Stem Cell Treatment at "EmCell"
http://www.emcell.com/ Stem cell therapy is the rapidly developing area of modern medicine. Unique properties of fetal stem cells, the core of EmCell treatme...
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PITTSBURGH (KDKA) After injuries from gymnastics and dance when she was younger, Linda Morning-Starpoole was having terrible knee pain.
Sitting and standing up and getting up and moving, Linda said.
The news from her orthopedic surgeon was not encouraging.
I was sent off with a prescription, and basically said, take this, and when it gets so bad, well take out your knees. And that was really upsetting to me. It was such an ugly picture that was painted for my future, Linda said.
Traditional treatment might involve steroid injections, physical therapy, and joint replacement.
But Linda wanted an alternative. When she first heard about using stem cell injections, she was very intrigued.
The thought of me healing me with my own self is what sold me on the procedure, Linda said.
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Stem Cell Treatment at "EmCell"
Stem cell therapy is the rapidly developing area of modern medicine. Unique properties of fetal stem cells, the core of EmCell treatment, make it possible fo...
By: Stem Cell Therapy Center "EMCELL"
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Stem Cell Treatment at "EmCell" - Video
A new study describes the complexity of the new T cell repertoire following immune-depleting therapy to treat multiple sclerosis, improving our understanding of immune tolerance and clinical outcomes.
In the Immune Tolerance Network's (ITN) HALT-MS study, 24 patients with relapsing, remitting multiple sclerosis received high-dose immunosuppression followed by a transplant of their own stem cells, called an autologous stem cell transplant, to potentially reprogram the immune system so that it stops attacking the brain and spinal cord. Data published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation quantified and characterized T cell populations following this aggressive regimen to understand how the reconstituting immune system is related to patient outcomes.
ITN investigators used a high-throughput, deep-sequencing technology (Adaptive Biotechnologies, ImmunoSEQTM Platform) to analyze the T cell receptor (TCR) sequences in CD4+ and CD8+ cells to compare the repertoire at baseline pre-transplant, two months post-transplant and 12 months post-transplant.
Using this approach, alongside conventional flow cytometry, the investigators found that CD4+ and CD8+ lymphocytes exhibit different reconstitution patterns following transplantation. The scientists observed that the dominant CD8+ T cell clones present at baseline were expanded at 12 months post-transplant, suggesting these clones were not effectively eradicated during treatment. In contrast, the dominant CD4+ T cell clones present at baseline were undetectable at 12 months, and the reconstituted CD4+ T cell repertoire was predominantly composed of new clones.
The results also suggest the possibility that differences in repertoire diversity early in the reconstitution process might be associated with clinical outcomes. Nineteen patients who responded to treatment had a more diverse repertoire two months following transplant compared to four patients who did not respond. Despite the low number of non-responders, these comparisons approached statistical significance and point to the possibility that complexity in the T cell compartment may be important for establishing immune tolerance.
This is one of the first studies to quantitatively compare the baseline T cell repertoire with the reconstituted repertoire following autologous stem cell transplant, and provides a previously unseen in-depth analysis of how the immune system reconstitutes itself following immune-depleting therapy.
About The Immune Tolerance Network
The Immune Tolerance Network (ITN) is a research consortium sponsored by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, part of the National Institutes of Health. The ITN develops and conducts clinical and mechanistic studies of immune tolerance therapies designed to prevent disease-causing immune responses, without compromising the natural protective properties of the immune system. Visit http://www.immunetolerance.org for more information.
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The above story is based on materials provided by Immune Tolerance Network. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.
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Deep TCR sequencing reveals extensive renewal of the T cell repertoire following autologous stem cell transplant in MS
stem cell therapy treatment for right brachial plexus by dr alok sharma, mumbai, india
improvement seen in just 5 days after stem cell therapy treatment for right brachial plexus by dr alok sharma, mumbai, india. Stem Cell Therapy done date 21/...
