StemCell Therapy

Replacing immune cells in a mouse model of Rett syndrome, a developmental brain disorder, improved symptoms, suggesting a new target for treatment.

Rett syndrome is a devastating genetic disease in which brain developmentalong with communication and motor skillsregresses after about 18 months of normal development. While previous work on this disease has focused on its neurological basis, new research published online yesterday (March 18) in Nature suggests that the immune system may be a target worth investigating: in a mouse model of the disease, bone marrow transplants significantly improved symptoms, extending lifespan far and beyond what was expected, increasing size and reducing tremors.

Its a very interesting, very provocative paper that could potentially be very important both for the basic biology of the disease as well as translational aspects of it, said Qiang Chang, who studies the molecular mechanisms of Rett syndrome at the University of Wisconsin and was not involved in the new study. But I think this is the type of work that probably raises more questions than it answers.

Rett syndrome is caused by many different mutations in the Mecp2 gene, which lies on the X-chromosome and regulates thousands of other genes by binding to and altering methylation marks attached to DNA. Posing a further challenge to understanding the diseases mechanism, Mecp2 is expressed in many tissues in the body. Every cell type has methylation, but the methylation patterns may be different cell to cell, said Zhaolan Zhou, who studies epigenetics and Rett syndrome at the University of Pennsylvania and did not participate in the research. If thats the case, Mecp2 may regulate and participate in different pathways in different cells.

However, because Rett syndrome is a brain disorder, most of the research has focused on Mecp2s activity in neuronsand not without good reason. Its extremely highly expressed in neurons, and its thought that the protein plays an important role in the maturation of neurons and brain circuit, said Chang. Children with Rett syndrome are born essentially normal with symptoms showing up some 18 months later, and thats the window when Mecp2 is dramatically upregulated in the brain, he added.

But the new research suggests that brain cells may not present the full picture. After reading a paper published a decade ago about how Mecp2 mutations slow T-cell growth, neuroimmunologists Nol Derecki and Jonathan Kipnis from the University of Virginia School of Medicine decided to further investigate immune system interactions with Rett syndrome.

They focused on microglia, which are classic immune cells that happen to live in the brain, said Derecki. Microglia taken from the brains of mice lacking Mecp2 were less able to respond to invaders and were very much impaired in a number of their functions, he said. If the immune system, including the microglia, was functioning in an impaired way, replacing the impaired immune system with a normal immune system might improve the disease somewhat.

The researchers irradiated 4-week old male mice that lacked Mecp2 to kill off their immune cellsincluding microgliaand then injected their bones with marrow from normal mice. The idea was that the non-mutated stem cells in bone marrow would generate normal immune cells that then could migrate into and repopulate the brain.

Because male mice only have one X-chromosome, if their single copy of Mecp2 is missing, they are incredibly sick: they live just 8 weeks on average, are small, and have tremors and breathing irregularities. But the mice that received bone marrow transplants survived much longerthe oldest mouse at this point is just under a year, said Dereckiand they looked and acted much more like normal mice.

The mice werent cured, however; while some of their symptoms were reduced, the brain cells still carried the mutant copy of Mecp2. It certainly is a disease of neurons, and the neurons still have their own problemsbut its also likely a disease of many other cell types, said Derecki. We dont think microglia cause the disease, but we think that when they malfunction, they make the disease much worse.

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Immune Role in Brain Disorder?

Public release date: 19-Mar-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Mark Weiss mlweiss@k-state.edu 785-532-4520 Kansas State University

MANHATTAN, KAN. -- Research from a Kansas State University professor may make it easier to recover after spinal cord injury or to study neurological disorders.

Mark Weiss, professor of anatomy and physiology, is researching genetic models for spinal cord injury or diseases such as Parkinson's disease. He is developing technology that can advance cellular therapy and regenerative medicine -- a type of research that can greatly improve animal and human health.

"We're trying to build tools, trying to build models that will have broad applications," Weiss said. "So if you're interested in neural differentiation or if you're interested in response after an injury, we're trying to come up with cell lines that will teach us, help us to solve a medical mystery."

Weiss' research team has perfected a technique to use stem cells to study targeted genetic modifications. They are among a handful of laboratories in the world using these types of models for disease. The research is an important step in the field of functional genomics, which focuses on understanding the functions and roles of these genes in disease.

