NeoGraft Hair Restoration Surgery Florida
Dr Michael Markou performs NeoGraft hair restoration in Clearwater (Tampa Bay) Florida. He performs the LaserEdge strip closure as well. Both procedures include the use of laser and platelet...
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PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:
9-May-2014
Contact: Donna Dubuc Donna.M.Dubuc@Dartmouth.edu 603-653-3615 The Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth
Researchers at Dartmouth's Norris Cotton Cancer Center have published results from a study in Cell Reports that discovers a new mechanism that distinguishes normal blood stem cells from blood cancers.
"These findings constitute a significant advance toward the goal of killing leukemia cells without harming the body's normal blood stem cells which are often damaged by chemotherapy," said Patricia Ernst, PhD, co-director of the Cancer Mechanisms Program of the Norris Cotton Cancer Center and an associate professor in Genetics at the Geisel School of Medicine.
The study focused on a pathway regulated by a gene called MLL1 (for Mixed Lineage Leukemia). Ernst served as principal investigator; Bibhu Mishra, PhD, as lead author.
When the MLL1 gene is damaged, it can cause leukemia, which is a cancer of the blood, often occurring in very young patients. Researchers found that the normal version of the gene controls many other genes in a manner that maintains the production of blood cells.
"This control becomes chaotic when the gene is damaged or 'broken' and that causes the normal blood cells to turn into leukemia," said Ernst.
The researchers showed that the normal gene acts with a partner gene called MOF that adds small "acetyl" chemical modification around the genes that it controls. The acetyl modification acts as a switch to turn genes on. When this function is disrupted, MLL1 cannot maintain normal blood stem cells.
The researchers also found that a gene called Sirtuin1 (more commonly known for controlling longevity) works against MLL1 to keep the proper amount of "acetyl" modifications on important stem cell genes. Blood cancers involving MLL1, in contrast, do not have this MOF-Sirtuin balance and place a different chemical modification on genes that result in leukemia.
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Scientists decode epigenetic mechanisms distinguishing stem cell function and blood cancer
People who received the world's first stem cell treatment for strokes have shown measurable reductions in disability and handicap a year after the injection into their damaged brains.
Some can move limbs and manage everyday tasks that were impossible before they received an injection of neural progenitor stem cells, which were clones of cells originally taken from the cortex of a donated fetus.
Apart from physical rehabilitation, there are few treatments for people left severely disabled by a stroke. Demand for more options is high, with 800,000 new cases each year in the US and 150,000 in the UK.
"We're encouraged, and it's a nice progressive piece of news," says Michael Hunt, the chief executive officer of ReNeuron, the company in Guildford, UK, that developed the treatment. "We must be circumspect, but we are seeing what seems to be a general trend towards improvement in a disparate group of patients," he says.
ReNeuron presented its latest results on the first 11 patients on 7 May in Nice, France, at the 23rd European Stroke Conference. They build on interim findings released last year.
The patients in the PISCES trial (Pilot Investigation of Stem Cells in Stroke) had all suffered their strokes at least six months before treatment and were all chosen because their symptoms had plateaued, making any improvements more likely to be the result of treatment.
There were improvements in median scores on all five scales used to measure the patients' recovery.
On a score that measures quality of life from 0 to 100, patients began with a median score of 45, but within a year this had risen by 18 points, a 40 per cent improvement.
Rankin Scores, which grade disability and handicap from healthy (0) to dead (6) improved from a median of 3 at the start to 2 for four of the patients, although the rest remained the same. "That's equivalent to taking a patient down a whole level of dependency, and equates to a 20 per cent improvement," says Hunt. Scores on all the other three scales were higher at 12 than at three months, suggesting the improvements were continuing.
The company is now actively recruiting for a second, larger trial in 41 people. They will be recruited sooner after their strokes within two to three months in the hope that earlier treatment will prevent some of the irreversible scarring. It will also deploy a harder but more objective measure of improvement in which patients have to try lifting a wooden block onto a platform. Hunt expects full results by the end of 2015.
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Beware of fake medicines and advertisements touting the purported miracles that stem cell therapy can do. This was the warning aired by former health secretary Esperanza Cabral at the Kapihan sa Manila at the Diamond Hotel last Monday.
