Author Archives: admin


‘Stem-cell tourism’ needs tighter controls, say medical experts – The … – Washington Post

By Reuters By Reuters July 8

Stem cell tourism in which patients travel to developing countries for unproven and potentially risky therapies should be more tightly regulated, according to a group of international health experts.

With hundreds of medical centers around the world claiming to be able to repair tissue damaged by conditions such as multiple sclerosis and Parkinsons disease, tackling unscrupulous advertising of such procedures is crucial.

These therapies are advertised directly to patients with the promise of a cure, but there is often little or no evidence to show they will help or that they will not cause harm, the 15 experts wrote in the journal Science Translational Medicine.

Some types of stem cell transplant mainly using blood and skin stem cells have been approved by regulators after full clinical trials found they could treat certain types of cancer and grow skin grafts for burn patients.

But many other potential therapies are only in the earliest stages of development and have not been approved by regulators.

Stem cell therapies hold a lot of promise, but we need rigorous clinical trials and regulatory processes to determine whether a proposed treatment is safe, effective and better than existing treatments, said one of the 15, Sarah Chan of Britains University of Edinburgh.

The experts called for global action, led by the World Health Organization, to introduce controls on advertising and to agree on international standards for the manufacture and testing of cell- and tissue-based therapies.

The globalization of health markets and the specific tensions surrounding stem cell research and its applications have made this a difficult challenge, they wrote. However, the stakes are too high not to take a united stance.

See more here:
'Stem-cell tourism' needs tighter controls, say medical experts - The ... - Washington Post

Stem Cell and Biobanking – Stem Cell Conferences

Conference Series Ltdinvites all the members of Biological Sciences family, from all over the world to join and share research at the10th World Congress on Stem Cell and Biobankingduring 23th& 24thOctober, 2017 at Osaka, Japan, which includes prompt keynote presentations, plenary talks, oral talks, poster presentations and exhibitions.

Theme: Accelerating the Innovative Research &Technology in Stem Cell & Biobanking

Stem Cell Convention 2017aims in proclaim knowledge and share new ideas amongest the professionals, industrialists and students from research area of Stem Cells and Biobanking to share their research experiences and indulge in interactive discussions at the event. This scientific gathering guarantees that offering the thoughts and ideas will enable and secure you the theme Accelerating the Innovative Research &Technology in Stem Cell & Biobanking. Biobanking is the latest trending technology in many fields. The current era fully rolled out with many new Stem cells and Biobanking technologies. In such case more research centres and Hospitals were newly introduced within market which obviously shows the market growth of stem cells and Biobanking techniques. While analyzing the revenue growth of stem cells research, it highly developed from $150 billion USD to $250 billion USD since from 2010-2015. And the annual growth percentage increases from 20-55 percentages.

Track-1

Stem Cells Biology

Stem cellsare undifferentiated biological cells that can differentiate into specialized cells and can divide (through mitosis) to produce more stem cells. They are found in multicellular organisms. In mammals, there are two broad types of stem cells:embryonic stem cells, which are isolated from the inner cell mass of blastocysts, and adult stem cells, which are found in various tissues. In adult organisms, stem cells andprogenitor cellsact as a repair system for the body, replenishingadult tissues. In a developing embryo, stem cells can differentiate into all the specialized cellsectoderm, endoderm and mesoderm (see induced pluripotent stem cells)but also maintain the normal turnover of regenerative organs, such as blood, skin, or intestinal tissues.Umbilical cord cells are also included in this Stem Cell Research.

Related Stem Cell Convention | Stem Cell Conferences | Biobanking Congress | Stem Cell Banking|Cord Blood Stem Cell Research|

7th Annual Conference on Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine ,Aug 4-5, 2016, Manchester, UK; 2nd International Conference on Antibodies,July 14-15, 2016 ,Philadelphia, USA; 2nd International Conference on Innate Immunity,July 21-22, 2016 ,Berlin, Germany; 2nd International Congress on Neuroimmunology ,March 31-April 02, 2016, Atlanta, USA; International Conference on Cancer Immunology ,July 28-30, 2016 ,Melbourne, Australia.

Stem cells technologyis a rapidly developing field that combines the efforts of cell biologists,geneticists, and clinicians and offers hope of effective treatment for a variety of malignant and non-malignant diseases. Stem cells are defined astotipotent progenitor cellscapable of self-renewal and multilineage differentiation. Stem Cell s technologysurvive well and show stable division in culture, making them ideal targets for in vitro manipulation. Although early research has focused on hematopoietic stem cells, stem cells have also been recognised in other sites. Research into solid tissue stem cells has not made the same progress as that on hematopoietic stem cells. This is due to the difficulty of reproducing the necessary and precise three dimensional arrangements and tight cell-cell and cell-extracellular matrix interactions that exist in solid organs. However, the ability of tissue stem cells to integrate into the tissue cytoarchitecture under the control of the host microenvironment and developmental cues makes them ideal for cell replacement therapy. Some of the methods of Stem Cells technology include Cord Stem Cell Transplantation, Allogeneic stem cell transplantation.

