Symposium discusses latest and future of stem cell therapy – The Pasadena Star-News

DUARTE>> Dozens of doctors, scientists, businesses and others gathered at City of Hope Thursday for the second California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM), Alpha Stem Cell Clinics symposium.

CIRM, the states stem cell agency, has developed a network of Alpha Stem Cell Clinics that focus on innovative stem cell-based therapies. The network of three clinics are located at City of Hope, University of California, San Diego, and UCLA/UC Irvine campuses.

The event served as a way for clinics to share their most recent advancements and successes in stem cell therapy clinical trials, and even hear directly from patients who benefited from some of the trials.

We want to review the trials, but we also want to see what other questions we should be asking, said Dr. John Zaia, the Aaron Miller and Edith Miller Chair in Gene Therapy, and director of the Center for Gene Therapy and principal investigator of City of Hopes Alpha Stem Cell Clinic. How will insurance companies charge or pay for these treatments? How do companies plan to develop these treatments? The symposium provides an opportunity to think about these other aspects.

There were also panel speakers who offered more of a motivational talk, such as Pat Furlong, founding president of Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy, discussing how to remove stakeholder barriers to stem cell therapy treatment.

Furlong had to become her and her sons own advocate when they were diagnosed with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy at a young age. She found there was no standard of care for the disease and no studies or trials in progress to find a treatment, let alone a cure.

Families just didnt know the questions to ask, she said. At the time, few people cared about rare diseases.

After years of no real hope and losing her sons at 15 and 17 years old, with her and her groups persistence, Furlong said there are now 40 companies researching the disease and millions of dollars have gone into research specifically for Duchenne.

City of Hopes Dr. Behnam Badie, chief of neurosurgery and director of the Brain Tumor Program, and Christine Brown, Ph.D., Heritage Provider Network Professor in Immunotherapy and associate director of the T Cell Therapeutics Research Laboratory, discussed their recent successful treatment of a patient with recurrent multifocal glioblastoma using CAR-T cell therapy.

The case study for this unique type of immunotherapy on the most aggressive form of brain cancer was published in the Dec. 29 edition of the New England Journal of Medicine.

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In the Phase I clinical trial, the patient, who did not respond to other types of therapy including radiation and even developed tumors in his brain and spinal cord, was treated with his own genetically modified chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells, injected directly into the tumor and through the ventricular system. The patient experienced remission over 8 months.

City of Hope is one of a few cancer centers in the nation offering studies in CAR-T cell therapy, and is the only cancer center investigating CAR-T cells targeting the specific receptors more common in a majority of glioblastomas.

Dr. Badie and Brown noted that working with CIRM has been instrumental in helping them along with their trial, and not just the funding.

You cant create a good trial without studying the product, said Brown. These are expensive trials. We have to treat these patients and understand what is going on.

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Symposium discusses latest and future of stem cell therapy - The Pasadena Star-News

Erectile dysfunction: Stem cell therapy restores sexual function in phase I trial – Medical News Today

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.

The stem cell therapy involves injecting the patients' own stem cells - derived from abdominal fat cells - into the erectile tissue of the penis.

Lead researcher Dr. Martha Haahr, of Odense University Hospital in Denmark, and colleagues found that within 6 months of the procedure, 8 of the 21 men treated were able to engage in spontaneous sexual intercourse.

The researchers recently presented their findings at EAU17 - the European Association of Urology's annual conference - held in London in the United Kingdom.

Erectile dysfunction (ED) is a condition whereby a man has difficulties getting or maintaining an erection in order to engage in sexual intercourse.

According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive Kidney Diseases, around 12 percent of men under the age of 60, and 22 percent of men aged between 60 and 69, have ED.

High blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, chronic kidney disease, and prostate surgery are some of the physical conditions that can cause ED. Psychological issues - such as anxiety, stress, depression, and low self-esteem - can also contribute to ED.

Current treatments for ED include PDE5 inhibitors (such as Viagra), penile implants, and injections. However, Dr. Haahr and team note that all of these therapies can have significant side effects.

As a result, researchers are on the hunt for alternative treatments for ED, and stem cell therapy has emerged as a promising candidate in animal trials.

In their phase I trial, Dr. Haahr and colleagues tested stem cell therapy on 21 men who had ED as a result of undergoing radical prostatectomy for prostate cancer. None of the men had responded to standard medical treatment for ED.

For the stem cell procedure, abdominal fat cells were extracted from each man through liposuction. Stem cells were then isolated from the fat cells and injected into the corpus cavernosum of the penis - the spongy tissue that normally becomes filled with blood during an erection.

Before the stem cell procedure and 6 and 12 months after, the participants' erectile function was assessed using the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF) questionnaire. An IIEF score of 5-7 represents severe erectile dysfunction, 12-16 is mild to moderate erectile dysfunction, and 22-25 is no erectile dysfunction.

All 21 men saw their erectile function improve with stem cell therapy: their IIEF score increased from 6 prior to treatment to 12 at 6 months after treatment.

Eight of the men reported that they had been able to engage in spontaneous sexual activity 6 months after stem cell therapy, and this outcome remained evident at 12 months after treatment. These men saw their IIEF score rise from 7 to 14 with stem cell therapy.

"What we have done establishes that this technique can lead to men recovering a spontaneous erection - in other words, without the use of other medicines, injections, or implants," says Dr. Haahr.

Although the study findings are preliminary, the team says that they show promise for stem cell therapy as an effective treatment strategy for ED.

