Author Archives: ev1

Grateful patient donates $6.5M to Shiley Eye Center

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Doctors perform eye surgery in an operating room at Shiley Eye Center Wednesday. The center recently received a $6.5 million gift to help establish a new stem cell research laboratory.

A $6.5 million donation from an unnamed patient will help the Shiley Eye Center at UC San Diego strengthen its focus on stem cells, which hold the promise of repairing damage done by diseases such as glaucoma and macular degeneration.

Dr. Robert Weinreb, the centers director and a widely-published glaucoma researcher, said hes conducting a worldwide search for stem cell scientists to come to Shiley, which last year ranked fourth in National Institutes of Health funding among ophthalmology research centers nationwide.

Stem cells are known for their ability to transform themselves into nearly any other type of cell in the body, and scientists are exploring ways to use this Rosetta stone of biology to repair damage caused by cancer, diabetes and a range of other diseases.

Theres also huge potential for stem cells and the human eye.

Were going to use the stem cells to treat retinal diseases including macular degeneration, to rescue the optic nerve in glaucoma, as well as to replace the diseased layers of the cornea in patients with blinding corneal diseases, Weinreb said.

Vision loss is a growing problem as more and more baby boomers reach retirement age.

Paul Kelly, 83, undergoes a test that measures the curvature of his corneas Wednesday at Shiley Eye Center in La Jolla.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said about 1.8 million Americans have advanced age-related macular degeneration and projects that number to soar to 2.9 million by 2020. In addition, the incidence of glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy is expected to grow significantly in the same time frame.

But theres hope.

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Grateful patient donates $6.5M to Shiley Eye Center

Global Stem Cells Group and Revita Life Sciences Announce Joint Venture to Establish a Stem Cell Training Course in …

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Miami (PRWEB) April 11, 2014

GlobalStemCellsGroup.com and Revita Life Sciences have announced plans to present the adipose and bone marrow stem cells course hosted by Himanshu Bansal, M.D., May 22-23 in Delhi.

Revita Life Sciences is a biotech company based in Dehli that specializes in stem cell research, training and clinical applications protocol development in regenerative medicine. Stem Cell specialists from both Global Stem Cells Group and Revita will participate in the two-day training program designed to help medical professionals bring stem cell therapies to the physicians office.

The adipose-derived harvesting, isolation and re-integration training course for the advancement of stem cell procedures is a two-day, hands-on intensive training course developed for physicians and high-level practitioners to learn techniques in harvesting and reintegrating stem cells derived from adipose (fat) tissue and bone marrow. The objective of the training is to bridge the gap between bench science in the laboratory and the doctors office by teaching effective in office regenerative medicine techniques.

For more information, visit the Global Stem Cells Group website, email bnovas(at)regenestem(dot)com, or call 305-224-1858.

About the Global Stem Cell Group: Global Stem Cells Group, Inc. is the parent company of six wholly owned operating companies dedicated entirely to stem cell research, training, products and solutions. Founded in 2012, the company combines dedicated researchers, physician and patient educators and solution providers with the shared goal of meeting the growing worldwide need for leading edge stem cell treatments and solutions. With a singular focus on this exciting new area of medical research, Global Stem Cells Group and its subsidiaries are uniquely positioned to become global leaders in cellular medicine.

Global Stem Cells Groups corporate mission is to make the promise of stem cell medicine a reality for patients around the world. With each of GSCGs six operating companies focused on a separate research-based mission, the result is a global network of state-of-the-art stem cell treatments.

About Revita Life Science:

Revita Life Sciences is a biotechnology company that provides complete support to patients from their first inquiry through stem cell therapy performed by a Revita Life Science specialized physician.

Revitas primary objective is the development of stem cell therapies that target areas of significant unmet or poorly met medical need. Years of research and experience have resulted in substantial improvements in the health and condition of patients suffering from a variety of illnesses through stem cell therapy, even where other treatments have failed.

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Global Stem Cells Group and Revita Life Sciences Announce Joint Venture to Establish a Stem Cell Training Course in ...

Manipulated: The rise of behavioral finance

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Its hard to find a place today where concepts of behavioral finance arent being applied to real-world situations. From London to Washington to Sydney, governments are experimenting with the psychology of decision-making and trying to nudge citizens toward better behaviors, whether that means saving more for retirement or signing an organ donation card. Meanwhile, businesses see opportunities for higher profits. To grab more attention and dollars from consumers, companies as far afield as banks and fitness-app makers carefully design their offerings with consumers decision-making quirks in mind.

