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Annual Summit on Cell Therapy and Molecular Medicine …

Sessions/Tracks

Track 1: Cell Therapy

Cell therapy or cytotherapy is the transfer of cells into a patient with a goal of improving the disease. From beginning blood transfusions were considered to be the first type of cell therapy to be practised as routine. Later, Bone marrow transplantation has also become a well established concept which involves treatment of many kind of blood disorders including anemia, leukemia, lymphyoma and rare immunodeficiency diseases. Alternative medical practitioners perform cell therapy in the form of several different names including xenotransplant therapy, glandular therapy, and fresh cell therapy. It has been claimed by the proponents of cell therapy that it has been used successfully to repair spinal cord injuries, strengthen weaken immune system, treats autoimmune diseases like AIDS, help patients with neurological disorders like Alzheimers disease, parkinsons disease and epilepsy.

Related Conferences

3rd International Conference & Exhibition on Tissue Preservation and Biobanking, Aug 23-24 2017, San Francisco, USA; Annual Summit onCell Signalingand Cancer Therapy, Sep 27-28, 2017, Chicago, USA; 8th World Congress and Expo on Cell & Stem Cell Research, March 20-22, 2017 in Orlando, Florida, USA; Annual Summit on Cell Therapyand Molecular Medicine, Sep 27-28, 2017, Chicago, USA; 2nd World Biotechnology Congress, Dec 4-5 2017, Sao Paulo, Brazil; Spring Symposium of the Netherlands Society of Gene & Cell therapy (NVGCT), 17 March 2017, Lunteren, The Netherlands; British Society for Gene and Cell Therapy (BSGCT) Public Engagement 2017, March 27-28, 2017 Oxford, UK; 19th International Conference on Cell and Gene Therapy ICCGT 2017, April 19-21, 2017, Singapore; International Society for BioProcess Technology 7th Spring Meeting Viral vectors and vaccines, March 16-17, 2017, Washington, DC and 2nd Annual Genome Editing & Engineering Conference, Feb 6-7 2017, San Diego, CA.

Track 2: Gene Therapy

Gene therapy basically involves the introduction or alteration of genetic material within a cell or organism with an intention of curing the disease. Both cell therapy and gene therapy are overlapping fields of biomedical research with the goals of repairing the direct cause of genetic diseases in DNA or cellular population respectively. The discovery of recombinant DNA technology in the 1970s provided tools to efficiently develop gene therapy. Scientists use these techniques to readily manipulate viral genomes, isolate genes and identify mutations involved in human disease, characterize and regulate gene expressions, and engineer various viral and non viral vectors. Various long term treatments for anemia, haemophilia, cystic fibrosis, muscular dystrophy, Gauschers disease, lysosomal storage diseases, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and diseases of bones and joints are resolved through successful gene therapy and are elusive today.

Related Conferences

Annual Summit onCell Signaling and Cancer Therapy, Sep 27-28, 2017, Chicago, USA; AnnualSummit on Cell Therapyand Molecular Medicine, Sep 27-28, 2017, Chicago, USA;2nd World Biotechnology Congress, Dec 4-5 2017, Sao Paulo, Brazil; 3rd International Conference & Exhibition on Tissue Preservation and Biobanking, Aug 23-24 2017, San Francisco, USA; 8thWorld Congress and Expo on Cell & Stem Cell Research, March 20-22, 2017, Orlando, Florida, USA; 10th Australasian Gene Therapy Society Meeting (AGCTS), October 17-20, 2017, Sydney, Australia; XXV Congress of the European Society of Gene and Cell Therapy (ESGCT), Berlin, Germany.

Track 3:Molecular Medicine

Molecular Medicineis a branch of medicine that develops ways to diagnose and treat diseases by understanding the ways genes, proteins and other cellular molecules work. It is a broad field where physical, chemical, biological,bioinformatics, and medical techniques are used to describe molecular structures and mechanisms, identify fundamental molecular and genetic errors of the disease, and to develop molecular interventions to correct them. Molecular Medicine has now a days proved to be an exciting field of research as some of the recent advancements has led to improved clinical benefits for human health. These are LPS- induced inflammatory response is suppressed by Wnt inhibitors, Dickkopf-1 and LGK974, Selective inhibition ofEbolaentry with selective estrogen receptor modulators by disrupting the endolysosomal calcium, ApoA-IV improves insulin sensitivity and glucose uptake in mouse adipocytes via PI3K-Akt Signalling and many more.

Related Conferences

AnnualSummit onCell TherapyandMolecular Medicine, Sep 27-28, 2017, Chicago, USA; 2nd WorldBiotechnologyCongress, Dec 4-5 2017, Sao Paulo, Brazil;3rd International Conference & Exhibition onTissue PreservationandBiobanking, Aug 23-24 2017, San Francisco, USA; Annual Summit onCell Signalingand Cancer Therapy, Sep 27-28, 2017, Chicago , USA;8thWorld Congress and Expo onCell&Stem CellResearch, March 20-22, 2017, Orlando, Florida, USA;Annual conference of British Society forGeneandCell Therapy(BSGCT), May 3-6, 2017, Cardiff, Wales, UK; International Society forCellular Therapy(ISCT) 23rdAnnual Meeting, May 10-13, 2017, London, UK; American Society ofGeneandCell Therapy(ASGCT) 20thAnnual Meeting , May 14-19, 2017, Washington, DC; Gordon Research Conference:Viruses&Cells, May 17-19, 2017, Lucca, Italy and WorldAdvanced TherapiesandRegenerative MedicineCongress 2017, May 24-26, 2017, London, UK.

