StemCell Therapy

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BROOMFIELD, Colo.(BUSINESS WIRE)Regenexx, a Colorado-based stem-cell-treatment network and pioneer in the invention of interventional orthopedics, today announced that it successfully merged withHarbor View Medical, a leader in orthopedic stem cell therapy and part of the Regenexx network, which became effective in May 2017. As part of the transition, Jason Hellickson has assumed the CEO role. This merger positions Regenexx to further expand its National Network to better serve patients and our corporate partners.

Regenexx Corporate will be headquartered in Des Moines, IA, while Regenexxs Affiliate Program and Research and Development will be lead out of the companys Broomfield, CO location. Dr. Christopher Centeno, founder of orthopedic stem cell treatments and leader of interventional orthopedics in the United States and pioneer of the Regenexx patented procedures, will continue his role as Chief Medical Officer and remain in clinic operations in Broomfield, and continues the advancements of regenerative medicine through the largest research and data collection effort in orthopedic regenerative medicine.

As the most advanced non-surgical orthopedic care available in the United States, Im excited to continue our mission to producing the best possible patient outcomes through interventional orthopedics, said Jason Hellickson, CEO, Regenexx. In addition to individual personalized care, we will continue to provide both employers and their employees with cost savings results and successful interventions to orthopedic surgery.

Since joining the Regenexx Network in late 2014, Hellickson has reengineered clinic operations which increased capacity by more than 300 percent while offering a streamlined approach beneficial to both patients and clinic staff. He is the innovator and leader of theRegenexx Corporate Programthat enables large employers access to the Regenexx procedures. Since adding Regenexx procedures to their self-funded health and workers compensation plans, corporate partners have saved as much as 83 percent in their orthopedic surgical expenses, totaling in the many millions of dollars. In his new role, Hellickson will continue to architect the Regenexx national clinical operations to create more streamlined approaches to patient care and expand Regenexx clinics nationwide.

We look forward to continuing the build-out of Regenexx clinics, streamlining affiliate networks of more than 50 clinics nationwide, and adding additional clinics in major metropolitan areas including Chicago, Atlanta, Dallas, Philadelphia, and Charlotte under Jasons helm, said Christopher Centeno, MD. Were excited about the experience and enthusiasm that Jason brings to Regenexx.

Regenexx is the world leader in interventional orthopedics using orthobiologics and has been issued many patents for its evidence-based stem cell and blood platelet treatments used for back pain, joint pain, arthritis and acute orthopedic injuries. The benefits of interventional orthopedics are so revolutionary that seventy percent of orthopedic issues currently treated with surgery could instead be handled using regenerative methods. Mesenchymal stem cells are multipotent, adult stem cells that are therapeutic agents in the repair and regeneration of muscle, tissue, cartilage and bone. Regenexx procedures use a patients own bone marrow-derived stem cells, or blood platelets, through a blood draw, to customize needle-based, precisely-guided procedures to treat common orthopedic conditions. Its procedures have been proven to have the same or better outcomes compared to their surgical alternative.

For more information on the Regenexx Corporate Program call: 888-547-6667. For general information on Regenexx, please visitwww.Regenexxcorporate.com. For a map of current Regenexx clinics and providers clickhere.

About Regenexx and the Regenexx Physician NetworkThe Regenexx Procedures are the nations most advanced non-surgical stem cell and blood platelet treatments for common joint injuries and degenerative joint conditions, such as osteoarthritis and avascular necrosis. These stem cell procedures utilize a patients own stem cells or blood platelets to help heal damaged tissues, tendons, ligaments, cartilage, spinal disc, or bone.

For more information on Regenexx, please visit:http://www.regenexx.com

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Regenexx Announces Successful Merger with Harbor View Medical - OrthoSpineNews

Conference Series Ltdinvites all the members of Biological Sciences family, from all over the world to join and share research at the10th World Congress on Stem Cell and Biobankingduring 23th& 24thOctober, 2017 at Osaka, Japan, which includes prompt keynote presentations, plenary talks, oral talks, poster presentations and exhibitions.

Theme: Accelerating the Innovative Research &Technology in Stem Cell & Biobanking

Stem Cell Convention 2017aims in proclaim knowledge and share new ideas amongest the professionals, industrialists and students from research area of Stem Cells and Biobanking to share their research experiences and indulge in interactive discussions at the event. This scientific gathering guarantees that offering the thoughts and ideas will enable and secure you the theme Accelerating the Innovative Research &Technology in Stem Cell & Biobanking. Biobanking is the latest trending technology in many fields. The current era fully rolled out with many new Stem cells and Biobanking technologies. In such case more research centres and Hospitals were newly introduced within market which obviously shows the market growth of stem cells and Biobanking techniques. While analyzing the revenue growth of stem cells research, it highly developed from $150 billion USD to $250 billion USD since from 2010-2015. And the annual growth percentage increases from 20-55 percentages.

Track-1

Stem Cells Biology

Stem cellsare undifferentiated biological cells that can differentiate into specialized cells and can divide (through mitosis) to produce more stem cells. They are found in multicellular organisms. In mammals, there are two broad types of stem cells:embryonic stem cells, which are isolated from the inner cell mass of blastocysts, and adult stem cells, which are found in various tissues. In adult organisms, stem cells andprogenitor cellsact as a repair system for the body, replenishingadult tissues. In a developing embryo, stem cells can differentiate into all the specialized cellsectoderm, endoderm and mesoderm (see induced pluripotent stem cells)but also maintain the normal turnover of regenerative organs, such as blood, skin, or intestinal tissues.Umbilical cord cells are also included in this Stem Cell Research.

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7th Annual Conference on Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine ,Aug 4-5, 2016, Manchester, UK; 2nd International Conference on Antibodies,July 14-15, 2016 ,Philadelphia, USA; 2nd International Conference on Innate Immunity,July 21-22, 2016 ,Berlin, Germany; 2nd International Congress on Neuroimmunology ,March 31-April 02, 2016, Atlanta, USA; International Conference on Cancer Immunology ,July 28-30, 2016 ,Melbourne, Australia.

Stem cells technologyis a rapidly developing field that combines the efforts of cell biologists,geneticists, and clinicians and offers hope of effective treatment for a variety of malignant and non-malignant diseases. Stem cells are defined astotipotent progenitor cellscapable of self-renewal and multilineage differentiation. Stem Cell s technologysurvive well and show stable division in culture, making them ideal targets for in vitro manipulation. Although early research has focused on hematopoietic stem cells, stem cells have also been recognised in other sites. Research into solid tissue stem cells has not made the same progress as that on hematopoietic stem cells. This is due to the difficulty of reproducing the necessary and precise three dimensional arrangements and tight cell-cell and cell-extracellular matrix interactions that exist in solid organs. However, the ability of tissue stem cells to integrate into the tissue cytoarchitecture under the control of the host microenvironment and developmental cues makes them ideal for cell replacement therapy. Some of the methods of Stem Cells technology include Cord Stem Cell Transplantation, Allogeneic stem cell transplantation.

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8th World Congress on Stem Cell Research ,March 20-22, 2017 ,Orlando, USA;International Conference on Cancer Immunology ,July 28-30, 2016 ,Melbourne, Australia; 5th International Conference on Immunology ,October 24-26, 2016 ,Chicago, USA; Cancer Vaccines: Targeting Cancer Genes for Immunotherapy, Mar 610 2016, Whistler, Canada; Systems Immunology: From Molecular Networks to Human Biology, Jan 1014 2016, Big Sky, USA.

Track-3

Stem Cells Therapy Research

Stem cells therapyis the use of stem cells to treat or prevent a disease or condition.Bone marrow transplantis the most widely used stem-cells therapy, but some therapies derived from umbilical cord blood are also in use. Research is underway to develop various sources forstem cells, and to apply stem-cells treatments for neurodegenerative diseases and conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, and other conditions.Cord blood stem cells therapy is highly recommended at the time of delivery to save the umbilical cord of the child to resolve any future health conditions. Umbilical cord stem cells research has more scope to resolve the issues caused due to DNA changes.

