SAN DIEGO (KUSI) - Macular degeneration is the leading cause of vision loss for people over the age of 50. Scientists have discovered a new therapy that may actually restore sight in those affected.

Scientists are excited not only because it worked, and helped some people see clearly again, but also because this study puts a focus on an new kind of stem cell therapy, using skin cells.

Macular degeneration causes a blurry or black area in the middle of your field of vision that grows over time, causing more sight loss.

There is no cure, but a new study published this week in the journal The Lancet, is giving patients hope.

Embryonic stem cells were turned into retinal cells and implanted into the eyes of 18 patients.

Vision improved for about half of them.

Dr. Andreas said, "This study was primarily to see if these cells would be safe, and the bonus was that some people started to see better."

Dr. Andreas Bratyy-Layal and Dr. Suzanne Peterson are stem cell scientists with the Scripps Research Institute.

They see this as a major breakthrough.

Although this sight study did do that, Dr. Peterson says labs around the country, including here in San Diego, are moving away from the practice.

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Retinal stem cell study shows promise for therapy

By Richard M. Cohen

image courtesy Richard Cohen

I am one of twenty struggling every day with multiple sclerosis to be included in an innovative, phase one stem cell clinical trial at the Tisch MS Research Center of New York. Now theres a mouthful. Please let me explain. Many of us read tidbits about cell therapy and think it simply is space-age medicine that will be launched in the future.

In fact, we are at the starting line now, and the race has begun. A phase one trial tests safety. The group is small, and all are treated with the real thing. No placebos, sugar pills. The trial tests autologous cells, which mean our own. That eliminates rejection and alters risk. No new medical procedure comes risk-free, but the dangers are minimal. The stem cells are pulled from bone marrow harvested from our breast bones. Sounds hideous. It is not.

In this trial, the stem cells are infused directly into the spinal column. Nope. Not painful at all. Then we watch and wait. Results, if there are to be any, can take many months to show themselves. This particular procedure has never been used before. I was the first in the group to be treated, making me the first in the world to have this done. For more than forty years, I have lived with an illness that left no room for hope. Suddenly, that has changed, though change does not necessarily come easily.

The expectation game is dangerous. No one really knows what to expect from this experiment. My doctor makes that point over and over. Yet it is hard to control the fantasies that inevitably pop into my head. The possibility of restoring at least some vision when I have been legally blind for years is enticing, to say the least. I used to run and race or simply hike up country hills. Now I hobble on a cane. I am lucky if I can stay on my feet walking two city blocks. The possibility of restored mobility takes my breath away.

I know better than to go too far down these roads in my mind, but that visual journey is unavoidable. Maybe that is okay. Hope is a funny thing. We need something to hope for. Any doctor will tell you attitude is an important factor in fighting a disease. I have learned the power of remaining positive. We need fuel to keep the engine running. Those flights of fancy, imagining we can be better than we are, to some extent can become self-fulfilling prophecies.

This is an exciting period in the history of medicine. That probably has been said throughout the ages. Science does not stand still. No one can see around the bend. That may be what makes hope possible, the idea that there is something just out of sight that is revolutionary and good, just waiting for us to get there.

Richard M. Cohen writes Journey Man, an independent blog, also carried by The Huffington Post. Cohen is the author of Blindsided, published in 2004, which chronicled his battles with multiple sclerosis and cancer, and Strong at the Broken Places in 2008, both New York Times Best Sellers. Cohens latest book, I Want to Kill the Dog, was published in 2012. Cohen is married to journalist, Meredith Vieira, with whom he has three grown children.

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One MS patient's 'starting line' for stem cell therapy

Seeing is definitely believing when it comes to stem cell therapy. A blind man has recovered enough sight to ride his horse. A woman who could see no letters at all on a standard eye test chart can now read the letters on the top four lines. Others have recovered the ability to see colour. All have had injections of specialised retinal cells in their eyes to replace ones lost through age or disease.

A trial in 18 people with degenerative eye conditions is being hailed as the most promising yet for a treatment based on human embryonic stem cells.

