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Stem cell therapy a boon to Parkinson's patients

By Uncategorized

Bengaluru:Feb 27, 2015, DHNS

Two courses of stem cell therapy have helped Ashok Kumar, 59, who suffered from tremors and rigidity due to Parkinsons disease, recover completely, much to the joy of his family. The man was brought inside my cabin in a wheelchair. He was unable to even sit on the chair without support. Today, he walks independently. Stem cell therapy has made it possible for him, said Dr Naseem Sadiq, Director, Plexus Neuro and Stem Cell Research Centre, who began treating Kumar in October, last year.

Previously, medication and surgical procedure were the only treatment option for Parkinsons disease. Medication in the long-term often lacks effectiveness and may cause side effects, while surgery is not always feasible. Lately, stem cell therapy has turned out to be a boon for patients with Parkinsons, Dr Sadiq said.

Kumar is among the few who have benefited from stem cell therapy. However, though the State has been reporting an increase in the number of registered stem cell donors, it is far behind sufficient as the genetic match between donor and recipient could be anywhere between one in 10,000 and one in two million, according to experts.

Speaking to Deccan Herald, Raghu Rajgopal, co-founder, Datri, a registry for stem cell donation, said, The response we get from Karnataka when we conduct stem cell camps is great. We see a lot of people and registering with us.

As many as 6,000 people have registered from the State under the Datri registry. A total of 72,000 people have registered across the country. In Kerala, 11,000 have signed up, the highest so far, he said.

Among the common myths are that by donating stem cells one turns infertile and weak, have increased chances of cancer and also that there would be excess loss of blood, he said.

According to studies, over one lakh people are diagnosed with Leukemia (blood cancer) and other blood disorders every year in India. The Indian Council of Medical Research has predicted that by the end of 2015, Leukemia cases will reach an estimated 1,17,649 and 1,32,574 by 2020. Stem cell therapy is a widely used treatment mechanism for Leukemia.

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Stem cell therapy a boon to Parkinson's patients

Progencell | Stem Cell Therapy | Tijuana Mexico

By Stem Cell Treatment

WELCOME TO PROGENCELL-STEM CELL THERAPIES

Congratulations on taking the first step to improving your health!

PROGENCELL offers stem cell protocols with effective results. Many years of research and experience have resulted in substantial improvements in the health and conditions of patients with various diseases, even where other treatments have failed.

With the highest quality protocols, Progencell uses stem cells directly from the patient (autologous adult stem cells) in order to improve their health. The patients medical condition creates the appropriate environment in the body, resulting in a personalized therapy created specially for him.

We offer patients with certain degenerative diseases an opportunity to improve their health through cellular therapy, correcting their medical conditions from the source by regenerating the tissues and organs that are causing the ailments. Since we use stem cells from the patient, this therapy has no risk of tissue rejection, and minimal secondary effects.

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Quality control for adult stem cell treatment

By Stem Cell Treatment

A team of European researchers has devised a strategy to ensure that adult epidermal stem cells are safe before they are used as treatments for patients. The approach involves a clonal strategy where stem cells are collected and cultivated, genetically modified and single cells isolated before being rigorously tested to make sure they meet the highest possible safety criteria. The strategy, which is published online in EMBO Molecular Medicine, is inspired by the approaches the biotechnology industry and regulatory affairs authorities have adopted for medicinal proteins produced from genetically engineered mammalian cells.

"Until now there has not been a systematic way to ensure that adult epidermal stem cells meet all the necessary requirements for safety before use as treatments for disease," says EMBO Member Yann Barrandon, Professor at Lausanne University Hospital, the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne and the lead author of the study. "We have devised a single cell strategy that is sufficiently scalable to assess the viability and safety of adult epidermal stem cells using an array of cell and molecular assays before the cells are used directly for the treatment of patients. We have used this strategy in a proof-of-concept study that involves treatment of a patient suffering from recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa, a hereditary condition defined by the absence of type VII collagen which leads to severe blistering of the skin."

