StemCell Therapy

By NameArmaghani, Sheyan J, M.D.Baker, Christopher E., M.D.Barna, Steven A., M.D.Beatty, Ellen , M.D.Bernasek, Thomas L., M.D.Donohue, David M., M.D.Echols, Jr., Eddy L., M.D.Epting, Timothy C., D.O.Frankle, Mark A., M.D.Garcia, Michael J, M.D.Garlick, Grant G, M.D.Gasser, Seth I, M.D.Grayson, Christopher W, M.D.Gustke, Kenneth A, M.D.Hess, Alfred V., M.D.Infante, Jr., Anthony F, D.O.Jackson, Howard B, M.D.Lindbloom, Benjanmin J., M.D.Lyons, Steven T, M.D.Maxson, Benjamin J, D.O.Mighell, Mark A, M.D.Mir, Hassan R, M.D., M.B.A.Miranda, Michael A, D.O.Morse, Adam C, D.O.Nydick, Jason A, D.O.Palumbo, Brian T, M.D.Pappou, Ioannis P, M.D.Ramirez, Jr., John D., D.C.Reina, David A, D.C.Saatman, Donna A, M.D.Samad, Adil A, M.D.Sanders, Roy W., M.D.Sellman, Jeff E, M.D.Shah, Anjan R, M.D.Small, John M., M.D.Stone, Jeffrey D, M.D.Tresser, Steven J., M.D.Walling, Arthur K., M.D.Watson, David T., M.D.Weinstein, Marc A., M.D.Yi, Seung Jin, M.D.Zaffer, Syed M., M.D.

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Stem Cell Therapy | Florida Orthopaedic Institute

As long as providers use autologous stem cells (definition: stem cells that come from the patient themselves) for regenerative therapy, the FDA accepts these procedures as complying with current standards of care. The equipment that we use to process your stem cells is FDA cleared for that use. All placental, amniotic, and umbilical cord blood/tissue products must have product-specific approval from the FDA, and as of now none of the commercially and currently available products have that approval except in one instance, and that is when umbilical cord blood stem cells are used specifically and only to treat hematological diseases like leukemia. No amniotic, placental, or umbilical cord blood or tissue products are FDA approved for regenerative medicine, and providers that currently use these products have only a limited time left before the FDA mandates that they must stop or face stiff sanctions. At Dynamic Health we have always used the patients own stem cells, and until more effective treatments are discovered and approved by the FDA we will continue to do so.

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Stem Cell Therapy | Stem Cell Treatment | Charlotte, NC

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A review of Limbal Stem Cell Deficiency including its etiology, pathopysiology, diagnosis, and treatment.

Limbal Stem Cell Deficiency

The corneal epithelium is a stratified squamous epithelium from which superficial terminal cells are naturally shed. Limbal stem cell deficiency (LSCD) is characterized by a loss or deficiency of the stem cells in the limbus that are vital for re-population of the corneal epithelium and to the barrier function of the limbus.[1][2] When these stem cells are lost, the corneal epithelium is unable to repair and renew itself. This results in epithelial breakdown and persistent epithelial defects, corneal conjunctivalization and neovascularization, corneal scarring, and chronic inflammation. All of these contribute to loss of corneal clarity, potential vision loss, chronic pain, photophobia, and keratoplasty failure.[2][3]

The etiologies can be genetic, acquired, or idiopathic.

Genetic:

Limbal stem cell deficiency has been associated with PAX6 gene mutations, which are also implicated in aniridia[4] and Peters Anomaly.[5] Other genetic disorders that have been reported with LSCD include ectrodactylyl-ectodermal-dysplasia-clefting syndrome[6], keratitis-ichthyosis-deafness (KID)Syndrome[7], Xeroderma Pigmentosum[8], Dominantly Inherited Keratitis[9], Turner Syndrome[3] and Dyskeratosis Congenita.[10]

Acquired:

Inflammatory:

Other causes include inflammatory insults such as those seen in Steven-Johnsons Syndrome (SJS) [11], ocular cicatricial pemphigoid[12], and graft versus host disease.[13] Chronic ocular allergy such as Vernal Keratoconjunctivitis is another reported cause[14]. Neurotrophic keratopathy, whether neuronal or ischemic, can lead to this disease as well[2], as can bullous keratopathy .[15]

Infectious:

Any infections of the corneal surface such as herpes keratitis[16] and trachoma [17] can predispose to this condition.

Traumatic/Iatrogenic:

Acquired causes also include trauma from chemical or thermal burns, and patients who have undergone prior ocular surgeries or cryotherapies at the limbus may be more susceptible.[16][18] Radiation and chemotherapy are other potential causes, and systemic[19] as well as topical chemotherapeutic medications may be sufficient to cause deficiency.[20] LSCD has also been seen with benzalkonium chloride toxicity with glaucoma medications .[21] Inappropriate contact lens use with consequent hypoxia and ocular irritation with destruction of the limbus may also contribute to both focal and total limbal stem cell deficiency.[22][23]

Tumors/Overgrowth of Other Tissue:

Ocular surface tumors are a known cause of LSCD.[2] Pterygium may also cause a focal acquired absence of limbal stem cells.[24]

Risk factors for LCSD vary according to the underlying cause, as above.

Pathology typically shows conjunctivalization of the cornea which can be indicated by the presence of goblet cells in the cornea. However, lack of goblet cells may be seen in approximately one third of patients.

Limbal stem cell deficiency (LSCD) is characterized by a loss or deficiency of stem cells which are vital for re-population of the corneal epithelium.

Corneal transparency is essential for vision, and thus the outer protective stratified corneal epithelium is under constant, rapid renewal with vigorous repair mechanisms. These mechanisms are essential as the cornea is constantly desquamating, and any trauma or loss of epithelial cells must be repaired quickly. Corneal epithelium completely regenerates every 3 to 10 days requiring constant renewal of cells.[9] The repair is essential to prevent infection and to preserve vision.

Corneal stem cells are located peripherally at the limbus in the basal cell layer, in pigmented crypts called the palisades of Vogt.[25] This pigmentation is thought to help protect the stem cells from ultraviolet light damage. In the normal cornea, renewal occurs from basal cells with centripetal migration of stem cells from the periphery.[26][27] This is a structure deeply related to the function of each cell. The stem cells and their progenitors require the vascular nutrition that is found in the stromal vasculature outside the cornea, and thus they must be at the periphery.[28]

Conversely, the cornea is an avascular structure. It must remain avascular in order to prevent vascular structures from interfering with light transmission and thus vision. The limbus plays an important role in preventing vascularization of the cornea from the conjunctiva; thus with loss of integrity of the limbus, conjunctival cells migrate to the cornea resulting in corneal neovascularization .[29][30]

Primary Prevention for LCSD varies according to the underlying cause. Contact lens overwear can be treated with cessation of lenses and frequent lubrication.[22] Traumatic causes may be avoided with the use of eye protection, for example. Treatment of systemic inflammatory disease is necessary to prevent ocular complications. Similarly, treatment of severe infections before they affect the limbal stem cells is critical to avoid damage in this area.

The diagnosis of limbal stem cell deficiency is largely made on clinical grounds. Patient history and clinical observation of corneal conjunctivalization associated with persistent epithelial defects hints strongly at limbal stem cell deficiency.[31] Loss of the limbal anatomy and irregular staining with fluorescein may also be seen.[32]

Patients usually present with pain resulting from recurrent erosions and decreased vision. Other symptoms may includecontact lens intolerance, photophobia, tearing, and blepharospasm.[16] The history will vary depending on the etiology. For example, a patient with LSCD from chemical burn or trauma will give a history of such an event.

The patient with limbal stem cell deficiency will present with recurrent epithelial erosions that leads to chronic keratitits, scarring, and calcification if untreated.[16] Delayed wound healing and corneal neovascularization occur with loss of limbal stem cells[33], and eventually a process called conjunctivalization occurs. The corneal surface will be covered by conjnuctiva-like epithelium that undergoes transformation into a cornea-like epithelium with loss of goblet cells, a process termed conjunctival transdifferentiation[27]. Patients usually suffer from recurrent erosions and decreased vision as a result of an irregular optical interface, weak tensile strength, and an incompetent barrier function.[27]

Patients present with progressive epitheliopathy with hazy, translucent epithelium extending centrally from the limbus, most commonly from the superior limbus. Epithelial staining, from punctate changes to more confluent staining, is broadest adjacent to the involved limbus and extends centripetally into the cornea to varying degrees in a whorl shape[2]. Patients often have evidence of mild to moderate tear film dysfunction, reduced tear film break-up time, or both[21]. Infectious keratitis is a common complication.[32] In late stages, superficial and deep vascularization, persistent epithelial defects leading to ulceration, melting, and perforation, fibrovascular pannus, and finally scarring, keratinization, and calcification can be seen.[34]

Eye pain and blurry vision are a common complaint in this disease as the epithelial surface breaks down. Eye irritation, contact lens intolerance, and blurred or decreased vision were the most common symptoms in one study.[21]

A diagnosis of limbal stem cell deficiency requires both clinical signs and symptoms of the disease along with cytological evidence.[30] Typical findings of conjunctival changes to the cornea adjacent to the limbus are a hallmark of the disease.[21]

Impression cytology shows conjunctivalization of cornea, and immunohistochemical markers of conjunctiva on impression cytology of the corneal surface (e.g. absence of keratin CK3) confirms the diagnosis.[35] On impression cytology, if the corneal impression is mainly acellular or contains normal corneal epithelial cells then it becomes less likely that limbal stem cell deficiency exists. However, if the impression consists of a mixture of corneal and conjunctival epithelial cells or mainly conjunctival epithelial cells then this is highly confirmative of limbal stem cell deficiency.[31]

On histopathology of the affected area, there is invasion and overgrowth of conjunctival epithelium, neovascularization, disruption of the basement membrane, and prominent inflammatory cell infiltrates.[36] Pathology typically shows conjunctivalization of the cornea which can be indicated by the presence of goblet cells in the cornea. However, lack of goblet cells may be seen in approximately one third of patients.

In vivo confocal microscopy has also been used to help diagnose LSCD. Changes may include absence of the palisades of Vogt in the affected sector, metaplastic wing and basal epithelial cells with significantly decreased basal epithelial cell density and subbasal nerve density, and replacement of normal limbal epithelium by vascular fibrotic tissues in late stages.[37]

See the figure above for the potential causes of LSCD, though any injury or loss of limbal stem cells or their niche may lead to this disease.

Management is typically symptomatic in nature early in the disease. When limbal stem cell injury is transient, sometimes termed limbal stem cell disease or limbal stem cell distress, conservative medical measures as above may be sufficient[21][31][38] However, total limbal stem cell deficiency must be surgically managed.

Medical management is aimed at restoring the limbal microenvironment with a stepwise approach based on both stopping traumatic or toxic insults to the limbus and optimizing the ocular surface by improving the tear film, controlling inflammation, and promoting differentiation of healthy epithelium.[21] This includes steps such as discontinuing contact lenses, aggressive lubrication with preservative free artificial tears, and lid hygiene or warm compresses.[22] When the surface does not respond to such treatment, nightly topical Vitamin A ointment, short-term pulse topical corticosteroids such as methylprednisolone 1%, loteprednol etabonate 0.5%, or 0.2%, or prednisolone acetate 1%, and cyclosporine 0.05%. Punctal occlusion may be performed in patients with significant aqueous tear film deficiency, and patients with rosacea may be treated with oral doxycycline.[21] Autologous serum eyedrops may stimulate healing of the corneal surface .[39] A bandage contact lens or the PROSE scleral lens is another option to optimize the health of the ocular surface.[40]

Improvement in the ocular surface may manifest as decreased pain and increased visual acuity on follow-up examinations. Progressive epitheliopathy with hazy, translucent epithelium extending centrally from the limbus may begin to regress, as may the pattern of epithelial staining with fluorescein[21] As above, if the signs and symptoms point to a true limbal stem cell deficiency that is not improving, surgery is necessary.

Prior to surgical intervention, effective assessment of tear film production and eye closure is an important prerequisite to ensure optimal surgical outcomes.[30] Resection of pannus tissue and subsequent amniotic membrane transplant may be helpful with partial or focal limbal stem cell deficiency not responding to these treatments.[41][42]

Penetrating Keratoplasty (PK) alone is not a viable option in LSCD as the donor tissue does not include limbal stem cells in such a transplant. In addition, the pre-existing corneal vascularization and inflammation increases the risk of rejection in these patients.[2] Thus, while the transplanted ocular surface will be temporarily clear, the same problems with its restoration and repair will eventually occur unless a viable source of stem cells to repair the lost cells is found.

Unilateral vs. Bilateral Disease:

Unilateral LSCD can be treated with autologous limbal stem cell transplants from unaffected eyes, and the benefit is that systemic immunosuppression is unnecessary.[30] However, the removal of stem cells from the contralateral eye risks stem cell deficiency in the donor eye. The risk of epithelial problems in the donor eye is low when less than four to six clock hours of limbal tissue and a moderate amount of conjunctiva are removed.[16] Allogeneic transplants from donor eyes are used when the disease is bilateral.[43] Living donor tissue is preferred as cadaveric donor tissue has worse outcomes when transplanted.[44]

Ex Vivo Cultivation:

To minimize loss of donor limbal tissue and the possibility of inducing LSCD in the donor eye, newer techniques use ex vivo cultivated limbal epithelial cells for transplantation. In this technique, a smaller area (generally 2mm x 2mm) of donor cells is grown in the laboratory on fibroblast culture medium or graft tissue/amniotic membrane in order to expand the donor cell population in an attempt to increase success rates and decrease epithelialization time.[45][46] Because using animal feeder cells such a fibroblasts to grow explanted cells may represent an unknown risk in the clinical transplantation of recipients with potentially undetected viral transmission, xeno-free transplants on amniotic membrane have been investigated which only use human tissues and cells.[47]

An even newer technique for unilateral disease called Simple Limbal Epithelial Transplantation (SLET) seeds donor stem cells directly on amniotic membrane placed on the ocular surface of the recipient, altogether bypassing the need for laboratory conditions of expansion.[48] These techniques may be combined with subsequent penetrating keratoplasty to further improve visual outcomes, once the limbal stem cell niche has been restored.[49]

The newest techniques for transplanting limbal stem cells involve hydrogel lenses and plasma polymer-coated contact lenses for in vivo culture and transfer of transplanted cells.[50] These are still in the testing phase in animal studies and some small human studies.