"We've been hearing about their potential for more than a decade, but the results have always been in mice and rats, and no one has shown they're safe or effective in humans long term," says Robert Lanza of Advanced Cell Technology in Marlborough, Massachusetts, the company that carried out the stem cell intervention. "Now, we've shown both that they're safe and that there's a real chance these cells can help people."

Ten years ago, the team at Advanced Cell Technology announced that it had successfully converted human embryonic stem cells into retinal pigment epithelial cells. These cells help keep the eyes' light-detecting rods and cones healthy. But when retinal pigment epithelial cells deteriorate, blindness can occur. This happens in age-related macular degeneration and Stargardt's macular dystrophy.

In a bid to reverse this, Lanza's team injected retinal cells into one of each of the 18participants' eyes, half of whom had age-related macular degeneration and half had Stargardt's. A year later, 10people's eyes had improved, and the eyes of the others had stabilised. Untreated eyes had continued to deteriorate.

"On average, we're seeing three lines [on an eye test chart] of visual improvement in our patients," says Lanza.

There were no serious side effects and no sign of tumours, which can be a potential risk in stem cell therapies.

Lanza says the aim of the study was to halt further deterioration, so the improvements in sight were an unexpected bonus. He speculates that the improvements might be the result of rods and cones that had become dormant when the native retinal pigment epithelial cells died, resuming their function when the fresh cells were added.

"The results are highly encouraging," says Pete Coffey of University College London, who heads a project to treat people with age-related macular degeneration using tiny patches of retinal pigment epithelial cells made from human embryonic stem cells.

Advanced Cell Technology is now planning a larger trial, first in 100 people with Stargardt's, then in people with macular degeneration.

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Stem cells improve vision enough for horse riding

By C. Rajan, contributing writer

The U.S. FDA has just granted BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics novel stem cell therapy, NurOwn, Fast Track status for the treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), the company announced via press release.

"We are pleased that the FDA has granted Fast Track status for NurOwn as this will allow us greater and more frequent dialogue with the Agency as we continue the development of this ground-breaking cell therapy for the treatment of ALS," said Tony Fiorino, MD, PhD, CEO of BrainStorm. "We expect Fast Track designation, which recognizes the potential of NurOwn as to address an unmet medical need in ALS, to help speed and improve our development program."

Israeli biotech company BrainStorm is developing novel adult stem cell technologies for neurodegenerative diseases, such as ALS. The company licensed the exclusive rights to the NurOwn technology from Ramot, the technology transfer company of Tel Aviv University.

NurOwn is a personalized stem cell product made from autologous mesenchymal stem cells. These adult stem cells are obtained from the patients bone marrow and are induced to secrete neurotrophic factors, which are growth factors that can stimulate the survival and maintenance of neurons that degenerate in neurologic disorders.

NurOwn is currently being studied in randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase 2 clinical trials in ALS patients in both Israel and the U.S. Reuters reports that the last patient visit has been completed in the phase 2a clinical trial in Jerusalem. The company expects to release final results of the study by the end of this year. The U.S. arm of the Phase 2 study is being conducted at three sites in the U.S., and is expected to be wrapped up in early 2015.

The FDA's Fast Track program aims to speed up the development of new drugs and biologics in order to get them to patients suffering from serious, unmet medical needs. The Fast Track designation will allow BrainStorm Cell to submit an NDA on a rolling basis and will grant the company more communication and support from FDA during the development process.

ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, is a rapidly progressive neurological disease that results in death within 2 to 5 years of diagnosis in most cases, and less than 20 percent of patients live more than 5 years after onset of symptoms. The relatively rare condition affects about 2 persons in every 100,000, with approximately 5,600 new cases diagnosed every year in the U.S, according to the ALS Association.

There is no cure for the disease to date, although the only approved ALS drug, Riluzole, has demonstrated its ability to extend survival by at least a few months.