The researchers cultivated epidermal cells from the patient that can be used to regenerate skin. The scientists used their array of tests to determine which of the transduced cells met the necessary requirements for stemness -- the characteristics of a stem cell that distinguish it from a regular cells -- and safety. Clonal analysis revealed that the transduced stem cells varied in their ability to produce functional type VII collagen. When the most viable, modified stem cells were selected, transplantation onto immunodeficient mice regenerated skin that did not blister in the mouse model system for recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa and produced functional type VII collagen. Safety was assessed by determining the sites of integration of the viral vector, looking for rearrangements and hit genes, as well as whole genome sequencing.

"Our work shows that at least for adult epidermal stem cells it is possible to use a clonal strategy to deliver a level of safety that cannot be obtained by other gene therapy approaches. A clonal strategy should make it possible to integrate some of the more recent technologies for targeted genome editing that offer more precise ways to change genes in ways that may further benefit the treatment of disease. Further work is in progress in this direction."

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The above story is based on materials provided by EMBO - excellence in life sciences. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.

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Quality control for adult stem cell treatment

The Irvine Stem Cell Treatment Center Announces Adult Stem Cell Public Seminars in Riverside, Ontario, and Brea …

By Stem Cell Treatment

Riverside, ON and Brea CA (PRWEB) February 26, 2015

The Irvine Stem Cell Treatment Center announces a series of free public seminars on the use of adult stem cells for various degenerative and inflammatory conditions. They will be provided by Dr. Thomas A. Gionis, Surgeon-in-Chief.

The seminars will be held on Saturday, March 7, 2015, at 11:00 am, 1:00 pm and 3:00 pm at Courtyard Riverside Downtown / Marriott, 1510 University Avenue, Riverside, CA 92507; Tuesday, March 10, 2015, at 11:00 am, 1:00 pm and 3:00 pm at Ayres Suites Ontario at the Mills Mall, 4370 Mills Circle, Ontario, CA 91764; and Saturday, March 21, 2015, at 11:00 am, 1:00 pm and 3:00 pm at Embassy Suites Hotel, 900 E Birch Street, Brea, CA 92821. Please RSVP at (949) 679-3889.

The Irvine Stem Cell Treatment Center (Irvine and Westlake), along with sister affiliates, the Miami Stem Cell Treatment Center (Miami; Boca Raton; Orlando; The Villages, Florida) and the Manhattan Regenerative Medicine Medical Group (Manhattan, New York), abide by approved investigational protocols using adult adipose derived stem cells (ADSCs) which can be deployed to improve patients quality of life for a number of chronic, degenerative and inflammatory conditions and diseases. ADSCs are taken from the patients own adipose (fat) tissue (found within a cellular mixture called stromal vascular fraction (SVF)). ADSCs are exceptionally abundant in adipose tissue. The adipose tissue is obtained from the patient during a 15 minute mini-liposuction performed under local anesthesia in the doctors office. SVF is a protein-rich solution containing mononuclear cell lines (predominantly adult autologous mesenchymal stem cells), macrophage cells, endothelial cells, red blood cells, and important Growth Factors that facilitate the stem cell process and promote their activity.

ADSCs are the bodys natural healing cells - they are recruited by chemical signals emitted by damaged tissues to repair and regenerate the bodys injured cells. The Irvine Stem Cell Treatment Center only uses Adult Autologous Stem Cells from a persons own fat No embryonic stem cells are used; and No bone marrow stem cells are used. Current areas of study include: Emphysema, COPD, Asthma, Heart Failure, Heart Attack, Parkinsons Disease, Stroke, Traumatic Brain Injury, Lou Gehrigs Disease, Multiple Sclerosis, Lupus, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Crohns Disease, Muscular Dystrophy, Inflammatory Myopathies, and degenerative orthopedic joint conditions (Knee, Shoulder, Hip, Spine). For more information, or if someone thinks they may be a candidate for one of the adult stem cell protocols offered by the Irvine Stem Cell Treatment Center, they may contact Dr. Gionis directly at (949) 679-3889, or see a complete list of the Centers study areas at: http://www.IrvineStemCellsUSA.com.

