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Mayo doc’s stem cell experiment blasts into space – Post-Bulletin

By adminFebruary 21, 2017Uncategorized

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. As a boy growing up in Kano, Nigeria, Dr. Abba Zubair dreamed of going to space.

On Sunday, his work hitched a ride with a private rocket blasting off from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla., on a trip to the International Space Station.

Dr. Zubair, an associate professor of laboratory medicine and pathology at the Mayo Clinic's Florida campus, prepared a science package involving stem cells as part of a resupply mission to the ISS aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.

"It was my first rocket launch view," said Dr. Zubair, who was on hand to watch and listen to the deafening sound as his experiment rode into space. "It was incredible."

The stem cells -- specialized cells derived from bone marrow come from Dr. Zubair's lab. Dr. Zubair, according to a report from the Mayo Clinic, specializes in cellular treatments for disease and regenerative medicine. He hopes to find out how the stem cells hold up in space and if they can be more quickly produced in microgravity.

More specifically, Zubair said, he is hoping the research can help in treatment of patients who have suffered a stroke-related brain injury.

"Stem cells are known to reduce inflammation," he said in a press release. "We've shown that an infusion of stem cells at the site of stroke improves the inflammation and also secretes factors for the regeneration of neurons and blood vessels."

The problem with such a treatment and studying the treatment is generating enough stem cells for the job. Based on current regenerative medicine studies, patients need at least 100 million stem cells for an effective dose. However, reproducing stem cells can be time consuming since the cells naturally limit their numbers.

"Scalability is a big issue," Dr. Zubair said. "I've been interested in a faster way to make them divide."

And on earth, everything is impacted by gravity, from how high we grow to our bone size and other physiological traits. "So, how can we use the effect of gravity to impact how the cells divide?" he asked.

Experiments that simulate stem cell growth in microgravity, thus far, have shown cells do grow more quickly than experimental controls, he said. So he began working toward getting an experiment into space. The experiment needed to be designed so the crew onboard the space station could run the experiment with some simple training, and Dr. Zubair will be able to watch the experiment in real time via a video connection. "We'll get some data as early as next week," he said.

If all goes well, growing stem cells in space something Dr. Zubair admits sounds like a dream of the distant future might become a reality more quickly than many people think.

"There are some companies interested in floating labs," he said. "I think the future is bright. There are a lot of possibilities in the area of regenerative medicine."

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Mayo doc's stem cell experiment blasts into space - Post-Bulletin

New stem cell treatment ‘freezes’ multiple sclerosis – Telegraph.co.uk

By adminFebruary 21, 2017Stem Cell Treatment

The disease is caused by the immune system malfunctioning and mistakenly attacking nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord.

It leads to problems with movement, vision, balance and speech.

The treatment, autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (AHSCT), was given to patients with advanced forms of the disease who had failed to respond to other medications.

A similar approach has been trialed on people with certain forms of cancer, with encouraging early results.

Dr Paolo Muraro, the new study's lead author, said: "We previously knew this treatment reboots or resets the immune system but we didn't know how long the benefits lasted.

"In this study, which is the largest long-term follow-up study of this procedure, we've shown we can 'freeze' a patient's disease - and stop it from becoming worse, for up to five years."

The researchers noted, however, that the nature of the treatment, which involves aggressive chemotherapy, carried significant risks.

The chemotherapy deactivates the immune system for a short period of time, which can lead to greater risk of infection - of the 281 patients who received AHSCT, eight died in the 100 days after treatment.

The treatment works by destroying the immune cells responsible for attacking the nervous system.

Patients were given a drug which encourages stem cells to move from the bone marrow into the bloodstream, where they were removed from the body.

High-dose chemotherapy was then administered to kill all immune cells, before the patient's own stem cells were put back into the body to "reset" the immune system.

Nearly three in four (73%) patients with relapsing MS - where the disease flares up before symptoms improve - found their symptoms did not worsen for five years after having AHSCT, compared with one in three patients with progressive MS, the more severe variant of the disease.

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New stem cell treatment 'freezes' multiple sclerosis - Telegraph.co.uk

Stem cell treatment may halt spread of multiple sclerosis – The Times (subscription)

By adminFebruary 21, 2017Stem Cell Treatment

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Kat Lay, HealthCorrespondent

A treatment for multiple sclerosis that works by resetting the immune system appears to halt progression of the disease in almost half of patients and reverse the symptoms in some.