Track 4:Immunotherapy

Due to rapidly advancing field of cancer immunology in past few years, there has been production of several new methods of treating cancer called Immunotherapies. Immunotherapy is a type of treatment that increases the strength of immune response against tumors either by stimulating the activities of specific components of immune system or by counteracting signals produced by cancer cells that suppress immune responses. Some types of immunotherapy are also called as biologic therapy or biotherapy. Recent advancements in cancer immunotherapies have provided new therapeutic approaches. These include tumor-associated macrophages as treatment targets in oncology, in-situ activation of platelets with checkpoint inhibitors for post-surgical cancer immunotherapy, immune checkpoint blockade and associated endocrinopathies and many more.

Related Conferences

3rd International Conference & Exhibition onTissue PreservationandBiobanking, Aug 23-24 2017, San Francisco, USA; Annual Summit onCell Signalingand Cancer Therapy, Sep 27-28, 2017, Chicago, USA; 8thWorld Congress and Expo onCell&Stem CellResearch, March 20-22, 2017 in Orlando, Florida, USA; Annual Summit onCell TherapyandMolecular Medicine, Sep 27-28, 2017, Chicago, USA; 2nd WorldBiotechnologyCongress, Dec 4-5 2017, Sao Paulo, Brazil; Spring Symposium of the Netherlands Society ofGene&Cell therapy(NVGCT), 17 March 2017, Lunteren, The Netherlands; British Society forGeneandCell Therapy(BSGCT) Public Engagement 2017, March 27-28, 2017 Oxford, UK; 19thInternational Conference onCellandGene Therapy ICCGT 2017, April 19-21, 2017, Singapore; International Society for BioProcess Technology 7thSpring Meeting Viral vectorsandvaccines, March 16-17, 2017, Washington, DC and 2ndAnnualGenome Editing&EngineeringConference, Feb 6-7 2017, San Diego, CA.

Genetic Medicine orMedical Geneticsis the branch of medicine that differs from human genetics, and involves the diagnosis and management of hereditary disorders. Human genetics may or may not apply to medicine, but medical genetics refers to the application of genetics to medical care. Genetic Medicine basically involves different areas such asgene therapy, personalized medicine, predictive medicine and the rapidly emerging new medical specialty. Now a days, medical genetics has wide range of scopes in many conditions involving birth defects and dysmorphology,autism, mental retardation, skeletal dysplasia, mitochondrial disorders, cancer genetics, connective tissue disorders and some more.

Related Conferences

Annual Summit onCell Signalingand Cancer Therapy, Sep 27-28, 2017, Chicago, USA; AnnualSummit onCell TherapyandMolecular Medicine, Sep 27-28, 2017, Chicago, USA;2nd WorldBiotechnologyCongress, Dec 4-5 2017, Sao Paulo, Brazil; 3rd International Conference & Exhibition onTissue PreservationandBiobanking, Aug 23-24 2017, San Francisco, USA; 8thWorld Congress and Expo onCell&Stem CellResearch, March 20-22, 2017, Orlando, Florida, USA; 10thAustralasianGene TherapySociety Meeting (AGCTS), October 17-20, 2017, Sydney, Australia; XXV Congress of the European Society ofGeneandCell Therapy(ESGCT), Berlin, Germany.

Track 6: Clinical Trials in Cell and Gene Therapy

A clinical trial is a research study that tests how well new medical approaches work on people and determines if a treatment is safe and effective. The new cell and gene therapies (CGTs) that are advancing from the laboratory into early phase clinical trials has proven to be a complex task even for experienced investigators . As a result of wide variety of CGT products and their potential applications, a case by case assessment is warranted for the design of each clinical trial. Some of the latest and advanced clinical trials include safety and efficacy trial of AAV gene therapy in patients with CNGA3 Achromatopsia, A clinical trial for treatment of Aromatic L- Amino acid Decarboxylase (AADC) deficiency using AAV2-hAADC- An expansion and Glypican 3-specific Chimeric antigenic receptor expressed in T cells for patients with pediatric solid tumors.

Related Conferences

AnnualSummit onCell TherapyandMolecular Medicine, Sep 27-28, 2017, Chicago, USA; 2nd WorldBiotechnologyCongress, Dec 4-5 2017, Sao Paulo, Brazil;3rd International Conference & Exhibition onTissue PreservationandBiobanking, Aug 23-24 2017, San Francisco, USA; Annual Summit onCell Signalingand Cancer Therapy, Sep 27-28, 2017, Chicago , USA;8thWorld Congress and Expo onCell&Stem CellResearch, March 20-22, 2017, Orlando, Florida, USA;Annual conference of British Society forGeneandCell Therapy(BSGCT), May 3-6, 2017, Cardiff, Wales, UK; International Society forCellular Therapy(ISCT) 23rdAnnual Meeting, May 10-13, 2017, London, UK; American Society ofGeneandCell Therapy(ASGCT) 20thAnnual Meeting , May 14-19, 2017, Washington, DC; Gordon Research Conference:Viruses&Cells, May 17-19, 2017, Lucca, Italy and WorldAdvanced TherapiesandRegenerative MedicineCongress 2017, May 24-26, 2017, London, UK.

Track 7: Cell Therapy Bioprocessing

Cell Therapy Bioprocessing activity mainly focuses to accelerate the safe, cost- effective translations and clinical efficacious of cell therapies into commercial products. This activity covers the entire range of cell therapy activities as well as tissue engineering. In order to succeed, commercial success of at least a few late-stage products are required to develop which will be funded to develop next generation tools and technologies for this field. Recent achievements include, preclinical filing for Phase 1 clinical trials for cell therapy in acute spinal cord injury, clinical proof of concept studies in tissue- engineered trachea, clinical trials for tissue-engineered larynx and routine clinical practice in the regeneration of corneas. The future research priorities will focus on novel cell and bioprocess engineering techniques in order to improve the manufacturing efficacy and methods for health technology assessment to support rapid clinical adoption of new cell therapies.

