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Cesca Therapeutics subsidiary acquires assets of Sacramento’s SynGen Inc. – Sacramento Bee

By Stell Cell Research

Sacramento Business Journal
Cesca Therapeutics subsidiary acquires assets of Sacramento's SynGen Inc.
Sacramento Bee
Rancho Cordova's Cesca Therapeutics Inc., a stem cell medicine and medical technology company, announced Monday that its subsidiary has acquired the assets of SynGen Inc., the privately held Sacramento medical device company specializing in cell ...
Cesca Therapeutics Acquires the Cell Processing Systems of SynGen Under Asset Acquisition AgreementNasdaq
Cesca Therapeutics Inc (KOOL)'s Stock Is Buy After Today's Huge IncreaseFinance News Daily

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Cesca Therapeutics subsidiary acquires assets of Sacramento's SynGen Inc. - Sacramento Bee

Stem Cell Treatments in Use at Clinics Worldwide Need Regulation … – Multiple Sclerosis News Today

By Stem Cell Treatment

Advertising forstem cell therapies not supported by clinical researchoftenmadedirectly to patients and sometimes promoted as a cure for diseases like multiple sclerosis or Parkinsons is a growing problem that needs to be addressed and regulated, a team of leading experts say, calling suchstem cell tourism potentially unsafe.

Stem cell tourism is the unflattering name given to the practice of encouragingpatients totravel outside their home country to undergo suchtreatment, typicaly at a private clinic.

The article, titledMarketing of unproven stem cellbased interventions: A call to actionandrecently published inthe journal Science Translational Medicine, was co-authored by scientistswith universities and hospitals in the U.S., Canada, U.K., Belgium, Italy, Japan, and Australia. It focuses on the global problem of thecommercial promotion of stem cell therapies and ongoing resistance to regulatory efforts.

Its authors suggest that a coordinated approach, at national and international levels, be focused on engagement, harmonization, and enforcement in order to reduce risks associated with direct-to-consumer marketing of unproven stem cell treatments.

Treatments involving stem cell transplants are now being offered by hundreds of medical institutions worldwide, claiming efficacy in repairing tissue damaged by degenerative disorders like MS, even thoughthose claim often lack or are supported bylittle evidence .

They alsonoted that the continued availability of these treatments undermines the development of rigorously tested therapies, and potentially canendanger a patients life.

The researchers emphasizethat tighter regulations on stem cell therapy advertising are needed, especiallyregarding potential clinical benefits. They support the establishment ofinternational regulatory standards for the manufacture and testing of human cell and tissue-based therapies.

Many patients feel that potential cures are being held back by red tape and lengthy approval processes. Although this can be frustrating, these procedures are there to protect patients from undergoing needless treatments that could put their lives at risk, Sarah Chan, a University of Edinburgh Chancellors Fellow and report co-author, saidin anews release.

Chan and her colleagues are also calling for the World Health Organization to offer guidance on responsible clinical use of cells and tissues, as it does for medicines and medical devices.

Stem cell therapies hold a lot of promise, Chan said, but we need rigorous clinical trials and regulatory processes to determine whether a proposed treatment is safe, effective and better than existing treatments.

According to the release, the report and its recommendationsfollowed the death of two children at a German clinic in 2010. The clinichas since been shut down.

Certainstem cell therapies mostly involving blood and skin stem cells have undergone rigorous testing in clinical trials, the researchers noted. A number of theseresulted in aprovedtreatments for certain blood cancers, and to grow skin grafts for patients with severe burns.

Information about the current status of stem cell research andpotential uses of stem cell therapiesis availableon the websiteEuroStemCell.

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Stem Cell Treatments in Use at Clinics Worldwide Need Regulation ... - Multiple Sclerosis News Today

A tall order: Giraffe receives stem-cell therapy for chronic arthritis – Source

By Stem Cell Treatment

How do veterinarians help a giraffe ease its arthritis pain? Well, it takes a little more than an aspirin and a gulp of water.

Recently, Colorado State University veterinarians traveled to Cheyenne Mountain Zoo to help Mahali, a 14-year-old giraffe, with arthritis pain in his front left hoof.

Arthritis is a common problem for giraffes, especially geriatric giraffes like Mahali. Who can blame them? Weighing in at 2,000 pounds on average, their four feet support more than one ton of weight. Thats like carrying two grand pianos on your back all day.

With its 17-giraffe herd trained for voluntary husbandry, including hoof trims, blood draws and radiographs, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo is uniquely suited to help find better arthritis treatments for giraffes.

Dr. Amanda Morphet, who is training to specialize in exotic and zoo animal medicine at CSU, believes stem-cell therapy can help alleviate arthritis pain.

Currently, arthritis in these megavertebrates is managed through corrective hoof trims, non-steroidal anti-inflammatories, cold-laser therapy and pain medications. But, these practices are not always enough to keep giraffes, which can live up to 30 years, comfortable as they age.

CSU veterinarians Dr. Val Johnson and Dr. Amanda Morphet, and the zoos lead veterinarian Dr. Liza Dadone, are determined to discover a more successful way to treat these gentle giants, and they believe stem-cell therapy is the answer.