Many behavioral interventions work, whether at reducing litter and power use or boosting savings rates. Yet these successes arent the whole story. Even after rigorous experimentation and data analysis, the best-intentioned nudges can fall flat or backfire. Some may be behavioral bandages that dont address deeper structural problems such as stagnating wages. Nevertheless, consumers have jumped on the bandwagon, eager to be manipulated into the best version of themselves, and businesses are rushing to meet the demand.

(Cristiana Couceiro/For The Washington Post)

Ellen Nakashima

Multinational response to suspected Iranian attack, until now untold, reflects Obamas difficult choices.

Ben Steverman

Heres a round-up of apps that could help manage your finances.

Ben Steverman

Companies as far afield as banks and fitness-app makers keep consumers decision-making quirks in mind.

Where many people need the biggest nudge, if not a shove, is with making financial decisions. The effect of emotion on investment decisions is usually negative good old fear and greed, as well as paralysis from being overwhelmed by choice. At the same time, even if someone wants to build an emergency fund or open an IRA, bad spending and saving habits are hard to break. To help users follow through on good intentions, a raft of financial apps and online investing Web sites use a mix of encouragement, nagging, incentives and design.

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Manipulated: The rise of behavioral finance

The booming business in behavioral finance

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Its hard to find a place today where concepts of behavioral finance arent being applied to real-world situations.

From London to Washington to Sydney, governments are experimenting with the psychology nudge citizens toward better behaviors, whether that means saving more for retirement or signing an organ donation card.

Meanwhile, businesses see opportunities for higher profits. To grab more attention and dollars from consumers, companies as far afield as banks and fitness-app makers carefully design their offerings with consumers decision-making quirks in mind.

Many behavioral interventions work, whether at reducing litter and power usage or boosting savings rates and organ donations. Yet these successes arent the whole story. Even after rigorous experimentation and data analysis, the best-intentioned nudges can fall flat or backfire.

Some may be behavioral band-aids that dont address deeper structural problems such as stagnating wages.

Nevertheless, consumers have jumped on the bandwagon, eager to be manipulated into the best version of themselves, and businesses are rushing to meet the demand.

Where many people need the biggest nudge, if not a shove, is with making financial decisions. The effect of emotion on investment decisions is usually negative good old fear and greed, as well as paralysis from being overwhelmed by choice.

At the same time, even if someone wants to build an emergency fund or open an IRA, bad spending and saving habits are hard to break. To help users follow through on their good intentions, a raft of financial apps and online investing websites use a mix of encouragement, nagging, incentives and design.

Emotional triggers

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The booming business in behavioral finance

Quality of PRP Matters at San Diego Center for Integrative Medicine – Video

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Quality of PRP Matters at San Diego Center for Integrative Medicine
http://SDIntegrativemedicine.com Platelet Rich Plasma or PRP injections help chronic or acute joint injury and pain but depends on the quality of the PRP con...

By: San Diego Center for Integrative Medicine

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Quality of PRP Matters at San Diego Center for Integrative Medicine - Video

The artist known as W

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President George W. Bush once told a group of visitors over lunch that he had an advantage over Winston Churchill. I believe in God, the president said, referring to the famous agnosticism of Britains leader in World War II.

I found myself thinking of that remark with Bushs debut as an artist, with portraits of leading figures including a piercing painting of President Vladimir Putin. It sent me to fetch one of my most treasured books, a short primer penned by Churchill called Painting as a Pastime.

In it, Churchill outlines his plans for when he gets to heaven. But first he opens with a little essay on the avoidance of worry. He writes of cabinet making, chemistry, bookbinding and even bricklaying. It was painting, he writes, that, during a low spot in his life, came to my rescue.

Churchill warns the newcomer that real artists attain their abilities by long, hard, persevering apprenticeship. He was talking about something less ambitious. We cannot aspire to masterpieces, he writes. We may content ourselves with a joy ride in a paint box. What a wonderful phrase.

And what wonderful advice for the artist known as W. Churchill confesses that he turned to painting in circumstances that one can imagine were similar to those that beset President Bush on his return to Texas. After five years as governor and eight as president, he was suddenly at loose ends.

This happened to Churchill in May 1915, when he was out as First Lord of the Admiralty after the disaster of Gallipoli. He was still in the Cabinet but without authority, so that he knew everything and could do nothing. Writes Churchill: The change from the intense executive activities of each days work at the Admiralty to the narrowly measured duties of a counselor left me gasping.

