StemCell Therapy

Format: Paperback

This novel is one of the best books that I have read all year. Saramago's concept of a world caught up in a disease of blindness was a brilliant one, but his accomplishments in making this event seem plausible are superior. The book's entire structure adds to the blind quality of the novel: The characters are unnamed, save for a vague moniker that breifly describes them (example: the girl with dark glasses, the old man with the black eye patch). The dialogue is unquoted and placed within the text, virtually unmarked. Chapters are unnamed, and the text is written in large, lengthy paragraphs, mimicking the fact that sensations would come with no breaks, that all would seem as one. The book's only downfall is its occasional difficulty. Though the prose is simply, elegantly written in a somewhat sparse style, its blocky format can be too much for some readers to handle at a time. As well, the unquoted, often unattributed dialogue can become confusing after a lengthy passage of conversation, as the reader is unable to tell who is speaking. Besides these minor pitfalls, this book truly resembles a modern retelling of many mythological stories, but with a tragically human bent that draws the readers in and makes them feel a part of the action. An excellent, thought-provoking read, worthy of any bibliophile's library. Enjoy.

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Blindness (Harvest Book): Jose Saramago: Amazon.com: Books

No Chemicals on My Face PLEASE!

Today it just doesn't make sense to have unsafe preservatives, like parabens, and other chemicals in your skin care. Your skin literally drinks up what you put on it. When I read some of the ingredients on those other products, I just can't imagine putting it on my skin.

We GUARANTEE that when you putLUMINESCE products on your face you are getting nothing except the purest all natural ingredients. We have been able to produce the finest anti-aging skin care products available on the market today with ingredients you do want, and nothing else.

We believe in setting a standard others must reach up to. So what's the bottom line?

NO PARABENS. ALL NATURAL INGREDIENTS.

This formula, developed by renowned Cosmetic Surgeon and Dermatologist Dr Nathan Newman, is manufactured usingadult STEM CELL technology.Stem cells have the ability to divide indefinitely. In medicine, stem cells are being studied asREGENERATIVEorREPARATIVEtherapies.

Daily application of LUMINESCE cellular rejuvenation serum results in damagedskin cell repairand newskin tissue regeneration, leaving skin luminous, smooth, and firm. With a noticeable reduction in the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, this advanced skin care formula has shown remarkable and safe results.

Read more about Dr Newman and the exclusive repairing and regeneration Stem Cell Therapy technology that went into this product.Click Here

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LUMINESCE Stem Cell Skin Care

About Banking Stem Cells Banking Stem Cells Mission Statement

This web site is a practical guide for those considering saving stem cells through a stem cell banking service. Furthermore, while it is advisable to become active in the learning and decision making process regarding your own health care, none of the information discussed within this site is recommended and should not be acted upon without the advice of a your primary care physician or other licensed health care provider.

A stem cell is much like an artists blank canvas that has yet to be created. Stem cells have no programming which means they are undifferentiated and can develop and divide into other cells. This leaves endless possibilities for medical treatment. Since stem cells can be harvested from certain parts of the body, such as cord blood stem cells, there is a need for storing or banking stem cells.

Banking stem cells is a process where harvested stem cells are stored in a controlled environment and used later for medical treatment. One of the big draws of stem cell banking is the potential of stem cell therapy. Stem cell therapy is currently in the early stages of development and the future of medical treatment hangs in the balance.

One of the most common types of stem cell banking is banking cord blood. Expecting parents are often presented with the option of banking stem cells from cord blood and will have questions and concerns about the process. Cord blood is rich with stem cells and can be harvested without danger to mother or baby if done correctly.

Have a question or suggestion? Please leave a comment or contact us directly and we will respond to your query.

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About Banking Stem Cells

Highlights

Stem cells have great therapeutic potential.

Vulnerable patients are exploited by clinics offering unproven therapies.

South Africa is vulnerable due to the lack of and inability to enforce legislation.

Ethical/moral and cultural issues need to be considered with new scientific concepts.

Strategies need to be implemented to overcome the stem cell tourism threat.

Stem cells have received much attention globally due in part to the immense therapeutic potential they harbor. Unfortunately, malpractice and exploitation (financial and emotional) of vulnerable patients have also drawn attention to this field as a result of the detrimental consequences experienced by some individuals that have undergone unproven stem cell therapies. South Africa has had limited exposure to stem cells and their applications and, while any exploitation is detrimental to the field of stem cells, South Africa is particularly vulnerable in this regard. The current absence of adequate legislation and the inability to enforce existing legislation, coupled to the sea of misinformation available on the Internet could lead to an increase in illegitimate stem cell practices in South Africa. Circumstances are already precarious because of a lack of understanding of concepts involved in stem cell applications. What is more, credible and easily accessible information is not available to the public. This in turn cultivates fears born out of existing superstitions, cultural beliefs, rituals and practices. Certain cultural or religious concerns could potentially hinder the effective application of stem cell therapies in South Africa and novel ways of addressing these concerns are necessary. Understanding how scientific progress and its implementation will affect each individual and, consequently, the community, will be of cardinal importance to the success of the fields of stem cell therapy and regenerative medicine in South Africa. A failure to understand the ethical, cultural or moral ramifications when new scientific concepts are introduced could hinder the efficacy and speed of bringing discoveries to the patient. Neglecting proper procedure for establishing the field would lead to long delays in gaining public support in South Africa. Understanding the dangers of stem cell tourism where vulnerable patients are subjected to unproven stem cell therapies that have not undergone peer review or been registered with the relevant local authorities becomes imperative so that strategies to overcome this threat can be implemented.