Related Conferences

3rd International Conference & Exhibition onTissue PreservationandBiobanking, Aug 23-24 2017, San Francisco, USA; Annual Summit onCell Signalingand Cancer Therapy, Sep 27-28, 2017, Chicago, USA; 8thWorld Congress and Expo onCell&Stem CellResearch, March 20-22, 2017 in Orlando, Florida, USA; Annual Summit onCell Therapyand Molecular Medicine, Sep 27-28, 2017, Chicago, USA; 2nd WorldBiotechnologyCongress, Dec 4-5 2017, Sao Paulo, Brazil; Spring Symposium of the Netherlands Society ofGene&Cell therapy(NVGCT), 17 March 2017, Lunteren, The Netherlands; British Society forGeneandCell Therapy(BSGCT) Public Engagement 2017, March 27-28, 2017 Oxford, UK; 19thInternational Conference onCellandGene Therapy ICCGT 2017, April 19-21, 2017, Singapore; International Society for BioProcess Technology 7thSpring Meeting Viral vectorsandvaccines, March 16-17, 2017, Washington, DC and 2ndAnnualGenome Editing&EngineeringConference, Feb 6-7 2017, San Diego, CA.

Cell and Gene Therapy products manufacturing focuses on various strategies like the manufacturing process must protect the product, patient, should focus on product characterization, process control, high throughput and parallel processing to achieve scale. The process/analytical development throughout clinical trials involve ongoing, iterative development of manufacturing process and characterization of profile and FDA expecting increasing control and characterization as clinical development progresses. Steps involved in individualized manufacturing and running in parallel for high throughput involves cell selection, expansion, activation, centrifugation and cryopreservation.

Related Conferences

Annual Summit onCell Signalingand Cancer Therapy, Sep 27-28, 2017, Chicago, USA; AnnualSummit onCell Therapyand Molecular Medicine, Sep 27-28, 2017, Chicago, USA;2nd WorldBiotechnologyCongress, Dec 4-5 2017, Sao Paulo, Brazil; 3rd International Conference & Exhibition onTissue PreservationandBiobanking, Aug 23-24 2017, San Francisco, USA; 8thWorld Congress and Expo onCell&Stem CellResearch, March 20-22, 2017, Orlando, Florida, USA; 10thAustralasianGene TherapySociety Meeting (AGCTS), October 17-20, 2017, Sydney, Australia; XXV Congress of the European Society ofGeneandCell Therapy(ESGCT), Berlin, Germany.

Track 9: Rare Diseases & Orphan drugs

Rare diseases are life-threatening or chronically debilitating conditions, affecting no more than 5 in 10,000 persons in the European Community according to the Regulation (EC) N. 141/2000 of the European Parliament and of the Council. It is estimated that between 6000 to 8000 distinct rare diseases affect up to 6% of the total EU population. Therefore, these conditions can be considered rare if taken individually but they affect a significant proportion of the European population when considered as a single group. Several initiatives have been taken at international, European and national level to tackle public health as well as research issues related to diagnosis, prevention, treatment and surveillance of these diseases. An Orphan drug can be defined as the one that is used to treat an orphan disease. An orphan disease in USA is defined as the one that affects fewer than 200000 individuals, but in Japan the number is 50,000 and in Australia is 2000. In past 20 years efforts have been made to encourage companies to develop orphan drugs. The Orphan Drug Act in the USA (1983) was succeeded by similar legislation in Japan (1985), Australia (1997), and the European Community (2000). The encouragement takes three forms: tax credits and research aids, simplification of marketing authorization procedures, and extended market exclusively.

Related Conferences

Annual Summit onCell Therapyand Molecular Medicine, Sep 27-28, 2017, Chicago, USA; 2nd WorldBiotechnologyCongress, Dec 4-5 2017, Sao Paulo, Brazil;3rd International Conference & Exhibition onTissue PreservationandBiobanking, Aug 23-24 2017, San Francisco, USA; Annual Summit onCell Signalingand Cancer Therapy, Sep 27-28, 2017, Chicago, USA;8thWorld Congress and Expo onCell&Stem CellResearch, March 20-22, 2017, Orlando, Florida, USA;Annual conference of British Society forGeneandCell Therapy(BSGCT), May 3-6, 2017, Cardiff, Wales, UK; International Society forCellular Therapy(ISCT) 23rdAnnual Meeting, May 10-13, 2017, London, UK; American Society ofGeneandCell Therapy(ASGCT) 20thAnnual Meeting , May 14-19, 2017, Washington, DC; Gordon Research Conference:Viruses&Cells, May 17-19, 2017, Lucca, Italy and WorldAdvanced TherapiesandRegenerative MedicineCongress 2017, May 24-26, 2017, London, UK.

Stem cells can self renew themselves and differentiate or develop into more specialised cells. They are the foundation for every organ and tissue in our body. Due to this ability of the stem cells, they have tremendous promise to help us understand and treat a wide range of diseases, injuries and other health related problems. Bone marrow transplantation is the most widely used stem cell therapy , but some of the therapies are derived from umbilical cord blood are also in use today. Likewise, blood stem cells are used to treat diseases of blood, a therapy that has saved thousands of lives of children with leukemia. Some bone, skin and corneal (eye) injuries and diseases can be treated by grafting or implanting tissues and the healing process relies on stem cells with implanted tissue.Regenerative medicines aims to replace tissues or organs that have been damaged by disease, trauma, or congenital issues which is in contrast to the current clinical strategy that focuses primarily on treating the symptoms. These regenerative medicines have wide appropriateness in treating degenerative scatters including dermatology, cardio vascular, and neuro degenerative diseases. Cell treatment is the quickest developing fragment of regenerative drug and this undeveloped cell treatment is making up the biggest part of this business sector.