Beyond Limbal Cells:

Other options aside from keratolimbal allograft transplantation include oral mucosal epithelial transplantation. The use of keratoprostheses, such as the modified osteoodonto keratoprosthesis and the Boston Keratoprosthesis[51] are generally a last resort for total LSCD with poor surface and tear quality. Human embryonic stem cells, hair follicle, umbilical cord, and dental pulp stem cells all show potential in recreating the corneal phenotype but none has been perfected to date. [30] Each of these is an attempt to recreate the ocular surface in order to create clear vision.

Postoperative treatment consists of preservative-free topical antibiotic, topical immunosuppressants, and frequent preservative-free artificial tears. Steroids are rapidly tapered in autologous limbal transplantation.[16] Transplantation of an allograft poses a high risk of rejection even in HLA matched recipients. Therefore, graft survival depends on systemic immunosuppression for a prolonged, if not indefinite, period. .[49][52]

During the early postoperative period the limbal explant is carefully monitored for any areas of epithelial loss. Conjunctival epithelium can cross the explant at these sites and gain access to the corneal surface. If conjunctival encroachment is observed, mechanical debridement of conjunctival cells should be promptly carried out.[16]

Similarly, patients should be followed regularly for signs of graft rejection and treated appropriately. Signs of rejection include sectoral limbal injection, edema and infiltration of the graft, punctate keratopathy, and epithelial irregularities and defects, and surface keratinization.[53] [16] Risk factors for failure of a graft include blink-related microtrauma, conjunctival inflammation, increased intraocular pressure (IOP), aqueous teardeficient dry eye, lagophthalmos, and pathogenic symblepharon, all of which should be addressed at follow-up visits should they arise.[54]

Untreated limbal stem cell deficiency causes pain, decreased vision, and recurrent epithelial erosions that predispose to infection and loss of vision. Infectious keratitis is common with this disease, and patients who wear contact lenses for extended periods of time, have persistent epithelial defects, and use topical immunosuppressive medications are at increased risk.[32] After surgical treatment, there is a risk of rejection from allogeneic transplants.[49] It is possible that the cornea will not remain clear and further surgery such as repeat stem cell transplant or penetrating keratoplasty may be necessary[49]

Cultivated Oral Mucosal Epithelial Transplantation (COMET):

Patients with live related stem cell transplantation or cultivated oral mucosal epithelial transplantation (COMET) along with lamellar or penetrating keratoplasty have poor outcomes even with long-term immunosuppression.[54][55][56] The use of fibrin glue rather than amniotic membrane for COMET and optimizing the ocular surface prior to transplant improved outcomes in a recent study, and it is possible that future modifications to technique may improve these outcomes further.[57]

Cultivated Limbal Epithelial Transplantation (CLET):

Studies have shown that CLET is as effective as direct limbal transplantation for LSCD while requiring less donor tissue and thus being safer for donor eyes.[45][58][59][60][61] Studies of CLET have shown a 68-80% success rate.[62][63] In a review of outcomes of cultured limbal epithelial cell therapy published from 1997 to 2011 with data from 583 patients, the overall success rate was 76%.[60] However, this varies by The success rate of a transplant is significantly higher with an increased number of transplanted stem cells and failures tend to happen within the first year.[63]

The largest study of xeno-free explant culture transplants showed a 71% success rate in 200 recipient eyes with a mean follow-up of approximately 5 years and up to 10 years.[46][49] Supplemental corneal transplant (PK) has a survival rate of 1 year, with a median survival of 3.3 years.[49]

In a recent meta-analysis of the outcomes of keratolimbal allografting for LSCD, postoperative corrected distance visual acuity (CDVA) was 2 or more lines better than the preoperative visual acuity in 31%to 67% of eyes .[55]

Simple Limbal Epithelial Transplant:

In a study of 6 patients with total unilateral LSCD, visual acuity improved from worse than 20/200 in all recipient eyes before SLET surgery to 20/60 or better in four (66.6%) eyes, while none of the donor eyes developed any complications. Mean follow-up was 9.2 months.[48]

Boston Keratoprosthesis:

The Boston K-pro has been found to have good short-term visual and anatomical outcome in patients with bilateral LSCD[64] with vision of 20/40 or better at 6 months. One large study found a final postoperative CDVA 2 or more lines better than the preoperative visual acuity in 86% (18 of 21) of eyes and a CDVA of 20/50 or better in more than two thirds of eyes up to 3 years after surgery, though these prostheses should be used with caution in eyes with SJS and other immune causes as there is an increased retention failure rate.[51]

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Limbal Stem Cell Deficiency - EyeWiki

Nearly 20 years ago, scientists stunned the world when they announced they had decoded the genes that make up a human being. They hoped to use that genetic blueprint to advance something called gene therapy which locates and fixes the genes responsible for different diseases.

Now, a clinical trial at the National Institutes of Health is doing exactly that in an attempt to cure sickle cell anemia, a devastating genetic disease that kills hundreds of thousands of people around the world every year.

For the past 15 months we've been following the scientists, and patients, who are ushering in a genetic revolution.

Jennelle Stephenson: I'm excited.

Ray Stephenson Today is the big day.

It's the day after Christmas, 2017, and 27-year-old Jennelle Stephenson has come with her father and brother from Florida to the National Institutes of Health, just outside Washington, D.C.

Jennelle Stephenson: Good morning.

Dr. John Tisdale: Good morning.

She's one of a small group of patients to receive an infusion containing altered DNA.

Nurse: This is what they look like.

Jennelle Stephenson: Merry Christmas to me.

Brother: Best Christmas present ever.

Jennelle Stephenson: Yay.

The clear liquid in the bag contains Jennelle's stem cells that have been genetically modified.

Dr. John Tisdale: There are about 500 million in there.

Jennelle Stephenson: Oh, my goodness.

The hope is the new DNA in the cells will cure Jennelle of sickle cell anemia, a brutal disease that causes debilitating pain.

Dr. Jon LaPook: At its worst, on a scale of zero to 10, how bad was your pain?

Jennelle Stephenson: We can go beyond a 10. It's terrible, it's horrible.

Dr. Jon LaPook: Pain where?

Jennelle Stephenson: Everywhere. My back, my shoulders, elbows, arms, legs, even my cheekbones, just pain.

Dr. Jon LaPook: Can you actually describe it?

Jennelle Stephenson: It's a very sharp, like, stabbing, almost feels like bone-crushing pain. Feels like someone's kind of constricting your bones, and then releasing constantly.

Pain from sickle cell can occur anywhere blood circulates. That's because red blood cells, normally donut-shaped, bend into an inflexible sickle shape, causing them to pile up inside blood vessels. The resulting traffic jam prevents the normal delivery of oxygen throughout the body, leading to problems that include bone deterioration, strokes and organ failure.

The gene that causes sickle cell anemia evolved in places like sub-Saharan Africa because it protects people from malaria. There, millions have the disease, and it's estimated more than 50 percent of babies born with it die before the age of five.

In the United States, it affects a hundred thousand people, mostly African-Americans.

For Jennelle, having the disease as a child often meant spending Christmas in the hospital. As an adult, she struggled through pain to complete college, but keeping a job was tough because something as simple as walking up stairs could trigger "a pain crisis."

Dr. Jon LaPook: Do you have friends who've died from sickle cell?

Jennelle Stephenson: I do. Yes, younger than me.

Dr. Jon LaPook: And you've known this your whole life growing up?

Jennelle Stephenson: Right.

Dr. Jon LaPook: That you could potentially die early?

Jennelle Stephenson: Right. Yes.

Dr. Jon LaPook: Did you think you would die early?

Jennelle Stephenson: I did, actually. When I hit about 22, I was like, "You know, I'm-- for a sickle celler, I'm kind of middle-aged right now."

Dr. Jon LaPook: What are some of the things that you've always wanted to do that you couldn't do?

Jennelle Stephenson: Honestly, everybody laughs at me for this, I just want to run, to be honest.

Dr. Jon LaPook: Things that most people would take for granted.

Jennelle Stephenson: Just basic things.

One of the most cruel parts of the disease, Jennelle and other patients have told us, is being accused of faking pain to get narcotics, being labeled a "drug-seeker." During one trip to the emergency department, when she fell to the floor in pain, a doctor refused to help her.

Jennelle Stephenson: And I'm looking up at her, and I'm in tears, and, I'm like, "I'm doing the best that I can."

Dr. Jon LaPook: And you gotta be thinking.

Jennelle Stephenson: I just, sometimes I don't understand, I don't get it. Like... Sorry. I'm in so much pain, and you think I just want some morphine. And it just makes me sad that some people in the medical community just don't get it.

Dr. Francis Collins is director of the National Institutes of Health, the largest biomedical research agency in the world. He oversees a nearly 40 billion dollar budget that funds more than 400,000 researchers world-wide.

Dr. Collins was head of the Human Genome Project at the NIH in 2000 when he made a landmark announcement: after a decade of work, scientists had finally decoded the genes that make up a human being.

Dr. Jon LaPook: When did it all start for you?

Dr. Francis Collins: I got excited about genetics as a first-year medical student. A pediatric geneticist came to teach us about how genetics was relevant to medicine. And he brought patients to class and one of the first patients he brought was a young man with sickle cell disease who talked about the experience of sickle cell crises and how incredibly painful those are. And yet, it was all because of one single letter in the DNA that is misplaced, a "T" that should have been an "A." And that was profound. You could have all of that happen because of one letter that was misspelled.

The double helix of DNA is made up of billions of pieces of genetic information. What Dr. Collins is saying is, out of all that, it's just one error in the DNA code -- a "T" that should have been an "A" -- that causes sickle cell anemia. Fix that error, and you cure the disease.

But figuring out how to do that would take more than 20 years of research and a little serendipity.

Dr. Collins was playing in the NIH rock band in 2016 when his bass player -- hematologist Dr. John Tisdale -- started riffing on an idea.

Dr. John Tisdale: We'd finished setting up and went for a pizza before--

Dr. Francis Collins: I remember that.

Dr. John Tisdale: --before the gig. And at this point I pitched to Francis that it was really time that we do something definitive for sickle cell disease.

In the laboratory, Dr. Tisdale and his collaborators created a gene with the correct spelling. Then, to get that gene into the patient, they used something with a frightening reputation: HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. It turns out HIV is especially good at transferring DNA into cells.

Here's how it works. The corrected gene, seen here in yellow, is inserted into the HIV virus. Then, bone marrow stem cells are taken from of a patient with sickle cell anemia. In the laboratory those cells are combined with the virus carrying that new DNA.

Dr. John Tisdale: This virus will then find its way to one of those cells and drop off a copy or two of the correctly spelled gene. And then these cells will go back to the patient.

If the process works, the stem cells with the correct DNA will start producing healthy red blood cells.

Dr. Jon LaPook: I can hear people, our viewers out there, thinking, "Wait a second, how do you know you're not gonna get AIDS from the HIV virus?"

Dr. John Tisdale: The short answer is we cut out the bits that cause infection in HIV and we really replace that with the gene that's misspelled in sickle cell disease so that it transfers that instead of the infectious part.

Dr. Jon LaPook: The stakes here are enormous.

Dr. Francis Collins: Yes.

Dr. Jon LaPook: There's really very little safety net here, right?

Dr. Francis Collins: Make no mistake, we're talking about very cutting-edge research where the certainty about all the outcomes is not entirely there. We can look back at the history of gene therapy and see there have been some tragedies.

Dr. Jon LaPook: Deaths?

Dr. Francis Collins: Yes.

In 1999, 18-year-old Jesse Gelsinger received altered DNA to treat a different genetic disease. He died four days later from a massive immune response. And in another trial, two children developed cancer.

Jennelle Stephenson understands. This is a trial with huge risks and no guarantees.

Jennelle Stephenson: This is it.

When she arrived at the NIH clinical center in December 2017, Jennelle asked her brother, Ray, for some help.

Jennelle Stephenson: There goes Ray cutting my hair. Oh, snip.

She decided to cut off all her hair, rather than watch it fall out from the massive dose of chemotherapy needed to suppress her immune system so her body wouldn't reject the altered stem cells.

Jennelle Stephenson: I don't know how to feel right now. I'm a little emotional. But I'm OK, it will grow back.

A few days after the chemotherapy, Jennelle received the infusion of genetically modified cells.

Dr. John Tisdale: Is it going good now?

Nurse: Yes.

Jennelle Stephenson: It's just a waiting game.

But the wait was a painful one. Not only for Jennelle, but also for her father Ray. Who did what little he could as the effects of the chemotherapy kicked in, stripping Jennelle's throat and stomach of their protective layers.

Jennelle Stephenson: Oh, that hurts.

She was unable to speak for a week and lost 15 pounds. And because having a severely weakened immune system means even a mild cold can turn deadly, Jennelle had to stay in the hospital for nearly a month.

Last spring, she moved back to Florida and returned to the NIH for periodic check-ups.

Dr. John Tisdale: These are her red blood cells.

It didn't take long for Dr. Tisdale to notice something was happening.