Stem-cell therapy has resulted in dramatic clinical improvement in some cases of arthritis in horses and other species, but has not, until now, been attempted in giraffes, Johnson said.

The university and the zoo began working together seven years ago, when CSU veterinarian Dr. Matt Johnston and zoo veterinarians initiated a partnership to treat zoo animals while teaching veterinary students.

This specific stem-cell research partnership began in 2016, when Johnson and Dadone started treating a geriatric elephant for arthritis with stem-cell therapy.

Johnson, who is researching regenerative medicine at CSU, has safely treated a mountain lion, tiger, wolf, coyote and dogs with stem cells over the past five years.

Regenerative medicine is a promising new avenue for treatment of chronic age-related degenerative diseases, Johnson said. I want to develop more effective methods for treating animals.

Johnson and Dadone ran a crowdfunding campaign to develop a technique to grow stem cells from giraffe blood and grow multiple treatments of stem cells. The online campaign was quickly funded.

Cheyenne Mountain Zoo staff and veterinarians use hoof-trimming techniques on giraffes to maintain foot health and help prevent foot arthritis in older giraffes. (Photo by Andrew Schroeder)

In April, Morphet and Johnson traveled with two CSU anesthesiologists, Dr. Marlis Rezende and Dr. Khursheed Mama, to Colorado Springs for the procedure on Mahali.

Mahali was in pain. He wouldnt leave pressure on his front left foot for longer than a minute or two, said Morphet, who is training to specialize in exotic and zoo animal medicine at CSUs James L. Voss Veterinary Teaching Hospital.

Mahali is trained for general footwork, but injecting stem cells requires absolute stillness. Anesthetizing a giraffe, however, is especially dangerous for the animal.

With the length of the neck and limbs, falling during induction and recovery is a big concern, Dr. Morphet said.

The large procedure room was packed tight with veterinarians, zoo staff and volunteers who assisted Mahali, which included repositioning his body, and elevating his head at different angles every 10 minutes to prevent muscle spasms, aspiration and brain swelling. The team of volunteers scooped sand under his back to help Mahali roll up once he awoke.

If this sounds like intense physical work, it is.

Veterinarians took radiographs and successfully injected stem cells while Mahali was anesthetized. Meanwhile, a farrier team trimmed his hooves.

The stem cells, which were grown from giraffe blood, were injected through a vein near Mahalis inflamed hoof. The cells remained at the injection site for 20 minutes to improve absorption into the hoof.

Under the watchful care of veterinarians and zoo staff, Mahali came out of anesthesia safely. And then, they waited six long weeks for the stem cells to take effect.

This was the first time a giraffe has received stem-cell therapy to treat arthritis. The big question: Did it work?

Six weeks after the procedure, Morphet and veterinary students visited Mahali for a check-up.

Weve seen a dramatic improvement in his clinical signs, Morphet said. Not only to his comfort level but the quality of his hoof. Hes letting us work with his feet.

Dadone, the zoo veterinarian, used a thermal camera to view the heat distribution in Mahalis feet.

With the thermal imaging, you can see hot spots in the limbs, said Kara Gendron, a fourth-year veterinary student. The warmer it is, the more likely its inflamed and painful. His left hoof was still a little warmer, but compared to what we were seeing initially, it was very similar to his right [hoof]. So, hes actually doing a lot better.

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A tall order: Giraffe receives stem-cell therapy for chronic arthritis - Source

Human Neural Stem Cell Therapy for Chronic Ischemic Stroke | GEN – Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News

By Stem Cell Treatment

Stem cells and stroke

The past decade has seena rise in the number of stem cell-derived therapies targeting ischemic stroke in preclinical and early clinical studies. Corroborated by numerous scientific reports, the therapeutic benefits of stem cells include an extension of the time window for drug intervention, improvement of neurological deficits, reduction of infarct volume, pro-regenerative cerebral reorganization, mitigation of poststroke neuro-inflammation, and tissue restoration, all of which depend on the time after infarct, cell type used, and route of administration13. The wide range of effects observed for stem cell therapies demonstrates that functional recovery after stroke occurs via multiple mechanisms rather than a single target46. Research indicates that the mode of action may depend on the stem cell type and other key factors, including infarct size and location, mode of intervention, and timing poststroke68. Thus, some understanding of the cellular, molecular, and biochemical events that are involved in the mode of action of a stem cell type is a prerequisite to improving and optimizing its therapeutic benefits.

Our 2012 review of cell therapy in stroke showed the wide variety of cell types used preclinically and clinically in stroke treatment research1. Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) of multiple origins and phenotypes are most commonly employed in the literature and mainly applied systemically in high doses in acute stroke settings, because of their nonengraftment and potent drug-like biological activity. Neural stem cells (NSCs), by contrast, are multipotent cells that are derived from developing or adult brain tissue or differentiated from pluripotent cells such as embryonic stem cells (ESCs) or induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) in culture. These stem cells have both capacity for engraftment and neural cell differentiation as well as potent biological activity and are delivered intracerebrally in smaller volumes and cell doses; we believe that they are more suitable in patients presenting with pre-existing chronic, stable disability. Currently, there is a growing number of hNSC-derived therapies in preclinical development for ischemic stroke (Table). Leading these therapies, ReNeuron's CTX0E03 cell line (CTX) has been evaluated in a first-in-human, single-center trial in patients with moderate-to-severe disability, 6 months to 5 years after ischemic stroke9. Currently, a Phase II stroke trial in patients with upper-limb disability, 312 months poststroke is underway across multiple sites in the United Kingdom (clinicaltrials.govNCT02117635). In this review, we summarize nearly 15 years of research behind the CTX line and discuss its mode of action together with implications for therapeutic potential in stroke disability.