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stem cell therapy treatment for right brachial plexus by dr alok sharma, mumbai, india - Video
Posted: Monday, February 17, 2014, 7:00 AM
SUNDAY, Feb. 16, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- As millions of aging Baby Boomers know, muscle tone and strength declines with advancing age, regardless of gym workouts. Now scientists say they might have uncovered a clue as to why that happens -- and new cell targets to help reverse it.
In studies in aging mice, researchers at Stanford University found that, over time, the stem cells that help repair damaged muscle cells after injury are less able to do so.
This helps explain why regaining strength and recovering from a muscle injury gets more difficult with age, the researchers said in work published online Feb. 16 in the journal Nature Medicine.
"In the past, it's been thought that muscle stem cells themselves don't change with age, and that any loss of function is primarily due to external factors in the cells' environment," study senior author Helen Blau, director of Stanford's Baxter Laboratory for Stem Cell Biology, said in a university news release.
"However, when we isolated stem cells from older mice, we found that they exhibit profound changes with age," said Blau, a professor of microbiology and immunology at the university. "Two-thirds of the cells are dysfunctional when compared to those from younger mice, and the defect persists even when transplanted into young muscles."
The research also revealed, however, that there is a defect specific to old muscle stem cells that can be corrected, allowing scientists to rejuvenate the cells.
"Most exciting is that we also discovered a way to overcome the defect," Blau said. "As a result, we have a new therapeutic target that could one day be used to help elderly human patients repair muscle damage."
The muscle stem cells in 2-year-old mice are the equivalent of those found in 80-years-old humans. In conducting the study, the researchers found that many muscle stem cells from these mice had increased activity in a certain biological pathway that interferes with the production of the stem cells.
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PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:
17-Feb-2014
Contact: Philip Bernstein, Ph.D. ITNCommunications@immunetolerance.org 240-235-6132 Immune Tolerance Network
WA, Seattle (February 17, 2014) A new study describes the complexity of the new T cell repertoire following immune-depleting therapy to treat multiple sclerosis, improving our understanding of immune tolerance and clinical outcomes.
In the Immune Tolerance Network's (ITN) HALT-MS study, 24 patients with relapsing, remitting multiple sclerosis received high-dose immunosuppression followed by a transplant of their own stem cells, called an autologous stem cell transplant, to potentially reprogram the immune system so that it stops attacking the brain and spinal cord. Data published today in the Journal of Clinical Investigation quantified and characterized T cell populations following this aggressive regimen to understand how the reconstituting immune system is related to patient outcomes.
ITN investigators used a high-throughput, deep-sequencing technology (Adaptive Biotechnologies, ImmunoSEQTM Platform) to analyze the T cell receptor (TCR) sequences in CD4+ and CD8+ cells to compare the repertoire at baseline pre-transplant, two months post-transplant and 12 months post-transplant.
Using this approach, alongside conventional flow cytometry, the investigators found that CD4+ and CD8+ lymphocytes exhibit different reconstitution patterns following transplantation. The scientists observed that the dominant CD8+ T cell clones present at baseline were expanded at 12 months post-transplant, suggesting these clones were not effectively eradicated during treatment. In contrast, the dominant CD4+ T cell clones present at baseline were undetectable at 12 months, and the reconstituted CD4+ T cell repertoire was predominantly comprised of new clones.
The results also suggest the possibility that differences in repertoire diversity early in the reconstitution process might be associated with clinical outcomes. Nineteen patients who responded to treatment had a more diverse repertoire two months following transplant compared to four patients who did not respond. Despite the low number of non-responders, these comparisons approached statistical significance and point to the possibility that complexity in the T cell compartment may be important for establishing immune tolerance.
This is one of the first studies to quantitatively compare the baseline T cell repertoire with the reconstituted repertoire following autologous stem cell transplant, and provides a previously unseen in-depth analysis of how the immune system reconstitutes itself following immune-depleting therapy.
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Extensive renewal of the T cell repertoire following autologous stem cell transplant in MS
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Newswise WA, Seattle (February 17, 2014) A new study describes the complexity of the new T cell repertoire following immune-depleting therapy to treat multiple sclerosis, improving our understanding of immune tolerance and clinical outcomes.