Related Conferences

3rd International Conference & Exhibition onTissue PreservationandBiobanking, Aug 23-24 2017, San Francisco, USA; Annual Summit onCell Signalingand Cancer Therapy, Sep 27-28, 2017, Chicago, USA; 8thWorld Congress and Expo onCell&Stem CellResearch, March 20-22, 2017 in Orlando, Florida, USA; Annual Summit onCell Therapyand Molecular Medicine, Sep 27-28, 2017, Chicago, USA; 2nd WorldBiotechnologyCongress, Dec 4-5 2017, Sao Paulo, Brazil; Spring Symposium of the Netherlands Society ofGene&Cell therapy(NVGCT), 17 March 2017, Lunteren, The Netherlands; British Society forGeneandCell Therapy(BSGCT) Public Engagement 2017, March 27-28, 2017 Oxford, UK; 19thInternational Conference onCellandGene Therapy ICCGT 2017, April 19-21, 2017, Singapore; International Society for BioProcess Technology 7thSpring Meeting Viral vectorsandvaccines, March 16-17, 2017, Washington, DC and 2ndAnnualGenome Editing&EngineeringConference, Feb 6-7 2017, San Diego, CA.

Cancer is a process where the cells grow aberrantly and this growth of cancer cells results in damage of normal tissues, causing loss of function and often pain. The cancer therapeutic drugs are those drugs that block the growth and spread of cancer by interfering with specific molecules (molecular targets) that are involved in the growth, progression and spread of cancer. Moreover, gene therapy approaches may be designed to directly kill tumor cells using tumor killing viruses, or through the introduction of genes termed as suicide genes into the tumor cells. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved many cancer therapies in order to treat specific types of cancers. To develop targeted therapies it requires the identification of good targets that is, those targets that play a key role in cancer cell growth and survival. One way to identify potential targets is to compare the amounts of individual proteins in cancer cells with those present in normal cells. Gene silencing has also been designed to inhibit the expression of specific genes which are activated or over expressed in cancer cells and can drive tumor growth, blood vessel formation and allow resistance for chemotherapy.

Related Conferences

Annual Summit onCell Signalingand Cancer Therapy, Sep 27-28, 2017, Chicago, USA; Annual SummitSummit onCell Therapyand Molecular Medicine, Sep 27-28, 2017, Chicago, USA;2nd WorldBiotechnologyCongress, Dec 4-5 2017, Sao Paulo, Brazil; 3rd International Conference & Exhibition onTissue PreservationandBiobanking, Aug 23-24 2017, San Francisco, USA; 8thWorld Congress and Expo onCell&Stem CellResearch, March 20-22, 2017, Orlando, Florida, USA; 10thAustralasianGene TherapySociety Meeting (AGCTS), October 17-20, 2017, Sydney, Australia; XXV Congress of the European Society ofGeneandCell Therapy(ESGCT), Berlin, Germany.

Track 12:Nuclear Medicine

Nuclear medicineis a branch of medical imaging that involves the application of radioactive substances called radiotracers that are generally injected into the bloodstream, inhaled or swallowed. Theradiotracerthen travels through the area being examined and gives off energy in the form of gamma rays, which are detected by a special camera and a computer to create images of inside the body. It is used to diagnose or determine the severity of or treat different types of diseases like many types of cancers, heart disease, neurological disease, gastrointestinal disease, and other abnormalities inside the body. As nuclear medicine techniques are able to identify molecular activity within the body, they offer the capability to detect diseases in its very early stages as well as a patients immediate response to therapeutic interventions. There are two most common imaging methods in nuclear medicine, one isSingle Photon Emission Computed Tomographyor SPECT and the other is Positron Emission Tomography or PET scans.

Related Conferences

AnnualSummit onCell TherapyandMolecular Medicine, Sep 27-28, 2017, Chicago, USA; 2nd WorldBiotechnologyCongress, Dec 4-5 2017, Sao Paulo, Brazil;3rd International Conference & Exhibition onTissue PreservationandBiobanking, Aug 23-24 2017, San Francisco, USA; Annual Summit onCell Signalingand Cancer Therapy, Sep 27-28, 2017, Chicago , USA;8thWorld Congress and Expo onCell&Stem CellResearch, March 20-22, 2017, Orlando, Florida, USA;Annual conference of British Society forGeneandCell Therapy(BSGCT), May 3-6, 2017, Cardiff, Wales, UK; International Society forCellular Therapy(ISCT) 23rdAnnual Meeting, May 10-13, 2017, London, UK; American Society ofGeneandCell Therapy(ASGCT) 20thAnnual Meeting , May 14-19, 2017, Washington, DC; Gordon Research Conference:Viruses&Cells, May 17-19, 2017, Lucca, Italy and WorldAdvanced TherapiesandRegenerative MedicineCongress 2017, May 24-26, 2017, London, UK.

Track 13: Advances in Cell Engineering, Imaging and Screening

In recent times, advancements in cell engineering, imaging and screening has reached a great height in the field of science & technology and also in the business world. It has attracted many scientists from academia and also established or emerging companies in the field to present their latest scientific achievements and exciting technological solutions through presentations in several sessions. This has helped in improving the scientific knowledge among the people, scientists, researchers and exhibitors from all over the world thus enhancing their scientific curiosity and providing robust solutions against technological issues.