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Human Neural Stem Cell Therapy for Chronic Ischemic Stroke | GEN - Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News

Stem cell-based therapy for targeting skin-to-brain cancer – Medical Xpress

By Stem Cell Medical Center

July 10, 2017 Credit: CC0 Public Domain

Investigators from Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH) and the Harvard Stem Cell Institute have a potential solution for how to kill tumor cells that have metastasized to the brain. The team has developed cancer-killing viruses that can deliver stem cells via the carotid artery, and applied them to metastatic tumors in the brain of clinically relevant mouse models. The investigators report the elimination of metastatic skin cancer cells from the brain of these preclinical models, resulting in prolonged survival. The study, published online this week in the journal PNAS, also describes a strategy of combining this therapy with immune check point inhibitors.

"Metastatic brain tumors - often from lung, breast or skin cancers - are the most commonly observed tumors within the brain and account for about 40 percent of advanced melanoma metastases. Current therapeutic options for such patients are limited, particularly when there are many metastases," says Khalid Shah, MS, PhD, director of the Center for Stem Cell Therapeutics and Imaging (CSTI) in the BWH Department of Neurosurgery, who led the study. "Our results are the first to provide insight into ways of targeting multiple brain metastatic deposits with stem-cell-loaded oncolytic viruses that specifically kill dividing tumor cells."

In their search for novel, tumor-specific therapies that could target multiple brain metastases without damaging adjacent tissues, the research team first developed different BRAF wild type and mutant mouse models that more closely mimic what is seen in patients. They found that injecting patient-derived, brain-seeking melanoma cells into the carotid artery of these preclinical models resulted in the formation of many metastatic tumors throughout the brain, mimicking what is seen in advanced melanoma cancer patients. The injected cells express markers that allow them to enter the brain and are labelled with bioluminescent and fluorescent markers to enable tracking by imaging technologies.

To devise a potential new therapy, the investigators engineered a population of bone marrow derived mesenchymal stem cells loaded with oncolytic herpes simplex virus (oHSV), which specifically kills dividing cancer cells while sparing normal cells. Previous research by Shah and his colleagues shows that different stem cell types are naturally attracted toward tumors in the brain. After first verifying that stem cells injected to the brain would travel to multiple metastatic sites and not to tumor-free areas in their model, the team injected stem cells loaded with oHSV into the carotid artery of metastasis-bearing mice.. Injecting the stem cells loaded with oHSV into the carotid artery, a likely strategy for clinical application, led to significantly slower tumor growth and increased survival, compared with the models that received unaltered stem cells or control injections. The oHSV loaded stem cells are ultimately killed by oHSV mediated oncolysis, preventing the engineered cells from persisting within the brain, which is an important safety component in the therapeutic use of these stem cells.

Due to an increasing body of evidence which suggests that the host immune response may be critical to the efficacy of oncolytic virotherapy, Shah and his colleagues also developed an immunocompetent melanoma mouse model and explored treating with both stem cell loaded oHSV and immune checkpoint blockers such as the ones that target the PD-1/PD-L1 pathway. They found that PD-L1 immune checkpoint blockade significantly improved the therapeutic efficacy of stem cell based oncolytic virotherapy in melanoma brain metastasis.

"We are currently developing similar animal models of brain metastasis from other cancer types as well as new oncolytic viruses that have the ability to specifically kill a wide variety of resistant tumor cells," said Shah, who is also a professor at Harvard Medical School and a principal faculty member at the Harvard Stem Cell Institute. "We are hopeful that our findings will overcome problems associated with current clinical procedures. This work will have direct implications for designing clinical trials using oncolytic viruses for metastatic tumors in the brain."

Explore further: Stem-cell-based therapy promising for treatment of breast cancer metastases in the brain

More information: Wanlu Du el al., "In vivo imaging of the fate and therapeutic efficacy of stem cell-loaded oncolytic herpes simplex virus in advanced melanoma," PNAS (2017). http://www.pnas.org/cgi/doi/10.1073/pnas.1700363114

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Stem cell-based therapy for targeting skin-to-brain cancer - Medical Xpress

‘That’s the story of the American Dream, right?’ – Post-Bulletin

By Stem Cell Medical Center

As a poor youngster staring at a dead-end future in Mexico, Alfredo Quinones-Hinojosa would often lay on the roof of his ramshackle home to dream of a brighter future.

Not even he dared dream his life would become this compelling.

Affectionately known as "Dr. Q," Quinones-Hinojosa recently was hired to be Mayo Clinic's chairman of neurologic surgery at its expanding Florida campus while leading federal research to cure brain cancer.