RelatedStem Cell Convention|Stem Cell Conferences|Biobanking Congress|Stem Cell Banking|Cord Blood Stem Cell Research|

8th World Congress on Stem Cell Research ,March 20-22, 2017 ,Orlando, USA;International Conference on Cancer Immunology ,July 28-30, 2016 ,Melbourne, Australia; 5th International Conference on Immunology ,October 24-26, 2016 ,Chicago, USA; Cancer Vaccines: Targeting Cancer Genes for Immunotherapy, Mar 610 2016, Whistler, Canada; Systems Immunology: From Molecular Networks to Human Biology, Jan 1014 2016, Big Sky, USA.

Track-3

Stem Cells Therapy Research

Stem cells therapyis the use of stem cells to treat or prevent a disease or condition.Bone marrow transplantis the most widely used stem-cells therapy, but some therapies derived from umbilical cord blood are also in use. Research is underway to develop various sources forstem cells, and to apply stem-cells treatments for neurodegenerative diseases and conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, and other conditions.Cord blood stem cells therapy is highly recommended at the time of delivery to save the umbilical cord of the child to resolve any future health conditions. Umbilical cord stem cells research has more scope to resolve the issues caused due to DNA changes.

RelatedStem Cell Convention|Stem Cell Conferences|Biobanking Congress|Stem Cell Banking|Cord Blood Stem Cell Research|

4thInternationalConference on Plant Genomics,July 14-15, 2016 ,Brisbane, Australia; 8thWorld Congress on Stem Cell Research,March 20-22, 2017 ,Orlando, USA; 7thAnnual Conference on Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine,Aug 4-5, 2016, Manchester, UK; 2ndInternationalConference on Tissue preservation and Biobanking,September 12-13, 2016 ,Philadelphia, USA;World Congress on Human Genetics,October 31- November 02, 2016 ,Valencia, Spain.

Track-4

Epigenetics

Epigeneticsis the study of potentially heritable changes in gene expression (active versus inactive genes) that does not involve changes to the underlyingDNA sequence a change in phenotype without a change in genotype which in turn affects how cells read the genes. Epigenetic change is a regular and natural occurrence but can also be influenced by several factors including age, the environment/lifestyle, and disease state. Epigenetic modifications can manifest as commonly as the manner in which cells terminally differentiate to end up as skin cells, liver cells, brain cells, etc. Or, epigenetic change can have more damaging effects that can result in diseases like cancer. At least three systems includingDNA methylation, histone modification and non-coding RNA (ncRNA)-associated gene silencing are currently considered to initiate and sustain epigenetic change. New and ongoing research is continuously uncovering the role of epigenetics in a variety ofhuman disordersand fatal diseases.

RelatedStem Cell Convention|Stem Cell Conferences|Biobanking Congress|Stem Cell Banking|Cord Blood Stem Cell Research|

InternationalConference on Next Generation Sequencing,July 21-22, 2016 ,Berlin, Germany; 5thInternationalConference on Computational Systems Biology,August 22-23, 2016 ,Philadelphia, USA; 7thInternationalConference on Bioinformatics,October 27-28, 2016 ,Chicago, USA; InternationalConference on Synthetic Biology,September 28-30, 2015 ,Houston, USA; 4thInternationalConference on Integrative Biology,July 18-20, 2016 ,Berlin, Germany.

Track-5

Stem cells apoptosis and signal transduction

Self-renewal and proliferation ofstem cellspopulation is controlled, in part, by induction of apoptosis. The number of stem cells is therefore a balance between those lost to differentiation / apoptosis and those gained through proliferation.Apoptosisof stem cells is believed to be a dynamic process which changes in response to environmental conditions. For example, the release of stem cells factor inhibits apoptosis following spinal cord injury, presumably in an attempt to promotetissue repair. Dysregulation of apoptosis instem cellsis believed to underlie somecancer pathologies, where apoptotic resistance results in uncontrolled growth (i.e. glioblastoma). Controlling apoptosis is also an important focus for studies ofstem cells transplantation, where inhibition may increase the survival of grafted cells during replacement therapy. Harnessing the full therapeutic potential of stem cells will require full elucidation of the signal transduction cascades for proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis.

RelatedStem Cell Convention|Stem Cell Conferences|Biobanking Congress|Stem Cell Banking|Cord Blood Stem Cell Research|

7thInternationalConference on Bioinformatics,October 27-28, 2016 ,Chicago, USA; InternationalConference on Synthetic Biology,September 28-30, 2015 ,Houston, USA; 7thAnnual Conference on Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine,Aug 4-5, 2016, Manchester, UK; 4thInternationalConference on Integrative Biology,July 18-20, 2016 ,Berlin, Germany; 1stInternationalConference on Pharmaceutical Bioinformatics,Jan 2426 2016, Pattaya, Thailand.

Trcak-6

Regenerative medicine

Regenerative medicineis the branch of medicine that develops methods to regrow, repair or replace damaged or diseased cells, organs or tissues. Regenerative medicine includes the generation and use of therapeutic stem cells, tissue engineering and the production of artificial organs.

RelatedStem Cell Convention|Stem Cell Conferences|Biobanking Congress|Stem Cell Banking|Cord Blood Stem Cell Research|

InternationalConference on Restorative Medicine,October 24-26, 2016 ,Chicago, USA; 3rdWorld Congress onHepatitis and Liver Diseases,October 17-19, 2016 Dubai, UAE; InternationalConference on Molecular Biology,October 13-15, 2016 ,Dubai, UAE; 2nd InternationalConference on Tissue preservation and Biobanking, September12-13, 2016 ,Philadelphia USA; 26thEuropean Congress ofClinical Microbiology, April 912 2016, Istanbul, Turkey;Conference onCell Growth and Regeneration, Jan 1014 2016, Breckenridge, USA.