A new study found the use of aggressive chemotherapy and a stem cell injection prevented symptoms from worsening for five years in 46 per cent of patients.

MS is caused by the immune system malfunctioning and attacking nerves in the brain and spinal cord. While there is no cure, certain medications can slow the diseases progression. About 100,000 people in the UK and 2.3 million worldwide have MS.

Last year the results of a smaller, 24-patient trial of the treatment in Canada were hailed as remarkable. Seventy per cent of patients experienced a complete stop

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Stem cell treatment may halt spread of multiple sclerosis - The Times (subscription)

Stem Cell Company Combining Stem Cell Therapy with Hyperbaric Oxygen Treatment – PR Newswire (press release)

By adminFebruary 21, 2017Stem Cell Treatment

TAMPA, Fla., Feb. 20, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- StemedixInc., a U.S. based stem cell therapy group that specializesin the use of stem cells to treat patients with degenerative conditions, announced today that they are offering their patients a powerful treatment combination; Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) and Stem Cell Therapy. According to research, the benefit of having HBOT treatments in conjunction with stem cell therapy is increasing the synthesis of nitric oxide, which signals the release of stem cells.

A recentstudyby researchers fromNeural Regeneration Researchfound results showing test subjects that underwent bothmesenchymalstem cell transplantation and HBOT had better neurological outcomes and better cognitive performance scores than subjects that endured only one type of treatment. Anotherstudyat the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, led by researcher StephenThom, MD, PhD, found that HBOT increases stem cell activity. After one treatment, the stem cell concentration doubled and after 20 treatments, they increasedeightfold.

Based on the growing interest and success, Fred Palmer, director of operations, at Stemedixsaid, "We are very proud to be working with the most recent and advanced technologies in the industry today. This combination of hyperbaric oxygen and stem cell therapies is progressively becoming the recommended treatment from our physicians and the selected treatment of our patients. Studies coupled with our own results we have seen thus far have been very impressive and supportive to our decision to offer this adjoining treatment."

Stemedix is now combining their stem cell therapy treatments with HBOT which allows for healing to occur that enables fibroblasts (tissue cells), capillaries (circulatory), osteoblasts (bone cells) andstem cellsto be stimulated. Without appropriate levels of oxygen in the tissue, healing cannot take place. With HBOT, oxygen is dissolved into all of the body's fluids, plasma, central nervous system fluids, lymph, and bone. In addition, the areas of the body that are lacking oxygen will begin to receive oxygen again.

To learn more about StemedixHBOT and stem cell therapy, contact Stemedixat 800-531-0831.

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Saitama clinic ordered to halt unauthorized stem cell ‘anti-aging’ therapy using umbilical cord blood – The Japan Times

By adminFebruary 21, 2017Stem Cell Treatment

SAITAMA The health ministry on Monday ordered a Saitama clinic to stop injecting stem cells of human umbilical cord blood into patients as an anti-aging treatment.

Saitama Medical Clinic in Tokorozawa, Saitama Prefecture, was found to have been engaged in such therapy without getting permission from the ministry. The regenerative medicine safety law mandates that all hospitals and clinics submit plans for stem cell therapy and get permission from the ministry beforehand.

The ministry conducted an on-site inspection of the clinic on Friday, based on tips from an outsider, and confirmed the clinic offered the unauthorized therapy, boasting that umbilical cord cell shots would boost health and help with anti-aging.

Several men and women are believed to have undergone treatment there. The ministry has asked the clinic to report the number of cases, any health damage and the kind of stem cells used and how they were obtained.

For clinics to receive approval for medical procedures using cells of others, they need to submit a detailed plan and have it screened by a panel of experts under the health ministry. The clinic had not submitted such a plan.

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Saitama clinic ordered to halt unauthorized stem cell 'anti-aging' therapy using umbilical cord blood - The Japan Times

Multiple sclerosis: Stem cell transplantation may halt disease progression – Medical News Today

By adminFebruary 21, 2017Stell Cell Research

New research provides further evidence of autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation as an effective treatment for multiple sclerosis, after finding the procedure halted disease progression for 5 years in almost half of patients.