And, after long consideration, he's also given Disney the green light to turn his life story into a movie.

Expectations are high for the dramatic version of Dr. Q's life, especially since Brad Pitt's Plan B Entertainment's credits includes "12 Years A Slave," "Moonlight," "Selma" and "The Departed," among other blockbusters. The script is expected to be completed by the end of 2017 and it may hit theaters by the end of 2018.

'Knew something good would happen'

While it won't be a true documentary, the truth appears to need little embellishment.

"I used to go to the roof of my house and look at the stars I knew something good was going to happen," Dr. Q said last week by phone from Florida. "There's a lot of people who immigrate to the U.S., but there's not very many who came from nothing to be where (I am) today. That's the story of the American dream, right?"

It's a timely topic with unambiguous political overtones. The Trump administration has cracked down on immigration and increased deportation efforts, which has raised the profile of sanctuary cities across the country.

Dr. Q entered this country illegally, and while he is now a U.S. citizen, it's an open question whether he would have been allowed to reach his current heights in today's politicized climate. As an 18-year-old who jumped a border fence to enter the United States in 1988, he didn't speak English, had no immigration paperwork and was essentially broke.

His first few years were spent in the fields as a migrant worker, earning enough money to learn English at a California community college. He overcame those obstacles to earn an academic scholarship at UC-Berkeley in 1991.

Three years later, his unusual ascent saw him enroll at Harvard, paving the way for him to become a brain surgeon.

'Real people who are changing the world'

The rags-to-riches immigrant story first caught the attention of Plan B's studio execs way back in 2007, while Dr. Q was Professor of Neurosurgery and Oncology, Neurology, and Cellular and Molecular Medicine and Director of the Brain Tumor Stem Cell Laboratory at Johns Hopkins. Jeremy Kleiner, who is now Plan B's co-president with Pitt, made his initial pitch to Dr. Q in 2007.

Dr. Q spent the next eight years respectfully declining Kleiner's periodic overtures. He finally reconsidered after seeing "12 Years A Slave," which won best picture at the 2015 Oscars.

"The world has a tremendous appetite for real stories," Dr. Q said. "I always tell people, 'I'm not an expert on immigration, I'm an expert on brain cancer and brain surgery.' Why my story resonates is we need stories of real people who are changing the world.

"I'm not a fancy person. I still take the trash out of my house and my kids always make fun of me because I know a lot about very little. At the end of the day, I'm just a regular guy but my patients may think differently. They put their lives in my hands."

While filmmakers have been chasing Dr. Q's story for about a decade, Mayo Clinic's pursuit is actually longer. He turned down a 2005 job offer at Mayo's Rochester campus to work at Johns Hopkins.

Dr. Q's decision this April to join the Mayo system finally! was hailed as "a coup" by Gianrico Farrugia, CEO of Mayo's Jacksonville campus. His arrival coincides with a $100 million expansion project, aimed at making Jacksonville a destination medical center for that part of the country and Latin America.

Construction is expected to start later this year on buildings to improve services for complex cancer patients and those seeking neurologic or neurosurgical care. That all falls under Dr. Q's purview.

"Any place in the world would be pleased to have him coming," Farrugia told the Florida-Times Union. "It's a real coup to have him coming to Florida. I think he will have a remarkable impact on Jacksonville."

Forbes has named Dr. Q one of the most creative Mexicans in the world, while Popular Science has also dubbed him among the "Brilliant Ten" for his cancer research. The prestigious William J. and Charles H. Mayo Professor also presented May 18 at Tedx Zumbro River at Autumn Ridge Church in Rochester about his quest to use stem cells to fight brain cancer.

While collaborating daily on an upcoming Disney movie that figures to make him a household name, Dr. Q's says he feels a particular kinship with Mayo due to its humble origins.

"They (Mayo Clinic's founders) went out in the middle of cornfields and built something that is unimaginable," Dr. Q said. "I came and basically went to work in the fields in California. I picked corn when I first came in 1987. I relate so much and in so many ways that I feel I have so many things in common with this amazing institution."

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'That's the story of the American Dream, right?' - Post-Bulletin

Renowned Cardiothoracic Surgeon, Zain Khalpey, MD, PhD, FETCS, FACS will be Honorably Mentioned in The … – PR NewsChannel (press release)

By Stem Cell Medical Center

The International Association of HealthCare Professionals is pleased to welcome Zain Khalpey, MD, PhD, FETCS, FACS, a prominent Cardiothoracic Surgeon to their prestigious organization with his upcoming publication in The Leading Physicians of the World. Dr. Khalpey is a highly trained and qualified surgeon with a vast expertise in all facets of his work and an international reputation for his work with Artificial Hearts remodeling scars in hearts with laser therapy, stem cells and liquid matrices to build a program for heart recovery and regenerative medicine, using precision medicine, but more specifically metabolomics with new artificial intelligence platforms in cardiac surgery to change outcomes for the better. Dr. Khalpey is currently serving as an Associate Professor of surgery, medical imaging, physiological sciences, biomedical engineering, cell & molecular medicine, regenerative & translational medicine, and pharmacology at the University of Arizona College of Medicine in Tucson, Arizona. He also serves as Co-Director of the Heart Transplant and Perfusion Science Programs, Director of the Mechanical Circulatory Support and Artificial Heart Programs, and Director of Robotic Mitral Valve Program in the Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery at Banner University Medical Center. Furthermore, Dr. Khalpey is an Adjunct Professor at Columbia University.

