Medical Tourism - Stem Cell Therapies... and more

Multiple Sclerosis Reversed in Patients Taking Own Stem Cells

2009-02-08T18:43:00.000-08:00

Jan. 29 (Bloomberg) -- Patients in the early stages of multiple
sclerosis had their disability reversed in a study that used their stem
cells to *reset* their malfunctioning immune system.

All 21 patients in the study at Northwestern University in Chicago had
the *relapsing-remitting* form of the disease that makes their
symptoms alternately flare up and recede. Three years after being
treated, on average, 17 of the patients had improved on tests of their
symptoms, 16 had experienced no relapse and none had deteriorated, the
study found.

*This is the first study to actually show reversal of disability,*
said Richard Burt, an associate professor in the division of
immunotherapy at Northwestern, and the lead author of the study
published today in the British journal, the Lancet. *Some people had
complete disappearance of all symptoms.*

In multiple sclerosis, or MS, a patient*s immune cells attack the
central nervous system, degrading their vision, coordination, balance
and sometimes their cognitive abilities.

The vast majority of patients with this disease are first diagnosed
with the relapsing-remitting form and some progress to more serious
stages. The study included only patients whose flare-ups continued after
being treated with protein-based drugs known as interferons.

Participants had their hematopoietic, or blood-forming, stem cells
extracted before chemotherapy drugs killed immune cells in their bone
marrow. The patients* stem cells were then returned to rebuild their
marrow.

Vision Dimmed

One of the patients was Edwin McClure, now a 24-year-old graduate
student in marketing at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond.
McClure was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis as a high school senior in
2002, after his vision dramatically worsened.

*It was like someone had turned down the dimmer switch,* he said in
a telephone interview yesterday. He also suffered from dizziness, poor
balance and fatigue so bad that he*d collapse and sleep for three
hours every day after school.

Over the next few years, McClure was treated with steroids and
interferons. While they controlled the disease for a time, his symptoms
eventually broke through, triggering fresh attacks.

McClure went to Chicago to take part in Burt*s study at the end of
2005, spent a month being treated, and hasn*t needed any drugs since.

*A Blessing*

*It*s a blessing,* he said. *My disease has been halted.*

Even the stress of being in the competitive graduate program -- a
factor known to exacerbate symptoms of multiple sclerosis -- hasn*t
caused a single attack, he said. His balance is better and his vision
hasn*t deteriorated further.

Researchers believe that in the early stage of the disease, the
hyperactive immune cells attack nerve cells. This damages the myelin, an
insulating material that surrounds the axons, long fiber tails that
extend from a neuron and help transmit electrical signals.

*Research has shown it*s critical to stop the inflammation early
and that*s probably the best way to stop neural degeneration and
progression of the disease,* said Patricia O*Looney, vice president
of biomedical research at the National MS Society, in a telephone
interview yesterday.

In previous efforts, Burt and other scientists tried giving bone marrow
stem cells to patients with more advanced disease, with no benefit.

Late-Stage Failure

*I called it a failure,* he said. *When you do it in late-stage
patients, they don*t improve,* probably because the immune cells
have already done their damage.

O*Looney said the results of Burt*s study were promising and should
now be replicated in a larger trial that randomly compares the stem-cell
treatment with existing therapy. Burt is now starting such a trial,
which will recruit 55 patients in the U.S., Canada and Brazil.

If the results of today*s study are borne out in the new one, *I
think we can really change the way this disease is approached,* Burt
said.

To contact the reporter on this story: Rob Waters in San Francisco at
rwaters5@bloomberg.net.
Last Updated: January 29, 2009 18:30 EST
-----------------------------

Stem cell transplant reverses early-stage multiple sclerosis
Public release date: 29-Jan-2009
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2009-01/nu-sct012909.php

CHICAGO --- Researchers from Northwestern University's Feinberg School
of Medicine appear to have reversed the neurological dysfunction of
early-stage multiple sclerosis patients by transplanting their own
immune stem cells into their bodies and thereby "resetting" their immune
systems.

"This is the first time we have turned the tide on this disease," said
principal investigator Richard Burt, M.D. chief of immunotherapy for
autoimmune diseases at the Feinberg School. The clinical trial was
performed at Northwestern Memorial Hospital where Burt holds the same
title.

The patients in the small phase I/II trial continued to improve for up
to 24 months after the transplantation procedure and then stabilized.
They experienced improvements in areas in which they had been affected
by multiple sclerosis including walking, ataxia, limb strength, vision
and incontinence. The study will be published online January 30 and in
the March issue of The Lancet Neurology.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease in which the immune
system attacks the central nervous system. In its early stages, the
disease is characterized by intermittent neurological symptoms, called
relapsing-remitting MS. During this time, the person will either fully
or partially recover from the symptoms experienced during the attacks.
Common symptoms are visual problems, fatigue, sensory changes, weakness
or paralysis of limbs, tremors, lack of coordination, poor balance,
bladder or bowel changes and psychological changes.

Within 10 to 15 years after onset of the disease, most patients with
this relapsing-remitting MS progress to a later stage called secondary
progressive multiple sclerosis. In this stage, they experience a steady
worsening of irreversible neurological damage.

The 21 patients in the trial, ages 20 to 53, had relapsing-remitting
multiple sclerosis that had not responded to at least six months of
treatment with interferon beta. The patients had had MS for an average
of five years. After an average follow-up of three years after
transplantation, 17 patients (81 percent) improved by at least one point
on a disability scale. The disease also stabilized in all patients.

In the procedure, Burt and colleagues treated patients with
chemotherapy to destroy their immune system. They then injected the
patients with their own immune stem cells, obtained from the patients'
blood before the chemotherapy, to create a new immune system. The
procedure is called autologous non-myeloablative haematopoietic
stem-cell transplantion.

"We focus on destroying only the immune component of the bone marrow
and then regenerate the immune component, which makes the procedure much
safer and less toxic than traditional chemotherapy for cancer," Burt
said. After the transplantation, the patient's new lymphocytes or immune
cells are self-tolerant and do not attack the immune system.

"In MS the immune system is attacking your brain," Burt said. "After
the procedure, it doesn't do that anymore."

In previous studies, Burt had transplanted immune stem cells into
late-stage MS patients. "It didn't help in the late stages, but when we
treat them in the early stage, they get better and continue to get
better," he said.

"What we did is promising and exiting, but we need to prove it in a
randomized trial," Burt noted. He has launched a randomized national
trial.

Stem Cells Whistle up a Windpipe

2008-12-31T19:44:00.000-08:00

The story involved a woman named Claudia Castillo, a 30-year-old mother of two from Barcelona, Spain. Castillo's windpipe was badly damaged by long-term tuberculosis. Her left lung had collapsed and she faced the possibility of having the lung removed, a dangerous option that would have severely restricted her quality of life.
But then her doctors decided upon a different, pioneering approach to Claudia's problem: they grew a new windpipe using stem cells. The entire procedure, which included doctors working in three different countries - Spain, Italy and England - was almost too fantastic to believe.
First, the doctors got a windpipe from an organ donor. That windpipe was used as a kind of scaffold upon which the stem cells would be placed and where they would be manipulated to grow a new windpipe.
Of course, stem cell research has been a hot-button political topic for years because much of it has involved the use of embryonic stem cell tissue, which is typically derived from aborted fetuses. But in this procedure, doctors used adult stem cells to grow the new windpipe.
And here's the best part: the stem cells weren't just from any adult; they were from Claudia's own body. The doctors in England took a sample of Claudia's bone marrow from her hip, and after millions of cells had been produced, injected various chemicals to induce the cells to turn into highly specialized cells that would create the new windpipe grown on the scaffolding provided by the donated one.
All of which is very good news, and not just because it avoids the ethical and moral implications that accompany embryonic stem cells. The truly great benefit here is that the new windpipe in Claudia's throat contains her own DNA because it was constructed using her own stem cells. Thus, rejection by the body isn't an issue as it is in typical organ transplants.
By the time her story was published, in mid-November, Claudia was already home and, in her own words, "enjoying life and ... very happy that my illness has been cured."
While the early results are encouraging, the doctors and scientists involved cautioned that this is only a halting first step. But it's a promising step, and some of the doctors voiced real optimism, saying that this technique might even be adapted to other organs. And another said that while it's still years away, one day we may be able to produce organs in the laboratory using a patient's own stem cells, without the need of donor organs to use as templates.
So, as it stands, really significant advancement in growing new organs from stem cells that could cure many of our diseases is still well in the future, if it happens at all. But if does happen, this story - which was barely noticed amidst the political turmoil, economic upheaval and deadly natural disasters of 2008 - may end up being like the little ray of hope that flew out of the Pandora's box of 2008.

The Cruelty of Clinical Trials for Crohn’s Disease

2008-12-31T19:40:00.000-08:00

Right now there are millions of individuals whose lives are directly dependent on the rate at which new drugs come to market. I'm one of them. I'm fighting for my life.
To date, half of my intestine has been removed to manage Crohn's disease. Last year, at age 23, I enrolled in a clinical trial for a treatment that could save my life: an adult stem-cell therapy that helps damaged intestinal tissue regenerate from the relentless inflammation and scarring caused by Crohn's.
The sponsor, Osiris Therapeutics, reported that Crohn's patients in the therapy's Phase II trial all experienced clinical improvement after receiving the cells. A Phase III trial for the treatment is now nearing completion, but Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval could be years away, despite its FDA "fast track" designation.
In accordance with antiquated FDA policies, the Phase III trial is randomized with three groups of patients, and double-blinded, which means neither the doctors nor patients are told what treatment is being administered. One group received full-strength stem cells, another received half-strength, and a third got a placebo (the proverbial "sugar pill"). It appears I got the placebo.
Foregoing all other treatments, I received the four scheduled infusions, and yet my disease progressed with a vengeance. In a matter of weeks, I became dangerously malnourished. I've since been readmitted to the hospital countless times, as my doctors continue to plead with Osiris for information. But Osiris has refused, citing adherence to FDA protocol.
I am now a lab rat. I have no right to know what happened to me in the study, nor do I have a right to try the promising treatment as my health deteriorates. It doesn't have to be this way.
Under the Fifth Amendment's guarantee that "No person shall be deprived of life, liberty or property without due process of law," a critically ill patient should have access to a potentially lifesaving drug that has been deemed safe for human consumption, if the patient agrees to bear the risks involved. But earlier this year, the Supreme Court refused to hear a case on the issue, denying countless patients their right to pursue life.
Thankfully, some members of Congress have stepped in to ensure our rights as patients. In May, Sen. Sam Brownback (R., Kan.) and Rep. Diane Watson (D., Calif.) introduced the Access, Compassion, Care and Ethics for Seriously Ill Patients Act. If passed, this bipartisan legislation will begin to restore the rights of millions of patients by widening access to promising investigational drugs.
Human clinical research is an intricate scientific and moral process, but it does not justify taking immoral advantage of patients. Tragically, FDA and Osiris think it does.
Typical approval protocols almost always guarantee patients taking the placebo access to the actual drug -- at the very least -- after the study has ended. But in what appears to me a deliberate act of cruelty, Osiris hung its patients out to dry without any recourse, refusing to confirm which patient got what. The FDA has endorsed Osiris's decision by enabling it to proceed with the study.
Withholding a potential cure is just as bad -- if not worse -- than the potential death sentence of a serious illness. If patients like myself have the audacity to put their lives on the line for the betterment of science and those in their predicament, their decision should not only be embraced, it should be rewarded.
Furthermore, trials without ethical recourse can lead to inadequate and incomplete data, compromising the integrity of the study. If trial patients are treated like lab rats, they won't feel obliged to cooperate unconditionally and report accurate data -- something the FDA and the drug industry rely on heavily, but have failed to consider.
Everyone agrees it is a fundamental right for patients to dictate their course of treatment with FDA-approved drugs. So why do the rules evaporate at the most critical moment, when the only life-preserving options are highly promising investigational drugs?
Mr. Sofer is a student at the University of California, Berkeley.

The “Wrong” Cure

2008-12-26T18:07:00.000-08:00

Adult stem cells get the shaft.

By Wesley J. Smith

Copied from google blogs today - yet another example of how the public are being denied access to the wonders of adult stem cell therapy. Shame on you Larry King.

Members of the liberal media elite have become rather choosy when it comes to advocating stem-cell cures for degenerative medical conditions. To these commentators, cures using adult stem cells just aren't the "right" cures. For stem-cell therapy to really count, it has to come from embryos. Indeed, even the most astonishing research advances using adult cells are ignored by these arbiters of public policy as if they never happened. And since liberal elites dominate public discourse in the stem-cell debate, the American people remain generally unaware of these astonishing scientific advances.

No media personality epitomizes the elite liberal media mindset more than CNN's Larry King. It thus came as no surprise that King cared nothing about adult-stem-cell research breakthroughs when the noted artist, evangelist, and disability-rights activist Joni Eareckson Tada raised the issue in an August interview.

Tada has been quadriplegic since breaking her back in a diving accident at age 17. In recent years, she has become an outspoken opponent of human cloning and of federally funded embryonic-stem-cell research. It was in this context that Tada accepted King's offer to introduce her to Christopher Reeve, the paralyzed former movie star who has become the world's most famous advocate for using human cloning and embryonic stem cells to find cures:

King: He [Reeve] thinks he's going to walk.

Tada: That may very well happen using incredible therapies...using adult stem cell research. It is absolutely amazing what is happening. Dr. Carlos Lima in Lisbon, Portugal, has helped restore bladder and muscle control to people with paralysis using stem cells from their own nasal tissue.