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Stem Cell Therapy For ALS Gets FDA's Fast Track Designation

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14-Oct-2014

Contact: David McKeon DMcKeon@nyscf.org 212-365-7440 New York Stem Cell Foundation @nyscf

NEW YORK, NY (October 14, 2014) The New York Stem Cell Foundation (NYSCF) announced today that Marius Wernig, PhD, Associate Professor in the Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine and the Department of Pathology at Stanford University School of Medicine, is the 2014 recipient of the NYSCF Robertson Stem Cell Prize, which has been awarded since 2011 for extraordinary achievements in translational stem cell research by a young scientist.

Dr. Wernig and his team discovered that human skin cells can be converted directly into functional neurons, termed induced neuronal (iN) cells, in a period of four to five weeks with the addition of just four proteins.

"Dr. Wernig's groundbreaking research has the potential to accelerate all research on devastating neurodegenerative diseases," said Susan L. Solomon, CEO and Co-founder of NYSCF. "His work can impact and accelerate research on multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer's disease, and autism among many other conditions."

At Stanford, Dr. Wernig focuses on using induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells and iN cells for disease modeling and as potential cellular therapy. This new technique transformed the field of cellular reprogramming by eliminating the need to first create iPS cells, making it easier to generate patient or disease-specific neurons. These cell types hold tremendous therapeutic and translational relevance for patients around the world. Potential applications range from replacing damaged brain tissue to repairing the myelinating nerves lost in multiple sclerosis to identifying novel drugs and treatments for a range of neurological diseases.

In addition to his recent scientific achievements, Dr. Wernig was part of the inaugural class of NYSCF Robertson Stem Cell Investigators in 2010, and is the first NYSCF Robertson Investigator to receive the NYSCF Robertson Stem Cell Prize.

"I am delighted that Dr. Wernig is being recognized with this year's NYSCF Robertson Prize for his important research that has opened entirely new avenues for studying brain diseases. The NYSCF Robertson Prize was created to acknowledge the most important work being down by young stem cell scientists and I am thrilled to see a NYSCF Robertson Investigator go on to receive NYSCF Robertson Prize," said Julian Robertson, whose foundation underwrites the $200,000 prize. The terms of the prize require that the $200,000 stipend be used, at the recipients' discretion, to further support their research.

The NYSCF Robertson Stem Cell Prize will be presented to Dr. Wernig at a ceremony in New York City by Susan L. Solomon on October 14th.

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Marius Wernig receives New York Stem Cell Foundation's Robertson Stem Cell Prize

New York, Oct 13 (IANS): Diseases that occur due to blood flow problems could soon become a lot easier to treat as researchers have developed a technique to jump-start the body's system for creating blood vessels.

The research could lead to new therapies for illnesses such as peripheral artery disease - a painful leg condition caused by poor blood circulation which can lead to skin problems, gangrene and even amputation.

"While the body has cells that specialise in repairing blood vessels and creating new ones, called endothelial colony forming cells, these cells can lose their ability to proliferate into new blood vessels as patients age or develop diseases like peripheral arterial disease," said lead researcher Mervin Yoder Jr. from the Indiana University School of Medicine.

If younger, more enthusiastic endothelial colony forming cells could be injected into the affected tissues, they might jump-start the process of creating new blood vessels, the findings showed.

Although these cells are relatively difficult to find in adults, especially in those with peripheral arterial disease, they are present in large numbers in umbilical cord blood.

The researchers said they had developed a potential therapy through the use of patient-specific induced pluripotent stem cells, which are normal adult cells that have been "coaxed" via laboratory techniques into reverting into the more primitive stem cells that can produce most types of bodily tissue.

Those laboratory created endothelial colony forming cells were injected into mice, where they were able to proliferate into blood vessels and restore blood flow to tissues in damaged mouse retinas and limbs.

"This is one of the first studies using induced pluripotent stem cells that has been able to produce new cells in clinically relevant numbers - enough to enable a clinical trial," Yoder noted.

The findings appeared in the journal Nature Biotechnology.