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4thInternationalConference on Plant Genomics,July 14-15, 2016 ,Brisbane, Australia; 8thWorld Congress on Stem Cell Research,March 20-22, 2017 ,Orlando, USA; 7thAnnual Conference on Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine,Aug 4-5, 2016, Manchester, UK; 2ndInternationalConference on Tissue preservation and Biobanking,September 12-13, 2016 ,Philadelphia, USA;World Congress on Human Genetics,October 31- November 02, 2016 ,Valencia, Spain.

Track-4

Epigenetics

Epigeneticsis the study of potentially heritable changes in gene expression (active versus inactive genes) that does not involve changes to the underlyingDNA sequence a change in phenotype without a change in genotype which in turn affects how cells read the genes. Epigenetic change is a regular and natural occurrence but can also be influenced by several factors including age, the environment/lifestyle, and disease state. Epigenetic modifications can manifest as commonly as the manner in which cells terminally differentiate to end up as skin cells, liver cells, brain cells, etc. Or, epigenetic change can have more damaging effects that can result in diseases like cancer. At least three systems includingDNA methylation, histone modification and non-coding RNA (ncRNA)-associated gene silencing are currently considered to initiate and sustain epigenetic change. New and ongoing research is continuously uncovering the role of epigenetics in a variety ofhuman disordersand fatal diseases.

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InternationalConference on Next Generation Sequencing,July 21-22, 2016 ,Berlin, Germany; 5thInternationalConference on Computational Systems Biology,August 22-23, 2016 ,Philadelphia, USA; 7thInternationalConference on Bioinformatics,October 27-28, 2016 ,Chicago, USA; InternationalConference on Synthetic Biology,September 28-30, 2015 ,Houston, USA; 4thInternationalConference on Integrative Biology,July 18-20, 2016 ,Berlin, Germany.

Track-5

Stem cells apoptosis and signal transduction

Self-renewal and proliferation ofstem cellspopulation is controlled, in part, by induction of apoptosis. The number of stem cells is therefore a balance between those lost to differentiation / apoptosis and those gained through proliferation.Apoptosisof stem cells is believed to be a dynamic process which changes in response to environmental conditions. For example, the release of stem cells factor inhibits apoptosis following spinal cord injury, presumably in an attempt to promotetissue repair. Dysregulation of apoptosis instem cellsis believed to underlie somecancer pathologies, where apoptotic resistance results in uncontrolled growth (i.e. glioblastoma). Controlling apoptosis is also an important focus for studies ofstem cells transplantation, where inhibition may increase the survival of grafted cells during replacement therapy. Harnessing the full therapeutic potential of stem cells will require full elucidation of the signal transduction cascades for proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis.

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7thInternationalConference on Bioinformatics,October 27-28, 2016 ,Chicago, USA; InternationalConference on Synthetic Biology,September 28-30, 2015 ,Houston, USA; 7thAnnual Conference on Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine,Aug 4-5, 2016, Manchester, UK; 4thInternationalConference on Integrative Biology,July 18-20, 2016 ,Berlin, Germany; 1stInternationalConference on Pharmaceutical Bioinformatics,Jan 2426 2016, Pattaya, Thailand.

Trcak-6

Regenerative medicine

Regenerative medicineis the branch of medicine that develops methods to regrow, repair or replace damaged or diseased cells, organs or tissues. Regenerative medicine includes the generation and use of therapeutic stem cells, tissue engineering and the production of artificial organs.

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InternationalConference on Restorative Medicine,October 24-26, 2016 ,Chicago, USA; 3rdWorld Congress onHepatitis and Liver Diseases,October 17-19, 2016 Dubai, UAE; InternationalConference on Molecular Biology,October 13-15, 2016 ,Dubai, UAE; 2nd InternationalConference on Tissue preservation and Biobanking, September12-13, 2016 ,Philadelphia USA; 26thEuropean Congress ofClinical Microbiology, April 912 2016, Istanbul, Turkey;Conference onCell Growth and Regeneration, Jan 1014 2016, Breckenridge, USA.

Track-7

Bio-banks

Biobanksplay a crucial role in biomedical research. The wide array ofbio specimens(including blood, saliva, plasma, and purified DNA) maintained inbiobankscan be described as libraries of the human organism. They are carefully characterized to determine the general and unique features of the continuous cell line and the absence or presence of contaminants, therefore establishing a fundamental understanding about the raw material from which the biological product is being derived and maintained.Biobankscatalog specimens using genetic and other traits, such as age, gender, blood type, and ethnicity. Some samples are also categorized according to environmental factors, such as whether the donor had been exposed to radiation, asbestos, or some other substance that can affecthuman genes.In Biobank Category the most popular biobank projects includes cord blood banking, banking stem cells, baby cord blood banking.

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8thWorld Congress on Stem Cell Research,March 20-22, 2017 ,Orlando, USA; 5thInternationalConference onCell and Gene Therapy,May 19-21, 2016 ,San Antonio, USA; 7thAnnual Conference on Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine,Aug 4-5, 2016 ,Manchester, UK; InternationalConference on Restorative Medicine,October 24-26, 2016 ,Chicago, USA; InternationalConference on Molecular BiologyOctober 13-15, 2016 Dubai, UAE.

Track-8

Stem cells biomarkers

Bio markeris a biological molecule found in blood, other body fluids, or tissues that is a sign of a normal or abnormal process, or of a condition or disease. A bio marker may be used to see how well the body responds to a treatment for a disease or condition.

In cancer research and medicine, bio markers are used in three primary ways:

To help diagnose conditions, as in the case of identifying early stage cancers (Diagnostic)

To forecast how aggressive a condition is, as in the case of determining a patient's ability to fare in the absence of treatment (Prognostic)

To predict how well a patient will respond to treatment (Predictive).

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InternationalConference on Genetic Counseling and Genomic Medicine,August 11-12, 2016 ,Birmingham, UK;World Congress on Human Genetics,October 31- November 02, 2016 ,Valencia, Spain; InternationalConference on Molecular Biology,October 13-15, 2016 ,Dubai, UAE; 3rdInternationalConference on Genomics & Pharmacogenomics,September 21-23, 2015 ,San Antonio, USA; EuropeanConference on Genomics and Personalized Medicine ,April 25-27, 2016 ,Valencia, Spain.

Track-9

Cells & Organ Regeneration

Regenerationmeans the regrowth of a damaged or missing organ part from the remaining tissue. As adults, humans can regenerate some organs, such as the liver. If part of the liver is lost by disease or injury, the liver grows back to its original size, though not its original shape. And our skin is constantly being renewed and repaired. Unfortunately many other human tissues dont regenerate, and a goal inregenerative medicineis to find ways to kick-start tissue regeneration in the body, or to engineerreplacement tissues.

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4thCongress on Bacteriology and Infectious Diseases,May 16-18, 2016 ,San Antonio, USA; 2ndWorld Congress on Applied Microbiology,October 31-November 02, 2016 ,Istanbul, Turkey; InternationalConference on Infectious Diseases & Diagnostic Microbiology,Oct 3-5, 2016 ,Vancouver, Canada; InternationalConference on Water Microbiology,July 18-20, 2016 ,Chicago, USA; 5thInternationalConference on Clinical Microbiology,October 24-26, 2016 ,Rome, Italy.

Track-10

Fertility biobanks

Fertility preservation is the effort to help cancer patients retain their fertility, or ability to procreate. Research into howcanceraffects reproductive health and preservation options are growing, sparked in part by the increase in the survival rate of cancer patients. The main methods of fertility preservation are ovarian protection by GnRH agonists, cryopreservation of ovarian tissue, eggs or sperm, or of embryos afterin vitro fertilization. The patient may also choose to use egg or sperm from a donor by third party reproduction rather than having biological children.

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4thCongress on Bacteriology and Infectious Diseases,May 16-18, 2016 ,San Antonio, USA; 2ndWorld Congress on Applied Microbiology,October 31-November 02, 2016 ,Istanbul, Turkey; InternationalConference on Infectious Diseases & Diagnostic Microbiology,October 3-5, 2016 ,Vancouver, Canada; InternationalConference on Water Microbiology ,July 18-20, 2016 ,Chicago, USA; 5thInternationalConference on Clinical Microbiology,October 24-26, 2016 ,Rome, Italy.

