StemCell Therapy

Virginia Hospital Center provides a variety of adult education services for those with Type 1 diabetes, Type 2 diabetes, Gestational diabetes, and Medical Nutrition Therapy for other chronic diseases.

The Virginia Hospital Center Diabetes Education Program is an American Diabetes Association Recognized Program. We cover all comprehensive content of diabetes self-management education. Some topics include:

For more information or to set up an appointment please call 703.558.5718. A physician order is needed for all appointments.

Virginia Hospital Center offers a variety of services to those individuals that have been newly diagnosed as well as those who have had Type 1 diabetes and need continued education. Services provided include insulin adjustment, meal planning, and carbohydrate counting.

Virginia Hospital Center offers a comprehensive diabetes self-management education program. The program consists of 4 group sessions spaced out over a 4-5 month period including 10 hours of comprehensive education. Classes are held Thursday evenings and/or Friday mornings. Classes are available to meet your scheduling needs and new classes are offered every month.

This class is designed to educate pregnant women on blood glucose monitoring, meal planning/carbohydrate counting and insulin administration (if necessary). The initial class, offered each week, is 1.5-2 hours in length and a 30-minute follow-up session is scheduled for 7-10 days after completion of the class.

Virginia Hospital Center offers individual one-on-one appointments on an as-needed basis to accommodate those with special needs.

601 S. Carlin Springs Road,Arlington, VA 22204.

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Diabetes Education : Virginia Hospital Center

I was fascinated to hear recently that one of our clients in Boquete is traveling regularly to Panama City for stem cell treatment. The treatment is incomplete and while I get the impression they are still assessing its effectiveness, they also mentioned some improvement. We are reluctant to tout this option without knowing more about its efficacy and risks. While the technology is enormously promising, we encourage those who are ill or disabled to be careful of any treatment that is new or unproven. If you do a simple web search youll find some cautions and concerns. However, it seems to be working well for some patients and is a trend gaining steam in Panama as is medical tourism in general. And it is very interesting that a hospital offering the procedures is affiliated with Johns Hopkins, one of the most respected hospital systems in the world.

Fortunately, it seems the issue of embryonic stem cells has passed as the new methods use adult stem cells now.

I remember touring Panama City in 2005 with a guide who showed me an ultra-advanced MRI copy he received from one of his foreign clients. The MRI was impressive and the cost a small fraction of what it would have in the U.S. for example. It had been taken at Hospital Punta Pacifica, which had recently become affiliated with Johns Hopkins. Now you can get stem cell treatment there as well as many other procedures.

Below are two articles about men who have benefited from treatment in Panama. One is from this week. The other is an article from Forbes in 2013.

ByEric Anderson, CBC News, Nov 05, 2014

With every bicep curl and chest press, Glen Nelson pushes himself closer to his goal of walking again.

The former University of Regina basketball star was paralyzed last November after undergoing back surgery.

I really realized this was my only chance to get healthy.- Glen Nelson on travelling to Panama for stem cell treatments

In September, Nelson travelled to Panama to receive stem cell treatments. In four weeks, he received more than 520 million stem cells.

I really realized this was my only chance to get healthy. I had to go in there positive and wanting to fight everyday. By the end of the four weeks, I was totally exhausted mentally and physically, Nelson said.

Since undergoing the treatments, Nelson has felt pain in his lower back. However, his doctors tell him that is a good sign. The stem cells are designed to create new nerve pathways in his spinal chord.

Continued

Forbes, by John Farrell, 2/21/13

Michael Phelan is the CEO of SevOne. My Forbes colleagueTomio Geronrecently wrote about his fast-growing IT company and Phelan contributed a guest post earlier this year at Eric Savitzs CIO 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 my last 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?

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.

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.

Continued Page 2

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Stem Cell Treatment in Panama - Two Men's Stories ...

Does the Stem Cell treatment have any age requirements?

No, Stem Cell Of America accepts patients of all ages.

There are multiple factors in determining the cost of treatment. Please contact us to have your case evaluated.

No, the treatment is not covered by private or public health insurance.

Yes, we routinely accept patients from Canada, England, Australia and other countries all over the world.

Yes, the cells are tested for 14 different criteria, including viral, bacterial, and fungal infections, as well as viability. Moreover, we use PCR DNA testing, which is far more sophisticated and expensive than the screening tests routinely used in the United States for other Stem Cell treatments.

No, Fetal Stem Cells have no antigenicity, which is a cellular fingerprint that can cause a dangerous and sometimes lethal rejection by the body. This phenomenon is called graft-versus-host disease. Our Stem Cells are free of this fingerprint, there is no threat of rejection and therefore no need for immunosuppressive drugs, which can leave the body vulnerable to serious diseases and infection.

Our Fetal Stem Cell treatment has no known negative side effects.

A partial list of disease and conditions that Stem Cell of America has successfully treated includes:

Due to the rapid advances in Stem Cell science, some diseases or conditions may not be listed. Please contact us to get additional information.

Every person is of course different. Each of our bodys healing mechanisms work at a unique pace as they are influenced by many factors. Commonly, significant positive changes are seen between three to six months post treatment. At times, these changes can occur in as little as weeks or even days after receiving treatment.

After the first treatment, the Fetal Stem Cells will continue to proliferate and repair. Some patients choose to receive treatment more than one time to expedite the healing process. The decision is yours. If you decide to repeat the treatment, usually a waiting period of 6 months is recommended.

Fetal Stem Cells are the cellular building blocks of the 220 cell types within the body. The Fetal Stem Cells used by Stem Cell Of America remain in an undifferentiated state and therefore are capable of becoming any tissue, organ or cell type within the body.

Fetal Stem Cells also release Cytokines. Cytokines are cell-derived, hormone-like polypeptides that regulate cellular replication, differentiation, and activation. Cytokines can bring normal cells and tissues to a higher level of function, allowing the bodys own healing mechanisms to partner with the transplanted Fetal Stem Cells for repair and new growth.

In the past 2 decades, Stem Cell Of America has arranged for the treatment of over two thousand patients with Fetal Stem Cells. The number of patients continues to grow. Please contact us to get specific information on a disease or condition.

Stem Cell Of America has offices in the United States and a treatment center in Mexico.

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Frequently Asked Questions | Stem Cell Of America

Scientists may be able to make substantial gains in extending not only the length of human life, but the quality of life as we age, according to many researchers. That won't be limited to breakthroughs in the laboratory. To a significant extent, it will depend on how we live our lives.

As for the scientists, first they have to answer a very basic question. Why do humans live longer than any other mammals?

For starters, we are big. Long ago scientists recognized a relationship between body size and longevity. Humans just narrowly edge out the elephant (so size isn't the whole story) to win the Olympic gold for living longer, but recent research reveals that's just part of the story.

We also have huge brains compared to the size of our bodies. We are mobile, have few predators except for other humans, and there's a drugstore on every corner.

It wasn't always that way. During most of recorded history any human who reached the mid thirties had beaten the system. Over the past century we gained a global average of 30 years, about 25 of which are attributed to improvements in public health, according to federal statistics.

Today, the global life expectancy is 67.2 years. It's around 78 years in the United States, and a few years more in Japan, the world leader for sticking around.

Genetics, of course, play a key role in longevity. In recent years, when we entered the golden age of genetics, many hoped to discover the "longevity gene" that allowed an increasing number of humans to live more than a century. For awhile, they thought they had found it.

One gene produces sirtuins, a protein thought to increase lifespan in several organisms, and that protein quickly became the darling of producers of anti-aging creams. But last year an international team of researchers found that sirtuins have no effect on animal longevity.

That came as no surprise to scientists at the University of California, San Francisco, who had determined that there is no longevity gene. As has often been the case in genetics in recent years, it's much more complicated than that.