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Stem cell therapy could create new blood vessels

La Jolla, California (PRWEB) October 13, 2014

One of the top stem cell clinics in California, Telehealth, is now accepting new patients for insurance based stem cell procedures at an additional location in La Jolla CA. Most insurance is accepted for the stem cell therapies for such conditions as degenerative arthritis, tendonitis, ligament injuries, sports injuries and more. Call (888) 828-4575 for more information and scheduling.

For years, Telehealth has been offering regenerative medicine procedures for such conditions as rotator cuff tendonitis, achilles tears, tennis elbow, plantar fasciitis, degenerative arthritis of the joints and more. The stem cell procedures offered include bone marrow derived or fat derived stem cell procedures, or amniotic therapy. The Board Certified doctors are highly skilled in the musculoskeletal stem cell procedures, and treat patients with the utmost expertise and compassion.

The newest location in La Jolla joins the existing clinics in Orange CA and Upland CA. Coverage for the procedures exists for PPO's, Medicare and Tricare. The procedures are extremely low risk, and small studies have consistently shown beneficial results of the injections.

The treatments at Telehealth represent a new paradigm for pain relief. Whereas most pain treatments mask pain well, such as with steroids, the stem cell treatments offer patients the capability to regenerate and repair damaged tissue. This helps to potentially regenerate cartilage, tendon, ligament tissue in those with arthritis or soft tissue injuries.

For those with sports injuries, arthritis, fractures, plantar fasciitis, tendonitis, etc, and desire insurance covered stem cell therapy, call Telehealth at (888) 828-4575.

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TeleHealth Now Accepting New Patients for Insurance Based Stem Cell Procedures at La Jolla Office

Beverly Hills, California (PRWEB) October 13, 2014

Top Beverly Hills and LA orthopedic doctor, Dr. Raj, is now offering platelet rich plasma therapy for sports injuries and all types of degenerative arthritis. The treatment option has recently been added to Dr. Raj's regenerative medicine therapies such as bone marrow derived stem cell procedures and amniotic derived stem cell therapies. Call (310) 247-0466 for more information and scheduling.

Platelet Rich Plasma Therapy, known as PRP for short, has been increasing in popularity due to the success shown in several research studies. There was a recent study out of HSS showing amazing outcomes for degenerative knee arthritis, with preservation of cartilage and significant pain relief. Results with rotator cuff tendonitis, tennis elbow, plantar fasciitis and knee/achilles tendonitis have also been excellent as well.

Athletes in all types of sports have benefited from PRP therapy including golf, tennis, basketball, football, baseball and more. Whether or not an athlete is professional or amateur, the PRP treatment can be instrumental in helping patients avoid surgery and get back on the field quickly.

PRP therapy at Beverly Hills Orthopedic Institute involves an outpatient procedure that begins with a simple blood draw from the patient's arm of approximately 30 to 60 millileters. The blood is placed into a centrifuge and spun rapidly for 15-20 minutes. The platelets become concentrated in the middle layer, and this is what is utilized for the platelet rich plasma therapy in Beverly Hills.

The PRP therapy is injected under sterile conditions into the painful area. Results are typically seen over the ensuing weeks. Along with the PRP treatment, Dr. Raj also offers bone marrow and amniotic stem cell therapy. Typically, the best regenerative medicine therapy option is decided upon in conjunction with the patient.

Dr. Raj is a Double Board Certified Beverly Hills and Los Angeles orthopedic surgeon, who is also an ABC News Medical Correspondent along with a WebMD expert. For those interested in PRP and stem cell therapy Beverly Hills trusts, call (310) 247-0466.

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Top Beverly Hills Orthopedic Doctor, Dr. Raj, Now Offering Platelet Rich Plasma Therapy for All Sports Injuries and ...

96 Year Old Women gets Stem Cell Therapy
96 Year Old Women who suffered from Osteoarthritis uses Stem Cells and no longer needs to use her walker. Dr. Lox | http://www.drloxstemcells.com | 844-440-8503.