Take a moment and think about what Tada told King. Paralyzed people with serious spinal injuries like those afflicting Tada and Reeve have regained feeling in their bodies using adult-tissue therapies. Assuming that King was unaware of these advances — always a good assumption, given that King prides himself on not preparing for interviews — he should have been thunderstruck by this big news. Tada's assertion should have prompted an immediate follow-up question demanding more details. Had King done this, Tada might have then told him that one of the paralyzed women treated by Dr. Lima with her own olfactory tissue had recently appeared before a Senate subcommittee and presented videos of herself walking with braces!

But King never even attempted to follow up. Indeed, he wasn't the least bit curious about the tremendous news that human patients with serious spinal-cord injury may be able to walk again if these early human trials using adult tissue pan out. Instead, almost reflexively, he promoted embryonic-stem-cell research, stating, "Everyone says it will be faster if embryonic is also used. Nancy Reagan is going to campaign strongly for that."

Tada told King patiently that she opposes embryonic-stem-cell research, in part because she advocates channeling scarce resources "into [adult] therapies which have the most promise, which are the most effective." She then told King about the dangers associated with embryonic stem cells of which he might be unaware, such as tissue rejection and tumors.

King shrugged this off, asserting that problems always happen in the beginning of research studies. "That's true," Tada acknowledged. And then she tried again to get King to just hear how far adult-tissue research has already advanced. "Right now," she said, "incredible therapies" are happening "with their own stem cells, whether dental pulp or nasal tissues, or bone-marrow tissues."

For a second time in two minutes Tada had presented King with the opportunity to provide his audience with a wonderful educational opportunity. Had he followed up, even skeptically, by demanding that Tada give examples of these incredible breakthroughs, she could have told him about human heart patients who have already benefited from treatment with their own bone marrow or blood stem cells. She could have given great hope to people with Parkinson's disease by describing the successes already achieved treating patients with adult cells and their derivatives. Perhaps she would have mentioned the wonderful news that in an early human trial, a patient with multiple sclerosis so advanced that he experienced bouts of blindness appears to have been put into almost total remission using his own stem cells.

But King's viewing audience was not allowed to learn any of this, because King did not inquire. Instead, he demanded to know who is harmed by embryonic-stem-cell research and asked whether she would agree to debate Christopher Reeve. Then, it was quickly on to other matters. Clearly, for King, stem-cell medical advances only count if they come from embryonic sources.

King is not alone in this incredibly myopic approach to the stem-cell debate. Other elite liberal commentators are just as narrow in their views about adult-stem-cell research. For example, Laura Bush's recent defense of her husband's stem-cell policy sent several elite liberal commentators into apoplectic orbit. Cynthia Tucker's August 13 syndicated column, "Bush's Policy on Stem-Cell Research Has No Good Defense," was especially nasty — and typically ignorant of the current state of the science.

Charging that only religious extremism stands in the way of stem-cell advances, Tucker accused the president of limiting research "that could...lead to cures for Parkinson's, multiple sclerosis and even some cancers. Some of those cures could be decades away. But we can't get there until we get started."

Tucker either didn't take the time to discover, or doesn't care, that we are already well under way to finding such cures! As stated above, human patients with the very diseases Tucker mentioned have already benefited from adult-tissue therapies. Animal studies have advanced even further. For example, mice with advanced-stage juvenile diabetes have been cured with adult cell therapies. Yet instead of embracing these advances, Tucker complained, "I certainly don't understand a 21st-century superpower that devotes billions to building smart bombs to destroy life efficiently but refuses to fund the research that could save or enhance the lives of millions of its citizens."

Ignorance, thy name is Tucker. Apparently she is unaware that the federal government poured more than $200 million into adult-stem-cell research and about $25 million into embryonic-stem-cell research in 2003. In addition, private investors have abundantly invested in adult-stem-cell research, while generally shunning embryonic and human cloning research, largely because adult therapies are so much closer to fruition than embryonic approaches.

Apparently, Tucker would put her political views before the current state of the science and reverse this funding ratio. But this would be most unwise. It could delay bringing regenerative cures to the American people by diverting resources away from adult-cell cures already in early human trials and toward embryonic research that can't even be done safely in humans — a point made by Joni Eareckson Tada that bounced off Larry King's forehead.

Amazingly, the ideological fervor in favor of using nascent human life in stem-cell treatments is so intense that it prevents even liberal media elites who suffer from these diseases from embracing emerging treatments that use adult cells. Michael Kinsley, the editorial page editor of the Los Angeles Times, is a puzzling case in point. Kinsley has Parkinson's. One would think he would be extremely interested in the successful experiment involving fellow Parkinson's patient Dennis Turner, who five years ago received an 83 percent reversal of his symptoms after a treatment using his own brain stem cells. Kinsley should also find great hope in the results of another human trial in which five Parkinson's patients, treated with a natural body chemical known as glial cell-line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF), improved so significantly that three regained their senses of taste and smell.

But Kinsley is blind to this wonderful news. In a diatribe against Laura Bush and the president, Kinsley claimed that "stem cell research has been drastically slowed" by the president's stem-cell policy (again, apparently, the only real stem-cell research is embryonic-stem-cell research). Working himself into a blind rage, Kinsley accused President Bush of "ensuring there is no hope at all" for people like him who suffer from Parkinson's disease — a statement exhibiting sheer indifference to the very facts that hold out true hope for Kinsley's own health problems.

Media opponents of President Bush's stem-cell policy often accuse the president of deciding science questions based on religious beliefs. But they are the ones whose ideological predilections and personal antipathy for political opponents are making them incapable of appreciating the evidence. As the old saying goes, none are so blind as those who will not see.

Clinical Data of VesCell Used On Heart Disease Patients

2008-12-24T19:27:00.000-08:00

Dr. Zannos Grekos, a cardiologist who uses VesCell Adult Stem Cells to treat his heart disease patients, was a featured speaker at the 16th Annual World Congress on Anti-Aging Medicine & Regenerative Biomedical Technologies in Las Vegas that ran from December 11th-14th. He presented clinical data showing that Vescell Stem Cell therapy definitely helps patients with congestive heart failure.

Dr. Grekos also announced that his work "has spurred a project entailing growing organs for transplant from patients' own stem cells using technology developed by National Aeronautic Space Association (NASA)." That is something to look forward to in the hopefully near future.

However, let's concentrate now on Dr. Grekos' results: He reported that the average patient had his ejection fraction increase 21 percentage points and had reversed heart muscle damage

Dr. Grekos also stated that his patients on average had gone from Stage IV Heart Failure (End Stage Heart Failure) and then improved to Stage II Heart Failure in approximately 6 months! And for you cardiologists out there- the clinical data from PET scans confirmed that VesCell Adult Stem Cells do indeed "engraft themselves into areas damaged by myocardial infarction (heart attacks) and turn into viable new heart muscle."

Hector Rosario, MD, chief of Interventional Cardiology for the Dominican Republic division of Regenocyte, is thrilled with the clinical outcomes to date. "It is personally very gratifying to alter the prognosis in patients who have exhausted all other options,"

Well said Dr. Rosario. VesCell stem cell therapy can give patient's a new lease on life with minimal risk since the patient's use their own Adult Stem Cells to help heal their heart disease or peripheral artery disease

Help is available right now.

Stroke Breakthrough With Stem Cell Therapy

2008-12-23T01:09:00.000-08:00

The sudden onset of stroke is devastating and leads to temporary and/or permanent disability to speech, sensation, memory and motor neuron damage. The damage is caused by a bleeding or blocked cerebral blood vessel leading to local brain damaged areas with loss of neurons and glial cells.An effective stem cell therapy exists that may offer improvement. With the discovery of stem cell therapy abroad, there comes new hope.

Although there are niches and reservoirs of stem cells in the adult brain their numbers are not sufficient to restore neurological function. Umbilical cord blood has stem cells that are pluripotent in their ability to be transformed into many precursor cells of various organs in the body including the brain.

Umbilical cord blood stem cells when placed into culture with nerve growth factor, brain neurotrophic factor and nutrients can form precursor progenitor brain stem cells.

Patients with post stroke syndrome (even for many years) can be given intravenous brain stem cells, oligodendrocytes to replace myelin and neuron stem cells. These cells will home (migrate) to areas of damaged brain tissue with hopes of functional recovery with stem cell treatment abroad.

Disclaimer: This blog or article is for information purpose only, and should not be treated as professional advice or price protection guarantee.

The dangers of injecting animal stem cells

2008-12-22T19:56:00.000-08:00

The therapy is illegal in the West, but according to the Thai newspaper The Nation patients are willing to pay between £2,000 to £20,000 in Bangkok to receive the treatment which is claimed to remove facial wrinkles.
"Some patients might go into [anaphylactic] shock after receiving several doses of animal stem cells, especially those who have hyper sensitive reactions," warned Dr Tanom Bunaprasert, a medical professor at Bangkok's Chulalongkorn University.
Dr Tanom also pointed out that there is no proven medical benefit to the procedure. "The feeling of a younger face is caused by the placebo effect, not stem cells that are injected into their faces," he said.
Because the stem cells from an alien organism stimulate an antibody response from the human immune system, doctors say they massively increase the likelihood that the patient would reject a donor organ if they ever require a transplant in the future.
Other stem cell therapies are also practised in Thailand. Experimental adult stem cell therapy for failing hearts and for peripheral artery disease caused by diabetes are both available in Bangkok, and some doctors have questioned whether the procedures are a medical breakthrough.
Thailand is a popular destination for "medical tourists" seeking often high-quality medical care that may be unavailable or more expensive in other countries.
Cosmetic surgery is a particular speciality and is widely advertised.
Advertisements claim that a full sex change procedure can be obtained for only around £3000.
Dr Tanom also warned against other supposedly stem cell based cosmetic treatments which are widely advertised in print and on the internet.
He said that animal stem cell based creams and lotions are of no possible benefit because the stem cells would die long before they are applied to the skin and, besides, stem cells are too large to penetrate the skin and have any effect.
Likewise, food products purporting to be beneficially enriched with animal stem cells are a fraud, he said.
"Stem cell food has very poor nutritious ingredients," according to Dr Tanom. "You eat numerous stem cells every day for a long time from meat, chicken, fish and pork but you don't know it."

Stem Cells Deliver Top Christmas Present for ALS Sufferer

2008-12-20T18:37:00.000-08:00

A newly retired Norwegian woman, Mrs Inger Marie Larsen, was looking forward to taking it easy in her new home in Sweden, enjoying life and indulging in her passion for travel. It was not to be.

Around October 2007 she noticed her voice was becoming hoarse, she experienced back pains and over a six month period lost some 20kg. After a battery of inconclusive tests her doctor appeared to her to have given up and after all she could still speak! By June 2008 she had a new doctor, further tests in Norway and finally a diagnosis of ALS. By then she was getting worse daily and troubled by spasticity in her hands. By July she was unable to speak at all. Told that there was no treatment in the whole world that could help her she froze, thanked the doctor and walked out.

From her hospital room in Bangkok where she had spent 28 days intensive therapy - including multiple injections of stem cells, physical and occupational therapy, lung and oral therapy and acupuncture – Mrs Larsen was all smiles.

Her journey to Bangkok started with serendipity – her daughter Kristine had a work colleague whose mother had the same condition and this colleague had done a lot of research into ALS and the latest in treatment for it. Despite their shock, fear and depression the snowball started to roll. They were running out of time as Inger continued to lose weight, had swallowing difficulties and needed to be fed by gastric tube. Kristine acted and got in touch with the company in Bangkok that her colleague had found. The decision was rapidly made in spite of them being given no guarantees that the patient would improve.

The day before her return home Mrs Larsen was delighted with her stay in Bangkok. Her oxygen capacity had leapt from 60 to 99 percent, she could breathe easier, her muscles felt stronger and she was now taking 400 ml of her liquid diet four times daily, versus only 250ml previously. Overall, she just felt much better. Asked if she would recommend stem cell therapy to others with ALS she smiled, gave the thumbs up and wrote, “Without hesitation”.

It takes more than a little courage to try what is still an experimental therapy, even though thousands of patients have been safely treated with adult stem cells to date for a wide variety of diseases. Some 75 percent experience some or significant relief and can return to a far better quality of life than they would have dreamed possible.

It is a small miracle for Mrs Larsen, delivered at the very best time of the year for miracles.

(For further information contact www.StemCells21.com)

What is amyotrophic lateral sclerosis?
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), sometimes called Lou Gehrig's disease, is a rapidly progressive, invariably fatal neurological disease that attacks the nerve cells (neurons) responsible for controlling voluntary muscles. The disease belongs to a group of disorders known as motor neuron diseases, which are characterized by the gradual degeneration and death of motor neurons.
Motor neurons are nerve cells located in the brain, brainstem, and spinal cord that serve as controlling units and vital communication links between the nervous system and the voluntary muscles of the body. Messages from motor neurons in the brain (called upper motor neurons) are transmitted to motor neurons in the spinal cord (called lower motor neurons) and from them to particular muscles. In ALS, both the upper motor neurons and the lower motor neurons degenerate or die, ceasing to send messages to muscles. Unable to function, the muscles gradually weaken, waste away (atrophy), and twitch (fasciculations) . Eventually, the ability of the brain to start and control voluntary movement is lost.
ALS causes weakness with a wide range of disabilities. Eventually, all muscles under voluntary control are affected, and patients lose their strength and the ability to move their arms, legs, and body. When muscles in the diaphragm and chest wall fail, patients lose the ability to breathe without ventilatory support. Most people with ALS die from respiratory failure, usually within 3 to 5 years from the onset of symptoms. However, about 10 percent of ALS patients survive for 10 or more years.
Although the disease usually does not impair a person's mind or intelligence, several recent studies suggest that some ALS patients may have alterations in cognitive functions such as depression and problems with decision-making and memory.
ALS does not affect a person's ability to see, smell, taste, hear, or recognize touch. Patients usually maintain control of eye muscles and bladder and bowel functions, although in the late stages of the disease most patients will need help getting to and from the bathroom.
Who gets ALS?
As many as 20,000 Americans have ALS, and an estimated 5,000 people in the United States are diagnosed with the disease each year. ALS is one of the most common neuromuscular diseases worldwide, and people of all races and ethnic backgrounds are affected. ALS most commonly strikes people between 40 and 60 years of age, but younger and older people also can develop the disease. Men are affected more often than women.