Lead study author Dr. Paolo Muraro, of the Department of Medicine at Imperial College London in the United Kingdom, and colleagues recently reported their findings in JAMA Neurology.

The results come just a fortnight after another study revealed the success of a similar treatment in a small group of patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS).

However, Dr. Muraro and team warn that further trials are needed to determine the efficacy and safety of autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (AHSCT), after a small number of patients died within 100 days of treatment.

In AHSCT, a patient's own stem cells are harvested. The patient is then subject to high-dose chemotherapy to eliminate any diseased cells.

Next, the harvested stem cells are returned to the patient's bloodstream, with the aim of restarting normal blood cell production. In simple terms, AHSCT "resets" the immune system.

"We previously knew this treatment reboots or resets the immune system - and that it carried risks - but we didn't know how long the benefits lasted," notes Dr. Muraro.

For their study, the researchers assessed data from 25 treatment centers across 13 countries, identifying 281 patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) who underwent AHSCT between 1995-2006. Of these patients, 78 percent had a progressive form of MS.

Using the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS), the team evaluated patients' progression-free survival at 5 years after treatment and any improvements in MS symptoms.

An EDSS score of zero represents no disability, seven represents the use of a wheelchair, while 10 represents death from MS. At the beginning of the study, patients had an average EDSS score of 6.5.

Overall, the researchers found that 46 percent of patients experienced no disease progression in the 5 years after treatment.

Patients with RRMS - characterized by inflammatory attacks, or "flare-ups," followed by periods of remission - had the best outcomes, with 73 percent experiencing no worsening of symptoms in the 5 years after AHSCT.

Additionally, patients experienced small improvements in MS symptoms after AHSCT. Patients with progressive MS saw their EDSS score rise by 0.14 a year after treatment, while patients with RRMS experienced a 0.76 increase in their EDSS score.

Patients with a younger age, few immunotherapies prior to AHSCT, and a lower EDSS score at study baseline also showed better outcomes with AHSCT.

While these findings show promise for the use of AHSCT for patients with MS, the team notes that there were eight deaths in the 100 days after AHSCT, which were thought to have been treatment related.

AHSCT involves aggressive chemotherapy, which can severely weaken the immune system and increase susceptibility to infection.

"In this study, which is the largest long-term follow-up study of this procedure, we've shown we can 'freeze' a patient's disease - and stop it from becoming worse, for up to 5 years.

However, we must take into account that the treatment carries a small risk of death, and this is a disease that is not immediately life-threatening."

Dr. Paolo Muraro

Dr. Muraro notes that, importantly, this study did not include a group of MS patients who did not receive treatment, further highlighting the need for more studies assessing the safety and efficacy of AHSCT.

"We urgently need more effective treatments for this devastating condition, and so a large randomized controlled trial of this treatment should be the next step," he adds.

Read about a study that links vitamin D level at birth to the risk of MS.

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Multiple sclerosis: Stem cell transplantation may halt disease progression - Medical News Today

R3 Stem Cell Now Offering Regenerative Medicine Treatment in Oklahoma City – Satellite PR News (press release)

By adminFebruary 20, 2017Stem Cell Clinic

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Top Stem Cell Therapy in Oklahoma City (844) GET-STEM

Over 85% of patients at Venturis achieve excellent outcomes with regenerative medicine treatment for arthritis, tendonitis, back pain and more!

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma (PRWEB) February 20, 2017

R3 Stem Cell is now offering regenerative medicine treatment in Oklahoma City with a new Center of Excellence. R3 has partnered with Venturis Clinic, who offers stem cell and PRP therapy along with prolozone treatment by the Board Certified doctors. Call (844) GET-STEM for more information and scheduling.

Stem cell therapy is now mainstream, and helps individuals every day avoid the need for possibly risky surgery. Its helping athletes get back on the field faster, avoid joint replacement and finally achieve pain relief with chronic tendonitis conditions. The regenerative treatments are offered by a Board Certified provider in a contemporary setting.

The stem cell and PRP therapy in Oklahoma City are all outpatient with absolutely minimal risk. Unlike cortisone injections, these treatments actually repair and regenerate cartilage, muscle, bone, tendon, ligament and other damaged tissue.