Related Conferences

3rd International Conference & Exhibition onTissue PreservationandBiobanking, Aug 23-24 2017, San Francisco, USA; Annual Summit onCell Signalingand Cancer Therapy, Sep 27-28, 2017, Chicago, USA; 8thWorld Congress and Expo onCell&Stem CellResearch, March 20-22, 2017 in Orlando, Florida, USA; Annual Summit onCell TherapyandMolecular Medicine, Sep 27-28, 2017, Chicago, USA; 2nd WorldBiotechnologyCongress, Dec 4-5 2017, Sao Paulo, Brazil; Spring Symposium of the Netherlands Society ofGene&Cell therapy(NVGCT), 17 March 2017, Lunteren, The Netherlands; British Society forGeneandCell Therapy(BSGCT) Public Engagement 2017, March 27-28, 2017 Oxford, UK; 19thInternational Conference onCellandGene Therapy ICCGT 2017, April 19-21, 2017, Singapore; International Society for BioProcess Technology 7thSpring Meeting Viral vectorsandvaccines, March 16-17, 2017, Washington, DC and 2ndAnnualGenome Editing&EngineeringConference, Feb 6-7 2017, San Diego, CA.

Track 14: Synthetic Biology and Genetic modifications of cells

Synthetic Biology is one of the emerging field of research that can be broadly described as the design and construction of novel artificial biological pathways, organisms or devices or the redesigning of existing natural biological systems. Genome editing with engineered nucleases is a type of genetic engineering in which DNA is either inserted, replaced or deleted in the genome of an organism using engineered nucleases or molecular scissors. These nucleases hence create site specific double stranded breaks (DSBs) at desired locations in the genome. The induced double stranded breaks are repaired through non homologous end- joining (NHEJ) or homologous recombination (HR), thus resulting in targeted mutations (edits). Scientists now a days use various engineered nucleases in order to bring desired changes in the human genome.

Related Conferences

Annual Summit onCell Signalingand Cancer Therapy, Sep 27-28, 2017, Chicago, USA; Annual SummitSummit onCell TherapyandMolecular Medicine, Sep 27-28, 2017, Chicago, USA;2nd WorldBiotechnologyCongress, Dec 4-5 2017, Sao Paulo, Brazil; 3rd International Conference & Exhibition onTissue PreservationandBiobanking, Aug 23-24 2017, San Francisco, USA; 8thWorld Congress and Expo onCell&Stem CellResearch, March 20-22, 2017, Orlando, Florida, USA; 10thAustralasianGene TherapySociety Meeting (AGCTS), October 17-20, 2017, Sydney, Australia; XXV Congress of the European Society ofGeneandCell Therapy(ESGCT), Berlin, Germany.

Biobanking 2016

Sensing the raising importance of Biobanks,Conference LLChosted the 2nd International Conference & Exhibition on Tissue Preservation and Biobanking(Biobanking-2016), duringSeptember 12-13, 2016inPhiladelphia, USAwith a theme Global Innovations in Tissue preservation and Biobanking Technologies. Benevolent response and active participations were received from the Editorial Board Members of Conference LLC Journals as well as from the Biobank project managers, Embryologists, Hematologists, Stem Cell researchers, Scientists, Doctors, Students and Leaders from the fields of Cell and Stem Cell Research, who made this event inspiringly successful.

TheBiobanking-2016 Conferencewas carried out through various sessions with discussions on the following thought provoking and cerebrating scientific tracks:

Human cancer biobank

Biorepository & Biospecimen

Disease based biobank

Cryopreservation Methods

Vitrification

Brain Banking

Biobank Ethics

Biobank in Microbiology

Next Generation Biobanking

Biobank in Genomics

Fertility biobanks

Germplasm Bank

Immune banking

Biobank Applications

Biobanking Informatics

Market Analysis in Biobanking

Tissue engineering

. Stem cell Biobanking

The Organizing Committee would like to thank the moderatorDr.Mary A Hall,UT health sciences, USAandDr. Elena Salvaterra,Air liquide Sanit Service, Italyfor their contribution which resulted in smooth functioning of the conference.

The conference was initiated and embarked with an opening ceremony followed by Keynote presentations, workshop and a series of lectures delivered by both Honorable Guests and members of the Keynote forum. The peerless people who promulgated the theme with their Keynote presentations were;

Kelvin GM Brockbank-Ice-free banking by vitrification of tissues(Tissue Testing Technologies LLC, USA)

Simone Chevalier- The Quebec procure prostate cancer biobank: A unique resource for comprehensive studies of the disease(McGill Urology Director of Research, Canada)

Stephen C Peiper-Biospecimen repository genomic annotations in the precision medicine era(Thomas Jefferson University, USA)

Fiorella Guadagni-Biobanks as a pivotal research infrastructure in precision medicine (San Raffaele Rome University, Italy)

Yoed Rabin-Mechanical stress and structural integrity in vitrification(Carnegie Mellon University, USA)

Mitchel C. Schiewe-Applying the KISS principle with vitrification: Safety and quality control concerns in assisted reproductive technologies(Ovagen Fertility, USA)

Various sessions were chaired and co-chaired by: Kelvin GM Brockbank (Tissue Testing Technologies LLC, USA);Simone Chevalier (McGill Urology Director of Research, Canada), USA; Charles W Wang, (Shanghai Jiao Tong University, China);Yaffa Rubinstein (National Institute of Health, USA).