It turns out that there are many genes that affect lifespan, but each of those genes has a very limited role. The San Francisco researchers found that some genes make proteins that fight bacterial infections, while others ward off oxidative stress and protein damage, commonly associated with aging. But all these genes don't just do their own thing. They are apparently controlled by at least two other genes that act as drill sergeants. Research by these scientists found that when all these genes work right, the lifespan of the roundworm, C. elegans, doubled. That worm is used in much research because it is a simple organism that shares many genes with humans.

But will the same thing work for humans? Maybe.

In a related study, scientists at the University of Liverpool reported earlier this year that some proteins change over time in long living species, including humans. Joao Pedro Magalhaes and his colleagues studied 30 mammals and found that these proteins evolve during the course of the lifetime "to cope with biological processes impacted by aging, such as DNA damage." In other words, animals that live longer are better equipped to make repairs in tissues and organs that help them fight the aging process.

There is a huge body of evidence showing that size really does matter, both in terms of body mass and cerebral tissue. Researchers in Barcelona studied 493 mammal species and found that a larger brain leads to a longer life.

A smarter animal is better equipped to deal with environmental challenges and less likely to take silly chances, like picking a fight with a much bigger animal. That may seem obvious, but it's less clear why body size should contribute to longer lifespan. Among mammals, the top four are humans, followed by elephants, horses and hippopotamuses, but most likely the hippo wouldn't score all that high on an IQ test.

The turkey buzzard tops the list for birds at 118 years, maybe because it's smart enough to wait for road kill instead of attacking a live animal.

But the giant tortoise is the real champ. The world mourned the passing of Lonesome George in the Galapagos Islands earlier this year. The actual age of old George is unknown, although it's clear he made it well past the century mark. Among the superachievers was Tu'I Malila, who was presented to the royal family of Tonga by Capt. James Cook in 1777. He was thought to be 188 when he died in 1965. That still leaves the question of why size matters. Adrian Bejan, a mechanical engineering professor at Duke University, has spent years studying the relationship between size and lifespan, and he is out with a new idea.

Bejan argues in a paper published this week in Nature Scientific Reports that big animals live longer because they travel farther, thus giving them access to more resources. Mobility is the key. Get off the couch.

If he's right, then that leaves longevity largely in our own hands. Do the right thing and you'll live longer. Physicians tell us that all the time. Don't smoke. Get plenty of exercise. Eat right. Researchers at Newcastle University in England think they have figured out why something like eating a low calorie diet can increase lifespan. Aging is strongly influenced by senescence, the end of a cell's ability to replicate itself. They fed mice a low calorie diet and the accumulation of senescent cells plummeted, thus defeating much of the aging process.

It worked even for older mice, suggesting that eating less or at least fewer calories may be our best defense against aging and an early death.

No more ice cream? I'm waiting for a magic pill.

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Can Humans Live Forever? Longevity Research Suggests ...

Integrative Medicine techniques support the body's natural ability to heal, reducing stress and promoting a state of relaxation that leads to better health. It can help you achieve optimal health when you engage in your own healing and feel empowered to make lifestyle changes. Incorporating one or more Integrative Medicine services into your healthcare regimen will help you regain control of your well-being.

Integrative Medicine uses modalities such as acupuncture, chiropractic manipulation and relaxation techniques to reduce pain; dietary and herbal approaches to manage diseases such as diabetes and fibromyalgia; and group support to change habits associated with obesity, diabetes and heart disease.

Lifestyle Medicine is an evidence-based practice of assisting individuals and families adopt and sustain lifestyle behaviors that can improve your health and quality of life, such as eliminating tobacco use, improving diet, practicing stress relief techniques, and increasing physical activity. Poor lifestyle choices are the root cause of modern chronic diseases. Scientific evidence is clear - adults with common chronic conditions who adhere to a healthy lifestyle experience rapid, significant, clinically meaningful and sustainable improvements in their health.

The practices, techniques and services offered that most patients find helpful include:

Integrative & Lifestyle Medicine services have become very popular in the United States, with more than 70 percent of Americans using them in some form.

You may benefit from Integrative & Lifestyle Medicine if you suffer from a chronic illness and wish to reduce the severity or frequency of disease episodes, decrease stress related to chronic disease, and enjoy a better quality of life.

Integrative & Lifestyle Medicine can help patients relieve symptoms of a wide range of conditions, including:

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About Integrative Medicine - Cleveland Clinic

One of the institute's research goals is to explore the potential of using embryonic stem cells to better understand and treat disease. Unlike adult stem cells, embryonic , or pluripotent, stem cells are not restricted to any particular tissue or organ and are capable of producing all cell types. By studying how these cells develop into mature cells, such as those that make up our bone, blood and skin, researchers can learn how those cells function and what goes wrong when they are diseased.

With this understanding, researchers aim to develop new medical strategies capable of extending the capacity for growth and healing present in embryos into later stages of life. Such strategies would regenerate or replenish tissues or specialized cells damaged by Alzheimer's, cancer and other chronic, debilitating and often fatal diseases.

At Stanford, pluripotent stem cells have already been used experimentally to treat mice with diabetes. Researchers found a set of growth factors that induced pluripotent stem cells to develop into insulin-producing cells normally found in the pancreas. When they implanted these cells into diabetic mice that have lost the ability to produce insulin, the implanted cells produced insulin in a biologically normal way and treated the diabetes. This work is still in the early stages of being tested in animals, but could one day lead to new ways of treating diabetes in people.

Pluripotent stem cells, like adult brain stem cells, might also replace nerves damaged in spinal cord injuries or cells lost in neurodegenerative diseases. For any of these treatments to work, researchers have to first learn how to grow the stem cells in a lab so they take on the characteristics of the cells they are meant to replace. At this time it isn't clear whether pluripotent or adult stem cells will be best in this type of therapy.

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Human Embryonic Stem Cells Research Stem Cell Biology

High-throughput cell-based screening of drug library identifies albendazole as a sensitizer with combination of bortezomib for treatment multiple myeloma. [Kim MK, et al. Cancer Res 2014;74:1702 ]

A kinase inhibitor screen identifies Mcl-1 and Aurora kinase A as novel treatment targets in antiestrogen-resistant breast cancer cells. [Thrane S, et al. Oncogene 2014;10.1038/onc.2014.351]

Patient-derived xenografts from non-small cell lung cancer brain metastases are valuable translational platforms for the development of personalized targeted therapy. [Lee HW, et al. Clin Cancer Res 2015;21(5):1172-82]

Kinome-level screening identifies inhibition of polo-like kinase-1 (PLK1) as a target for enhancing non-viral transgene expression. [Christensen MD, et al. J Control Release 2015;204:20-29]

Helicobacter pylori bacteria alter the p53 stress response via ERK-HDM2 pathway. [Bhardwaj V, et al. Oncotarget 2015;6(3):1531-43]

CDK4/6 inhibitors have potent activity in combination with pathway selective therapeutic agents in models of pancreatic cancer. [Franco J, et al. Oncotarget 2014;5(15):6512-25]

High-throughput Prescreening of Pharmaceuticals using a gGenome-wide bBacterial bBioreporter aArray. [Phillipson DW, et al. Biosensors and Bioelectronics 2015;68:699-704]

Overcoming acquired BRAF inhibitor resistance in melanoma via targeted inhibition of Hsp90 with ganetespib. [Acquaviva J, et al Mol Cancer Ther 2014;13(2):353-63]

Acetyl-lysine binding site of bromodomain-containing protein 4 (BRD4) interacts with diverse kinase inhibitors. [Ember SW, et al ACS Chem Biol 2014;9(5):1160-71]

RB loss contributes to aggressive tumor phenotypes in MYC-driven triple negative breast cancer. [Knudsen ES, et al. Cell Cycle 2015;14(1):109-22]

mTOR inhibition potentiates HSP90 inhibitor activity via cessation of HSP synthesis. [Acquaviva J, et al Mol Cancer Res 2014;12(5):703-13]