The researchers are creating several tools to study functional genomics. One such tool involves developing new ways to use fluorescent transporters, which make it easier to study proteins and their functions. These fluorescent transporters can be especially helpful when studying neurological disorders such as Parkinson's disease, stroke and spinal cord injury.

"People who have spinal cord injury do not experience a lot of regeneration," Weiss said. "It is one of the problems of the nervous system -- it is not great at regenerating itself like other tissues."

The researchers want to discover a way to help this regenerative process kick in. By studying signals from fluorescing cells, they can understand how neural stem cells are reactivated.

"We want to try and make these genetic markers, and then we can test different kinds of treatment to see how they assist in the regenerative process," Weiss said.

Link:
Genetic research develops tools for studying diseases, improving regenerative treatment

ScienceDaily (Mar. 18, 2012) A multinational research team led by scientists at Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School has identified the reason why some patients fail to respond to some of the most successful cancer drugs.

Tyrosine kinase inhibitor drugs (TKI) work effectively in most patients to fight certain blood cell cancers, such as chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML), and non-small-cell lung cancers (NSCLC) with mutations in the EGFR gene.

These precisely targeted drugs shut down molecular pathways that keep these cancers flourishing and include TKIs for treating CML, and the form of NSCLC with EGFR genetic mutations.

Now the team at Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School in Singapore, working with the Genome Institute of Singapore (GIS), Singapore General Hospital, and the National Cancer Centre Singapore, has discovered that there is a common variation in the BIM gene in people of East Asian descent that contributes to some patients' failure to benefit from these tyrosine kinase inhibitor drugs.

"Because we could determine in cells how the BIM gene variant caused TKI resistance, we were able to devise a strategy to overcome it," said S. Tiong Ong, MBBCh, senior author of the study and associate professor in the Cancer and Stem Cell Biology Signature Research Programme at Duke-NUS and Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Medicine, at Duke University Medical Center.

"A novel class of drugs called the BH3-mimetics provided the answer," Ong said. "When the BH3 drugs were added to the TKI therapy in experiments conducted on cancer cells with the BIM gene variant, we were able to overcome the resistance conferred by the gene. Our next step will be to bring this to clinical trials with patients."

Said Yijun Ruan, PhD, a co-senior author of this study and associate director for Genome Technology and Biology at GIS: "We used a genome-wide sequencing approach to specifically look for structural changes in the DNA of patient samples. This helped in the discovery of the East Asian BIM gene variant. What's more gratifying is that this collaboration validates the use of basic genomic technology to make clinically important discoveries."

The study was published online in Nature Medicine on March 18.

If the drug combination does override TKI resistance in people, this will be good news for those with the BIM gene variant, which occurs in about 15 percent of the typical East Asian population. By contrast, no people of European or African ancestry were found to have this gene variant.

"While it's interesting to learn about this ethnic difference for the mutation, the greater significance of the finding is that the same principle may apply for other populations," said Patrick Casey, PhD, senior vice dean for research at Duke-NUS and James B. Duke Professor of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology.

View post:
Genetic variation in East Asians found to explain resistance to cancer drugs

London, March 19 (ANI): Scientists have now found answer to why some patients fail to respond to some of the most successful cancer drugs.

Tyrosine kinase inhibitor drugs (TKIs) work effectively in most patients to fight certain blood cell cancers, such as chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML), and non-small-cell lung cancers (NSCLC) with mutations in the EGFR gene.

These precisely targeted drugs shut down molecular pathways that keep these cancers flourishing and include TKIs for treating CML, and the form of NSCLC with EGFR genetic mutations.

Now, a multi-national research team led by scientists at Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School in Singapore, working with the Genome Institute of Singapore (GIS), Singapore General Hospital and the National Cancer Centre Singapore, has discovered that there is a common variation in the BIM gene in people of East Asian descent that contributes to some patients' failure to benefit from these tyrosine kinase inhibitor drugs.

"Because we could determine in cells how the BIM gene variant caused TKI resistance, we were able to devise a strategy to overcome it," said S. Tiong Ong, M.B.B. Ch., senior author of the study and associate professor in the Cancer and Stem Cell Biology Signature Research Programme at Duke-NUS and Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Medicine, at Duke University Medical Center.

"A novel class of drugs called the BH3-mimetics provided the answer," he said.

"When the BH3 drugs were added to the TKI therapy in experiments conducted on cancer cells with the BIM gene variant, we were able to overcome the resistance conferred by the gene. Our next step will be to bring this to clinical trials with patients," Ong added.