About the Irvine Stem Cell Treatment Center: The Irvine Stem Cell Treatment Center, along with sister affiliates, the Miami Stem Cell Treatment Center and the Manhattan Regenerative Medicine Medical Group, is an affiliate of the California Stem Cell Treatment Center / Cell Surgical Network (CSN); we are located in Irvine and Westlake, California. We provide care for people suffering from diseases that may be alleviated by access to adult stem cell based regenerative treatment. We utilize a fat transfer surgical technology to isolate and implant the patients own stem cells from a small quantity of fat harvested by a mini-liposuction on the same day. The investigational protocols utilized by the Irvine Stem Cell Treatment Center have been reviewed and approved by an IRB (Institutional Review Board) which is registered with the U.S. Department of Health, Office of Human Research Protection (OHRP); and our studies are registered with Clinicaltrials.gov, a service of the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH). For more information, visit our websites: http://www.IrvineStemCellsUSA.com, http://www.MiamiStemCellsUSA.com, or http://www.NYStemCellsUSA.com.

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The Irvine Stem Cell Treatment Center Announces Adult Stem Cell Public Seminars in Riverside, Ontario, and Brea ...

Moffitt Cancer Center Researchers Identify Protein Pathway Involved in Brain Tumor Stem Cell Growth

By Stem Cell Treatment

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Newswise TAMPA, Fla. Glioblastomas are a highly aggressive type of brain tumor, with few effective treatment options. Moffitt Cancer Center researchers are one step closer to understanding glioblastoma development following the identification of a key protein signaling pathway involved in brain tumor stem cell growth and survival. Brain tumor stem cells are believed to play an important role in glioblastoma development and may be possible therapeutic targets.

The neurotrophin protein pathway controls nerve growth, survival and specialization. In an article published in the Feb. 6 issue of The Journal of Biological Chemistry, Moffitt researchers reported that the neurotrophin pathway is also involved in the survival and growth of brain tumor stem cells. The stem cells have high levels of neurotrophin receptors called TrkB and TrkC. Cellular signals from normal brain cells can activate TrkB and TrkC on the stem cells and stimulate cell growth. And when scientists inhibited TrkB and TrkC, they found decreased stem cell survival. This suggests that TrkB and TrkC may be possible drug targets for stem cells in gliomas and glioblastomas.

This work might be a first step in developing new treatment approaches targeting brain tumor stem cells. It may also partly explain why brain tumors can grow so quickly since proteins from the surrounding normal brain might be used by the tumor to grow even faster, said Peter A. Forsyth, M.D., chair of the Department of Neuro-Oncology at Moffitt.

Researchers also reported a potential reason why several clinical trials targeting a protein called EGFR in glioblastoma patients have failed to live up to expectations. EGFR is frequently activated in glioblastoma, but results from trials using EGFR inhibitors showed little or no patient improvement. Moffitt scientists discovered that TrkB and TrkC maintain brain stem cell survival and growth even when EGFR inhibitors are used. These observations suggest that one reason why EGFR inhibitors may be ineffective in glioblastoma is that TrkB and TrkC are active, thereby bypassing EGFR inhibition and allowing stem cells to continue to grow.

This is the first time that scientists have shown that TrkB and TrkC are involved in brain tumor stem cell growth. Currently, no drugs that target TrkB and TrkC have been used as brain cancer treatments. Researchers hope that these results might encourage the development of drugs that target both the stem cell compartment and the more differentiated parts of the brain tumor and result in more effective therapies.

The study was supported by funds The V Foundation for Cancer Research and the Moffitt Cancer Center Foundation.

About Moffitt Cancer Center: Located in Tampa, Moffitt is one of only 41 National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers, a distinction that recognizes Moffitts excellence in research, its contributions to clinical trials, prevention and cancer control. Moffitt is the top-ranked cancer hospital in the Southeast and has been listed in U.S. News & World Reports Best Hospitals for cancer care since 1999. With more than 4,500 employees, Moffitt has an economic impact in Florida of nearly $1.6 billion. For more information, visit MOFFITT.org, and follow the Moffitt momentum on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

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Moffitt Cancer Center Researchers Identify Protein Pathway Involved in Brain Tumor Stem Cell Growth

Culture clash: How stem cells are grown affects their genetic stability

By Stem Cell Medicine

Methods to multiply pluripotent cells for potential therapies raise worries about cancer

The therapeutic promise of human stem cells is indisputably huge, but the process of translating their potential into effective, real-world treatments involves deciphering and resolving a host of daunting complexities.