Dr. Jon LaPook: This is Jennelle before any treatment?

Dr. John Tisdale: Right. All across her blood you can see these really abnormal shapes. This one in particular is shaped like a sickle.

Nine months later, this is what Dr. Tisdale saw: not a sickle cell in sight.

Dr. Jon LaPook: Was there ever a moment where you saw one of these normal-looking smears and thought, "Is this the right patient?"

Dr. John Tisdale: Oh, absolutely. When you're a scientist, you're skeptical all the time. So, first thing you do is look and make sure it's that patient, go grab another one, make sure it's the same. And we've done all that. And, indeed, her blood looks normal.

Jiu-Jitsu Teacher: Move. Switch your arms and move.

Remember, Jennelle used to struggle just to walk up a flight of stairs...

Jiu-Jitsu Teacher: And you fall.

...and a fall like this would have landed her in the hospital.

Jiu-Jitsu Teacher: Boom. Yeah. Good job. You did it. Bam.

Dr. Jon LaPook: Jennelle. You look amazing.

Jennelle Stephenson: Thank you.

Dr. Jon LaPook: I have to say, I was a little nervous when you were thrown and you went down on the mat.

Jennelle Stephenson: It was nothing. It was nothing. My body just felt strong.

Dr. Jon LaPook: Tell me about the adjustment that you need to make to go from the old you to the new you.

Jennelle Stephenson: My body it almost felt like it was, like, itching to do more. And I was like, "All right, well, let's go swimming today." "Let's go to the gym today." I'm like, all right, my body loves this. I kinda like it because my, I guess all my endorphins started pumping.

Dr. Jon LaPook: The endorphin high, something you had never experienced.

Jennelle Stephenson: Never experienced before. Yup.

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Could gene therapy cure sickle cell anemia? - 60 Minutes ...

Date: Dec. 3, 2015

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Fundamental research into the ways by which bacteria defend themselves against viruses has recently led to the development of powerful new techniques that make it possible to perform gene editing that is, precisely altering genetic sequences in living cells, including those of humans, at much higher accuracy and efficiency than ever before possible. These techniques are already in broad use in biomedical research. They may also enable wide-ranging clinical applications in medicine. At the same time, the prospect of human genome editing raises many important scientific, ethical, and societal questions.

After three days of thoughtful discussion of these issues, the members of the Organizing Committee for the International Summit on Human Gene Editing have reached the following conclusions:

1. Basic and Preclinical Research. Intensive basic and preclinical research is clearly needed and should proceed, subject to appropriate legal and ethical rules and oversight, on (i) technologies for editing genetic sequences in human cells, (ii) the potential benefits and risks of proposed clinical uses, and (iii) understanding the biology of human embryos and germline cells. If, in the process of research, early human embryos or germline cells undergo gene editing, the modified cells should not be used to establish a pregnancy.

2. Clinical Use: Somatic. Many promising and valuable clinical applications of gene editing are directed at altering genetic sequences only in somatic cells that is, cells whose genomes are not transmitted to the next generation. Examples that have been proposed include editing genes for sickle-cell anemia in blood cells or for improving the ability of immune cells to target cancer. There is a need to understand the risks, such as inaccurate editing, and the potential benefits of each proposed genetic modification. Because proposed clinical uses are intended to affect only the individual who receives them, they can be appropriately and rigorously evaluated within existing and evolving regulatory frameworks for gene therapy, and regulators can weigh risks and potential benefits in approving clinical trials and therapies.

3. Clinical Use: Germline. Gene editing might also be used, in principle, to make genetic alterations in gametes or embryos, which will be carried by all of the cells of a resulting child and will be passed on to subsequent generations as part of the human gene pool. Examples that have been proposed range from avoidance of severe inherited diseases to enhancement of human capabilities. Such modifications of human genomes might include the introduction of naturally occurring variants or totally novel genetic changes thought to be beneficial.

Germline editing poses many important issues, including: (i) the risks of inaccurate editing (such as off-target mutations) and incomplete editing of the cells of early-stage embryos (mosaicism); (ii) the difficulty of predicting harmful effects that genetic changes may have under the wide range of circumstances experienced by the human population, including interactions with other genetic variants and with the environment; (iii) the obligation to consider implications for both the individual and the future generations who will carry the genetic alterations; (iv) the fact that, once introduced into the human population, genetic alterations would be difficult to remove and would not remain within any single community or country; (v) the possibility that permanent genetic enhancements to subsets of the population could exacerbate social inequities or be used coercively; and (vi) the moral and ethical considerations in purposefully altering human evolution using this technology.

It would be irresponsible to proceed with any clinical use of germline editing unless and until (i) the relevant safety and efficacy issues have been resolved, based on appropriate understanding and balancing of risks, potential benefits, and alternatives, and (ii) there is broad societal consensus about the appropriateness of the proposed application. Moreover, any clinical use should proceed only under appropriate regulatory oversight. At present, these criteria have not been met for any proposed clinical use: the safety issues have not yet been adequately explored; the cases of most compelling benefit are limited; and many nations have legislative or regulatory bans on germline modification. However, as scientific knowledge advances and societal views evolve, the clinical use of germline editing should be revisited on a regular basis.

4. Need for an Ongoing Forum. While each nation ultimately has the authority to regulate activities under its jurisdiction, the human genome is shared among all nations. The international community should strive to establish norms concerning acceptable uses of human germline editing and to harmonize regulations, in order to discourage unacceptable activities while advancing human health and welfare.

We therefore call upon the national academies that co-hosted the summit the U.S. National Academy of Sciences and U.S. National Academy of Medicine; the Royal Society; and the Chinese Academy of Sciences to take the lead in creating an ongoing international forum to discuss potential clinical uses of gene editing; help inform decisions by national policymakers and others; formulate recommendations and guidelines; and promote coordination among nations.

The forum should be inclusive among nations and engage a wide range of perspectives and expertise including from biomedical scientists, social scientists, ethicists, health care providers, patients and their families, people with disabilities, policymakers, regulators, research funders, faith leaders, public interest advocates, industry representatives, and members of the general public.* Clinical use includes both clinical research and therapy.

Organizing Committee for the International Summit on Human Gene Editing

David Baltimore(chair)President Emeritus and Robert Andrews Millikan Professor of BiologyCalifornia Institute of TechnologyPasadena

Franoise Baylis Professor and Canada Research Chair in Bioethics and Philosophy Dalhousie UniversityNova Scotia

Paul BergRobert W. and Vivian K. Cahill Professor Emeritus, and Director Emeritus, Beckman Center for Molecular and Genetic MedicineStanford University School of MedicineStanford, Calif.

George Q. DaleySamuel E. Lux IV Chair in Hematology/Oncology, andDirector, Stem Cell Transplantation ProgramBoston Children's Hospital and Dana-Farber Cancer InstituteBoston

Jennifer A. DoudnaInvestigator, Howard Hughes Medical Institute; andLi Ka Shing Chancellor's Chair in Biomedical and Health Sciences, Professor of Molecular and Cell Biology, and Professor of ChemistryUniversity of CaliforniaBerkeley

Eric S. LanderFounding DirectorBroad Institute of Harvard and MITCambridge, Mass.

Robin Lovell-BadgeGroup Leader and HeadDivision of Stem Cell Biology and Developmental GeneticsThe Francis Crick InstituteLondon

Pilar OssorioProfessor of Law and BioethicsUniversity of Wisconsin; andEthics Scholar-in-ResidenceMorgridge Institute for Research Madison

Duanqing PeiProfessor of Stem Cell Biology, and Director General, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and HealthChinese Academy of SciencesGuangzhou

Adrian ThrasherProfessor of Paediatric Immunology and Wellcome Trust Principal FellowUniversity College London Institute of Child HealthLondon

Ernst-Ludwig WinnackerDirector Emeritus, Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Gene Center, andProfessor Emeritus Ludwig-Maximilians University of MunichMunich

Qi ZhouDeputy Director, Institute of ZoologyChinese Academy of SciencesBeijing

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On Human Gene Editing: International Summit Statement

Stem Cell Therapy is a revolutionary medical breakthrough with the potential to treat health problems that have been resistant to other forms of treatment. Stem cell therapy is a form of regenerative medicine that treats the body at the cellular-level. This therapy targets diseased or damaged tissue and organs by introducing cells to replace damaged cells. Stem cells are so effective because of their ability to differentiate into cells that carry out the roles needed in a variety of organs.

Regenerative medicine like stem cell therapy is used to treat a variety of medical conditions across specialties such as rheumatology, orthopedics, neurology, immunology, and cardiology. While stem cell therapy is used to treat pre-existing conditions, it can also be used preventatively. Because of the minimally invasive and potentially beneficial applications of stem cell therapy, many patients take regular stem cell treatments to help prevent against potential future complications.

Stem cells make the most efficient use of the bodys natural ability to heal itself by targeting health issues at the cellular level. This is why regenerative medicine such as stem cell therapy harnesses the ultimate potential for the future of medical treatment.

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Cell MD - Stem Cells for Regenerative Medicine

The doctors affiliated with National Stem Cell Centers in Dallas, TX specialize in harvesting tissue and having the cells processed at our registered tissue processing lab.

The physicians follow compliant protocols where the tissue is not manipulated and there is no tissue or cell expansion.

We also do not use enzymes as per FDA guidelines.

Stem cell procedures hold great potential for the management of joint pain, arthritis, hair loss, cosmetic and other disorders as well as auto-immune, renal, and neurological disorders.

There are various types of stem cells, particularly as they pertain to potential procedures, including umbilical cord cells, adipose (fat-derived), amniotic cells, placenta, bone marrow, exosomes, and others.

The physician will go over your options during your complimentary consultation.

Dr. Baker is a general surgeon by training and a native of Northeast Texas.

His general surgery training makes him uniquely qualified as an excellent stem cell physician.

After graduating from the University of Arkansas with the highest honors,

Dr. Baker attended the University of Texas Medical School at Houston where he was awarded the prestigious Parents and Alumni Scholarship.

During medical school, Dr. Baker was selected to participate in the competitive summer research program and remained active in research throughout medical school.

Following medical school and research commitments, Dr. Baker moved to Phoenix, Arizona where he began his surgical education. It was in the Scottsdale area that Dr. Baker began to hone his artistic eye for body sculpting. Dr. Baker also garnered broad experience in regenerative medicine around this time as aesthetic improvement and restorative complementary medicine techniques often go hand in hand.

In the six years since Dr. Baker has treated thousands of cosmetic patients and a near equal quantity of functional medicine patients. He strives to remain on the cutting edge through continued education and a meticulous attention to detail for all of his patients with a willingness to think outside the box and look for options that traditional medicine might otherwise not consider.

Dr. Thiele is a General Surgeon with five years of training in general surgery.

He is a Diplomate of the American Board of Management Wound which has helped hone his hair transplant techniques including FUT, graft harvesting, recipient site making, anesthesia, pain management and wound healing.

He has worked as a Physician at the East Texas Medical Center and Mother Francis Hospital in Tyler, and served as a Physician with VOHRA Would Physicians, TeleHealth, Murdock & Applegate Recovery.

He attended medical school at the University of Texas in Galveston and trained at Mercer University in Georgia and Charleston Area Medical Center in W. Virginia.

Dr. Thiele performs the FUT as well as FUE procedures at MAXIM Hair Restoration in Houston and Dallas, Texas.

Dr. Smith is Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon in Dallas, Texas.

He specializes in all types of aesthetic surgery for the face and performs stem cell procedures.

Dr. Smith received his undergraduate degree from Baylor University. He began his medical education at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas where he received his MD degree.

Dr. Smith completed his internship in general surgery followed by a residency and specialization in Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, including Parkland Hospital System.

Dr. Smith was then chosen for a highly specialized Fellowship in Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery sponsored by the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at the University of California, Los Angeles. During his fellowship at UCLA, his entire experience focused on cosmetic and reconstructive surgery of the face, head, and neck.

He received his training in stem cell therapy with Dr. David Mayer at National Stem Cell Centers in New York City.

Schedule your complimentary stem cell therapy consultation today with one of our affiliated physicians in Dallas, Texas, by calling (972) 865-8810 or submit the Contact Form on this page.

This location serves Dallas, Fort Worth, Arlington, Euless-Bedford-Hurst, Plano, and surrounding areas.

Phone: (972) 865-8810

Address:8111 LBJ Freeway, Suite 655Dallas, TX 75251

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Stem Cell Therapy in Dallas, TX | National Stem Cell Centers

Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis. This degenerative joint disorder affects mainly the lower back, small joints in the hands, the knees, hips, and neck. Osteoarthritis mainly occurs due to repetitive actions which then cause injury. The injury eats away cartilage which cushions the joints and causes friction to occur between these joints. Osteoarthritis can be painful and could even immobilize the patient.

Rheumatoid Arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis mainly affects the ankles, feet, knees, elbows, shoulders, wrists and fingers. This is an autoimmune inflammatory condition which occurs when the bodys enzymes attack their healthy tissue. These enzymes destroy the synovial membrane which lubricates and protects the joints leading to inflammation, swelling and pain. Joint erosion could also come about if the condition is left untreated.

Osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis are different conditions, but for some reason people keep confusing the two. The causes are different and so are their symptoms. Diagnosis of the conditions is conducted differently and doctors also pursue different treatment options with both conditions. In other words, despite the fact that they affect the joints the conditions have no similarities.

Different Characteristics of Osteoarthritis and Rheumatoid Arthritis

One of the major differences of osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis is the age that that the conditions start. Osteoarthritis mainly affects the aging while rheumatoid arthritis can begin at any stage in life. Rheumatoid arthritis develops rapidly and patients can identify the symptoms within a few weeks or months while osteoarthritis slowly develops over the years. Patterns of the joints affected are also different.