Contrary to what the ads claim, she said, stem cell therapy has not been scientifically proven to cure any disease or make anyone young again. It has been successful in a very few experiments, which is the reason quack doctors are taking advantage of it to make exaggerated claims that the therapy can cure the deadliest diseases known to man.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) very recently issued a similar warning against it.
Stem cell therapy is the process of injecting into patients young cells taken from humans or sheep. The theory is that the young cells will rejuvenate the old cells of the patients and make them young again and cure whatever diseases they have. Although experiments are being conducted, no such results have been achieved. But that does not prevent foreign quack doctors from coming here and making all those exaggerated claims. Sadly, they are aided by some Filipino doctors.
The reason is that in countries like the Philippines where the people are suckers for miracle cures, stem cell therapyand other miracle curesis like a gold mine.
Aging millionaires looking for the fountain of youth pay a lot of money to undergo stem cell therapy. Patients with terminal illnesses like cancer, in a desperate search for a cure, also fall victim to the sales talk and word-of-mouth yarns of so-and-so being cured by the therapy.
But they get neither younger nor cured. And the quack doctors run laughing with their patients money all the way to the bank.
A friend told me that he had gone abroad to have stem cell therapy. He said he felt better and stronger after the treatment. Look at me, dont I look younger? he said.
I looked at him. He didnt look a minute younger and in fact looked the same as when I last saw him, maybe even older.
My wife said I look younger, he said. It was his wife who had convinced him to have the stem cell therapy.
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A service dog that has come from the brink of death and back was in Terry on Wednesday to receive cutting-edge stem cell therapy.
Davis Hawn said his dog, Booster, saved his life and now he's working to return the favor.
"With Booster by my side, I greet each day knowing we can change the world for the better," Hawn said.
Together, Hawn and Booster helped foster international relations by appearing on TV in Cuba. They reassured Thai orphans infected with the HIV virus that life will be OK and they are loved. The list of accomplishments continued to grow until Booster developed hip dysplasia.
"When Booster couldn't get off the floor, I couldn't get out of bed," said Hawn, who suffers from depression. "Just as assuredly as God put Booster into my life, He again answered the call when I read about the modern day marvel of stem-cell implantation."
Medivet America, a global leader in veterinary science with more than 1,000 clinics in 28 countries, learned of Booster's plight and jumped in to help.
"They arranged to perform a procedure in which they injected Booster's own stem cells into his hips and got him back up and running again," Hawn said. "When I went to pay the bill, they refused to accept payment. I like to say that God paid the bill."
In January 2013, Booster again faced a health battle. He was diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma and given three weeks to live. An aggressive tumor had eaten through Booster's skull cap and left him writhing in pain. In an effort to save Booster's life, Hawn moved to Florida where the University of Florida operated on Booster and a referral clinic performed radiation therapy.
The University of Minnesota took a piece of the tumor that was removed from Booster and used it to developed the first vaccine for squamous cell carcinoma in dogs.
Booster is now a cancer survivor.
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Valencia, spain (PRWEB) May 07, 2014
Cell Science International Conference is being organized to broaden the scope of the research in the field of Tumorogenesis, Recombinant DNA technology, Cancer cell development and signaling pathway, Evolution of cancer, Genetic engineering and Gene therapy, Tumor suppressor genes, Tissue Engineering, Stem cell treatment, Bioinformatics and Computational biology, Bio Ethics and Patent Rights.
Eminent speakers including Stewart Sell, University of Albany, USA, Sudhakar Akul Yakkanti, SRI International, USA, and Diana Anderson, University of Bradford, UK will be joining their peers at Cell Science-2014, an International Conference 2014 to share their upcoming researches and experience in the field of Cell Science.
James L Sharely, Director of The Adult Stem Cell Technology Centre, LLC, USA organizes a symposium on Stem Cell DNA Segregation and Genetic Fidelity. Ornella Parolini, President, International Placenta Stem Cell Research (IPLASS) holds another symposium on Fetal-derived Stem cells: Characteristics and Applications during Cell Science-2014.
The GID Group, Inc. that manufactures and distributes versatile tissue processing system, sterile disposable canister like GID 700 and GID SVF-1 exhibits its products and services during the conference.