Track-7

Bio-banks

Biobanksplay a crucial role in biomedical research. The wide array ofbio specimens(including blood, saliva, plasma, and purified DNA) maintained inbiobankscan be described as libraries of the human organism. They are carefully characterized to determine the general and unique features of the continuous cell line and the absence or presence of contaminants, therefore establishing a fundamental understanding about the raw material from which the biological product is being derived and maintained.Biobankscatalog specimens using genetic and other traits, such as age, gender, blood type, and ethnicity. Some samples are also categorized according to environmental factors, such as whether the donor had been exposed to radiation, asbestos, or some other substance that can affecthuman genes.In Biobank Category the most popular biobank projects includes cord blood banking, banking stem cells, baby cord blood banking.

RelatedStem Cell Convention|Stem Cell Conferences|Biobanking Congress|Stem Cell Banking|Cord Blood Stem Cell Research|

8thWorld Congress on Stem Cell Research,March 20-22, 2017 ,Orlando, USA; 5thInternationalConference onCell and Gene Therapy,May 19-21, 2016 ,San Antonio, USA; 7thAnnual Conference on Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine,Aug 4-5, 2016 ,Manchester, UK; InternationalConference on Restorative Medicine,October 24-26, 2016 ,Chicago, USA; InternationalConference on Molecular BiologyOctober 13-15, 2016 Dubai, UAE.

Track-8

Stem cells biomarkers

Bio markeris a biological molecule found in blood, other body fluids, or tissues that is a sign of a normal or abnormal process, or of a condition or disease. A bio marker may be used to see how well the body responds to a treatment for a disease or condition.

In cancer research and medicine, bio markers are used in three primary ways:

To help diagnose conditions, as in the case of identifying early stage cancers (Diagnostic)

To forecast how aggressive a condition is, as in the case of determining a patient's ability to fare in the absence of treatment (Prognostic)

To predict how well a patient will respond to treatment (Predictive).

RelatedStem Cell Convention|Stem Cell Conferences|Biobanking Congress|Stem Cell Banking|Cord Blood Stem Cell Research|

InternationalConference on Genetic Counseling and Genomic Medicine,August 11-12, 2016 ,Birmingham, UK;World Congress on Human Genetics,October 31- November 02, 2016 ,Valencia, Spain; InternationalConference on Molecular Biology,October 13-15, 2016 ,Dubai, UAE; 3rdInternationalConference on Genomics & Pharmacogenomics,September 21-23, 2015 ,San Antonio, USA; EuropeanConference on Genomics and Personalized Medicine ,April 25-27, 2016 ,Valencia, Spain.

Track-9

Cells & Organ Regeneration

Regenerationmeans the regrowth of a damaged or missing organ part from the remaining tissue. As adults, humans can regenerate some organs, such as the liver. If part of the liver is lost by disease or injury, the liver grows back to its original size, though not its original shape. And our skin is constantly being renewed and repaired. Unfortunately many other human tissues dont regenerate, and a goal inregenerative medicineis to find ways to kick-start tissue regeneration in the body, or to engineerreplacement tissues.

RelatedStem Cell Convention|Stem Cell Conferences|Biobanking Congress|Stem Cell Banking|Cord Blood Stem Cell Research|

4thCongress on Bacteriology and Infectious Diseases,May 16-18, 2016 ,San Antonio, USA; 2ndWorld Congress on Applied Microbiology,October 31-November 02, 2016 ,Istanbul, Turkey; InternationalConference on Infectious Diseases & Diagnostic Microbiology,Oct 3-5, 2016 ,Vancouver, Canada; InternationalConference on Water Microbiology,July 18-20, 2016 ,Chicago, USA; 5thInternationalConference on Clinical Microbiology,October 24-26, 2016 ,Rome, Italy.

Track-10

Fertility biobanks

Fertility preservation is the effort to help cancer patients retain their fertility, or ability to procreate. Research into howcanceraffects reproductive health and preservation options are growing, sparked in part by the increase in the survival rate of cancer patients. The main methods of fertility preservation are ovarian protection by GnRH agonists, cryopreservation of ovarian tissue, eggs or sperm, or of embryos afterin vitro fertilization. The patient may also choose to use egg or sperm from a donor by third party reproduction rather than having biological children.

Related Stem Cell Convention|Stem Cell Conferences|Biobanking Congress|Stem Cell Banking|Cord Blood Stem Cell Research|

4thCongress on Bacteriology and Infectious Diseases,May 16-18, 2016 ,San Antonio, USA; 2ndWorld Congress on Applied Microbiology,October 31-November 02, 2016 ,Istanbul, Turkey; InternationalConference on Infectious Diseases & Diagnostic Microbiology,October 3-5, 2016 ,Vancouver, Canada; InternationalConference on Water Microbiology ,July 18-20, 2016 ,Chicago, USA; 5thInternationalConference on Clinical Microbiology,October 24-26, 2016 ,Rome, Italy.