With rheumatoid arthritis, small and large joints are affected symmetrically. In osteoarthritis, the symptoms mainly affect one side before gradually spreading to the other side. Systemic symptoms of illness are evident with rheumatoid arthritis and the patient will experience fatigue. On the other hand, osteoarthritis symptoms do not affect the entire body.

Treatments for Osteoarthritis and Rheumatoid Arthritis

Like we mentioned, these conditions are treated differently and we will begin with osteoarthritis treatment. To relieve pain and inflammation, cold and heat packs are used. Physical exercises are also recommended. Swimming is especially recommended on osteoarthritis patients and this is because buoyancy helps soothe achy joints.

Muscle strengthening exercises are also encouraged as well as stretching exercises. Pain relief medication could also be recommended and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are prescribed. Cortisone injections could also be used to provide pain and inflammation relief. Though the relief is temporary it can last for a few months or weeks.

Rheumatoid arthritis has no cure but there are several treatments that can help provide relief from the symptoms. Certain diets have been known to be useful in treating rheumatoid arthritis and fish oil is one of them. Curcumin which can be sourced from turmeric has anti-inflammatory properties and can help reduce the symptoms.

Pain relief medication could be prescribed and just like in osteoarthritis certain exercises could help swimming being one of them. The joints affected by rheumatoid arthritis are individually treated with cortisone injections and other medications. Joint replacement is a surgical procedure that could be pursued.

Stem Cell Therapy for Osteoarthritis and Rheumatoid Arthritis

Stem cell therapy is now been used to treat degenerative conditions such osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. Research shows that adult stem cells can produce healthy cartilage and this can help to accelerate the bodys natural healing process. Stem cell therapy could reduce the number of knee replacement surgeries. The treatment is safer and comes with fewer complications.

Published research has shown excellent results for stem cell therapy for rheumatoid arthritis (Snowden et al, Journal Rheumatology, 2004). Stem cell therapy for rheumatoid arthritis may be used directly into the painful joints. This treatment helps to decrease inflammation significantly. For RA affecting numerous joints, IV stem cell therapy may be very effective as well.

The same can be said for osteoarthritis. Numerous studies, such as the recent one out of Hospital for Special Surgery, are showing that stem cell therapy and platelet rich plasma therapy are effective for osteoarthritis. Pain is often relieved and cartilage is preserved. Larger studies will show us the extent of cartilage restoration, while animal studies show it is impressive.

Contact R3 Stem Celltoday for an Appointment regarding osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis treatment with stem cell therapy!

Request Appointment

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Stem Cells for Arthritis | Stem Cell Treatment

At the Marino Center for Integrative Health, we're honored that you have put your trust in us to deliver the best in comprehensive healthcare services. Here, we offer a unique, integrative model of healthcare, featuring both conventional primary care and a full array of complementary services - conveniently brought together under one roof - to promote your health and the pursuit of a healthy lifestyle.

Integrative Health - its in our name, but you may be wondering exactly what it means. Well, for us at the Marino Center, Integrative Health, or Integrative Medicine, means a unique model of healthcare focused on treatingyou as anindividual, not the disease. Here we aim to restore the focus on health and healing through a strong patient/practitioner relationship. For us, it also means taking more time to understand you and your needs, making sureyou feel listened to, and building an individualized plan for living better and staying better.

With a broader approach to healing and wellness, Integrative Medicine takes into account all aspects of what makes a person whole - mind body and spirit and addresses them all at the same time. Through an active practitioner and patient partnership, a treatment plan including the use of both traditional (sometimes also referred to as conventional or western medicine) and alternative (also called CAM and complementary) therapies is developed to promote health AND prevent illness and disease.

Relying on the best of scientifically-validated conventional and alternative therapies, Integrative Medicine is a practical strategy that puts the whole patient at the center of care. In addition to physical symptoms, it examines the psychological, social and spiritual nature of the individual. An integrative approach educates and empowers the patient to play an active and responsible role in his or her own health.

Our mission is to integrate scientifically and empirically demonstrated conventional and complementary healing traditions to improve the health of those we serve and to extend our knowledge to others through health education, training, and research.

Patient Care

Providing healthcare services through a collaborative team of compassionate, innovative practitioners who provide preventive health care, and work with patients with acute and chronic conditions

Education and Training

Providing each person seeking our services with scientific explanations and informed choices regarding the professional care and self-care of body, mind, and spirit

Sponsoring and participating in public and professional presentations, seminars, and symposia along with publications and other media to educate the general public, medical, and insurance institutions about the unique potential of integrative medicine

Educating medical students through clinical rotations, internships, residencies, and fellowships

Research

Examining the applied clinical aspects of integrating complementary and alternative therapies to determine efficacy and safety

Participating in research studies on specific medical practices and our integrative model with leading research institutions

Performing critical analyses of the service delivery system and examine the clinical and administrative structure of integrative medicine

Lelio 'Les' Marino was the visionary, founder and generous benefactor of what was then known as the Marino Foundation for Integrative Medicine, the sponsor of The Marino Centers for Progressive Health. Because of his vision and generosity, the Center has grown into one of the region's premier providers of integrative medicine and healthcare services.

Our origins date back to 1993 when Mr. Marino acquired a small alternative medical practice in Cambridge, MA. From this humble beginning, he envisioned a model of care that would integrate mind, body, and spirit, and genuinely blend traditional and complementary healing practices. In 2008, we integrated our two names and became the Marino Center for Integrative Health. Throughout the years, the Marino Center has been guided by Mr. Marino's vision and its mission of providing patient care, education, and research - and continues to be today.

After a decade operating centers in Cambridge and Wellesley, in 2013, the Marino Foundation for Integrative Medicine decided to turn its focus to supporting new initiatives in Integrative Medicine, and the Cambridge Marino Center for Integrative Health was acquired by Mount Auburn Hospital, a Harvard-affiliated teaching hospital with a long history of support for integrative, alternative and prevention-based medical approaches.

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The Marino Center for Integrative Health - Cambridge - Mount ...

Overview

Stem cells have the ability to divide for indefinite periods in culture and give rise to multiple specialized cell types. They can develop into blood, neurons, bone, muscle, skin and other cell types. They have emerged as a major tool for research into the causes of ALS, and in the search of new treatments.

Types of Stem Cells:

The field of stem cell research is progressing rapidly, and The ALS Association is spearheading work on several critical fronts. The research portfolio supports innovative projects using IPSCs for drug development and disease modeling. The Association is supporting an IPSC core at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center providing access to lines for researchers globally. Several of the big data initiatives are collecting skin cells or blood for IPSC generation, such as Genomic Translation for ALS Clinical Care (GTAC), Project MinE, NeuroLINCS and Answer ALS. The ALS Association also sponsors pre-clinical studies and pilot clinical trials using stem cell transplant approaches to develop the necessary tools for stem cell transplant studies and to improve methods for safety and efficiency. We also support studies that involve isolating IPSCs to develop biomarkers for clinical trials through ALS ACT. In addition, the retigabine clinical trial that we sponsor uses iPSCs derived from participants in parallel with clinical data to help test whether the drug has the desired effect.

Stem cells are being used in many laboratories today for research into the causes of and treatments for ALS. Most commonly, researchers use iPSCs to make a unique source of motor neurons from individual ALS patients to try to understand why and how motor neurons die in ALS. Two types of motor neurons are affected in ALS are upper coriticospinal motor neurons, that when damaged, cause muscle spasticity (uncontrolled movement), and lower motor neurons, that when damaged, cause muscle weakness. Both types can be made from iPSCs to cover the range of pathology and symptoms found in ALS. Astrocytes, a type of support cell, called glia, of the central nervous system (CNS), are also being generated from iPSCs. It is well established that glia play a role in disease process and contribute to motor neuron death.

Motor neurons created from iPSCs have many uses. The availability of large numbers of identical neurons, made possible by iPSCs, has dramatically expanded the ability to search for new treatments. For example, they can also be used to screen for drugs that can alter the disease process. Motor neurons derived from iPSCs can be genetically modified to produce colored fluorescent markers that allow clear visualization under a microscope. The health of individual motor neurons can be tracked over time to understand if a test compound has a positive or negative effect.

Because iPSCs can be made from skin samples or blood of any person, researchers have begun to make cell lines derived from dozens of individuals with ALS. One advantage of iPSCs are that they capture a persons exact genetic material and provide an unlimited supply of cells that can be studied in a dish, which is like persons own avatar. Comparing the motor neurons derived from these cells lines allows them to ask what is common, and what is unique, about each case of ALS, leading to further understanding of the disease process. They are also used to correlate patients clinical parameters, such as site of onset and severity with any changes in the same patients motor neurons.

Stem cells may also have a role to play in treating the disease. The most likely application may be to use stem cells or cells derived from them to deliver growth factors or protective molecules to motor neurons in the spinal cord. Clinical trials of such stem cell transplants are in the early stages, but appear to be safe. In addition, transplantation of healthy astrocytes have the potential to be beneficial in supporting motor neurons in the brain and spinal cord.

While the idea of replacing dying motor neurons with new ones derived from stem cells is appealing, using stem cells as a delivery tool to provide trophic factors to motor neurons is a more realistic and feasible approach. The significant challenge to replacing dying motor neurons is making the appropriate connections between muscles and surrounding neurons.

Isolation of IPSCs from people with ALS in clinical trials is extremely valuable for the identification of unique signatures in the presence or absence of a specific treatment approach and as a read out to test whether a drug or test compound has an impact on the health of motor neurons and/or astrocytes. A positive result gives researchers confidence to move forward to more advanced clinical trials. For example, The ALS Association is currently funding a clinical trial to test the effects of retigabine on motor neurons, which use the enrolled patients individual iPSCs lines derived from collected skin samples and testing whether there is a change in the excitability of motor neurons in people with ALS. (see above).

See Stem Cells GrantsSee all Scientific Focus AreasView Glossary of Terms

Read more here:
Stem Cells - The ALS Association

Have you heard? A revolution has seized the scientific community. Within only a few years, research labs worldwide have adopted a new technology that facilitates making specific changes in the DNA of humans, other animals, and plants. Compared to previous techniques for modifying DNA, this new approach is much faster and easier. This technology is referred to as CRISPR, and it has changed not only the way basic research is conducted, but also the way we can now think about treating diseases [1,2].

CRISPR is an acronym for Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeat. This name refers to the unique organization of short, partially palindromic repeated DNA sequences found in the genomes of bacteria and other microorganisms. While seemingly innocuous, CRISPR sequences are a crucial component of the immune systems [3] of these simple life forms. The immune system is responsible for protecting an organisms health and well-being. Just like us, bacterial cells can be invaded by viruses, which are small, infectious agents. If a viral infection threatens a bacterial cell, the CRISPR immune system can thwart the attack by destroying the genome of the invading virus [4]. The genome of the virus includes genetic material that is necessary for the virus to continue replicating. Thus, by destroying the viral genome, the CRISPR immune system protects bacteria from ongoing viral infection.

Figure 1 ~ The steps of CRISPR-mediated immunity. CRISPRs are regions in the bacterial genome that help defend against invading viruses. These regions are composed of short DNA repeats (black diamonds) and spacers (colored boxes). When a previously unseen virus infects a bacterium, a new spacer derived from the virus is incorporated amongst existing spacers. The CRISPR sequence is transcribed and processed to generate short CRISPR RNA molecules. The CRISPR RNA associates with and guides bacterial molecular machinery to a matching target sequence in the invading virus. The molecular machinery cuts up and destroys the invading viral genome. Figure adapted from Molecular Cell 54, April 24, 2014 [5].

Interspersed between the short DNA repeats of bacterial CRISPRs are similarly short variable sequences called spacers (FIGURE 1). These spacers are derived from DNA of viruses that have previously attacked the host bacterium [3]. Hence, spacers serve as a genetic memory of previous infections. If another infection by the same virus should occur, the CRISPR defense system will cut up any viral DNA sequence matching the spacer sequence and thus protect the bacterium from viral attack. If a previously unseen virus attacks, a new spacer is made and added to the chain of spacers and repeats.

The CRISPR immune system works to protect bacteria from repeated viral attack via three basic steps [5]:

Step 1) Adaptation DNA from an invading virus is processed into short segments that are inserted into the CRISPR sequence as new spacers.

Step 2) Production of CRISPR RNA CRISPR repeats and spacers in the bacterial DNA undergo transcription, the process of copying DNA into RNA (ribonucleic acid). Unlike the double-chain helix structure of DNA, the resulting RNA is a single-chain molecule. This RNA chain is cut into short pieces called CRISPR RNAs.

Step 3) Targeting CRISPR RNAs guide bacterial molecular machinery to destroy the viral material. Because CRISPR RNA sequences are copied from the viral DNA sequences acquired during adaptation, they are exact matches to the viral genome and thus serve as excellent guides.

The specificity of CRISPR-based immunity in recognizing and destroying invading viruses is not just useful for bacteria. Creative applications of this primitive yet elegant defense system have emerged in disciplines as diverse as industry, basic research, and medicine.

In Industry

The inherent functions of the CRISPR system are advantageous for industrial processes that utilize bacterial cultures. CRISPR-based immunity can be employed to make these cultures more resistant to viral attack, which would otherwise impede productivity. In fact, the original discovery of CRISPR immunity came from researchers at Danisco, a company in the food production industry [2,3]. Danisco scientists were studying a bacterium called Streptococcus thermophilus, which is used to make yogurts and cheeses. Certain viruses can infect this bacterium and damage the quality or quantity of the food. It was discovered that CRISPR sequences equipped S. thermophilus with immunity against such viral attack. Expanding beyond S. thermophilus to other useful bacteria, manufacturers can apply the same principles to improve culture sustainability and lifespan.