Interest in the field of translational stem cell (SC) research has increased rapidly in the past decade, with exciting and promising research providing hope that cures for previously incurable diseases may well be attainable in the not too distant future. Much of the excitement originates from the ability of SCs to self-renew, replicate and to differentiate into any one of the more than 200 cell types in the body.

Although SC therapy may appear to be a relatively new phenomenon, bone marrow (BM) hematopoietic SCs (HSCs) have in fact been used routinely for more than 50years. SCs are grouped into three categories: embryonic SCs (harvested from a developing blastocyst/embryo produced by in vitro fertilization); adult SCs (harvested from various sources including BM, adipose tissue and umbilical cord blood (UCB)) and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs differentiated cells that have been reverted back to a pluripotent-like state through genetic modification). The best understood are HSCs, which have been successfully applied around the world in BM transplantation for treatments of various conditions including malignant and non-malignant hematological disorders, immune deficiencies and certain genetic disorders. However, with new discoveries of different types of SCs and many potential novel applications, interest in regenerative and translational medicine has increased.

One consequence of this interest has been a dramatic rise globally in companies and clinics that sell stem-cell-related products or services. In addition to improvement in personal health and wellbeing, the increase seen in cellular and molecular medicine creates opportunities for entrepreneurship, business development and employment. South Africa has great potential for the development of translational medicine involving SC therapies (Jackson and Pepper, in press). In light of South Africa's current burden of disease and the potential for job creation, the country certainly stands to gain substantially (individually and as an economy) from these and similar developments. A major concern for the implementation and operation of such companies and clinics would be compliance with national and international regulatory standards with the supposed precondition that appropriate national legislation and governance exist.

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Curbing stem cell tourism in South Africa - ScienceDirect

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Stem cells have the potential to treat a wide range of diseases. Here, discover why these cells are such a powerful tool for treating diseaseand what hurdles experts face before new therapies reach patients.

How can stem cells treat disease? What diseases could be treated by stem cell research? How can I learn more about CIRM-funded research in a particular disease? What cell therapies are available right now? When will therapies based on embryonic stem cells become available? What about the therapies that are available overseas? Why does it take so long to create new therapies? How do scientists get stem cells to specialize into different cell types? How do scientists test stem cell therapies? Can't stem cell therapies increase the chances of a tumor? Is there a risk of immune rejection with stem cells? How do scientists grow stem cells in the right conditions?

When most people think about about stem cells treating disease they think of a stem cell transplant.

In a stem cell transplant, embryonic stem cells are first specialized into the necessary adult cell type. Then, those mature cells replace tissue that is damaged by disease or injury. This type of treatment could be used to:

But embryonic stem cell-based therapies can do much more.

Any of these would have a significant impact on human health without transplanting a single cell.

In theory, theres no limit to the types of diseases that could be treated with stem cell research. Given that researchers may be able to study all cell types via embryonic stem cells, they have the potential to make breakthroughs in any disease.

CIRM has created disease pages for many of the major diseases being targeted by stem cell scientists. You can find those disease pages here.

You can also sort our complete list of CIRM awards to see what we've funded in different disease areas.

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The Power of Stem Cells | California's Stem Cell Agency

En Espaol

The term stem cell by itself can be misleading. In fact, there are many different types of stem cells, each with very different potential to treat disease.

Stem Cell Pluripotent Embryonic Stem Cell Adult Stem Cell iPS Cell Cancer Stem Cell

By definition, all stem cells:

Pluripotent means many "potentials". In other words, these cells have the potential of taking on many fates in the body, including all of the more than 200 different cell types. Embryonic stem cells are pluripotent, as are induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells that are reprogrammed from adult tissues. When scientists talk about pluripotent stem cells they mostly mean either embryonic or iPS cells

Embryonic stem cells come from pluripotent cells, which exist only at the earliest stages of embryonic development. In humans, these cells no longer exist after about five days of development.

When isolated from the embryo and grown in a lab dish, pluripotent cells can continue dividing indefinitely. These cells are known as embryonic stem cells.

James Thomson, a professor of Anatomy at the University of Wisconsin, isolated the first human embryonic stem cells in 1998. He now shares a joint appointment at the University of California, Santa Barbara, a CIRM-funded institution.

What people commonly call adult stem cells are more accurately called tissue-specific stem cells. These are specialized cells found in tissues of adults, children and fetuses. They are thought to exist in most of the bodys tissues and organs.

Adult stem cells are committed to becoming a cell from their tissue of origin, but they still have the broad ability to become a subset of adult cell types. For example:

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Stem Cell Key Terms | California's Stem Cell Agency

Embryonic stem cells (ES cells) are pluripotent stem cells derived from the inner cell mass of a blastocyst, an early-stage preimplantation embryo.[1][2] Human embryos reach the blastocyst stage 45 days post fertilization, at which time they consist of 50150 cells. Isolating the embryoblast or inner cell mass (ICM) results in destruction of the blastocyst, which raises ethical issues, including whether or not embryos at the pre-implantation stage should be considered to have the same moral status as more developed human beings.[3][4]

Human ES cells measure approximately 14 m while mouse ES cells are closer to 8 m.[5]

Embryonic stem cells, derived from the blastocyst stage early mammalian embryos, are distinguished by their ability to differentiate into any cell type and by their ability to propagate. Embryonic stem cell's properties include having a normal karyotype, maintaining high telomerase activity, and exhibiting remarkable long-term proliferative potential.