Track-11

Biobank Ethics

Ethical issues are commonly present in many aspects ofBiobanking. The fact that Biobanks deal with human samples, invading an individual autonomy or limiting self-control, provokes a number of ethical issues. Who is actually competent to give informed consent and donate a sample? When individuals donate part of their body to abiobank, how is that human sample processed? Who is the owner of the sample? Who should decide how it should be used? Who has the right to know individual results of research? These and many more ethical dilemmas exist in the ethical framework of biobanks. With the recent rapid developments in Biobanking, all of these issues are magnified with plenty of further new questions continuously arising. Ethical framework has been the most controversial issue in the domain of biobanking. Thus, it is not surprising that there is a substantial literature focusing on ethical dilemmas in biobanking, such as informed consent, privacy, protection, and returning of results to participants. For many years, researchers at CRB have provided constructive advice on how to deal with ethical aspects of research usinghuman tissuematerial and personal data. For more than 80 years tissue has been derived from human bodies, stored, distributed and used for therapeutic, educational, forensic and research purposes as part of healthcare routine in most western countries.

American Society forBioethicsand Humanities Houston, USA, Association of Bioethics World Congress Edinburgh, UK, Oxford Global Health and Bioethics International Conference Oxford shire, UK, CFP: Global Forum on Bioethics in Research Foundation Merieux, France, Hands On Biobanks 2016 conference Vienna, Austria, Global Biobanking London, UK, TheBiomarker ConferenceOrlando, Florida USA, ART World Congress Symposium on Safe and Efficient IVF New York City, United States, VIII International Postharvest Symposium: Enhancing Supply Chain and Consumer Benefits - Ethical and Technological Issues Cartagena, Murcia, Spain.

RelatedStem Cell Convention|Stem Cell Conferences|Biobanking Congress|Stem Cell Banking|Cord Blood Stem Cell Research|

4thCongress on Bacteriology and Infectious Diseases,May 16-18, 2016 San Antonio, USA; 2ndWorld Congress on Applied Microbiology,October 31-November 02, 2016 ,Istanbul, Turkey; InternationalConference on Infectious Diseases & Diagnostic Microbiology,October 3-5, 2016 ,Vancouver, Canada; InternationalConference on Water Microbiology,July 18-20, 2016 ,Chicago, USA; 5thInternationalConference on Clinical Microbiology,October 24-26, 2016 ,Rome, Italy.

Track-12

Market Analysis in Biobanking

The globalbiopreservationmarket is expected to reach USD 3,731.03 Million by 2020 from USD 2,150.48 Million in 2015, growing at a CAGR of 11.65% between 2015 and 2020. Biopreservation is used to ensure the stability, quality and purity ofbiospecimens. With a CAGR of 23.7%, global market value for cryopreservation equipment used instem cellsindustry is anticipated to worth US$2.2 billion by 2015. On a global scale, North America accounts for nearly 35% of the market and will likely witness a higher growth rate in the upcoming years, in comparison with Asia-Pacific. While US accounts for the highest share of the global market value on a country basis, India and China surpasses the US in terms of growth rate anticipated in the near future. As per our analysis, freezers represent more than half of thecryopreservationequipment market value while Cyropreservative reagents stand for a share of close to 20%. The global biopreservation market is poised for rapid growth between 2015 and 2020. The drivers include increasing healthcare expenditure, growing demand for preserving new-borns stem cells, increasing R&D spending on research, and increasing adoption ofregenerative medicine.

RelatedStem Cell Convention|Stem Cell Conferences|Biobanking Congress|Stem Cell Banking|Cord Blood Stem Cell Research|

InternationalConference on Case Reports,March 31-April 02, 2016 ,Valencia, Spain; 2nd International Meeting onClinical Case Reports,April 18-20, 2016 ,Dubai, UAE; 3rd Experts Meeting onMedical Case Reports,May 09-11, 2016 ,New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; 12thEuro BiotechnologyCongress,November 7-9, 2016 ,Alicante, Spain; 2nd InternationalConference onTissue preservation and Biobanking,September 12-13, 2016 ,Philadelphia, USA.

Track-13

Next Generation Biobanking

Biorepositoriesprovide a resource for researchers to increase understanding of complex diseases. Studies such as the Lung Genomics Research Consortium (LGRC), a two-year project launched in October 2009, are going a step further than standardbiobanking practicesand characterizing the samples with their molecular makeup. The molecular data can then be mined along with the clinical data. Led by National Jewish Health and funded by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, a division of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the LGRC project consists of five institutions, including Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Collaborators in the project work with samples banked at theLung Tissue ResearchConsortium (LTRC), which houses tissue samples and blood from lung disease sufferers, primarily chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), along with a rich set of clinical data from patients.

Immuno-Oncology London UK, Next-Generation Cancer Immunotherapies San Diego, USA, ESBB conference Johannesburg, South Africa, HandsOn Biobanks 2016 conference Vienna, Austria, American Society forBioethicsand Humanities Houston, USA, Craniofacial Morphogenesis &Tissue RegenerationVentura, CA, USA, ISSCR Pluripotency: From basic science to therapeutic applications Kyoto, Japan, Craniofacial Morphogenesis & Tissue Regeneration Ventura, CA, USA, Phacilitate Cell &Gene TherapyWorld Washington D.C., USA, Notch Signaling in Development, Regeneration & Disease Gordon Research Conference Lewiston, ME, USA.

The biobanking market is poised for explosive growth if it can overcome the challenges of an adolescent industry. According to an August 2012 Infiniti Research report titled Global Biobanking Market 2011-2015, the biobanking market will increase 30 per cent from 2011 to 2015 to nearly $183 billion. Growth is being driven by an increase in populationgeneticsstudies, personalized medicine, and the use of genetic information in food safety, forensics, and disease surveillance.