Dr. Khalpey was educated at the University of London, where he graduated Summa Cum Laude with his Medical Degree in 1998. He then gained his PhD in cardiothoracic surgery, bioenergetics, and cardiac transplantation from Imperial College London. Dr. Khalpey completed extensive postgraduate training in both the United Kingdom and the United States. In the United Kingdom, Dr. Khalpey was awarded a very prestigious Winston Churchill Medal for his research as well as a highly prestigious lifetime Hunterian Professorship from the Royal College of Surgeons of England, where he remains a member. His research training to end his PhD was completed at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, and Massachusetts General Hospital at Harvard in Boston. He then went on to finish his clinical general surgery residency and cardiothoracic heart surgery fellowship at the Brigham and Womens Hospital, also at Harvard in Boston. He went on to New York where he completed a Super-Fellowship in Heart Transplants and Mechanical Circulatory Support Therapies for Advanced Heart Failure, at New York Presbyterian Hospital at Columbia University. He is certified by the American Board of Thoracic Surgery, and has earned the coveted title of Fellow of the European Board of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery and Fellow of the American College of Surgeons.

Dr. Khalpey is a distinguished member of the American Association for Thoracic Surgery, the Society of Thoracic Surgeons, the American Academy of Regenerative Medicine and the Board of Regenerative Medicine. For his extensive expertise and important work, he has been awarded the prestigious Fulbright Distinguished Chair in Medical Sciences in Europe Award. Awards in the Fulbright Distinguished Chairs Program in Europe are viewed as among the most prestigious accolades in the Fulbright Scholar Program. Dr Khalpey holds the coveted Endowed Tony S. Marnell Sr. Chair in Cardiovascular Research at the University of Arizona for his metabolic and stem cell research within the surgical tissue and stem cell biobank he created. Furthermore, Dr. Khalpey is the surgical director of the Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenator Program, which is the only mobile ECMO service in the state of Arizona. Alongside his exceptional operative team of perfusionists and clinical fellows, Dr. Khalpey helped save NHL hockey player, Tucson Roadrunners Captain, Craig Cunninghams life after sudden cardiac arrest. Dr. Khalpey is the only person on the west coast who is routinely placing left ventricular assist devices (LVADS) through minimally invasive incisions, without the use of a bypass machine, and also strives to revolutionize organ transplantation. Dr. Khalpeys passion for what he does is unparalleled. He is renowned for his innovative and groundbreaking work, and has dedicated his life to providing the best solutions for his patients and community.

View Dr. Zain Khalpeys Profile Here:

https://www.findatopdoc.com/doctor/8137416-Zain-Khalpey-Cardiac-Surgeon-85755

Learn more about Dr. Khalpey here:

https://profiles.arizona.edu/person/zkhalpey and be sure to read his upcoming publication in The Leading Physicians of the World.

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FindaTopDoc.com is a hub for all things medicine, featuring detailed descriptions of medical professionals across all areas of expertise, and information on thousands of healthcare topics. Each month, millions of patients use FindaTopDoc to find a doctor nearby and instantly book an appointment online or create a review. FindaTopDoc.com features each doctors full professional biography highlighting their achievements, experience, patient reviews and areas of expertise. A leading provider of valuable health information that helps empower patient and doctor alike, FindaTopDoc enables readers to live a happier and healthier life. For more information about FindaTopDoc, visit: http://www.findatopdoc.com

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Renowned Cardiothoracic Surgeon, Zain Khalpey, MD, PhD, FETCS, FACS will be Honorably Mentioned in The ... - PR NewsChannel (press release)

Stem cell therapies breaking barriers – Guardian (blog)

By Gene Therapy Clinics

STEM CELL THERAPIES BREAKING BARRIERSPhysicians all over the world are increasingly employing stem cell therapies for the treatment of chronic diseases including hypertension, diabetes, chronic kidney disease, neurological disorders, asthma, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, spinal cord injuries, female and male sexual dysfunction, joint pain and autoimmune disease. INSET is Dr. David Ikudayisi, of the Glory Wellness and Regenerative Centre PHOTO CREDIT: http://theconversation.com

Technology offers groundbreaking new treatment option for chronic diseases to patients Physicians all over the world are increasingly employing stem cell therapies for the treatment of chronic diseases including hypertension, diabetes, chronic kidney disease, neurological disorders, asthma, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, spinal cord injuries, female and male sexual dysfunction, joint pain and autoimmune disease.

A study published last week in the FASEB Journal showed that a new therapy developed through stem cell technology holds promise as a treatment for chronic asthma.

Also, researchers have successfully patched up damaged hearts to treat heart failure, using the patients own muscle stem cells but another study published last week in journal Circulation found that the treatment could be more harmful than helpful if cardiac stem cells are involved.