Embryonic stem cells of the inner cell mass are pluripotent, that is, they are able to differentiate to generate primitive ectoderm, which ultimately differentiates during gastrulation into all derivatives of the three primary germ layers: ectoderm, endoderm, and mesoderm. These include each of the more than 220 cell types in the adult body. Pluripotency distinguishes embryonic stem cells from adult stem cells found in adults; while embryonic stem cells can generate all cell types in the body, adult stem cells are multipotent and can produce only a limited number of cell types. If the pluripotent differentiation potential of embryonic stem cells could be harnessed in vitro, it might be a means of deriving cell or tissue types virtually to order. This would provide a radical new treatment approach to a wide variety of conditions where age, disease, or trauma has led to tissue damage or dysfunction.

Additionally, under defined conditions, embryonic stem cells are capable of propagating themselves indefinitely in an undifferentiated state and have the capacity when provided with the appropriate signals to differentiate, presumably via the formation of precursor cells, to almost all mature cell phenotypes.[6] This allows embryonic stem cells to be employed as useful tools for both research and regenerative medicine, because they can produce limitless numbers of themselves for continued research or clinical use.

Because of their plasticity and potentially unlimited capacity for self-renewal, Embryonic stem cell therapies have been proposed for regenerative medicine and tissue replacement after injury or disease. Diseases that could potentially be treated by pluripotent stem cells include a number of blood and immune-system related genetic diseases, cancers, and disorders; juvenile diabetes; Parkinson's; blindness and spinal cord injuries. Besides the ethical concerns of stem cell therapy (see stem cell controversy), there is a technical problem of graft-versus-host disease associated with allogeneic stem cell transplantation. However, these problems associated with histocompatibility may be solved using autologous donor adult stem cells, therapeutic cloning. The therapeutic cloning done by a method called somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) may be advantageous against mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) mutated diseases.[7] Stem cell banks or more recently by reprogramming of somatic cells with defined factors (e.g. induced pluripotent stem cells). Embryonic stem cells provide hope that it will be possible to overcome the problems of donor tissue shortage and also, by making the cells immunocompatible with the recipient. Other potential uses of embryonic stem cells include investigation of early human development, study of genetic disease and as in vitro systems for toxicology testing.

According to a 2002 article in PNAS, "Human embryonic stem cells have the potential to differentiate into various cell types, and, thus, may be useful as a source of cells for transplantation or tissue engineering."[8]

Current research focuses on differentiating ES into a variety of cell types for eventual use as cell replacement therapies (CRTs). Some of the cell types that have or are currently being developed include cardiomyocytes (CM), neurons, hepatocytes, bone marrow cells, islet cells and endothelial cells.[9] However, the derivation of such cell types from ESs is not without obstacles and hence current research is focused on overcoming these barriers. For example, studies are underway to differentiate ES in to tissue specific CMs and to eradicate their immature properties that distinguish them from adult CMs.[10] Lately,two teams in San Diegos ViaCyte and Bostons Harvard University successively announced their progress on embryonic stem cells for curing diabetes, which was suggested to be the beginning of the golden age of stem cell therapeutics.[11]

Besides in the future becoming an important alternative to organ transplants, ES are also being used in field of toxicology and as cellular screens to uncover new chemical entities (NCEs) that can be developed as small molecule drugs. Studies have shown that cardiomyocytes derived from ES are validated in vitro models to test drug responses and predict toxicity profiles.[9] ES derived cardiomyocytes have been shown to respond to pharmacological stimuli and hence can be used to assess cardiotoxicity like Torsades de Pointes.[12]

ES-derived hepatocytes are also useful models that could be used in the preclinical stages of drug discovery. However, the development of hepatocytes from ES has proven to be challenging and this hinders the ability to test drug metabolism. Therefore, current research is focusing on establishing fully functional ES-derived hepatocytes with stable phase I and II enzyme activity.[13]

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Embryonic stem cell - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Stem Cell Therapy

Stem cell treatment and stem cell therapy may be considered controversial and are, perhaps, viewed as akin to science fiction by some people. However, stem cell treatments have been used regularly in veterinary practice since 2003 for the repair of bone and tissue damage, and have a wealth of research highlighting their efficacy in both humans and other animals. Stem cells are found in plentiful supply in embryonic tissue, but are also found in adult tissues. These cells have the ability to self-renew, giving rise to countless generations of new cells with varying abilities to differentiate into specific cell types. By introducing stem cells into an area of damage or pathology, the body can be encouraged to repair and renew regardless of how old the trauma is. Stem cells also show application for inhibiting the death of cells (apoptosis) through disease, making them candidates for use in treating degenerative illnesses such as Lou Gehrigs disease, Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinsons disease and Alzheimers.

Stem cells from embryos are considered more flexible in terms of their ability to become either new liver cells, new neurons, new skin cells, and so on, whereas adult stem cells tend to be more restricted to the tissue type from which they were taken. New research is showing that this might not necessarily have to remain the case however, with the plasticity of adult stem cells now under investigation. Stem cell use carries little risk of the resulting tissues being rejected, it appears safe, efficient, and almost endless in its possibilities for application.

Potential Stem Cell Treatments

Conditions such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, spinal cord injury, and cancer, among others, are considered possible candidates for stem cell treatment. Cures for some of these diseases could be closer than previously thought with clinical trials already showing impressive results where stem cells have been used in cases thought intractable. The rapid rate of progression in research and clinical use means that some of the controversial issues, such as the use of embryos as a source of stem cells, have been overcome, with governments around the globe subtly altering their legal policies in order to accommodate new scientific advances. In the US, Bill Clinton was the first president to have to consider the legal issues surrounding stem cells, and subsequent presidents have been forced to readdress the issues time and again in line with medical discoveries. Worldwide, governments have remained generally cautious over the use of this technology but are gradually improving funding access, whilst keeping an eye on the ethics of stem cell treatment, in order to explore the tremendous benefits that appear possible. The credibility of research remains a concern, with some stem cell studies discredited by ethics committees after initial general acceptance of their veracity.