Churchill compares himself to a sea beast fished up from the depths. While he was inflamed to action, Churchill writes, he was forced to remain a spectator of the tragedy, placed cruelly in a front-row seat. Then, one day, he picked up a childs paint box.

Next Churchill went out and bought a full set of oils, brushes, and canvas. He did much of his painting at his country home, known as Chartwell. He writes of how painting changed the way he sees and fit right in with his temperament.

In all battles two things are usually required of the commander-in-chief: to make a good plan for his army and, secondly, to keep a strong reserve, he writes. Both these are also obligatory upon the painter.

President Bush tends to judge by the paintings he has shown so far to focus on people, whether himself in a shower or portraits of his fellow statesmen. His canvases include Tony Blair of Britain and John Howard of Australia. He has an uncanny ability to capture a likeness.

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The artist known as W

Lung Institute’s Innovative Stem Cell Procedure is Giving End Stage Lung Disease Patients a New Option

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Tampa, Florida (PRWEB) April 10, 2014

One year ago, Gary Oberschlake was diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), a deadly lung disease with no known cause characterized by the permanent scarring of lung tissue. Gary wasnt alone approximately 48,000 others received the same diagnosis last year. Claiming the lives of nearly 40,000 individuals annually, IPF is as deadly as breast cancer.

Doctors told Gary, a family man with a wife, four children, and four grandchildren, his only treatment option was a double lung transplant. Knowing the inherent risks associated with this procedure, including his bodys rejection of the new lungs, Gary refused to accept it as his only chance for survival.

After spending considerable time researching possible alternative options, Gary became fascinated by recent developments in stem cell medicine, and its potential for treating sufferers of chronic lung disease like IPF. His excitement regarding this option was met with doubt expressed by his pulmonologist, who didnt see the clinical viability of stem cells for lung conditions at the time. Despite his doctors reluctance, Gary decided to give stem cell therapy a chance.

According to his wife Debra, when he found Lung Institute in Tampa, FL, it was like it was meant to be. And, feeling as though it was a sign he couldnt ignore, Gary made the decision to pursue autologous stem cell treatment at Lung Institute in Tampa.

Today, nine months after receiving his first treatment at Lung Institute, Gary has seen results that have far exceeded his expectations, leaving his pulmonologist and cardiologist in disbelief. In fact, all the doctors he saw after his treatments have been shocked by his positive progression, which has completely changed their perspective on his prognosis and the viability of stem cells for lung disease in general.

Their astonishment at the treatments overwhelming success is not unusual many doctors like them are skeptical of the clinical application of stem cells for lung disease, simply because advancements in the field have been so recent. But skeptics need only witness the success of these treatments, as Garys doctors did, to have their position turned upside down.

Gary says prior to his stem cell treatment, his cardiologist said the next time hed see me would be in a hospital bed. Quite to the contrary, Gary is now able to enjoy many aspects of life that were previously limited by his condition. In his words, Ive been able to do things with [my grandchildren]. Before I was only able to sit down and watch them.

As a result of his refusal to accept his original prognosis, Gary and his wife are now looking into the future and planning ahead. Lung Institute continues to produce positive results, much like those experienced by Gary, and in doing so, is changing the lives of many suffering from chronic and debilitating pulmonary conditions.

About Lung Institute At Lung Institute (LI), we are changing the lives of hundreds of people across the nation through the innovative technology of regenerative medicine. We are committed to providing patients a more effective way to address pulmonary conditions and improve quality of life. Our physicians, through their designated practices, have gained worldwide recognition for the successful application of revolutionary minimally invasive stem cell therapies. With over a century of combined medical experience, our doctors have established a patient experience designed with the highest concern for patient safety and quality of care. For more information, visit our website at LungInstitute.com, like us on Facebook or call us today at 1-855-469-5864.

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Lung Institute's Innovative Stem Cell Procedure is Giving End Stage Lung Disease Patients a New Option

Gene, stem cell therapies trials underway for Parkinson’s, but not in Mumbai

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illustration by: Ravi Jadhav

Stem cells and gene hold promising treatment options for Parkinson's Disease, say doctors across the globe, including those in Mumbai.

Eleven trials to test stem cell and gene therapies for treating the disease are currently underway. In Mumbai, however, only two out of these 11 trials were being done resource constraints led to one being canned and regulatory hurdles have put the other one on hold.