In another study published in the journal Science Translational Medicine, team of investigators has successfully repaired severe limb fractures in laboratory animals with an innovative technique that cues bone to regrow its own tissue. If found to be safe and effective in humans, the pioneering method of combining ultrasound, stem cell and gene therapies could eventually replace grafting as a way to mend severely broken bones.

Using new gene-editing technology, researchers have rewired mouse stem cells to fight inflammation caused by arthritis and other chronic conditions. According to the study published in the journal Stem Cell Reports, such stem cells, known as SMART cells (Stem cells Modified for Autonomous Regenerative Therapy), develop into cartilage cells that produce a biologic anti-inflammatory drug that, ideally, will replace arthritic cartilage and simultaneously protect joints and other tissues from damage that occurs with chronic inflammation.

Scientists have for the first time created a special type of neuron from human stem cells that could potentially repair spinal cord injuries. The study was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Also, early results of a clinical trial suggest that stem cell therapy may be a promising treatment for erectile dysfunction, after the procedure was found to restore sexual function in men with the condition.

Meanwhile, the ANOVA IRM Stem Cell Centre has opened its doors in Frankfurt, Germany offering a groundbreaking new treatment option to patients worldwide.

One of the pioneers of stem cell therapy in Nigeria, Dr. David Ikudayisi, of the Glory Wellness and Regenerative Centre, with clinics in Abuja and Lagos, told The Guardian that there are several thousand clinical trials based on autologous (patients own) Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSCs). He said these type of stem cells are relatively easy to obtain from a patient via bone marrow blood or fat tissue and have been shown to hold vast healing potential.

Ikudayisi is a United States (U.S.) Board Certified Internist with a strong passion for regenerative aesthetic and cosmetic medicine.

Ikudayisi said ASCT and Platelet Rich Plasma Therapy (PRPT) are under a new specialty of medicine known as regenerative medicine, which is a specialist segment of medicine that helps people to naturally regenerate and rejuvenate their bodies from the different conditions they may be suffering from without using chemicals or the orthodox medicine we are used to.

ASCT may hold answers to many questions and problems that we doctors believed had no solutions, especially neurological disorders. Adult stem cell therapy with or without PRPT revitalizes and regenerates the body organs and systems; it also reverses and repairs many pending subclinical medical problems before they become apparent, including the diseases that are age-related, Ikudayisi said.

He said that ASCT and PRPT are safe as shown by many published research reports and clinical trials done already. He, however, said this does not guarantee that adverse effects cannot occur if physicians that are not properly trained do the treatment.

The US-trained said ASCT has helped a lot of people all over the world to regain their lives back from debilitating ailments and Nigerians are not left behind. He said there are real people in Nigeria that were either wheelchair bound but now walking freely with occasional use of a cane or using a cane before but now walking without one; diabetes patients are able to have restoration of vision in their eyes, and some feel and look younger.

He said ASCT has helped chronic kidney disease patients in Nigeria that are on haemodialysis to either reduce the frequency of haemodialysis per week or like in a patient that was recommended to have kidney transplant a year ago is now off haemodialysis and off diabetic medications, and remain stable for the last six months.

Ikudayisi said men with erectile dysfunction are now feeling like young men again. He further explained: I would be remiss to mention that the type of treatment protocol, the dosage of stem cells used also play a role in the efficacy of the treatment, and not everyone will respond in the same manner. Most of the patients showed improvements after the first treatment, and the few that needed second treatment went on to see great results after more treatments were done; needless to say that they were elated with the results.

The only groups of patients that will always need more than a couple of transplantation sessions are patients with the neurological disorders. The latest researches and evidence-based studies show the number of treatment session needed to get significant clinical results can decreased by adding Exosomes to the treatment sessions.

Ikudayisi said there are some diseases that conventional treatments have no cure for, but ASCT can reverse the symptoms of those diseases, repair, and regenerate the damaged tissues or organs involved. He explained: In some cases, it significantly slows down the progression of the disorder. For example, it can regenerate the bony joints in arthritis, repair and strengthen partial Rotator cuff tears and avascular necrosis of the hip without surgery, revitalize the sexual organs in men and women, regenerate renal cells in kidney diseases, modulate immune system without use of medications that have very serious side effects in conditions like rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, scleroderma, Crohns disease, etc. Another advantage is its application in neurological disorders like Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and spinal cord injury.

Ikudayisi said ASCT can gradually lower diabetic medications dosage and eventually may get the patients off diabetic medications. This is evidenced by stem cells in a hyperglycemic medium differentiating into pancreatic cells; therefore leading to increased development of new blood vessels, secretion of various products of the immune system, and up-regulation of pancreatic transcription factors and vascular growth factor. This aids the pancreas to regenerate and boost its ability to produce insulin. In stroke patients, stem cells activate cells around the suffering brain tissue to catalyze rapid healing and to improve brain function, thereby restoring motor function. Until recently, it was believed that damage to the brain tissue was permanent. This is being challenged by the evidences of re-growth of brain cells and improvements of neurological function documented with the use of adult stem cells, he said.