Leading journal names the top 10 scientific breakthroughs of 2008

2008-12-19T20:10:00.000-08:00

From The Guardian

Skin cells can be regressed to make stem cells, which in turn can be grown into a range of replacement tissues and organs.

A feat of biological alchemy that offers scientists the hope of growing replacement organs from patients' own skin cells has been named the scientific breakthrough of the year.

Cellular reprogramming allows scientists to rewind the developmental clock of adult cells to produce stem cells, which can then be grown into completely different tissues, such as neurons and beating heart cells.

The technique is already being used to gain unprecedented insights into debilitating and incurable diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease, but ultimately scientists hope they will be able to treat patients by reprogramming their cells to make healthy replacement tissues and organs.

The discovery leads a top ten of major advances announced by the prestigious US journal Science. It was chosen because it "opened a new field of biology almost overnight and holds out hope of life-saving medical advances," said Robert Coontz, an editor on the publication.

Scientists first showed they could transform adult cells into stem cells in experiments on mice two years ago. This year, they built on the work and made spectacular progress in humans.

In July, researchers at the Harvard Stem Cell Institute in Boston plucked skin cells from an 82-year-old woman with motor neurone disease and reprogrammed them into stem cells, before turning these into spinal cord nerves. By watching the nerves grow in the lab, the scientists can see how the disease takes hold and progresses, which is impossible to observe in a living patient.

Only a week later, another team created stem cells from patients with 10 other medical conditions, including muscular dystrophy, type 1 diabetes and Down's syndrome. Researchers are now focusing on boosting the safety and efficiency of the technique.

Second place on the list of breakthroughs was awarded for the first direct observation of a planet beyond our own solar system. Scientists first confirmed that there were worlds orbiting other stars in the 1980s, though they did so indirectly. The majority of the more than 300 "extrasolar planets" now known were spotted by watching the tiny wobble in stars' position as enormous, Jupiter-sized planets swung around them.

This year, scientists announced that they had seen shimmers of light from the planets themselves. They are just faint pinpricks of light in space, but they will give astronomers clues to what those distant planets are made of and how they formed.

The remaining eight breakthroughs are not ranked in any particular order but cover the breadth of science from the genetics of cancer and renewable sources of energy, to an unprecedented understanding of "good fat", and a way of calculating the mass of the universe.

Scientists at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory in Heidelberg, Germany, made the top 10 list for developing a laser microscope to capture the dance of cells inside a fertilised egg as it grows into an embryo. By rewinding the video of a zebrafish embryo, the researchers were able to trace the origin of cells that formed specific tissues, such as the retina at the back of the eye.

The year saw a flurry of genomes published, from that of the woolly mammoth to individual cancer patients, a feat aided by a surge in new genetic sequencing techniques, which also made the top ten. Joining them was research on two of the deadliest cancers, pancreatic and brain tumours, which revealed dozens of mutations that had made the cells go awry.

Another notable breakthrough involved research into brown fat tissue, which burns "bad" white fat to generate heat for the body. Scientists found that brown fat is remarkably similar to muscle, a discovery that could lead to new treatments for obesity.

The remaining top 10 scientific discoveries included a new family of superconductors that can carry electricity without resistance; a way to watch proteins at work; a catalyst that can split water into hydrogen and oxygen, and so provide renewable energy; and a calculation that predicts the mass of two of the building blocks of matter, the proton and neutron.

Stem Cells may end the need for heart transplants

2008-12-14T18:10:00.000-08:00

British scientists have developed a new technique that can rebuild a severely damaged heart, and one day, might replace the need for transplantation.
Researchers at Imperial College London revealed that stem cell heart surgery can help repair damaged hearts using progenitor cells derived from patients’ own cardiac muscle.
They have discovered a way to extract, grow in the laboratory and then graft on a patient’s own muscle-building cells which then can be used to patch up the heart and increase its pumping power
Moreover, it can increase the quality of life for people who suffer a heart attack.
“This could transform the care for patients who have had heart attacks or have heart disease,” the Telegraph quoted Dr Nicholas Boon, President of the British Cardiovascular Society as saying.
“Because the cell therapy uses a patient’s own cells, it negates the risks or complications associated with other treatment options such as rejection linked to transplantation,” Boon added.
Researchers led by American Professor Michael Schneider have discovered a way to rejuvenate hearts using specialist versions of heart stem cells - known as “progenitor” cells - found in small quantities in human hearts.
The research team isolated the special cells from human hearts and cloned them in the lab. They then used a proprietary, non-toxic technique to multiply them.
The technique was found to be effective in trials conducted using mouse model and it did lead to the formation of new heart tissue.
“It’s very exciting - and we could be doing human trials within three years,” said Professor Schneider.
“This is pretty cutting edge stuff, in an ideal world, we could have a situation where patients with heart disease have their disease reversed as healthy tissue grows back.
“We hope that at the very least this will make the lives of those suffering from heart disease easier - allow them to get up stairs and do more things in their daily lives.
“The more ambitious hope is that will eventually keep people out of hospital and make them live longer,” he added. (ANI)

Vatican issues major new bioethics document

2008-12-13T02:36:00.000-08:00

Associated Press

VATICAN CITY (AP) — The Vatican raised its opposition to embryonic stem cell research, the morning-after pill, in vitro fertilization and human cloning to a new level Friday in a major new document on bioethics.

But in the document, the Vatican also said it approved of some forms of gene therapy and encouraged stem cell research using adult cells. And it said parents could in good conscience inoculate their children with vaccines produced with cells derived from aborted fetuses.

The Vatican's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith issued "The Dignity of a Person" to answer bioethical questions that have emerged in the two decades since its last such document was published.

With it, the Vatican has essentially confirmed in a single, authoritative instruction the opinions of the Pontifical Academy for Life, a Vatican advisory body that has debated these issues for years.

The Vatican's overall position is formed by its belief that human life begins at conception, and must be afforded all the consequent respect and dignity from that moment on. The Vatican also holds that human life should be created through intercourse between husband and wife, not in a petri dish.

As a result, the Vatican said it opposed the morning-after pill, even if it doesn't cause an abortion, because an abortion was "intended." In the use of drugs such as RU-486, which causes the elimination of the embryo once it is implanted, the "sin of abortion" is committed; their use is thus "gravely immoral."

The Vatican also said it opposed in vitro fertilization because it involves separating conception from the "conjugal act" and often results in the destruction of embryos. The Vatican supports, however, techniques that help couples overcome obstacles to getting pregnant.

In the document, the Vatican elaborated on a host of issues surrounding assisted fertility, saying it:

_Opposed the selective reduction of embryos often used in in vitro procedures since it essentially is abortion.

_Opposed pre-implantation diagnosis of embryos since it may be followed by the destruction of those embryos deemed defective or otherwise undesirable.

_Opposed freezing embryos, since it is "incompatible with the respect owed to human embryos" and also means they were created in vitro.

It said that, while freezing eggs is not in itself immoral, it becomes unacceptable when it occurs for the sake of artificial procreation.

The Vatican lauded as "praiseworthy" the suggestion by some to let infertile couples "adopt" the thousands of frozen embryos that have been produced in vitro over the years. But it said such adoptions present a host of medical, psychological and legal problems.

The instruction also weighed in on research involving stem cells, cloning and gene therapy.

The Vatican stressed that it fully supported research involving adult stem cells. But it said obtaining stem cells from a living embryo, even for the sake of effective therapies, was "gravely illicit."

It said gene therapy on regular cells in the body other than reproductive ones was in principle morally licit since it sought to "restore the normal genetic configuration of the patient or to counter damage caused by genetic anomalies."

But it said that cell therapy which seeks to correct genetic defects with the aim of transmitting the therapy onto offspring was more problematic.

"Because the risks connected to any genetic manipulation are considerable and as yet not fully controllable, in the present state of research, it is not morally permissible to act in a way that may cause harm to the resulting progeny," the document said.

In the document, the Vatican also:

_Repeated its opposition to human cloning for both medical therapies and reproduction. Such techniques could result in an individual being subjected to a form of "biological slavery from which it would be difficult to free himself."

_Said parents could in good conscience use a vaccine for their children that was developed using cell lines from an "illicit origin." Religious groups in the United States have pressed the Vatican to issue a statement concerning the morality of using vaccines developed using cell lines derived from aborted fetuses.

"Grave reasons may be morally proportionate to justify the use of such 'biological material,'" the instruction said, adding that the parents would have to make known their disagreement with the way the vaccines were developed and press for alternatives.

But the document was very strong in stressing that researchers using such material were in a different position and had a greater degree of responsibility. It said they had a moral duty to remove themselves from the "evil aspects" of the original, illicit act — even if they and their institutions had nothing to do with it.

Making Stem Cells More Therapeutically Effective

2008-12-11T17:37:00.000-08:00

Simple chemical procedure augments therapeutic potential of stem cells - 2008-12-09
FINDINGS: Researchers have developed a simple method for making a certain class of adult stem cells more therapeutically effective. By attaching a molecule called SLeX to the surface of human cells extracted from bone marrow, researchers have altered how the cells travel through vessels. This might enable the cells to more effectively reach sites of injury and replace damaged tissue.

RELEVANCE: The cultured cells include mesenchymal stem cells, which can form fat cells, cartilage, bone, tendon and ligaments, muscle cells, and even nerve cells. When injected into the bloodstream of patients, mesenchymal stem cells can home to the site of an injury and replace damaged tissue. But just a fraction of the mesenchymal stem cells currently reach their target in clinical trials. One problem is that the cells lose their ability to roll along the walls of blood vessels when they grow and divide in a dish. The new technique should prevent cultured cells from drifting passively through the bloodstream, potentially enabling more of them to migrate out of the vessels into the surrounding tissue.

Adult stem cells resemble couch potatoes if they hang out and divide in a dish for too long. They get fat and lose key surface proteins, which interferes with their movement and reduces their therapeutic potential. Now, via a simple chemical procedure, researchers have found a way to get these cells off the couch and over to their therapeutic target.

To do this, they simply added a molecule called SLeX to the surface of the cells. The procedure took just 45 minutes and restored an important biological function. “Delivery remains one of the biggest hurdles to stem cell therapy,” explains senior author Jeffrey Karp, an instructor at the Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology. “The blood stream offers a natural delivery vehicle, but stem cells don’t move through blood vessels normally after being expanded in culture. Our procedure promises to overcome this obstacle.”

These findings will be published online in the journal Bioconjugate Chemistry on Oct. 31. In order for cells injected into the blood stream to be therapeutically useful, they need to take initiative to reach target tissues. But instead, cultured stem cells go with the flow. They move through the body quickly, carried by the current, which means they seldom contact the sides of blood vessels. Thus, they have fewer opportunities to escape into the surrounding tissue by squeezing between cells of the vessel wall. Adult stem cells must escape before they can colonize surrounding tissue and rebuild damaged structures.

In February of 2008, HMS associate professor Robert Sackstein (at Brigham and Women’s Hospital) and colleagues showed they could correct this problem by adding a particular molecule to the surface of adult stem cells. This molecule—a cousin of SLeX—formed temporary connections with proteins on the blood vessel wall, serving as a kind of weak tape. But Sackstein’s method involved enzymes, which made the chemistry complicated. Karp’s team achieved the same result without enzymes.

Karp lab postdoc Debanjan Sarkar simply flooded a dish of cells with three molecules—biotin, streptavidin, and SLeX—one after the other. The biotin and streptavidin anchored SLeX to the cell surface. Sarkar tweaked the concentrations of each molecule to maximize the cell’s ability to roll along the interior of the blood vessel, rather than getting lost in the flow. He also confirmed that the altered cells were still viable.

“The method is very simple,” says Sarkar, who is first author on the paper. “Plus, biotin and streptavidin work with many molecules, so labs can use this universal anchor we discovered to tackle other problems. They’re not limited to sticking SLeX on cells.” The team worked with human cells extracted from the bone marrow. The cultures included mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), which can form fat cells, cartilage, bone, tendon and ligaments, muscle cells, and even nerve cells. When injected into the bloodstream of patients, MSCs can home to the site of an injury and replace damaged tissue. But just a fraction of cultured MSCs currently reach their target in clinical trials. Karp’s procedure might improve their homing abilities.

Karp cautions that his lab’s discovery must be validated in animals, before doctors can apply it in the clinic. He’s collaborating with another lab to test the homing ability of the SLeX-dotted cells in mice. “We need to confirm that this rolling behavior translates into increased homing and tissue repair,” explains Karp. “We may need to tweak the cells further.”

“This is definitely an approach that should be tried,” adds Pamela Robey, chief of the Craniofacial and Skeletal Diseases Branch of the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research. Robey is working to reconstruct three-dimensional tissues with MSCs. “Jeff hasn’t tested the altered MSCs inside animals, and that’s really the gold-standard, but his in vitro data looks promising.” This research is supported by Brigham and Women’s Hospital. The authors report no conflicts of interest.

Simple chemical procedure augments therapeutic potential of stem cells - 2008-12-09
FINDINGS: Researchers have developed a simple method for making a certain class of adult stem cells more therapeutically effective. By attaching a molecule called SLeX to the surface of human cells extracted from bone marrow, researchers have altered how the cells travel through vessels. This might enable the cells to more effectively reach sites of injury and replace damaged tissue.