The Organizing Committee welcomes you to attend Cell Science-2014 which includes Ornella Parolini, IPLASS (International Placenta Stem Cell Society), Italy; Sudhakar A Yakkanti, Stanford Research Institute (SRI) International, USA; Stewart Sell, University of Albany, USA; Valles Marti, University of Valencia, Spain; LilianSoraya, University of Valencia, Spain; James L. Sherley, The Adult Stem Cell Technology Center, LLC, USA; Diana Anderson, University of Bradford, UK; Shiaw-Yih (Phoebus) Lin, Anderson Cancer Center The University of Texas, USA; Behjatolah Monzavi Karbassi, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, USA.
Cell Science-2014 official partners include The Adult Stem Cell Technology Center, LLC USA and the International Placenta Stem Cell Research (IPLASS).
The three day conference will be hosting significant sessions like Keynote forum, speaker Sessions, Poster sessions, awards and Exclussive session on Successful Postdoctoral Fellowship training.
In addition to this, Soraya L Valles, University of Valencia, Spain organized a pre-conference workshop on NeuroSceince at Salon de Grados, Faculty of Medicine Valencia, Spain on February 25th, 2014 thus promulgating this pragmatic conference.
OMICS Publishing Group hosts 350 Open Access, Online ScientificJournals and hosts more than 100 Scientific Conferences worldwide. With 30,000 strong editorial board members drawn from academics, research and industries, OMICS Group Journals will publish the best papers presented in Cell Science- 2014.
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OMICS Groups Cell Science & Stem Cell Research Congress to Explore the Recent Developments
Knee arthritis 9 months after stem cell therapy by Dr Harry Adelson
Carol describes her outcome from stem cell therapy by Dr Harry Adelson for her arthritic knee http://www.docereclinics.com.
By: Harry Adelson, N.D.
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Knee arthritis 9 months after stem cell therapy by Dr Harry Adelson - Video
Charges of syndicated estafa, illegal medical practice and murder were filed on Tuesday against Dr. Zoharina Antonia Pedrera Carandang, also known as Dr. Antonia Carandang-Park, for practicing stem cell therapy on 23-year-old cancer patient Katherine Kate Tan. The treatment was alleged to have caused the Tan's death.
The charges were filed by Kate's father Bernard Tan before the Tagaytay Municipal Fiscal's Office. Aside from Carandang, owner and operator of Tagaytay-based Green & Young Health and Wellness Center, also charged were Joy Dimaranan, Estrella Maranan, Bebot Maranan and several other employees of the wellness center.
Tan also filed on Tuesday a separate administrative complaint against Park before Tagaytay's Office of the City Administrator, GMA News TV's Quick Response Team (QRT) reported.
According to the City Administrator's Office, Park had, in the past, applied for a permit to operate a medical clinic but was denied for failing to present the necessary documents, such as a Department of Health (DOH) certification.
Park, was, however, granted a permit to operate a massage clinic in 2012.
A caretaker at the wellness center, who received the copy of the criminal and administrative complaints, said Park had left the clinic Tuesday morning.
The Fiscal's Office also sent a letter to Park requiring her to respond to the complaint within two days, otherwise an investigation based only on the evidence presented by the Tans would be pursued.
The Office of the City Administrator also prohibited the wellness clinic from operating until a reply to the administrative complaint was filed.
Alternative treatment
In a separate complaint filed last month before the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), Tan alleged that Park was not licensed by the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) to practice medicine in the Philippines.
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Unlicensed stem cell doctor slapped with charges over patient's death
PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:
6-May-2014
Contact: Sally Stewart sally.stewart@cshs.org 310-248-6566 Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
LOS ANGELES (EMBARGOED UNTIL NOON ET ON MAY 6, 2014) Investigators at the Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute whose previous research showed that cardiac stem cell therapy reduces scarring and regenerates healthy tissue after a heart attack in humans have identified components of those stem cells responsible for the beneficial effects.
In a series of laboratory and lab animal studies, Heart Institute researchers found that exosomes, tiny membrane-enclosed "bubbles" involved in cell-to-cell communication, convey messages that reduce cell death, promote growth of new heart muscle cells and encourage the development of healthy blood vessels.
"Exosomes were first described in the mid-1980s, but we only now are beginning to appreciate their potential as therapeutic agents. We have found that exosomes and the cargo they contain are crucial mediators of stem cell-based heart regeneration, and we believe this might lead to an even more refined therapy using the 'active ingredient' instead of the entire stem cell," said Eduardo Marbn, MD, PhD, director of the Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute and a pioneer in developing investigational cardiac stem cell treatments.