Screening of an FDA-approved compound library identifies four small-molecule inhibitors of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus replication in cell culture. [de Wilde AH, et al. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2014;58(8):4875-84]

Machine Learning Models and Pathway Genome Data Base for Trypanosoma cruzi Drug Discovery. [Ekins S, et al. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2015;9(6):e0003878]

Aurora kinase A and B as new treatment targets in aromatase inhibitor-resistant breast cancer cells. [Hole S, et al. Breast Cancer Res Treat 2015;149(3):715-26]

Aurora kinases as druggable targets in pediatric leukemia: heterogeneity in target modulation activities and cytotoxicity by diverse novel therapeutic agents. [Jayanthan A, et al PLoS One 2014;9(7):e102741]

The Human Orphan Nuclear Receptor Tailless (TLX, NR2E1) Is Druggable. [Benod C, et al. PLoS One 2014;9(6):e99440]

Enhancing hit identification in Mycobacterium tuberculosis drug discovery using validated dual-event Bayesian models. [Ekins S, et al. PLoS One 2013;8(5):e63240]

Screening compounds with a novel high-throughput ABCB1-mediated efflux assay identifies drugs with known therapeutic targets at risk for multidrug resistance interference. [Ansbro MR, et al. PLoS One 2013;8(4):e60334]

Aurora kinase B is important for antiestrogen resistant cell growth and a potential biomarker for tamoxifen resistant breast cancer. [Larsen SL, et al. BMC Cancer 2015;15:239]

Acetylation of intragenic histones on HPV16 correlates with enhanced HPV16 gene expression. [Johansson C, et al. Virology 2015;482:244-259]

Role of Kinase Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor and SRC in the Caerulein-Induced Acute Pancreatitis in Mice. [Huang Y, et al Pancreas 2014;10.1097/MPA.0219]

Synergistic apoptosis in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma cells by co-inhibition of insulin-like growth factor-1 receptor signaling and compensatory signaling pathways. [Axelrod MJ, et al Head Neck 2014;10.1002/hed.23822]

Pseudopeptides with a centrally positioned alkene-based disulphide bridge mimetic stimulate kallikrein-related peptidase 3 activity. [Meinander K, et al. MedChemComm 2013;4, 549-553]

Formation of covalently closed circular DNA in Hep38.7-Tet cells, a tetracycline inducible hepatitis B virus expression cell line. [Ogura N, et al Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2014;452(3):315-21]

Mass spectral similarity for untargeted metabolomics data analysis of complex mixtures. [Garg N, et al. International Journal of Mass Spectrometry 2014;10.1016/j.ijms.2014.06.005]

Bioinformatic mining of kinase inhibitors that regulate autophagy through kinase signaling pathways. [Yang Y, et al. Mol Med Rep 2014;10(6):3348-56]

From the biomolecular screening facility at the EPFL to the chemical biology screening platform for switzerland. [Turcatti G, et al. MedChemWatch 2013;Gerardo Turcatti]

Identification of kinases driving growth of anti-estrogen resistant T47D breast cancer cell lines. [Larsen SL, et al. Roskilde University 2013;Sarah Line Larsen ]

Selecting, acquiring, and using small molecule libraries for high-throughput screening. [Dandapani S, et al. Current Protocols in Chemical Biology 2012;4:177-191]

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Stem Cell Small Molecule Compound Library | Stem Cell ...

By: Ian Murnaghan BSc (hons), MSc - Updated: 9 Nov 2015 | *Discuss

There is no doubt that stem cell therapy holds enormous potential. Unfortunately, this potential also brings with it side-effects, some particularly severe. Such was the case during a therapy that used human foetal stem cells.

The boy in the case suffered from a rare genetic disease known as Ataxia Telangiectasia. This disorder affects many areas of the body and can cause significant disability. The body does not coordinate properly and those who suffer from the disease have a weak immune system as well as problems with their respiratory system.

While there have been some cases reported where experimentation on rodents resulted in the growth of tumours after stem cell injection, this hadn't been documented in humans after foetal stem cell therapy. Researchers also knew that this risk in rodents could be reduced if the stem cells were differentiated before they were injected. This means that the stem cells were coaxed into the desired body cell for the therapy prior to injection.

In a person who has a healthy immune system, the normal 'checks' on the body would be more likely to prevent a tumour from establishing itself. We have known for some time now that there is the potential for stem cells to trigger the growths of tumours but the reality has been that this is a rarity.

Rather than put a stop to stem cell research, it has been suggested that we need to spend more time looking at the Safety of Stem Cells. We should try to find out more about what can potentially go wrong and then develop safeguards to reduce any risks associated with stem cell therapies. This way, we can get the most benefits from stem cells while minimising any chances of side-effects along the way.

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A Rare Side Effects of Stem Cell Therapy: A Case Study

Teaching the Genome Generation is a one-week professional development short course for STEM teachers.

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Learn how The Jackson Laboratory is leading the genomics revolution in the high school classroom.

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Interview with Emily Edelman, Associate Director of Clinical and Continuing Education.

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Genomics is what makes personalized medicine possible.

Personalized medicine is a new and better approach to health care based on each persons unique genetic makeup.

Personalized medicine, because it is based on each patients unique genetic makeup, is beginning to overcome the limitations of traditional...

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Personalized medicine: Precise genomic solutions for disease

One of the primary topics covered on this blog is intermittent fasting (IF). Many approach IF as a diet or weight loss method. I know from research, personal experience and conversations with others that IF can indeed be an effective way to drop unwanted pounds. However, viewing IF as merely a new way to diet entirely misses what I believe is the most important reason to pursue it: the activation of hormetic processes that foster improved health, keep degenerative diseases at bay, and hold out the promise of a longer, more vibrant life. These benefits are a known consequence of calorie restriction, but intermittent fasting offers a more comfortable and versatile way to reap the benefits of calorie restriction without the sense of deprivation, the loss of lean body mass, and the metabolic risks that have been associated with simple calorie restriction.

It is because Ive found intermittent fasting to be an attractive practice, both scientifically and personally, that I was so excited to be invited to give a lecture on IF at The 3rd Door, an innovative health and fitness studio, cafe and social center in downtown Palo Alto. The fitness director at The Third Door, Johnny Nguyen, is himself an advocate and practitoner of IF, which he blogs about with great flair and common sense at The Lean Saloon. The talk gave me an opportunity to reframe intermittent fasting in the terms of the philosophy of Hormetism, or applied hormesis that I write about on this blog. I believe that the framework of hormesis helps to make sense of why IF works, and why it is so much more than a diet.

What follows is a video of my talk on the benefits of intermittent fasting, presented on May 18, 2011 at The 3rd Door. I would like to thank Dianne Giancarlo and Johnny Nguyen for inviting me to speak, Vaciliki Papademetriou for technical assistance, Francesca Freedman for introducing me to The Third Door, Tom Merson for the still photos and Ken Becker for the masterful video production.

The talk is divided in to five sections for ease of viewing. It was followed by a 30 minute question and answer session, which I will upload as soon as the video production is complete:

Part 1: The benefits of calorie restriction

Part 2: Calorie restriction and hormesis

Part 3: Intermittent fasting and diet myths

Part 4: How intermittent fasting turns you into a flex fuel vehicle

Part 5: Practical advice on how to get started with intermittent fasting

Within the coming week, I will add here a recording of the 30-minute question and answer session following the talk.

If the above talk was of interest, you can find more detailed information in two of my other posts:

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Intermittent fasting for health and longevity / Getting ...

Human Genetic Engineering - A Hot Issue! Human genetic engineering is a hot topic in the legislative and executive branches of the U.S. government. Time will tell how committed the United States will be regarding the absolute ban on human cloning.