RELEVANCE: The cultured cells include mesenchymal stem cells, which can form fat cells, cartilage, bone, tendon and ligaments, muscle cells, and even nerve cells. When injected into the bloodstream of patients, mesenchymal stem cells can home to the site of an injury and replace damaged tissue. But just a fraction of the mesenchymal stem cells currently reach their target in clinical trials. One problem is that the cells lose their ability to roll along the walls of blood vessels when they grow and divide in a dish. The new technique should prevent cultured cells from drifting passively through the bloodstream, potentially enabling more of them to migrate out of the vessels into the surrounding tissue.

Adult stem cells resemble couch potatoes if they hang out and divide in a dish for too long. They get fat and lose key surface proteins, which interferes with their movement and reduces their therapeutic potential. Now, via a simple chemical procedure, researchers have found a way to get these cells off the couch and over to their therapeutic target.

To do this, they simply added a molecule called SLeX to the surface of the cells. The procedure took just 45 minutes and restored an important biological function. “Delivery remains one of the biggest hurdles to stem cell therapy,” explains senior author Jeffrey Karp, an instructor at the Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology. “The blood stream offers a natural delivery vehicle, but stem cells don’t move through blood vessels normally after being expanded in culture. Our procedure promises to overcome this obstacle.”

These findings will be published online in the journal Bioconjugate Chemistry on Oct. 31. In order for cells injected into the blood stream to be therapeutically useful, they need to take initiative to reach target tissues. But instead, cultured stem cells go with the flow. They move through the body quickly, carried by the current, which means they seldom contact the sides of blood vessels. Thus, they have fewer opportunities to escape into the surrounding tissue by squeezing between cells of the vessel wall. Adult stem cells must escape before they can colonize surrounding tissue and rebuild damaged structures.

In February of 2008, HMS associate professor Robert Sackstein (at Brigham and Women’s Hospital) and colleagues showed they could correct this problem by adding a particular molecule to the surface of adult stem cells. This molecule—a cousin of SLeX—formed temporary connections with proteins on the blood vessel wall, serving as a kind of weak tape. But Sackstein’s method involved enzymes, which made the chemistry complicated. Karp’s team achieved the same result without enzymes.

Karp lab postdoc Debanjan Sarkar simply flooded a dish of cells with three molecules—biotin, streptavidin, and SLeX—one after the other. The biotin and streptavidin anchored SLeX to the cell surface. Sarkar tweaked the concentrations of each molecule to maximize the cell’s ability to roll along the interior of the blood vessel, rather than getting lost in the flow. He also confirmed that the altered cells were still viable.

“The method is very simple,” says Sarkar, who is first author on the paper. “Plus, biotin and streptavidin work with many molecules, so labs can use this universal anchor we discovered to tackle other problems. They’re not limited to sticking SLeX on cells.” The team worked with human cells extracted from the bone marrow. The cultures included mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), which can form fat cells, cartilage, bone, tendon and ligaments, muscle cells, and even nerve cells. When injected into the bloodstream of patients, MSCs can home to the site of an injury and replace damaged tissue. But just a fraction of cultured MSCs currently reach their target in clinical trials. Karp’s procedure might improve their homing abilities.

Karp cautions that his lab’s discovery must be validated in animals, before doctors can apply it in the clinic. He’s collaborating with another lab to test the homing ability of the SLeX-dotted cells in mice. “We need to confirm that this rolling behavior translates into increased homing and tissue repair,” explains Karp. “We may need to tweak the cells further.”

“This is definitely an approach that should be tried,” adds Pamela Robey, chief of the Craniofacial and Skeletal Diseases Branch of the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research. Robey is working to reconstruct three-dimensional tissues with MSCs. “Jeff hasn’t tested the altered MSCs inside animals, and that’s really the gold-standard, but his in vitro data looks promising.” This research is supported by Brigham and Women’s Hospital. The authors report no conflicts of interest.

Simple chemical procedure augments therapeutic potential of stem cells - 2008-12-09
FINDINGS: Researchers have developed a simple method for making a certain class of adult stem cells more therapeutically effective. By attaching a molecule called SLeX to the surface of human cells extracted from bone marrow, researchers have altered how the cells travel through vessels. This might enable the cells to more effectively reach sites of injury and replace damaged tissue.

RELEVANCE: The cultured cells include mesenchymal stem cells, which can form fat cells, cartilage, bone, tendon and ligaments, muscle cells, and even nerve cells. When injected into the bloodstream of patients, mesenchymal stem cells can home to the site of an injury and replace damaged tissue. But just a fraction of the mesenchymal stem cells currently reach their target in clinical trials. One problem is that the cells lose their ability to roll along the walls of blood vessels when they grow and divide in a dish. The new technique should prevent cultured cells from drifting passively through the bloodstream, potentially enabling more of them to migrate out of the vessels into the surrounding tissue.

Adult stem cells resemble couch potatoes if they hang out and divide in a dish for too long. They get fat and lose key surface proteins, which interferes with their movement and reduces their therapeutic potential. Now, via a simple chemical procedure, researchers have found a way to get these cells off the couch and over to their therapeutic target.

To do this, they simply added a molecule called SLeX to the surface of the cells. The procedure took just 45 minutes and restored an important biological function. “Delivery remains one of the biggest hurdles to stem cell therapy,” explains senior author Jeffrey Karp, an instructor at the Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology. “The blood stream offers a natural delivery vehicle, but stem cells don’t move through blood vessels normally after being expanded in culture. Our procedure promises to overcome this obstacle.”

These findings will be published online in the journal Bioconjugate Chemistry on Oct. 31. In order for cells injected into the blood stream to be therapeutically useful, they need to take initiative to reach target tissues. But instead, cultured stem cells go with the flow. They move through the body quickly, carried by the current, which means they seldom contact the sides of blood vessels. Thus, they have fewer opportunities to escape into the surrounding tissue by squeezing between cells of the vessel wall. Adult stem cells must escape before they can colonize surrounding tissue and rebuild damaged structures.

In February of 2008, HMS associate professor Robert Sackstein (at Brigham and Women’s Hospital) and colleagues showed they could correct this problem by adding a particular molecule to the surface of adult stem cells. This molecule—a cousin of SLeX—formed temporary connections with proteins on the blood vessel wall, serving as a kind of weak tape. But Sackstein’s method involved enzymes, which made the chemistry complicated. Karp’s team achieved the same result without enzymes.

Karp lab postdoc Debanjan Sarkar simply flooded a dish of cells with three molecules—biotin, streptavidin, and SLeX—one after the other. The biotin and streptavidin anchored SLeX to the cell surface. Sarkar tweaked the concentrations of each molecule to maximize the cell’s ability to roll along the interior of the blood vessel, rather than getting lost in the flow. He also confirmed that the altered cells were still viable.

“The method is very simple,” says Sarkar, who is first author on the paper. “Plus, biotin and streptavidin work with many molecules, so labs can use this universal anchor we discovered to tackle other problems. They’re not limited to sticking SLeX on cells.” The team worked with human cells extracted from the bone marrow. The cultures included mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), which can form fat cells, cartilage, bone, tendon and ligaments, muscle cells, and even nerve cells. When injected into the bloodstream of patients, MSCs can home to the site of an injury and replace damaged tissue. But just a fraction of cultured MSCs currently reach their target in clinical trials. Karp’s procedure might improve their homing abilities.

Karp cautions that his lab’s discovery must be validated in animals, before doctors can apply it in the clinic. He’s collaborating with another lab to test the homing ability of the SLeX-dotted cells in mice. “We need to confirm that this rolling behavior translates into increased homing and tissue repair,” explains Karp. “We may need to tweak the cells further.”

“This is definitely an approach that should be tried,” adds Pamela Robey, chief of the Craniofacial and Skeletal Diseases Branch of the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research. Robey is working to reconstruct three-dimensional tissues with MSCs. “Jeff hasn’t tested the altered MSCs inside animals, and that’s really the gold-standard, but his in vitro data looks promising.” This research is supported by Brigham and Women’s Hospital. The authors report no conflicts of interest.

Simple chemical procedure augments therapeutic potential of stem cells - 2008-12-09
FINDINGS: Researchers have developed a simple method for making a certain class of adult stem cells more therapeutically effective. By attaching a molecule called SLeX to the surface of human cells extracted from bone marrow, researchers have altered how the cells travel through vessels. This might enable the cells to more effectively reach sites of injury and replace damaged tissue.

RELEVANCE: The cultured cells include mesenchymal stem cells, which can form fat cells, cartilage, bone, tendon and ligaments, muscle cells, and even nerve cells. When injected into the bloodstream of patients, mesenchymal stem cells can home to the site of an injury and replace damaged tissue. But just a fraction of the mesenchymal stem cells currently reach their target in clinical trials. One problem is that the cells lose their ability to roll along the walls of blood vessels when they grow and divide in a dish. The new technique should prevent cultured cells from drifting passively through the bloodstream, potentially enabling more of them to migrate out of the vessels into the surrounding tissue.

Adult stem cells resemble couch potatoes if they hang out and divide in a dish for too long. They get fat and lose key surface proteins, which interferes with their movement and reduces their therapeutic potential. Now, via a simple chemical procedure, researchers have found a way to get these cells off the couch and over to their therapeutic target.

To do this, they simply added a molecule called SLeX to the surface of the cells. The procedure took just 45 minutes and restored an important biological function. “Delivery remains one of the biggest hurdles to stem cell therapy,” explains senior author Jeffrey Karp, an instructor at the Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology. “The blood stream offers a natural delivery vehicle, but stem cells don’t move through blood vessels normally after being expanded in culture. Our procedure promises to overcome this obstacle.”

These findings will be published online in the journal Bioconjugate Chemistry on Oct. 31. In order for cells injected into the blood stream to be therapeutically useful, they need to take initiative to reach target tissues. But instead, cultured stem cells go with the flow. They move through the body quickly, carried by the current, which means they seldom contact the sides of blood vessels. Thus, they have fewer opportunities to escape into the surrounding tissue by squeezing between cells of the vessel wall. Adult stem cells must escape before they can colonize surrounding tissue and rebuild damaged structures.

In February of 2008, HMS associate professor Robert Sackstein (at Brigham and Women’s Hospital) and colleagues showed they could correct this problem by adding a particular molecule to the surface of adult stem cells. This molecule—a cousin of SLeX—formed temporary connections with proteins on the blood vessel wall, serving as a kind of weak tape. But Sackstein’s method involved enzymes, which made the chemistry complicated. Karp’s team achieved the same result without enzymes.

Karp lab postdoc Debanjan Sarkar simply flooded a dish of cells with three molecules—biotin, streptavidin, and SLeX—one after the other. The biotin and streptavidin anchored SLeX to the cell surface. Sarkar tweaked the concentrations of each molecule to maximize the cell’s ability to roll along the interior of the blood vessel, rather than getting lost in the flow. He also confirmed that the altered cells were still viable.

“The method is very simple,” says Sarkar, who is first author on the paper. “Plus, biotin and streptavidin work with many molecules, so labs can use this universal anchor we discovered to tackle other problems. They’re not limited to sticking SLeX on cells.” The team worked with human cells extracted from the bone marrow. The cultures included mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), which can form fat cells, cartilage, bone, tendon and ligaments, muscle cells, and even nerve cells. When injected into the bloodstream of patients, MSCs can home to the site of an injury and replace damaged tissue. But just a fraction of cultured MSCs currently reach their target in clinical trials. Karp’s procedure might improve their homing abilities.

Karp cautions that his lab’s discovery must be validated in animals, before doctors can apply it in the clinic. He’s collaborating with another lab to test the homing ability of the SLeX-dotted cells in mice. “We need to confirm that this rolling behavior translates into increased homing and tissue repair,” explains Karp. “We may need to tweak the cells further.”

“This is definitely an approach that should be tried,” adds Pamela Robey, chief of the Craniofacial and Skeletal Diseases Branch of the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research. Robey is working to reconstruct three-dimensional tissues with MSCs. “Jeff hasn’t tested the altered MSCs inside animals, and that’s really the gold-standard, but his in vitro data looks promising.” This research is supported by Brigham and Women’s Hospital. The authors report no conflicts of interest.

FINDINGS: Researchers have developed a simple method for making a certain class of adult stem cells more therapeutically effective. By attaching a molecule called SLeX to the surface of human cells extracted from bone marrow, researchers have altered how the cells travel through vessels. This might enable the cells to more effectively reach sites of injury and replace damaged tissue.

RELEVANCE: The cultured cells include mesenchymal stem cells, which can form fat cells, cartilage, bone, tendon and ligaments, muscle cells, and even nerve cells. When injected into the bloodstream of patients, mesenchymal stem cells can home to the site of an injury and replace damaged tissue. But just a fraction of the mesenchymal stem cells currently reach their target in clinical trials. One problem is that the cells lose their ability to roll along the walls of blood vessels when they grow and divide in a dish. The new technique should prevent cultured cells from drifting passively through the bloodstream, potentially enabling more of them to migrate out of the vessels into the surrounding tissue.

Adult stem cells resemble couch potatoes if they hang out and divide in a dish for too long. They get fat and lose key surface proteins, which interferes with their movement and reduces their therapeutic potential. Now, via a simple chemical procedure, researchers have found a way to get these cells off the couch and over to their therapeutic target.

To do this, they simply added a molecule called SLeX to the surface of the cells. The procedure took just 45 minutes and restored an important biological function. “Delivery remains one of the biggest hurdles to stem cell therapy,” explains senior author Jeffrey Karp, an instructor at the Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology. “The blood stream offers a natural delivery vehicle, but stem cells don’t move through blood vessels normally after being expanded in culture. Our procedure promises to overcome this obstacle.”

These findings will be published online in the journal Bioconjugate Chemistry on Oct. 31. In order for cells injected into the blood stream to be therapeutically useful, they need to take initiative to reach target tissues. But instead, cultured stem cells go with the flow. They move through the body quickly, carried by the current, which means they seldom contact the sides of blood vessels. Thus, they have fewer opportunities to escape into the surrounding tissue by squeezing between cells of the vessel wall. Adult stem cells must escape before they can colonize surrounding tissue and rebuild damaged structures.