Related Stem Cell Convention|Stem Cell Conferences|Biobanking Congress|Stem Cell Banking|Cord Blood Stem Cell Research|

4thCongress on Bacteriology and Infectious Diseases, May 16-18, 2016 San Antonio, USA; 2ndWorld Congress on Applied Microbiology,October 31-November 02, 2016 ,Istanbul, Turkey; InternationalConference on Infectious Diseases & Diagnostic Microbiology,October 3-5, 2016 ,Vancouver, Canada; InternationalConference on Water Microbiology ,July 18-20, 2016 ,Chicago, USA; 5thInternationalConference on Clinical Microbiology,October 24-26, 2016 ,Rome, Italy.

View original post here:
Stem Cell and Biobanking - Stem Cell Conferences

North Central Texas Stem Cell Clinics in conjunction …

Our Regenerative Cell Treatment is a revolutionary breakthrough treatment option for people suffering from inflammation, reduced mobility, sports injuries, tissue and ligament damage, or chronic pain. Regenerative Cell Therapy is an injectable regenerative tissue matrix solution, that often times leaves the patient feeling relief after only ONE treatment. This cutting edge treatment takes the best components from all the current non-invasive treatment options and puts them into one.

Why should you use Regenerative Cellular Medicine? It works with the bodys natural ability to heal itself. Unlike treatments that simply address the symptoms, regenerative cell therapy actually promotes the natural process of repair in the body, assisting in restoring degenerated tissue.

Our treatment plans are comprehensive. Not only will we provide you with the most cutting-edge treatment options, but we will also assist you through rehabilitation. Following the custom program created for your specific needs will thoroughly increase the effectiveness.Typically, there is no little to no downtime from cellular therapy.

Read more here:
North Central Texas Stem Cell Clinics in conjunction ...

Private clinics are peddling untested stem cell treatments it’s unethical and dangerous – Yahoo News UK

Getty Images/Spencer Platt

Stem cell science is an area of medical research that continues to offer great promise. But as this weeks paper in Science Translational Medicine highlights, a growing number of clinics around the globe, including in Australia, are exploiting regulatory gaps to sell so-called stem cell treatments without evidence that what they offer is effective or even safe.

Such unregulated direct-to-consumer advertising typically of cells obtained using liposuction-like methods not only places the health of individuals at risk, but could also undermine the legitimate development of stem cell-based therapies.

Many academic societies and professional medical organisations have raised concerns about these futile and often expensive cell therapies. Despite this, national regulators have typically been slow or ineffective in curtailing them.

As well as tighter regulations here, international regulators such as the World Health Organisation and the International Council on Harmonisation need to move on ensuring patients desperate for cures arent sold treatments with limited efficacy and unknown safety.

Hundreds of stem cell clinics post online claims that they have been able to treat patients suffering from a wide range of conditions. These include osteoarthritis, pain, spinal cord injury, multiple sclerosis, diabetes and infertility. The websites are high on rhetoric of science often using various accreditation, awards and other tokens to imply legitimacy but low on proof that they work.

osteoporosis strong bones workout old lady

Donna McWilliam/APRather than producing independently verified results, these clinics rely on patient testimonials or unsubstantiated claims of improvement. In so doing these shonky clinics understate the risks to patient health associated with these unproven stem cell-based interventions.

Properly administered informed consent is often overlooked or ignored, so patients can be misled about the likelihood of success. In addition to heavy financial burdens imposed on patients and their families, there is often an opportunity cost because the time wasted in receiving futile stem cells diverts patients away from proven medicines.

The many recent reports of adverse outcomes demonstrate the risks of receiving unproven cell therapies are not trivial. In the USA three women were blinded following experimental stem cell treatment for macular degeneration (a degenerative eye disease that can cause blindness). One man was rendered a quadriplegic following a stem cell intervention for stroke. And a woman whose family sought treatment for her dementia died in Australia.

Other notorious cases involving the deaths of patients include the German government shutting down the X-Cell Centre and the Italian government closing the Stamina Foundation it had previously supported.

Read More

REUTERS/Juan Carlos UlateAt present, the only recognised stem cell treatments are those utilising blood stem cells isolated from bone marrow, peripheral blood (the cellular components of blood such as red and white blood cells and platelets) or umbilical cord blood.

Hundreds of thousand of lives have been saved over the last half-century in patients with cancers such as leukaemia, lymphoma and multiple myeloma, as well as rare inherited immune and metabolic disorders.

A few types of cancer and autoimmune diseases may also benefit from blood stem cells in the context of chemotherapy. Different stem cells are also successfully used for corneal and skin grafting.

All other applications remain in the preclinical research phase or are just starting to be evaluated in clinical trials.

Often dismissed by for-profit clinics as red tape hampering progress, the rigour of clinical trials allows for the collection of impartial evidence. Such information is usually required before a new drug or medical device is released into the marketplace. Unfortunately, in the case of for-profit stem cell clinics, their marketing has gazumped the scientific evidence.

Action is required on many fronts. Regulators at both an international and national level need to tackle regulatory loopholes and challenge unfounded marketing claims of businesses selling unproven stem cell interventions.

Researchers need to more clearly communicate their findings and the necessary next steps to responsibly take their science from the laboratory to the clinic. And they should acknowledge that this will take time.