Currently, neuro-augmentative therapies, such as usage of drugs or deep brain stimulation (DBS), are being used to treat Parkinson's Disease. "The future holds hope for neuro-restorative therapies like that of stem cells or gene infusion. Stem cells are the very primary kind of cells which can take on the function of any body part's cells after their infusion with that body part. It (the treatment) involves restoration of brain function to normal. In the next five to seven years, this may pave the way for the future," said Dr Paresh Doshi, neurologist at Jaslok Hospital on Peddar Road.

Doshi said trial of Duodopa therapy, which involves infusion of an active ingredient gel called Levodopa in the intestines, has been kept on hold. Jaslok Hospital was the only centre in the whole of Southeast Asia that was running the trial.

"Levodopa gets converted into dopamine in the body. Normal levels of dopamine control Parkinson's Disease," said Doshi.

A trial to infuse stem cells from the patient's body into the patient himself/herself had been underway in a small group of patients in India, but it had to be stopped due to the inability to recruit more patients.

Doshi said, "We could only recruit four patients for two years. However, a similar trial is underway in China and another trial, which explores adipose tissue stem cells, is underway in South Africa."

In January, medical journal The Lancet reported that after 16 years of trials, gene therapy is showing promising results in humans. "Three genes that promote the formation of dopamine-generating cells in the brain were injected in the brain, bound with a viral vector, in 15 patients. ...dopamine... becomes deficient in patients with Parkinson's," The Lancet report stated.

Three patients from the UK and 12 from France in advanced stages of Parkinson's Disease underwent an operation, wherein the virus with the three genes was injected in their brains. The patients, who had become stiff due to the disease, showed a 30% improvement in their movement after the surgery. After four years of follow-ups, they continued to improve and dopamine kept on being produced in their brain, in parts where it was not being produced before.

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Gene, stem cell therapies trials underway for Parkinson's, but not in Mumbai

NBI files raps vs Arroyo’s ‘fake’ stem cell doc

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MANILA - The National Bureau of Investigation-Anti-Organized and Transnational Crime Division (NBI-AOTCD) has filed a case against an allegedly fake doctor who once administered stem cell therapy on former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.

Members of the NBI-AOCTD, headed by Head Agent Rommel J. Vallejo, acted on the complaint filed by Dr. Eunice Salazar-Abad, who worked as an aesthetic physician for Antonia Carandang-Park.

The latter is the owner of Green and Young Health and Wellness Center based in San Jose, Tagaytay City.

Vallejo said: Even for a short period of time working at the clinic, she began to notice some irregularities and the unorthodox method being applied by Park in treating the patients. She discovered too, that Park is using her name and her license number in dealing with patients.

Salazar-Abad then verified with the Professional Regulation Commission to check if Park is a licensed doctor,

Based on a document dated August 12, 2013, the PRC certified that after a diligent search, the name Antonia Carandang Park does not appear in the database of Physician, which contains the names of those duly authorized to practice medicine in the Philippines.

The document reads, this certification is issued upon request of the Board of Medicine for whatever legal purpose it may serve.

Park gained popularity when she treated Arroyo, who had been complaining of pains due to a cervical spine surgery.

Salazar-Abad noted Park did not make any effort to speak up when reports tagged her as a doctor. She said Park also misrepresented herself as an oncologist.

Vallejo said Park filed her counter-affidavit on August 22, saying she is not a quack doctor.

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NBI files raps vs Arroyo's 'fake' stem cell doc

Scarless wound healing — applying lessons learned from fetal stem cells

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PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:

10-Apr-2014

Contact: Vicki Cohn vcohn@liebertpub.com 914-740-2156 Mary Ann Liebert, Inc./Genetic Engineering News

New Rochelle, NY, April 10, 2014In early fetal development, skin wounds undergo regeneration and healing without scar formation. This mechanism of wound healing later disappears, but by studying the fetal stem cells capable of this scarless wound healing, researchers may be able to apply these mechanisms to develop cell-based approaches able to minimize scarring in adult wounds, as described in a Critical Review article published in Advances in Wound Care, a monthly publication from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers and an Official Journal of the Wound Healing Society. The article is available free on the Advances in Wound Care website.

Michael Longaker, Peter Lorenz, and co-authors from Stanford University School of Medicine and John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, describe a new stem cell that has been identified in fetal skin and blood that may have a role in scarless wound healing. In the article "The Role of Stem Cells During Scarless Skin Wound Healing", the authors propose future directions for research to characterize the differences in wound healing mechanisms between fetal and adult skin-specific stem cells.

"This work comes from the pioneers in the field and delineates the opportunities towards scarless healing in adults," says Editor-in-Chief Chandan K. Sen, PhD, Professor of Surgery and Director of the Comprehensive Wound Center and the Center for Regenerative Medicine and Cell-Based Therapies at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH.