Human Genetic Engineering - Position of the U.S. Government Human genetic engineering has made its way to Capitol Hill. On July 31, 2001, the House of Representatives passed a bill which would ban human cloning, not only for reproduction, but for medical research purposes as well. The Human Cloning Prohibition Act of 2001, sponsored by Rep. Weldon (R-fL) and co-sponsored by over 100 Representatives, passed by a bipartisan vote of 265-to-162. The Act makes it unlawful to: "1) perform or attempt to perform human cloning, 2) participate in an attempt to perform cloning, or 3) ship or receive the product of human cloning for any purpose." The Act also imposes penalties of up to 10 years imprisonment and no less than $1,000,000 for breaking the law. The same bill, sponsored by Sen. Brownback (R-kS), is currently being debated in the Senate.

The White House also opposes "any and all attempts to clone a human being; [they] oppose the use of human somatic cell nuclear transfer cloning techniques either to assist human reproduction or to develop cell or tissue-based therapies."

Human Genetic Engineering - The Problems There are many arguments against human genetic engineering, including the established safety issues, the loss of identity and individuality, and human diversity. With therapeutic cloning, not only do the above issues apply, but you add all the moral and religious issues related to the willful killing of human embryos. Maybe the greatest concern of all is that man would become simply another man-made thing. As with any other man-made thing, the designer "stands above [its design], not as an equal but as a superior, transcending it by his will and creative prowess." The cloned child will be dehumanized. (See, Leon Kass, Preventing a Brave New World: Why we should ban human cloning now, New Republic Online, May 21, 2001.)

Human Genetic Engineering - A Final Thought Human genetic engineering leads to man usurping God as the almighty creator and designer of life. No longer will a child be considered a blessing from God, but rather, a product manufactured by a scientist. Man will be a created being of man. However, man was always intended to be a created being of God, in His absolute love, wisdom and glory.

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Human Genetic Engineering - Popular Issues

Adipose tissue is an inexhaustible source of adult fat stem cells.

Have been identified stem cells capable of producing fat tissue. These fat stem cells from adipose tissue may help to understand how it develops fat tissue and which drugs or develop treatments against obesity. There are two types of adipose tissue: the white adipose tissue (WAT) and brown adipose tissue (BAT), the first one lipid rich while the second one lipids burning and warm producing. BAT founds in adult humans and it is very important to research on obesity because it represents a potential pathway by which the body controls the metabolism burning excess fat to produce heat. Adipose stem cells have many therapeutic Aplications: repair and regeneration of damaged tissues. Can be recovered in large quantities through liposuction or fragments of subcutaneous adipose tissue and can be easily expanded in vitro.

Stem cells have the unique characteristic of being able to choose, with each cell division, whether to produce copies of themselves or specialized cell. Thanks to this characteristic, the stem cells are critical for the maintenance of tissues such as blood, skin and intestines.

The regeneration represents a real alternative: expect the body to repair the damage inflicted by disease, accidents or aging through its stem cells.

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Fat Stem Cells Doc. Alberto Rossi Todde

As part of a facial fat transfer procedure, physicians are now able incorporate stem cells to help patients achieve the best possible results. Traditional facial fat transfer procedures involve using the patients own body fat to plump up sunken or emaciated areas of the face but the results dont usually last very long. Adult stem cells can be introduced to the process to improve long-term results. Stem cell facial fat transfer procedures are used to treat chronic skin conditions like wrinkles, sun damage and redness.

Stem cells are being used in facial fat transfer procedures because they help stimulate fat cells, which die as we age. When fat cells die, they often cause areas of the face to look sunken, which can cause wrinkles and sagging skin. Stem cells are also believed to encourage cell regeneration, which repairs cells damaged by the sun and aging. Stem cells also stimulate skin cells to produce more collagen and elastin, which thicken and firm skin. Stem cell facial fat transfer procedures are a noninvasive way for patients to reduce natural signs of aging in a natural way.

Adult stem cells are used during fat transfer procedures. These stem cells are different from embryonic stem cells because they are autologous meaning they are extracted from fat in the patients abdomen or thigh. During facial fat transfer procedures, the fat removal and stem cell removal is accomplished at the same time.

Adult stem cells are naturally occurring and regenerative, so the patient is not affected by the removal. Stem cells can be found in various tissues throughout the body and are often referred to as undifferentiated cells meaning they are essentially a biological blank slate. Because of this, stem cells are capable of becoming another differentiated type of cell such as a skin cell, a fat cell or a muscle cell. Stem cells are added to facial fat transfer procedures to improve the quality, health and appearance of the skin over the long term.

A stem cell fat transfer procedure is accomplished in less than an hour, and the patient is given a local anesthetic no general or intravenous anesthesia is necessary. The physician will start by removing the subcutaneous fat from the abdomen or thigh area using a small syringe. Once its harvested, the physician will separate the fat cells, stem cells and growth factor from the fat. This mixture will later be re-injected into the treatment area.

What makes stem cell facial fat transfer procedures different from other fat transfer procedures is that the fat cells and stem cells are mixed with specific combination of growth factors that help them survive. Autologous growth factors such as platelet-rich plasma (PRP) are embedded in micro-hydraulic acid beads to allow for the release of these growth factors over longer periods of time. By constantly stimulating the fat cells and stem cells, growth factors help the damaged tissues develop into healthy tissue.

This anti-aging process ultimately restores lost fat, enhances the volume of the face, and improves the quality and texture of the skin. The procedure usually involves up to three injections of this mixture so that each layer of the skin receives even treatment.

Each patients recovery from a stem cell facial fat transfer procedure will be different depending on the condition being treated. Its important to note that it is not just the face that needs to heal, but the donor site as well. Following the procedure, patients may experience some swelling and bruising around the treatment area during the first seven to 10 days. During this time, patients want to avoid movement in the treatment area to avoid damage to the graft. Minor soreness is expected within the first couple days at the donor site, but it is usually manageable with over-the-counter pain medications.

The effects of this procedure typically last for five to six years. However, with regular care and follow-up appointments to reintroduce growth factors as a way to increase tissue survival, results can last up to eight to 10 years. Results develop over time and are seen during the course of three to four months. Patients have been thrilled with their results because their skin looks and feels better.

Request more information about stem cell facial fat transfer today. Call (317) 900-4440 or contact Dr. Michele Zormeier online.

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Stem Cell Facial Fat Transfer in Zionsville, IN

Adult Stem Cell Therapy

Adult stem cells circulate throughout our bodies and act as natural healers. These cells have vast potential and limitless capabilities. For more than 40 years, adult stem cells have been used to treat cancer patients. Recent advancements in adult stem cell therapy have been astounding. Cells from an ill patient are being used as part of the treatment. There is no possibility of the body rejecting the new tissue formed, making stem cell treatment safe and effective in achieving positive medical outcomes. It is important to note that adult stem cell therapy is not controversial because it involves the use of a patients own tissues and NOT derived from embryos.

Clinical results from cardiac, pulmonary, neurological and vascular procedures have shown that the adult stem cell procedures are as safe as traditional procedures and are complimentary to current medical practice.

Visit our Facebook Page and read more about our real life patients and how adult stem cell therapy has changed their lives.

Adult stem cells are extracted from the patients bone marrow and fat (adipose). At Intercellular Sciences, the naturally occurring stem cells in the blood are cultivated into millions of Regenocyte Adult Stem Cells. The Regenocyte Stem Cells are produced in our international treatment center and are administered into the area of need for the patient. Once injected, they stimulate tissue re-growth and greater blood flow to the affected areas. The goal of the treatment is to replace damaged cells and to promote the growth of new blood vessels and tissues in order to help the target organ function at a greater capacity. There is no risk of rejection since the Adult Stem Cells received are directly from the patient.

Regenocyte Adult Stem Cell Therapy is safe, highly effective and presents minimal risk.

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If you think that adult stem cell therapy treatment may be out of reach for your health issues,it is not. Treatment is available today. Regenocyte Adult Stem Cell Therapy results have exceeded expectations. For more information on Intercellular Sciences treatments, results and updates on advances in adult stem cell therapy, please register for our newsletter today.