Stem cells may be garnered from living adult donors and, indeed, already are in the case of bone marrow transplants. More usually they are taken from discarded embryos leftover after IVF treatment, or from the placenta after birth. Previously the removal of stem cells resulted in the destruction of these embryos, but now it is possible for scientists to remove the stem cells without this occurring. This development negates some of the criticism faced by the technology from religious groups and ethical bodies over the sanctity of life and the attribution of sentience and autonomy to embryos, gametes, and the foetus. Clearly, some debate remains about these issues in relation to stem cell research, but recent improvements in methodology may remove the need for these considerations completely. Clinicians have demonstrated the possibility of taking adult stem cells and seemingly teaching them to become cells of a different type to their site of removal, effectively returning them to a similar state to that of the embryonic stem cell. Whilst stem cells from embryos remain more reliable and more economical to work with, the use of adult tissue-derived stem cells could revolutionize the research in this field.

As well as stem cell use in pathology and disease, there are also applications in personal aesthetics such as the regeneration of hair follicles and an end to baldness through stem cell treatment. Stem cells are also considered useful in regenerating the skin after injury, without the scarring usually associated with repair. There are reports of paralyzed patients becoming mobile after years in a wheelchair through the use of stem cells injected into the spinal cord, and the rapid disappearance of tumors in brain tissue after stem cells were injected.

Stem cell treatment provides an exciting possibility to change the face of modern medicine, alleviating pain and suffering, and improving the prognosis for millions withe diseases previously thought incurable.

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Stem Cell Treatment Stem Cell Therapy Stem Cell Research

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

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

Stem Cell Therapy Options

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

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

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

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

The Trip

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

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Panama Stem Cell Therapy - BetterHealthGuy.com

COMPARE CORD BLOOD BANKS

Choosing the right stem cell bank for your family is rarely a quick decision. But when you review the facts, you may find it much easier than you expected. Keep Reading >

1. The collection of cord blood can only take place at the time of delivery, and advanced arrangements must be made.

Cord blood is collected from the umbilical cord immediately after a babys birth, but generally before the placenta has been delivered. The moment of delivery is the only opportunity to harvest a newborns stem cells.

2. There is no risk and no pain for the mother or the baby.

The cord blood is taken from the cord once it has been clamped and cut. Collection is safe for both vaginal and cesarean deliveries. 3. The body often accepts cord blood stem cells better than those from bone marrow.

Cord blood stem cells have a high rate of engraftment, are more tolerant of HLA mismatches, result in a reduced rate of graft-versus-host disease, and are rarely contaminated with latent viruses.

4. Banked cord blood is readily accessible, and there when you need it.

Matched stem cells, which are necessary for transplant, are difficult to obtain due to strict matching requirements. If your childs cord blood is banked, no time is wasted in the search and matching process required when a transplant is needed. 5. Cells taken from your newborn are collected just once, and last for his or her lifetime.

For example, in the event your child contracts a disease, which must be treated with chemotherapy or radiation, there is a probability of a negative impact on the immune system. While an autologous (self) transplant may not be appropriate for every disease, there could be a benefit in using the preserved stem cells to bolster and repopulate your childs blood and immune system as a result of complications from other treatments.

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Stem Cell Research - Stem Cell Treatments - Treatments ...

Inbred redirects here. For the 2011 British film, see Inbred (film).

Inbreeding is the production of offspring from the mating or breeding of individuals or organisms that are closely related genetically, in contrast to outcrossing, which refers to mating unrelated individuals.[1] By analogy, the term is used in human reproduction, but more commonly refers to the genetic disorders and other consequences that may arise from incestuous sexual relationships and consanguinity.

Inbreeding results in homozygosity, which can increase the chances of offspring being affected by recessive or deleterious traits.[2] This generally leads to a decreased biological fitness of a population[3][4] (called inbreeding depression), which is its ability to survive and reproduce. An individual who inherits such deleterious traits is referred to as inbred. The avoidance of such deleterious recessive alleles caused by inbreeding, via inbreeding avoidance mechanisms, is the main selective reason for outcrossing.[5][6] Crossbreeding between populations also often has positive effects on fitness-related traits.[7]

Inbreeding is a technique used in selective breeding. In livestock breeding, breeders may use inbreeding when, for example, trying to establish a new and desirable trait in the stock, but will need to watch for undesirable characteristics in offspring, which can then be eliminated through further selective breeding or culling. Inbreeding is used to reveal deleterious recessive alleles, which can then be eliminated through assortative breeding or through culling. In plant breeding, inbred lines are used as stocks for the creation of hybrid lines to make use of the effects of heterosis. Inbreeding in plants also occurs naturally in the form of self-pollination.