In the Lab

Beyond applications encompassing bacterial immune defenses, scientists have learned how to harness CRISPR technology in the lab [6] to make precise changes in the genes of organisms as diverse as fruit flies, fish, mice, plants and even human cells. Genes are defined by their specific sequences, which provide instructions on how to build and maintain an organisms cells. A change in the sequence of even one gene can significantly affect the biology of the cell and in turn may affect the health of an organism. CRISPR techniques allow scientists to modify specific genes while sparing all others, thus clarifying the association between a given gene and its consequence to the organism.

Rather than relying on bacteria to generate CRISPR RNAs, scientists first design and synthesize short RNA molecules that match a specific DNA sequencefor example, in a human cell. Then, like in the targeting step of the bacterial system, this guide RNA shuttles molecular machinery to the intended DNA target. Once localized to the DNA region of interest, the molecular machinery can silence a gene or even change the sequence of a gene (Figure 2)! This type of gene editing can be likened to editing a sentence with a word processor to delete words or correct spelling mistakes. One important application of such technology is to facilitate making animal models with precise genetic changes to study the progress and treatment of human diseases.

Figure 2 ~ Gene silencing and editing with CRISPR. Guide RNA designed to match the DNA region of interest directs molecular machinery to cut both strands of the targeted DNA. During gene silencing, the cell attempts to repair the broken DNA, but often does so with errors that disrupt the geneeffectively silencing it. For gene editing, a repair template with a specified change in sequence is added to the cell and incorporated into the DNA during the repair process. The targeted DNA is now altered to carry this new sequence.

In Medicine

With early successes in the lab, many are looking toward medical applications of CRISPR technology. One application is for the treatment of genetic diseases. The first evidence that CRISPR can be used to correct a mutant gene and reverse disease symptoms in a living animal was published earlier this year [7]. By replacing the mutant form of a gene with its correct sequence in adult mice, researchers demonstrated a cure for a rare liver disorder that could be achieved with a single treatment. In addition to treating heritable diseases, CRISPR can be used in the realm of infectious diseases, possibly providing a way to make more specific antibiotics that target only disease-causing bacterial strains while sparing beneficial bacteria [8]. A recent SITN Waves article discusses how this technique was also used to make white blood cells resistant to HIV infection [9].

Of course, any new technology takes some time to understand and perfect. It will be important to verify that a particular guide RNA is specific for its target gene, so that the CRISPR system does not mistakenly attack other genes. It will also be important to find a way to deliver CRISPR therapies into the body before they can become widely used in medicine. Although a lot remains to be discovered, there is no doubt that CRISPR has become a valuable tool in research. In fact, there is enough excitement in the field to warrant the launch of several Biotech start-ups that hope to use CRISPR-inspired technology to treat human diseases [8].

Ekaterina Pak is a Ph.D. student in the Biological and Biomedical Sciences program at Harvard Medical School.

1. Palca, J. A CRISPR way to fix faulty genes. (26 June 2014) NPR < http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2014/06/26/325213397/a-crispr-way-to-fix-faulty-genes> [29 June 2014]

2. Pennisi, E. The CRISPR Craze. (2013) Science, 341 (6148): 833-836.

3. Barrangou, R., Fremaux, C., Deveau, H., Richards, M., Boyaval, P., Moineau, S., Romero, D.A., and Horvath, P. (2007). CRISPR provides acquired resistance against viruses in prokaryotes. Science 315, 17091712.

4. Brouns, S.J., Jore, M.M., Lundgren, M., Westra, E.R., Slijkhuis, R.J., Snijders, A.P., Dickman, M.J., Makarova, K.S., Koonin, E.V., and van der Oost, J. (2008). Small CRISPR RNAs guide antiviral defense in prokaryotes. Science 321, 960964.

5. Barrangou, R. and Marraffini, L. CRISPR-Cas Systems: Prokaryotes Upgrade to Adaptive Immunity (2014). Molecular Cell 54, 234-244.

6. Jinkek, M. et al. A programmable dual-RNA-guided DNA endonuclease in adaptive bacterial immunity. (2012) 337(6096):816-21.

7. CRISPR reverses disease symptoms in living animals for first time. (31 March 2014). Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology News. <http://www.genengnews.com/gen-news-highlights/crispr-reverses-disease-symptoms-in-living-animals-for-first-time/81249682/> [27 July 2014]

8. Pollack, A. A powerful new way to edit DNA. (3 March 2014). NYTimes < http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/04/health/a-powerful-new-way-to-edit-dna.html?_r=0> [16 July 2014]

9. Gene editing technique allows for HIV resistance? <http://sitn.hms.harvard.edu/flash/waves/2014/gene-editing-technique-allows-for-hiv-resistance/> [13 June 2014]

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CRISPR: A game-changing genetic engineering technique ...

The Biomedical Genetics Section is a cross-disciplinary team of clinicians, biostatisticians, genetic epidemiologists, molecular geneticists, and bioinformaticists working together to discover the links between complex human disease and genes.

The Biomedical Genetics faculty is presently directing projects involving multiple academic centers and private industry to identify genes for several complex diseases including age-related macular degeneration and Alzheimer disease. The Section is also actively involved in research projects in substance abuse, sickle cell disease, membranous nephropathy, mental illness, longevity, and the Framingham Heart Study. Cancer genetics, Epigenetics and developmental genetics are a major focus of our research labs.

As a part of the educational component of our programs mission, Biomedical Genetics offers a variety of opportunities for training leading to a Ph.D. in a genetics specialty including genetic epidemiology and molecular genetics. Our faculty teaches a variety of graduate level courses in medical genetics, genetics & genomics, genetic epidemiology, and addiction science on the Medical Campus.

For biomedical researchers both on campus and off, our programs Molecular Genetics Core Lab provides services for DNA and RNA extraction, sequencing, genotyping and cell line cultures.

Medical Genetics in the Post Genome Era

Recent advances in information technology, statistical genetic methodology, molecular genetics and bioinformatics, aided by funding for the human genome project, have heralded discoveries about the pathogenesis of many rare genetic conditions such as cystic fibrosis, Huntington disease, and Duchenne muscular dystrophy. These technologies have also furthered our understanding of common disorders including breast cancer, Alzheimer disease, and atherosclerosis through studies of families segregating classically inherited forms of these disorders. However, the genetic basis of common diseases is still enigmatic. The reasons for this include phenotypic and genetic diversity, and complex (and poorly understood) interactions between genes and the environment. These issues are addressable by studying very large and well characterized populations for a wide array of genetic and other risk factors. Successful performance of such studies requires skills and experience integrated from multiple disciplines including genetic epidemiology, biostatistics, molecular genetics, systems biology and information technology. The Biomedical Genetics Section brings together specialists in all of these areas who, through individual as well as highly collaborative research programs, are working to find genes modulating risk and expression of diseases and other human traits. These genes are potential diagnostic/predictive markers and therapeutic targets.

Biomedical Genetics Today

Presently, the Biomedical Genetics Section constitutes the largest concentration of human genetics research at either the Medical School or Charles River Campus at Boston University and is among the best funded and regarded in the country. Indeed, the increased awareness and need to understand the relationship between the approximately 26,000 human genes and susceptibility to disorders of public health concern (including infectious disease) is expressed in the current panoply of projects, spanning a rang of research from molecules to populations. Our research is funded by the National Institutes of Health, Veterans Administration, private industry and non-profit foundations, and includes the following areas:

We attract graduate students from a wide array of Masters and Ph.D programs throughout Boston University (e.g., molecular medicine, bioinformatics, epidemiology, genetics & genomics) to pursue dissertation research in our laboratories. Postdoctoral fellows find many opportunities for expanding technical skills and apprenticing for exciting careers in academic medicine and private industry. After you have browsed a bit, please feel free to contact any of the members of the faculty or trainees to get the inside story about our research and training programs or about our Information Technology capabilities and Molecular Genetics Core Laboratory services. We look forward to sharing out enthusiasm about our Section.

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Welcome to Biomedical Genetics - Boston University

Clinical research regarding stem cell therapy benefits has grown dramatically in recent decades. The most promising thing about stem cell therapy and similar prolotherapy treatments including PRP is that they offer relief for patients with chronic pain and difficult-to-heal injuries, all without medications or risky reconstructive surgeries. Today researchers are also uncovering ways to apply stem cell treatments for common chronic conditions such as heart disease,neurodegenerative diseases and diabetes.

The most common use of stem cell treatments in prolotherapy is managing pain. Most consider stem cell therapy to be a form of interventional pain-management, meaning its a minimally invasive technique. Treatment involves injecting stem cells (along with an anesthetic and sometimes other substances) around painful and damaged nerves, tendons, joints or muscle tissue.

What specific types of conditions can stem cell therapy help treat? Some of the most common include osteoarthritis knee pain, tennis elbow, shoulder pains or rotator cuff injuries, tendonitis, Achilles tendon injuries and now cardiovascular diseases likeatherosclerosis.

There are now more options available to patients than ever before for various types of prolotherapy treatments, but the type of prolotherapyI recommend the most is the unique approach to stem cell therapy offered by the Regenexxclinic. I have personally visited the Regenexx clinic in the Cayman Islands to receive treatments performed by Dr. Chris Centeno, Dr. John Schultz and Dr. John Pitt for back and tendon injuries. The form of stem cell therapy offered by these doctors is considered to be one of themost thoroughly researched and effective in the world.

Stem cell therapy is a type of treatment option that uses a patients own stem cells to help repair damaged tissue and repair injuries. Its usually performed relatively quickly through injections, and is a simple outpatient or in office procedure.

This type of treatment has also been found to help:

According to the National Institute of Health,

Stem cells are important for living organisms for many reasons. In the 3- to 5-day-old embryo, called a blastocyst, the inner cells give rise to the entire body of the organism, including all of the many specialized cell types and organs such as the heart, lungs, skin, sperm, eggs and other tissues. In some adult tissues, such as bone marrow, muscle, and brain, discrete populations of adult stem cells generate replacements for other cells that are lost through normal wear and tear, injury, or disease.

The California Stem Cell Agency reports that there is no limit to the types of diseases that could be treated with stem cell research. Because of their amazing abilities to help with regrowth, stem cell therapy treatments are now being used (or continuously researched) in regards to treating:

Stem cells are usually taken from one of two areas in the patients body: bone marrow or adipose (fat) tissue in their upper thigh/abdomen. Because its common to remove stem cells from areas of stored body fat, some refer to stem cell therapy as Adipose Stem Cell Therapy in some cases. (1)

Once stem cells from removed from one of these locations, they are placed in a centrifuge machine that spins them very, very quickly and concentrates the substances that are most valuable (including up to seven different types of natural growth factors). The sample of concentrated stem cells is then injected directly into the patients affected, painful area allowing the cells growth factors to go to work immediately, building new skin cells, connective tissue and so on.

What exactly makes stem cells so beneficial and gives stem cell injections the power to do this healing? Stem cells have the following unique characteristics, uses and healing abilities:

The type of stem cells being used in the most cutting-edge orthopedic practices including those offered at the Regenexx clinic mentioned above are called Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). A growing body of research shows that MSCs have the capability of differentiating and forming new orthopedic tissues that make up muscle, bones, cartilage and tendons, ligaments and adipose tissue. (3)

Research suggests that in treating orthopedic problems,fat-derived MSCs tend to under-perform bone marrow derived stem cells, therefore bone derived is the preferred method. (4) This is especially true when bone marrow cells are dramatically concentrated using advanced centrifuge equipment. Certain studies have found that these advanced samples can contain up to 25 different growth factors and other beneficial rebuilding substances.

In studies regarding orthopedic care such as those used for cartilage replacement,bone repairand soft-tissue repair bone marrow stem cells injections have been found to: reduce chronic pain, heal stubborn injuries, improve functionality and return patients to their normal routine sometimes within just one week.

Wondering if MSCs for orthopedic injuries are safe? There is no evidence of overgrowth of MSCs in damaged tissue or reason to believe theres risk for tumor growth. Advanced clinics such as Regenexx actually count cells before injecting them and carefully monitor progress. According to research used by Regenexx, MSCs safely stop proliferating once they physically contact each other, because this signals to them that the affected area has reached its full potential in growth. (5)

Cardiovascular diseases can deprive heart tissue of oxygen and cause scar tissue to form which changes blood flow/blood pressure. Research suggests that stem cells taken from adult bone marrow have the ability to differentiate into those needed to repair the heart and blood vessels, thanks to the secretion of multiple growth factors. Several ways in which stem cell therapy is now being used and further researched in regards to improving recovery of heart disease are:

Although more research is needed to assess the safety and efficacy of this approach, stem cell types used in heart disease treatment include: embryonic stem (ES) cells, cardiac stem cells,myoblasts (muscle stem cells), adult bone marrow-derived cells, umbilical cord blood cells, mesenchymal cells (bone marrow-derived cells) and endothelial progenitor cells (these form the interior lining of blood vessels).

Studies have found that stem cell treatments can help improve the growth of healthy new skin tissue, improve collagen production, stimulate hair growth after loss or incisions, and help replace scar tissue with newly formed healthy tissue.

One of the ways stem cells help facilitate wound healing is by increasingcollagen concentrations in the skin, which shrinks as it matures and thereby strengthens and tightens the damaged area. This same mechanism also applies to treating connective tissue injuries related to collagen/cartilage loss, such as those caused by osteoarthritis or overuses that affect ligaments or tendons.

Recent progress in the treatment of diseases like Parkinsons, Huntingtons, Alzheimers and stroke recovery show that transplanted adult stem cells can be used to form new brain cells, neurons and synapses following cognitive degeneration or brain injuries. (6) Research conducted by the Research Center for Stem Cell Biology and Cell Therapy in Sweden is still underway, but current findings show that stem cells can improve synaptic circuits, optimize functional recovery, offer relief from degeneration symptoms, slow down disease progression and potentially even more.