In the Immune Tolerance Networks (ITN) HALT-MS study, 24 patients with relapsing, remitting multiple sclerosis received high-dose immunosuppression followed by a transplant of their own stem cells, called an autologous stem cell transplant, to potentially reprogram the immune system so that it stops attacking the brain and spinal cord. Data published today in the Journal of Clinical Investigation (http://www.jci.org/articles/view/71691?key=b64763243f594bab6646) quantified and characterized T cell populations following this aggressive regimen to understand how the reconstituting immune system is related to patient outcomes.
ITN investigators used a high-throughput, deep-sequencing technology (Adaptive Biotechnologies, ImmunoSEQTM Platform) to analyze the T cell receptor (TCR) sequences in CD4+ and CD8+ cells to compare the repertoire at baseline pre-transplant, two months post-transplant and 12 months post-transplant.
Using this approach, alongside conventional flow cytometry, the investigators found that CD4+ and CD8+ lymphocytes exhibit different reconstitution patterns following transplantation. The scientists observed that the dominant CD8+ T cell clones present at baseline were expanded at 12 months post-transplant, suggesting these clones were not effectively eradicated during treatment. In contrast, the dominant CD4+ T cell clones present at baseline were undetectable at 12 months, and the reconstituted CD4+ T cell repertoire was predominantly comprised of new clones.
The results also suggest the possibility that differences in repertoire diversity early in the reconstitution process might be associated with clinical outcomes. Nineteen patients who responded to treatment had a more diverse repertoire two months following transplant compared to four patients who did not respond. Despite the low number of non-responders, these comparisons approached statistical significance and point to the possibility that complexity in the T cell compartment may be important for establishing immune tolerance.
This is one of the first studies to quantitatively compare the baseline T cell repertoire with the reconstituted repertoire following autologous stem cell transplant, and provides a previously unseen in-depth analysis of how the immune system reconstitutes itself following immune-depleting therapy.
About The Immune Tolerance Network The Immune Tolerance Network (ITN) is a research consortium sponsored by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, part of the National Institutes of Health. The ITN develops and conducts clinical and mechanistic studies of immune tolerance therapies designed to prevent disease-causing immune responses, without compromising the natural protective properties of the immune system. Visit http://www.immunetolerance.org for more information.
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stem cell research stem cell therapy marrow transplant and lung repair stem cell transplant
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stem cell research stem cell therapy marrow transplant and lung repair stem cell transplant - Video
adult stem cell therapy blood bone marrow astragalus herb benefits for rheumatoid arthritis
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adult stem cell therapy blood bone marrow astragalus herb benefits for rheumatoid arthritis - Video
PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:
16-Feb-2014
Contact: Krista Conger kristac@stanford.edu 650-725-5371 Stanford University Medical Center
STANFORD, Calif. Researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine have pinpointed why normal aging is accompanied by a diminished ability to regain strength and mobility after muscle injury: Over time, stem cells within muscle tissues dedicated to repairing damage become less able to generate new muscle fibers and struggle to self-renew.
"In the past, it's been thought that muscle stem cells themselves don't change with age, and that any loss of function is primarily due to external factors in the cells' environment," said Helen Blau, PhD, the Donald and Delia B. Baxter Foundation Professor. "However, when we isolated stem cells from older mice, we found that they exhibit profound changes with age. In fact, two-thirds of the cells are dysfunctional when compared to those from younger mice, and the defect persists even when transplanted into young muscles."
Blau and her colleagues also identified for the first time a process by which the older muscle stem cell populations can be rejuvenated to function like younger cells. "Our findings identify a defect inherent to old muscle stem cells," she said. "Most exciting is that we also discovered a way to overcome the defect. As a result, we have a new therapeutic target that could one day be used to help elderly human patients repair muscle damage."
Blau, a professor of microbiology and immunology and director of Stanford's Baxter Laboratory for Stem Cell Biology, is the senior author of a paper describing the research, which will be published online Feb. 16 in Nature Medicine. Postdoctoral scholar Benjamin Cosgrove, PhD, and former postdoctoral scholar Penney Gilbert, PhD, now an assistant professor at the University of Toronto, are the lead authors.