Writing in the February 25 online issue of the journal PLOS ONE, researchers at University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, with collaborators from The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI), have definitively shown for the first time that the culture conditions in which stem cells are grown and mass-produced can affect their genetic stability.

"Since genetic and epigenetic instability are associated with cancers, we worry that similar alterations in stem cells may affect their safety in therapeutic transplants. Certain mutations might make transplanted stem cells more likely to form tumors, introducing the risk of cancer where it didn't exist before," said co-corresponding author Louise Laurent, MD, PhD, assistant professor and director of perinatal research in the Department of Reproductive Medicine at UC San Diego School of Medicine.

"This study shows the importance of quality control," added Jeanne F. Loring, PhD, professor and director of the Center for Regenerative Medicine at TSRI, and adjunct professor in the UC San Diego Department of Reproductive Medicine and the study's other co-corresponding author. "It's almost certain these cells are safe, but we want to make sure they are free from any abnormalities."

To exploit the transformative powers of human pluripotent stem cells, which include embryonic stem cells and induced pluripotent stem cells, requires producing them in large numbers for transplantation into patients.

"During this culturing process, mutations can occur, and mutations that increase cell survival or proliferation may be favored, such that the cells carrying such mutations could take over the culture," said Laurent.

Human pluripotent stem cells are cultured in several different ways. Key variables are the surfaces upon which the cells are cultured, called the substrate, and the methods used to transfer cells from one culture dish into another as they grow, called the passage method.

Originally, scientists determined that stem cells grew best when cultured atop of a "feeder" layer that included other types of cells, such as irradiated mouse embryonic fibroblasts. For reasons not fully understood, these cells provide stem cells with factors that support their growth. However, concerns about the feeder cells also introducing undesirable materials into stem cells has prompted development of feeder-free cultures.

Moving cells from one culture dish to another has traditionally been done manually, with technicians physically separating the cultured cells into small clumps with an instrument. "It's very labor-intensive," said Laurent, "so new methods that use enzymes to separate individual cells were created."

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Culture clash: How stem cells are grown affects their genetic stability

Li Ka Shing Foundation renews support for Yale Stem Cell Center

By Stem Cell Medical Center

The Yale Stem Cell Center (YSCC), under the direction of biologist Haifan Lin, has announced a new generous grant of $1.86 million from the Li Ka Shing Foundation (LKSF), founded by Hong Kong businessman Li Ka-shing, to support education and healthcare initiatives. The contribution builds on a 2011 grant of $1.56 million to secure state-of-the-art equipment for stem cell research at Yale and includes new funding that will strengthen collaborations between Yale and Chinas Shantou University.

One of the fastest growing areas of biomedical science, stem cell research demands the very latest instrumentation and training. Since 2006, Lin has developed the Yale Stem Cell Center as both an incubator for scientific discovery and a training ground for new investigators.

The Yale Stem Cell Center offers a platform where both scientists and clinicians can ask important questions about stem cells and human health, Lin said. Continuing support from the Li Ka Shing Foundation will allow us to accelerate the pace and broaden the scope of our work.

Li said, Training side-by-side with leading scientists in stem cell research will be a transformative experience for the students and faculty at Shantou University Medical College, and I want to express my heart-felt appreciation to Professor Haifan Lin and the YSCC for this amazing opportunity.

Advances in stem cell science can offer basic insights into human development and the promise of new treatments for physical trauma, degenerative conditions, and genetic diseases. Because this research requires specialized instrumentation and expertise beyond what can be afforded by individual investigators, Lin has organized the Yale Stem Cell Center around four core laboratories that serve more than 80 Yale faculty members, along with researchers from other regional institutions.