By: Dr. Lox

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96 Year Old Women gets Stem Cell Therapy - Video

Learn How Stem Cell Therapy Is Being Used Right Here in North Texas
http://www.innovationsstemcellcenter.com Call: 214.420.7970 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/innovationsmedical Twitter: https://twitter.com/dallasdrj Instagram: http://instagram.com/drbilljo...

By: dallasdrj

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Learn How Stem Cell Therapy Is Being Used Right Here in North Texas - Video

Can brain damage caused during birth be ever reversed? Is it possible to repair the damaged brain tissues among children, who suffer from Cerebral Palsy (CP)?

So far, the treatment option for CP is to manage the symptoms of the ailment. However, in recent times, scientists and researchers worldwide have started to explore stem cell therapy as a potential treatment option for CP patients.

Can stem cells reverse the brain damage, which is the sole cause for CP among children? Our research on over 100 CP patients and stem cell therapy has been very encouraging. The patients, who underwent stem cell therapy, have displayed huge improvement in CP symptoms, says Professor and Head of Neurosurgery, LTM Medical College, Mumbai, Alok Sharma.

The neurosurgeon, who is taking part in an international conference on CP in Hyderabad this weekend, said that doctors are not concentrating on treating the brain damage.

The current treatment options available to help patients are only to mange symptoms and nobody tries to repair the underlying damage to the brain tissue. Therefore, developing a standard therapeutic approach for CP through stem cells is the need of the hour, he said.

The results from the stem cell therapy on CP patients conducted by Dr. Aloks team were recently published in Neurogens chapter on Stem cell therapy for cerebral palsy A Novel Option in a book titled Cerebral Palsy Challenges For the Future. According to the neurosurgeon, the patients after therapy had improvements in their speech, balance, upper and lower limb activity and movement.

While for stem cell research, many prefer cord blood banking, Dr. Alok pointed out that they have used stem cells from the adults derived from the bone marrow. The transplanted stem cells have the ability to migrate to the area of the damaged tissue in the brain and home-in on those affected areas to help repair the damage. Stem cells release substance that stimulates natural growth, which decreases the process of damage of the brain, Dr. Alok explained.

The researcher, who has started NeuroGen Brain and Spine Institute in Mumbai to conduct stem cell research, pointed out that stem cell therapy and other rehabilitation programmes should be encouraged for the benefit of CP patients. The positive changes that we recorded in our patients were not just restricted to their symptoms but also constructive change in brain metabolism observed through PET-CT scans, he explained. Dr. Alok Sharma can be reached at: alok276@gmail.com

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Fighting CP through stem cell therapy

10.10.2014 - (idw) Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft

From 9-10 October 2014 around 200 scientists met at the Leipzig Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology for the ninth Fraunhofer Life Science Symposium. Held every two years, this year the event focused on the theme "Medicinal Cell Products and Stem Cells for Medicinal Applications". In recent years biomedical research has revealed numerous promising new approaches for the prevention and treatment of serious illnesses. The issue of stem cells plays a key role in this. With the symposium the Fraunhofer IZI offers international scientists a platform on which they can discuss the latest developments in this field.

The scientific program encompasses three major subject areas: production, manufacture and application. In the first section a paper presented by Sarah Ferber (Centre for Stem Cells, Regenerative Medicine and Tissue Engineering, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Israel) was one major point of interest: "Reprogramming the endocrine pancreas; autologous cell replacement therapy for diabetic patients". She spoke about the possibilities for transforming liver cells into insulin-producing cells. In the future this method could possibly be used to help patients with type 1 diabetes, where the misdirected immune system destroys the body's own insulin-producing beta cells of the pancreas.

The Fraunhofer Life Science Symposium brings together up to 200 participants from academic and clinical institutions to discuss the various focal points concerning new technologies, trends and developments. It is organized by the Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology IZI. For further information see http://www.fs-leipzig.com. Weitere Informationen:http://www.fs-leipzig.comhttp://www.izi.fraunhofer.de

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Experts discuss new developments in the field of stem cell research and cell therapy

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Newswise Four scientists from the Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research at UCLA have received a National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director's New Innovator Award that will forward revolutionary stem cell and neuro-science in medicine. The four UCLA researchers were among only 50 scientists nationwide to receive the New Innovator Award, the most of any institution represented.

Each recipient received a $2.3M award for their respective projects. These included Dr. Reza Ardehali, assistant professor of cardiology, for his research investigating novel ways to use stem cells to regenerate heart tissue; Dr. Elissa Hallem, assistant professor of microbiology, immunology and molecular genetics, for her work studying interactions between animal parasites and their hosts to foster the further understanding of human parasitic diseases; Dr. Sririam Kosuri, assistant professor of chemistry and biochemistry, for his project developing new biological system technologies to solve outstanding problems in gene regulation; and Dr. Lili Yang, assistant professor of microbiology, immunology and molecular genetics, for her work developing a new method to track special immune cells for use in new cellular therapies.

"These New Innovator Award grants are an important acknowledgement of our cutting-edge research and will help our faculty drive the revolutionary advances we are seeing in stem cell and neuro-science," said Dr. Owen Witte, professor and director of the Broad Stem Cell Research Center. "Every cellular therapy that reaches patients must begin in the laboratory with novel ideas and experiments that will lead us in new directions in medicine and ultimately improve human life. That makes these awards invaluable to our research effort."

The NIH Director'sNew Innovator Award is designed specifically to support unusually creative investigators with highly innovative research ideas at an early stage of their career. The award seeks to support exceptionally creative new scientists whose research complements ongoing efforts by NIH.

Dr. Reza Ardehali: Unlocking the Secrets to Regenerating Heart Tissue

Dr. Ardehali's cutting-edge work focuses on both human embryonic stem cells and induced pluripotent stem cells, known as human pluripotent stem cells (hPSC), to provide insights into the mechanisms involved in the differentiation and specification of heart cells. hPSC have the unique ability to become any cell type in the body. His lab recently identified several novel surface markers that can highly enrich early cardiovascular progenitor cells. When delivered into functioning human hearts that are transplanted in laboratory conditions, the progenitor cells integrate structurally and functionally into the host myocardium. These studies established the basis for future hPSC-based cardiac therapy.

Dr. Ardehali and his colleagues were also the first to directly measure limited division in the cells that make up heart muscle (cardiomyocytes), proving that cardiomyocytes divide and that such cell division is rare. This discovery resolves an important controversy over whether the heart muscle has the power to regenerate and is critical for future research that may lead to regenerating heart tissue to repair damage caused by disease or heart attack.

His 2013, California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM), the state's stem cell research agency, New Faculty Physician Scientist Translational Research Award allowed Dr. Ardehali to initiate the preclinical studies on stem cell based therapies for heart disease that were pivotal for his success in the 2014 New Innovator Award competition. The NIH grant affirms the critical success of the project-to-date, and emphasizes the creativity of Dr. Ardehali's research and its potential to have a significant impact on the creation of novel regenerative approaches to treat heart disease.

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Four UCLA Scientists Receive Prestigious Innovator Award for Pioneering Research Using Stem Cells

Insulin is produced by the green cells that are in clusters about the same size as the islets in the human pancreas. The red cells are producing another metabolic hormone, glucagon, that prevents low blood sugar. Harvard University hide caption

Insulin is produced by the green cells that are in clusters about the same size as the islets in the human pancreas. The red cells are producing another metabolic hormone, glucagon, that prevents low blood sugar.

A team of Harvard scientists said Thursday that they had finally found a way to turn human embryonic stem cells into cells that produce insulin. The long-sought advance could eventually lead to new ways to help millions of people with diabetes.

Right now, many people with diabetes have to regularly check the level of sugar in their blood and inject themselves with insulin to keep the sugar in their blood in check. It's an imperfect treatment.

"This is kind of a life-support for diabetics," says Doug Melton, a stem-cell researcher at Harvard Medical School. "It doesn't cure the disease and leads to devastating complications of the disease."