The researchers found that many muscle stem cells isolated from mice that were 2 years old, equivalent to about 80 years of human life, exhibited elevated levels of activity in a biological cascade called the p38 MAP kinase pathway. This pathway impedes the proliferation of the stem cells and encourages them to instead become non-stem, muscle progenitor cells. As a result, although many of the old stem cells divide in a dish, the resulting colonies are very small and do not contain many stem cells.
Using a drug to block this p38 MAP kinase pathway in old stem cells (while also growing them on a specialized matrix called hydrogel) allowed them to divide rapidly in the laboratory and make a large number of potent new stem cells that can robustly repair muscle damage, Blau said.
"Aging is a stochastic but cumulative process," Cosgrove said. "We've now shown that muscle stem cells progressively lose their stem cell function during aging. This treatment does not turn the clock back on dysfunctional stem cells in the aged population. Rather, it stimulates stem cells from old muscle tissues that are still functional to begin dividing and self-renew."
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Researchers rejuvenate stem cell population from elderly mice, enabling muscle recovery
Havana, Feb 16 (IANS): More than 5,000 patients have received stem cell treatment in Cuba since its procedure was introduced in 2004, a medical expert said.
Porfirio Hernandez, researcher and vice director at the Hematology and Immunology Institute in Cuba, said the stem cell treatment method has been implemented in 13 of the 15 provinces in Cuba.
As a widely acknowledged pioneer of this practice, Hernandez said that more than 60 percent of patients receiving the treatment had suffered from severe ischemia at lower limbs and other blood vessel related ailments, reported Xinhua.
The therapy has also been used to reduce the sufferings of patients with severe orthopedic and cardiac problems, Hernandez added.
Stem cells are capable of self-renewing, regenerating tissues damaged by diverse disease, traumas, and ageing, and stimulating the creation of new blood vessels.
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Platelets, whose primary function is to prevent bleeding, are vital for treating various forms of trauma and blood diseases. However, they can only be obtained through blood donations at present. Researchers reporting online February 13 in the Cell Press journal Cell Stem Cell recently found a way to create platelets without the need for donated blood, an advance that could possibly erase supply shortages and ensure platelet treatments for all who need them.
The supply of donated platelets, which have a short shelf life and must be kept at room temperature, is often insufficient to meet clinical needs. In addition, while transfused platelets do not typically need to be immune-matched to patients, repeated transfusion of unmatched platelets leads to an immune reaction that eventually renders patients unresponsive to platelet transfusion therapy.
To address these limitations, investigators from Japan developed a strategy to derive functional platelets from human induced pluripotent stem cells. Induced pluripotent stem cells can be generated from various types of cells in the body, and they can in turn be coaxed to develop into nearly any other cell type. In the current study, the approach involved genetically manipulating such stem cells to become stable immortalized lines of platelet-producing cells called megakaryocyte progenitors.
The megakaryocyte progenitors could produce large quantities of platelets with clotting capabilities that were similar to those of donated platelets. Unlike freshly donated platelets, though, the immortalized megakaryocyte progenitors could be expanded and frozen for long-term storage.
"Here we established a method to achieve the long-term self-replication of megakaryocyte progenitors as an immortalized cell line, which could eventually contribute to large-scale cultivation and production of platelets," says senior author Dr. Koji Eto of Kyoto University and the University of Tokyo.
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New stem cell method may eliminate need for blood donations to maintain platelet supply
Advanced Stem Cell Therapy and PRP Treatment
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Sherry Bauer, 57 - Lung Institute Testimonial (Second Treatment - 4 Month Follow-Up)
Sherry Bauer, a Nashville, TN resident and Lung Institute patient, suffers from COPD. Bauer came to Lung Institute a little over 4 months ago for a venous st...
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Sherry Bauer, 57 - Lung Institute Testimonial (Second Treatment - 4 Month Follow-Up) - Video
Total Recovery Lecture Series: Novel Treatments for Joint, Tendon Ligament Pain, Part 3
Part 3: Regenerative Therapies: Prolotherapy, Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) and Stem Cell Therapy Dr. David Wang, Harvard trained and Board Certified in Physica...