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About the Journal

Advances in Wound Care is a monthly journal published online and in print that reports the latest scientific discoveries, translational research, and clinical developments in acute and chronic wound care. Each issue provides a digest of the latest research findings, innovative wound care strategies, industry product pipeline, and developments in biomaterials and skin and tissue regeneration to optimize patient outcomes. The broad scope of applications covered includes limb salvage, chronic ulcers, burns, trauma, blast injuries, surgical repair, skin bioengineering, dressings, anti-scar strategies, diabetic ulcers, ostomy, bedsores, biofilms, and military wound care. Complete tables of content and a sample issue may be viewed on the Advances in Wound Care website.

About the Publisher

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Scarless wound healing -- applying lessons learned from fetal stem cells

Therapeutic options and bladder-preserving strategies in bladder cancer

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PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:

10-Apr-2014

Contact: Vicki Cohn vcohn@liebertpub.com 914-740-2100 Mary Ann Liebert, Inc./Genetic Engineering News

New Rochelle, NY, April 10, 2014Men are three to four times more likely to get bladder cancer than women. The possible causes for this greater risk among men, the importance of early and accurate diagnosis, and the scope of available and emerging surgical, chemotherapeutic, and immunotherapeutic approaches for treating bladder cancer in men are the focus of a comprehensive Review article in Journal of Men's Health, a peer-reviewed publication from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers. The article is available free on the Journal of Men's Health website.

Coauthors R. Jeffrey Karnes, MD and Christopher Murphy, DO, Mayo Clinic (Rochester, MN), offer a detailed discussion of the three main types of malignancy that can derive from the epithelial lining of the bladder in the Review article "Bladder Cancer in Males: A Comprehensive Review of Urothelial Carcinoma of the Bladder." Each of these types of bladder cancernonmuscle-invasive, muscle-invasive, and metastaticrequires different management strategies. Prompt diagnosis and appropriate surveillance for disease progression and recurrence are critical.

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About the Journal

Journal of Men's Health is the premier peer-reviewed journal published quarterly in print and online that covers all aspects of men's health across the lifespan. The Journal publishes cutting-edge advances in a wide range of diseases and conditions, including diagnostic procedures, therapeutic management strategies, and innovative clinical research in gender-based biology to ensure optimal patient care. The Journal addresses disparities in health and life expectancy between men and women; increased risk factors such as smoking, alcohol abuse, and obesity; higher prevalence of diseases such as heart disease and cancer; and health care in underserved and minority populations. Journal of Men's Health meets the critical imperative for improving the health of men around the globe and ensuring better patient outcomes. Tables of content and a sample issue can be viewed on the Journal of Men's Health website.

About the Societies

Journal of Men's Health is the official journal of the International Society of Men's Health (ISMH), American Society for Men's Health, Men's Health Society of India, and Foundation for Men's Health. The ISMH is an international, multidisciplinary, worldwide organization, dedicated to the rapidly growing field of gender-specific men's health.

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Therapeutic options and bladder-preserving strategies in bladder cancer

Singin the Inner-City Blues

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Boneqweesha Jones: "Welcome to the premier edition of my new public-affairs television series called 'Breaking It Down with 'Qweesha.' Tonight I want to chat with Psychologist Judy McBride regarding the topic "Oppression Leads to Depression: Behavioral Health in the Ghetto Science Community.

"Judy, this topic disturbs me. What is happening to inner-city people these days? I always believed that folk living in urban communities were strong enough to endure and overcome oppression. Now, It looks like the 'inner city blues' has become a behavioral, social and mental epidemic."

Psychologist Judy McBride: "What I see happening is like an untreated pimple ready to burst. I attribute the 'inner city blues' to folk believing or assuming they can endure the oppression, bigotry and hate. Folk can only tolerate so much."

Boneqweesha Jones: "I understand, Psychologist Judy."

Psychologist Judy McBride: "During my 'Behavioral Health in the Ghetto Support Group' sessions, I help my clients understand how oppression leads to depression by letting them listen, sing along and dance to Marvin Gaye's song 'Inner City Blues'."

Boneqweesha and Psychologist Judy McBride sing:

Hang ups, let downs Bad breaks, set backs Natural fact is Honey, that I can't pay my taxes

Oh, make me wanna holler And throw up both my hands Yea, it makes me wanna holler And throw up both my hands

Crime is increasing Trigger happy policing Panic is spreading God knows where, where we're heading

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Singin the Inner-City Blues