In February of 2008, HMS associate professor Robert Sackstein (at Brigham and Women’s Hospital) and colleagues showed they could correct this problem by adding a particular molecule to the surface of adult stem cells. This molecule—a cousin of SLeX—formed temporary connections with proteins on the blood vessel wall, serving as a kind of weak tape. But Sackstein’s method involved enzymes, which made the chemistry complicated. Karp’s team achieved the same result without enzymes.

Karp lab postdoc Debanjan Sarkar simply flooded a dish of cells with three molecules—biotin, streptavidin, and SLeX—one after the other. The biotin and streptavidin anchored SLeX to the cell surface. Sarkar tweaked the concentrations of each molecule to maximize the cell’s ability to roll along the interior of the blood vessel, rather than getting lost in the flow. He also confirmed that the altered cells were still viable.

“The method is very simple,” says Sarkar, who is first author on the paper. “Plus, biotin and streptavidin work with many molecules, so labs can use this universal anchor we discovered to tackle other problems. They’re not limited to sticking SLeX on cells.” The team worked with human cells extracted from the bone marrow. The cultures included mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), which can form fat cells, cartilage, bone, tendon and ligaments, muscle cells, and even nerve cells. When injected into the bloodstream of patients, MSCs can home to the site of an injury and replace damaged tissue. But just a fraction of cultured MSCs currently reach their target in clinical trials. Karp’s procedure might improve their homing abilities.

Karp cautions that his lab’s discovery must be validated in animals, before doctors can apply it in the clinic. He’s collaborating with another lab to test the homing ability of the SLeX-dotted cells in mice. “We need to confirm that this rolling behavior translates into increased homing and tissue repair,” explains Karp. “We may need to tweak the cells further.”

“This is definitely an approach that should be tried,” adds Pamela Robey, chief of the Craniofacial and Skeletal Diseases Branch of the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research. Robey is working to reconstruct three-dimensional tissues with MSCs. “Jeff hasn’t tested the altered MSCs inside animals, and that’s really the gold-standard, but his in vitro data looks promising.” This research is supported by Brigham and Women’s Hospital. The authors report no conflicts of interest.

Adult Stem Cells Triumph Over Leukemia

2008-12-11T17:30:00.000-08:00

Lifewatch: Stem cell cancer treatment

Reported by Claire Hosmann - email
Posted by Debra Worley - email
(WECT) - A little boy's parents were told he wasn't going to make it to his third birthday.
There are some types of childhood leukemia where chemotherapy and radiation don't work. These cancers are often fatal, even with aggressive treatment.
Now, doctors are turning to experimental stem cell therapies to give kids a fighting chance.
Adolfo Gonzalez will never forget the day his 2-year-old son was born. The excitement turned to devastation one year later when a doctor diagnosed little Adolfo with a rare form of leukemia called JMML.
"He said with or without treatment, your son will not survive," said Gonzalez.
Instead of giving up, the family found Dr. Gary Kleiner.
"Most of the cases are fatal by the time the child is three years old," said Dr. Kleiner.
Dr. Kleiner enrolled Adolfo in a trail testing umbilical cord blood transfusions.
"The stem cells from the cord blood started to grow in his own bone marrow and his white count started to increase back to normal, "said Dr. Kleiner.
The new blood created by the stem cells replaced all of Adolfo's blood and eliminated the leukemia cells in his body.
"Once 100 percent of your blood is converted over to the cord blood, it's rare to see a relapse of leukemia," said Dr. Kleiner.
But, Adolfo's troubles weren't over. His new cells began to attack his body. Standard drugs didn't help, so doctors turned to stem cells, once again.
As part of another experimental treatment, Adolfo received eight infusions of adult stem cells to stop the destruction.
It worked. Today there is no evidence of cancer in his body.
Adolfo may not remember the tough first years of his live, but that's okay by his dad.
"He's going to be a great little boy. He's going to be just a normal little kid," said Gonzalez.
The cord blood for Adolfo's transfusion came from a public cord blood bank. Parents can choose to donate their babies cord blood shortly after birth.

BACKGROUND: Juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia (JMML) is a rare form of childhood leukemia. The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society says JMML represents only 1.5 percent of childhood leukemias and occurs most often in infants and children under four years of age. The adult form of the disease is called chronic myelomonocytic leukemia. Both JMML and CMML originate in a marrow cell that normally forms blood cells.
Children with JMML are lethargic and have fever, persistent infections and exaggerated bleeding in the skin, mouth or nose. Enlargement of the spleen and lymph nodes are common symptoms. The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society says over half of children with JMML have skin rashes, small, yellow-colored skin tumors, and multiple brown spots. The brown spots point to neurofibromatosis, which causes the growth of tumors in nerve cells.
TREATMENT: The American Cancer Society says there is no standard treatment for the disease, and an allogeneic, or donor, stem cell transplant offers the best chance to cure JMML. The JMML Foundation says this kind of therapy has about a 50 percent survival rate, and the risk of relapsing after the transplant is as high as 50 percent; however, experts still recommend a patient have a bone marrow transplant as soon as possible after diagnosis. Studies to examine other possible treatments for JMML are ongoing. One involves Etanercept (Enbrel), a drug that blocks a hormone known to play a role in helping leukemic cells grow. The drug is already FDA approved for use in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.
Since trials using chemotherapy and radiation to treat JMML have been unsuccessful, researchers highly recommend stem cell transplants. One method of receiving stem cells currently under investigation is through donor umbilical cord blood. Patients in the study receive chemotherapy to destroy leukemic cells and then receive umbilical cord blood from a donor or cord blood bank.
The new blood helps replenish the patient's white blood cell count. Gary Kleiner, M.D., Ph.D., a pediatric immunologist at the University of Miami School of Medicine in Miami, Fla., says one of the advantages of cord blood over bone marrow is it's easier to find donors in Hispanic or African American populations.

Stems cells can help pets, too

2008-12-11T17:27:00.000-08:00

The Argus
Posted: 12/08/2008 05:25:54 PM PST

Millions of dogs suffer the aches and discomfort of arthritis. Millions more may be hurting without any obvious signs.
Now, a new science, using cells derived from the pet's own fat, may bring relief to many painful pooches.
When your pet has arthritis, you can almost feel the pain he is suffering. You watch as he struggles to rise from his bed, cringe as he slowly ascends the stairs, and can even hear the creaks and groans as he stretches out before his morning walk.
More than 15 million dogs in North America suffer some form of degenerative joint disease, better known as arthritis. Unfortunately, many dog owners are unaware of the pain their pet is experiencing, chalking up the slow movement to the effects of "old age."
Some dogs may receive daily doses of pain relievers and oral joint care supplements. Still others might find their way to physical therapy or rehabilitation. Some lucky pets even get ramps built in their homes, sparing them the need to climb the dreaded stairs.
But for some, these options are not enough to relieve the pain.
Sadly, many owners decide to euthanize their faithful companion because of the severity of the pain or the continued high cost of treatment.
But a potentially helpful treatment may be on the horizon — stem cell therapy.
Recently, a company developed a therapy to treat arthritis in dogs using the pet's own fat tissue.
Stem cells are precursor cells that have the potential to develop into a variety of specialized cell types.
Most people may equate this technology with the controversial use of embryonic stem cells. But this new technology uses adult stem cells derived from the fat of the pet. Since they are the pet's own cells, there is no ethical debate.
Recently, a detailed study on the use of fat-derived stem cells in dogs showed that animals receiving the treatment demonstrated a significant improvement in lameness when compared to dogs in the control group. This news has excited scientists and pet owners alike, and has many asking their veterinarians about the potential for a real world application.
All of this seems pretty miraculous and for some pets, the results are truly nothing short of a lifesaving miracle.
Some veterinarians are skeptical, however, and would like to see more controlled studies. It also is important to note several obstacles may stand in the way of your pet's pain relief.
First, not all pets are considered good candidates for this therapy.
Since anesthesia is involved in both the harvesting step and the reintroduction of the cells, this may not be ideal for patients at increased risk for anesthetics.
Additionally, according to Dr. Bob Harman, any dog with serious systemic disease, such as cancer, might not benefit from these treatments.
Next, as this therapy is only available through specially trained veterinarians, finding a credentialed doctor may take a little time.
And even though we have great feedback from owners, this is not a one shot therapy. Some pets need to return regularly for follow-up treatments. Scientists report that overexertion after treatment seems to lessen the benefits of the treatment, often leading to another trip to the veterinarian.
Finally, cost will certainly come into play as owners and veterinarians discuss this option.
Arthritis can be painful and even debilitating in any dog.
If you suspect your dog suffers from this disease, talk with your veterinarian about testing to confirm arthritis and then discuss the many treatment options.
Veterinarians will recommend a multimodal approach, combining appropriate medications, controlled exercise, weight loss, and environmental changes to make your dog's life easier.
In some cases, new technology, like stem cell therapy, might be beneficial.

Stem cell team forges global links

2008-12-11T17:23:00.000-08:00

Scientists and regulators are straining to keep up with the rapid progress of stem cell science, writes Leigh Dayton | December 06, 2008
Article from: The Australian

IT'S been a busy week in the lab for stem cell scientist Richard Boyd.

Not only were Boyd and his colleagues beavering away at the bench, they hosted four members of a dozen-strong delegation of biotech and pharmaceutical experts from China, showing the visitors their scientific wares and discussing possible joint ventures.

"We've also had a lot of interest to collaborate from Taiwan, Singapore, Qatar, Dubai and Abu Dhabi," says Boyd, deputy director of Monash University's Monash Immunology Stem Cell Laboratories, or MISCL for short.

It's little wonder that international players are seeking out Boyd and his team. They're ready to take two experimental stem cell therapies -- based on a type of adult stem cells called mesenchymal stem cells -- into the clinic to see if they help people suffering the after-effects of chemotherapy or the ravages of auto-immune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis.

Just back from a trip to China himself, Boyd is confident the trials will happen soon at centres in Beijing and Harbin. If so, they will be just two of many possible and ongoing international collaborations that promise to turn Australian stem cell research into real-world products and treatments for serious conditions as diverse as diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

Worldwide co-operation is the name of the game at the highest levels of stem cell science, and Australian groups such as Boyd's are major players.

In fact, last June an analysis of the performance of 16 countries engaged in human embryonic (ES) stem cell research was reported in the journal Cell Stem Cell by public policy expert Aaron Levine at the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta. He concluded that Australia was among the top five "over-performing" nations, behind Singapore, China, Israel and the UK. Unlikely as it seems, Levin found that the US was a major under-performer (doi 10.1016/j.stem.2008.05.008).

Such good news may come as a surprise. After all, it's no secret that the hub of Australia's stem cell endeavours -- the Melbourne-based Australian Centre for Stem Cell Research -- has fallen on troubled times. As reported last September in Weekend Health, internal disputes, a scathing independent review of the centre's management and progress, sackings, resignations and "please explains" from Science Minister Kim Carr have left the ultimate fate of the ASCC in limbo.

Right now Carr has received the final report of the 2008 Review of the Australian Stem Cell Centre, which is understood to contain detailed recommendations about the ASCC's destiny. A spokeswoman for the minister says Carr is awaiting advice from his department about public release of the document.

Carr has also asked the centre's interim board and CEO to develop a new modus vivendi and business plan, to be submitted to him next March.

It's not as if the ASCC has closed shop. Stem cell scientist Megan Munsie, ASCC director of government affairs and policy, notes the centre continues to fund and conduct research and is carrying on with educational and international activities.

There is obviously, though, widespread concern within the research community that the centre will not survive beyond 2011 when current funding arrangements end -- if it gets that far. Researchers such as Boyd worry that the pioneering work on policy, ethical guidelines, regulation and national and global leadership, let alone on stem cells themselves, could be tossed out with the ASCC bathwater.

"That's why we don't want to lose the initiative here in Australia," argues Boyd. "All the glory will go elsewhere overseas, not here where we did the hard work."

But for now Carr won't offer any assurances that the ASCC, or any national body, will exist post-2011. Researchers must be content with noises of general support, as this from his spokeswoman: "Stem cell research is at the cutting edge of scientific endeavour, and the Government is firmly behind this fast-moving science. The potential of stem cell science is enormous, both in terms of growing healthy tissue to replace diseased or damaged organs and developing therapies for a wide range of debilitating diseases, including cancer and heart disease."

Meanwhile, as the University of Western Australia's George Yeoh says, "life goes on". Yeoh is an expert in liver diseases and adult liver stem cells, and also associate dean of research at the UWA Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Science. He agrees the "hiccup" at the ASCC has slowed his group's progress: "It was an infrastructure for the provision of cells (for research), expertise and it ran workshops and meetings." Regardless, Yeoh claims formal and informal networks of stem cell scientists, clinicians and people with allied expertise in areas such as biomedicine, biopharmacy and medical ethics can help plug the gap, at least for now.

A case in point is the brand new Australasian Society for Stem Cell Research. A few years ago Yeoh met up in Melbourne with a handful of colleagues, among them ASCC founding CEO Alan Trounson -- who is now head of the state-funded California Institute of Regenerative medicine in San Francisco -- and Bernie Tuch, director of the Diabetes Transplant Unit at the University of NSW. Their idea was to get something going for groups such as Yeoh's and Tuch's, whose areas do not neatly fit under the ASCC umbrella.

Last year MISCL scientist Susan Hawes -- an expert on how Human ES cells develop into liver cells -- grabbed the reins. The infant society held its first conference and AGM on November 17, during the Australian Health and Medical Research Congress in Brisbane.

Yeoh was elected inaugural president. "We need to fly the flag for stem cell research in Australia," he says, listing a string of goals and jobs to be done working with professional and promotional organisations such as the National Health and Medical Research Council, Research Australia and state-based networks like the NSW Stem Cell Network, headed by Tuch.