By: KaplanCenter
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Total Recovery Lecture Series: Novel Treatments for Joint, Tendon & Ligament Pain, Part 3 - Video
What is Stem Cell Therapy?
According to J. Peter Rubin, MD, Chair of the University of Pittsburgh #39;s Department of Plastic Surgery, stem cells are small cells that live within the tissu...
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Cancer researchers led by stem cell scientist Dr. John Dick have discovered a pre-leukemic stem cell that may be the first step in initiating disease and also the culprit that evades therapy and triggers relapse in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML).
The research, published online today in Nature is a significant leap in understanding the steps that a normal cell has to go through as it turns into AML, says Dr. Dick, and sets the stage to advance personalized cancer medicine by potentially identifying individuals who might benefit from targeting the pre-leukemic stem cell. AML is an aggressive blood cancer that the new research shows starts in stem cells in the bone marrow. Dr. Dick, a Senior Scientist at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network (UHN), and Professor in the Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, pioneered the cancer stem cell field by first identifying leukemia stem cells (1994) and colon cancer stem cells (2007).
"Our discovery lays the groundwork to detect and target the pre-leukemic stem cell and thereby potentially stop the disease at a very early stage when it may be more amenable to treatment," says Dr. Dick, who holds a Canada Research Chair in Stem Cell Biology and is also Director of the Cancer Stem Cell Program at the Ontario Institute for Cancer Research (OICR).
"Now we have a potential tool for earlier diagnosis that may allow early intervention before the development of full AML. We can also monitor remission and initiate therapy to target the pre-leukemic stem cell to prevent relapse," he says.
The findings show that in about 25% of AML patients, a mutation in the gene DNMT3a causes pre-leukemic stem cells to develop that function like normal blood stem cells but grow abnormally. These cells survive chemotherapy and can be found in the bone marrow at remission, forming a reservoir of cells that may eventually acquire additional mutations, leading to relapse.
The discovery of pre-leukemic stem cells came out of a large Leukemia Disease Team that Dr. Dick assembled and included oncologists who collected samples for the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre Biobank and genome scientists at the OICR who developed sophisticated targeted sequencing methodology. With this team, it was possible to carry out genomic analysis of more than 100 leukemia genes on many patient samples. The findings also capitalized on data from more than six years of experiments in Dr. Dick's lab involving growing human AML in special mice that do not reject human cells.
"By peering into the black box of how cancer develops during the months and years prior to when it is first diagnosed, we have demonstrated a unique finding. People tend to think relapse after remission means chemotherapy didn't kill all the cancer cells. Our study suggests that in some cases the chemotherapy does, in fact, eradicate AML; what it does not touch are the pre-leukemic stem cells that can trigger another round of AML development and ultimately disease relapse," says Dr. Dick, who anticipates the findings will spawn accelerated drug development to specifically target DNMT3a.
These findings should also provide impetus for researchers to look for pre-cancerous cells in AML patients with other mutations and even in non-blood cancers.
Dr. Dick is also renowned for isolating a human blood stem cell in its purest form (2011) -- as a single stem cell capable of regenerating the entire blood system. He is a Senior Scientist at UHN's McEwen Centre for Regenerative Medicine and co-leader of a Cancer Stem Cell Consortium (CSCC)-funded research project HALT (Highly Active Anti-Leukemia Stem Cell Therapy), which is a partnership between CSCC and the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine.
For more than 20 years, Dr. Dick's research has focused on understanding the cellular processes that maintain tumour growth by investigating the complexities and interplay among genetic and non-genetic determinants of cancer. His research follows on the original 1961 discovery of the blood stem cell by Princess Margaret Cancer Centre (formerly Ontario Cancer Institute) scientists Dr. James Till and the late Dr. Ernest McCulloch, which formed the basis of all current stem cell research.
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Cancer researchers discover pre-leukemic stem cell at root of AML, relapse
Poway, California (PRWEB) February 13, 2014
The leading Regenerative Veterinary Medicine company, Vet-Stem, Inc., and Americas best-loved pet insurer, Petplan, are working together to bring stem cell therapy and other regenerative cell therapies to pets nationwide. Stem cell therapy by Vet-Stem has been available for pets like dogs and cats for the last decade and covered by Petplan since 2010.