Patients and their loved ones must be encouraged to seek advice from a trained reputable health care professional, someone who knows their medical history. They should think twice if someone is offering a treatment outside standards of practice.

The stakes are too high not to have these difficult conversations. If a stem cell treatment sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

NOW WATCH: How grown men can actually look good in shorts

See Also:

The rest is here:
Private clinics are peddling untested stem cell treatments it's unethical and dangerous - Yahoo News UK

Private clinics’ unproven stem cell treatment is unsafe and unethical … – Business Standard

Professional medical organisations have raised concerns about these expensive cell therapies

Stem cell science is an area of medical research that continues to offer great promise. But as this weeks paper in Science Translational Medicine highlights, a growing number of clinics around the globe, including in Australia, are exploiting regulatory gaps to sell so-called stem cell treatments without evidence that what they offer is effective or even safe.

Such unregulated direct-to-consumer advertising typically of cells obtained using liposuction-like methods not only places the health of individuals at risk but could also undermine the legitimate development of stem cell-based therapies.

Many academic societies and professional medical organisations have raised concerns about these futile and often expensive cell therapies. Despite this, national regulators have typically been slow or ineffective in curtailing them.

As well as tighter regulations here, international regulators such as the World Health Organisation and the International Council on Harmonisation need to move on ensuring patients desperate for cures arent sold treatments with limited efficacy and unknown safety.

So whats on offer?

Hundreds of stem cell clinics post online claims that they have been able to treat patients suffering from a wide range of conditions. These include osteoarthritis, pain, spinal cord injury, multiple sclerosis, diabetes and infertility. The websites are high on the rhetoric of science often using various accreditation, awards and other tokens to imply legitimacy but low on proof that they work.

Rather than producing independently verified results, these clinics rely on patient testimonials or unsubstantiated claims of improvement. In so doing these shonky clinics understate the risks to patient health associated with these unproven stem cell-based interventions.

Properly administered informed consent is often overlooked or ignored, so patients can be misled about the likelihood of success. In addition to heavy financial burdens imposed on patients and their families, there is often an opportunity cost because the time wasted in receiving futile stem cells diverts patients away from proven medicines.

The many recent reports of adverse outcomes demonstrate the risks of receiving unproven cell therapies are not trivial. In the USA three women were blinded following experimental stem cell treatment for macular degeneration (a degenerative eye disease that can cause blindness). One man was rendered a quadriplegic following a stem cell intervention for stroke. And a woman whose family sought treatment for her dementia died in Australia.

Other notorious cases involving the deaths of patients include the German government shutting down the X-Cell Centre and the Italian government closing the Stamina Foundation it had previously supported.

Whats approved?

At present, the only recognised stem cell treatments are those utilising blood stem cells isolated from bone marrow, peripheral blood (the cellular components of blood such as red and white blood cells and platelets) or umbilical cord blood.

Hundreds of thousand of lives have been saved over the last half-century in patients with cancers such as leukaemia, lymphoma and multiple myeloma, as well as rare inherited immune and metabolic disorders.

A few types of cancer and autoimmune diseases may also benefit from blood stem cells in the context of chemotherapy. Different stem cells are also successfully used for corneal and skin grafting.

All other applications remain in the preclinical research phase or are just starting to be evaluated in clinical trials.

Often dismissed by for-profit clinics as red tape hampering progress, the rigour of clinical trials allows for the collection of impartial evidence. Such information is usually required before a new drug or medical device is released into the marketplace. Unfortunately, in the case of for-profit stem cell clinics, their marketing has gazumped the scientific evidence.

The action is required on many fronts. Regulators at both an international and national level need to tackle regulatory loopholes and challenge unfounded marketing claims of businesses selling unproven stem cell interventions.

Researchers need to more clearly communicate their findings and the necessary next steps to responsibly take their science from the laboratory to the clinic. And they should acknowledge that this will take time.

Patients and their loved ones must be encouraged to seek advice from a trained reputable health care professional, someone who knows their medical history. They should think twice if someone is offering a treatment outside standards of practice.

The stakes are too high not to have these difficult conversations. If a stem cell treatment sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

For more information on recognised stem cell treatments visit the National Stem Cell Foundation of Australia and Stem Cells Australia, Choice Australia, EuroStemCell, International Society for Stem Cell Research, and International Society for Cellular Therapy.

Megan Munsie, Deputy Director - Centre for Stem Cell Systems and Head of Education, Ethics, Law & Community Awareness Unit, Stem Cells Australia, University of Melbourne and John Rasko, Clinical Haematologist and President-Elect, International Society for Cellular Therapy., University of Sydney

This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.

Follow this link:
Private clinics' unproven stem cell treatment is unsafe and unethical ... - Business Standard

Platelet-Rich Plasma Injections – Hedley Orthopaedic Institute

Platelet-rich plasma therapy also referred to as PRP injection is an exciting branch of sports medicine that allows athletes to heal and recover from chronic pain and/or injuries of the tendons, muscles, ligaments, cartilage, nerves, and more. The treatment is safe, non-surgical, and doesnt even use drugs. With PRP injections, the patients own blood platelets are the healing agent.

At Hedley Orthopaedic Institute, sports medicine physicians can help you get back in the game with fast-acting, highly effective platelet-rich plasma therapy. Learn more below about this revolutionary alternative to steroid injections and surgery.