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Evidence-Based Gerontology

One of the most important things about the Okinawa Centenarian Study is the fact that it is based on solid evidence. The most important evidence needed for any centenarian study is reliable age-verification data. Throughout Japan (including Okinawa prefecture), every city, town, and village records birth, marriage and death data (among other data) in a koseki (family register). This system was instituted throughout Japan in the 1870's. The koseki is supplemented by a regular census undertaken every five years. Life tables calculated from this database show one of the world's longest life expectancies and prevalence data show the world's highest known concentration of centenarians for any country or state.

After examining over 900 Okinawan centenarians and numerous other elderly in their seventies, eighties, and nineties, some fascinating findings have emerged. One, genetic factors appear important to human longevity, including Okinawan longevity. Two, it has also become clear that the Okinawan lifestyle provides many reasons why older Okinawans are so remarkably healthy so far into their senior years. Discovering the reasons for the apparent genetic and environmental advantages could have an important impact on our health and well-being in the West. Below appear some of the key findings and what they mean in terms of healthy aging -- for the Okinawans, and the rest of us.

Identifying factors that help us remain healthy, vigorous and disability-free at older ages is one of our major research priorities. Since the completion of the Human Genome Project and the HapMap Project (a project to identify common variations in human genes), a promising novel strategy by some human longevity researchers is to try to identify genes (and variations of those genes) that impact human aging and longevity. If such genes and their genetic pathways can be identified then novel therapies might be created that affect the biology of these pathways. This may help prevent or treat age-associated diseases and perhaps even slow aging itself. Such therapies might include interventions as simple as diet and focused exercise, specific food compounds, neutraceuticals or pharmaceuticals.

How much of human longevity is due to genes? Estimates of the heritability of human lifespan vary from 10-50% with the most common finding being that about a third of human lifespan may be heritable. Phenotypes that suggest slower aging, such as survival to 90+ years, may have an even stronger genetic basis, which explains why centenarians and near-centenarians tend to cluster in families. But until the discovery of the apolipoprotein E (ApoE) gene, there was little evidence for a single gene effect large enough to impact human longevity. This discovery has been replicated in many populations, suggests that associations with some genes are large.

Studies of long-lived humans, such as American centenarians, have helped identify other promising genetic loci for longevity and healthy aging. However, these studies are often limited in scope due to small sample sizes, genetic admixture, and inappropriate selection of controls. Some success has been achieved through use of genetically homogeneous populations with smaller gene pools.

Our research group was the first to identify so called "human longevity genes" using centenarians as a study model when we published a study showing that Okinawan centenarians have HLA (human leukocyte antigen) genetic polymorphisms that place them at lower risk for inflammatory and autoimmune diseases (see figure below: Takata et al., Lancet 1987).

We also studied the mortality patterns of centenarian siblings. Past family studies in other populations have shown that there are familial (genetic) components to longevity. That is, longevity tends to run in families. In support of this, we found that a mortality advantage exists for centenarian siblings versus their age-matched birth cohorts. This advantage appears sustained over the course of the siblings' lives. At each 5-year age interval until age 90 years, siblings of Okinawan centenarians maintained approximately a 50% lower mortality risk. This resulted in an average of 11.8 years extra lifespan compared to their age-matched birth cohort. The sustained mortality advantage over the life course provides further evidence that human longevity has an important genetic component since most environmental mortality advantages, such as education, diminish or disappear completely in older age groups (see figure below from Willcox BJ et al. Siblings of Okinawan centenarians exhibit lifelong mortality advantages. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 2006;61:345-54).

In order to quantify the genetic contribution to Okinawan longevity, we studied the sibling recurrence risk ratio or "lambda of sib (ls)" in siblings of Okinawan centenarians. This is a calculation that has been shown to give a rough idea of how important genes might be to a given phenotype, such as a disease, or even to something more complex like human longevity.

We analyzed a population-based sample of 348 Okinawan centenarians (born between 1874 and 1902) and 969 of their siblings (507 females and 462 males) to explore the feasibility of a genome-wide study of Okinawan longevity. The ls for Okinawan centenarians was 6.5 (95% confidence interval: 3.9-10.7) for females and 5.1 (95% confidence interval: 1.8-14.2) for males, respectively. The weighted sex-combined ls was 6.3. These estimates in Okinawans appear to be higher than those obtained in past work on U.S. Caucasians. For example, a study of the familial component of longevity in Utah families estimated the ls to be 2.3. This suggests an important genetic component to Okinawan longevity and supports further work on the genetics of healthy aging and longevity in this population (see Willcox BJ et al., Substantial advantage for longevity in siblings of Okinawan centenarians. Genetic Epidemiology). 2005;29:286.

Does this mean that Okinawan longevity is all genetic? Not at all. We believe the Okinawans have both genetic and non-genetic longevity advantages -- the best combination. In fact, we have written extensively that the Okinawan traditional way of life -- the dietary habits, the physical activity, the psychological and social aspects, all play an important role in Okinawan longevity.

While most studies of humans have suggested that about a third of human longevity is due to genetics, this depends on the age, sex, ethnicity and environment of the study population. For example, studies of "model organisms" of aging, such as rodents, who share many of the same genes as humans, have shown that single genes can influence lifespan by 50% or more. On the other hand, studies of lifestyle interventions, such as eating fewer calories (a.k.a. "caloric restriction") have shown that this dietary intervention can also yield increases in lifespan of a similar magnitude (see Willcox DC et al., Caloric restriction and human longevity: what can we learn from the Okinawans? Biogerontology. 2006;7:173-77). The key is to study both genetic and non-genetic (environmental) factors and ultimately "gene-environment" interactions that lead to healthy longevity.

One of the most durable theories of aging is the free radical theory. This theory postulates that damage from free radicals (unstable molecules), generated mainly from metabolizing food into energy, ultimately damages vital body molecules (tissue, DNA, etc.). This damage accumulates with time until, like an old car, we fall apart. In support of this theory, one of the most important findings in free-radical research has been that eating fewer calories increases life span (Sohal RS, et al. Science 1996;273:59-63; Heilbronn LK, et al. Am J Clin Nutr 2003;78:361-9). The initial evidence that this may work in humans has been indirect and based on observation of the low caloric intake of the Okinawans and their long life expectancy (Willcox DC, et al. Biogerontology 2006). More direct evidence suggests that Okinawans following the traditional ways have low blood levels of free radicals. The elders had significantly lower levels of lipid peroxide-compelling evidence that they suffer less free-radical-induced damage. This may indicate healthier lifestyles but may also be due to gene variants that result in lower blood levels of free radicals. This is currently under investigation.

Levels of Lipid Peroxides in Okinawan Centenarians and Septuagenarians

Elderly Okinawans were found to have impressively young, clean arteries, low cholesterol, and low homocysteine levels when compared to Westerners. These factors help reduce their risk for coronary heart disease by up to 80% and keep stroke levels low.

Their healthy arteries appear to be in large part due to their lifestyle: diet, regular exercise, moderate alcohol use, avoidance of smoking, blood pressure control, and a stress-minimizing psychospiritual outlook. However, there are also potential genetic aspects such as lower fibrinogen levels possibly due to differences in fibrinogen-related genes. A recent autopsy study that we conducted on a centenarian demonstrated that her coronary arteries were virtually free of atherosclerotic plague (Bernstein, Willcox et al. JGMS 2004).

The chart to the right indicates that the higher the plasma homocysteine (a new risk factor) level is, the more people suffer from cardiovascular disease. Homocysteine is an amino acid that causes damage to arterial walls. It is higher in people who don't get enough folate (e.g. green leafy vegetables) and vitamins B6, B12 but low in Okinawans.