"The concept of exosome therapy is interesting because it could potentially shift our strategy from living-cell transplantation to the use of a non-living agent," he added. "Stem cells must be carefully preserved to keep them alive and functioning until the time of transplant, and there are some risks involved in cell transplantation. In contrast, exosome therapy may be safer and simpler and based on a product with a longer shelf life."
In lab experiments, the researchers isolated exosomes from specialized human cardiac stem cells and found that exosomes alone had the same beneficial effects as stem cells. Exosomes also produced the same post-heart attack benefits in mice, decreasing scar size, increasing healthy heart tissue and reducing levels of chemicals that lead to inflammation. Even when exosomes were injected in mice after heart attack scars were well-established, and traditionally viewed as "irreversible," they brought about multiple structural and functional benefits.
Exosomes transport small pieces of genetic material, called microRNAs, that enable cells to communicate with neighboring cells to change their behavior. The researchers pinpointed one such microRNA one that is especially plentiful in cardiac stem cell exosomes as responsible for some of the benefits. It is likely, they believe, that this and other microRNAs in the exosomes work together to produce the regenerative effects.
"The exosomes appear to contain the signaling information needed to regenerate healthy heart tissue, they are naturally able to permeate cells, and they have a coating that protects their payloads from degradation as they shuttle from cell to cell," said Marbn, senior author of an article in the May 6, 2014 Stem Cell Reports. "Injecting exosomes derived from specialized cardiac stem cells may be an attractive alternative to the transplantation of living cells."
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Cedars-Sinai researchers identify how heart stem cells orchestrate regeneration
FAITH Stem Cell Research and Human Cloning by: FR. GAMMY TULABING I would like to share with you this article from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.
Questions and Answers
What is a stem cell?
A stem cell is a relatively unspecia-lized cell that, when it divides, can do two things: make another cell like itself, or make any of a number of cells with more specialized functions. For example, just one kind of stem cell in our blood can make new red blood cells, or white blood cells, or other kindsdepending on what the body needs. These cells are like the stem of a plant that spreads out in different directions as it grows.
Is the Catholic Church opposed to all stem cell research?
Not at all. Most stem cell research uses cells obtained from adult tissue, umbilical cord blood, and other sources that pose no moral problem. Useful stem cells have been found in bone marrow, blood, muscle, fat, nerves, and even in the pulp of baby teeth. Some of these cells are already being used to treat people with a wide variety of diseases.
Why is the Church opposed to stem cell research using the embryo?
Because harvesting these stem cells kills the living human embryo. The church opposes the direct destruction of innocent human life for any purpose, including research.
If some human embryos will remain in frozen storage and ultimately be discarded anyway, why is it wrong to try to get some good out of them?
In the end, we will all die anyway, but that gives no one a right to kill us. In any case, these embryos will not die because they are inherently unable to survive, but because others are choosing to hand them over for destructive research instead of letting them implant in their mothers womb. One wrong choice does not justify an additional wrong choice to kill them for research, much less a choice to make tax payers support such destruction. The idea of experimenting on human beings because they may die anyway also poses a grave threat to convicted prisoners, terminally ill patients, and others.
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Hip and knee arthritis 5 months after stem cell therapy by Dr Harry Adelson
Richard describes his outcome 5 months after stem cell therapy by Dr Harry Adelson for his hip and knee arthritis http://www.docereclinics.com.
By: Harry Adelson, N.D.
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Hip and knee arthritis 5 months after stem cell therapy by Dr Harry Adelson - Video
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) yesterday reiterated that stem cell procedures in the Philippines are allowed only for three specific procedures while others remain unrecognized by the agency and are therefore illegal.
In an advisory posted on its website, Dr. Kenneth Hartigan-Go, FDA acting director, emphasized that only the following uses of stem cell therapy are recognized by the FDA Hematopoietic Transplantation (involving the blood cells to treat disorders of the blood and immune systems), Corneal Resurfacing with limbal stem cells (to treat the transparent, front part of the eye), and skin regeneration (for burns) with epidermal stem cells. All hospitals and health facilities are likewise warned that Republic Act 9711 or the FDA Act, otherwise prohibits the manufacture, importation, exportation, sale, offering for sale, distribution, transfer, non-consumer use, promotion, advertising, or sponsorship of any health product that is unregistered. The use of Human cells, Tissues, and Cellular and tissue-based products (HCT/Ps) without the authorization or permission by the FDA is considered illegal in the country, Go said.