Track-11

Biobank Ethics

Ethical issues are commonly present in many aspects ofBiobanking. The fact that Biobanks deal with human samples, invading an individual autonomy or limiting self-control, provokes a number of ethical issues. Who is actually competent to give informed consent and donate a sample? When individuals donate part of their body to abiobank, how is that human sample processed? Who is the owner of the sample? Who should decide how it should be used? Who has the right to know individual results of research? These and many more ethical dilemmas exist in the ethical framework of biobanks. With the recent rapid developments in Biobanking, all of these issues are magnified with plenty of further new questions continuously arising. Ethical framework has been the most controversial issue in the domain of biobanking. Thus, it is not surprising that there is a substantial literature focusing on ethical dilemmas in biobanking, such as informed consent, privacy, protection, and returning of results to participants. For many years, researchers at CRB have provided constructive advice on how to deal with ethical aspects of research usinghuman tissuematerial and personal data. For more than 80 years tissue has been derived from human bodies, stored, distributed and used for therapeutic, educational, forensic and research purposes as part of healthcare routine in most western countries.

American Society forBioethicsand Humanities Houston, USA, Association of Bioethics World Congress Edinburgh, UK, Oxford Global Health and Bioethics International Conference Oxford shire, UK, CFP: Global Forum on Bioethics in Research Foundation Merieux, France, Hands On Biobanks 2016 conference Vienna, Austria, Global Biobanking London, UK, TheBiomarker ConferenceOrlando, Florida USA, ART World Congress Symposium on Safe and Efficient IVF New York City, United States, VIII International Postharvest Symposium: Enhancing Supply Chain and Consumer Benefits - Ethical and Technological Issues Cartagena, Murcia, Spain.

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Track-12

Market Analysis in Biobanking

The globalbiopreservationmarket is expected to reach USD 3,731.03 Million by 2020 from USD 2,150.48 Million in 2015, growing at a CAGR of 11.65% between 2015 and 2020. Biopreservation is used to ensure the stability, quality and purity ofbiospecimens. With a CAGR of 23.7%, global market value for cryopreservation equipment used instem cellsindustry is anticipated to worth US$2.2 billion by 2015. On a global scale, North America accounts for nearly 35% of the market and will likely witness a higher growth rate in the upcoming years, in comparison with Asia-Pacific. While US accounts for the highest share of the global market value on a country basis, India and China surpasses the US in terms of growth rate anticipated in the near future. As per our analysis, freezers represent more than half of thecryopreservationequipment market value while Cyropreservative reagents stand for a share of close to 20%. The global biopreservation market is poised for rapid growth between 2015 and 2020. The drivers include increasing healthcare expenditure, growing demand for preserving new-borns stem cells, increasing R&D spending on research, and increasing adoption ofregenerative medicine.

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Track-13

Next Generation Biobanking

Biorepositoriesprovide a resource for researchers to increase understanding of complex diseases. Studies such as the Lung Genomics Research Consortium (LGRC), a two-year project launched in October 2009, are going a step further than standardbiobanking practicesand characterizing the samples with their molecular makeup. The molecular data can then be mined along with the clinical data. Led by National Jewish Health and funded by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, a division of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the LGRC project consists of five institutions, including Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Collaborators in the project work with samples banked at theLung Tissue ResearchConsortium (LTRC), which houses tissue samples and blood from lung disease sufferers, primarily chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), along with a rich set of clinical data from patients.

Immuno-Oncology London UK, Next-Generation Cancer Immunotherapies San Diego, USA, ESBB conference Johannesburg, South Africa, HandsOn Biobanks 2016 conference Vienna, Austria, American Society forBioethicsand Humanities Houston, USA, Craniofacial Morphogenesis &Tissue RegenerationVentura, CA, USA, ISSCR Pluripotency: From basic science to therapeutic applications Kyoto, Japan, Craniofacial Morphogenesis & Tissue Regeneration Ventura, CA, USA, Phacilitate Cell &Gene TherapyWorld Washington D.C., USA, Notch Signaling in Development, Regeneration & Disease Gordon Research Conference Lewiston, ME, USA.

The biobanking market is poised for explosive growth if it can overcome the challenges of an adolescent industry. According to an August 2012 Infiniti Research report titled Global Biobanking Market 2011-2015, the biobanking market will increase 30 per cent from 2011 to 2015 to nearly $183 billion. Growth is being driven by an increase in populationgeneticsstudies, personalized medicine, and the use of genetic information in food safety, forensics, and disease surveillance.

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Stem Cell and Biobanking - Stem Cell Conferences

Lisa Rathke, AP Images

Media portrayals of campus controversies, as when students shouted down Charles Murray at Middlebury College earlier this year, contribute to negative views of colleges among Republicans.

A majority of Republicans and right-leaning independents think higher education has a negative effect on the country, according to a new study released by the Pew Research Center on Monday. The same study has found a consistent increase in distrust of colleges and universities since 2010, when negative perceptions among Republicans was measured at 32 percent. That number now stands at 58 percent.

The divides between folks on the left and folks on the right are getting more serious.

By comparison, 72 percent of Democrats or left-leaning Independents in the study said colleges and universities have a positive impact on the United States.

In an increasingly polarized culture, the drastic shift is the latest piece of evidence that institutions of higher education along with labor unions, banks, churches, and the news media have been plunged headfirst into a hyperpartisan war.

That war started a long time ago, though its intensified lately. "The divides between folks on the left and folks on the right are getting more serious," said Neil L. Gross, a professor of sociology at Colby College and author of the book, Why Are Professors Liberal and Why Do Conservatives Care? "I dont think theres any evidence that its going to subside anytime soon."

For years, higher education has been viewed favorably by liberals and less so by conservatives, Mr. Gross said, but political controversies in the past year have drawn attention and increased the negative perception. Protests and incidents of speakers being actively opposed or threatened by students are widely reported, he said, and are often one of the few ways in which the general population encounters college campuses.

"Its not surprising how people hold onto publicly available narratives on college campuses," he said. "I think its understandable, though regrettable."

David Hopkins, an associate professor at Boston College and co-author of Asymmetric Politics: Ideological Republicans and Group Interest Democrats, said the negative view of colleges and universities is an expectable manifestation of this increase in coverage of college campuses. For instance, the website Campus Reform is a steady purveyor of perceived liberal bias on college campuses, and such controversies are often featured on the Fox News program Tucker Carlson Tonight.

"This has become a major subject of conservative coverage of contemporary politics and contemporary campus life," Mr. Hopkins said. "Its no surprise an echo of that coverage would start to show up in public opinion on the right."

That reporting, Mr. Hopkins said, has only exacerbated an existing distrust of colleges and universities among conservative thinkers.

The conservative critique of the social sciences in the mid- and late-1900s, he said, has grown to include the hard sciences in the last 20 years, largely among subjects like stem-cell research, climate change, and evolution.

A change in the demographics of both parties has also influenced the mistrust of colleges, he said. Whereas 50 years ago, the best predictor of conservative alignment was a high level of education, Mr. Hopkins said, "the popular base of the Republican party is less and less white-collar professionals and is more and more white working-class non-college-educated voters." Whether or not someone had a college degree was considered by many observers to be the most compelling predictor of whether they voted Republican or Democrat in the last presidential election.

This change has given rise to a perception by conservatives of liberal elitism an impression that can frame institutions of higher education as inherently partisan, according to Sean J. Westwood, an assistant professor of social science at Dartmouth College and a co-author of the recent study "Fear and Loathing Across Party Lines: New Evidence on Group Polarization."

Colleges are simply seen as a production facility for Democratic beliefs and Democratic ideology.

"There is a perception that Democratic elites are well-educated and Republicans are more of the common man," Mr. Westwood said. "Colleges are simply seen as a production facility for Democratic beliefs and Democratic ideology."

In the Pew Research Centers study, distrust of colleges was strongest in the highest income bracket and the oldest age group, with approval levels of just 31 percent among respondents whose family income exceeds $75,000 a year and 27 percent among those older than 65.

Favor for higher education was highest among Republicans who are younger than 29 (52 percent) and those who have not completed a college degree (37 percent).

Outside of party beliefs, Mr. Gross said, higher education is not a big part of an average persons life. If thats true, he said, then many of the answers given on such polls may not come from personal experience. "Theyre very likely just filling in the blanks from their partisan knowledge and opinions," Mr. Gross said. "Part of what it means to be a conservative and a Republican is to voice opposition to liberal tendencies on college campuses."