The idea behind PRP therapy is relatively simple on the surface, but a working knowledge of your bodys natural repair functions can make PRP easy to understand

Everyone knows that blood platelets help stop a cut. But researchers now know that these platelets do more than coagulate and stop blood flow; they also release growth factors, which draw special regenerative cells (progenitor cells) to the site of the injury. Platelet-rich plasma therapy maximizes this platelet/progenitor cell relationship.

During your appointment at Hedley Orthopaedic Institute, your physician will perform a basic blood draw. The blood is placed in a centrifuge that separates the platelets and plasma from the red blood cells. After about 15 minutes, the platelet-rich plasma is removed from the centrifuge. Using ultrasound guidance, your physician will place a needle into the damaged area of your body that requires treatment, and inject the platelet-rich plasma into the injury site. The high concentration of platelets is loaded with growth factors, which expedites the healing and recovery process. This entire procedure is done in-office and takes about an hour to complete.

After you receive a PRP injection, you will be asked to return to Hedley Orthopaedic Institute for a follow-up appointment six to eight weeks later. Your sports medicine physician will evaluate your injury to see how effective PRP therapy has been. While some patients may be fully or nearly recovered, most patients will return for two or three more treatments. Injections are usually spaced eight to 12 weeks apart.

Platelet-rich plasma therapy offers many benefits. Athletes are especially interested in this treatment option, as it can help speed up the recovery process and get them back to the game.

Platelet-rich plasma therapy can be used to treat:

For more information about platelet-rich plasma injections and other regenerative medicine services, contact us. Sports medicine services available in Phoenix, Tempe, and Mesa.

Go here to see the original:
Platelet-Rich Plasma Injections - Hedley Orthopaedic Institute

Alternative treatments for knee arthritis – Palm Beach Post

Question: Ive been told that I need a knee replacement. Are there other options?

Answer: If youve been told that you need a knee replacement, it is likely that you have advanced arthritis. There are various conservative options that must be considered before having joint replacement surgery. Some of the initial treatments include non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medication, physical therapy, cortisone, and visco-supplementation injections.

Emerging treatments include PRP (platelet rich plasma), stem cell therapy, as well as A2M (Alpha 2 Macroglobulin). These are newer options which bring much promise for the right candidate, but still have emerging data about their potential level of efficacy.

Should none of these provide adequate pain relief, there is the option of a genicular rhizotomy/radiofrequency ablation. This is where the nerves around the knee are treated to reduce or eliminate the perception of pain.

Some patients may benefit from a procedure called subchondroplasty, which reinforces the underlying, overstressed bone. Studies have shown that this can significantly delay or decrease the chances of having a knee replacement if done on the right patient.

If all else fails, it is possible in the appropriate patient to undergo a robotic-assisted partial knee replacement with a minimally invasive approach. This procedure resurfaces only the worn portion of the knee.

Dr. Noble specializes in non-operative treatment and innovative surgical techniques for the treatment of knee and hip arthritis. He completed a total joint replacement fellowship at the Harvard School of Medicine, Brigham and Womens Hospital, and Orthopaedic residency at the Medical College

_____________________________________

Palm Beach Orthopaedic Institute

Four locations: Jupiter, Palm Beach Gardens, Wellington, West Palm Beach

Here is the original post:
Alternative treatments for knee arthritis - Palm Beach Post

Oxford BioMedica wins big contract for Novartis cell therapy – Reuters

LONDON Novartis has signed a major contract with Oxford BioMedica that could earn the British company more than $100 million over three years for supplying the Swiss drugmaker with material for its novel cell therapy CTL019.

The deal, announced by Oxford BioMedica on Thursday, could help put the veteran biotech firm on a path to sustainable profitability.

The contract is for the supply of lentiviral vectors used to generate CTL019, a new kind of treatment for hard-to-treat leukemia that is expected to reach the market this year.

A U.S. advisory panel will discuss the case for approving CTL019 at a meeting on July 12 and Novartis has already designated the treatment as a potential blockbuster.

Oxford BioMedica will received $10 million from Novartis upfront, as well as payments for various performance incentives and bioprocessing and development services.

It will also get a royalty on future sales of CTL-019. Jefferies analysts said this could earn Oxford BioMedica between 65 million and 75 million pounds ($84-97 million) a year, assuming CTL019 peak sales of at least $1 billion.

The agreement also covers the supply of vectors for other undisclosed Chimeric Antigen Receptor T cell (CART) products.

(Reporting by Ben Hirschler; Editing by Keith Weir)

Eli Lilly and Co won a years-long patent dispute with Actavis on Friday after the UK Supreme Court ruled that the generic drugmaker's versions of Lilly's top-selling cancer drug Alimta directly infringe on certain Lilly patents in Britain, France, Italy and Spain.

Inotek Pharmaceuticals Corp said on Friday it would evaluate strategic options after its sole experimental eye drug failed another trial, sending the company's shares tumbling 45 percent in extended trading.

Read more from the original source:
Oxford BioMedica wins big contract for Novartis cell therapy - Reuters

Global CAR T Cell Therapy Market & Clinical Trials Insight 2022 – PR Newswire (press release)

LONDON, July 6, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- As per report findings, the promise of CAR modified T cell therapy derives from its combined immunologic benefits and include the specificity of a targeted antibody, the ability to expand the T cell population and the potential for long term persistence to facilitate the ongoing tumor surveillance. The success in early phase trials, assess the feasibility of evaluating the treatment modality across the multiple centers and in larger patients. Currently, there are 99 CAR T Cell based therapies in clinical pipeline and most of them belong to Phase-I and Phase-I/II clinical trials.