Ikudayisi said a procedure called P-Shot for Men uses PRPT to resolve challenges relating to erectile dysfunction by regenerating the damaged tissues. It gives treated men the possibility of saving their relationships by increasing stamina, enjoying bigger and harder genitals, and eventually increasing the length and girth. Orgasm-Shot for Women, the regenerative medicine procedure for womens sexual function, leads to increased ability to have orgasm, better arousal from clitoris stimulation, decreased pain during intercourse, tighter vaginal opening, increased sexual desire and natural lubrication, and increased arousal from G-spot stimulation. In addition, because of the O-Shot rejuvenation capabilities, there is help available for women suffering from urinary stress incontinence without the need for invasive surgery, he said.

Ikudayisi said since the stem cells used are autologous, there is no risk of rejection of the stem cell transplant, but as with any procedure, there is a risk of infection, which can be very minimal or non-existent if done under the right conditions. He said adult stem cells transplantation can also be considered by people looking for alternative treatments especially in the areas of diabetes, hypertension, kidney disease, female and male sexual dysfunction, joint pain, neurological disorder and autoimmune disease.

The regenerative medicine expert, however, said: Currently, the cost of treatment varies, and it is not for everyone. However, you cant place a price tag on life just as the saying goes that Health is wealth.

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Stem cell therapies breaking barriers - Guardian (blog)

Stem Cell Therapy: You can be sexually active again – Vanguard … – Vanguard

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By David Ikudayisi

Stem Cell Therapy comes in different types. Embryonic Stem Cell Therapy involves the use of embryonic stem cells derived from the inner cell mass of a blastocyst, an early-stage pre-implantation embryo at 4 days old to around 12 days old, leading to the destruction of the blastocyst which raises ethical and religious issues. Therefore, this type of Stem Cell Therapy is not the focus of this piece. The focus is Adult Stem Cells (ADSCs) and Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells (iPSCs). iPSCs are produced in the laboratories by reprogramming adult cells to express embryonic stem cells characteristics whereas ADSCs are cells obtained from an adult patient who will also be the recipient of the same stem cells.

In the United States, we must transplant the cells back to the same patient on the same day, while in some countries, the stem cells can be cultured to increase the quantity of stem cells before transplanting them back to the same patient who donated them.

Stem Cell Transplantation is a complex process that needs the care of experts in Regenerative Medicine, a new speciality of medicine . In order to ensure that science remains as the vehicle for hope and not harm, the controversies associated with the legal, social and legal issues of certain areas of stem cells research and stem cells potential clinical applications must be carefully examined. Advancing treatment and care for patients to save a life is and must be the ultimate goal.

Regenerative Medicine helps people to naturally regenerate and rejuvenate their bodies from the different conditions they may be suffering from without using chemicals or the orthodox medicine we are used to, but Adult Stem Cells Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP), that is, blood plasma that has been enriched with platelets, and contains growth factors which may elicit the gathering of stem cells around the damaged region stimulating cellular proliferation and tissue regeneration. PRP can be used to promote healing of injured tendons, ligaments, muscles, joints and can be applied to various musculoskeletal problems. The process allows your own (autologous) stem cells to be re-introduced into/around areas of damage or chronic disease. As mentioned earlier, the extraction and transplantation of the stem cells are done on the same day in the United States. Bone marrow transplant has been the most widely used Stem Cell Therapy till date, but Adult Adipose-Derived (fat) Stem Cell Therapy is fast gaining popularity as fat harvesting is less invasive than bone marrow harvesting. You get more stem cells from fat than bone marrow, and fat stem cells are not age-dependent. Adult Stem Cell Therapy may hold answers to many questions and problems that we doctors believed had no solutions, especially neurological disorders. The therapy, with or without PRP, revitalizes and regenerates the body organs and systems; it also reverses and repairs many pending subclinical medical problems before they become apparent, including the diseases that are age-related. Generally, Adult Stem Cell Therapy is safe as shown by many published research reports and clinical trials. However, this does not guarantee that adverse effects cant occur if the treatment is done by physicians that are not properly trained.

The therapy has helped a lot of people all over the world to regain their lives from debilitating ailments and Nigerians are not left behind. There are people in Nigeria that were either wheelchair bound and walking with occasional use of a cane before but now walking without one; diabetes patients are able to have restoration of vision in their eyes, and some feel and look younger. It has helped chronic kidney disease patients in Nigeria that are on hemodialysis to either reduce the frequency of hemodialysis per week or like a patient that was recommended to have kidney transplant a year ago but who is now off hemodialysis and off diabetic medications, and remains stable for the past months. Men with Erectile Dysfunction are now feeling like young men again. I cannot but mention that the type of treatment protocol and dosage of stem cells used also play a role in the efficacy of the treatment, and not everyone will respond in the same manner. Most of the patients, in studies, showed improvements after the first treatment, and the few that needed second treatment went on to see great results after more treatments were done; needless to say that they were elated with the results. The only group of patients that will always need more than a couple of transplantation sessions are patients with neurological disorders. Latest researches and evidence-based studies showed the number of treatment sessions needed to get significant clinical results can decrease by adding Exosomes to the treatment sessions.