"People are essentially taking cues from party leaders and conservative media," he said, "about opinions they are supposed to have."

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Most Republicans Think Colleges Are Bad for the Country. Why ... - The Chronicle of Higher Education

Acupuncture

Acupuncture is a technique in which practitioners stimulate specific points on the body - most often by inserting thin needles through the skin. It is one of the most effective practices used in traditional Chinese medicine. Acupuncture stimulates nerve fibers to transmit signals to the spinal cord and brain, activating the bodys central nervous system. The spinal cord and brain then release hormones responsible for making us feel less pain while improving overall health. Acupuncture may also: increase blood circulation and body temperature, affect white blood cell activity (responsible for our immune function), reduce cholesterol and triglyceride levels, and regulate blood sugar levels.

Aquatherapy

Aquatic Physical Therapy is the practice of physical therapy in a specifically designed water pool with a therapist. The unique properties of the aquatic environment enhance interventions for patients with neurological or musculoskeletal conditions. Aquatic therapy includes a wide range of techniques allowing patients to improve their balance, muscle strength and body mechanics. Aquatic therapy works to enhance the rehabilitation process and support effectiveness of stem cell treatment.

Epidural Stimulation

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) is the medical use of oxygen at a level higher than atmospheric pressure. The equipment required consists of pressure chamber, which may be of rigid or flexible construction, and a means of delivering 100% oxygen into the respiratory system. Published research shows that HBOT increases the lifespan of stem cells after injection and provides an oxygen-rich atmosphere for the body to function at optimum levels.

Nerve Growth Factor (NGF)

Nerve growth factor (NGF) is a member of the neurotrophic factor (neurotrophin, NTFS) family, which can prevent the death of nerve cells and has many features of typical neurotransmitter molecules. NGF plays an important role in the development and growth of nerve cells. NGF is synthesized and secreted by tissues (corneal epithelial, endothelial, and corneal stromal cells), and it can be up-taken by sympathetic or sensory nerve endings and then transported to be stored in neuronal cell bodies where it can promote the growth and differentiation of nerve cells.NGF can exert neurotrophic effects on injured nerves and promote neurogenesis (the process of generating neurons from stem cells) that is closely related to the development and functional maintenance and repair of the central nervous system. It is also capable of promoting the regeneration of injured neurons in the peripheral nervous system, improving the pathology of neurons and protecting the nerves against hypoxia (lack of oxygen)/ischemia (lack of blood supply).

Nutrition Therapy

Occupational Therapy

Occupational therapy interventions focus on adapting the environment, modifying the task and teaching the skill, in order to increase participation in and performance of daily activities, particularly those that are meaningful to the patient with physical, mental, or cognitive disorders. Our Occupational Therapists also focus much of their work on identifying and eliminating environmental barriers to independence and participation in daily activities, similar to everyday life.

Physiotherapy

Physical therapy or physiotherapy (often abbreviated to PT) is a physical medicine and rehabilitation specialty that, by using mechanical force and movements, remediates impairments and promotes mobility, function, and quality of life through examination, diagnosis, prognosis, and physical intervention. We combine our PT with stem cells for maximum physical rehabilitation improvements.

Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation

Research has shown that TMS can effectively treat symptoms of depression, anxiety, neurological pain, stroke, spinal cord injuries, autism and more. This procedure is very simple and noninvasive. During the procedure, a magnetic field generator or coil is placed near the head of the person receiving the treatment. The coil produces small electrical currents in the region of the brain just under the coil via electromagnetic induction. This electrical field causes a change in the transmembrane current of the neuron which leads to depolarization or hyperpolarization of the neuron and the firing of an action potential.

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Stem Cell Treatment for Traumatic Brain Injury - Beike ...

Researchers at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus discovered that a process protecting the body from autoimmune disease appears to prevent it from creating antibodies that can neutralize the HIV-1 virus, a finding that could possibly help lead to a vaccine that stimulates production of these antibodies.

Lead researcher Raul M. Torres and his team sought to better understand how the bodys own immune system might be getting in the way of neutralizing the HIV-1 virus.

They knew that some patients infected with HIV-1 developed what are known as broadly neutralizing antibodies, or bnAbs, that can protect against a wide variety of HIV-1 strains by recognizing a protein on the surface of the virus called Env. But the patients only develop these antibodies after many years of infection. Because of shared features found in a number of HIV-1 bnAbs, researchers suspected the inability or delayed ability to make these type of protective antibodies against HIV was due to the immune system suppressing production of the antibodies to prevent the body from creating self-reactive antibodies that could cause autoimmune diseases like systemic lupus erythematosus.

At the same time, patients with lupus showed slower rates of HIV-1 infection. Scientists believe thats because these autoimmune patients produce self-reactive antibodies that recognize and neutralize HIV-1. The process by which the body prevents the creation of antibodies that can cause autoimmune disease is known as immunological tolerance. Torres wanted to break through that tolerance and stimulate the production of antibodies that could neutralize HIV-1. We wanted to see if people could make a protective response to HIV-1 without the normal restraint imposed by the immune system to prevent autoimmunity, Torres said.

The researchers first tested mice with genetic defects that caused lupus-like symptoms. They found that many of them produced antibodies that could neutralize HIV-1 after being injected with alum, a chemical that promotes antibody secretion and is often used in vaccinations. Next, they treated normal mice with a drug that impairs immunological tolerance and found that they began producing antibodies capable of neutralizing HIV-1. The production of these antibodies was increased by alum injections. And if the mice were also injected with the HIV-1 protein Env, they produced potent broadly neutralizing antibodies capable of neutralizing a range of HIV-1 strains.

In every case, the production of these HIV-neutralizing antibodies correlated with the levels of a self-reactive antibody that recognizes a chromosomal protein called Histone H2A. The researchers confirmed these antibodies could neutralize HIV-1. We think this may reflect an example of molecular mimicry where the virus has evolved to mimic or look like a self protein, Torres said.

Torres suggested that the difficulty in developing a vaccine against HIV-1 may be because of the ability of the virus to camouflage itself as a normal part of the body. But breaching peripheral immunological tolerance permits the production of cross-reactive antibodies able to neutralize HIV-1, Torres said.

Since the research was done on animals, scientists must still determine its relevance for HIV-1 immunity in humans. The primary consideration will be determining whether immunological tolerance can be temporarily relaxed without leading to detrimental autoimmune manifestations and as a means to possibly elicit HIV-1 bnAbs with vaccination, he said. The study is published in The Journal of Experimental Medicine.

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Breakthrough: Switching immune system off can turn HIV protection on - Hindustan Times

Credit: CC0 Public Domain

Immune system function varies significantly between individuals, and up to now there has been no effective means of measuring and describing these differences. Now, researchers at Karolinska Institutet have shown that white blood cell composition is unique in individuals, and that the composition of these cells may predict immune system response to various forms of stimulation. The study, which is published in PNAS, paves the way for more individualised treatment of diseases involving the immune system, e.g. autoimmune disorders, allergies and various forms of cancer.

The human immune system comprises a complex network of different white blood cells, which coordinate their efforts in order to combat different external and internal threats. This network varies widely between different individuals, but the differences have been difficult to measure and understand.

Together with colleagues at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Stanford University in the USA, researchers at Karolinska Institutet and the Science for Life Laboratory (SciLifeLab) have developed a tool for measuring the unique composition of white blood cells in individuals. Researchers have also found that the test may predict how individuals will respond to a given treatment, e.g. individual response to an influenza vaccine.

Measuring the individual's "immunotypes"

"By measuring all populations of white blood cells in the blood at the same time, we can describe the composition of an individual's immune system and show that this is unique for the individual. We call this measure, the individual's "immunotype". We have also found that this immunotype makes the complex immune system more understandable and predictable," says Petter Brodin, physician and researcher at SciLifeLab and the Department of Medicine, Solna, at Karolinska Institutet.

A human immunotype is not constant, but varies over time in response to external factors. In previous studies, Petter Brodin and his research colleagues have shown that in humans individual differences in immune defence can be attributed primarily to the many different environmental factors unique to each individual, e.g. diet, infections, vaccines and microflora.