Minimal down time is necessary after the stem cell therapy in Oklahoma City, which is the opposite of traditional surgery. The treatments contain stem cells, growth factors, concentrated platelets, cytokines and hyaluronic acid. The combination makes for an amazing regenerative environment once injected.

To receive cutting edge regenerative treatment, call Venturis Clinic in Oklahoma City which is now an R3 Stem Cell Center of Excellence at (844) GET-STEM. Also visit https://r3stemcell.com for more information.

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Augmented adoptive cell transfer eradicates solid tumors [PreClinical] – 2 Minute Medicine

By adminFebruary 20, 2017Uncategorized

1. Combining tumor-specific T cells and pathogen-based immune stimulation, reenergized adoptive cell transfer (ReACT) targeted and eradicated tumor cells in mice.

2. ReACT led to increased migration of activated T cells to the tumors, a metric that correlated with decreased tumor size.

Evidence Rating Level: 2 (Good)

Study Rundown: Because cancer cells can evade being targeted by the bodys immune system, therapies have been developed to alter the tumors immune microenvironment. One therapy, adoptive cell transfer (ACT), involves engineering T cells to target cells that express tumor-associated antigens (TAAs). Although this therapy has potential, the tumor microenvironment causes inhibition of T cell function, preventing the therapys long-term efficacy. Another approach has been to use pathogens that express TAAs to stimulate the immune system. However, since some tumor cells have altered TAAs, they evade being targeted. In this study, these two approaches were combined into a therapy named ReACT: T cells were engineered to target a TAA as well as a bacterial antigen, and the cells were administered along with a bacterial adjuvant.

When treated with ReACT, a majority of mice with implanted melanoma cells experienced tumor eradication. An increased frequency of T cells in the tumor environment correlated with decreased tumor size. In addition, biomarker levels indicated effective T cell migration and activation. A polyclonal form of ReACT was also tested in a mouse model of melanoma; following tumor eradication in these mice, more tumor cells were introduced but failed to survive, demonstrating an immunological memory response induced by this therapy.

This study demonstrated a new approach for a safer and more efficacious cancer immunotherapy. Future studies will need to more closely mimic a clinical model and provide specific data describing the mechanism of T cell function in this therapy.

Click to read the study in PNAS

Relevant Reading: Cancer Immunotherapy: Strategies for Personalization and Combinatorial Approaches

In-Depth [animal study]: The researchers obtained CD8 T cells that expressed a T cell receptor (TCR) that recognizes a TAA specific to murine melanoma cells. These T cells were then engineered to express a TCR that recognizes the antigen ovalbumin (OVA). In mice with melanoma tumors, this treatment was only effective when the T cells were administered in conjunction with OVA conjugated to Listeria (LM-OVA), a model organism used for pathogen-based cancer vaccines. Seven out of 10 mice experienced complete tumor cell eradication (p<0.001). Neither the engineered T cells alone nor the LM-OVA alone was sufficient to produce significant tumor regression.

Next, the properties and functions of the ReACT T cells were analyzed. The CD8 T cells were present at a higher frequency in the ReACT-treated mice and this value negatively correlated to tumor size, with an r-value of -0.699. These T cells had an activated phenotype, with an increased expression of CD44 and other transcription factors as well as a decreased expression of inhibitory receptors such as CTLA-4. These T cells also had a high expression of CXCR3, a chemokine receptor involved in migration to tumor cells.

Finally, polyclonal ReACT was tested in mice with melanoma tumors. Tumor-specific CD8 T cells were generated by stimulating them with dendritic cells presenting a pool of TAAs; the cells were additionally engineered to express the OVA TCR, and administered to mice along with LM-OVA. Eleven out of 16 mice experienced complete tumor eradication. These mice were then reintroduced to the same melanoma cell line and were resistant to tumor relapse, demonstrating the establishment of an immunological memory response.

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2017 2 Minute Medicine, Inc. All rights reserved. No works may be reproduced without expressed written consent from 2 Minute Medicine, Inc. Inquire about licensing here. No article should be construed as medical advice and is not intended as such by the authors or by 2 Minute Medicine, Inc.

2 Minute Medicines The Classics in Medicine: Summaries of the Landmark Trials is available now in paperback and e-book editions.