According to Tuch, the to-do list focuses on "translational research", readying products and treatments for human trials. That can be as specific as building a central source of home-grown stem cell lines -- from embryonic and adult to the new embryo-free induced pluripotent (iPS) stem cells which ASCC scientist Andrew Laslett and colleague Naoki Nakayama are studying.

At the broader level, Yeoh and Tuch argue for a specialist panel of the NHMRC to look after stem cell grant funding applications, because the field is progressing so rapidly. For example, iPS cells didn't exist a year ago, and progress like that challenges existing review systems.

"Stem cell applications are mixed in with everything else," explains Yeoh.

Similarly, the existing and internationally respected system for regulating stem cell research under federal anti-cloning and embryo research legislation needs tweaking to ensure researchers have a stem cell-specific regulatory framework to move their "translational research" into trials.

Currently the Therapeutic Goods Administration is developing guidelines for so-called Human Cellular and Tissue Therapies. A TGA spokesperson says legislation for the HCT regulatory framework should be ready for introduction to Parliament early next year, with a three-year phase in of implementation to begin in 2010.

Until then, it's catch-as-catch-can for the TGA, research groups and firms like Melbourne-based Mesoblast, which want to trial stem cell therapies -- so far all based on adult stem cells -- with patients. They can adapt existing TGA schemes, lean on guidelines for stem cell trials released this week by the International Society for Stem Cell Research, or team up with overseas centres.

But the push is coming for embryonic cells, and more. There's no need to guess why Richard Boyd's passport is well worn.

The two faces of medical tourism

2008-12-05T01:27:00.000-08:00

The U.S. Census Bureau Press Releases, recently released, show that there are now 47 million Americans without health insurance. They also show that the percentage of children without insurance rose for the second consecutive year.

While congressional hearings can be expected to grapple with this problem and the media salivate it will be interesting to see whether either the hearings or the media, or both, pile on medical tourism or embrace it as a way out of the mess.

Whatever happens in Washington the Asean region can expect savvy Americans to come to the region in droves in order to save money and to get better care. That is the pretty face of medical tourism.

A less attractive profile can be seen emerging from a conference in Istanbul, Turkey that drew experts from 78 countries, where a declaration was signed calling for a total ban on organ trafficking and transplant tourism.

It is a fact that there is an international shortage of suitable transplant organs and this shortage has given rise to shady deals mainly involving the sale of kidneys. The figures vary but it would seem that a very conservative 7000 kidneys are trafficked each year.

Like drug trafficking exploitation and big money are involved. The poor and uneducated donor gets around GBP500 and the broker around GBP50,000 minimum to arrange a transplant for a wealthy patient.

The Declaration published in The Lancet said: “Organ trafficking and transplant tourism violate the principles of equity, justice and respect for human dignity and should be prohibited.”

What can governments do? For a beginning they need to outlaw all advertising that in any way promotes or encourages the organ trade. They also need to increase the supply of legitimate transplant organs within their own borders.

With all the good things happening in medical tourism the last thing the industry needs is to be let down by the exploitative and unscrupulous few who are out to make a quick buck.

Adult stem cells triumph over Motor Neurone Disease

2008-11-19T02:48:00.000-08:00

A young man from Wales is one of the latest to have been reported upon after stem cell therapy for Motor Neuron Disease. At only 21 years of age he was one of the youngest recoreded to have been stricken with this devastating disease.
Umbilical cord blood-derived cells were used in a well tested protocol used in more than one country now. Instead of dying, the patient after more than a year later has found his muscle strength returning. He has experienced none of the expected deterioration and while needing help to walk, no longer needs a wheelchair.
Amazing stuff - a victory for the young man and for adult stem cells. yet the skeptics abound and the media persist in calling adult stem cells just stem cells - thus confusing the public into thinking that all stem cells are the same. This is thanks to the power of the embryonic stem cell lobby who lag so far behind that one wonders realistically if embryonic stem cells will ever get beyond the lab. I doubt it - meanwhile thousands of patients are being helped today by adult stem cells. Thank God for the miracle of 21st Century Regenerative medicine - and for the visionary scientists who have already made the protocols safe and effective for around 75% of sufferers of a wide range of diseases.

Will Obama take the stem cell road less traveled?

2008-11-12T20:49:00.000-08:00

President-elect Obama's first four year term will surely start with billions earmarked for what will never help anyone, but will enrich his constituency---embryonic stem cell research.

Those of you who consider him a god, should remember he is merely a politician who owes a debt to the multi-million dollar embryonic lobby. That organization's only goal is to grab taxpayer's money and to make sure little or none of it is wasted on Adult Stem Cells. Because Adult Stem Cells actually improve people's lives they might embarrass the embryonic lobby which will never, NEVER help anyone but themselves and their powerful friends.

We should try to help the Obama staff with scientific facts. We need allies who know what we know. We shall point out that Osiris, using stem cell science, intends to finish clinical trials for two diseases in 2010 and get the products to market to help people, while no clinical trials are even being considered for any embryonic science, nor will they ever be. It will be interesting to see if any lobby can prevent approval of Osiris's life-saving therapies---for the public has been cleverly brainwashed to believe that which works does not and that which does not work "holds the most promise."

We shall point to other companies such as Bioheart, also in clinical trials, who are ready to bring help to victims of "untreatable diseases." We must make sure both the White House and the congress knows it.

It is possible that Obama will do exactly what the Governor of California did----kill efforts to help people with Adult Stem Cells so he could make sure his embryonic-profiteering friends waste every American's tax money on what cannot possibly work. Or perhaps Obama will actually care about sick people and use half the money to help them instead of his political friends. We can never stop using our overwhelming scientific advantage for people who need it. We shall continue to embarrass the enemy with science, bringing the message to all who will listen. The enemy has tens of millions, we merely have the truth - that thousands of patients have been successfully treated with Adult Stem Cells in Asia, and elsewhere, and most have regained a quality of life they thought they had lost forever. We can only hope that the White House wakes up before it is too late.

Your comments would be greatly appreciated.

Physicians Wanted as Licensees

2008-10-30T03:43:00.000-07:00

We have been asked to find physicians from any country with an interest in adult stem cell therapy who would be interested in adding stem cell therapy to their practice.
The licensing process is simple and the company is a world leader in umbilical cord blood-derived therapies for a variety of conditions. A great business opportunity in regenerative medicine for the 21st Century.
Interested doctors please email: jaisong@fastmail.fm

Addictions now include message boards

2008-06-18T00:11:00.000-07:00

June 18th, 2008

There is a story about a New York man who was found dead at his computer, apparently the victim of trying to keep up with too many professional forums. Childress H. Wanamaker, 54, an account executive at a New York-based new media company, died of starvation. His emaciated body was found by his wife of 26 years, who had been bringing him meals on plastic trays for weeks, but he never took the time to eat them!

Luckily, like for all addictions, a superb programme is available at considerable savings in beautiful Thailand on the banks of the River Kwai. Tailor-made or 28 days residential care run by Westerners and the great thing is that you can supplement the programme with yoga etc. Where else can you get better and ride an elephant!! www.restoring-hope.com

Parents of children with Autism short-changed on Oprah Show

2008-06-02T23:39:00.000-07:00

June 2nd, 2008

A recent Oprah show seen here in Asia featured three parents of Autistic children and a few specialists of one sort or another. We saw the grief of parents faced with the challenges of raising an autistic child and learned that no two children are exactly the same - the common factor being that to varying degrees autism affects speech/language development, social interactions and behavior.

The spectrum of disorders puts parents into the sad situation of finding themselves on a treadmill of therapists - speech, occupational and behavioral - and medications, of course, and it never stops! The cost over many years is truly horrific and the whole family rotates around the needs of the suffering child.

Sadly, when it came to the possible causes we heard again about vaccines and various other theories, but the truth is no-one knows. It is likely that there is a genetic predisposition plus an environmental trigger, but the mechanism is not known.

Is there any help available? YES!!! - and no mention was made of it on the show. Many children have benefited from stem cell therapy. It’s early days yet in this exciting science but stem cells from a variety of sources have been found to make significant differences and improvements in speech, social behavior and some of the more florid traits autistic children sometimes display.

How sad that no mention was made of treatment. If a parent heard their child speak and relate better they would be overjoyed. There is hope - realistic hope of improvement and such help is available right now. Stem cells are, without any doubt, the future of medicine. They are safe and effective and at the very worst cannot possibly harm the child.

www.StemCells21.com

Adult stem cells rocket from research to bedside in just over a decade

2008-01-29T22:31:00.000-08:00

BANGKOK, Thailand, January 30 2008. Treatment with adult stem cells is a reality today around the world – just 11 years after the ground-breaking discovery of their healing and restorative power.

People searching for help for a wide variety of diseases are seeing the remarkable progress made by patients on video and learning that there is assistance available right now in world-class centers from medical experts.

It will take more years yet for extensive clinical trials to catch up, but already patients who do not have the time to wait are finding that they or their loved ones do not have to live with debilitating diseases that adversely compromise their lifestyle.

So what diseases are being successfully treated? Mr. Brian Dardzinski, CEO of Jai Communications Associates, an independent adult stem cell consultancy business, commented, ‘ We are seeing a global surge in inquiries, especially for diseases like autism, cerebral palsy, stroke, ALS and diabetes. Patients are listening to patients and can get unbiased advice from them. For many the reduction in symptoms borders on the miraculous.’

‘In just 11 years some 400 stem cell companies have raced to the market and there is a need for truly independent counsel in this area. Like any business each company will work to promote its own technology. Our job is patient-centered, finding the best provider for each of our patients,’ Mr. Dardzinski added. ‘Eleven years ago the scientists were saying it would take at least ten years for adult stem cell therapy to be commonplace in mainstream medicine and that exciting time has now come.’

Jai Communications Associates area global regenerative medicine consultancy based in Bangkok. They guide patients to the best providers and assist in licensing, JVs and investor inquiries. See www.stemcells21.com.

Adult stem cells rocket from research to bedside in just over a decade

2008-01-29T22:22:00.000-08:00

BANGKOK, Thailand, January 30 2008. Treatment with adult stem cells is a reality today around the world – just 11 years after the ground-breaking discovery of their healing and restorative power.

People searching for help for a wide variety of diseases are seeing the remarkable progress made by patients on video and learning that there is assistance available right now for in world-class centers from medical experts.

It will take more years yet for extensive clinical trials to catch up, but already patients who do not have the time to wait are finding that they or their loved one do not have to live with debilitating disease that adversely compromises their lifestyle.

So what diseases are being successfully treated? Mr. Brian Dardzinski, CEO of Jai Communications Associates, an independent adult stem cell consultancy business, commented, ‘ We are seeing a global surge in inquiries, especially for diseases like autism, cerebral palsy, stroke, ALS and diabetes. Patients are listening to patients and can get unbiased advice from them. For many the reduction in symptoms borders on the miraculous.’

‘In just 11 years some 400 stem cell companies have raced to the market and there is a need for truly independent counsel in this area. Like any business each company will work to promote its own technology. Our job is patient-centered, finding the best provider for each of our patients,’ Mr. Dardzinski added. ‘Eleven years ago the scientists were saying it would take at least ten years for adult stem cell therapy to be commonplace in mainstream medicine and that exciting time has now come.’

Jai Communications Associates area global regenerative medicine consultancy based in Bangkok. They guide patients to the best providers and assist in licensing, JVs and investor inquiries. See www.stemcells21.com.

Stem Cell Therapy for Cerebral Palsy Surges on Patient Outcomes

2008-01-28T20:29:00.000-08:00

BANGKOK, Thailand, 29 January 2007 - Parents of children who suffer from Cerebral Palsy are queuing up for the latest and most successful advance in treatment that is now available. Instead of physical therapy, surgery, appliances, speech and drug therapy that were all that could be done in the past, clinical studies and patient outcomes are showing the power and efficacy of stem cell therapy.

“Until now parents felt powerless, but typically they search for what is new and effective to help their child,” said Mr. Brian Dardzinski, who heads Jai Communications Associates, a Bangkok-based, independent, stem cell consultancy agency. “Parents are persistent because they are well informed and they know that within months of stem cell therapy most children experience significant symptom reduction. Feeding difficulties, spasticity and apraxia typically reduce to the point where physical therapy is no longer needed as dexterity improves. Imagine the joy of a parent as their child becomes categorized as of normal height, weight and developmental stage,” he added.

The age of waiting or thinking nothing can be done is, thankfully, over now. Because the stem cell therapy is autologous, (derived form the patient themselves), there is no risk of rejection and the body of evidence is growing daily that there is a new reality ‘out there’ for treating this disease. As a result of this awareness the numbers of parents seeking stem cell therapy for their child is soaring.

The term cerebral palsy refers to any one of a number of neurological disorders that appear in infancy or early childhood and permanently affect body movement and muscle coordination but don’t worsen over time. Even though cerebral palsy affects muscle movement, it isn’t caused by problems in the muscles or nerves. It is caused by abnormalities in parts of the brain that control muscle movements. The majority of children with cerebral palsy are born with it, although it may not be detected until months or years later. The early signs of cerebral palsy usually appear before a child reaches 3 years of age. The most common are a lack of muscle coordination when performing voluntary movements (ataxia); stiff or tight muscles and exaggerated reflexes (spasticity); walking with one foot or leg dragging; walking on the toes, a crouched gait, or a “scissored” gait; and muscle tone that is either too stiff or too floppy. A small number of children have cerebral palsy as the result of brain damage in the first few months or years of life, brain infections such as bacterial meningitis or viral encephalitis, or head injury from a motor vehicle accident, a fall, or child abuse.