Conference Series LLC has taken the privilege of felicitating Biobanking-2016 Organizing Committee, Editorial Board Members and Keynote Speakers who supported for the success of this conference.

The esteemed guests, keynote speakers and researchers shared their innovative research and vast experience through their informative presentations at the podium ofBiobanking-2016.We are glad to inform that all accepted abstracts for the conference have been published inJournal of Tissue Science & Engineering: Open Accessas a special issue.

We are also obliged to various experts, company representatives and other eminent scientists who supported the conference by facilitating the discussion forums. We sincerely thank the Organizing Committee Members for their gracious presence, support, and assistance. With the unique feedback from the conference,Conference Series LLC would like to proudly announce the commencement of the 3rd International Conference & Exhibition on Tissue Preservation and Biobanking" to be organized duringAugust 23-24, 2017atSan Francisco, USA.

Mark your calendars for the upcoming Conference; we are hoping to see you soon!

For more details:http://biobanking.conferenceseries.com/

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Annual Summit on Cell Therapy and Molecular Medicine ...

TxCell raises cash for first-in-man CAR-Treg cell therapy study – BioPharma-Reporter.com

TxCell has raised 11m ($11.6m) through a share issue which it will use to fund first-in-man study of one of its cell therapy candidates.

The shares were bought by new backers like Auriga Ventures II and ING Luxembourg a S.A. as well as existing TxCell investors Innobio FCPR andBpifrance Participation Large Venture.

CEO Stephane Boissel told us "TxCell hasrealigned its strategy, being the first to move into the Car-Treg field in auto-immune diseases. Thefinance will help TxCell to get through to a first IND approval to initiate a first-in-man study with a CAR-Treg candidate, which is expected by the end of 2018.

He added that: "This study will be a world first. It most likely would be in solid organ transplantation, to treat or prevent chronic rejection.

TxCell has four CAR-Treg candidates in his pipeline. Three are for the treatment of diseases, specifically lupus nephritis, bullous pemphigoid and multiple sclerosis. The fourth is designed to prevent graft-versus-host disease after transplantation.

All four were developed using the firms ENTrIA platform which uses CARs to direct antigen-specific regulatory cells (Ag-Tregs) to target autoimmune inflammatory diseases.

All four are listed as being in early phase development on TxCells website.

Two of the therapies, the GvHD treatment ENTX#SOT and the lupus candidate ENTX#LN are the subject of preclinical research accords signed last year.

ENTX#BP, which is being developed as a treatment for the rare skin blistering disease bullous pemphigoid, is also the focus of a preclinical research partnership.

However, when TxCell announced the deal with the Lubeck Institute of Experimental Dermatology (LIED) in June it said the aim was to conduct non-clinical pharmacology studies with CAR-Treg cells to prepare for a first-in-man study.

Original post:
TxCell raises cash for first-in-man CAR-Treg cell therapy study - BioPharma-Reporter.com

Heart failure BREAKTHROUGH: Stem cells trial offers hope to millions – Express.co.uk

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A high-level meeting has paved the way for global trials to begin on hundreds of patients.

British scientists have found a way to use stem cells to repair damaged tissue which could help millions living with heart failure, the UKs leading cause of death.

Scarring due to disease or heart attacks affects more than two million people in Britain.

This would be the biggest breakthrough since the first transplants three decades ago

Professor Steve Westaby

Initial trials involving more than 100 patients are being planned for the autumn at two London hospitals.

World renowned cardiac surgeon Professor Steve Westaby, who helped pioneer the revolutionary technique, said it had been thought that repairing heart damage was impossible.

But results from a long-term trial that began in Greece five years ago have shown that this is not the case.

Preliminary data from this trial showed the engineered stem cells, known as Heartcel, can reverse scarring by up to 79 per cent.

The data, presented at the European Society of Cell and Gene Therapy in Florence, showed an average of 40 per cent reduction in heart damage in those on the treatment.

Last month researchers finalised talks with European and US regulators to discuss the timetable for global trials next year involving 500 people.

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6 early signs of a heart attack

Professor Westaby, from the John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, said: I am very excited at the prospect of a trial which will hopefully lead to the availability of this stem cell treatment to thousands of patients annually in the UK.

Other scientists have tried in vain to repair damaged heart muscle using stem cells over the past few decades.

This is the first time scarring has been shown to be reversible. It could herald an end to transplants and lead to a treatment for heart failure within three to five years.

GETTY

Professor Westaby said: This would be the biggest breakthrough since the first transplants three decades ago.

Professor Westaby has been working on the technique for more than a decade and is carrying out the study with Professor Kim Fox, head of the National Heart and Lung Institute, at Imperial College London.

The implanted stem cells were created by medical outfit Celixir, co-founded by Nobel laureate Professor Martin Evans, the first scientist to culture mice embryonic stem cells in a laboratory.

Professor Westaby was inspired to work on the breakthrough in 1999 after a four-month-old baby girls heart healed itself after he carried out a major life-saving operation.

Kirsty Collier, from Swindon, was dying of a serious and rare heart defect. In a last ditch effort Professor Westaby cut away a third of her badly damaged heart.

GETTY

GETTY

Surprisingly it began to beat. Fourteen years later a scan has shown that the heart had healed itself.

Now Kirsty, 18, has a normal one. Professor Westaby said: She was essentially dead and was only resurrected by what I regarded at the time as a completely bizarre operation.

The fact there was no sign of heart damage told me there were foetal stem cells in babies hearts that could remove scarring of heart muscle. That never happens in adults.

Its all down to the clues we got from Kirstys operation.