Yijun Ruan, Ph.D., a co-senior author of this study and associate director for Genome Technology and Biology at GIS said: "We used a genome-wide sequencing approach to specifically look for structural changes in the DNA of patient samples. This helped in the discovery of the East Asian BIM gene variant. What's more gratifying is that this collaboration validates the use of basic genomic technology to make clinically important discoveries."

If the drug combination does override TKI resistance in people, this will be good news for those with the BIM gene variant, which occurs in about 15 percent of the typical East Asian population. By contrast, no people of European or African ancestry were found to have this gene variant.

"While it's interesting to learn about this ethnic difference for the mutation, the greater significance of the finding is that the same principle may apply for other populations," said Patrick Casey, Ph.D., senior vice dean for research at Duke-NUS and James B. Duke Professor of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology.

Read the original post:
Gene variant in East Asians could explain resistance to cancer drugs

-- Allure Image Enhancement Among First to Offer the Stem Cell Facelift and PRP Therapy in the Inland Empire --

UPLAND, CA (PRWEB) March 19, 2012

Stem Cell Facelift with PRP Therapy provides an amazing full facial restoration and can simulate the effects of a face lift, brow lift, and total facial rejuvenation in one sitting. In addition, the benefits of the PRP Therapy with growth factors enhance stem cell survival, giving long lasting and potentially permanent results, says John Grasso MD, Medical Director at Allure Image Enhancement. I find these procedures to be an exciting new approach to the world of dermal fillers. Rather than using lab derived products, patients can enjoy the benefits of volume and longevity from their own cells.

Stem Cells often thought of as controversial and futuristic, are the latest beauty secret now available. Although injectable wrinkle treatments are very popular, there are many who shy away from putting anything foreign into their face. The two most common requests my patients ask me when it comes to anti-aging rejuvenation are: 1. Is there something natural I can use? and 2. Is there anything that lasts longer? Autologous fat transfer enhanced with stem cells and platelet rich plasma is going to change the world of Anti-Aging skin care, says Mina Grasso NP, owner of Allure Image Enhancement. For those who do not have adequate fat deposits or choose not to have autologous fat transfer can still benefit from the healing and repair response of various growth factors and cytokines with PRP alone or combined with manufactured fillers.

Fat transfer has been around for many years and may yield inconsistent results: 50% of the transferred fat usually breaks down within 2 years. Fat is an abundant source of mesenchymal stem cells. The difficulty is that in obtaining fat using Liposuction, up to half of the natural stem cells may be damaged. By adding additional autologous stem cells to the suctioned fat, it closer approximates the original concentration of stem cells in fat in the body and may aid the transplanted fat cells in surviving longer. Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP), which contains growth factors and cytokines, stimulates a repair response in soft tissue when added to the stem cell enhanced fat cells. The grafted fat and stem cells as well as surrounding local cells are activated by these growth factors to generate new growth that plumps up sagging areas. The growth factors enhance the quality of skin on the surface and repair sun damage and skin color irregularities.

Using this revolutionary new method, stem cells show promise in regenerating collagenproducing fibroblasts, cartilage, muscle and even bone cells. Research trials are under way using stem cells to repair other damaged tissue such as lungs, knees, and hearts and reverse neurological degenerative diseases. Stem Cell Facelift with PRP results in long-lasting volume in the treated area, and patients can start to see improvement in skin texture a healthy glow as soon as three weeks following treatment, with dramatic results occurring over a period of two to four months and lasting for years..

About Allure Image Enhancement, Inc.

Founded by Mina Grasso, RN, MSN, FNP-C, and her husband John Grasso MD. Allure Image Enhancement, Inc., for 15 years has served the Inland Empire with the latest in medical esthetics, providing services such as Botox Cosmetic, Restylane, Dysport, Juvderm, Latisse, Laser Hair Removal, Tattoo Removal, Laser Skin Rejuvenation, Vein Treatment, Body Shaping, and many more services.

Contact:

Nicholas Rodgers, CAC

Visit link:
Breakthrough Beauty Procedure Using Your Own Stem Cells Offered in the Inland Empire

(MENAFN - Arab Times) Ministry of Health (MoH) employees holding PhD degrees announced that they will participate in the sit-in demonstration carried out by the Labor Union of Health Ministry, reports Al-Seyassah daily.