Some of the ways that stem cell injections/grafts work in neurodegeneration treatment are: normalizing striatal dopamine release, impairing akensia (loss of voluntary movement), replacing neurons destroyed by the ischemic lesions following strokes and halting destruction of nigrostriatal dopaminergic neurons.

Immune rejection is the term used to describe damage to healthy tissue and cells in patients with autoimmune disorders and other inflammatory conditions. In people who suffer from type1 diabetes, for example, the cells of the pancreas that normally produce insulin are destroyed by the patients own immune system; in people with thyroid disorders, the thyroid gland is attacked and damaged.

Research continues to show us that certain adult stem cells are capable of differentiating and producing needed cells, such as insulin-producing cells that eventually could be used in with people diabetes. This strategy is still being researched extensively and is not yet widely available, as scientists continue to experiment with reliable strategies for generating new cells/tissues that will not be rejected or harm the patient once implanted.

Meanwhile, a promising clinical trial led by Dr. Richard Burt of Northwestern University that explores the potential benefits of stem cell therapy for multiple sclerosis is underway as of March 2018. The 110 patients participating either received a drug treatment or hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT).The clinical trial looks promising given that after one year of treatment only one relapse occurred among patients in the stem cell group compared with 39 relapses in the drug treatment. And, after about three years, the stem cell transplants had a 6 percent failure rate compared with a failure rate of 60 percent in the control (drug treatment) group.

The researchers note that stem cell therapy doesnt work for all cases of MS and its not an easy process. First patients must undergo chemotherapy to destroy their faulty immune system. Then stem cells that help make blood through a process called hematopoiesis are removed from the patients bone marrow and reinfused into the patients bloodstream. These fresh stem cells, which are not affected by MS, rebuild the patients immune system. Despite this challenging process, preliminary results demonstrate that this could be an effective treatment in the future. (7, 8)

For decades researchers and doctors primarily used two kinds of stem cells taken from animals and humans, especially when they were still embryos (not yet born). These are calledembryonic stem cells and non-embryonic (somatic or adult) stem cells. In the late 1990s, it was discovered that stem cells could be taken from human embryos and grown inside of laboratoriesfor reproductive purposes, including for in vitro fertilization.

Then in 2006 a breakthrough discovery was made that some specialized adult stem cells could be reprogrammed and used in many other ways to help repair damaged tissue. These are referred to as induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) and are the type used in many of the treatments described above.There remains a lot to learn about the potential uses of stem cell therapies, and how scientists can continue to explore transforming unspecialized adult stem cells into the types of specialized cells needed.

The NIH reports that in future years some of the primary goals of stem cell therapy research are to: identify howundifferentiated stem cells become the differentiated cells that form the tissues and organs, determine how stem cells can turn humangenes on and off, learn to predictably control cell proliferation and differentiation, and investigate more uses for stem cells in serious medical conditions such as cancerand birth defects.

The hope going forward is that stem cells can also be used as a renewable source of replacement cells and tissues to treat common and serious diseases without the need for organ transplants or surgeries, including: maculardegeneration, spinal cord injury, stroke, burns, heart disease, diabetes, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and cancer.

Cancer treatment is a particular important area under investigation, as early studies are showing that stem cells are safe and well-tolerated in patients with acute and chronic leukemia, lymphoma, multiple myeloma and other cancers. (9)

Stem cell treatments are offered by various doctors who practice pain-management and other techniques, including orthopedics and anesthesiologists.Depending on the type of treatment needed, its also possible to visit a neurologist, cardiologist, etc.Commonly these treatments are offered at clinics with ateam of doctors who work together to specialize in diagnosing, preventing and/or correcting a range of musculoskeletal, neurological or connective tissue disorders/injuries.

If youre planning on visiting a doctor for pain management, look for a physician who has board certification through an organization like the American Board of Anesthesiology orAmerican Board of Pain Medicine. I recommend viewing this Physician Finder tool to locate a practitioner who performs the advanced type of stem cell applications described above.

Personally, I most suggest checking out Regenexx, one of the only organizations to run large-scale analysis of patient stem cell procedure outcome data. It has published numerous findings from tracking their own patients on their website. Much more detailed information on improvements that can be expected following PRP procedures including those for knee meniscus, arthritis, hip dysfunction, knee pain, wrist/hand injuries, ankle/foot pain and shoulder/rotator injuries can be accessed through Regenexx directly.

Once you find a qualified physician, heres a brief overview of what you can expect from stem cell therapy treatments:

Although stem cell treatment is considered to be very safe, there are also side effects that are possible. Make sure to find a qualified practitioner and let them know if your experience following a treatment does not sound like the typical one described above.Like other types of non-invasive treatments and prolotherapy techniques, some mild side effects after injections are normal. Side effects of stem cell treatments can sometimes include:

From the sound of it, you might think leaky gut only affects the digestive system,but in reality it can affect more. Because Leaky Gut is so common, and such an enigma,Im offering a free webinar on all things leaky gut.Click here to learn more about the webinar.

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5 Stem Cell Therapy Benefits, Uses & How It Works - Dr. Axe

NewVision Clinics provide expert ophthalmologist services in Melbourne, making it convenient for everyone to consult an eye specialist. We pride ourselves on using the latest technology, combined with the most modern procedures, ensuring the highest standards of vision correction for all of our clients.

NewVision Clinics is a full service ophthalmological provider. We specialise inlaser eye surgery and support bothLASIKand Advanced PRK techniques using the process of Lasersight. Our principal Professor Noel Alpins is recognised around the globe as a leading authority in corrective laser eye surgery with a special interest in astigmatism, you can rest assured you have chosen a professional clinic that is leading the way in Australia.

Throughout our website you will find many useful resources, each designed to help you understand the process. We make sure our patients fully understand what is involved with the procedure required by providing professional advice in a relaxed environment. Being informed about all major medical decisions is important, so when you need support from experienced optometrists and ophthalmologists in Melbourne, were more than happy to help.

If you feel your vision is deteriorating, you want to reduce the need for glasses or contact lenses, or have any concerns regarding your eyesight, contact us today. We provide a no-cost, no-obligation assessment, tailoring the best solution to your individual requirements

Talk to one of our helpful and friendly staff today and discover more about our full range of services. We can book you in for assessment with our team and put you on the road to better eye sight. Call us on1800 20 20 20and we will be happy to discuss your situation and book a consultation that suits your schedule.

If you require the services of an experienced, renowned Ophthalmologist, look no further than the team at NewVision Clinics and invest in your eyes. NewVision Clinics provide expert ophthalmologist services in Melbourne, making it convenient for everyone to consult an eye specialist. We pride ourselves on using the latest technology, combined with the most modern procedures, ensuring the highest standards of vision correction for all of our clients.

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HIGHLIGHTS & BENEFITS

Keynote Sessions on Nano medicine

Oral presentations on Nano medicine

Young Researcher Forums

Poster Presentations on Nano medicine

Video Presentations on Nano medicine

E-poster Presentations on Nano medicine

Honorable Guests Presentations

Exhibitions on Nano medicine

Free Abstract Publication & DOI

Free Lunch and Networking

Questionnaires on Nano medicine

Theme:Exchange of Technological Advances in the field of Nanomedicine & Technology

EuroSciCon Ltd is back with its 3rdEdition ofNanomedicine&Technology 2019and this time it focusesaroundthe advancements in the strategies and researches that are going ahead in the field ofNanoscience.

TheNanomedicine 2019aims to bring together leading academic scientists, researchers and research scholars to exchange and share their experiences and research results about all aspects ofNanomedicine. It also provides the premier interdisciplinary forum for researchers, practitionersandeducators to present and discuss the most recent innovations, trends, and concerns, practical challenges encountered, and the solutions adopted in the field ofDrug Delivery.

Whats New?

NanomedicineandTechnology 2019includes international attendee workshops, lecturesandsymposia, including a designated registration area, a refreshment break and gala lunch.Nanomedicineeducators can join the EuroSciCon as an international member to receive discounts on registration. The core aim ofNanomedicine andTechnology 2019conference is to provide an opportunity for the delegates to meet, interact and exchange new ideas in the various areas ofNanoscience. We invite students to attend the conference and gain more knowledge about nanoscience and technology from eminent researchers of the world. So, come and join leading experts and allied professionals from April 11-12, 2019 in Paris, Franceto discuss the ways to develop better technologies that will aid in the development of Nanomedicine andTechnology.

WhatisNanomedicine And Technology?

Nanomedicineis a branch of medicine (ranges from 10-100nm) that applies the knowledge and tools of nanotechnology to the prevention and treatment of disease. It also involves the use of nanoscale materials such as biocompatiblenanoparticlesandnanorobots, for diagnosis, drug delivery, sensing or actuation purposes in a living organism.

There is a strong market for Nanomedicine andTechnologyin Europe. Itseeks to deliver a valuable set of research tools and clinically useful devices in the near future. The NationalNanotechnologyInitiative expects new commercial applications in thepharmaceutical industry that may include advanceddrug delivery systems, new therapies, and in vivo imagingNanomedicinesresearch is receiving funding from the US National Institutes of Health Common Fund program, supporting fourNanomedicinesdevelopment centers.

Nanomedicinessales reached$16billionin2015, with a minimum of$3.8 billioninnanotechnologyR&D being invested every year. Global funding for emerging nanotechnology increased by 45% per year in recent years, with product sales exceeding$1 trillionin2013. As the Nanomedicines industry continues to grow, it is expected to have a significantimpact on the economy.

Technology is the branch of technology that deals with dimensions and tolerances of less than 100 nanometres, especially the manipulation of individual atoms and molecules.

The globalmedicine market is projected to reach USD 1,669.40 Billion by 2021 from USD 1,179.20 Billion in2016, at a CAGR of 7.2% during the forecast period. This market is segmented based on the route of administration, facility of use, and region. Theglobal nano medicinemarket was valued at US$ 41,062.5 Mn in 2014 and is projected to reach US$ 118,527.2 Mn by 2023, expanding at a CAGR of 12.5% from 2015 to2023.

Whytoattend our conference

This event will provide an opportunity to build and expand your network with various people and gives chance to make collaboration with other universities and research labs. It also helps you to meet the experts in the relevant field of study. It givesthe accessto novel instruments in the market. This conference plays a major role in your business development and maximizes the profit.

Target Audience

Nano Medicine 2019keenly focuses on the following people:

Opportunities for ConferenceAttendees

For Researchers & Faculty:

For Universities, Associations & Societies:

For Students & Research Scholars:

For Business Delegates:

For Companies:

WhyExhibit?

Who shouldSponsor?

About Paris, France

Paris is the capital and most populous city of France, with an area of 105 square kilometers. It is located in northern central France with a western European Oceanic climate. Since the 17thcentury, Paris has been one of Europes major centers of finance, commerce, fashion, science, musicandpainting. It is especially known for its museums and architectural landmarks. The citys top tourist attractions are Notre Dame Cathedral, Louvre Museum, Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe..As its leading role duringAgeof Enlightenment, it is often also referred to asThe City Of Light.

Nanomedicine and Drug Delivery:

Medication conveyance characterizes as thebestapproach to take pharmaceutical from the diverse course oforganizationshow in a human body and in addition creature. At the point when the medication is gone intohumanor creature body begins to demonstrate some helpful impact, which mends our body, experience the ill effects of particularinfection or sick. Medication willbegingo frompharmacokineticsframework which containadsorption, digestion, disseminationanddischargeand after that goes into the circulatory framework, where theparticularmedicationreachto particular receptors and tie with the receptors, which begin recuperate tobody. Medication conveyance has done fromvariouscourse, e.g.; oral course, intravenous course, intramuscular course, transdermal patches, intraocular course, intra-peritoneal,suppositories, and so on.

Drug Design and Drug Development:

Medication Design, regularly specific to as prudentpharmaceuticallayout or just sensible arrangement, is that the imaginative system for finding new drugs maintained the data of a natural sciences target. The medication is mostgenerallyrelate degree regular little particle that establishes or frustrates the perform ofa biomoleculeslike amacromolecules, thatcontinuouslyends up in a supportive advantage to the patient. Inside the unassuming sense, calm diagram incorporates the organizing of particles that are reverse in casing and charge to the biosub-nuclear concentrationwith that they move and along these lines can attach to that. Solution blueprint of times anyway not fundamentally depends upon convenient workstation showing systems. This sort ofshowingis routinely observed as PC supportedmedicationoutline

Synthesis and Characterisation of Nanomaterials:

The objective of any engineered technique for preparation ofnanoparticlesis to fabricate nanomaterials which have the unique properties for applications that are a result of their characteristic length scale being in the nanometer run (1 100 nm). Likewise, the manufactured strategy should show control of size in this range with the goal that one or the other property can be attained. There are two general strategies for synthesis of nanomaterials and the fabrication of nanostructures: Bottom Up and Top Down.

Bottom upapproach refers to the build-up of a material from the bottom: start with atoms or molecules and build up tonanostructures. The starting material is either gaseous state or liquid state of matter for bottom up method.

Top downapproach refers to cutting of a bulk material to get nano sized particle: begin with a pattern generated on a larger scale, then reduced tonanoscale. The starting material is in solid state for top down method.

Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics:

Pharmacodynamicsis the importance that medications have on the fundamental part; while pharmacokinetics is the investigation of the manner by which drugs travel through the body amid assimilation, conveyance, digestionanddischarge.Pharmacokineticsimpacts choices over the course oforganization. For medications to create their belongings they should interface with the body. This can result in a few practices and relies upon the properties of themedication,and will be talked about later in this section.Pharmacokineticsimpacts choices over the course oforganization. The procedures that happen after medicationadministratorcan be divided down into four particular zones (known as ADME).