In the Yale Stem Cell Center, Haifan Lin has developed an approach to collaborative research that truly serves as a model for universities and institutes around the country, said Robert J. Alpern, dean and the Ensign Professor at Yale School of Medicine. By sharing resources, laboratory techniques, and insights into how stem cells function, Haifan and his colleagues opened the door to discoveries that otherwise may not have been possible, for both basic science and clinical applications.

The new round of funding from LKSF will enable Yale investigators to purchase additional equipment to facilitate their research. This instrumentation will also support collaborations with scientists and clinicians in U.S. institutions such as the University of Connecticut Stem Cell Institute, the Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, and St. Jude Childrens Research Hospital. Such exchanges can deepen our basic understanding of stem cell biology and help to translate todays technological breakthroughs into tomorrows personalized treatments and cures.

The grant also continues and expands the Yale Stem Cell Centers partnership with Shantou University, a key comprehensive university established through a public-private partnership between the Ministry of Education of Guangdong Province and the Li Ka Shing Foundation.

Yale is enormously grateful to Li Ka Shing Foundation for its continued support of basic science, translational research, and scholarly exchange, said Carolyn Slayman, Sterling Professor of Genetics, professor of cellular and molecular physiology, and deputy dean for academic & scientific affairs. This grant will help expedite the development of therapeutic treatments for some of the worlds most debilitating diseases.

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Li Ka Shing Foundation renews support for Yale Stem Cell Center

MD Anderson Names Hwu as Head of Cancer Medicine

By Stem Cell Medical Center

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Newswise Patrick Hwu, M.D., chair of Melanoma Medical Oncology and Sarcoma Medical Oncology at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, has been named division head of Cancer Medicine effective March 4.

Hwus selection came after a competitive national search to fill the position currently being served by Richard Champlin, M.D., on an ad interim basis. Champlin will continue to serve as chair of Stem Cell Transplantation and Cellular Therapy.

Dr. Hwu is an internationally respected physician-scientist who has 25 years of experience in the fields of tumor immunology, targeted therapies and translational studies, said Ethan Dmitrovsky, M.D., provost and executive vice president. Hes a seasoned leader and has successfully chaired two departments and served as co-director of MD Andersons Center for Cancer Immunology Research and its immunotherapy platform. He has also held endowed positions, including the Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Distinguished University Chair in Cancer Research. Were delighted that he will be leading this vital division, and are thankful for Dr. Champlins skillful leadership during our search for a new division head.

Hwu earned his medical degree from the Medical College of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia and served as a house officer in internal medicine at The Johns Hopkins Hospital. He completed a fellowship in oncology at the National Cancer Institute, where he continued to work for 10 years as a principal investigator leading tumor immunology studies. He joined MD Anderson in 2003 as the first chair of Melanoma Medical Oncology.

Dr. Hwu is an accomplished clinician, researcher and administrator who is well positioned to take the Division of Cancer Medicine already recognized as a global leader to the next level, said Raymond S. Greenberg, M.D., Ph.D., executive vice chancellor for health affairs, The University of Texas System.

An expert in tumor immunology, Hwu has translated multiple concepts from the laboratory to the clinic and helped to launch the field of gene modified T cells, publishing research on the first chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) directed against cancer. Clinical trials using CAR-transduced T cells now are being studied in many types of cancers, and MD Anderson has established an adoptive T cell therapy program, treating more than 80 melanoma patients with T cells to date.

In addition, Hwu has produced novel, ongoing clinical trials based on his teams findings, including a study of combination T cell and dendritic cell therapy and a study of T cells modified with chemokine receptor genes to enhance their migration to the tumor. His most recent preclinical studies have focused on combinations of immune checkpoint blockade and T cell therapy, as well as rational combinations of targeted therapies and immunotherapies. Both of these concepts are being translated to the clinic.

Dr. Hwu and I worked closely together at the NCI for 13 years. He is one of those rare visionaries when it comes to expanding the frontiers of cancer medicine, said Steven A. Rosenberg, M.D., Ph.D., head of the Tumor Immunology Section and chief of the Surgery Branch at the National Cancer Institutes Center for Cancer Research. He is a brilliant scientist and leader. I congratulate him on this important position and look forward to working with him in his new leadership role at MD Anderson.