“We are expanding our concepts of disease, disability and aging and the limitations we had yesterday do not apply to the possibilities unfolding today. Biotechnology research is showing us a new reality for treating disabilities and disease. Stem cell therapy using adult stem cells is safe, effective and well past the negative label of being an “experimental” procedure,” Mr Dardzinski stated. “Autism is another childhood disease that is also showing amazing improvements with stem cell therapy. In fact many neurological disorders can be treated now by skilled and experienced medical practitioners in many countries. We can cope with the rise in inquiries because we are eager to help connect parents with ethical and experienced stem cell providers,” he added.

Jai Communications Associates are an independent consultancy group that provides a free service to those wanting adult stem cell therapy. It also advises investors and those seeking licensing agreements and JVs in the field of regenerative medicine. Its website is www.stemcells21.com

Stem Cell Guidance soars on Autism successes

2007-12-12T22:49:00.000-08:00

BANGKOK, Thailand, 13 December 2007 - Global biotech guidance company Stem Cell Guidance has announced that the number of inquiries for stem cell therapy for Autism has skyrocketed recently, due to the dramatic reduction in symptoms after therapy.

Autism Spectrum Disorders sufferers have serious impairments with social, emotional and communication skills that cause serious problems with everyday life. Add to that the fact that almost two thirds of children with autism have at least one additional disability or epilepsy and it is clear just how challenging it can be for parents. Hyperactivity, delayed speech and social interaction skills, repetitive behaviors, impulsivity or aggressiveness, for example, result in placing huge demands upon parenting resources and parents reach out anywhere they think may help their child.

Stem cell therapy, using umbilical cord blood, plus nerve growth factors and rehabilitation therapy can result in a marked reduction in symptoms. Treated children have been shown to demonstrate being able to engage in simple conversations, sit calmly, follow instructions, play, make eye contact and converse more coherently. The progress, much to the delight of parents, seems to continue at a steady level.

Stem Cell Guidance (www.stemcells21.com) is independent of any one stem cell provider. They exist in order to help people who may benefit from biotechnology advances made in stem cell therapy across a wide variety of disorders once thought to be untreatable. The science is releasing almost daily impressive clinical and patient/parent-reported results. Meanwhile consumers are left wondering where to go and to which provider of therapy. Most realize that it is early days yet, but hundreds of clinical trials are being done in various countries with most encouraging results, and patients and families prefer not to wait, or feel they are running out of time.

With the number of inquiries rapidly increasing it is timely to have an independent organization that can assist with compassionate, knowledgeable and helpful counsel.

Now boarding for stem cell therapy offshore

2007-12-12T22:37:00.000-08:00

Summary: Patients from around the world are discovering that they can live less restricted lives, free from many of the disabling symptoms associated with progressive diseases once considered untreatable. Traveling overseas for adult stem cell therapy is now mainstream medicine.

BANGKOK, Thailand, 13 December 2007 – Global regenerative medicine consultants Jai Communications Associates have recently noted a surge of inquiries from patients seeking stem cell treatments abroad.

“It is clear that the message is getting out to the world,” said Director Brian Dardzinski. “People are aware of the fact that instead of putting up with disabling and restrictive symptoms from diseases without hope of a cure that help is available right now,” he added.

Adult stem cell treatments are not new. For many years leukemia has been treated effectively with stem cells. More recently breakthroughs have been coming at an increasing pace, backed up by clinical studies and patient reports. In various parts of the world patients are getting considerable relief from conditions such as spinal cord injury, multiple sclerosis, diabetes, autism, peripheral artery disease, ALS, cartilage problems, retinitis pigmentosa and many others.

“It is important for people to know that these stem cell treatments are considered experimental by many Western nations. It is early days yet, so government-regulated bodies like the FDA are lagging well behind in approving large scale clinical studies in countries such as the USA. The explosive growth is coming from the fact that around 75-80 percent of patients are receiving significant help. They don’t have years to wait for government approval. Regenerative medicine is currently being driven by patient outcomes,” Brian said.

Independent websites such as www.StemCells21.com are simply health brokers. They obtain the medical history from patients and assuming the patients are ready to travel and able to pay they find the best treatment provider for that patient. “It’s a privilege to be able to help people who thought they were beyond help. The future is incredibly exciting because almost daily new clinical trial results are being published. It is our job to know exactly who is doing what and where and with what success. In this way we can guide patients with integrity and compassion and make a real difference in their lives,” Mr. Dardzinski added.

Jai Communications Associates

www.stemcellguidance.com

Stem Cell Guidance soars on Autism successes

2007-11-25T20:59:00.000-08:00

BANGKOK, Thailand, 26 November 2007 - Global biotech guidance company Stem Cell Guidance has announced that the number of inquiries for stem cell therapy for Autism has skyrocketed recently, due to the dramatic reduction in symptoms after therapy.

Stem Cell Guidance (www.stemcellguidance.com) is independent of any one stem cell provider. They exist in order to help people who may benefit from biotechnology advances made in stem cell therapy across a wide variety of disorders once thought to be untreatable. The science is releasing almost daily impressive clinical and patient/parent-reported results. Meanwhile consumers are left wondering where to go and to which provider of therapy. Most realize that it is early days yet, but hundreds of clinical trials are being done in various countries with most encouraging results, and patients and families prefer not to wait, or feel they are running out of time.

With the number of inquiries rapidly increasing it is timely to have an independent organization that can assist with compassionate, knowledgeable and helpful counsel.

Stem Cell Leader Beike Biotech and China’s Tsinghua University receive USD $4 million for stem cell reprogramming laborator

2007-11-13T01:51:00.000-08:00

Patients suffering from a range of debilitating illnesses, such as spinal cord injury, cerebral palsy, optic nerve hypoplasia, multiple sclerosis and ataxia stand to benefit from a new laboratory, established with a Chinese Government grant. Such a facility will put China at the forefront of the global race to engineer and reprogram human stem cells for positive medical benefit.

November 12, 2007 - SHENZHEN, China – Beike Biotechnology, (http://www.beikebiotech.com), the leader in stem cell applications for medical treatment, has announced that it has formally established a world-class laboratory facility for the research of cell reprogramming and gene engineering, through a joint agreement with the Shenzhen Graduate School of China’s renowned Tsinghua University. The lab will conduct research on stem cells, the nuclear transfer and reprogramming of cells, monoclonal antibodies known as “magic bullets” for treating disease and other scientifically exciting cell engineering innovations. The aim of the lab is to establish a global research hub that will hopefully someday provide breakthroughs in the way medical science seeks to treat diseases like cancer, Parkinson’s, and many other debilitating ailments.

“We are already helping thousands of patients with our current umbilical cord stem cell treatments, but this ultra high-tech lab will bring us even closer to our goal of helping millions of patients improve their quality of life and will ensure that we have more advanced products in our pipeline four to five years out.” said Beike Biotech’s Chairman, Dr. Sean Hu. Detailed patient experiences with videos of patients that have been treated with Beike’s umbilical cord treatment can be found on China’s stem cell news website: http://www.stemcellschina.com.

The 1,200 square meter laboratory will be housed in Beijing-based Tsinghua University’s special Shenzhen Graduate Campus located in this southern Chinese city that borders Hong Kong. Building on Beike’s years of experience in successfully using stem cells to treat humans with serious brain and nerve maladies, this designated “China Key Laboratory” marks the country’s entry into the current global race to find new stem cell therapies that can be applied medically. The USD $4 million grant will be spent purely on equipment and comes from the Shenzhen Municipal Government as part of a US$12 million grant given out in 2007 to encourage innovative technologies in Shenzhen.

Further grants from the government are expected to help cover the cost of running the lab and expansion. The lab is to be staffed by over 50 people, including 20 renowned Chinese Phd’s and well-known researchers like Dr. Zhang Hai, who has published articles widely in Western periodicals, for example, “Nature” of her breakthroughs in research of microRNA and other cell building blocks.

“Dr. Zhang Hai is a pioneer and our work with her will allow Beike to lead the world not only in clinical applications of stem cells but also in basic research. Outside of China, it is not easy to get a 20 Phd’s together in a first class lab focusing on stem cell research. We expect to have some breakthroughs come out of this and more publications in leading journals,” Dr. Sean Hu said.

Stem cells are the master cells that replenish all the body's tissues, from skin and blood to the brain and heart. They have proven capability to assist in nerve and organ regeneration, enable tissue repair and restoration, and are even thought to be able to effectively treat cardiovascular diseases and cancer. Beike currently has seen significant success using stem cells to treat a variety of nervous system disorders for Chinese and International patients alike. (Details can be found at http://www.stemcellschina.com). Many of these conditions are still deemed untreatable using conventional medical techniques and account for an estimated 60% of gross mortality worldwide. While not currently possible, scientists in labs like the one being established in Shenzhen are narrowing in on the technology that may soon allow for the reprogramming of human body cells. This would allow for the potential to regenerate nerve cells to heal spinal cord injuries, create one’s own pancreatic cells to stop diabetes, or possibly generate cells of any other tissue type to treat whatever ails patients. This makes the successful application of stem cells of vital significance to human health and the medical field.

About Beike Biotechnology Company Limited

Beike is a biotechnology company that was founded in July 2005 with capital from Beijing University, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology and Shenzhen City Hall when it commercialized stem cell technology that had been in research since 1999. As a private high-tech enterprise, it is dedicated to the clinical application of stem cell research. It is also supported with funds from the China State National Fund. The research and clinical work is a collaboration of Beijing University, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, No. 3 Army Medical University, Zhongshan Medical University, Guiyang Medical College and Zhengzhou University.

About The Graduate School at Shenzhen, Tsinghua University

The Graduate School of Tsinghua University in Shenzhen is an institute jointly established by Shenzhen City Hall and Tsinghua University to provide training for talent at the postgraduate level in science and technical innovation. As the only non-Beijing located educational facility run by Tsinghua University, the Graduate School of Tshinghua in Shenzhen is committed to the integration of teaching, research, and rapid commercialization of scientific discovery.

For more information, please contact:

www.stemcellguidance.com

To China for brain injury treatment

2007-07-23T23:42:00.000-07:00

Heartening to read about a young U.S. man who after a five-week stay in China can nowdrink unassisted, control his drooling, open and close his eyes and hear better - and it is early days yet.
As well as the stem cell therapy the young man received intensive physiotherapy, acupuncture, massage and speech therapy.
For the price tag (much of which was met by local support and fundraising) his parents are delighted with the early changes they can see every day.
As his mother says: "In the rehab world these are huge things".
This story is just another example of how people are being helped to a healthier and better quality of life right now - thanks to adult stem cells.

2007-07-10T21:03:00.000-07:00

The hype makes one gasp and stretch one's eyes!

Every day of every week someone, somewhere announces yet another breakthrough. Proponents of embryonic stem cells hold their breath waiting for the cure for Alzheimer's Disease and Parkinsonism. Okay, it's only nine years since embryonic stem cells have been kept alive long enough to study. However, they get all the funding and have produced not one human trial or cure. All they have done to date is produce tumors in rodents. Great hype - lousy results.
By contrast, there are hundreds of trials under way in various countries treating patients with over 70 diseases using adult stem cells. Here the hype at least bears some relationship with humans who are, or were, suffering what medicine has not so far been able to cure.Hundreds of people are playing golf, walking, running, scuba diving etc etc - or simply being able to bend and lift to hug a grandchild. These people ought to be dead, but instead have a new lease on life after a safe and non-invasive (or minimally invasive) procedure whereby their own adult stem cells were harvested and injected into their failing heart. Others have found new mobility and far less pain from relief of claudication associated with peripheral artery disease. The list goes on,and on. How much research money do these researchers and developers get compared with the embryonic lobby?
Please let us listen to the patients who have dramatically improved. If they sound like crusaders I guess it's because they feel so much better, more energetic and more mobile.Their hype is based on measurable improvements NOW and not at some fanciful future time. They have guts to try something still experimental but the results speak for themselves. Good on them!

2007-07-10T20:55:00.000-07:00

SPINAL INJURIES and stem cell therapy

There is exciting work being done in India with the paralysed - and none of it using embryonic stem cells.
One patient spent the last year bedridden and now walks with crutches. She is looking forward to further improvement from a top-up dose of adult stem cells. It would appear that stem cells injected into the spinal cord attach themselves to damaged nerves and grow into new nerves.
The institute has now treated over 100 patients using cells derived from body fat and the results give new hope to paraplegics.

Adult stem cells creating facial soft tissue

2007-07-02T20:53:00.000-07:00

Columbia University are using mesenchymal stem cells derived from patients' own bone marrow or adipose (fat) tissue then implanting them over a scaffold where they go to workcreating bone,fat,cartilage and other types of cells.
Imagine what this could (and will) mean for victims of accident or war and all those who have had disfiguring sugery for cancer. Grafts shrink and lose their shape and volume. In animal studies to date these implants do not - and, of course, there is no risk of rejection. Apart from that grafts taken from a patient's body create additional wounds.
This is amazing stuff and will bring realistic hope to all those who have disfiguring scars because these cells replicate themselves and differentiate into what the area needs.
Another example of how science is being driven forwards so rapidly in this exciting area of regenerative medicine. There's nothing alternative about it - this is mainstream medicine with vast potential. Adult stem cell research results are being released virtually daily. We are truly living in exciting times that will bring new hope to the hopeless and new lives to those suffering from a vast range of previously considered untreatable or hopeless conditions. Diseases like Freidreich's Ataxia can be helped right now. Heart failure patients and those who can only walk with great pain from periperal artery disease (PAD) can be helped right now. The list goes on and on. It's my privilege to make therapies using adult stem cells known so that patients can join the thousands already leading new lives because of adult stem cells.