Okinawans are at extremely low risk for hormone-dependent cancers including cancers of the breast, prostate, ovaries, and colon. Compared to North Americans, they have 80% less breast cancer and prostate cancer, and less than half the ovarian and colon cancers. Some of the most important factors that may protect against those cancers include low caloric intake, high vegetables/fruits consumption, higher intake of good fats (omega-3, mono-unsaturated fat), high fiber diet, high flavonoid intake, low body fat level, and high level of physical activity.

Hormone-Dependent Cancer Risk

Yearly Cancer Deaths (per 100,000 people)

Adapted from World Health Organization 1996; Japan Ministry of Health and Welfare 1996

NK, a typical healthy centenarian was reported to be in particularly good health, completely independent, and still farming. He is shown here getting his bone density tested by heel bone ultrasound.

Okinawans have about 20% fewer hip fractures than do mainland Japanese, and Japanese have about 40% fewer hip fractures than Americans (Ross PD, et al. Am J Epidemiol 1991;133:801-9). Our research on Okinawan elders showed that their bone density, when adjusted for body size, is similar to Americans, and like the rest of us they continue to lose bone mass as they get older, but possibly at a slower rate. We compared bone mineral density in a group of Okinawans to two groups from mainland Japan and found that by age forty for women and age fifty for men the groups began to diverge. The Japanese began to lose significantly more calcium from their bones than the Okinawans, suggesting the Okinawans preserve their bone density at healthy levels for longer periods of time than other Japanese (Suzuki M, et al. Japanese J Bone Res 1995;63:166-72). Protective lifestyle factors that may play a role here include high calcium intake by Okinawans in both food and their natural drinking water, high vitamin D levels from exposure to sunlight, increased physical activity, especially at older ages, and high intake of dietary flavonoids (estrogenic compounds from plant foods).

Prevalence surveys suggest that the dementia rate is fairly low among the Okinawan elderly, compared to other elderly populations. Even into their late 90s Okinawans suffered lower dementia rates than reported for comparable populations in the United States and elsewhere.

Photo: 97 year old karate master Seikichi Uehara

Okinawan centenarians have been lean throughout their extraordinarily long lives, with an average body mass index (BMI) that ranged from 18 to 22 (lean is less than 23). The Okinawans have traditionally kept eating a low-calorie, low glycemic load diet, practicing calorie control in a cultural habit known as hara hachi bu (only eating until they are 80% full), and keeping physically active the natural way. Particular exercise interventions are under study for their role in healthy aging.

Women's health and aging is one of our research interests. For example, women in Okinawa tend to experience menopause naturally and nonpharmacologically with fewer complications such as hot flashes, hip fractures, or coronary heart disease. Lifestyle determinants include diet, avoidance of smoking and exercise in the form of dance, soft martial arts, walking and gardening. Okinawan women also have a very high intake of natural estrogens through their diet, mainly from the large quantities of soy they consume. Soy contains phytoestrogens, or plant estrogens called flavonoids. The other important major phytoestrogens are lignans, which are derived from flax and other grains. All plants, especially legumes (beans, peas), onions, and broccoli, contain these natural estrogens, but not nearly in the same quantity as soy and flax. Recent double-blind placebo controlled studies support the ability of soy isoflavones to slow the bone loss (Alekel D, et al. Am J Clin Nutr 2001;72:844-52) and hot flashes (Albertazzi P, et al. Obstet Gynecol 1998;91:6-11) that occur with menopause.

Okinawan elders may have higher levels of sex hormones, including natural DHEA, estrogen, and testosterone than similarly aged Americans, suggesting that the Okinawans are physiologically younger. DHEA is a steroid produced in the human adrenal gland, and some studies suggest that it may help ameliorate the ravages of aging. However, taking DHEA supplements could increase risk for breast and other cancers so we do not recommend taking DHEA supplements. More supported by the scientific literature is that DHEA levels decline in direct ratio with age, so it may be a good marker of biological age. Okinawans appear to have higher DHEA levels than similarly aged Americans suggesting that Okinawans may age slower than Americans. As Okinawans age, both sexes maintain remarkably higher levels of estrogen which may help protect against heart disease and osteoporosis. Testosterone is the male equivalent of estrogen. Higher endogenous levels increase our muscle mass and our body hair, deepen our voices, and control our libidos, among other functions. This hormone also appears higher in older Okinawan men. Cross-national population studies are needed to confirm these differences and their biological significance.

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The Okinawa Centenarian Study : Evidence based gerontology

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NEW modern technology - activating autologous stem cells and replacing damaged cells

Patient from Portugal, 44 years old. Diagnosed Multiple Sclerosis.

In December 2012 his condition exacerbated. He started using wheelchairs. His disease progressed. He was not able to walk. He was not able to see. Nine months of usual treatments for MS accompanied by chemotherapy did not help. Then he found Swiss Medica Stem Cell Clinic. Stem celltreatment started immediately. One month later he was able to walk again.

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Holistic medicine considers a person to be a functional unit. The disease symptoms are signs of disruption in the system of the body. By activating the bodys ability of self-regulation we can eliminate this disruption. In Swiss Medica XXI Century S.A. we seek the cause of the disease, and provide a setting: to allow the body to use its own powers of self-healing to overcome the disease.

Our primary task is to make your own cells treat your own body. We use advanced technology to activate dormant cells (adipose mesenchymal stem cells) to differentiate into the cells we need, and then to replace the damaged cells. Symptoms become less prominent and disappear.

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Updated December 10, 2014.

Certain arthritic conditions can affect parts of the body other than the joints. For example, tendons, muscles, and skin can become inflamed and painful.

Some rheumatic conditions can affect internal organs and result in debilitating or even life-threatening complications.

The two most common types of arthritis are osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. While they are both classified as arthritis, osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis are very different and must be distinguished.

Many people believe arthritis is a disease that only affects old people. In fact, arthritis can affect anyone at any age, including children. The incidence of arthritis increases with age, but nearly 3 out of 5 people with arthritis are under age 65.

If left undiagnosed and untreated, many types of arthritis can cause irreversible damage to the joints, bones, organs, and skin. It is essential to be diagnosed early in the course of the disease and treated appropriately. Knowing your type of arthritis is essential.

Osteoarthritis, also known as degenerative joint disease, results from wear and tear on the joint. Cartilage damage develops which can lead to decreased joint function. The first signs of osteoarthritis are:

Usually, osteoarthritis onset is subtle and gradual, involving one or only a few joints. The joints most often affected are the:

The risk of developing osteoarthritis increases with age. Other risk factors include: joint injury, obesity, and repetitive use of the joint.

Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease which occurs when the body's own immune system mistakenly attacks the synovium (cell lining inside the joint). Rheumatoid arthritis is an inflammatory type of arthritis, chronic and potentially disabling. The first signs of the disease are:

While the cause remains elusive, doctors suspect that genetic factors play some role in predisposition to the disease. But there is more than genetic predisposition. It is thought that there are also environmental triggers for rheumatoid arthritis.

Juvenile arthritis is a general term for all types of arthritis that occur in children, 16 years old or younger. Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis is the most prevalent type of arthritis in children. There are three major types of JRA:

Signs and symptoms of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis vary from child to child. No single test can conclusively establish a diagnosis. Juvenile arthritis must be present consistently for six or more consecutive weeks before a correct diagnosis can be made.

Psoriatic arthritis is similar to rheumatoid arthritis. About 5% of people with psoriasis (a chronic skin disease) also develop psoriatic arthritis. In psoriatic arthritis, there is inflammation of the joints and sometimes the spine.

Fibromyalgia syndrome is a painful condition characterized by:

Fibromyalgia is characterized by pain in the muscles, ligaments and tendons. Fibromyalgia is a type of soft tissue or muscular rheumatism and does not cause joint deformities.

Gout is a painful type of arthritis that causes sudden, severe attacks of pain, tenderness, redness, warmth, and swelling in the joints, especially the big toe. The pain and swelling associated with gout are caused by uric acid crystals that precipitate out of the blood and are deposited in the joint.