In August 2013, the FDA issued a circular asking hospitals and other facilities offering stem cell procedures to register for accreditation. However, as of May 2, the FDA said not one stem cell or HCT product that applied for registration has been registered by the FDA for compassionate or clinical trial use or for general use.
What we are doing now is we are strengthening quality assurancethey must have scientific proof. But there is no one who is applying for compassionate use because if we ask them about ethical clearance, they have no ethical review system, the FDA chief added.
Go warned all hospitals and health facilities to stop manufacturing or selling unregistered products.
The warning also covers unlicensed practitioners from other countries and tourists who visit the country for leisure or medical needs. (Jenny F. Manongdo)
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Health authorities on Saturday reissued warnings against health facilities and medical practitioners offering stem-cell therapies or related products, which promise to cure a range of diseases, arrest the aging process or even increase libido.
In an advisory, the Food and Drug Administration stressed that to date not one stem cell or human cells, tissues, and cellular and tissue-based products (HCT/Ps) that applied for registration has been registered by the FDA for compassionate or clinical trial use or for general use.
The use of HCT/Ps without the authorization or permission by the FDA is considered illegal, it said. The agency warned hospitals and health facilities of the provisions of the FDA Act of 2009, which prohibits the manufacture, use, advertisement or sponsorship of unregistered health products.
This warning extends to all unlicensed practitioners from other countries and to tourists who visit the Philippines for leisure and medical needs.
According to FDA acting director general Kenneth Hartigan Go, the FDA recognizes only hematopoietic (pertaining to the formation and development of blood cells) stem-cell transplantation, corneal resurfacing with limbal stem cells and skin regeneration with epidermal stem cells as generally accepted standards of healthcare procedures.
If health institutions are doing these three procedures, they can continue because those are allowed, Go said.
But the efficacy of the use of stem cells for the treatment of other diseases, such as diabetes, cancer and autism, among others, have yet to be proven, he said.
Go noted that while many spa centers and salons are advertising stem-cell therapy treatment and products, none of them have secured the FDAs approval. As of now, we have not accredited any health facility offering stem-cell therapy yet.
Applicants with deficiencies
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Human embryonic stem cells can become any cell in the body. AFP FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines Health authorities warned the public anew on Saturday about health facilities and medical practitioners offering unauthorized stem cell therapy and products.
In an advisory, the Food and Drug Administration said that to date, not one stem cell or human cells, tissues, and cellular and tissue-based products (HCT/Ps) that applied for registration has been registered by the FDA for compassionate or clinical trial use, or general use.
The use of HCT/Ps without the authorization or permission by the FDA is considered illegal, it said, reminding hospitals and health facilities of the provisions of the FDA Act of 2009, which prohibits the manufacture, use, advertisement or sponsorship of unregistered health products.
This warning extends to all unlicensed practitioners from other countries and to tourists who visit the Philippines for leisure and medical needs, the advisory added.
According to FDA acting director general Kenneth Hartigan Go, the FDA recognizes only hematopoietic (pertaining to the formation and development of blood cells) stem cell transplantation, corneal resurfacing with limbal stem cells and skin regeneration with epidermal stem cells as generally accepted standards of health care procedures.
If health institutions are doing these three procedures, they can continue doing them because those are allowed. Go said, adding that the efficacy of the use of stem cells for the treatment of other diseases, such as diabetes, cancer and autism, among others, has yet to be proven.
Go noted that while many spa centers and salons are advertising stem cell therapy and products, none of them has the approval of the health agency.
As of now we have not accredited any health facility offering stem cell therapy yet, Go said.
Several facilities had applied for accreditation but Go said many of these were asked to correct their deficiencies.
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Public warned of fly-by-night stem cell procedures, products
(PRWEB) May 02, 2014
The report Stem Cell Therapy Market by Treatment Mode (Autologous & Allogeneic), Therapeutic Applications (CNS, CVS, GIT, Wound Healing, Musculoskeletal, Eye, & Immune System) - Regulatory Landscape, Pipeline Analysis & Global Forecasts to 2020 analyzes and studies the major market drivers, restraints, opportunities, and challenges in North America, Asia-Pacific, Europe, and the Rest of the World (RoW).
