards the middle of a picture are noticed at a faster rate than changes on the side of a picture.[1] Although the flicker paradigm was first used in the late 1990s, it is still commonly used in current research on change blindness and has contributed to current knowledge on change blindness.

Individuals who are tested under the forced choice paradigm are only allowed to view the two pictures once before they make a choice.[9] Both images are also shown for the same amount of time.[9] The flicker paradigm and the forced choice detection paradigm are known as intentional change detection tasks, which means that the participants know they are trying to detect change. These studies have shown that even while participants are focusing their attention and searching for a change, the change may remain unnoticed.

Mudsplashes are small, high contrast shapes that are scattered over an image, but do not cover the area of the picture in which the change occurs. This mudsplash effect prevents individuals from noticing the change between the two pictures.[12] A practical application of this paradigm is that dangerous stimuli in a scene may not be noticed if there are slight obstructions in an individual's visual field. Previously, it has been stated that humans hold a very good internal representation of visual stimuli. Studies involving mudsplashes have shown that change blindness may occur because our internal representations of visual stimuli may be much worse than previous studies have shown.[12] Mudsplashes have not been used as frequently as the flicker or forced choice detection paradigms in change blindness research, but have yielded many significant and groundbreaking results.

The foreground-background segregation method for studying change blindness uses photographs of scenery with a distinct foreground and background. Researchers using this paradigm have found that individuals are usually able to recognize relatively small changes in the foreground of an image.[23] In addition, large changes to the colour of the background take significantly longer to detect.[23] This paradigm is critical to change blindness research because many previous studies have not examined the location of changes in the visual field.

Various studies have used MRIs (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) to measure brain activity when individuals detect (or fail to detect) a change in the environment. When individuals detect a change, the neural networks of the parietal and right dorsolateral prefrontal lobe regions are strongly activated.[24][25] If individuals were instructed to detect changes in faces, the fusiform face area was also significantly activated. In addition, other structures such as the pulvinar, cerebellum, and inferior temporal gyrus also showed an increase in activation when individuals reported a change.[25] It has been proposed that the parietal and frontal cortex along with the cerebellum and pulvinar might be used to direct an organisms attention to a change in the environment. A decrease of activation in these brain areas was observed if a change was not detected by the organism.[24] Furthermore, the neurological activation of these highlighted brain areas was correlated with an individuals conscious awareness of change and not the physical change itself.[25]

Other studies using fMRI (Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging) scanners have shown that when change is not consciously detected, there was a significant decrease in the dorsolateral prefrontal and parietal lobe regions.[24] These results further the importance of the dorsolateral prefrontal and parietal cortext in the detection of visual change. In addition to fMRI studies, recent research has used transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) in order to inhibit areas of the brain while participants were instructed to try to detect the change between two images.[26] The results show that when the posterior parietal cortex (PPC) is inhibited, individuals are significantly slower at detecting change.[26] The PPC is critical for encoding and maintaining visual images in short term working memory, which demonstrates the importance of the PPC in terms of detecting changes between images.[26] For a change to be detected, the information of the first picture needs to be held in working memory and compared to the second picture. If the PPC is inhibited, the area of the brain responsible for encoding visual images will not function properly. The information will not be encoded and will not be held in working memory and compared to the second picture, thus inducing change blindness.

The role of attention is critical for an organisms ability to detect change. In order for an organism to detect change, visual stimulation must enter through eye and proceed through the visual stream in the brain. A study in 2004 demonstrated that if the superior colliculus (responsible for eye movements) of a monkeys brain is electrically stimulated, there would be a significant decrease in reaction time to detect the change.[27] Therefore, it is critical for organisms to attend to the change in order for it to be detected. Organisms are only able to detect this change once the visual stimulation comes through the eye (its movements are controlled by the superior colliculus) and is subsequently processed through the visual stream.

Age has been implicated as one of the factors which modulates the severity of change blindness. In a study conducted by Veiel et al. it was found that older individuals were slower to detect the changes in a change blindness experiment than were younger individuals.[28] This trend was also noticed by Caird et al., who found that drivers aged 65 and older were more prone to making incorrect decisions after a change blindness paradigm was used at an intersection, than were participants aged 1864.[29]

Attention is another factor that has been implicated in change blindness. Increasing shifts in attention decrease the severity of change blindness[30] and changes in the foreground are detected more readily than changes made to the background of an image, an effect of the intentional bias for foreground elements.[31]

Object presentation is the way in which objects appear and is a factor that determines the occurrence of change blindness. Change blindness can occur even without a delay between the original image and the altered image, but only if the change in the image forces the viewer to redefine the objects in the image.[32] Additionally, the appearance of a new object is more resistant to change blindness than a looming object, and both the appearance of a new object and the looming of an object are more resistant to change blindness than the receding of an object.[33] Furthermore, the appearance or onset of an object is more resistant to the occurrence of change blindness than the disappearance or offset of an object.[34]

Substance use has been found to affect the detection biases on change detection tasks. If an individual was presented with two changes simultaneously, those that had a change related to the substance they use regularly reported using the substance more than those detecting the neutral stimuli. This indicates a relationship between substance use and change detection within a change blindness paradigm.[35] This bias for devoting more attention to the drug-relevant stimuli is also observed with problem drinkers. Individuals who have a more severe drinking problem are quicker to detect changes in alcohol-related stimuli than in neutral stimuli.[36]

In addition to change blindness induced by changes in visual images, change blindness also exists for the other senses:

The phenomenon of change blindness has practical implications in the following areas:

Research in change blindness has uncovered the possibility of inaccuracy in eyewitness testimony.[39] In many cases, witnesses are rarely able to detect a change in the criminal's identity unless first intending to remember the incident in question.[39] This inability to detect a change in identity can lead to inaccuracy in identifying criminals, mistaken eyewitness identification, and wrongful conviction.[40] Therefore, eyewitness testimonies should be handled with caution in court in order to avoid any of these negative consequences.[40]

Older drivers make more incorrect decisions than younger drivers when faced with a change in the scene at an intersection.[29] This can be attributed to the fact that older individuals notice change at a slower rate compared to younger individuals.[29] In addition, the location and relevance of changes have an effect on what is noticed while driving.[41] The reaction time to changes in the driver's peripherals is much slower than the reaction time to changes that occur towards the center of the driver's visual field.[41] Furthermore, drivers are also able to recognize more relevant changes as opposed to irrelevant ones.[41] Research on the effects of change blindness while driving could provide insight into potential explanations of why car accidents occur.

Military command and control personnel who monitor multiple displays have a delayed time to accurately identify changes due to the necessity of verifying the changes, as well as the effective 'guessing' on some trials.[42] Due to the fact that control personnel have delayed reaction because of change blindness, an interface design of computer work stations may be extremely beneficial to improve the reaction time and accuracy.[42]

Change blindness blindness is defined as a misplaced confidence in ones ability to correctly identify visual changes.[43] People are fairly confident in their ability to detect a change, but most people exhibit poor performance on a change blindness task.

The spotlight effect is a social phenomenon that is defined as an overestimation of the ability of others to notice us.[45] A seemingly obvious change such as another individual changing a sweater during a memory task is rarely noticed.[45] However, the individuals switching the sweater tend to overestimate the ability of the test writers to notice the change in sweaters.[45] In the spotlight effect, this poor performance is a result of the overestimation of others ability to notice us whereas in change blindness blindness it is the overestimation of others ability to notice the sweater change. In other words, it is the distinction between noticing differences on a person and noticing differences between any images.

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Change blindness - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia