stem cell therapy treatment for spinal cord injury by dr alok sharma, mumbai, india short
improvement seen in just 4 months after stem cell therapy treatment for spinal cord injury by dr alok sharma, mumbai, india. Stem Cell Therapy done date 2nd ...
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By Dalia Dangerfield, Reporter Last Updated: Saturday, December 14, 2013, 8:48 PM TAMPA --
USF researchers believe stem cell therapy can help men and women with mild brain injuries.
This is quite a phenomenal observation, said Dr. Cesar Borlongan, a neuroscientist from USF Health. In our hands, stem cell therapy may offer this hope for the soldiers to prevent the progression of the disease and hopefully we can stop the disease process at the early stage."
In a recent study Borlongan injected adult stem cells in rats with traumatic brain injury. The stem cells served as a bridge, allowing new brain cells to move up to the damaged part of the brain.
That's a new concept, it's like the cells are very smart, said Borlongan.
Over time the adult stem cells helped partially repair the brain damage in rats.
Professor Borlongan believes the same may be true for humans allowing them to slowly get better.
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New study shows stem cell therapy helps brain injuries
B2.6 Genetic engineering: 11Q2 GM Debate
Learning outcomes: Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of genetic engineering to produce GM organisms.
By: TeamScienceTMCS
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B2.6 Genetic engineering: 11Q2 GM Debate - Video
Scientists poking around Ethiopia's fossil-rich badlands say they have discovered the first pieces of an extinct species of horse that was about the size of a small zebra and lived about 4.4 million years ago.
The specimens were found in what is now an arid desert. But at the time this grass-eating horse roamed the planet, the region would have been covered in grasslands and shrubby woods -- rich grounds for grazing.
Fossilized traces of the horse, which was named Eurygnathohippus woldegabrieli, were uncovered in the archaeologically rich sites of Aramis and Gona in Ethiopia's Middle Awash valley. The region is famed for bearing the world's longest and most continuous record of human evolution.
The extinct horse in this study would have actually been alive at the same time the 4.4-million-year-old human ancestor Ardipithecus ramidus, or "Ardi," walked the region.(Beasts of Burden: Amazing Horse Photos)
"Among the many fossils we found are the two ends of the foreleg bone -- the canon -- brilliant white and well preserved in the red-tinted earth," study researcher Scott Simpson, of Case Western Reserve's School of Medicine, said of the horse discovery.
The leg bone bits indicate this horse had longer legs than its ancestors. The shape and size of the leg suggest the beast was a fast runner, a skill that may have helped it flee predators like lions, sabre-tooth cats, Simpson and colleagues say.
"Grasses are like sandpaper," Simpson explained in a statement. "They wear the teeth down and leave a characteristic signature of pits and scratches on the teeth so we can reliably reconstruct their ancient diets."
The horse's teeth show signs of another departure from more ancient species: With crowns worn flatter than the teeth found on its ancestors, it seems this creature became adapted to a life of grazing. An analysis of the enamel on the fossilized teeth provided further evidence that it subsisted on grass like today's zebras, wildebeests and white rhinoceroses, the scientists say.
The animal belonged to a group of ancient horses called Hipparionines, which had three-toed hooves and arose in North America about 16 million years ago before spreading into Eurasia, presumably over a land bridge that once existed between Alaska and Siberia. The researchers say this discovery helps fill in a blank spot in the evolution of horses, before the animals became even better suited for a life in the grasslands, growing taller and developing longer snouts, for example.
"This horse is one piece of a very complex puzzle that has many, many pieces," Simpson said in a statement.
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Fossils of 4.4-Million-Year-Old Horse Found
Draftfcb
John Kenny, EVP strategic planning director at Draftfcb Chicago
On the panel, yours truly and creative leaders in the Chicago advertising community discussed how they balance art and science in their organizations. However, in characterizing the question in this way, I believe advertising sells itself short. It is guilty of mischaracterizing the role of science and under- estimating the power of art.
For a long time, the advertising industry has had science-envy. Unlike the messy world of creativity that is our bread and butter, the promise of science-driven advertising is risk free, with hard and fast rules, MBA credentials, and CFO respect. But science, especially great science, doesnt work that way. Albert Einstein once remarked that imagination is more important than knowledge, and that much like great artists, scientists are anything but certain about their rules. Instead, they approach every problem with a critical eye, looking to find something new. Therefore, rather than seeing art and science as diametrically opposed forces that need to be balanced, creative organizations should see them as two routes into finding new creative white spaces for brands to explore.
In the world of art and science collaboration, the benefits of the science of advertising (big data and behavioral economics) can only truly be tapped if explored creatively. The key output has to be new insights about consumer behavior and beliefs that can drive compelling content. Too often, fear and uncertainty lead to advertising that is safe and formulaic the exact opposite of creativity. The benefits of big data and behavioral economics are that once the insight has been revealed, there is less uncertainty about how true the insight is, enabling agencies and clients to embrace it fully.
The science part of advertising must approach its role humbly. While there have been great advances in understanding what motivates human behavior over the last 30 years, artists have been running experiments on what motivates human behavior for the last 3000 years! Artists and storytellers have a significant head start in their ability to understand and motivate people. Plus, the latest research on behavioral economics and neuromarketing indicates that nothing is more engaging, persuasive, or sharable than a simple story beautifully told.
Advertising shouldnt shy away from being proud of being a creative industry. While we will increasingly recruit data scientists and cognitive psychologists into our ranks, the key filter in any recruitment decision needs to be their ability to use these skills to find new insights and collaborate across disciplines all motivated by the belief in the power of creativity to transform our clients business.
John Kenny is an executive vice president for strategic planning at the advertising agency Draftfcb.
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Advertising Planner Says Big Data Shouldn't Make The Industry Forget Its Creative Roots
Modern brain science was woefully underdeveloped in the 1940s and 50s when 2,000 veterans of World War II, who returned from the war with various mental illnesses, were treated with lobotomies.
The Army and Veterans Administration hospitals across the nation were too quick to adopt the surgical severance of neural pathways in the brain. Lobotomies were meant to cure the ill, but created mostly tragedy for the individuals and families who lived with the consequences, which more often than not were lives without much life and sometimes, a result of botched surgeries, death.
We learn this tragic story, an aching forgotten chapter in the chronicles of the greatest generation, in a powerful series by the Wall Street Journal.
There are many ways to interpret that history, but most of the details are troubling and hard to read.
Nevertheless, that was then. We know now that some returning veterans of all recent wars suffer from brain injuries and trauma-caused behavioral problems. We can hope treatment today by way of psychotherapy and medication is better, but we know there seems to be never enough of it to go around.
And consider how far weve come. The tragic story of Jovan Belcher will now enter the phase where his body will be exhumed and his brain studied for signs of chronic traumatic encephalopathy. That ailment has affected an untold number of football players and retirees, whose alarming stories of mental and physical decline following their stints in the violent game, have been gaining new and welcome attention.
In Belchers case he murdered his girlfriend, orphaned their infant daughter and fatally shot himself in view of his teams leadership what medical investigators learn about his brain could become an explanation, though not an excuse.
Serendipitously, as I was reading the Journals series, a bookshelf incident at home (long story) led to the exposure of my old copy of one of the great American novels -- Ken Keseys One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest. I couldnt help but think of Randle Patrick McMurphy, whose raucous mental-hospital experience ends in lobotomy, and of his eyewitness, Chief Broom, whose closing escape led to this desire: Id just like to look over the country around the gorge again, just to bring some of it clear in my mind again.
Time and much better science than we had a half-century ago can bring clarity to the troubled territory of the brain. For many people, individuals and their families who suffer from brain disease, that clarity cannot come soon enough.
The Kansas City Star is pleased to provide this opportunity to share information, experiences and observations about what's in the news. Some of the comments may be reprinted elsewhere on the site or in the newspaper. We encourage lively, open debate on the issues of the day, and ask that you refrain from profanity, hate speech, personal comments and remarks that are off point. Thank you for taking the time to offer your thoughts.
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Brain science extends from tragedy to hope
There are many legitimate conditions that might explain terrible teen behavior, but being too rich is not one of them.
Last week, 16-year-old Ethan Couch was sentenced to 10-years probation for killing four people and critically wounding two while drunk driving. Although the prosecution sought prison time, the defense argued that Couch himself was a victim and presented psychologist G. Dick Miller to testify that Couch was suffering from affluenza that he lived such an extravagant, materialistic, consequence-free life that he was unable to understand or control his behavior. This is perhaps the first time having too easy a life has been considered a mitigating circumstance. The sentencing has naturally inflamed peoples opinions.
Affluenza, in fact, is not a recognized illness. It is not in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) published by the American Psychiatric Association. As a clinical psychologist, Ive never before seen a mental health practitioner try to diagnose someone with affluenza. And there is practically nothing in the research literature about it. In the computerized database PsychINFO, the term affluenza is mentioned only 7 times (as opposed to over 101,000 for the recognized illness schizophrenia). Most of these seven were mentions or reviews of books published in the non-academic press. The only empirical research on affluenza was a 2010 study by Peter Lorenzi and Roberto Friedman in the Journal of Behavioral and Applied Management. The authors found little evidence for an affluenza epidemic sweeping America.
(MORE:Drunk Driving Teen Avoids Jail Because of the Parenting He Received)
Affluenza seems mainly the product of pop psychology, and it doesnt even mean what Couchs defense lawyers intended it to mean. It is generally characterized as a contagious social disease, typified by a keeping up with the Joneses materialism, spending and debt. According to Gregory McNeal in Forbes, the term affluenza is often used in tax and estate law, albeit even there with some skepticism. Given all of this, how affluenza came to be so influential in a criminal case is astounding. Our legal system has protections against using junk science in court decisions. I have not read transcripts of the trial, but I would be surprised if prosecutors made no effort to challenge the use of affluenza in this case.
(MORE: Co-Author of the book Affluenza: Im appalled by the Ethan Couch decision)
Couch may very well have mental health issues. Few psychologists would argue that being raised in an atmosphere of instant gratification and negligible consequences for bad behavior is healthy for child development. In addition, Couchs risky behavior might indicate alcoholism and, if he truly were evidencing a pathological sense of entitlement or lack of empathy for others, its possible he might be diagnosable with a personality disorder. These are legitimate conditions, although they typically do not result in such a massive reduction in sentencing as was seen in this case. It is ironic that, in arguing Couch is a victim of bad parenting free of consequences for antisocial behavior, the defense and judge appear to have merely continued exactly this pattern, demanding unbelievably soft consequences for the death of four.
It is hard to escape the conclusion that money and privilege did indeed influence this case, but not through a psychological illness. Instead, the judge managed to convey the impression that the wealthy are able to buy a different justice from the poor. Some news reports are comparing Couchs outcome to that of a 14-year-old African American boy sentenced to 10 years juvenile detention by the same judge for one death resulting from a punch. The cases arent identical, to be sure, but they convey an impression that wealth matters to the criminal justice system.
Ultimately, aside from Couch, the case has more losers than winners. The criminal justice system will suffer from the impression it is classist and unreliable. Psychology will take a hit for being linked to the affluenza term, despite it not being a product of psychological science. And the case will add to the unfair characterization of kids as spoiled, entitled brats, despite the fact that most youth are not. But the worst outcome, of course, is for the victims and their families who have been denied justice.
Christopher J. Ferguson is associate professor and department chair of psychology at Stetson University. The views expressed are solely his own.
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'Affluenza' Is Junk Science
Flaxseed Oil and Anti-Aging Properties for Human Longevity (Video 22)
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Parkinson's patient Ed Fitzpatrick speaks about stem cell research for his disease. Fitzpatrick talked on a Dec. 7 panel at the World Stem Cell Summit in San Diego. Bradley J. Fikes
Parkinson's patient Ed Fitzpatrick speaks about stem cell research for his disease. Fitzpatrick talked on a Dec. 7 panel at the World Stem Cell Summit in San Diego.
For eight local Parkinsons patients seeking treatment with stem cell technology, 2014 could bring the milestone theyve been anticipating.
If all goes well, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration will approve an attempt to replace the brain cells destroyed in Parkinsons. The new cells, grown from each patients own skin cells, are expected to restore normal movement in the patients.
Because the new brain cells are made from the patients own cells, immunosuppressive drugs shouldnt be needed. Ideally, patients could stop taking their medications and resume normal activities for many years, or even the rest of their lives.
The project, Summit4StemCell.org, is a collaboration between three nonprofits. The Scripps Research Institute handles the science; Scripps Clinic takes care of the medical side; and the Parkinsons Association of San Diego helps to raise money for the self-funded project.
Since 2011, the focus has been at the institute, where scientists led by Jeanne Loring have made the artificial embryonic stem cells, called induced pluripotent stem cells, and turned them into the needed brain cells. Now Scripps Clinic is assuming a more prominent role to prepare for treating the patients.
A study in rats began in early December; results are expected by April. The animal study is meant to assess safety, although researchers will also look for signs of effectiveness.
In January, scientists will visit the FDA to lay the groundwork for a formal application, said Scripps Clinic neurologist Melissa Houser, who treats all eight patients.
Success in the animal study will likely result in a go-ahead, Houser said. If the animal trial fails, its back to the drawing board.
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Parkinson’s stem cell project aims for 2014 approval
Napa Valley College announced Thursday the appointment of Terry Giugni, who has a Ph.D in physiology and biophysics, as the colleges next vice president of instruction.
Giugni will begin his appointment in early January as the head of the Office of Instruction and will oversee the colleges instructional program. He will provide leadership support to the colleges 342 full- and part-time faculty members serving a student enrollment of more than 18,000.
A Napa Valley native who grew up in Oakville and was schooled in public institutions throughout California, Giugni received a B.S. in biological sciences from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo and completed his Ph.D. in physiology and biophysics at the University of California, Irvine.
A name familiar to many in the Napa Valley, the Giugni family came to the area from Switzerland in the 1860s. Giugnis grandparents were owners of the Oakville Grocery for nearly 50 years starting in 1940 and Giugnis great-grandfather was the stonemason who built the Pope Street Bridge in St. Helena, just a stones throw from NVCs Upper Valley Campus.
He was selected from a competitive process that began in September.
Giugni comes to NVC from Fullerton College in Southern California where has served as its vice president of instruction since 2011. He has extensive prior experience as an instructor, administrator and research scientist, NVC said in a news release.
Terrys long history of a commitment to student success through the development and support of high quality instructional programs at the administrative level demonstrates a true understanding of the importance of faculty within a community college and a deep appreciation of excellence in classroom teaching, said Dr. Ron Kraft, superintendent/president of NVC. We are excited to have him join our team at NVC.
Giugni is an accomplished research scientist who spent two years at Vanderbilt University Medical School in Tennessee working under Nobel Laureate Dr. Stanley Cohen studying the role of growth factors in the development of cancer.
He returned to California to conduct additional research at the City of Hope National Medical Center in the late 1980s and began teaching biology part-time at Chaffey College in Rancho Cucamonga. During what became a 22-year association with Chaffey College, Giugni became a full-time instructor in the Department of Biology, was later appointed dean of Physical, Life, and Health Sciences, and then appointed as Chaffeys dean of Mathematics and Science. In 2010, Dr. Giugni became the dean of the Chaffey Colleges Chino Campus.
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Oakville native named Napa Valley College vice president
ANN ARBOR Sex may in fact be one of the secrets to good health, youth and a longer life at least for fruit flies suggests a new University of Michigan study that appears in the journal Science.
Male fruit flies that perceived sexual pheromones of their female counterparts without the opportunity to mate experienced rapid decreases in fat stores, resistance to starvation and more stress. The sexually frustrated flies lived shorter lives.
Mating, on the other hand, partially reversed the negative effects on health and aging.
Fruit flies are model organisms for understanding molecular mechanisms of aging. These findings give us a better understanding about how sensory perception and physiological state may be integrated in the brain to affect long-term health and lifespan, says senior author Scott D. Pletcher, professor in the Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology at the U-M Medical School and research professor at the U-M Geriatrics Center.
The cutting-edge genetics and neurobiology used in this research suggests to us that for fruit flies at least, it may not be a myth that sexual frustration is a health issue. Expecting sex without any sexual reward was detrimental to their health and cut their lives short.
U-M scientists used sensory manipulations to give the common male fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, the perception that they were in a sexually rich environment by exposing them to genetically engineered males that produced female pheromones. They were also able to manipulate the specific neurons responsible for pheromone perception as well as parts of the brain linked to sexual reward (secreting a group of compounds associated with anxiety and sex drive).
These data may provide the first direct evidence that aging and physiology are influenced by how the brain processes expectations and rewards, Pletcher says. In this case, sexual rewards specifically promoted healthy aging.
Fruit flies have been a powerful tool for studying aging because they live on average 60 days yet many of the discoveries in flies have proven effective in longer-lived animals, such as mice.
For decades, one of the most powerful ways to slow aging in different species was by limiting their food intake. In a previous study, Pletcher and his colleagues found that the smell of food alone was enough to speed up aging, offering new context for how dietary restriction works.
Male fruit flies that perceived sexual pheromones of their female counterparts without the opportunity to mate experienced rapid decreases in fat stores, resistance to starvation and more stress. The sexually frustrated flies lived shorter lives.
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ANN ARBOR: U-M study: Fruit flies with better sex lives live longer
December 11, 2013 MSU commencement exercises Saturday
Anonymous The Mankato Free Press The Mankato Free Press Wed Dec 11, 2013, 02:53 PM CST
MANKATO Minnesota State University will present 1,638 degrees during summer/fall commencement exercises Saturday in Taylor Center on the MSU campus.
Graduates of the College of Arts & Humanities, College of Business and College of Science, Engineering and Technology will participate in a 9 a.m. ceremony. Graduates of the College of Allied Health and Nursing, College of Education and College of Social and Behavioral Sciences will participate in a noon ceremony.
Graduate-level doctoral degrees to be presented include eight doctor of education degrees and one doctor of psychology degree.
Graduate-level masters degrees to be presented include 80 master of arts degrees, eight master of arts in teaching degrees, three master of music degrees,18 master of fine arts degrees,10 master of business administration degrees, five master of public administration degrees, 182 master of science degrees, 29 master of social work degrees and 36 specialist degrees.
Awarded at the undergraduate level will be 70 bachelor of arts degrees, two bachelor of athletic training degrees, 27 bachelor of fine arts degrees, three bachelor of music degrees, 1,062 bachelor of science degrees, three bachelor of science in computer engineering degrees, one bachelor of science in mechanical engineering degree, nine bachelor of science in electrical engineering degrees, two bachelor of science in engineering degrees, 42 bachelor of science in social work degrees and 37 associate of arts degrees.
Undergraduate students receiving recognition will include 87 students graduating summa cum laude, 196 students graduating magna cum laude and 143 students graduating cum laude.
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MSU commencement exercises Saturday
Healdsburg, CA (PRWEB) December 14, 2013
This weekend, Source Point Training (http://www.SourcePointTraining.com) is presenting a certification course on coaching tools and techniques for medical professionals from around the world pursuing their certification as Lifestyle Health Coaches. While everyone has their opinions on the impact "Obama-care" will have on our nation, everyone agrees that the state of healthcare and the many health challenges we as a nation are facing, are together spiraling downward. Yet, within the many components of the new health care plan, there is one that the coaching community knows can create sustainable positive impact on living healthy lifestyles.
With clear data now available, the medical community is in the early stages of embracing coaching patients on the benefits available to improve health versus the threat of health consequences for patients not following their doctor's recommendations. And the Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine is leading the way with offering the only academically accredited Lifestyle Health Coach certification currently available as part of their Annual World Congress on Anti-Aging, Regenerative and Aesthetic Medicine this weekend.
In a Forbes article focusing on employer sponsored wellness programs, they refer to having employees working with health coaches as "the secret sauce" for creating sustainable lifestyle changes. In their study of four mid-sized organizations with health-contingent wellness programs, they found that the annual paid claims per participating employee dropped to $2,269 as compared to the annual paid claims per non-participating employee of $6,187.
"Until we are able to better manage our health, the cost of healthcare will simply continue to rise. A key factor in better management of our health is a new paradigm in the doctor patient relationship. Patients need to take more responsibility for their lifestyles and the impact it has on their health. Having their medical professional working with them in a true partnership and with the support of various medical resources including a Lifestyle Health Coach, is key," says Barbara Fagan, President of Source Point Training. "I look forward to spending 3 full days with various medical professionals and introducing them to the key distinctions of coaching and the impact they can make in supporting their patients in taking greater ownership for their health."
Barbara Fagan has been training coaches for over 12 years, many of which have become independent health and wellness coaches. "As coaches, we know and see on a regular basis the sustainable impact that can be attained when a client is enrolled into a high level of ownership and accountability for the results they are creating in their life - including their lifestyle," Fagan continues. "Now having coverage for individuals to work with a health coach, there is more than hope; actually an expectation that the downward spiral will slowly begin to turn upward as more medical professionals and their patients partner together in ownership of improving and maximizing health."
In recent years, Source Point Training has seen a rise in the number of wellness professionals attending their Fundamentals and Mastery of Performance Coaching training to enhance the work they do with their wellness clients. "Whether you are a health conscious person and work to always maximize your health or you are someone with a chronic health condition, working with a Lifestyle Health Coach will provide individuals with greater results now and in the future," shares Fagan.
Contact us for more information at 800-217-5660, ext. 101.
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Medical Professionals Embrace "Coaching" Their Patients to Better Health
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Contact: Shaun Mason smason@mednet.ucla.edu 310-206-2805 University of California - Los Angeles
Stem cell researchers from UCLA have published the first study to identify the origin cells and track the early development of human articular cartilage, providing what could be a new cell source and biological roadmap for therapies to repair cartilage defects and damage from osteoarthritis.
Such transformative therapies could reach clinical trials within three years, said the scientists from UCLA's Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research.
The study, led by Dr. Denis Evseenko, an assistant professor of orthopedic surgery and head of UCLA's Laboratory of Connective Tissue Regeneration, was published online Dec. 12 in the journal Stem Cell Reports and will appear in a forthcoming print edition.
Articular cartilage, a highly specialized tissue formed from cells called chondrocytes, protects the bones of joints from forces associated with load-bearing and impact and allows nearly frictionless motion between the articular surfaces the areas where bone connects with other bones in a joint.
Cartilage injury and a lack of cartilage regeneration often lead to osteoarthritis, which involves the degradation of joints, including cartilage and bone. Osteoarthritis currently affects more than 20 million people in the U.S., making joint-surface restoration a major priority in modern medicine.
While scientists have studied the ability of different cell types to generate articular cartilage, none of the current cell-based repair strategies including expanded articular chondrocytes or mesenchymal stromal cells from adult bone marrow, adipose tissue, sinovium or amniotic fluid have generated long-lasting articular cartilage tissue in the laboratory.
For the current study, Evseenko and his colleagues used complex molecular biology techniques to determine which cells grown from embryonic stem cells, which can become any cell type in the body, were the progenitors of cartilage cells, or chondrocytes. They then tested and confirmed the growth of these progenitor cells into cartilage cells and monitored their growth progress, observing and recording important genetic features, or landmarks, that indicated the growth stages of these cells as they developed into the cartilage cells.
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UCLA stem cell scientists first to track joint cartilage development in humans
Poway, California (PRWEB) December 13, 2013
Noni is a ten-year-old released Canine Companion for Independence dog who just achieved her Master Agility Champion status after the pain from arthritis tried to slow her down. Nonis owner, Dr. Kim Dembinski, a veterinarian at Paradise Veterinary Hospital in San Diego turned to stem cell therapy by Vet-Stem, Inc. and fellow colleague Dr. Jennipher Harris to help Noni.
When Dr. Dembinski noticed weakness and discomfort in her aging agility dog she was proactive in keeping Noni happy and comfortable, The main thought was that she gives so much between therapy work, being my best friend, and as the clinic mascot that giving her relief from pain and her being more comfortable was the least I could do for her.
Nonis stem cell therapy involved a small fat sample collection, which was brought to Vet-Stems lab in Poway, California. There, highly trained lab technicians processed Nonis fat tissue to isolate the stem cells into doses that could be injected into the arthritic joints that were causing her pain. Normally the tissue is shipped overnight to Vet-Stem and the cells are shipped overnight back to the veterinarian making doses available within 48 hours, but because Paradise Veterinary Hospital is located near Vet-Stem Nonis stem cell doses were available for injection the same day the fat sample was collected.
Noni did very well post procedure; she regained muscle strength and flexibility, Dr. Dembinski reported, Noni did four weeks of rehab then went right back to competing in agility. Six months after the procedure she earned her MACH (Master Agility Champion), AKC (American Kennel Club) title. Because of her stem cell therapy she is still comfortable and playing agility!
Dr. Dembinski is a general practitioner for pets including dogs, cats, small mammals, birds and exotics. She is currently owner and primary veterinarian at Paradise Veterinary Hospital and sits on the board of the San Diego County Veterinary Medical Association. Caring for animals is not just a job for Dr. Dembinski, it is a passion. In her free time she and Noni compete in dog agility trials with AKC, North American Dog Agility Council and Canine Performance Events.
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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San Diego Canine Overcomes Pain to Achieve Championship with the Help of Paradise Veterinary Hospital and Vet-Stem, Inc.
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Newswise Scientists from UCLAs Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research are bringing stem cell science funded by the California Institute of Regenerative Medicine (CIRM), the state stem cell agency, directly to patients in two exciting new clinical trials scheduled to begin in early 2014. The recipients of the Disease Team Therapy Development III awards were Dr. Dennis Slamon and Dr. Zev Wainberg, whose phase I clinical trial will test a new drug that targets cancer stem cells and has been approved to begin enrolling patients in the US and Canada, and Dr. Donald Kohn, whose first-in-human trial is on stem cell gene therapy for sickle cell disease (SCD).
The announcement of the new awards came on December 12, 2013 at the meeting of the CIRM Independent Citizens Oversight Committee (ICOC) at the Luxe Hotel in Los Angeles. Dr. Owen Witte, Director of the UCLA Broad Stem Cell Research Center, highlighted that the The CIRM support demonstrates that our multidisciplinary Center is at the forefront of translating basic scientific research to new drug and cellular therapies that will revolutionize medicine.
Targeting solid tumor stem cells The Disease Team III grant to Dr. Dennis Slamon and Dr. Zev Wainberg and their US-Canadian collaborative team will support the first in human clinical trial scheduled to open in early 2014. The project builds on Dr. Slamons previous work partially funded by CIRM to develop a drug that targets tumor initiating cells with UCLAs Dr. Zev Wainberg, assistant professor of hematology/oncology and Dr. Tak Mak, director, Campbell Family Institute of the University Health Network in Toronto, Canada. Dr. Slamon, renowned for his research that led to the development of Herceptin, the first FDA-approved targeted therapy for breast cancer, is the director of clinical and translational research at the UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, and professor, chief and executive vice chair for research in the division of hematology/oncology.
With investigational new drug approval from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Health Canada, the Canadian governments therapeutic regulatory agency, this trial is an international effort to bring leading-edge stem cell science to patients.
We are delighted to receive this CIRM grant that will drive our translational research from the laboratory to the clinic, Slamon said, and allow us to test our targeted drug in a phase I clinical trial.
The trial is based on the evidence built over the last decade for what has become known as the cancer stem cell hypothesis. According to this hypothesis, cancer stem cells are the main drivers of tumor growth and are also resistant to standard cancer treatments. One view is that cancer stem cells inhabit a niche that prevents cancer drugs from reaching them. Another view is that tumors can become resistant to therapy by a process called cell fate decision, by which some tumor cells are killed by therapy and others become cancer stem cells. These cancer stem cells are believed to be capable of self-renewal and repopulation of tumor cells, resulting in the recurrence of cancer.
The target of the new drug is an enzyme in cancer stem cells and tumor cells called Polo-like kinase 4, which was selected because blocking it negatively affects cell fate decisions associated with cancer stem cell renewal and tumor cell growth, thus stopping tumor growth.
This potential anti-cancer drug is now ready to be tested in humans for the first time. Our goal is to test this novel agent in patients in order to establish safety and then to proceed quickly to rapid clinical development. We are excited to continue this academic collaboration with our Canadian colleagues to test this drug in humans for the first time, said Wainberg. Drs. Slamon, Wainberg, Mak and colleagues will also look for biological indications, called biomarkers, that researchers can use to tell if and how the drug is working.
Californias government-run stem-cell research agency, on course to spend $3 billion in taxpayer money to find treatments for some of the worlds most intractable diseases, is pushing to accelerate human testing before its financing runs out.
For the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine, time is growing short to fund research that demonstrates the potential of stem cells to help treat everything from cancer to heart disease to spinal cord injuries.
The agency, created by voters in 2004, has given out more than half of its $3 billion from state bonds and must spend the rest by 2017. The largest U.S. funding source for stem-cell research outside the federal government, its under pressure to show results to attract new money from pharmaceutical companies, venture capitalists or even more municipal bonds.
We need to figure out how to keep them going, said Jonathan Thomas, a founding partner of Saybrook Capital LLC in Los Angeles, and chairman of the institutes board, which meets today. We could do public-private partnerships, venture philanthropy, a ballot box.
Embryonic stem cells have the potential to change into any type of cell in the body. They are among the first cells created in embryos after conception. Scientists hope they may replace damaged or missing tissue in the brain, heart and immune system.
California voters approved the bonds after President George W. Bush banned the use of federal funds for research on embryonic stem cells. Since then, other types of stem cells have been shown to act like embryonic cells, relieving some of the debate over the ethics of destroying human embryos to use the cells.
The agencys funding decisions have included a grant of $20 million to a team led by Irv Weissman at the Stanford University School of Medicine, seeking a cure for cancer.
Weissmans team is working on an antibody manufactured with stem cells that allows a cancer patients own immune system to destroy a tumor, instead of relying on toxic radiation or chemotherapy. The antibody counteracts a protein called CD47, which creates what scientists call a dont eat me shield around the cancer. Once that cloak is removed, the patients immune system recognizes the cancer and attacks the tumor, shrinking or eliminating it.
Tests on humans are to begin early next year. The antibody has already worked in mice against breast, colon, ovarian, prostate, brain, bladder and liver cancer.
Two other research projects funded by the California agency are in human trials now -- one targeting HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, and another that regrows cardiac tissue in heart-attack victims.
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California’s Stem-Cell Quest Races Time as Money Dwindles
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Newswise Stem cell researchers from UCLAs Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research have published the first study to identify the origin cells and track the early development of human articular cartilage, providing what could be a new cell source and biological roadmap for therapies to repair cartilage defects and osteoarthritis. These revolutionary therapies could reach clinical trials within three years.
Led by Dr. Denis Evseenko, assistant professor of orthopedic surgery and head of UCLAs Laboratory of Connective Tissue Regeneration, the study was published online ahead of print in Stem Cell Reports on December 12, 2013.
Articular cartilage is a highly specialized tissue formed from cells called chondrocytes that protect the bones of joints from forces associated with load bearing and impact, and allows nearly frictionless motion between the articular surfaces. Cartilage injury and lack of cartilage regeneration often lead to osteoarthritis involving degradation of joints, including cartilage and bone. Osteoarthritis currently affects more than 20 million people in the United States alone, making joint surface restoration a major priority in modern medicine.
Different cell types have been studied with respect to their ability to generate articular cartilage. However, none of the current cell-based repair strategies including expanded articular chondrocytes or mesenchymal stromal cells from adult bone marrow, adipose tissue, sinovium or amniotic fluid have generated long-lasting articular cartilage tissue in the laboratory.
By bridging developmental biology and tissue engineering, Evseenkos discoveries represent a critical missing link providing scientists with checkpoints to tell if the cartilage cells (called chondrocytes) are developing correctly.
We began with three questions about cartilage development, Evseenko said, we wanted to know the key molecular mechanisms, the key cell populations, and the developmental stages in humans. We carefully studied how the chondrocytes developed, watching not only their genes, but other biological markers that will allow us to apply the system for the improvement of current stem cell-based therapeutic approaches.
This research was also the first attempt to generate all the key landmarks that allow generation of clinically relevant cell types for cartilage regeneration with the highest animal-free standards. This means that the process did not rely on any animal components, thus therapeutic products such as stem-cell serums can be produced that are safe for humans.
Evseenko added that in a living organism more than one cell type is responsible for the complete regeneration of tissue, so in addition to the studies involving generation of articular cartilage from human stem cells, he and his team are now trying different protocols using different combinations of adult progenitor cells present in the joint to regenerate cartilage until the best one is found for therapeutic use.
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UCLA Scientists First to Track Joint Cartilage Development in Humans
A groundbreaking attempt to heal eight Parkinson's patients with their own cells could move from research to the clinic next year.
For eight Parkinson's patients seeking treatment with a new form of stem cell therapy, 2014 promises to be a milestone. If all goes well, next year the FDA will give approval to begin clinical trials. And if the patients can raise enough money, the scientists and doctors working with them will have the money to proceed.
Jeanne Loring, a stem cell scientist at The Scripps Research Institute, discusses the status of a project to treat Parkinson's patients with their own cells, turned into the kind of brain cells destroyed in Parkinson's. The project is a collaboration with Scripps Health and the Parkinson's Association of San Diego.
Scientists at The Scripps Research Institute led by Jeanne Loring have taken skin cells from all patients and grown them into artificial embryonic stem cells, called induced pluripotent stem cells. They then converted the cells into dopamine-making neurons, the kind destroyed in Parkinson's disease.
Loring discussed the project's progress on Friday morning at the 2013 World Stem Cell Summit in San Diego.
If animal studies now under way and other requirements are met, doctors at Scripps Health will perform a clinical trial. They will grow neurons until they are just short of maturity, then transplant them into the brains of the respective patients. The cells are expected to complete maturation in the brain, forming appropriate connections with their new neighbors, and begin making dopamine.
Earlier attempts to treat Parkinson's with a stem cell-like therapy mostly failed because of difficulties in quality control of the source, neural cells from aborted fetuses, Loring said. But some patients gained lasting improvement, a tantalizing hint that the trials were on the right track.
In January, a "pre-pre-IND meeting" is planned with the FDA, Loring said.
Also speaking were Ed Fitzpatrick, one of the eight patients, and Kyoto University researcher Jun Takahashi, who is independently trying the same approach in Japan.
Ed Fitzpatrick, one of eight Parkinson's patients in a program to be treated with his own cells, grown into the kind of brain cells destroyed in Parkinson's.
2ndyear- Physiology- Endocrine- Beg till Pituitary hormones
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