Cuba now into stem cell transplants

2007-07-01T20:51:00.000-07:00

A hospital in Cuba has treated a fully paraplegic patient with stem cells. Three months later he is walking with assistance.
This story adds to others coming out of China and India where stem cell therapies are being used on CNS diseases with success.
Paraplegia means a wheelchair existence for many thousands of people. While it is still early days in applying innovative adult stem cell therapies, the results are most encouraging. One doctor unwisely suggested that we do not know how long any return of feeling or even mobility will last. If I was a paraplegic I would take a month or a year. What will the doubting Thomases say when these patients maintain their benefits? Imagine the savings on healthcare that could accrue from being able to give these people back what they had lost. It is an interesting coment that countries other than the so-called technologically advanced first world nations are leading the field. Most of us need to examine our prejudices about countries like Thailand, India, China and now Cuba - their facilities and skills more than match those found in the west. I will gladly put you in touch with patients treated in Thailand for heart failure, cardiomyopathy and ishemic heart disease who will tell you the truth.

The miracle of sight restored

2007-07-01T20:40:00.000-07:00

A six year old girl in India received stem cell therapy on an eye blinded by wet lime. A small piece of the border of the cornea from her healthy eye was cultured on an amniotic membrane - a low-tech, innovative approach - and 11 days later was put into her blinded eye. When the patch was removed the girl could once again see!!!
The hospital involved has now performed close to 450 adult limbal stem cell transplants with a success rate of about 72 percent.
Clinical trials continue, along with more trials for heart attacks or myocardial infarction at another Indian hospital. And still the sceptics say that such procedures in non-western countries should be treated with distain as unproven. Who cares? If the girl can see and if heart failure patients can get a longer, pain-free and more active life the most of us would take the chance. After all the odds are heavily in the patient's favor.

Adult stem cells help kids with diabetes

2007-06-27T00:47:00.000-07:00

Hot off the press! Another study has shown that adult stem cells have as much, or more, potential to help patients with various diseases.
Seven children aged from 2-7 with diabetes were given adult stem cells. The group was matched with 13 who were treated solely by insulin. Results to date show that the therapy helped enhance blood glucose control and management.
Given that some 21 million Americans have diabetes which can lead to severely debilitating or fatal complications, this is really exciting news.
The number of conditions being successfully treated with adult stem cells continues to grow. Regenerative medicine has to be the most exciting thing around. Ask any heart disease or PAD patient and they will tell you that they never dreamed they could return to a more active, energetic and pain-free life. I wonder how long before the FDA will approve adult stem cell therapy as a safe, effective and mainstream procedure!

The numbers grow!

2007-06-25T00:18:00.000-07:00

I note today that Thailand can rightfully claim to be the hub for medical tourism in Asia. Already the most cost-effective destination and possessing superb hospitals and English-speaking professionals, Thailand is expecting the income from medical tourism to quadruple by 2012.

Patients, without exception express delight with their care and amazement at the total cost. They come for many reasons - dental, cosmetic, surgical and for adult stem cell therapy for heart failure and PAD.

Medical tourism in Thailand is an exciting industry to be involved in. It is impossible to be totally unbiased, but for those wishing to go elsewhere there are other options available. I will continue to update adult stem cell research findings on this blog and look forward to patient enquiries.

Update

2007-06-24T21:27:00.000-07:00

The Miracle of Adult Stem Cells
Adult stem cells are the new frontier of regenerative medicine. They are being safely used for patients who have heart disease (Congestive Heart Failure, Ischemic Heart Disease,Cardiomyopathy) and Periperal Artery Disease. Encouraging results for other diseases are being released almost daily. Adult stem cells are derived from the patient's own body so cannot be rejected.

Monday, June 18, 2007
Stem Cell Conspiracy?
While Congress pontificates and salivates over federal funding for embryonic stem cell research, some are starting to suggest there is a plot to discredit such research by constantly publishing the success stories of adult stem cell research and their clinical applications.Oh really? A plot? When prominent scientists are admitting that embryonic stem cells have been oversold to a public keen to hear fairy tales and day by day respected journals are publishing substantive results of adult stem cell research the whole notion of a plot or a conspiracy takes us into the realms of the absurd.If you have any doubts that today people whose lives were severely disrupted by congestive heart failure, ischemic heart disease or cardiomyopathy, who have received adult stem cell therapy using their own blood and are now feeling infinitely better, more energetic and active, then just talk to them. Never mind the politics or the hype. These people were helped by a safe and proven therapy by eminent specialists in first-rate hospitals - none of them in the mighty U.S. of A.
Monday, June 11, 2007
Adult stem cells behaving like embryonic?
With all the difficulties and ethical concerns over using ambryonic stem cells researchers have been trying to get adult stem cells to behave like embryonic - just so they have the advantage od pluripotency i.e. the ability to become any tissue in the body.If and when that happens, that will deal with the ethical problems of destroying embryos, but what about the problems of tumor formation? Cells that can differentiate into numerous cell types would be wonderful but the problem still exists of how to control their ability to becoame what you don't want them to become.And while all this is going on hundreds of people are being helped by their own adult stem cells without any rejection problems or the cells used becoming anything unwanted. Just look at the stories of people condemned to a brief, inactive life by congestive heart failure, ischemic heart disease or cardiomyopathy who after transfusion of their own harvested stem cells are able to pick up their life where it was left off. Stories abound of heart failure patients back playing golf, picking up their grandkids, scuba diving and so on.
Thursday, June 7, 2007
Spinal injury man told adult stem cell therapy 'A foolish waste of time'.
A paraplegic for more than 30 years, K.W. from Texas went to Russia for adult stem cell therapy. His doctors told him it was, 'A foolish waste of time'. On his return the same doctors told him the results were 'interesting and pretty substantial' - but that they would not last.The therapy not only lasted but his physical situation is better than it was ever supposed to be. He now has feeling all over his body and more movement and he has fathered two children, 'I was never supposed to have', he said. He went on to say that while still in a wheelcahir he is able to do so much more than his doctors said he would be able to do.It's a wonderful testimony and an example to patients to take responsibility for their own well-being and quality of life. It isn't easy to fly in the face of the prevailing medical 'wisdom' and seek help - it takes courage and more than a little faith. Good on him! 'There are more things in heaven and earth than are dreamt of in your philosophy', doctors.
New link found in adult stem cells
An ANU professor has revealed that his research team has found that the success of adult stem cell therapy depends on the body's ability to repair tissue damaged by ageing. The link is expected to give a greater understanding on ways to use and improve stem cell therapy as the relationship between oxygen, DNA damage and age-related decline of cells generally has become clearer.The ABC online report spells out the implications for the whole range of things that contribute to DNA damage and will lead to rapid improvements in the way stem cells are used in the treatment of people with leukemia and other forms of cancer.
Wednesday, June 6, 2007
Americans head overseas for better and lower cost treatment
I thought I was beyond being shocked but an article I read today is beyond belief as an example of ignorance and arrogance. We all know that skyrocketing healthcare costs and the fact that some 47 million Americans are uninsured is speeding up the pace of medical tourism.When you can get a hip replacement, dental care, heart surgery etc etc for a small fraction of the cost at home then a wise consumer would certainly look closely at what is on offer. Many overseas hospitals can offer a standard of facility and care better than anything in the U.S. Further, many are staffed by specialists either with U.S. Board certification and/or considerable work experience in western countries that puts them at least on a par.In this article mention was made of people seeking new or alternative therapies overseas, with a researcher saying that if any such therapies were proven to work they would be done in the U.S. Then he went on to say that other countries lack the oversight as well as proof of efficacy and safety that would be required in the U.S. To which I say 'Rubbish'. Just research infection rates in U.S. hospitals - just ask patients treated overseas about the standard of care both medical and nursing that they received and they will tell you emphatically that they could not get the same level of care at home. Believe it or not, in Thailand for example doctors take the time to explain everything to patients and to answere all their questions. Nurses still look like nurses, not technicians and are prompt and solicitous in their care and attention to the smallest detail.Patients in end-stage heart failure, cardiomyopathy and ischemic heart disease are flocking for adult stem cell therapy, clinical trail results of which show some 75 percent will gain considerable benefit from. meanwhile the U.S. pours money into embryonic stem cells which have done nothing but produce tumors in rodents.Patients say they have never received better, more professional or more compassionate care than in Thai hospitals.When is the U.S. going to wake up that their health system is not the best in the world by any means? Clinical trials overseas are run by ethics committees and the results published in respected journals. The U.S. has a system run by lawyers and vested interests - no way could it be said to be patient-centered.People will vote with their feet and go where they can receive top care at an affordable price. If it is a new therapy or treatment they seek, then why should they wait for the FDA to lumber to any approval?I'm waiting for the U.S. government to try and stop people getting better care overseas.
Muscle building adult stem cells confirmed
Apparently in our muscle tissue there are some uncommitted stem cells wandering around - responsible for building the bulging biceps of body builders.A new report says that these adult stem cells could be used for new muscle-regenerating therapies. Imagine what that would mean for those suffering from muscular dystrophy!!The research team found that these so-called satellite cells include a mix of those cells committed to muscles and others that are more versatile. Injected into mice these satellite cells replenished the animals' reservoir of cells. It could be that the uncommitted cells might be able to form other tissues, such as fat and bone.Great news - this time from canadian researchers, and once again showing the advances being made so rapidly (and safely) of using adult stem cells from the toolbox within that we all have.
Tuesday, June 5, 2007
From paralyzed rats to humans in one year - wow!
A groundbreaking study on rats paralyzed due to spinal ischemia will result in human trails this year!!After being injected with human spinal stem cells all of the rats were either able to walk within six weeks OR had improved mobility in their lower joints and increased muscle tone. A control group given a placebo was included in the study.What happened was for the first time the neural circuitry had been reconstructed.The outcomes in humans are expected to be better still as they will be able to receive intensive physical therapy after treatment.The company that devloped the procedure has filed for a human trial to treat paraplegic patients in 2007.These results could not have been achieved without being able to produce neural stem cells of the human brain and spinal cord in commercial quantities and shows that adult stem cells from this source can differentiate into mature, physiologically relevant human neurons and glia.I fail to understand how this sort of news did not make headlines in any major print media that I searched. The possibilities are exciting and will give realistic hope to so many people. Once again it is adult stem cells that are providing all the new treatment options. We already have successful therapies using adult stem cells from circulating blood helping hundreds of sufferers of end-stage heart failure, cardiomyopathy and ischemic heart disease. These patients would be dead if they had listened to their cardiologist - instead they are back doing things like skippering catamarans and on the golf course.
Friday, June 1, 2007
The false hope of embryonic stem cells
How sad that a deluded U.S. senator is trying to promote a bill for funding for embryonic stem cell research. ALS sufferers were with the senator and unaware that they have been led down the garden path. The false promises made by advocates of embryonic stem cells strike me as heartless and exploitative of the millions suffering from devastating diseases.When no less a body than the American College of Pediatricians calls for an end to embryonic research, "which prolongs needless suffering by delaying the development of more promising adult stem cell treatments and cures" one would think legislators would sit up and take notice. It has been well documented that embryonic stem cell trials have to date produced "catasprophic results... producing the wong tissue, forming tumors, and triggering immune rejection".What a waste of money!!It angers me that a fraction of the public money sucked out of the taxpayer could have much more profitably gone to the established utility and further potential of adult stem cells.Just talk to the hundreds of people who had been told there was nothing more that could be done for them and that they may as well go home and prepare to die, who have had their lives restored by adult stem cell therapies that are available right now. Within the next year hundreds more will have been treated while lobbyists lobby for something going nowhere.Cardiomyopathy, ischemic heart disease and congestive heart failure patients can get off the drug and surgery treadmill now and get active and well. That's a miracle - and we carry the body's own repair kit within us!
Top minds to gather in Washington
Ethicists, scientists vand policy makers from many countries are to gather for an international exchange on stem cell research. As the science advances clinical benefits emerge and debate continues.As speakers will come from many European countries the transatlantic cooperation aspects are significant and will help public perception that stem cells are not some peripheral adjunct to mainstream medicine. It is interesting to see how much the words 'regenerative medicine' are being used in net-based information. I'm old enough for it to be a very new word that connotes cosmetic surgery and breast implants. However, it is also becoming a more easily recognised descriptor of stem cell research and clinical practice.I guess if you couldn't walk to the letterbox before adult stem cell therapy and now can walk as far as you like, you would be quite happy to say you had received a regenerative medicine therapy - created anew, revitalized, refreshed, energised. Great meanings - great word.Patients with cardiomyopathy, ischemic heart disease or congestive heart failure who have received their own adult stem cells and discovered the power of them to give them back a lifewill, I am sure, be interested in new frontiers - new help for many of the diseases that to date have been untreatable - that will be emerging as the science and application of adult stem cell therapy speeds up.
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Getting from discovery to trial in adult stem cell treatments
Scientists are syaing that the current bottleneck is moving forward from basic scientific discovery to a basic clinical trial in time to help people with devastating diseases.Patience may well be a virtue, but if you are living with and/or loving someone who is dying before your eyes you would be keen to get help right now. Such a story was published this week from Utah where nine-year old twins died of Batten Disease - a rare and fatal neurological disorder. There is research going on now in Oregon using adult stem cells that one day soon may be able to help sufferers but it's a case of 'too little, too late'.Many patients with end-stage heart disease, cardiomyopathy or ischemic heart disease can attest to the fact that it was impossible for them to get onto a trial. They were excluded because of age, co-morbid factors, prognosis, etc etc and left without hope. Yes, we need clinical trials on humans and longitudinal studies as well. But if you are a no-option heart patient or PAD patient at this moment, you do not have the luxury of time.This is why people are taking charge of their own health and seeking treatment that is safe and readily available. All the better if they can get adult stem cell therapy that has a track record of good patient outcomes as measured by self-report and clinical measures. One day published trial results will catch up with what is happening now.It is a good thing that heart failure, cardiomyopathy and ischemic heart disease patients can trust those who have gone before them and know that they will receive excellent care and the excellent odds of an outcome better than they could possibly have hoped for. Further, they are going to be helped by their body's own repair kit - their adult stem cells derived from their own blood - so there are no rejection problems to cope with.