Offspring of biologically related persons are subject to the possible impact of inbreeding, such as congenital birth defects. The chances of such disorders is increased the closer the relationship of the biological parents. (See coefficient of inbreeding.) This is because such pairings increase the proportion of homozygous zygotes in the offspring, in particular deleterious recessive alleles, which produce such disorders.[8] (See inbreeding depression.) Because most recessive alleles are rare in populations, it is unlikely that two unrelated marriage partners will both be carriers of the alleles. However, because close relatives share a large fraction of their alleles, the probability that any such deleterious allele is inherited from the common ancestor through both parents is increased dramatically. Contrary to common belief, inbreeding does not in itself alter allele frequencies, but rather increases the relative proportion of homozygotes to heterozygotes. However, because the increased proportion of deleterious homozygotes exposes the allele to natural selection, in the long run its frequency decreases more rapidly in inbred population. In the short term, incestuous reproduction is expected to produce increases in spontaneous abortions of zygotes, perinatal deaths, and postnatal offspring with birth defects.[9] The advantages of inbreeding may be the result of a tendency to preserve the structures of alleles interacting at different loci that have been adapted together by a common selective history.[10]

Malformations or harmful traits can stay within a population due to a high homozygosity rate and it will cause a population to become fixed for certain traits, like having too many bones in an area, like the vertebral column in wolves on Isle Royale or having cranial abnormalities in Northern elephant seals, where their cranial bone length in the lower mandibular tooth row has changed. Having a high homozygosity rate is bad for a population because it will unmask recessive deleterious alleles generated by mutations, reduce heterozygote advantage, and it is detrimental to the survival of small, endangered animal populations.[11] When there are deleterious recessive alleles in a population it can cause inbreeding depression. The authors think that it is possible that the severity of inbreeding depression can be diminished if natural selection can purge such alleles from populations during inbreeding.[12] If inbreeding depression can be diminished by natural selection than some traits, harmful or not, can be reduced and change the future outlook on a small, endangered populations.

There may also be other deleterious effects besides those caused by recessive diseases. Thus, similar immune systems may be more vulnerable to infectious diseases (see Major histocompatibility complex and sexual selection).[13]

Inbreeding history of the population should also be considered when discussing the variation in the severity of inbreeding depression between and within species. With persistent inbreeding, there is evidence that shows inbreeding depression becoming less severe. This is associated with the unmasking and eliminating of severely deleterious recessive alleles. It is not likely, though, that eliminating can be so complete that inbreeding depression is only a temporary phenomenon. Eliminating slightly deleterious mutations through inbreeding under moderate selection is not as effective. Fixation of alleles most likely occurs through Mullers Ratchet, when an asexual populations genomes accumulate deleterious mutations that are irreversible.[14]

Autosomal recessive disorders occur in individuals who have two copies of the gene for a particular recessive genetic mutation.[15] Except in certain rare circumstances, such as new mutations or uniparental disomy, both parents of an individual with such a disorder will be carriers of the gene. These carriers do not display any signs of the mutation and may be unaware that they carry the mutated gene. Since relatives share a higher proportion of their genes than do unrelated people, it is more likely that related parents will both be carriers of the same recessive gene, and therefore their children are at a higher risk of a genetic disorder. The extent to which the risk increases depends on the degree of genetic relationship between the parents: The risk is greater when the parents are close relatives and lower for relationships between more distant relatives, such as second cousins, though still greater than for the general population.[16] A study has provided the evidence for inbreeding depression on cognitive abilities among children, with high frequency of mental retardation among offspring in proportion to their increasing inbreeding coefficients.[17]

Children of parent-child or sibling-sibling unions are at increased risk compared to cousin-cousin unions.[18]

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Stem Cells Therapy

The Harvard Stem Cell Institute is developing new therapies to repair kidney damage, reducing the need for dialysis and transplantation.

Diabetes is a corrosive illness. The imbalance of blood sugar causes small changes in the body that slowly lead to blurry vision, skin rashes, and damaged nerves. In serious cases, diabetes wears away the path of blood to the kidneys, causing eventual organ failure. In fact, half of all kidney failures in the United States are caused by diabetes. For the majority of patients who end up on the waiting list for a kidney transplant, a diagnosis of kidney failure means a choice between dialysis and certain death.

Dialysis costs both time and money. Most patients must drive to a dialysis center three times per week to be hooked up to a machine for four hours per session. The annual costs for this treatment are about $80,000 per patient and rising. The total amount of private and public funds spent on the procedure will soon reach $50 billion per year. A single kidney transplant is equivalent in cost to about two-and-a-half years of dialysis, but it usually takes three years to find an available donor match.

The Harvard Stem Cell Institute (HSCI) Kidney Group has short, medium, and long-term strategies to develop new therapies for diabetes-related kidney damage (diabetic nephropathy). This multi-pronged approach aims to capitalize on promising translational achievements in the near future, while pursing potential drugs and the ultimate goal of creating an entirely artificial kidney using stem cells.

Mesenchymal stem cells are the bodys natural defense against kidney damage. Found in the bone marrow, these stem cells protect the kidneys from injury and accelerate healing. Harvard Stem Cell Institute scientists have identified protein candidates secreted from mesenchymal stem cells that may be administered independently to aid in kidney repair. In another approach, mesenchymal stem cells are being incorporated into miniature dialysis machines that expose the patients blood to these cells, allowing pro-repair proteins to be delivered directly to the kidneys.

Having identified the kidney cell types that are most susceptible to injury during diabetes, the HSCI Kidney Group now plans to target them with new drugs. In order to screen for potential drug targets, researchers must first identify genes that change in diabetic kidney cells, and then identify compounds that slow or stop the destructive gene expression. A drug for disease-related kidney damage has the potential to eliminate the need for dialysis.

The project with the greatest potential impact on diabetes patients is HSCIs large, multi-disciplinary effort to create an artificial kidney using stem cells and nanotechnology.