Browse 57 market data tables 32 figures spread through 196 Slides and in-depth TOC on Stem Cell Therapy Market http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/stem-cell-technologies-and-global-market-48.html
Early buyers will receive 10% customization on report.
This report studies the global stem cell therapy market over the forecast period of 2015 to 2020.The market is poised to grow at a CAGR of 39.5% from 2015 to 2020, to reach $330million by 2020.
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The global stem cell therapy market on the basis of the mode of treatment is segmented into allogeneic and autologous stem cell therapy. In addition, based on the therapeutic applications, the global stem cell therapy market is segmented into eye diseases, metabolic diseases, GIT diseases, musculoskeletal disorders, immune system diseases, CNS diseases, CVS diseases, wounds and injuries, and others.
Inquire Before Buying @ http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Enquiry_Before_Buying.asp?id=48
A number of factors such as the increasing funding from various government and private organizations, growing industry focus on stem cell research, and increasing global awareness about stem cell therapies through various organizations are stimulating the research activities for stem cell therapies. Developing markets, emergence of induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells as an alternative to embryonic stem cells (ESCs), and evolution of new stem cell therapies represent high growth opportunities for market players.
In 2015, North America will hold the largest share of the global stem cell therapy market. This large share is primarily attributed to the extensive government funding and increasing fast-track approval for stem cell therapeutics by the FDA. Moreover, development of advanced genomic methods for stem cell analysis and high number of ongoing research activities are further fueling the growth of the stem cell therapy market in North America. However, the Asia-Pacific stem cell therapy market is expected to grow at the highest CAGR in the forecast period, owing to factors such as increasing regulatory support through favorable government policies, strong product pipelines, and increasing licensing activities in this region.
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A new review of previous scientific studies has concluded that stem cell therapy may help reduce the number of deaths in heart patients.
The Cochrane Heart Review Group analyzed data from studies involving just over 1,200 patients in 23 randomized, controlled trials.
The group's report on the potential benefits of stem cell heart repair was published online on April 29 in The Cochrane Library. The Cochrane Reviews are systematic assessments of evidence-based research into human health care and health policy.
There were fewer deaths among heart patients receiving stem cell therapy in addition to standard treatment, compared to patients who were treated with traditional therapies alone or with a placebo. Stem cells are primitive master cells that, under the right conditions, can turn into any cell in the body.
The therapy also reduced the chances that patients, with improved heart function, had to be readmitted to the hospital.
The review noted that stem cell therapy could possibly reduce the number of deaths after one year, but the results of larger clinical trials are needed.
The stem cells are taken from a patients own bone marrow and injected into the hearts of patients with ischemic heart disease and congestive heart failure, repairing damaged cardiac tissue.
Dr. Enca Martin-Rendon, author of the review in Britain, said, This is encouraging evidence that stem cell therapy has benefits for heart disease patients. However, Martin-Rendon noted it is difficult to come to any concrete conclusions until larger clinical trials are carried out.
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TWIS Minion / Science Island Hangout - May 1, 2014
Ed Dyer, Ulysses Adkins and Jani Turunen talking about Ganymede #39;s "club sandwich" oceans, NASA #39;s space life rafts, stem cells therapy regenerating heart muscles, blood and cartilage. Show...
By: Edward Dyer
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April Flowers for redOrbit.com Your Universe Online
A new study, from the Stanford University School of Medicine and Montana State University, demonstrates that, when implanted into the reproductive system of a mouse model, stem cells created from adult, infertile men will yield primordial germ cells. Primordial germ cells normally become sperm cells.
The findings, published in Cell Reports, help to further our understanding of a genetic cause of male infertility and basic sperm biology. The research team says that their approach holds considerable potential for clinical applications.
All of the infertile male participants suffer from a genetic mutation that prevents their bodies from producing mature sperm. The study suggests that the men with this condition called azoospermia might have produced germ cells at some point in their early lives, but these cells were lost as the men matured to adulthood.
Our results are the first to offer an experimental model to study sperm development, said Renee Reijo Pera of the Institute for Stem Cell Biology & Regenerative Medicine and Montana State University. Therefore, there is potential for applications to cell-based therapies in the clinic, for example, for the generation of higher quality and numbers of sperm in a dish.
It might even be possible to transplant stem-cell-derived germ cells directly into the testes of men with problems producing sperm, she added. Considerable study to ensure safety and practicality is needed, however, before reaching that point.