Blood samples from 1,500 individuals

In the study in question, the researchers analysed blood samples from approximately 1,500 healthy individuals and tested in vitro how their white blood cells respond to different stimuli. They have also vaccinated individuals against influenza and studied which antibody protection the individuals developed thereafter. It transpired that all different types of stimulation could be predicted based on the individual's immunotype, which was surprising according to Petter Brodin.

"Our technique can be scaled up, and my hope is that eventually it will be used clinically to predict those individuals who may benefit from a particular immunological treatment or a certain vaccine. The technique may also contribute to more individualised drugs to treat autoimmune disease and allergies, as well as immunotherapy to treat cancer, which can be adapted based on the individual's immune response," says Petter Brodin.

Explore further: Differences in individuals' immune responses linked to flu vaccine effectiveness

More information: Kevin J. Kaczorowski et al. Continuous immunotypes describe human immune variation and predict diverse responses, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (2017). DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1705065114

Read more:
New tool demonstrates differences in human immune systems - Medical Xpress

Q. I seem to be getting sick a lot lately, and Im worried that my immune system isnt working right. Could that be a reason?

A diminished immune system could be the cause of your problems. Go to your doctor for a checkup and diagnosis.

The immune system is a network of cells, tissues, and organs that work together to defend the body against attacks by organisms such as bacteria, parasites, and fungi that can cause infections.

The cells that are part of this defense system are white blood cells, or leukocytes. Foreign substances that invade the body are called antigens.

No two individuals have the same immune system. Some people seem to be dressed in a suit of armor against infections while others get floored whenever there are bugs about.

When it comes to germs, getting older has advantages and disadvantages.

As we age, our immune systems develop defenses against antigens. We acquire antibodies to the germs weve defeated in the past. Because of this phenomenon, adults tend to get fewer colds than children.

Now for some of the bad news that comes with advancing age:

The thymus, which is located behind the breastbone, is one of the organs of the immune system. The thymus is where immune cells - white blood cells - called T lymphocytes (T cells) mature. The thymus begins to shrink when we are young adults. By middle age it is only about 15 percent of its maximum size.

Some T cells kill antigens directly. Others help coordinate other parts of the immune system. Although the number of T cells does not decrease with aging, T-cell function decreases. This causes parts of the immune system to weaken and increases the risk for becoming ill.

Macrophages, which are white blood cells that ingest antigens, dont work as quickly as they used to in younger years. This slowdown may be one reason that cancer is more common among older people.

There are fewer white blood cells capable of responding to new antigens. Thus, when older people encounter a new antigen, the body is less able to remember and defend against it.

The amount of antibodies produced in response to an antigen is less in older people, and the antibodies are less able to attach to the antigen. These changes may partly explain why pneumonia, influenza, infectious endocarditis, and tetanus are more common among older people and cause death more often. These changes may also partly explain why vaccines are less effective in older people.

Later in life, the immune system also seems to become less tolerant of the body's own cells. Sometimes an autoimmune disorder develops; normal tissue is mistaken for non-self tissue, and immune cells attack certain organs or tissues. Among the autoimmune disorders are lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, scleroderma and ankylosing spondylitis.

Diabetes, which is also more common with increasing age, can also lead to decreased immunity.

There are immunizations that are important as we get older. Adult tetanus immunizations should be given every 10 years; a booster may be given sooner if there is a dirty wound.

Your healthcare provider may recommend other immunizations, including Pneumovax (to prevent pneumonia or its complications), flu vaccine, hepatitis immunization, or others. These optional immunizations are not necessary for all older people, but are appropriate for some.

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Regular checkups can combat immune-system slowdown - CapeGazette.com

Boost your immune system and take a preventative approach to your wellbeing this winter.

Photos: Instagram @emrata, @selenagomez

As the number of new flu viruses set to hit our shores this year increases, so too do the studies that show theres a multitude of ways to protect your immune system this winter. Got the chicken soup, antiseptic hand gel and multivitamins? Add the following into your daily routine for improved fortification against colds and flu.

Book in for a 20-minute weekly massage and you could lower your cortisol levels a stress hormone that negatively impacts the immune system by up to 53 per cent, according to researchers at the Touch Research Institute at the University of Miami School of Medicine in the US. Regular moderate pressure massage has also been shown to increase the production of dopamine and serotonin, flooding your body with the kind of happy hormones that no amount of bad weather can affect. Live in Sydney, Melbourne or Brisbane? Try new mobile massage on demand service, Blys. Think of it as the Uber of qualified therapists.

Scientists at Finlands University of Turku found that a slice per day of probiotic rich cheese, such as Gouda, can boost immunity, as can a daily pot of yoghurt, according to researchers at the University of Vienna, Austria.

Having sex frequently can boost your immune system, according to researchers at Wilkes University in the US, who found that university students who engaged in sexual activity once or twice per week had higher levels of immunoglobulin A (an antibody that helps fights infections) in their saliva. Those who had no sex or very frequent sex (three or more times per week) had lower levels.

Human connection has long been linked to peak physical health, but researchers at Carnegie Mellon University in the US have gone one further and discovered that the larger your social group, the better your chance of escaping winter untouched by influenza. They gave 83 college students the flu vaccine and found that those who enjoyed the company of a larger circle of friends (real ones, not Facebook mates), produced more flu-fighting antibodies than those who preferred more intimate groups. To get in on the action, consider joining or starting a book club or other hobby group based on your interests.

High levels of vitamin D and increased immune health go hand-in-hand, but researchers at the University of Sydney have discovered that out of the 24,000 people they tested, 58 per cent were deficient in the vitamin, putting them at risk of a host of illnesses and diseases. To keep your body fighting fit, aim to get 20 minutes of sunshine (the most potent source of vitamin D) in the winter months, preferably in the morning or late afternoon, outside peak UV hours.

Make the most of those glorious goose-down pillows and winter-weight quilts and commit to sleeping at least seven hours a night, researchers at the University of California San Francisco in the US advise. They found that those who sleep six hours or less per night are four times more likely to catch a cold when exposed to the virus than those who sleep seven or more.

Regular moderate activity really is the first line of defence against colds and flu. US researchers who studied more than 1000 people found that those who did five or more days of exercise a week experienced 43 per cent fewer days with upper respiratory tract infections than those who exercised one day or less. And when they did get a cold, the frequent exercisers suffered milder symptoms than the less frequent.

Cold and flu germs are easily transmitted via hand-to-hand contact, so try to get into the habit of washing your hands regularly with soap throughout the day. Need encouragement? Researchers from San Diegos Naval Health Research Centre in the US saw a 45 per cent decrease in respiratory illness among its 45,000 recruits who had been instructed to wash their hands at least five times a day.

Meeting friends for coffee? Studies show swapping your usual latte for a soothing cup of chamomile increases antibacterial activity within your body, helping to boost immunity and fight infections associated with colds. If youre not a fan of the taste, inhaling steam infused with chamomile extract can be just as helpful in warding off a cold.

A study from the University of Kentucky in the US found that as people become more optimistic, their bodies better resist invasion by viruses and bacteria.

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How to stay well when everyone around you is coughing up phlegm - Body and Soul

14 June, 2017

The ISSCR is pleased to announce Hans Clevers, Hubrecht Institute, the Netherlands, as the incoming president of the ISSCR and its board of directors. Clevers assumes the post immediately following the 15th ISSCR Annual Meeting in Boston, 14-17 June, 2017.

08 May, 2017

The ISSCR wrote to members of the Texas House of Representatives, U.S., to oppose House Bill 661, House Bill 810, and House Bill 3236, which would allow investigational agents to be sold to patients without first providing rigorous evidence of safety and efficacy. The ISSCR believes the legislation would put patients at serious risk of harm from unproven treatments.

25 April, 2017

Progress in stem cell research and its translation to the clinic will be the focus of the International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR) annual meeting 14-17 June at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center, Boston, Mass. More than 4,000 stem cell scientists, bioethicists, clinicians, and industry professionals from over 50 countries will share and discuss the latest discoveries and technologies within the field, and how they are advancing regenerative medicine.

17 March, 2017

The FY2018 Discretionary Budget Plan put forward by the U.S. Administration includes dramatic cuts in funding for science and research programs that would threaten biomedical research and its translation into new therapies for millions of people worldwide.