People with poorly controlled diabetes can suffer complications such as blindness, amputations and heart attacks.

Researchers have had some success transplanting insulin-producing cells from cadavers into people with diabetes. But it's been difficult to procure enough cells to treat large numbers of patients. So scientists have been trying to figure out how they could get more cells more easily.

For Melton, who led the work at Harvard, this has been a personal quest. His son, Sam, was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes when he was 6 months old, and his daughter, Emma, was diagnosed with the disease when she was 14.

"I do what any parent would do, which is to say, 'I'm not going to put up with this, and I want to find a better way,' " he says.

And now Melton and his colleagues are reporting in a paper being published in this week's issue of the journal Cell that they think they have finally found that better way.

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Scientists Coax Human Embryonic Stem Cells Into Making Insulin

Arthritis of shoulder; results four years after stem cell therapy by Harry Adelson, N.D.
Heavy discusses his outcome four years out from his first bone marrow stem cell treatment for his arthritic shoulders and torn rotator cuffs by Harry Adelson, N.D. http://www.docereclinics.com.

By: Harry Adelson, N.D.

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Arthritis of shoulder; results four years after stem cell therapy by Harry Adelson, N.D. - Video

Michael Scott, a ViaCyte vice president, holds the VC-01 device that holds progenitor cells that will mature to make insulin and other hormones.

More than ever before, stem cell therapies appear poised to transform medicine potentially curing heart disease, diabetes and paralyzing injuries, among other ailments.

But its also clear that such innovations will be very expensive.

How the government, insurers and patients will pay for what could be a flood of these new treatments drew the attention of more than 700 biomedical and health-care executives Tuesday at the 2014 Stem Cell Meeting on the Mesa.

The annual conference, held on La Jolla's Torrey Pines Mesa, will run through Thursday. It brings together the business and academic worlds of cell therapy, including but not limited to stem cell treatments.

In California alone, 131 clinical trials are taking place with stem cells, according to Clinicaltrials.gov, a government website that tracks clinical trials. Patients are being treated for conditions such as blindness from retinal diseases, HIV, leukemia, sickle cell disease, stroke and aging of skin.

The recent proliferation of clinical trials marks great progress toward the ultimate goal of getting new treatments to patients, said stem cell researcher Jeanne Loring, who directs the Center for Regenerative Medicine at The Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla.

Its been a sea change from last year, said Loring, who is working with some colleagues in planning their own stem cell trial to treat Parkinsons disease.

Theyre developing replacement neurons grown from artificial embryonic stem cells called induced pluripotent stem cells. The process begins with cells derived from the skin of patients to be treated.

Home-grown milestone

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Stem cell treatments surging into clinic

Willamette Valley, Oregon and Southwest Washington (PRWEB) October 09, 2014

Local veterinary surgeon Dr. Scott Gustafson is seeking candidates to participate in an investigational study of donor stem cells for dogs with osteoarthritis. Dr. Gustafson has lectured nationally on stem cell therapy and has performed clinical stem cell therapy for seven years. The ultimate goal of this study is to determine if a single injection of donor stem cells into one or two arthritically affected joints can help reduce pain and inflammation in the treated joints.

Candidates for the current investigational study must be older than nine months, weigh more than five and a half pounds, have osteoarthritis of only one or two leg joints, have had pain or lameness for at least three months, and must not have cancer. Joints that will be included in the study and injected under anesthesia include hips, stifles, shoulders, and elbows. Dogs that may be considered must be in good health and undergo a diagnostic work up before qualifying for the study.

Dr. Gustafson and his team coordinate directly with your veterinarian to provide the most advanced veterinary care available. Surgery 4 Pets mobile surgery provides the highest level of care and surgical expertise to your pet, in the hospital of your primary care veterinarian.

In 2007 Dr. Gustafson was credentialed with Vet-Stem, Inc. in the use of Regenerative Veterinary Medicine for arthritis, ligament and tendon injuries, and joint. To date he has provided about 100 stem cell treatments for dogs.