Infertility is a fairly common problem, affecting between 10 and 15 percent of couples in the US. The researchers say that many men are affected by genetic causes of infertility, most commonly due to the spontaneous loss of key genes on the Y sex chromosome. Until now, the causes of infertility at the molecular level have not been clear.
The fact that the research team was able to create primordial germ cells from the infertile men is very promising, but they note that these stem cells created far fewer of these sperm progenitors than the stem cells of men without the genetic mutations. They are sure, however, that this research provides a much needed model to study the earliest steps of human reproduction.
We saw better germ-cell differentiation in this transplantation model than weve ever seen, said Reijo Pera, former director of Stanfords Center for Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research and Education. We were amazed by the efficiency. Our dream is to use this model to make a genetic map of human germ-cell differentiation, including some of the very earliest stages.
Humans share many cellular and physiological processes with common laboratory animals such as mice or fruit flies. In reproduction, however, there are significant variances, making it challenging to recreate the human reproductive processes in a laboratory setting. In addition, many crucial steps, such as the development and migration of primordial germ cells to the gonads,occur in the relatively short first days or weeks after conception.
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Stem Cells Of Infertile Men Used To Create Preliminary Sperm Cells
New York, NY (PRWEB) May 02, 2014
Stem Cell Institute is releasing additional tickets for its Adult Stem Cell Therapy Clinical Trials seminar on Saturday, May 17, 2014 in New York City at the New York Hilton Midtown from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm.
After booking its original meeting room beyond capacity, the Stem Cell Institute has reserved a larger room to accommodate additional attendees. The seminar will now take place in the Beekman Room, 2nd Floor, East Corridor of the New York Hilton Midtown.
Those interested in attending are encouraged to register promptly. Only 75 additional seats are available.
Speakers include:
Neil Riordan PhD Clinical Trials: Umbilical Cord Mesenchymal Stem Cell Therapy for Autism and Spinal Cord Injury
Dr. Riordan is the founder of the Stem Cell Institute and Medistem Panama Inc.
Jorge Paz-Rodriguez MD Stem Cell Therapy for Autoimmune Disease: MS, Rheumatoid Arthritis and Lupus
Dr. Paz is the Medical Director at the Stem Cell Institute. He practiced internal medicine in the United States for over a decade before joining the Stem Cell Institute in Panama.
Special guest speaker:
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University of Adelaide researchers have discovered that stem cells taken from teeth can grow to resemble brain cells, suggesting they could one day be used in the brain as a therapy for stroke.
In the University's Centre for Stem Cell Research, laboratory studies have shown that stem cells from teeth can develop and form complex networks of brain-like cells. Although these cells haven't developed into fully fledged neurons, researchers believe it's just a matter of time and the right conditions for it to happen.
"Stem cells from teeth have great potential to grow into new brain or nerve cells, and this could potentially assist with treatments of brain disorders, such as stroke," says Dr Kylie Ellis, Commercial Development Manager with the University's commercial arm, Adelaide Research & Innovation (ARI).
Dr Ellis conducted this research as part of her Physiology PhD studies at the University, before making the step into commercialisation. The results of her work have been published in the journal Stem Cell Research & Therapy.
"The reality is, treatment options available to the thousands of stroke patients every year are limited," Dr Ellis says. "The primary drug treatment available must be administered within hours of a stroke and many people don't have access within that timeframe, because they often can't seek help for some time after the attack.
"Ultimately, we want to be able to use a patient's own stem cells for tailor-made brain therapy that doesn't have the host rejection issues commonly associated with cell-based therapies. Another advantage is that dental pulp stem cell therapy may provide a treatment option available months or even years after the stroke has occurred," she says.
Dr Ellis and her colleagues, Professors Simon Koblar, David O'Carroll and Stan Gronthos, have been working on a laboratory-based model for actual treatment in humans. As part of this research Dr Ellis found that stem cells derived from teeth developed into cells that closely resembled neurons.
"We can do this by providing an environment for the cells that is as close to a normal brain environment as possible, so that instead of becoming cells for teeth they become brain cells," Dr Ellis says.
"What we developed wasn't identical to normal neurons, but the new cells shared very similar properties to neurons. They also formed complex networks and communicated through simple electrical activity, like you might see between cells in the developing brain."
This work with dental pulp stem cells opens up the potential for modelling many more common brain disorders in the laboratory, which could help in developing new treatments and techniques for patients.
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