Nanomedicine in Pre-Clinical Research:

Preclinical advancement wrapsthe activities that association quietexposurein the lab tobeginningof humanclinical trials.Preclinical examinationscan be planned to recognize a lead confident from a couple of hits; develop the best strategy for new medicine scale-up;select thebest detailing; choose the course, repeat, and traverse of presentation; and finally help the proposed clinical trial design. Concurrentpreclinical advancement practicesjoin developing a clinical course of action and setting up the newprescription thing, including related documentation to meet stringent FDA Great Assembling Practices and managerial standards

Advanced NanomaterialsandNanoparticles

Nanomaterialsare described as materials with no short of what one outside estimation in the size degree from around 1-100 nanometers.Nanoparticlesare things with every one of the three outside estimations at the nano-scale. Built nanoparticles are deliberately delivered and arranged with specific properties related to shape, estimate, surface properties and science. These properties are reflected in fog concentrates, colloids, or powders. Routinely, the direct of nanomaterials may depend more on surface district than atom plan itself. The control of organization, size, shape, and morphology ofnanomaterialsandnanoparticlesis a basic establishment for the improvement and use of Nano scale gadgets in everywhere throughout the world.

Nanoparticlescan be built with unmistakable pieces, sizes, shapes, and surface sciences to empower novel procedures in an extensive variety of natural applications. The one of a kind property of nanoparticles and their conduct in organic milieu likewise empower energizing and integrative ways to deal with concentrate essential natural inquiries.

Nano devicesandNano sensors:

TheNanodevicesandNanostructureshave presented a super trade of humankind with its Nano lifestyle machines. Nano scale materials are an extensively characterized set of substances that have no less than one basic measurement under 100 nanometers and have one of a kind electrical, magnetic, or optical properties. Ultrafine particulate matter is an outstanding case ofnanoscale particlesfound in the earth.Nanodeviceswill finally have a huge impact on our capacity to enhance food production, improve human health, energy conversion and control pollution.

Nano sensorsconvey data about nanoparticles. Numerous logical achievements in Nanotechnology has been contributed byNano sensors. Diverse kinds of sensors are developed fromnanomaterialsto distinguish a scope of substance vapors, to detect microbes or infections, to recognize single atoms to help pharmaceutical organizations in the generation of medications.

Nanomedicine in Drug Delivery Research :

Medication conveyance depicts the technique and way to deal with conveying medications orpharmaceuticalsand different xenobiotic to their site of activity inside a living being, with the objective of accomplishing a restorative result. Issues of pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics are vital contemplations for sedate conveyance. Outlining and creating novel medication conveyance frameworks, with an emphasis on their application to sickness conditions. Preclinical and clinical information identified with medicate conveyance frameworks.Medication Deliveryand Translational Research is a diary distributed by CRS, giving a one of a kind gathering tologicalproduction oftop notchinquire about that is solely centered around Drug Development and translational parts of medication conveyance.Medicationappropriation, pharmacokinetics, freedom, withtranquilizeconveyance frameworks when contrasted with customary dosing to exhibit helpful results. Here and now andlong haulbiocompatibility of medication conveyance frameworks, havereaction. Biomaterials with development factors for immaturemicroorganism separationin regenerative solution and tissue designing.Gadgetsfor sedate conveyance and medication/gadget blend items.

Novel Drug Delivery Systems:

TheNovel Drug Delivery Systemsare the technique by which a medication is conveyed can significantly affect itsadequacy. A few medications have an ideal focus go inside which greatest advantage is inferred, and fixations above or beneath this range can be poisonous or create no Local Drug Delivery Systems advantage by any means. Then again, the moderate advance in the adequacy of the treatment of extremeinfections,has proposed a developing requirement for a multidisciplinary way to deal with the conveyance of therapeutics to focuses in tissues. From this, new thoughts on controlling the pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, non-particular danger, immunogenicity, bio acknowledgment, and viability of medications were produced. These newtechniques,regularly called medicate conveyance frameworks(DDS),depend oninterdisciplinarymethodologiesthat join polymer science, pharmaceutics,bio conjugatescience, and sub-atomic science. Then again, this reference examinesprogressesin the plan, enhancement, and adjustment of quality conveyance frameworks for the treatment oftumour, cardiovascular, aspiratory, hereditary, andirresistible maladies, and considers evaluation and audit methodology engaged with the advancement of quality based pharmaceuticals.

Synthesis of Nanoparticles for Drug Delivery:

Orchestrating nanoparticlesfor pharmaceutical purposes, for example, tranquilize arrangement should be possible in two strategies.Baseprocess, for example, pyrolysis, inactive gas build-up, solvothermal response, sol-gel creation and organized media in whichhydrophobiccompound, for example,liposomesare utilized as bases to mount themedication.Topdownprocess, for example, whittling down/processing in which themedicationis etched down to frame a nanoparticle.

Nanorobotics:

Ananoroboticsis a machine that can build and manipulate things precisely at an atomic level. Nanorobotics is the innovation of making machines or robots at or near the tiny size of a nanometre.Nanorobotswould regularly be gadgets running in measure from 0.1-10 micrometers. The fundamental component utilized will be carbon as precious stone/fullerene nanocomposites in view of the quality and compound idleness of these structures. The other indispensable utilization of Nanotechnology in connection to medicinal research and diagnostics arenanorobots.Nanorobots, working in the human body, could screen levels of various mixes and record the data in their interior memory.

Nanobiotechnology:

The termNanobiotechnologyrefers to the combination ofnanotechnologyandbiology. The concepts that are enhanced throughnanobiologyinclude: Nanoparticle, Nano device and Nano scale phenomena that occurs within the discipline ofnanotechnology. This approach to biology allows scientists to imagine and create systems that can be used for biological research. Revolutionary opportunities and future scope ofnanobiotechnologyare gaining its utmost importance in nano life sciences.

Applications in pharmaceuticals and molecular diagnostics, include drug delivery, drug discovery and drug development.Nanobiotechnologyhas extending the limits of detection to single molecules by refining the current molecular diagnostics. Nanoparticles play a vital role in the delivery of biological treatments, which include gene therapy, RNA interference, cell therapy, vaccines, and antisense therapeutics. The most promising application ofnanobiotechnologyis for the development of customized drugs. The combination of diagnostics with therapeutics, refinement of molecular diagnostics, and targeted drug delivery play important roles in this application. At last, the safety issues of nanoparticles are discussed including measures to address these. The prospects ofnanobiotechnologyare incredible.

Nanotechnology in Drug Delivery Heart Diseases:

Nanoparticlesthat are both manufacturedHDLand containaMRIdiverse operator(press oxide). The scientists are presently directing creature concentrates to decide how well the counterfeit HDL (high thickness lipoprotein) treatsbloodvessel plaque.Nanoparticlethat can convey medications to tablet on the mass of a conduit. They append a protein called a peptide to a nanoparticle, which at that point ties with thesurfaceof the plaque.

Future of Nanotechnology:

Certain highlights ofnanotechnologyhave been observed that are probably going to be important in determining its impact in the future. All the more essentially, reacting to the test ofnanotechnologywill require going up against "philosophical" inquiries regarding the kind of society we wish to make and the part that innovation may play in making it.Nanotechnologyis rapidly picking up traction over a scope of industries, from energy storage to agriculture to water treatment. Today,nanotechnologyis a standout amongst innovative, cutting-edge areas of scientific study and it keeps on progressing at amazing rates. From researchers at technology-centered companies and institutions to students pursuing a nanotechnology degree, pioneers innanotechnologyare making the latest breakthroughs in the field.

Biopharmaceutics and Biologic Drugs:

Biopharmaceuticsis defined as the study of factors that influencing rate and amount of drug which reaches the systemic circulation and use of this information to optimize the therapeutic efficacy of the drug products. The process of movement of drug from site of administration to systemic circulation is called asabsorption. The concentration of drug in plasma, onset of action, intensity and duration of response depend upon thebioavailability of drug from its dosage form. Bioavailability is defined as the rate and extent (amount) of drug absorption which indicates active effect.

Personalized Nanomedicine:

Personalized medicineaims to individualize chemotherapeutic interventions on the basis of ex vivo and in vivo information on patient- and disease-specific characteristics. By noninvasively visualizing how well image-guided nanomedicines-that is, submicrometer-sized drug delivery systems containing both drugs and imaging agents within a single formulation, and designed to more specifically deliver drug molecules to pathologic sites-accumulate at the target site, patients likely to respond to nanomedicine-based therapeutic interventions may be preselected. In addition, by longitudinally monitoring how well patients respond to nanomedicine-based therapeutic interventions, drug doses and treatment protocols can be individualized and optimized during follow-up. Furthermore,noninvasive imaginginformation on the accumulation ofnanomedicine formulationsin potentially endangered healthy tissues may be used to exclude patients from further treatment. Consequently, combining noninvasive imaging withtumor-targeted drug deliveryseems to hold significant potential for personalizing nanomedicine-based chemotherapeutic interventions, to achieve delivery of the right drug to the right location in the right patient at the right time.

Design of Nanodrugs:

To date, variousnanodrug systemshave been developed for different routes of administration, which include dendrimers,nanocrystals, emulsions, liposomes, solid lipid nanoparticles, micelles, and polymeric nanoparticles. Nanodrug systems have been employed to improve the efficacy, safety, physicochemical properties, and pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic profile of pharmaceutical substances. In particular, functionalized nanodrug systems can offer enhancedbioavailabilityof orally taken drugs, prolonged half-life of injected drugs (by reducing immunogenicity), andtargeted deliveryto specific tissues. Thus,nanodrug systemsmight lower the frequency of administration while providing maximized pharmacological effects and minimized systemic side effects, possibly leading to better therapeutic compliance and clinical outcomes. In spite of these attractive pharmacokinetic advantages, recent attention has been drawn to the toxic potential of nanodrugs since they often exhibit in vitro and in vivo cytotoxicity, oxidative stress, inflammation, and genotoxicity.

Recent Nanomaterials for Drug Delivery:

Medication conveyance frameworks advertise is extending quickly. The same number of newMedicationrequires novel and inventive medication conveyance procedures. Theadvancementofsuchmedicationconveyance frameworks can enhance existing medications' helpful viability, easing their reactions, and decreasing the cost. Being advantageous from the fast advance of nanotechnologies and nanomaterials amid a decades ago, numerouspropelledtranquilize conveyance frameworks have been made conceivable.

Smart Drug Delivery Technology:

With SmartDrugDelivery Technology the extraordinary advances of biomedical nanotechnology amidthe previouscouple of decades, ordinary medication conveyance frameworks (DDSs) have been includedintobrilliant DDSs with jolts responsive qualities. To improve their helpful impacts and diminish the related reactions, dynamic medication particles ought to specifically collect in the ailment territory for a delayed period with high controllability. Medication conveyance alludes to the methodologies, details, innovations, and frameworks for transporting therapeutics in the body as expected to securely and effectively accomplish their coveted restorative impacts.Traditionalmedication conveyance frameworks(DDSs)are regularly joined by fundamental symptoms that for the most part owing to their nonspecific bio-appropriation and wildmedicationdischarge qualities. To beat these restrictions, progressed controlled DDSs have been created to accomplish the arrival of payloads at the objective destinations in aspatialcontrolled way. In contrast with the regular DDSs, the brilliant controlled DDSs can adequately lessen the dose recurrence, while keeping up the medication focus in focused organs/tissues for a more drawn out timeframe. In this sense, the controlled DDSs give wide bits of knowledge and interesting properties for diminishing medication focus variance, decreasing medication toxicities and enhancingremedial viability.

Nano Geo Science:

The learning of nanoscale insights accompanied with geological systems isNanogeoscience. Predominantly, this is interviewed by considering environmental nanoparticles size from 1 to 100 nanometers. The NanoGeoSciences team works closely with X-ray physical sciences in theNano-Science Center. Nanoscience is alarmed with inspecting material properties that alter as physical measurement approach the atomic scale and quantum properties become essential. The physical and chemical possessions of the Earth and several other terrestrial planets are subjected on the atomic to a nanoscale structure of their constituent rocks, minerals and fluids. Nanogeoscience encompasses the incorporation of microscopy, spectroscopy, and theoretical modelling comprised of experimental and fieldwork learning on the bulk manner connected with nanoscale mechanisms. Electron microscopy and allied spectroscopy approaches have been key techniques in this field for decades.

Green Nanotechnology:

Green nanotechnology alludes to the utilization of nanotechnology to improve the ecological supportability of procedures creating negative externalities. It additionally alludes to the utilization of the results of nanotechnology to improve maintainability. It incorporates making green nano-items and utilizing nano-items in the help of supportability.Green nanotechnologyhas been depicted as the advancement of clean innovations, "to limit potential ecological and human wellbeing dangers related with the fabricating and utilization of nanotechnology items and to empower supplanting of existing items with new nano items that are all the more naturally cordial all through their lifecycle.

Quantum Dots and Nanomagnetism:

Quantum Dots and Magnetic Nanoparticles have bunches of uses in explanatory strategies.Quantum Dotsare semiconductor nanoparticles whose electronic vitality levels are impressively controlled by the molecule measurements. This control occurs because of quantum repression. QDs are helpful as an investigative device because of its extraordinary optical properties. These optical properties comprise of restricted outflow spectra, wide absorbance spectra, discharge wavelength which is flexible by changing the extent of the molecule, high quantum effectiveness and low photobleaching rates.MNPsare made of magnetite (Fe3O4) or maghemite (Fe2O3). These materials are commonly superparamagnetic in the nanoscale extend. The attractive properties of these nanomaterials enable them to be controlled by attractive fields. the generally low poisonous quality of iron oxides takes into consideration their utilization in vivo applications.