This text summarizes the key trials in:General Medicine and Chronic Disease, Cardiology, Critical and Emergent Care, Endocrinology, Gastroenterology, Hematology and Oncology, Imaging, Infectious Disease, Nephrology, Neurology, Pediatrics, Psychiatry, Pulmonology, and Surgery.

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Augmented adoptive cell transfer eradicates solid tumors [PreClinical] - 2 Minute Medicine

R3 Stem Cell Now Offering Regenerative Medicine Treatment in Las Vegas and Henderson Nevada – PR Web (press release)

By adminFebruary 20, 2017Uncategorized

Top Stem Cell in Las Vegas and Henderson NV (844) GET-STEM

Las Vegas, Nevada (PRWEB) February 20, 2017

R3 Stem Cell is now offering regenerative medicine treatment in Las Vegas and Henderson Nevada. Treatments have helped many patients avoid surgery and improve their lives dramatically. R3 has partnered with Dynamic Stem Cell Therapy to offer treatment for all types of conditions. Call (844) GET-STEM for more information and scheduling.

Regenerative medicine therapy with stem cells has become mainstream, and the pioneers at Dynamic Stem Cell Therapy are experts. The conditions treated include arthritis, tendonitis, sports injuries, ligament injuries along with a host of systemic issues such as COPD, CHF, Lupus, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Crohns Disease, Diabetes and many more.

The Las Vegas stem cell center uses the patients adipose tissue, and concentrates the stem cells in a same day treatment. The treatment is offered either as an injection or an infusion, depending on the need.

The therapy works great for helping patients avoid the need for potentially risky surgery, such as joint replacement or tendonitis surgery. Not only does the procedure include stem cells, but also growth factors along with other healing agents.

Along with the adipose stem cell therapy, the Las Vegas stem cell doctors utilize platelet rich plasma therapy, known as PRP therapy for short. The combination of the two augment the capability of repair.

In addition to bone and joint conditions along with organ issues, Dynamic offers cosmetic procedures as well. This includes the Vampire facelift along with hair restoration that works great from platelet rich plasma therapy.

Over 85% of patients benefit from the regenerative medicine procedures. Call (844) GET-STEM for more information and scheduling with the top stem cell therapy in Las Vegas.

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Cancer charity welcomes NHS u-turn on second stem cell … – The Guardian

By adminFebruary 20, 2017Stem Cell Treatment

Jeremy Hunt, the health secretary. Photograph: Dan Kitwood/Getty Images

Cancer campaigners have welcomed an NHS announcement that money may soon be available for a potentially lifesaving treatment it had previously refused to pay for.

The health service in England said on Sunday it was confident it would soon be able to announce funding for second stem cell treatments for blood cancer patients who have relapsed after an initial transfusion.

It came as the Anthony Nolan charity called on health secretary Jeremy Hunt to intervene on behalf of patients following a decision by the NHS last summer to refuse to pay for the second transfusions, saying they were more expensive and less effective than other drugs and treatments.

On Sunday night an NHS England spokeswoman: Last year medical experts ranked other new treatments as higher priority for new funding, but heading into the year beginning April 2017 we are confident the NHS will shortly be able to confirm funding for a further expansion of new treatments including second stem cell transplants.

Anthony Nolan said it was very welcome news.

Chief executive Henny Braund said: While it has tragically come too late for patients who have been denied this lifesaving treatment in the past year, this decision by NHS England will ultimately mean in future, patients and families can be reassured that they will now be able to receive the appropriate treatment should their blood cancer return.

In a poll of 1,700 people carried out by Populus on behalf of the charity, 66% of respondents said patients who relapsed after their first treatment should be given a second round, and almost half said it was unacceptable for friends or family to have to foot the bill. Almost six in 10 said the government was not doing a good enough job of making sure the NHS had the money to fund the treatments people needed.

Before the announcement, Lisa Hepburn, whose husband Gavin died last year after two attempts to get an individual request for a second stem cell treatment were rejected, said: Theres no explanation from the NHS; nothing from the heart. I feel for people who are in the situation of having to raise the money themselves. I cant believe the government can put a price on a persons life thats what they are doing.

Last week a group of charities wrote to Theresa May urging her to stop the NHS rationing treatment for people with serious illnesses and to find more money for care in next months budget.

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Cancer charity welcomes NHS u-turn on second stem cell ... - The Guardian