Link:
International Society for Stem Cell Research

By Reuters By Reuters July 8

Stem cell tourism in which patients travel to developing countries for unproven and potentially risky therapies should be more tightly regulated, according to a group of international health experts.

With hundreds of medical centers around the world claiming to be able to repair tissue damaged by conditions such as multiple sclerosis and Parkinsons disease, tackling unscrupulous advertising of such procedures is crucial.

These therapies are advertised directly to patients with the promise of a cure, but there is often little or no evidence to show they will help or that they will not cause harm, the 15 experts wrote in the journal Science Translational Medicine.

Some types of stem cell transplant mainly using blood and skin stem cells have been approved by regulators after full clinical trials found they could treat certain types of cancer and grow skin grafts for burn patients.

But many other potential therapies are only in the earliest stages of development and have not been approved by regulators.

Stem cell therapies hold a lot of promise, but we need rigorous clinical trials and regulatory processes to determine whether a proposed treatment is safe, effective and better than existing treatments, said one of the 15, Sarah Chan of Britains University of Edinburgh.

The experts called for global action, led by the World Health Organization, to introduce controls on advertising and to agree on international standards for the manufacture and testing of cell- and tissue-based therapies.

The globalization of health markets and the specific tensions surrounding stem cell research and its applications have made this a difficult challenge, they wrote. However, the stakes are too high not to take a united stance.

Read the rest here:
'Stem-cell tourism' needs tighter controls, say medical experts - Washington Post

An Edmonton professor is calling for tighter regulation of stem cell therapies, as clinics peddling expensive, unproven and dangerous treatments crop up in Edmonton and across North America.

"This is a big problem, said University of Alberta health-law professor Timothy Caulfield. Were not talking about a handful of clinics, were talking about hundreds and hundreds of clinics all over the world, including in North America.

His research has found many clinics offering the unproven therapies are charging tens of thousands of dollars per treatment, and are not advertising them as experimental.

Clinics are professing to cure conditions like Multiple Sclerosis, ALS, cancer and autism.

They represent them as if they are effective, as if they are relatively routine, and as if they are relatively risk free. And thats just not the case in the vast majority of situations, Caulfield said.

He said some advertised stem cell therapies have led to serious health problems and deaths.

Caulfield and 14 colleagues from around the world call for global regulations in a new paper in Science Translational Medicine.

Unproven stem cell therapies used to only be available through stem cell tourism for North Americans who were willing to travel abroad. But recently, theyve been popping up across North America.

Caulfield said there is one such clinic in Edmonton but did not give its name.

In many jurisdictions, he said, the clinics operate under a legal loophole.

If the treatments are considered medical practices under the domain of professional standards, rather than drugs regulated by organizations like Health Canada or the FDA, they are harder to regulate.

I call it scienceploitation. The idea is that these clinics are using the language of stem cells, an exciting and legitimate field of science, in order to sell products, Caulfield said.

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'Scienceploitation': Prof calls for crackdown on unproven stem cell ... - MetroNews Canada

Countries should unite to tackle unscrupulous advertising of unproven therapies involving stem cells, experts say.

An international group of leading experts has called for tighter regulation of so-called stem cell tourism. This involves patients travelling to other countries, where medical regulations are less strict, for treatment with potentially unsafe therapies.

Hundreds of medical centres around the world are offering therapies that involve transplantation of so-called stem cells -- which they claim have the ability to repair damaged tissues. Clinics are marketing the treatment for a range of conditions, including multiple sclerosis and Parkinson's disease.

Often these therapies are advertised directly to patients with the promise of a cure. But experts say there is often no evidence to show that the treatments will help anyone, or will not cause harm.

Researchers say the practice risks undermining the development of rigorously tested, validated therapies and puts lives at risk.

Writing in the journal Science Translational Medicine, the group has called for coordinated global action to tackle the problem.

They say tighter regulations on advertising stem cell therapies are needed, so that unsupported claims about potential clinical benefits do not go unchallenged.

Global regulatory authorities should agree international standards for the manufacture and testing of cell and tissue-based therapies, they add.

The group -- which includes experts from the University of Edinburgh -- also calls for the World Health Organization to help guide responsible clinical use of cells and tissues, as it does for medicines and medicinal devices.

Their appeal follows the deaths of two children at a clinic in Germany in 2010, which exploited a legal loophole to offer untested treatments. The clinic has since been closed.

Dr. Sarah Chan, a Chancellor's Fellow at the University of Edinburgh, said: "Many patients feel that potential cures are being held back by red tape and lengthy approval processes. Although this can be frustrating, these procedures are there to protect patients from undergoing needless treatments that could put their lives at risk.

"Stem cell therapies hold a lot of promise but we need rigorous clinical trials and regulatory processes to determine whether a proposed treatment is safe, effective and better than existing treatments."

Some types of stem cell transplantation - mainly blood and skin stem cells -- have been approved to treat certain types of cancer and to grow skin grafts for patients with severe burns. These treatments have been rigorously tested in clinical trials.

SOURCE: University of Edinburgh

Originally posted here:
Medical Tourism in Spotlight as Experts Call for Tighter Regulation - Bioscience Technology

The World Health Minute: India's superbug problem, link found between household products and antibiotic resistance The News Minute Stem-cell tourism involving patients who travel to developing countries for treatment with unproven and potentially risky therapies should be more tightly regulated, international health experts said. With hundreds of medical centers around the world ...

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The World Health Minute: India's superbug problem, link found between household products and antibiotic resistance - The News Minute

There have been worldwide concerns surrounding stem cell therapies, where many patients are seeking unproven treatments in order to further their ongoing treatments in other countries, increasing the figures surrounding medical tourism. Sought in bone marrow and the umbilical cord, stem cells are utilised in the treatment of immune diseases, degenerative diseases and blood cancers, such as leukaemia, as well as ongoing autoimmune conditions.

However, with a growing rise of patients seeking treatments which have yet to be clinically proven, approximately 15 worldwide experts have announced a need to introduce international regulations to ban the practice for medical teams to offer treatments which are yet to be proven successful in areas such as the treatment of blood cancers, such as leukaemia.

Within the US journal Science Translational Medicine, it states: Approaches for international regulation not only need to develop consistent rules over the commercialisation of medical practices and products but also need to give them teeth by developing cross-border partnerships for compliance. However, this is made further complicated by countries not having a clear directive surrounding current regulations, besides the treatments, which are placed on different clinical frameworks.

Related Stories

The number of patient deaths in seeking unproven therapies has been on the rise in Australia and Russia, to which the health industry seeks to put a block on such ability for vulnerable patients to undertake, or become involved in unproved treatments, increasing their risks of infection and fatalities.

In the journal, it states: The term 'stem cell' has been used broadly in promises of youth, rejuvenation and good health, as well as in the branding of cosmetics, dietary supplements, and sports products. Such hyperbole carries with it not only an increased risk of exploitation of vulnerable patients and their families desperate for a cure, but also of significant damage to the health of those subjected to these unproven interventions.

Australia adopts some of the highest number of companies advertising medical treatments, without any evidence that such treatments are safe, let alone produce positive results, The Guardian reports. The Therapeutic Goods Administration is therefore seeking to fully close the regulatory loophole which enables the growth of autologous treatments, and the businesses which cater to this practice.

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The rise of medical tourism is impacting stem cell treatments ... - Healthcare Global

SINGAPORE The use of stem cell treatment to repair liver cirrhosis, or hardening of the liver, will be tested in a clinical trial here involving 46 patients and costing S$2.6 million.

The four-year study, which was launched yesterday, came amid a growing waiting list in Singapore for a liver transplant, which is currently the only cure for patients with end-stage liver cirrhosis.

Conducted by a multi-centre team from several restructured hospitals here, the study is led by the National University Hospital (NUH).

Liver failure is one of the top 20 causes of death in Singapore, but many patients are not suitable for a transplant due to factors such as age and surgical fitness.

Out of every five patients doctors see with end-stage liver disease, only one qualifies for a liver transplant, said Dr Dan Yock Young, principal investigator of the clinical trial and senior consultant at NUHs division of gastroenterology and hepatology.