"We are the first to use a man's own fat stem cells as a treatment for erectile dysfunction in a clinical trial. The technique has been trialed in animal work, but this is the first time stem cell therapy has allowed patients to recover sufficient erectile function to enable intercourse," says Dr. Haahr.

"We are pleased with the preliminary outcomes, especially as these men had previously seen no effect from traditional medical treatment and continue to have good erectile function after 12 months follow-up, indicating that this might be a long-term solution.

This suggests the possibility of therapeutic options for patients suffering from erectile dysfunction from other causes. But we need to remember that this is a small trial, with no control group. We're still some time away from a clinically available solution."

Dr. Martha Haahr

The researchers are now in the process of initiating a phase II trial to further investigate the safety and efficacy of stem cell therapy for ED.

Learn how eating more fruits could help to lower the risk of ED.

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Erectile dysfunction: Stem cell therapy restores sexual function in phase I trial - Medical News Today

Man with 45% burns healed with stem cell treatment – ETHealthworld.com

Mumbai: A 45-year-old man -- suffering from 45 per cent burns due to a chemical spill at work -- has been healed with stem cell treatment, said the authorities at a hospital here on Friday.

Ram Naik (name changed) was brought to city-based StemRx Bioscience hospital after receiving first aid in another hospital. Nearly 45 per cent of his upper body was burned due to a chemical spill during work.

The impact of the burns led to a charred look on his face and body. Also, joint mobility due to the burns was reduced. The outer layer of the skin was affected, facial burns were of grade II level and in some instances grade III burns were also present, leading to deeper structures like the subcutaneous tissue also being affected.

According to the doctors, burn wound healing involves a series of complex processes, with healing time and scar tissue being the most important parameters that affect treatment outcomes. Burn injuries, especially severe ones, are proving to have devastating effects on the affected patients.

They said that stem cells have been recently applied in burn wounds to promote superior healing of the wounds. Not only have stem cells been shown to promote better and faster healing of the burn wounds, they are also capable of decreasing inflammation and prevent scar progression and fibrosis.

Therefore, the doctors decided to provide Naik stem cell treatment.

Regenerative Medicine researcher at Stemrx Bioscience hospital Pradeep Mahajan said that within two days, a notable improvement in his condition was observed and the swelling and charred appearance started reducing.

"Mild eyelid movements were noticed and on the third day the burns started drying on the face and he could open his mouth and eyes. Growth factors derived from platelets, cells, fibroblasts, collagen-based gel etc. was used during treatment. In addition, in areas with deep burns, sheets of PGLA coated with cells and growth factors were used," said Mahajan, adding that different medication and treatments were imparted and closed dressing was avoided.

"Blood transfusion and supplementary fluids were given intravenously to maintain systemic homeostasis," said Mahajan.

Stating that on 5th and 6th day following treatment, dry scales from the face and body started peeling off, the doctor's team also observed impressive changes such as new skin forming within a week of treatment with cells and growth factors.

By conventional modalities, it takes more than eight weeks for the patient to heal and many additional months for the patient to be able to regain joint and facial movements.

"By the 10th day of the treatment, dry scales completely peeled off and by the 14th day the patient had no tenderness or burning pain. Joint movements became free as well, Steady rate of progression of healthy skin formation is being noticed. Areas with deep burns are also healing at a rapid rate and I am confident that within a month we will accomplish thorough healing and the patient will be back to normal," Mahajan said.

Medical sciences say that such cases are challenging to manage considering the degree of impairment they result in due to prolonged healing period. Also, through conventional therapeutic modalities healing occurs with scar formation and results in contractures. Chances of systemic complications and infection are also high.

However according to the medical team, by using stem cells, the natural healing potential of the body is used, leading to reduction of healing time and promoting regeneration of affected tissues. This also reduces the mental trauma and financial burden that a patient goes through when under conventional management.

"Stem cell-based therapy has offered a novel and powerful strategy in almost every medical specialty including burns and wound management. Stem cells have proven to have tremendous potential in enhancing wound healing and facilitating skin regeneration," Mahajan said.

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Man with 45% burns healed with stem cell treatment - ETHealthworld.com

Inside Green Bay area’s first stem cell clinic – WBAY

HOWARD, Wis. (WBAY) - After two car accidents left her with serious pain in her neck, back, legs and shoulders, Cindy Kastelic says she was starting to lose hope.

"I'd go to the chiropractor, then I'd go in for myofascial release and acupuncture, and sometimes I would go and spend $150, and within an hour it's like I was hurting again, I just wasted all that money."

Three months ago, Kastelic saw an ad for amniotic stem cell treatment and attended a seminar.

She immediately signed up for a treatment to her neck and lower back.

"Amazing that I could move my neck without being in pain, I could sleep on my left or right side without waking up with a kink in my neck, and my lower back started feeling better.," Kastelic said.

"This isn't something that just popped up overnight. This treatment has been going on for years and years and years," Northwoods Family Physical Medical Clinic director Kim Scarlassara said.

Based in Iron River, Mich., Northwoods Family Physical Medicine just opened a clinic in Howard based, it says, on demand from patients suffering from degenerative joint issues.

"Stem cells are the body's master cells," Scarlassara explained. "They have the ability to become basically any other type of cell in your body, like a bone cell, a ligament cell, a cartilage cell. They have the ability to help your body rebuild, repair and regenerate."

Kastelic was back at the clinic Friday for a stem cell treatment to her knees and shoulders.

She calls it a life-changing procedure without the need for surgery or medication.

Diana Hardy of Northwoods Family Physical Medicine said, "I think overall people don't want any more surgeries and that expense and that risk and side effects and medications, pain medications."

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Inside Green Bay area's first stem cell clinic - WBAY