In the press release, they said they are protesting against the fact that they are receiving the same salary scale and benefits as any other ministry employee with lower qualifications and if necessary, they are ready to even burn their PhD certificates at the sit-in to get the benefits they deserve according to their qualifications.

The sit-in will be carried out in front of Health Ministry headquarters in Sulaibikhat at 10 am on Tuesday, March 20, 2012.

The number of PhD holders has exceeded 100 considering the participation of PhD holders from other ministries as well.

Meanwhile, the MoH has banned stem cell therapy in the country until the committee tasked to set the standards for the treatment completes its work, reports Al-Anba daily quoting Director of Health License Department Dr Marzouq Al-Bader.

Al-Bader disclosed the ministry had earlier formed the committee to ensure the stem cell procedures are carried out in an appropriate manner to protect the patients. He added the ministry will also issue a decision soon to regulate the use of antibiotics in the private health sector.

Meanwhile, Al-Bader confirmed the ministry has endorsed around 51,000 female doctors in private hospitals and health centers. He said the ministry closely monitors the performance of female doctors and those found to have violated the law will be referred to the Medical Council for the necessary action.

On the issuance of licenses through the Internet, Al-Bader revealed his department has asked the ministry to activate the e-link system for this purpose.

He said the ministry has asked the Kuwait Municipality to issue permit for the construction of a building fit for the department's operations.

Meanwhile, the Medical Emergency Department at the Ministry of Health has affirmed its readiness to deal with emergency cases that may arise due to a series of dust storms engulfing the country.

See more here:
Stem cell therapy banned in Kuwait

LOS ANGELES, Calif. - The creation of California's stem cell agency in 2004 was greeted by scientists and patients as a turning point in a field mired in debates about the destruction of embryos and hampered by federal research restrictions.

The taxpayer-funded institute wielded the extraordinary power to dole out $3 billion in bond proceeds to fund embryonic stem cell work with an eye toward treatments for a host of crippling diseases. Midway through its mission, with several high-tech labs constructed, but little to show on the medicine front beyond basic research, the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine faces an uncertain future.

Is it still relevant nearly eight years later? And will it still exist when the money dries up?

The answers could depend once again on voters and whether they're willing to extend the life of the agency.

Several camps that support stem cell research think taxpayers should not pay another cent given the state's budget woes.

"It would be so wrong to ask Californians to pony up more money," said Marcy Darnovsky of the Center for Genetics and Society, a pro-stem cell research group that opposed Proposition 71, the state ballot initiative that formed CIRM.

Last December, CIRM's former chairman, Robert Klein, who used his fortune and political connections to create Prop 71, floated the possibility of another referendum.

CIRM leaders have shelved the idea of going back to voters for now, but may consider it down the road. The institute recently submitted a transition plan to Gov. Jerry Brown and the Legislature that assumes it will no longer be taxpayer-supported after the bond money runs out. CIRM is exploring creating a non-profit version of itself and tapping other players to carry on its work.

"The goal is to keep the momentum going," board Chairman Jonathan Thomas said in an interview.

So far, CIRM has spent some $1.3 billion on infrastructure and research. At the current pace, it will earmark the last grants in 2016 or 2017. Since most are multi-year awards, it is expected to stay in business until 2021.

Read more from the original source:
California's stem cell agency ponders a future without taxpayer support

CLEARWATER, FL--(Marketwire -03/19/12)- Biostem U.S., Corporation (OTCQB: BOSM.PK - News) (Pinksheets: BOSM.PK - News) (Biostem, the Company), a fully reporting public company in the stem cell regenerative medicine sciences sector, announced today the addition of Perinatologist Sanford M. Lederman, MD to its Scientific and Medical Board of Advisors (SAMBA).

As Chairman of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at New York Methodist Hospital in Brooklyn, Dr. Lederman is consistently recognized by New Yorker Magazine's list of "Top Doctors" in New York. A specialist in high-risk pregnancy issues, Dr. Lederman has authored a number of scientific papers and is a highly regarded public speaker. He adds a very important dimension to the Biostem Scientific and Medical Board of Advisors by bringing specialized knowledge regarding the potential use of stem cell applications for the health of women and children.

Biostem President Dwight Brunoehler said, "Dr. Lederman is one of the most highly respected Obstetric and Gynecological physicians in the country. Sandy and I have worked together very actively on stem cell projects for over 18 years, including setting up a cord blood stem cell national donation system where all expectant moms have a chance to donate their baby's cord blood to benefit others."