(A liver transplant) is curative, but it is a complex procedure, and many patients are not suitable for it. For these patients, treatment is limited, but morbidity and mortality rates are high as high as 50 per cent in one year and this is probably worse than many (of the) other terminal illnesses we talk about today, he said.

Animal studies conducted over the last five years have shown that stem cells can reconstruct the micro-environment of a normal liver.

Like how branches are of critical importance in supporting the leaves and fruits of a tree, the endothelial (stem) cells contribute to supporting a nutritious environment for the hepatocyte (liver) cells, Dr Dan explained.

While similar stem-cell studies have been conducted in other centres in Asia, there has been no definitive evidence of the benefits of the treatment for liver patients.

The study will recruit 46 patients aged between 40 and 70 years old, and who are at the terminal stages of chronic liver disease, over three years. It is funded by the National Medical Research Council.

During the clinical trial, patients will be divided into a therapeutic group and a control group.

All patients will receive an injection to stimulate their bone marrow cells as part of the supportive treatment for their liver cirrhosis. However, only patients in the study group will have the stem cells from the bone marrow extracted and deposited directly into their liver for more targeted repair.

Using ones own stem cells will avoid the problem of cell rejection.

The liver tissue will be examined three months later, and an investigation to compare pre- and post-transplant results will be conducted after a year.

Since invasive surgery is not required for stem-cell therapy, the fatality risk is significantly lowered for the patient. However, other risks such as severe bleeding and infections still remain, given the patients weakened condition.

NUH also noted that the stem-cell therapy does not replace liver transplants, and the latter remains the best available treatment for liver cirrhosis.

It is very painful to turn patients away when we cannot offer them a liver transplant, said Dr Dan, adding that this stem cell therapy will serve as an alternative option.

We hope that this is a stepping stone to trials for stem cell candidates, he added.

MORE WAITING FOR A LIVER

The number of people on the waiting list for a liver transplant has been growing in recent years. In June last year, it was reported that there were 54 people on the list, more than double the 24 patients in 2011.

Chronic Hepatitis B remains the primary cause of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, which refers to a range of liver conditions affecting people who drink little to no alcohol. However, obesity has become a contributing factor to the illness as well.

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New NUH study to test stem cells as treatment for liver disease - TODAYonline

Stem cell biologists have tried unsuccessfully for years to produce cells that will give rise to functional arteries and give physicians new options to combat cardiovascular disease, the worlds leading cause of death.

But new techniques developed at the Morgridge Institute for Research and the University of WisconsinMadison have produced, for the first time, functional arterial cells at both the quality and scale to be relevant for disease modeling and clinical application.

Reporting in the July 10 issue of the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, scientists in the lab of stem cell pioneer James Thomson describe methods for generating and characterizing arterial endothelial cells the cells that initiate artery development that exhibit many of the specific functions required by the body.

Further, these cells contributed both to new artery formation and improved survival rate of mice used in a model for myocardial infarction. Mice treated with this cell line had an 83 percent survival rate, compared to 33 percent for controls.

The cardiovascular diseases that kill people mostly affect the arteries, and no one has been able to make those kinds of cells efficiently before, says Jue Zhang, a Morgridge assistant scientist and lead author. The key finding here is a way to make arterial endothelial cells more functional and clinically useful.

Cardiovascular disease accounts for one in every three deaths each year in the United States, according to the American Heart Association, and claims more lives each year than all forms of cancer combined. The Thomson lab has made arterial engineering one of its top research priorities.

New techniques have produced, for the first time, functional arterial cells at both the quality and scale to be relevant for disease modeling and clinical application.

The challenge is that generic endothelial cells are relatively easy to create, but they lack true arterial properties and thus have little clinical value, Zhang says.

The research team applied two pioneering technologies to the project. First, they used single-cell RNA sequencing to identify the signaling pathways critical for arterial endothelial cell differentiation. They found about 40 genes of optimal relevance. Second, they used CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing technology that allowed them to create reporter cell lines to monitor arterial differentiation in real time.

With this technology, you can test the function of these candidate genes and measure what percentage of cells are generating into our target arterial cells, says Zhang.

The research group developed a protocol around five key growth factors that make the strongest contributions to arterial cell development. They also identified some very common growth factors used in stem cell science, such as insulin, that surprisingly inhibit arterial endothelial cell differentiation.

Our ultimate goal is to apply this improved cell derivation process to the formation of functional arteries that can be used in cardiovascular surgery, says Thomson, director of regenerative biology at Morgridge and a UWMadison professor of cell and regenerative biology. This work provides valuable proof that we can eventually get a reliable source for functional arterial endothelial cells and make arteries that perform and behave like the real thing.

Thomsons team, along with many UWMadison collaborators, is in the first year of a seven-year project supported by the National Institutes of Health on the feasibility of developing artery banks suitable for use in human transplantation.

In many cases with vascular disease, patients lack suitable tissue from their own bodies for use in bypass surgeries. And growing arteries from an individual patients stem cells would be cost prohibitive and take too long to be clinically useful.

The challenge will be not only to produce the arteries, but find ways to ensure they are compatible and not rejected by patients.

Now that we have a method to create these cells, we hope to continue the effort using a more universal donor cell line, says Zhang. The lab will focus on cells banked from a unique population of people who are genetically compatible donors for a majority of the population.

This article has been republished frommaterialsprovided bythe University of Wisconsin-Madison. Note: material may have been edited for length and content. For further information, please contact the cited source.

Reference:

Zhang, J., Chu, L., Hou, Z., Schwartz, M. P., Hacker, T., Vickerman, V., . . . Thomson, J. A. (2017). Functional characterization of human pluripotent stem cell-derived arterial endothelial cells. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 201702295. doi:10.1073/pnas.1702295114

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Stem Cell Advance Brings Bioengineered Arteries Closer to Reality - Technology Networks

(Picture: Mercury Press)

On 19 June, Daniel Farbace passed away after contracting parainfluenza, while also battling acute myloid leukaemia. He was just 21 months old.

His mum, Ali Farbace, has shared a photograph of herself kissing her son goodbye as a way to celebrate his life.

His last act was to save us, says Ali, 35, explaining that by passing away, Daniel had saved his parents from the impossible decision to turn off their childs life support.

When people say things like sorry for your loss I dont really like that.

He never lost at anything we think he sacrificed himself for us.

Hes made it a lot easier for us. My feeling was that I wanted him to have quality of life, but it was stacking up against him, it wasnt fair.

We just didnt want him to suffer.

If we had had to make the decision to turn the machine off then we would never have forgiven ourselves. I do think he has saved us from that.

Ali and her husband, Dan, spent nine days with Daniels body after he died, staying to make memories with their child at Demelza Childrens Hospice in Sittingborne Kent from 19 June to 26 June.

On the ninth day, Ali and Dan brought Daniels body home to have a funeral.

It would have broken us to go home straight away with nothing, said Ali. When we got to Demelza it was just perfect. To spend that time with Daniel was lovely.

We sang, and talked to him and read to him. We got so much more time. I didnt want to leave him on his own. He was so beautiful.

He had never spent a day apart from me. He had his own bedroom, he was still a person, and it was so nice to see him without the tubes.

Our friends got to come and visit too, and we really got to say goodbye.

The night before his funeral he came home for the night. We were just glad we could all come home together. To spend our last night together was really nice.

Its cr*p, and wed do anything to have him back, but some children dont get to go home.

Despite being on life support for nine days, Daniels death still came as a surprise.

When he was born on 29 September 2015 at 26 weeks, Daniel had to be resuscitated and was on a ventilator for 16 days. He survived that, went home, but had to return to hospital in April 2016 when his parents noticed pin prick marks on his skin.

Doctors initially thought it could just be a viral rash, but soon lumps developed.

He was admitted to Great Ormond Street Hospital in April, where doctors investigated possibilities of Daniel having leukemia and neuroblastoma.

On 19 April Dan and Ali were told Daniel had leukemia, with an official diagnosis on 21 April.

It was unusual because the leukaemia was presenting as something else, said Ali.

They told us it was treatable, they gave him a 68 to 72 per cent chance he would survive.

It was just awful. Everything gets taken out of your hands. We just wanted our baby.