Carbon Nanotechnology:

Carbon nanotube (CNT)is the allotropes of carbon with a cylindrical nanostructure. These cylindrical carbon molecules have unfamiliar properties, which are valuable for nanotechnology, electronics, optics and other fields of materials science and technology. Owing to the material's exceptional strength and rigidness, nanotubes have been constructed with length-to-diameter ratio of up to 132,000,000:1, significantly larger than for any other material.

In addition, owing to their remarkable thermal conductivity, mechanical, and electrical properties, carbon nanotubes find applications as additives to various structural materials. For instance, nanotubes form a nanoscopic portion of the material(s) in some (primarily carbon fibre) baseball bats, golf clubs, car parts orDamascus steel.

Pharmaceutical Nanotechnology:

Nanotechnology is the science which manages the procedures that happen at a molecular level and of nano-length scale size. The real investigations in the nanotechnology incorporate nanosized particles, their capacity and conduct as for different frameworks. The enormous capacities of nanoparticles have changed the viewpoint and extent of nanotechnology towards improvement into an adjuvant field for the rest of the fields of life sciences. Nanotechnology is the capacity to understand and control materials at the extremely littlest scales, from around 100 nm to the measurements of single molecules; At thisNanoscale, the properties of these nanosized particles differ from the customary medications.

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TREATMENTS

Regenerative revolutionary cord blood stem cell therapies along with PRP therapy that are effective, nonsteroidal, outpatient & repairdamaged tissue.

Repair and regenerate damaged joints, tendons, ligaments and cartilage from sports injuries or arthritis. Back and neck pain, COPD, Kidney/Heart Failure and more!

Your most common questions answered about cord blood regenerative therapies and how they can help you obtain relief, increase function and avoid potentially risky surgery.

Super Bowl Champion Otis Wilson Undergoes Stem Cell Therapy

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Stem Cell Therapy Has Been Groundbreaking For Pain Relief

Avoid Surgery with Umbilical Cord Blood Stem Cell Therapy and PRP (888) 885-8675!At Regenerative Care Clinics of Illinois

I wanted to avoid joint replacement since my first one resulted in a scary blood clot. Had the procedure 6 months ago - no pain since!*

Theresa M, Phoenix AZ

I had it done on my knee and it worked great.*

David G, Oroville CA

Had stem cells in both knees years ago. Still have not had to have two total knees that I had been told to do since both were bone on bone!*

Gayle F, Cape Coral Florida

I know about these clinics. Know some treated people who could not move without severe pain..they now lead a miraculously beautiful life..amazing stories.*

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What are Stem Cells?

Stem cells are super unique in that they have the ability to go through numerous cycles and cell divisions while maintaining the undifferentiated state. Primarily, stem cells are capable of self-renewal and can transform themselves into other cell types of the same tissue. Their crucial role is to replenish dying cells and regenerate damaged tissue. Stem cells have a limited life expectation due to environmental and intrinsic stress factors. Because their life is endangered by internal and external stresses, stem cells have to be protected and supported to delay preliminary aging. In aged bodies, the number and activity of stem cells in reduced.

Until several years ago, the tart, unappealing breed of the Swiss-grown Uttwiler Sptlauber apples, did not seem to offer anything of value. That was until Swiss scientists discovered the unusual longevity of the stem cells that kept these apples alive months after other apples shriveled and fell off their trees. In the rural region of Switzerland, home of these magical apples, it was discovered that when the unpicked apples or tree bark was punctured, Swiss Apple trees have the ability to heal themselves and last longer than other varieties. What was the secret to these apples prolonged lives?

Proven to Diminish the Signs of Aging

These scientists got to work to find out. What they revealed was that apple stem cells work just like human stem cells, they work to maintain and repair skin tissue. The main difference is that unlike apple stem cells, skin stem cells do not have a long lifespan, and once they begin depleting, the signs of aging start kicking in (in the forms of loose skin, wrinkles, the works). Time to harness these apple stem cells into anti aging skin care! Not so fast. As mentioned, Uttwiler Sptlauber apples are now very rare to the point that the extract can no longer be made in a traditional fashion. The great news is that scientists developed a plant cell culture technology, which involves breeding the apple stem cells in the laboratory.

Human stem cells on the skins epidermis are crucial to replenish the skin cells that are lost due to continual shedding. When epidermal stem cells are depleted, the number of lost or dying skin cells outpaces the production of new cells, threatening the skins health and appearance.

Like humans, plants also have stem cells. Enter the stem cells of the Uttwiler Sptlauber apple tree, whose fruit demonstrates an exceptionally long shelf-life. How can these promising stem cells help our skin?

Studies show that apple stem cells boosts production of human stem cells, protect the cell from stress, and decreases wrinkles. How does it work? The internal fluid of these plant cells contains components that help to protect and maintain human stem cells. Apple stem cells contain metabolites to ensure longevity as the tree is known for the fact that its fruit keep well over long periods of time.

When tested in vitro, the apple stem cell extract was applied to human stem cells from umbilical cords and was found to increase the number of the stem cells in culture. Furthermore, the addition of the ingredient to umbilical cord stem cells appeared to protect the cells from environmental stress such as UV light.

Apple stem cells do not have to be fed through the umbilical cord to benefit our skin! The extract derived from the plant cell culture technology is being harnessed as an active ingredient in anti aging skincare products. When delivered into the skin nanotechnology, the apple stem cells provide more dramatic results in decreasing lines, wrinkles, and environmental damage.

Currently referred to as The Fountain of Youth, intense research has proved that with just a concentration level of 0.1 % of the PhytoCellTec (apple stem cell extract) could proliferate a wealth of human stem cells by an astounding 80%! These wonder cells work super efficiently and are completely safe. Of the numerous benefits of apple stems cells, the most predominant include:

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Apple Stem Cells - The Anti-Aging skin care ingredient ...

The decision to begin a search for a suitable unrelated donor rests entirely with the transplant centre. Our mandate is to coordinate the search and subsequent donation of an unrelated volunteer donor. All volunteer donors must meet a variety of eligibility requirements and undergo a comprehensive health assessment to ensure that the donation process will be safe for them and anyone receiving their stem cells.

Within one business day of receiving the request, the stem cell network forwards a preliminary search report of possible matches to the transplant team. This report lists any potential Canadian and international donors who might be a match to a patient. These potential donors are contacted for further health assessment and to provide DNA samples for additional testing. It is important to remember that each patient not only needs a matched donor, but also a well-informed, committed and healthy donor. On average, it can take up to six months to complete the necessary testing and health assessment screening to confirm the best matched donor.

The search is repeated continuously, so that any newly added donors may be identified. The search process continues until a donor is found and makes a stem cell donation or until the transplant team makes a decision to cancel the search request. Please note that it is not the responsibility of you or your family to find your donor. Your transplant team, working with Canadian Blood Services, is responsible for locating a matched, committed donor for you.

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Faithfully Guided Health Center takes an integrative and functional approach to primary care. Our priority is to spend the time necessary to uncover the root cause of your disease process vs. only treating the symptoms. Often times in medicine, practitioners provide symptom-management through medication, but fail to guide the patient to full healing and/or improved overall health and well-being.

Faithfully Guided Health Centers providers first spend time talking with and listening to you. We then perform an in-depth history, physical exam and diagnostic tests as needed. Our strategy is not to compartmentalize the body systems but identify how symptoms may be interrelated. We place a significant focus on gut and brain health as we believe this greatly influences the rest of the body.

Our treatment approach relies heavily on lifestyle medicine. We identify changes that can be made to improve nutrition, movement/exercise, restorative sleep/rest, environmental toxin exposure, and stress management. Along with the support of counselors and health coaches, we empower you to be involved with your own healing. Supplementation, medication, referrals to specialists and other treatment modalities will be recommended when needed.

Faithfully Guided Health Centers primary goal is to provide healing by connecting spirit, mind, and body through a collaborative approach to healthcare.

Helping the community achieve optimal health and abundant life is our vision! By providing faith-based lifestyle healthcare, we desire to be a part of the solution by improving the health outcomes of Marion County, from 46 out 62, and becoming one of the healthiest communities to live in Florida.

Faithfully Guided Health Center proudly offers free and on-going educational sessions for community members, groups and organizations throughout the Ocala, Florida and Marion County area.

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Faithfully Guided Health Center - Integrative Medicine ...

Vision Conditions and Student Life

Vision problems affect nearly 13.5 million children. Rates for vision problems increase as children agea quarter of adolescents 12-17 are reported to have eye problems(1)

"Poor vision in childhood affects performance in school or at work and has a negative influence on the future of the child"(2)

Vision problems have been shown to adversely affect a childs achievement in school.(3) Myopic children have trouble reading blackboard notes or other classroom presentation materials. Hyperopic children will have trouble reading or doing any kind of close work. Additionally, several types of eye disorders can lead to permanent visual impairment if not identified and treated early by an eye doctor.(4) Vision problems can and do adversely affect students ability to function in and enjoy learning. What can teachers do to help children who may be struggling with a vision condition?

The following may be indicative of a child experiencing a vision problem:(5)(6)

If you have a student who is exhibiting these behaviors, it may be due to a vision problem. It is important that you work with the child's parent or guardian to ensure that the child has an eye exam by an eye doctor.

School vision screenings are important and can help to detect eye conditions that are defined as commonly occurring, meaning that they occur in more than 1% of the target population.(7) Early detection of vision problems has a demonstrated impact on quality of life for students,(8) especially in the case of color-blindness, which is often not assessed in any other venue except as necessary for entry into certain occupations.(9) Although traditional school vision screenings have focused on myopia (nearsightedness, or lack of clear distance vision), children need to receive an eye exam by an eye doctor in a clinical setting that can detect issues with distance vision, close vision, color detection, and binocular vision.(10)

There is a lot of evidence demonstrating that the rates of many of these conditions are well above 1% in the population. For example, research has shown that the rates of hyperopia,(11) myopia,(12) astigmatism,(13) amblyopia,(14) and color blindness(15) are all great enough in student populations that they pass the 1% inclusion test for vision screening.

As a first step, it is important to ensure that all students at a school have a basic visual acuity screening which is cost-effective and useful for early detection of possible vision problems. (16)

As of April 2007, 31 states require vision screening in schools, but only Arkansas mandates that children who fail the screening must receive a full eye examination by an eye doctor.(17) While other states suggest vision screening, they have no laws in place that require schools to provide vision screenings. If your school does not have a vision screening program, you should work to implement screenings irrespective of whether or not the state requires it. Implementing vision screenings will help to ensure that student visual issues are identified, thereby helping the students to succeed academically, athletically, and socially. Unite For Sight's North America chapters can assist a school to establish a vision screening program, and all children screened are also educated about the importance of regular eye exams by an eye doctor.

(2) S. Seema, B. Vashisht, K. Meenakshi & G. Manish : Magnitude of Refractive Errors among school children in a rural block of Haryana . The Internet Journal of Epidemiology. 2009 Volume 6 Number 2.

(3) Orfield A. Vision problems of children in poverty in an urban school clinic. Their epidemic numbers impact on learning and approaches to remediation. JOVD. 2001;32:114-141.

(4) Ferebee, Annette. (2004) Childhood Vision: Public Challenges and Opportunities: A Policy Brief. The Center for Health and Health Care in Schools. Accessed 6/26/09 <http://www.healthinschools.org/Health-in-Schools/Health-Services/School-Health-Services/School-Health-Issues/Vision/~/media/Files/PDF/visionfinal.ashx>

(5) US Dept. of Health and Human Services. AHRQ. Put Prevention into Practice: Child Health Guide. Publication No. APPIP 98-006. Current as of January 2003.

(6) Harris P. Learning related visual problems in Baltimore City: A Longterm program. JOVD. 2002;33:75-115.

(7) Timmreck, T. C. (2002). An introduction to epidemiology (3rd ed.). Sudbury, MA: Jones & Bartlett

(8) Pizzarello, L et. al. (1998). A school-based program to provide eyeglasses: Childsight. Journal of the American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus, 2 (6), 372-374.

(9) Issue Brief: School Nursing Services Role in Health Care: School Vision Screening. National Association of Nurses. Accessed 6/26/09 <http://www.nasn.org/Default.aspx?tabid=284>

(11) Bullimore, M.A., & Gilmartin, B. (1997). Hyperopia and presbyopia: Etiology and epidemiology. In N.A. Sher (Ed.), Surgery for hyperopia and presbyopia (pp. 3-10). Baltimore: Williams & Wilkins.

(12) Preslan, M. W. & Novak, A. (1998). Baltimore Vision Screening Project: Phase 2. Ophthalmology, 105, 150-153.

(13) Miller, J. M., et. al. (2001). Comparison of preschool vision screening methods in a population with a very high prevalence of astigmatism [Electronic version]. Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science, 42 (5), 917-924. Retrieved November 14, 2004, from http://www.iovs.org.cgi/.

(14) Ferebee, A. (2004). Childhood vision: Challenge and opportunities: A policy brief. Washington, DC. The Center for Health Care in Schools, George Washington University.

(15) Evans, A. (2003b). Color is in the eye of the beholder. Auburn, CA: CVD Books

(16) Fryer, G. E., Igoe, J. B., & Miyoshi, T. J. (1997). Considering school health screening services as a cost offset: A comparison of existing reimbursements in one state. Journal of School Nursing, 13 (2), 18-21.

(17) Your State and Vision Screening: Whats the Score? The Center for Health and Health Care in Schools. Accessed 6/26/09 < http://www.healthinschools.org/News-Room/EJournals/Volume-8/Number-3/Your-State-and-Vision-Screening.aspx>

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Eye Health for Teachers: The Importance of Vision ...