Founded in 2003 by Chris and Natasha Ashton, Petplan was recently named to Forbes magazines annual ranking of Americas Most Promising Companies for the second year in a row, and is rated one of the top pet insurance companies by Consumer Advocate and Canine Journal. Petplan proudly offers life-long coverage for hereditary and chronic conditions as well as alternative treatments, like stem cell therapy, as standard.
Our core value is that pets come first, and that starts with our comprehensive plans. So, were excited to see so many of our policyholders start to take advantage of cutting-edge treatments like Vet-Stem Regenerative Cell Therapy. Our team thrives on being able to provide coverage for the best and most up-to-date treatment modalities for the pets in our Petplan family, so hearing great stories about stem cell therapy from our policyholders is a real boost for us! - Dr. Jules Benson, Vice President of Veterinary Services at Petplan
Current uses of stem cell therapy are treating the pain and inflammation from arthritis and to repair orthopedic injuries. According to veterinarians, greater than 80% of dogs showed an improved quality of life after stem cell therapy. At 90 days post-treatment, more than 33% of dogs discontinued use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) completely, with an additional 28% decreasing their usage.
I started Vet-Stem in order to help horses with career-ending injuries to their tendons and ligaments, but so many more animals have been saved from a life of pain or even from euthanasia. I feel privileged and excited to be a part of this therapy that has changed how veterinary medicine is practiced, as well as contributing to changes in human medicine, - Robert Harman, DVM, CEO, Vet-Stem, Inc.
About Vet-Stem, Inc. Vet-Stem, Inc. was formed in 2002 to bring regenerative medicine to the veterinary profession. The privately held company is working to develop therapies in veterinary medicine that apply regenerative technologies while utilizing the natural healing properties inherent in all animals. As the first company in the United States to provide an adipose-derived stem cell service to veterinarians for their patients, Vet-Stem, Inc. pioneered the use of regenerative stem cells in veterinary medicine. The company holds exclusive licenses to over 50 patents including world-wide veterinary rights for use of adipose derived stem cells. In the last decade over 10,000 animals have been treated using Vet-Stem, Inc.s services, and Vet-Stem is actively investigating stem cell therapy for immune-mediated and inflammatory disease, as well as organ disease and failure. For more on Vet-Stem, Inc. and Veterinary Regenerative Medicine visit http://www.vet-stem.com or call 858-748-2004.
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Dr. John Dick, a senior scientist at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre in Toronto, is shown in a handout photo.
TORONTO Canadian researchers have discovered a pre-leukemic stem cell that may be at the root of acute myeloid leukemia and also be the bad actor that evades chemotherapy and triggers a relapse in patients who have gone into remission.
Acute myeloid leukemia, or AML, is a rapidly progressing cancer of the blood and bone marrow that affects myeloid cells, which normally develop into mature red and white blood cells and platelets.
Leukemia develops when blood stem cells in the bone marrow make abnormal blood cells, which over time crowd out normal blood cells, affecting their ability to function as they should.
READ MORE:Could this new therapy kill cancer? Canadian doc thinks so
In a paper published online Wednesday in the journal Nature, researchers led by John Dick of Princess Margaret Cancer Centre in Toronto report on the discovery of a pre-leukemic stem cell the forerunner to leukemia stem cells that give rise to the disease.
A leukemia stem cell can lie dormant and theyre the ones that will sustain the growth of the leukemia, Dick said in an interview. The pre-leukemic guys are basically the ancestors that are on their way to becoming leukemia and becoming leukemic stem cells.
Dicks lab was the first to identify the existence of leukemia stem cells, in 1994, followed by the discovery of colon cancer stem cells in 2007.
Teasing out pre-leukemic stem cells from the blood of AML patients based on samples taken at diagnosis, after chemotherapy-induced remission, and then following recurrence advances the understanding of the genetic changes a normal cell has to go through before it turns into AML.
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Scientists discover pre-leukemic stem cell at root of cancer