Pseudogout, which is also known as Calcium Pyrophosphate Dihydrate Deposition Disease (CPPD), is caused by deposits of calcium phosphate crystals (not uric acid) in the joints. CPPD is often mistaken for gouty arthritis. Since CPPD is a different disease than gout, treatment is not the same.

Scleroderma is a disease of the body's connective tissue that causes thickening and hardening of the skin. It can also affect the:

There are two types of scleroderma: localized and generalized (systemic).

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease that can involve the:

Symptoms vary, but may include skin rash, arthritis, fever, anemia, fatigue, hair loss, mouth ulcers, and kidney problems. Symptoms usually first appear in women of childbearing age, but, can occur in children or older people. About 90% of people affected are women.

Carpal tunnel syndrome is caused by pressure on the median nerve at the wrist which causes tingling and numbness in the fingers. It can begin suddenly or gradually and can be associated with other diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis -- or it may be unrelated to other disorders.

Ankylosing spondylitis, a chronic inflammatory disease of the spine, can cause the vertebrae to fuse, producing a rigid spine. Other joints, besides the spine, may become involved.

Spondylitis is a result of inflammation which usually starts in tissue outside the joint. Common, early symptoms of spondylitis involve low back pain and stiffness which may continue for months.

The exact cause is still unknown, but, most people with spondylitis have a genetic marker known as HLA-B27. Having this genetic marker does not mean a person will develop spondylitis, but people with the marker are more likely to develop the disease. Ankylosing spondylitis usually affects men between the ages of 16 and 35, but it can also affect women.

Bursitis is a condition caused by inflammation of the bursa sacs. Bursae are the fluid-filled sacs located in the areas where muscles and tendons glide over the bones. Tendinitis, also spelled tendonitis, is characterized by inflammation of a tendon. Tendons connect muscles to bones.

Infectious arthritis is a form of joint inflammation caused by bacteria, viruses or fungi. Diagnosis is made by culturing the organism from the joint.

Reactive arthritis, also called Reiter's syndrome, involves inflammation in the joints, and sometimes where ligaments and tendons attach to bones.

Sjogren's syndrome is characterized by dysfunction of the moisture-producing glands causing dryness of the mouth and eyes. Other parts of the body may also be affected, resulting in a wide range of symptoms.

Osteoporosis results in loss of bone tissue, leaving bones less dense and prone to fracture. Osteoporosis is a silent disease that can often be prevented.

Sources:

Arthritis: Timely Treatments for An Ageless Disease, FDA Consumer, May-June 2000

Do I Have Arthritis? NIAMS. March 2010.

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An Overview of Arthritis

Arthritis is the of one or more . Classic symptoms of arthritis include joint pain, swelling, stiffness, and redness. However, there are over 100 types of arthritis with varying manifestations.

Arthritis may be due to gradual wear and tear on the joints or result from an autoimmune disorder. It may be triggered by injury (such as a fracture) or infection (, , or ). A person may have more than one type of arthritis.

Arthritis affects both sexes and all ethnicities. Most types are more common in adults, but arthritis can occur at any age and can affect joints in many different parts of the body. Some specific types of arthritis include:

Some organizations classify fibromyalgia, Sjogren syndrome, scleroderma, and lupus (SLE) as types of arthritis as well.

Laboratory tests can be useful in diagnosing these forms of arthritis and/or ruling out other conditions that may cause similar symptoms. For more detailed information on these, click on the linked condition name to go to that article.

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Arthritis - Lab Tests Online

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Arthritis is inflammation of one or more joints. A joint is the area where two bones meet. There are over 100 different types of arthritis.

Joint inflammation; Joint degeneration

Arthritis involves the breakdown of cartilage. Normal cartilage protects a joint and allows it to move smoothly. Cartilage also absorbs shock when pressure is placed on the joint, such as when you walk. Without the normal amount of cartilage, the bones rub together. This causes, swelling (inflammation), and stiffness.

Joint inflammation may result from:

In most cases, the joint inflammation goes away after the cause goes away or is treated. Sometimes it does not. When this happens, you have chronic arthritis. Arthritis may occur in men or women. Osteoarthritis is the most common type.

Other, more common types of arthritis include:

Arthritis causes joint pain, swelling, stiffness, and limited movement. Symptoms can include:

The health care provider will perform a physical exam and ask questions about your medical history.

The physical exam may show:

Some types of arthritis may cause joint deformity. This may be a sign of severe, untreated rheumatoid arthritis.

Blood tests and joint x-rays are often done to check for infection and other causes of arthritis.

Your doctor may also remove a sample of joint fluid with a needle and send it to a lab to be checked.

The goal of treatment is to reduce pain, improve function, and prevent further joint damage. The underlying cause often cannot be cured.

LIFESTYLE CHANGES

Lifestyle changes are the preferred treatment for osteoarthritis and other types of joint swelling. Exercise can help relieve stiffness, reduce pain and fatigue, and improve muscle and bone strength. Your health care team can help you design an exercise program that is best for you.

Exercise programs may include:

Your health care provider may suggest physical therapy. This might include:

Other things you can do include:

Apply capsaicin cream over your painful joints. You may feel improvement after applying the cream for 3 to 7 days.

Lose weight, if you are overweight. Weight loss can greatly improve joint pain in the legs and feet.

MEDICINES

Medicines may be prescribed along with lifestyle changes. All medicines have some risks. You should be closely followed by a doctor when taking arthritis medicines.

Over-the-counter medicines:

Prescription medicines:

It is very important to take your medicines as directed by your doctor. If you are having problems doing so (for example, because of side effects), you should talk to your doctor. Also make sure your doctor knows about all the medicines you are taking, including vitamins and supplements bought without a prescription.

SURGERY AND OTHER TREATMENTS

In some cases, surgery may be done if other treatments have not worked. This may include:

A few arthritis-related disorders can be completely cured with proper treatment.

Most forms of arthritis however are long-term (chronic) conditions.

Complications of arthritis include:

Call your doctor if:

Your joint pain persists beyond 3 days.

You have severe unexplained joint pain.

The affected joint is significantly swollen.

You have a hard time moving the joint.

Your skin around the joint is red or hot to the touch.

You have a fever or have lost weight unintentionally.

Early diagnosis and treatment can help prevent joint damage. If you have a family history of arthritis, tell your doctor, even if you do not have joint pain.

Avoiding excessive, repeated motions may help protect you against osteoarthritis.

Hunter DJ, Lo GH. The management of osteoarthritis: an overview and call to appropriate conservative treatment. Med Clin North Am. 2009;93:127-43, xi.

Huizinga TW, Pincus T. In the clinic. Rheumatoid arthritis. Ann Intern Med. 2010 Jul 6;153(1):ITC1-1-ITC1-15.

Neustadt DH. Osteoarthritis. In: Bope ET, Kellerman RD, eds. Conn's Current Therapy 2013. 1st ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier; 2012:chap 9.

ODell JR. Treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis. In: Firestein GS, Budd RC, Gabriel SE, et al, eds. Kelley's Textbook of Rheumatology. 9th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier; 2012:chap 71.

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Arthritis | University of Maryland Medical Center

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) Characteristics

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) includes individuals with a range of symptoms, abilities, and levels of impairment. Some children with autism are very high-functioning, communicating with others and performing well at school, while others experience significant impairment and remain highly dependent on caregivers.

Symptoms

Exact traits may vary by child, but autism is characterized by the following symptoms:

Social impairment. Kids with autism tend to make less eye contact, fail to respond to people in their environment, avoid sharing enthusiasm about activities by pointing or showing toys to others, and have atypical responses to others emotions. They often fail to reciprocate others emotions and avoid interacting socially with peers or adults.

Communication difficulties. For many children with autism, communication abilities remain a challenge. Early signs of autism include failure to develop age-appropriate gestures (e.g., pointing or waving), slowness in responding to their name, and a sudden stop in babbling after age one. Children show general language delays, having difficulty using complete sentences, substituting special made-up words in conversation, or repeating the same phrase over and over.