Dr. Lederman stated, "Biostem's expansion plans mesh well with my personal interest in developing and advancing the use of non-controversial stem cells to improve the health of women and children. I have a particular interest in increasing the use of cord blood stem cells for in-utero transplant procedures, where stem cells are used to cure a potential life threatening disease such as sickle cell or thalassemia and other selective genetic disorders in a baby before it is even born."

Prior to accepting his current position with New York Methodist Hospital, Dr. Lederman was Residency Program Director and Vice Chairman of the Department of Obstetrics and gynecology at Long Island College Hospital in Brooklyn. At various times, he has served as a partner at Brooklyn Women's Health Care, President at Genetics East and Clinical Associate Professor at the State University of New York. He has served on the medical advisory board of several companies. He previously was Medical Director of Women's Health USA and was a founding member of the Roger Freeman Perinatal Society.

A graduate of Hunter College in New York, he received his initial medical training at Universidad Autonoma de Guadalajara School of Medicine. His initial internship was at New York Medical College in the Bronx. During the course of his career, Dr. Lederman has served and studied in various capacities at Long Island College Hospital in the Bronx, North Shore University Hospital in New York, Kings County Medical Center in Brooklyn, Long Beach Memorial Medical Center in California and the University of California at Irvine.

About Biostem U.S., CorporationBiostem U.S., Corporation (OTCQB: BOSM.PK - News) is a fully reporting Nevada corporation with offices in Clearwater, Florida. Biostem is a technology licensing company with proprietary technology centered around providing hair re-growth using human stem cells. The company also intends to train and license selected physicians to provide Regenerative Cellular Therapy treatments to assist the body's natural approach to healing tendons, ligaments, joints and muscle injuries by using the patient's own stem cells. Biostem U.S. is seeking to expand its operations worldwide through licensing of its proprietary technology and acquisition of existing stem cell related facilities. The company's goal is to operate in the international biotech market, focusing on the rapidly growing regenerative medicine field, using ethically sourced adult stem cells to improve the quality and longevity of life for all mankind.

More information on Biostem U.S., Corporation can be obtained through http://www.biostemus.com, or by calling Kerry D'Amato, Marketing Director at 727-446-5000.

Here is the original post:
Biostem U.S., Corporation Continues Building Its Scientific and Medical Board of Advisors With Appointment of Leading ...

(MENAFN - Arab Times) Ministry of Health (MoH) employees holding PhD degrees announced that they will participate in the sit-in demonstration carried out by the Labor Union of Health Ministry, reports Al-Seyassah daily.

In the press release, they said they are protesting against the fact that they are receiving the same salary scale and benefits as any other ministry employee with lower qualifications and if necessary, they are ready to even burn their PhD certificates at the sit-in to get the benefits they deserve according to their qualifications.

The sit-in will be carried out in front of Health Ministry headquarters in Sulaibikhat at 10 am on Tuesday, March 20, 2012.

The number of PhD holders has exceeded 100 considering the participation of PhD holders from other ministries as well.

Meanwhile, the MoH has banned stem cell therapy in the country until the committee tasked to set the standards for the treatment completes its work, reports Al-Anba daily quoting Director of Health License Department Dr Marzouq Al-Bader.

Al-Bader disclosed the ministry had earlier formed the committee to ensure the stem cell procedures are carried out in an appropriate manner to protect the patients. He added the ministry will also issue a decision soon to regulate the use of antibiotics in the private health sector.

Meanwhile, Al-Bader confirmed the ministry has endorsed around 51,000 female doctors in private hospitals and health centers. He said the ministry closely monitors the performance of female doctors and those found to have violated the law will be referred to the Medical Council for the necessary action.

On the issuance of licenses through the Internet, Al-Bader revealed his department has asked the ministry to activate the e-link system for this purpose.

He said the ministry has asked the Kuwait Municipality to issue permit for the construction of a building fit for the department's operations.

Meanwhile, the Medical Emergency Department at the Ministry of Health has affirmed its readiness to deal with emergency cases that may arise due to a series of dust storms engulfing the country.

View post:
Stem cell therapy banned in Kuwait

LOS ANGELES (AP) The creation of California's stem cell agency in 2004 was greeted by scientists and patients as a turning point in a field mired in debates about the destruction of embryos and hampered by federal research restrictions.