Read more:
Heart failure BREAKTHROUGH: Stem cells trial offers hope to millions - Express.co.uk

Durham scientists pioneer innovative stem cell research – Palatinate

By Jacob Dykes

In Durham, a pioneering technology has been developed which is providing a solution to fundamental issues in tissue engineering and stem cell biology. The development of new innovative technology enables the advancement of the research and discovery process and scientific thinking as a whole. For example, its hard to conceive of a biomedical sphere untouched by the blessing of PCR or DNA sequencing. Technological advancements not only offer solutions to existing obstacles, they open up new avenues of research into previously inconceivable areas.

With the current levels of excitement in the research of stem cell biology, you could be forgiven for envisaging a utopian medical scenario where a process akin to science-fiction allows us to generate complex tissues in a Petri-dish, ready for transplantation into the damaged organism. The scientific community has speculated that the nature of stem cells, in their ability to self-renew and produce cell types of any lineage will eventually provide medical solutions to some of our most vilified tissue diseases.

Transitioning speculation to reality requires time, basic research and technology development. A novel product known as Alvetex has been developed by Reinnervate, a Durham University spin-out company, which enables a new routine approach to study stem cells and their ability to form tissues in the laboratory. The product unlocks the potential of stem cell differentiation by mimicking the natural three-dimensional (3D) microenvironment cells encounter in the body, enabling the formation of 3D tissue-like structures.

Cell behaviour, in general, is guided by the complex 3D microenvironment in which they reside. Dispersal of cell-cell interactions and architectural contacts across the surface of the cell are essential for regulating gene expression, the genetic mechanism by which cells change their character and behaviour. Recreation of this microenvironment in the laboratory is essential to studying physiologically relevant behaviour, and the differentiation process by which cells form new cell types. Alvetex is a micro-engineered 3D polystyrene scaffold into which cells can be impregnated for cultivation. Cells grow within a 200-micron thick membrane of the 3D material bathed in culture medium. The microenvironment enables cells to form 3D contacts with neighbouring cells, recreating the more natural interactions found in real tissues. Overall, this affects the structure and function of the cells, enabling them to behave more like their native counterparts, which in turn improves predictive accuracy when working with advanced cell culture models.

We can take progenitor cells from the skin of donors and produce human skin We can take cell lines from the intestine and reproduce the absorptive lining of the intestine. We can take neural progenitors and recapitulate 3D neural networks.

Stefan Przyborski is a Professor of Cell Technology at Durham University and the founder of Reinnervate. He gave us an insight into his technologys applications;

We can take progenitor cells from the skin of donors and produce a full-thickness stratified human skin model (see image). We can take cell lines from the intestine and reproduce the absorptive lining of the intestine. We can take neural progenitors and recapitulate 3D neural networks to simulate aspects of nervous system function. Each of these models can be used to advance basic research, and extend our understanding of tissue development, and simulate aspects of disease.

Such technology is underpinned by well established fundamental principles such as how cellular structure is related to function, which hails way back to Da Vinci himself. It is well known that if you get the structure and the anatomy correct than the physiology will start to follow.

Alvetex technology has already been used in research that has led the publication of over 60 research papers in the field of tissue engineering and cancer biology. One particular group used the technology to successfully test drugs to prevent glioblastoma dispersal, an innovative application in brain oncology. Another has developed a 3D skin model to better study the development of metastatic melanoma, a persistently incurable invasive tumour of the skin. US scientists have used Alvetex on the International Space Station to study the formation of bone tissue in microgravity conditions.

The technology promises to be a cost-effective and ethical solution to current obstacles in cell culturing methods, producing better quality data relevant to man and reducing the need for animal models. Alvetex technology has offered a generational contribution to the process of tissue engineering research, yet the founder has higher ambitions;

What I would like to see in the next few decades is the increased complexity of the tissues that stem cells can be used to generate. If you consider the structure of an organ, the complexity, arrangement and structural organisation of those cell populations, it is far from where we are today. Advances in technology at the interface between disciplines leads to new innovative ideas to solve problems and open up new opportunities.

The development of stem cell research is an incremental process. We have to remain cautious given the potential of stem cell therapy to cause tumour formation, highlighting the need for more stringent models and controls. However, the clinical transplantation of cultured stem cells in bone and cornea repair demonstrates their enormous potential. Laboratory experiments have also demonstrated the potential of stem cells to produce kidney, pancreatic, liver, cardiac and muscle cells. It is hoped that continued research using more physiologically relevant technologies will increase the complexity of these tissues in the lab, and the diversity of their application.

Innovative technological advances play an important role in the process of biomedical science. Scientists at Durham are instrumental in the development of such new technologies that enable the process of new discoveries.

Photograph: Prof Stefan Przyborski, Durham University

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Strongsville man attemps stem cell treatment for MS – WKYC-TV

Strongsville man tries stem cell treatment for MS

Monica Robins, WKYC 12:30 AM. EST February 25, 2017

(Photo: Monica Robins, WKYC)

STRONGSVILLE - Multiple Sclerosis is an unpredictable and often disabling neurological disease affecting more than 2 million people worldwide.

There is no cure, but there is hope.

And it may lie in stem cell research, which is both experimental and controversial.

One Strongsville man is willing to take a chance, in the hopes he'll get back some of what the disease has stolen from him.

To look at him, Gary LaBuda appears to be the picture of health. But when you watch him walk, you realize something isn't quite right.

Four years ago, doctors diagnosed the 43-year-old with multiple sclerosis, or MS. A devastating, degenerating neurological disease.

After a year on MS medication, his world changed in a day.

"Every single symptom you could possibly have hit me and literally stopped me from working," he explains. "That day was the last day of my work."