The functional unit of the kidney is a nephron a long tube that filters blood at one end and then turns that filtrate into urine. HSCI scientists plan to isolate kidney stem cells, mix them with soluble gels, and mold them into the architecture of a nephron. Scientists have already successfully created an artificial rat kidney that produces urine once transplanted into the animal, making artificial organ transplantation a highly possible reality for humans.

HSCI Kidney Program Leader Benjamin Humphreys, MD, PhD, at Brigham and Women's Hospital answers patient frequently asked questions about kidney disease and stem cells.

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Kidney Disease | Harvard Stem Cell Institute (HSCI)

About the kidney

The kidneys are towards the back of the body, roughly 10 cm above the hipbones and just below the ribcage. They are the bodys filtering units, maintaining a safe balance of fluid, minerals, salts and other substances in the blood. They produce urine to remove waste and harmful substances from the body. They also produce several hormones: erythropoietin (EPO), which acts on the bone marrow to increase the production of red blood cells; calcitriol (active Vitamin D3), which promotes absorption and use of calcium and phosphate for healthy bones and teeth; and the enzyme renin, which is involved in monitoring and controlling blood pressure.

The key working component of the kidney is the nephron.

The nephron - the functional unit of the kidney: The best evidence so far for stem cells in the adult kidney suggests they might be found in the blue area, called the urinary pole. Some studies have also suggested stem cells may be found in the parts of the nephron marked in green.

The nephron is made up of:

Kidney diseases usually involve damage to the nephrons and can be acute or chronic. In acute kidney disease there is a sudden drop in kidney function. It is usually caused by loss of large amounts of blood or an accident and is often short lived, though it can occasionally lead to lasting kidney damage. Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is defined as loss of a third or more of kidney function for at least three months. In CKD kidney function worsens over a number of years and the problem often goes undetected for many years because its effects are relatively mild. Some of the symptoms associated with CKD are: headache, fatigue, high blood pressure, itching, fluid retention, shortness of breath.

However, kidney disease can lead to kidney failure (less than 10% kidney function). Once this happens, patients need dialysis or a kidney transplant to stay alive. The risk of developing CKD is increased by old age, diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity and smoking. At least 8% of the European population (40 million individuals) currently has a degree of CKD, putting them at risk of developing kidney failure. This figure is increasing every year and there are not enough organ donors to provide transplants for so many patients. This makes the development of new therapeutic options for treating CKD increasingly important.

Scientists are still debating whether kidney stem cells exist in the adult body and if so, where they are found and how they can be identified. Cells found in a number of places within the nephrons have been proposed as candidates for kidney stem cells. The most convincing evidence for the existence of such stem cells is the discovery of a group of cells at the urinary pole of the Bowmans capsule of the nephron (marked in blue in the diagram above). These cells have some of the key features of stem cells and researchers have shown them to be responsible for production of podocytes specialised cells involved in the filtration work of the nephron and that need to be replaced continuously throughout our lifetime. Studies also suggest that these same proposed stem cells might be able to generate a second type of specialised cell found in the nephron lining, called proximal tubular epithelial cells. Other suggested locations for kidney stem cells include certain places in the tubules (marked green in the diagram). As well as kidney stem cells, cells with some of the characteristics of mesenchymal stem cells have very recently been isolated from the kidney.

A number of different types of cells from the bone marrow have been tested in animals and in clinical studies for potential use in kidney disease. Amongst all the cells under investigation, mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have shown the most promising results to date. Studies suggest that MSCs may be able to enhance the intrinsic ability of the kidney to repair itself.

MSCs of the bone marrow can differentiate to produce specialised bone, fat and cartilage cells. Researchers investigating the therapeutic effects of these MSCs within the kidney have suggested these cells may release proteins that can help kidney cells to grow, inhibit cell death and that could encourage the kidneys own stem cells to repair kidney damage. Further research is needed to establish whether these ideas are correct and if so, how this could lead to a treatment for patients.

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Kidney disease: how could stem cells help? | Europe's stem ...

March is National Kidney Month. This month medical professionals and healthcare organizations are taking the time out to raise awareness of kidney disease in order to help prevent kidney disease and to assist in the early detection of the disease.

Did you know that diabetes is the leading cause of kidney failure? Here we take a look at how diabetes can lead to kidney failure and how stem cell therapy can be used to treat type 2 diabetes and kidney failure.

Diabetes And Kidney Failure

The process our bodies use to digest protein results in waste products, which are filtered out by our kidneys and taken from our body in the form of urine. The filters in the blood vessels of our kidneys are too small to take out useful substances like protein and red blood cells and are designed only to filter out waste products.

When a person has type one or type two diabetes, this waste system can be impaired. High blood glucose levels can put a strain on the kidneys filtering system and, after years of stress, the kidneys can start to leak, allowing larger cells, such as protein, to be lost in urine. The process of losing small amounts of protein in the urine is known as microalbuminuria and occurs without any symptoms.

Over time, the kidneys start to lose functionality and waste products can build up in the blood. Eventually, if left untreated, this will lead to kidney failure. This is why diabetics need regular check-ups to check their urine doesnt contain protein and their blood is being filtered properly.

Preventing Diabetes Induced Kidney Disease

People with diabetes wont definitely get kidney disease; there are things you can control to help reduce your risks of developing kidney failure. These include regular check-ups, keeping blood glucose levels within target range, taking medication correctly, reducing cholesterol and blood pressure, becoming more physically active and limiting alcohol intake.

Stem Cell Therapy For Type 2 Diabetes

Stem cells work by reacting to chemicals that are released by cells and tissues in distress. When the distress signal is sent out by a tissue, the body creates more stem cells, which track the signal and go to that site, replicating the cells of the area and replacing damaged cells. In chronic disease and injury, the body is unable to produce enough stem cells to repair all of the damage. This is the case with diabetes, a progressive condition that, if uncontrolled, can have serious health effects.