Download the full report: https://www.reportbuyer.com/product/4844165/

In recent years, researchers have identified the chimeric antigen receptor as a potential target for molecular genetics to insert a new epitopes on the receptor region which allows a degree of control of the immune system. CAR T cell therapy satisfy the need to explore new and efficacious adoptive T cell therapy. The gene transfer technology could efficiently introduce the genes encoding CARs into the immune effector cells. The transferring of engineered T cells provides the specific antigen binding in a non-major histocompatibility complex.

The promise of CAR modified T cell therapy derives from its combined immunologic benefits and include the specificity of a targeted antibody, the ability to expand the T cell population and the potential for long term persistence to facilitate the ongoing tumor surveillance. The success in early phase trials, assess the feasibility of evaluating the treatment modality across the multiple centers and in larger patients.

The first commercial application of CAR T Cell based therapy for the treatment of Mantle- Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma is expected to be available from 2020. The anti-CD19 CAR T cell therapy axicabtagene ciloleucel (KTE-C19) is developed by KITE Pharma in collaboration with National Cancer Institute. Currently this therapy is in preregistration phase.

In future, the advancement of CAR T Cell therapy will be largely driven by academia and will require the support for the expensive early phase clinical trials which promise to cover the way for a new form of targeted, exportable immunotherapy for cancer patient. The manufacturing of CD19 CAR T cell therapy CTL019 is in a way which will modernize the process of using the therapy globally. The anticipation of regulatory and manufacturing issues before they arise and proactively addressing the concerns helps to accelerate the process of bringing this promising therapeutic approach to more patients in future.

"Global CAR T Cell Therapy Market & Clinical Trials Insight 2022" report highlights: CAR T Cell Therapies Delivery Pipeline & Mechanism of Action Global CAR T Cell Therapy Clinical Trials for Cancer Treatment Global CAR T Cell Therapies Clinical Pipeline by Company, Indication & Phase Global CAR T Cell Therapies Clinical Pipeline: 99 Therapies CAR T Cell Therapies in Highest Phase: Preregistration Majority of CAR T Cell Therapies in Phase-I/II Trials: 16 Therapies Global Market Scenario of CAR T Cell Therapy Global CAR T Cell Therapy Market Future Prospects Download the full report: https://www.reportbuyer.com/product/4844165/

About Reportbuyer Reportbuyer is a leading industry intelligence solution that provides all market research reports from top publishers http://www.reportbuyer.com

For more information: Sarah Smith Research Advisor at Reportbuyer.com Email: query@reportbuyer.com Tel: +44 208 816 85 48 Website: http://www.reportbuyer.com

To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/global-car-t-cell-therapy-market--clinical-trials-insight-2022-300484282.html

See more here:
Global CAR T Cell Therapy Market & Clinical Trials Insight 2022 - PR Newswire (press release)

Capricor yo-yos as Johnson & Johnson dumps stem cell partnership – FierceBiotech

After three and a half years, Johnson & Johnson is ducking out of a partnership with Capricor Therapeutics focusedon the use of stem cells to treat cardiovascular disease.

The decision by J&J's Janssen unit not to pursue a license comes as little surprise. The therapy at the center of their end-2013 dealCAP-1002 (off-the-shelf cardiosphere-derived cells)has already been marked up as missing the target in a phase 1/2 study involving patients who had suffered a heart attack, although the data remains under wraps.

Added to that, in April, interim results from a trial in Duchenne muscular dystrophy revealed promising activity, and prompted Capricor to upgrade the importance of the new indicationwhich lies outside the scope of its license with J&J.

The California biotech has already said it plans to start a second trial in DMD in the latter half of the year. But while the back-up indication is a comfort to investors, there is no question that the company will miss the financial backing from J&J, which included $12.5 million upfront and up to $325 million in milestone payments, as well as the kudos of a big pharma partner in a sector that has failed so far to live up to early promise.

Weak or scarred heart muscle is a major cause of heart failure, so using stem cells to repair scar tissue appears to be a logical way of improving outcomes. Attempts to show a benefit have met with marginal success, however. Last year for example, Celyad's 271-patient trial of its C-Cure stem cell therapy revealed no improvement compared to a sham procedure.

Capricor's CEO Linda Marbn, Ph.D. accentuated the positive of claiming full rights to CAP-1002, including not only the DMD data but also work with Janssen on developing a commercial-scale manufacturing process for the cell therapy, to which it now has a "fully paid-up nonexclusive license."

She also said it settled "uncertainty concerning the scope of the license for CAP-1002" and frees the company to seek partners elsewhere.

"We discussed potential product registration strategies for this indication at our recent meeting with the U.S. FDA, and we look forward to providing an update on our clinical development plans in DMD very shortly," continued Marbn.

Capricor also announced in an SEC filing that it is filingfor resale of up to 1.2 million shares of its common stock but would not be receiving any proceeds from the transaction. It ended the first quarter with $2.75 million in cash.

Shares in the biotech fell after the announcement but had rebounded at the time of writing, though they are still in penny stock territory at $0.80.

Visit link:
Capricor yo-yos as Johnson & Johnson dumps stem cell partnership - FierceBiotech