Repetitive behaviors. One of the hallmark symptoms of autism spectrum disorder is repetitive behaviors. This might include hand flapping, rocking, or finger flicking. Some children with autism may develop highly focused interests that have an obsessive quality. For example, some kids feel driven to learn as much as possible about trains, dinosaurs, or Star Trek. Interrupting these preoccupations, such as moving a favorite toy train, can be extremely upsetting for a child with autism.

Neurological and Physiological Changes

Researchers continue to explore the neurobiological changes associated with ASD. MRI studies have found that children with autism have some brain areas that are larger than neurotypical children, while other brain areas are smaller. During development, abnormal neuronal growth and problems with pruning of growing neurons may contribute to these differences.

Specifically, many children with autism have changes in the temporal lobe. This lobe is important for language processing, attention, empathy, facial processing, and social abilities. Changes in the structure and function of the temporal lobe may underlie autistic kids difficulties connecting socially, showing appropriate emotions, and communicating with others.

A recent study has also found that brain chemicals differ between neurotypical children and those with ASD. In early childhood, kids with autism have lower levels of an important brain chemical called N-acetylaspartate (NAA). NAA is thought to help with efficient nerve impulse transmission and the creation of connections between neurons.

Two recurring conditions associated with autism spectrum disorder are decreased oxygenation to certain areas of the brain and gastrointestinal problems. Many researchers believe that immune system dysfunction may contribute to these issues, providing a potential treatment target addressed by stem cell therapy.

Causes of Autism Spectrum Disorder

Understanding the causes of autism spectrum disorder is an ongoing effort by research scientists worldwide. Although the causes of autism remain poorly understood, some clues exist.

1) Genetic factors. While specific genes have not been characterized, genetic risk factors play a role in the development of autism. A child who has siblings with autism is more likely to be diagnosed with the disorder. Furthermore, autism rates are higher among people with certain genetic disorders, including untreated phenylketonuria (PKU) and Fragile X syndrome.

2) Prenatal environment. Environmental factors occurring before birth may increase autism risk. For example, viral infections during pregnancy, congenital rubella, gestational diabetes, obesity, and exposure to alcohol or drugs may increase the likelihood that a child develops autism.

3) Postnatal environment. After birth, several factors may increase the risk of autism. Exposure to heavy metals, gastrointestinal problems, metabolic imbalances, changes in detoxification pathways, and autoimmune diseases may contribute to autism risk. The popular media has reported about the connection between vaccines and autism, and there are twenty-two small studies supporting this link. However, controlled studies have provided no convincing scientific evidence to support the vaccine-autism connection.

How Can Stem Cell Treatment Help? Autism spectrum disorder (ASD)

Purpose of Stem Cell Therapy

Stem cell therapy is a new advance in the treatment of autism spectrum disorder. At World Stem Cells Clinic in Cancun, experienced physicians perform a comprehensive assessment of your childs condition and recommend individualized treatment plans. In addition to performing the typical behavioral and biomedical treatment approaches for autism, stem cells are used to restore normal functioning. World Stem Cells Clinic uses the ATEC form, which has been used to evaluate ASD youngsters for both staging and statistically relevant changes. It has a history dating back to 2000, with continued relevance for anyone wishing to evaluate the level of symptom change following a therapy.

Clinical research studies suggest that using stem cells from bone marrow, adipose and other sources selected may address metabolic problems that contribute to ASD. Many children with autism have immunological problems, gastrointestinal issues, and increased inflammation. With stem cell therapy, these problems can be addressed to reduce autism symptoms, as we have seen in many of our patients.

Battling Autism With The Therapy

A person suffering from Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) can undergo stem cell therapy for autism in USA. These persons have a number of symptoms including impairment disability and need constant supervision. Stem cell therapy has opened new avenues in treatment procedures of autism. It can not only rectify the behavioral or biomedical approaches but also help autistic patients to function normally. It has helped in decreasing digestive and inflammatory problems. Although further research is needed but studies have suggested stem cell therapy can address the problem of high metabolism among these patients that will reduce the autism symptoms.

Treatment Outcomes Autism spectrum disorder (ASD)

After stem cell therapy at World Stem Cells Clinic, patients show improvements in perception, cognitive abilities, and fine motor skills. This may address several of the problems seen in children with autism, including social impairment and repetitive behaviors. World Stem Cells Clinic has seen the following improvements following stem cell therapy:

1. Improved digestion and a decrease in inflammatory problems.

2. Better tolerance to a variety of foods. Many children start trying new foods and liking them.

3. Improvements in behavior at home, school, and elsewhere.

4. Better quality and easier contact with the child (including improved eye contact and attention span). Children start looking at objects with interest.

5. Improved self-care skills, including ability to dress themselves and be potty trained.

6. Eating with utensils instead of the hands.

7. Diminished or no fear of loud noises, strangers, and bright colors

8. Children that are non-verbal begin making sounds, pronouncing syllables, and saying words. Non-verbal children develop larger vocabularies.

9. Development or improvement in writing skills.

10. Better sleeping habits

11. Improved attention span, concentration and interaction with other people.

12. A new life and hope for the family wanting their children to be self sufficient when they grow up.

HELP US HELP THEM!

Treatment Phases

Each patient undergoes a thorough assessment for stem cell therapy by trained medical staff, resulting in an individualized treatment plan that addresses any special needs. A typical course of treatment includes:

Day 1

Our physicians conduct a thorough physical, behavioral, and psychological assessment. We will collect a small blood sample and administer cell expansion medication. After we answer any questions and address relevant concerns, you will return to your hotel for a good nights sleep.

Day 2

Our physicians will review the laboratory results to determine whether your cell count is in the appropriate range. Depending on the results, you may undergo cell harvesting and processing. If your cell count is not adequate, we will provide additional medications or treatments to increase cell count.

Day 3

Board certified specialists physicians will harvest a bone marrow or adipose sample. In children and adolescents our protocol is carried out under inhalatory sedation, while adults only requirelocal anesthetics. Although you may feel some pain upon needle insertion, the entire procedure takes less than30 minutes and is generally pain-free. After the procedure, you may return to the hotel, with minimalrestrictions. The bone marrow or adipose sample is processed in our state-of-the-art laboratory by trained staff supervised by a lab physician.

Day 4

You will be treated by IV infusion and/or a lumbar puncture. These procedures inject the stem cells into the cerebrospinal fluid, allowing them to travel through the spinal canal directly into the brain. This eliminates restrictions imposed by the blood-brain barrier, increasing the efficacy of the stem cell therapy. You may be required to spend the day at the hospital or hotel, restricting your activities.

Day 5

Our physicians will conduct a thorough post-treatment examination and evaluate you prior to your release. We may employ additional ancillary treatments to maximize the effectiveness of the stem cell therapy.

What Makes Our Treatment Unique?

Unlike typical approaches to autism spectrum disorder treatment, which rely on psychological methods and medications that may be ineffective or cause side effects, our stem cell approach addresses what we think may be the root problems of autism. Prior to collection of the cells, we stimulate growth and assess the implantation potential of your sample. This ensures that you will receive the best possible outcomes, making a positive impact on your condition. Furthermore, our staff physicians are board-certified and have decades of experience in their specialties.

Your experience at World Stem Cells Clinic includes an open registry to monitor your treatment progress, information about the latest advances in stem cell research, and future assessments to evaluate your treatment gains. This is not just a one-stop treatment it is an ongoing relationship designed to help each patient experience improvement in his or her spectrum of dysfunction. Furthermore, we offer bilingual staff members, travel support, and excellent lodging options to make your stay as comfortable as possible. Our research-based treatment, world class physicians, and exceptional standards for patient care set World Stem Cells Clinic apart.

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Stem Cell Therapy For Autism In USA World Stem Cells