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All About.. Diabetes, Kidney Disease and Stem Cell ...

By Dr. Becker

Sadly, studies show that about half of all pet cats over the age of 10 suffer from chronic kidney disease. Once the condition is full-blown, it is irreversible and can be difficult to manage. Treatment is strictly supportive and typically involves trying to slow the progression of the disease through dietary changes, fluid injections, and other therapies.

In recent years, researchers at Colorado State University have been investigating a novel therapy for its potential to help cats with kidney failure.

Veterinarians at the James L. Voss Veterinary Teaching Hospital at Colorado State University have been studying stem-cell therapy as a potential treatment option for kitties with chronic kidney disease, and have recently embarked on their fifth clinical trial.

After a pilot study conducted last year, the team concluded that stem-cell therapy did show promise as a treatment option. And according to the researchers, additional studies have shown that stem-cell therapy can reduce inflammation, support regeneration of damaged cells, slow the loss of protein through urine, and improve kidney function.

According to Dr. Jessica Quimby, a veterinarian who is leading the research project:

"In our pilot study last year, in which stem cells were injected intravenously, we found stem-cell therapy to be safe, and we saw evidence of improvement among some of the cats enrolled in the trial. In this [fifth] study, we will further explore stem-cell therapy with the new approach of injecting the cells close to the damaged organs. We hope this proximity could yield even better results."

Currently CSU researchers are conducting their fifth clinical trial to further evaluate whether stem cells are able to repair damaged kidneys. They are seeking cats with the disease to participate in the study. They are looking specifically for cats local to the CSU area, and kitties with concurrent diseases arent eligible.

This fifth trial involves injecting stem cells grown from the fat tissue of young, healthy cats (who are not harmed, according to CSU researchers) into the study cats in the area around the kidney called the retroperitoneal space. The kitties receiving the stem cells are given a mild, fast-acting sedative that is reversed after the procedure.

Diagnostic tests including a complete blood count, blood biochemistry, urinalysis, and urine protein-creatinine ratio will be performed immediately before the injection, two weeks post-injection, and again a month after injection. A test called a glomerular filtration rate will also be performed on each kitty at the beginning and end of the study to evaluate kidney function. This test also requires use of a mild sedative.

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Can Stem-Cell Therapy Treat Chronic Kidney Disease in Cats?

I. Introduction

Total United States expenditure on end-stage renal disease (ESRD1) therapy topped $25 billion in 2002, an increase of 11.5% on the previous year (U.S. Renal Data System, 2004), representative of a trend extending back to the early 1970s and projected to continue into the foreseeable future (Lysaght, 2002). This reflects not only a steady increase in patient numbers (431,284 on December 31, 2002, up 4.6% from 2001) (U.S. Renal Data System, 2004) but also rising costs of treatment and extended therapy periods as survival rates improve. Morbidity and mortality rates associated with maintenance dialysis, however, remain high, with a dialysis patient in their early 20s having the same expected remaining lifespan as a 70-year-old in the general population (U.S. Renal Data System, 2004). Outcomes are considerably improved following transplantationa transplant patient in their early 20s can expect to survive as many years as a member of the general population in their early 40sbut organ supply lags far behind demand, with only around one-quarter of the extant ESRD population having benefited from a transplant (U.S. Renal Data System, 2004).

The statistics for patients suffering from acute renal failure (ARF) are even worse. Affecting up to 200,000 people in the United States annually, or approximately 5% of all long-term hospital patients, the current mortality rate of around 50% has remained unchanged since the advent of dialysis 30 to 40 years ago (Thadhani et al., 1996; Lieberthal and Nigam, 2000; Nigam and Lieberthal, 2000). ARF develops predominantly due to the injury and necrosis of renal proximal tubule cells (RPTCs) as a result of ischemic or toxic insult (Lieberthal and Nigam, 1998). The cause of death subsequent to ARF is generally the development of systemic inflammatory response syndrome, frequently secondary to bacterial infection or sepsis, resulting in cardiovascular collapse and ischemic damage to vital organs, culminating in multiple organ failure (Breen and Bihari, 1998).

There is growing recognition that the disease state arising from renal failure is the result of more than just the loss of blood volume regulation, small solute, and toxin clearance that are replaced by conventional dialysis therapy (Humes, 2000). The kidney's role in reclamation of metabolic substrates, synthesis of glutathione, and free-radical scavenging enzymes, gluconeogenesis, ammoniagenesis, catabolism of peptide hormones and growth factors, and the production and regulation of multiple cytokines critical to inflammation and immunological regulation are not addressed by current treatment modalities (Kida et al., 1978; Tannen and Sastrasinh, 1984; Deneke and Fanburg, 1989; Maak, 1992; Frank et al., 1993; Stadnyk, 1994).

Thus, there is considerable drive to develop improved therapies for renal failure with the capacity to replace a wider range of the kidney's functions, thereby reducing morbidity, mortality, and the overall economic impact associated with this condition. Such an ambition lies beyond the reach of conventional medicine, with its mainly monofactorial approach to the treatment of disease. Into this breach steps the nascent and expanding field of cell therapy, which offers the promise of harnessing the native abilities of the cell, endowed to it by a billion years of evolution (Humes, 2003).