In a recently publication in Germany, the new concept, developed around 2010 of how stem cells works, was reinforced where it stated that most of the effects of stem cells are through the Paracrine effects, delivered by the Exosomes. Exosomes are extracellular cell-derived vesicles that are present in almost all biological fluids. When secreted by stem cells, Exosomes are those tiny communication vesicles that interact with surrounding cells, thereby creating therapeutic activity. This is called the Paracrine effect. The Paracrine soluble factors (communication vesicles) have specialized functions and play a key role in intercellular signaling and in the following properties immune modulatory, neuroprotective, anti-inflammatory, neurotrophic, angiotrophic, anti-apoptotic and anti-oxidatory. Stem cells also secrete other important proteins and cytokines that have healing properties.

There are some diseases that conventional treatments have no cure for, but Adult Stem Cell Therapy can reverse the symptoms of those diseases, repair and regenerate the damaged tissues or organs affected. In some cases, it significantly slows down the progression of the disorder. For example, it can regenerate the bony joints in arthritis, repair and strengthen partial rotator cuff tears and avascular necrosis of the hip without surgery, revitalize the sexual organs in men and women, regenerate renal cells in kidney diseases, modulate immune system without use of medications that have very serious side effects in conditions like Rheumatoid Arthritis, Lupus, Scleroderma, Crohns disease, etc. Another advantage is its application in neurological disorders like ALS and spinal cord injury.

Adult Stem Cell Therapy can gradually lower diabetic medications dosage and eventually may get the patients off diabetic medications. This is evidenced by stem cells in a hyperglycemic medium differentiating into pancreatic cells; therefore leading to increased development of new blood vessels, secretion of various products of the immune system, and upregulation of pancreatic transcription factors and vascular growth factor. This aids the pancreas to regenerate and boost its ability to produce insulin. In stroke patients, stem cells activate cells around the suffering brain tissue to catalyze rapid healing and to improve brain function, thereby restoring motor function. Until recently, it was believed that damage to the brain tissue was permanent. This is being challenged by the evidences of re-growth of brain cells and improvements of neurological function documented with the use of Adult Stem Cells.

A procedure called P-Shot for Men uses the PRP Therapy to resolve challenges relating to Erectile Dysfunction by regenerating the damaged tissues. It gives treated men the possibility of saving their relationships by increasing stamina, enjoying bigger and harder genitals, and eventually increasing the length and girth. Orgasm-Shot for Women, the regenerative medicine procedure for womens sexual function, leads to increased ability to have orgasm, better arousal from clitoris stimulation, decreased pain during intercourse, tighter vaginal opening, increased sexual desire and natural lubrication, and increased arousal from G-spot stimulation. In addition, because of the O-Shot rejuvenation capabilities, there is help available for women suffering from urinary stress incontinence without the need for invasive surgery.

Since the stem cells used are autologous, there is no risk of rejection of the stem cell transplant. Nevertheless, as with any procedure, there is a risk of infection which can be very minimal or non-existent if done under the right conditions. Adult Stem Cells Transplantation can also be considered by people looking for alternative treatments especially in the areas of diabetes, hypertension, kidney disease, female and male sexual dysfunction, joint pain, neurological disorder and autoimmune disease. The cost of treatment varies, and it is not for everyone. However, you cant place a price tag on life just as the saying goes that health is wealth.

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Stem Cell Therapy: You can be sexually active again - Vanguard ... - Vanguard

Oxford BioMedica signs major deal with Novartis for cell therapy treatment – City A.M.

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An Oxford-based gene and cell therapy group has announced a major deal with Swiss pharmaceuticals company Novartis.

Oxford BioMedica today revealed it signed a deal potentially worth more than $100m (77.1m) with Novartis for the supply of material for its new cell therapy, CTL019.

The agreement builds on an existing relationship between the two companies that collaborated on CTL019, which will launch commercially later this year.

Read more: Novartis earnings fall but new drug raises hopes

The contract is for the supply of lentiviral vectors, which are used to generate CTL019, a treatment for an especially difficult type of leukaemia.

Novartis has flagged the treatment as a potential blockbuster.

The supply agreement is for the next three years, with the potential of an extension to five years, and it includes a $10m upfront payment for Oxford BioMedica.

John Dawson, the boss of Oxford BioMedica, said:

The new deal with Novartis will strengthen the group's balance sheet immediately and will support the group's continued growth over the next three years.

The company is also set to receive royalty payments on future sales of CTL019, which analysts at Jefferies said could earn Oxford BioMedica between 65-75m a year assuming peak sales of at least $1bn, according to Reuters.

Sheena Berry, analyst at N+1 Singer, said: "We had assumed Novartis would establish a new supply agreement with Oxford BioMedica but it is reassuring to have the agreement confirmed. We continue to look forward to regulatory approval of CTL019."

An advisory panel in the US will meet to discuss whether or not to approve CTL019 at a meeting on 12 July.

Read more: Hunt and Clark issue veiled threat over post-Brexit drugs deal

Read more here:
Oxford BioMedica signs major deal with Novartis for cell therapy treatment - City A.M.

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