AML is an aggressive, rare cancer that affects the blood. Stem cells found in bone marrow produce too many immature white blood cells which are called blast cells.

The blast cells are unable to properly fight off infection, and if too many are produced the number of oxygen-carrying red blood cells and platelets, which clot the blood, can be reduced.

Symptoms of the illness include pale skin, tiredness, frequent infections, and breathlessness.

In severe cases AML can make sufferers extremely vulnerable to life-threatening infections. A bone marrow or stem cell transplant may be necessary alongside chemotherapy or radiotherapy to combat the illness.

After four courses of chemotherapy, Daniel seemed to be getting better. He was even able to go home for his first birthday.

But seven months later, the leukemia had returned, this time bringing a lump in Daniels brain with it.

After numerous chemotherapy treatments to battle theacute myloid leukaemia that had spread to Daniels blood and bone marrow, Daniel contracted parainfluenza.

Unable to fight off the infection, he spent nine days on life support before passing away.

He was on life support for nine days, there were so many times when I thought, he was going to die, said Ali.

Then the day he did die we didnt expect it. We just thought, You little b*gger.

I got to carry him across the corridor to the hospital cold room, which was an honour.

Its quite hard coping with death, he was still our baby.

We shared that picture to show the story goes on after death. People have been so supportive.

Dan said that picture looks like when they used to lay warriors to rest and Daniel was a fighter.

He was always happy and always smiling. I know it sounds crazy, but he never really seemed that unwell. When he was sick he was just quiet.

Now, Ali and Dan want to keep their sons legacy alive by using his story to raise awareness about blood and bone marrow donation.

So far, Daniel has helped to raise over 25,000 for charity.

We just want to get the message out about donating blood and bone marrow transplant now, says Ali.

Sometimes Daniel had to wait 12 hours for transfusions. But he would have died a long time ago if it hadnt have been for donors.

MORE: Woman explains how makeup makes her feel confident with a feeding tube

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MORE: All parents will recognise the pain of having to clean a kid up covered in Sudocrem

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Mum shares heartbreaking photograph kissing her son goodbye after he passed away while battling acute myloid ... - Metro

Pancreatic cancer is an especially tough cancer to beat because it usually isn't detected until late in the disease. But a new blood test that uses two protein markers is showing promise for picking it up earlier, researchers report.

The blood test is still in the investigative stages. A new study, published inScience Translational Medicine, finds it works with an 87 percent sensitivity, meaning that's how often it can correctly identify someone with stage 1 or 2 pancreatic cancer. It also had 98 percent specificity, meaning the ability to accurately rule out cancer in a person who doesn't have it.

"What we found is a biomarker panel that's very cheaply, conveniently assayed in the blood and that uses conventional methods used by diagnostic centers around the country. So it could be used to detect pancreatic cancer at stages 1 and 2," study author Kenneth Zaret, director of the Penn Institute for Regenerative Medicine, told CBS News.

The 5-year survival rate for pancreatic cancer patients is only 7 percent, and it's projected to become the second leading cause of cancer death in the United States by 2020.

Zaret worked with Gloria Petersen, from the Mayo Clinic, to identify a pair of biomarkers that physicians could soon use to discover the disease earlier.

Zaret began searching for a way to detect pancreatic cancer earlier after his own mother-in-law passed away from it about 15 years ago.

At the time, scientists were primarily studying late-stage cancer tissues in the lab in order to identify biomarkers for the disease in cells, in the hopes of developing a blood test for pancreatic cancer.

"But I didn't see how that could detect early stage markers," said Zaret, whose expertise is in genetics and stem cell biology, not cancer.

"I came from outside the field and applied genetic reprogramming methods so that's where the novelty is in terms of discovery," he said.

He and colleagues took late stage pancreatic cancer cells and reprogrammed them genetically to a "stem cell-like state" what's called an induced pluripotent stem cell.

"Like an early embryonic stem cell," he said.

Then they let those cells redevelop into differentiated cell types and the cells underwent a progression from early to late stage cancer.

Using those cells, they discovered 107 proteins released from early stage pancreatic cancer cells. From there, they looked for those proteins, which could be found in very low levels in human blood and that would be easy to test for based on current blood lab technologies.

"From those we found a marker called THBS2," said Zaret.

Serum levels of THBS2 were significantly elevated in blood samples from 81 pancreatic cancer patients compared to 80 healthy people who served as the control group.

While the results were promising, "they were not powerful enough to do something statistically with," said Zaret.

So the scientists further improved the test's sensitivity and specificity by combining it with another protein, CA19-9, already being used as a clinical marker. They analyzed samples from 197 cancer patients, 140 healthy people in a control group, and 200 people with pancreatic disorders that weren't linked to cancer.

The combination THBS2 and CA19-9 ratcheted up the test's accuracy to 98 percent. They believe it could serve as a low cost way to screen higher risk people someone with a relative with the disease, or who has diabetes, for example for pancreatic cancer.

"The bottom line is, by looking at two markers and not just the single marker we increased the range of what we could detect in a person with pancreatic cancer," said Zaret.

Combining his background with the expertise of colleagues at the Mayo Clinic made the discovery possible.

"We collaborated with Dr. Gloria Petersen at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota. She is an expert in obtaining blood samples from pancreatic cancerpatients and controlling for age, sex, and other parameters. So we had a very rigorous study. The extreme care with which we matched patients and controls is part of the strength of our work," he said.

The next step in their work is to use the test in more and more patients, specifically those at higher risk for pancreatic cancer.

"It will let us assess whether our biomarker test will allow us to detect cancer even before it is stage 1," said Zaret "stage negative 1," so to speak.

"Our big goal is to be able to detect pancreatic cancer before it's at the 13 percent survival rate, which is where a stage 1 diagnosis is now."

If that succeeds, doctors would be able to identify more patients earlier, raising hopes of achieving higher survival rates for pancreatic cancer down the road.

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Blood test holds promise for earlier pancreatic cancer detection - CBS News

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In BriefThe age of gene editing and creation will be upon us in the next few decades, with the first lifeform having already been printed. Stanford University questions the ethics of prospective students by asking a question we should all be thinking about.

When bioengineering students sit down to take their final exams for Stanford University,they are faced with a moral dilemma, as well as a series of grueling technical questions that are designed to sort the intellectual wheat from the less competent chaff:

If you and your future partner are planning to have kids, would you start saving money for college tuition, or for printing the genome of your offspring?

The question is a follow up to At what point will the cost of printing DNA to create a human equal the cost of teaching a student in Stanford? Both questions refer to the very real possibility that it may soon be in the realm of affordability to print off whatever stretch of DNA you so desire, using genetic sequencing and a machine capable of synthesizing the four building blocks of DNA A, C, G, and T into whatever order you desire.

The answer to the time question, by the way, is 19 years, given that the cost of tuition at Stanford remains at $50,000 and the price of genetic printing continues the 200-fold decrease that has occurred over the last 14 years. Precursory work has already been performed; a team lead by Craig Venter created the simplest life form ever known last year.

Stanfords moral question, though, is a little trickier. The question is part of a larger conundrum concerning humans interfering with their own biology; since the technology is developing so quickly, the issue is no longer whether we can or cant,but whether we should or shouldnt. The debate has two prongs: gene editing and life printing.

With the explosion of CRISPR technology many studies are due to start this year the ability to edit our genetic makeup will arrive soon. But how much should we manipulate our own genes? Should the technology be a reparative one, reserved for making sick humans healthy again, or should it be used to augment our current physical restrictions, making us bigger, faster, stronger, and smarter?

The question of printing life is similar in some respects; rather than altering organisms to have the desired genetic characteristics, we could print and culture them instead billions have already been invested. However, there is theadditional issue of playing God by sidestepping the methods of our reproduction that have existed since the beginning of life. Even if the ethical issue of creation was answered adequately, there are the further questions ofwho has the right to design life, what the regulations would be, and the potential restrictions on the technology based on cost; if its too pricey, gene editing could be reserved only for the rich.

It is vital to discuss the ethics of gene editing in order to ensure that the technology is not abused in the future. Stanfords question is praiseworthy because it makes todays students, who will most likely be spearheading the technologys developments, think about the consequences of their work.

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Stanford's Final Exams Pose Question About the Ethics of Genetic Engineering - Futurism