Cell therapy, as a blanket term covering the disciplines of regenerative medicine, tissue, and bioengineering, is dependent on cell and tissue culture methodologies to expand specific cells to replace important differentiated functions lost or deranged in various disease states. Central to the successful development of cell-based therapeutics is the question of cell sourcing, and advances in stem cell research have a vital impact on this problem.

Stem cell is itself a blanket term that covers a number of separate entities, although, as discussed below, there is at present a great deal of speculation over the extent to which stem cell populations traditionally considered distinct may in fact be interchangeable. As an in-depth treatment of the biology of stem cells and their relationship to more general aspects of regenerative medicine lies outwith the scope of this paper; the reader is directed to several recent reviews (Alison et al., 2002; Rosenthal, 2003; Grove et al., 2004; Rippon and Bishop, 2004).

Briefly, stem cells are characterized by their capacity for self-renewal and ability to differentiate into specialized cell types. Levels of competence form the basis of their classification as totipotent (giving rise to all three embryonic germ layers as well as extraembryonic tissues), pluripotent (able to contribute to all three germ layers of the embryo), and multipotent (with the potential to differentiate into multiple cell types, but not derivatives of all three germ layers). Progenitor cells are more lineage-restricted than stem cells but retain the proliferative capacity lacking in terminally differentiated cells.

ES cells, pluripotent derivatives of the inner cell mass of the blastocyst, are the most primitive cell type likely to find application in cell therapy. Their potential to generate any given cell type of the embryo makes them in some ways the most attractive stem cell for cell therapy but also the one with the greatest challenges to surmount in the laboratory. The political and ethical questions that surround the use of human ES cells have added a further layer of complexity to research aimed at bringing their potential benefits into the clinical arena (Daley, 2003; de Wert and Mummery, 2003; Drazen, 2003; Phimister and Drazen, 2004). These factors have combined to intensify the focus on multipotent adult stem cells such as hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) and neural stem cells as sources for cell-based therapeutics.

In this review, we consider several potential cell-based therapies for renal failure that are currently under development and which provide a route, direct or indirect, for the application of stem cell technology. The direct route is exemplified by simple administration of stem cells to the diseased or injured organ and relies on their inherent capabilities for differentiation, organization, and integration into existing tissues to restore function. Indirect routes include the bio- and tissue-engineering approaches, which are based on in vitro differentiation of stem cells and the organization of their derivatives within matrices or in association with biomaterials to augment or replace function following implantation or as part of an extracorporeal circuit.

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Stem Cell Approaches for the Treatment of Renal Failure

StemSave stem cell banking offers you and your family a unique stem cell recovery and cryopreservation service, in the event of future injury or disease.

Stem cells are unique because they drive the natural healing process throughout your life. Stem cells are different from other cells in the body because they regenerate and produce specialized cell types. They heal and restore skin, bones, cartilage, muscles, nerves and other tissues when injured. There are two main types of stem cells: adult stem cells, such as those found in bone marrow and teeth (see Stem Cells in Teeth),and embryonic stem cells (see Other Stem Cells).

Today, medical researchers are learning how to control stem cells and direct their growth into specialized cells, including: blood, skin, bone, cartilage, teeth, muscle and nerves.

As a result, amazing new medical treatments are being developed to treat a range of diseases contemporary medicine currently deems difficult or impossible to treat. Among them are:

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The Restorative Properties of Stem Cells and the Diseases ...

Hi,

You will recall that my wife, Lizzie, and I came to you in January 2013 for treatment to my knees.

Ive been meaning to write to you for some time to update you on progress with my knees. I can honestly say that I believe the procedure was a success. Obviously, Im not back to the marathon running I did when I was a teenager, but my knees are much improved. Previously, they would swell up every one or two years, and I would have to go for an arthroscopy. Since coming to you 18 months ago, I have had very little trouble. Any slight swelling after vigorous exercise disappears within a day or so, and I am able to undertake quite strenuous walks without any problem. For example, yesterday I walked about 10 kilometres up a mountain and down the other side very hard climbing and today I have no ill-effects at all.

So I am delighted with the results, and would gladly recommend you to anyone considering stem cell therapy.

Best wishes,

Tony Bayliss UK

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Enriched Hematopoietic Mesenchymal Stem Cell Therapies

The tooth is nature's 'safe' for your family's unique stem cells

While stem cells can be found in most tissues of the body, they are usually buried deep, are few in number and are similar in appearance to surrounding cells. With the discovery of stem cells in teeth, an accessible and available source of stem cells has been identified.

The tooth is nature's "safe" for these valuable stem cells, and there is an abundance of these cells in baby teeth, wisdom teeth and permanent teeth - Tooth Eligibility Criteria. The stem cells contained within teeth are capable of replicating themselves and can be readily recovered at the time of a planned dental procedure.

Living stem cells found within extracted teeth were routinely discarded every day, but now, with the knowledge from recent medical research, StemSave gives you the opportunity to save these cells for future use in developing medical treatments for your family.

Aside from being the most convenient stem cells to access, dental stem cells have significant medical benefits in the development of new medical therapies. Using one's own stem cells for medical treatment means a much lower risk of rejection by the body and decreases the need for powerful drugs that weaken the immune system, both of which are negative but typical realities that come into play when tissues or cells from a donor are used to treat patients.

Further, the stem cells from teeth have been observed in research studies to be among the most powerful stem cells in the human body. Stem cells from teeth replicate at a faster rate and for a longer period of time than do stem cells harvested from other tissues of the body.

Stem cells in the human body age over time and their regenerative abilities slow down later in life. The earlier in life that your family's stem cells are secured, the more valuable they will be when they are needed most.

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Using Stem Cells in Teeth for Future Use in Developing ...