The taxpayer-funded institute wielded the extraordinary power to dole out $3 billion in bond proceeds to fund embryonic stem cell work with an eye toward treatments for a host of crippling diseases. Midway through its mission, with several high-tech labs constructed, but little to show on the medicine front beyond basic research, the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine faces an uncertain future.

Is it still relevant nearly eight years later? And will it still exist when the money dries up?

The answers could depend once again on voters and whether they're willing to extend the life of the agency.

Several camps that support stem cell research think taxpayers should not pay another cent given the state's budget woes.

"It would be so wrong to ask Californians to pony up more money," said Marcy Darnovsky of the Center for Genetics and Society, a pro-stem cell research group that opposed Proposition 71, the state ballot initiative that formed CIRM.

Last December, CIRM's former chairman, Robert Klein, who used his fortune and political connections to create Prop 71, floated the possibility of another referendum.

CIRM leaders have shelved the idea of going back to voters for now, but may consider it down the road. The institute recently submitted a transition plan to Gov. Jerry Brown and the Legislature that assumes it will no longer be taxpayer-supported after the bond money runs out. CIRM is exploring creating a nonprofit version of itself and tapping other players to carry on its work.

"The goal is to keep the momentum going," board Chairman Jonathan Thomas said in an interview.

So far, CIRM has spent some $1.3 billion on infrastructure and research. At the current pace, it will earmark the last grants in 2016 or 2017. Since most are multi-year awards, it is expected to stay in business until 2021.

Here is the original post:
California's stem cell agency ponders its future

Source:
http://intlstemcell.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default?alt=rss

Stem cell researchers and institutions throughout the state are likely to be affected by proposed changes – to be discussed online publicly Tuesday – dealing with how the California stem cell agency will handle its $3 billion in grants.

An important online session – open to all interested parties – comes up then, but advance registration is required.

The proposals are wide-ranging and detailed. The nearly 500 recipients of CIRM grants should examine them closely in addition to any persons seriously interested in California stem cell affairs. The changes deal with such subjects as milestones for research grants, indirect costs, travel costs, withholding payments for failure to file a progress report and much, much more.

Here is a link to the main page for all this, which has instructions on how to register for the online session along with links to the changes and their rationale.

(Editor's note: This item was filed from the Rio Sabana in the Darien in Panama when we found a weak Internet cellular link. We are still underway so postings are unlikely between now and later this month.)

Source:
http://californiastemcellreport.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default?alt=rss

Source:
http://intlstemcell.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default?alt=rss

Stem cell researchers and institutions throughout the state are likely to be affected by proposed changes – to be discussed online publicly Tuesday – dealing with how the California stem cell agency will handle its $3 billion in grants.

An important online session – open to all interested parties – comes up then, but advance registration is required.

The proposals are wide-ranging and detailed. The nearly 500 recipients of CIRM grants should examine them closely in addition to any persons seriously interested in California stem cell affairs. The changes deal with such subjects as milestones for research grants, indirect costs, travel costs, withholding payments for failure to file a progress report and much, much more.

Here is a link to the main page for all this, which has instructions on how to register for the online session along with links to the changes and their rationale.

(Editor's note: This item was filed from the Rio Sabana in the Darien in Panama when we found a weak Internet cellular link. We are still underway so postings are unlikely between now and later this month.)

Source:
http://californiastemcellreport.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default?alt=rss

15-03-2012 18:22 A new pilot study is looking at ways to get organ transplant patient off immune suppressing drugs, and they're turning to stem cells to do it.

Read more:
On Call: Stem Cells Could Change Organ Transplants - Video

MONKEYS with Parkinson's disease-like symptoms have had their suffering eased by an injection of human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) into their brain.

Jun Takahashi of Kyoto University in Japan and colleagues injected these cells into monkeys whose brains had been damaged by a chemical that destroys dopamine-producing neurons and so causes Parkinson's symptoms.

Two monkeys received hESCs that had been matured into an early form of neural cell. Six months later, the monkeys had recovered 20 to 45 per cent of the movement they had lost before treatment. Post-mortems a year after treatment showed that the cells had developed into fully functioning dopamine-secreting neurons. Another monkey that received less-mature neural cells also showed improvements (Stem Cells, DOI: 10.1002/stem.1060).

"Monkeys starting with tremors and rigidity [began] to move smoothly, and animals originally confined to sitting down were able to walk around," says Takahashi.

The team says it will probably be four to six years before clinical trials in humans begin.