For information about the study, please contact Michael Stewman at mwstew(at)gmail(dot)com

About Vet-Stem, Inc. Since its formation in 2002, Vet-Stem, Inc. has endeavored to improve the lives of animals through regenerative medicine. As the first company in the United States to provide an adipose-derived stem cell service to veterinarians for their patients, Vet-Stem pioneered the use of regenerative stem cells for horses, dogs, and cats. In 2004 the first horse was treated with Vet-Stem Regenerative Cell Therapy. Ten years later Vet-Stem celebrated its 10,000th animal treated. As animal advocates, veterinarians, veterinary technicians, and cell biologists, the team at Vet-Stem tasks themselves with the responsibility of discovering, refining, and bringing to market innovative medical therapies that utilize the bodys own healing and regenerative cells.

Contact: Sue Harman Senior Manager, Clinical Trials Vet-Stem, Inc. 12860 Danielson Court, Suite B Poway, CA 92064 858-748-2004

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Surgery 4 Pets Seeks Candidates for an Investigational Study of Stem Cells for Dogs with Arthritis

Hamish Gilbert - Development of a Stem Cell Therapy forRepair of the Degenerate Intervertebral Disc
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By: FMHSGraduateSociety

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Hamish Gilbert - Development of a Stem Cell Therapy forRepair of the Degenerate Intervertebral Disc - Video

Michael Scott, a ViaCyte vice president, holds the VC-01 device that holds progenitor cells that will mature to make insulin and other hormones.

More than ever before, stem cell therapies appear poised to transform medicine potentially curing heart disease, diabetes and paralyzing injuries, among other ailments.

But its also clear that such innovations will be very expensive.

How the government, insurers and patients will pay for what could be a flood of these new treatments drew the attention of more than 700 biomedical and health-care executives Tuesday at the 2014 Stem Cell Meeting on the Mesa.

The annual conference, held on La Jolla's Torrey Pines Mesa, will run through Thursday. It brings together the business and academic worlds of cell therapy, including but not limited to stem cell treatments.

In California alone, 131 clinical trials are taking place with stem cells, according to Clinicaltrials.gov, a government website that tracks clinical trials. Patients are being treated for conditions such as blindness from retinal diseases, HIV, leukemia, sickle cell disease, stroke and aging of skin.

The recent proliferation of clinical trials marks great progress toward the ultimate goal of getting new treatments to patients, said stem cell researcher Jeanne Loring, who directs the Center for Regenerative Medicine at The Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla.

Its been a sea change from last year, said Loring, who is working with some colleagues in planning their own stem cell trial to treat Parkinsons disease.

Theyre developing replacement neurons grown from artificial embryonic stem cells called induced pluripotent stem cells. The process begins with cells derived from the skin of patients to be treated.

Home-grown milestone

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Stem cell treatments surging into the clinic

(PRWEB UK) 7 October 2014

Stem cell treatments take place in countries all around the world every day. Thousands of lives have already been saved, and advancements in this area of medicine means that future healthcare treatments look set to further prolong and improve life.

But specialist stem cell bank BioEden warn that there is a risk of thinking of stem cell therapy in terms of the future alone. 'The need to have a stem cell match is vital', says Group CEO Mr Tony Veverka. 'Without access to a stem cell match, the work of stem cell scientists could be at risk. That is the reason why BioEden was set up, to ensure that anyone could bank and have access to their own stem cells. We also wanted to ensure that the brilliant work being carried out by stem cell scientists and medical professionals could continue unhindered'.

BioEden's services are being promoted by Health Care Professionals including specialist insurance intermediaries, and dentists. This week to highlight Stem Cell Awareness week, members of their specialist teams will be on the road visiting dentists, schools and healthcare insurance companies.

'Let's make everyone aware of the opportunities they have to store their own cells during stem cell awareness week. Perhaps we need to re name it Stem Cell Self-Awareness week'.

For more information visit http://www.bioeden.com

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BioEden the specialist tooth stem cell bank plan to shake up public perception as Stem Cell Awareness week takes hold.