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MD Anderson Names Hwu as Head of Cancer Medicine

Cephas Bowles, CEO/President of Jazz Station WBGO, Dies at 62

By Stem Cell Medical Center

Cephas Bowles, the president and CEO of Newark, N.J., jazz radio station WBGO, died Feb. 21 at Hackensack University Medical Center, following complications from a stem cell transplant. Bowles, who had been diagnosed with leukemia two years ago and had previously undergone a bone marrow transplant, was 62.

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Joe Lovano (right) greets Lionel Hampton along with Cephas Bowles of WBGO at the Jazz Leadership Society Dinner held at Swing 46, New York City 1999

By Norm Harris

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Bowles, who was affiliated with the station for 21 years, grew up in Newark and returned to his hometown after earning a degree in broadcasting from Syracuse University and working for CBS radio in New York and two NPR stations in Arizona. His first position at WBGO was as station manager. As CEO/president, he was largely responsible for establishing the stations streaming presence on the web, the first jazz station to become available via that medium. Bowles also served on the board of directors of National Public Radio and was active in the Newark community in other areas.

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Cephas Bowles, CEO/President of Jazz Station WBGO, Dies at 62

Researchers Hone in on Stem Cell that Speeds Healing of Stubborn Diabetes Wounds

By Uncategorized

Durham, NC (PRWEB) February 25, 2015

A new study published in the latest issue of STEM CELLS Translational Medicine reveals how a particular type of stem cell generated from fat tissue may outperform other types of stem cells in speeding up the healing of wounds caused by type 1 diabetes. In the study, ulcers in a mice model treated with these cells healed significantly faster than those treated with general types of stem cells.

Slow-healing wounds present one of the most common and perplexing complications associated with both type 1 and type 2 diabetes. If left untreated, they can lead to amputation, and even death. In fact, diabetes is the leading cause of non-traumatic lower limb amputation in the United States, according to the American Diabetes Association. Despite this, there are very few consistently effective treatments for speeding the wound-healing process in patients.

Addressing this issue, researchers at the University of Tokyo (UT) School of Medicine partnered with colleagues at the Research Center for Stem Cell Engineering, National Institute for Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (Ibaraki, Japan) to test whether a type of mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) called Muse, which is harvested from adult adipose tissue (that is, fat), might work better than other types of MSCs in treating diabetes wounds. Previous studies had shown that Muse which stands for multilineage differentiating stress-enduring cells do not have high proliferative activity, but they do generate multiple cell types of the three germ layers without inducing unfavorable tumors. Thus, Muse cells appear to be safer than other induced pluripotent or multipotent cells and might have better therapeutic potential than general (non-Muse) MSCs.

The study details how researchers isolated the Muse cells from human tissue and then injected them into skin ulcers in diabetic mice. Study leader Kotaro Yoshimura, M.D., of UTs Department of Plastic Surgery said that, After 14 days the mice treated with Muse-rich cells showed significantly accelerated wound healing compared to those treated with Muse-poor cells. The transplanted cells were integrated into the regenerated skin as vascular endothelial cells and other cells. However, they were not detected in the surrounding intact regions.

In fact, not only had the wounds of the mice treated with the Muse cells completely healed after the 14-day period, but the healed skin was thicker than that of the non-Muse treated wounds, too.

Were not sure yet why the Muse cells seem to work better, Dr. Yoshimura stated, but they expressed upregulated pluripotency markers and some angiogenic growth factors, and our animal results certainly suggest a clinical potential for them in the future. These cells can be achieved in large amounts with minimal morbidity and could be a practical tool for a variety of stem cell-depleted or ischemic conditions of various organs and tissues.

Fat tissue has been gaining attention as a practical source of adult stem cells, said Anthony Atala, M.D., Editor-in-Chief of STEM CELLS Translational Medicine and director of the Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine. This study suggests the future clinical potential for Muse cells.

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The full article, Therapeutic Potential of Adipose-Derived SSEA-3-Positive Muse Cells for Treating Diabetic Skin Ulcers, can be accessed at http://www.stemcellstm.com.

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Researchers Hone in on Stem Cell that Speeds Healing of Stubborn Diabetes Wounds

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