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Stem cell brain injections ease Parkinson's

17-03-2012 15:26 WARNING! BEWARE of this Hospital Angeles and especially DR. LOPEZ CORVALA who performs bariatric surgery like Lap Band, Gastric Bypass, Gastric Sleeve, Gastric Band in Cuidad Juarez, Mexico. He apparently has some control over the Stem Cell Regenerative Medicine Institute. I payed $25000 for stem cells to regenerate my liver cirrhosis. After NO IMPROVEMENT, he had the audacity to ask for $25000 more to repeat the surgery and treatment. I DO NOT RECOMMEND Dr. Lopez Corvala at the Hospital Angeles in Tijuana. PLEASE NOTE: email in video is incorrect. FEEL FREE TO EMAIL ME AT shamralaray@gmail.com.

More here:
Hospital Angeles Tijuana Mexico Dr. Lopez Corvala LAP BAND and STEM CELLS Dr. Jesus Perez - Video

For about three days in January, Matt Ladd said he didnt know whether it was day or night, what was top or bottom.

I was probably as sick as Ive ever been, said Ladd, a Billings game warden, in a telephone interview from Seattle. As things got progressively worse and worse, I was really concerned about what was going on right then.

Ladd was headed to Seattle for stem cell bone marrow transplant surgery when an infection he was being treated for worsened. The infection started around a catheter inserted into his chest to deliver chemotherapy drugs. The chemo was battling Ladds acute myeloid leukemia and myelodysplastic syndrome, which was diagnosed in September. His bone marrow wasnt producing enough red blood cells.

The chemo worked. He was in remission and on his way to Seattle for a bone marrow transplant when the infection sent him into a rapid downward spiral. Because of the location of the catheter, the infection attacked his heart valves. During the struggle with the infection, his kidneys failed, his body retained water and he swelled up.

The infection scuttled plans for the bone marrow transplant surgery. With his kidneys failing, he had to undergo dialysis. As a final insult to his immune system, he had to take more chemotherapy since the surgery had been delayed and doctors feared the MDS might return.

My body and kidneys didnt respond well to the chemo, he said.

More than a month after he was scheduled to undergo surgery, Ladd is living in an apartment north of Seattle as family members rotate caretaking duties. His wife, Maureen, a math teacher at Billings West High, is holding down the fort at home, trying to maintain a sense of normalcy for their sons, Dylan, Logan and Jack.

What was going to be a short process has become a very long process, Maureen said.

Now the Ladds are waiting to hear whether Matt and his sister, Jessica Cook, will take part in a Seattle Cancer Center Alliance study of a new method of bone marrow transplantation. Since Ladds kidneys have been injured, he would normally have to have a reduced-intensity transplant used for the elderly and those with health issues, Maureen explained.

The experimental method would treat Cook, Ladds only sibling and a bone marrow transplant match, with Lipitor prior to the surgery. The cholesterol-lowering drug has shown promise in preventing reactions to transplants. If they are accepted for the study, it would mean a further delay of surgery, since Cook would have to be on the drug for a couple of weeks prior to the operation.

Read the original post:
Billings game warden fights cancer complications

13-03-2012 01:49 by:www.medicaltourism.hk

Original post:
China medical tourism--Brain Injury--stem cell therapy 1.flv - Video

A NEW stem cell therapy treatment to develop new bones for patients with bone loss and new skin for recipients of plastic surgery has been developed, doctors from Shanghai No.9 People's Hospital announced yesterday.

In the procedure, medical staff use a special machine to collect stem cells from a patient's blood. The stem cells adhere to a base made of a special biological material.

The stem cells are then transplanted into the patient's body, where they grow into either new bones or skin tissue, while the base is absorbed by the human body.

"So far the practice has been successful in treating patients with bone and skin loss," said Dr Dai Kerong from Shanghai Jiao Tong University's translational medicine institute at Shanghai No.9 hospital. "The stem cell technology will be used to develop corneas for blind people as well as treating heart attack and stroke patients by developing new heart and cerebral tissue."

The technology is patented in China and abroad and will be licensed within one or two years, according to Dai.

China has established 51 translational medicine centers to boost the introduction of laboratory research into clinical use.

The complicated procedures and documentation required often prevent doctors from introducing lab success into clinical practice.

Dai said one reagent developed by No. 9 hospital's doctors for in vitro fertilization received a license in Europe within six months and has been used in clinical practice "while this would take at least five years in China."

Read more here:
Eastday-Big stem cell breakthrough