Some of those symptoms included slurring, constant dizziness and migraines, plus heat fatigue.

His vision and cognitive function was also affected, causing him to lose words.

Gary believes the cause was the medication. "Every single side effect you can get from that medication, I got from that medication," he says. "That was over fifty side effects and I had every single one."

Switching medication and dosage didn't help, so Gary stopped taking it.

He started looking for alternatives including cryotherapy and dry needling for constant muscle spasms and tightness, physical therapy for strength.

But now he's trying an experimental option.

Plastic Surgeon Mark Foglietti and Sports Medicine Doctor Michael Kellis each had a keen interest in stem cell science and decided to offer it to patients. They created the Ohio Stem Cell Treatment Center of Cleveland, an affiliate of the National Cell Surgical Network.

There is a disclaimer on their website, indicating the treatment is not FDA approved and not known to cure any disease or injury. Studies have shown the procedure is safe but it's not covered by insurance.

Gary is paying $8,600 for hope.

"There's no guarantee," he says. "But there's also no risk, so it's not gonna hurt nothing."

The procedure involves using liposuction to remove dormant mesenchymal stem cells in Gary's fat tissue. They are activated, or woken up, by being spun in a centrifuge.

20 MS patients have been treated by Foglietti and Kelils so far. They've seen patients show improvement in the mental fog, then speech is improved, followed by decreased muscle spasms and increased coordination.

The procedure for Gary ends with him receiving his own cells in an IV. He's hoping this is the day a miracle will happen and he is grateful for the chance. He won't know for three months if the treatment has worked.

The doctors say they always emphasize to the patient that this treatment may not work for them, it might work for them, it's hard to know. But it is an opportunity to supply a safe, effective alternative to what's not working in medicine.

( 2017 WKYC)

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World-Renowned Stem Cell Transplantation Expert joins Cellect’s Advisory Board – GlobeNewswire (press release)

February 23, 2017 07:00 ET | Source: Cellect Biotechnology Ltd.

TEL AVIV, Israel, Feb. 23, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Cellect Biotechnology Ltd. (Nasdaq:APOP) (TASE:APOP), a developer of stem cells isolation technology, announced today that Dr. Corey Cutler, Senior Physician at the world-renowned U.S. Dana Farber Cancer Institute, and an Associate Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, is joining the Company's Scientific and Medical Advisory Board. Dr. Cutler is a world leader in the field of Stem Cell Transplantation and Graft Versus Host Disease treatment.

I am pleased to join such a distinguished group of physicians, researchers and industry executives as a member of Cellects Scientific and Medical Advisory Board, said Dr. Cutler. I believe that Cellects technology has the potential to transform regenerative medicine, and I look forward to working with the Company as it continues to advance its technology platform and product development programs.

"Dr. Cutler is world renowned for his contributions to innovations within the stem cell transplantation industry to drive potential treatments in cancer and many other medical conditions, said Dr. Shai Yarkoni, Cellects CEO. We look forward to leveraging his vast expertise as we continue to move forward with the Phase I/II clinical trial of our ApoGraft stem cell technology in blood cancer."

Cellect's advisory board now includes global leaders and experts in the fields of medical research and drug development. Dr. Cutler joins:

About Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

Dana-Farber Cancer Institute's ultimate goal is the eradication of cancer, AIDS, and related diseases and the fear that they engender.

The mission of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute is to provide expert, compassionate care to children and adults with cancer while advancing the understanding, diagnosis, treatment, cure, and prevention of cancer and related diseases. As an affiliate of Harvard Medical School and a Comprehensive Cancer Center designated by the National Cancer Institute, the Institute also provides training for new generations of physicians and scientists, designs programs that promote public health particularly among high-risk and underserved populations, and disseminates innovative patient therapies and scientific discoveries to our target community across the United States and throughout the world.

About Cellect Biotechnology Ltd.

Cellect Biotechnology is traded on both the NASDAQ and Tel Aviv Stock Exchange (NASDAQ:APOP) (NASDAQ:APOPW) (TASE:APOP). The Company has developed a breakthrough technology for the isolation of stem cells from any given tissue that aims to improve a variety of stem cells applications.

The Companys technology is expected to provide pharma companies, medical research centers and hospitals with the tools to rapidly isolate stem cells for in quantity and quality that will allow stems cell related treatments and procedures. Cellects technology is applicable to a wide variety of stem cells related treatments in regenerative medicine and that current clinical trials are aimed at the cancer treatment of bone marrow transplantations.

Forward Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements about the Companys expectations, beliefs and intentions. Forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking words such as believe, expect, intend, plan, may, should, could, might, seek, target, will, project, forecast, continue or anticipate or their negatives or variations of these words or other comparable words or by the fact that these statements do not relate strictly to historical matters. For example, forward-looking statements are used in this press release when we discuss Cellect presenting an opportunity to participate in a medical revolution, Cellects technology having the potential to transform regenerative medicine, that Cellect has developed a breakthrough technology for the isolation of stem cells from any given tissue that aims to improve a variety of stem cells applications and that Cellects technology is expected to provide pharma companies, medical research centers and hospitals with the tools to rapidly isolate stem cells for in quantity and quality that will allow stems cell related treatments and procedures.. These forward-looking statements and their implications are based on the current expectations of the management of the Company only, and are subject to a number of factors and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements. In addition, historical results or conclusions from scientific research and clinical studies do not guarantee that future results would suggest similar conclusions or that historical results referred to herein would be interpreted similarly in light of additional research or otherwise. The following factors, among others, could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements: changes in technology and market requirements; we may encounter delays or obstacles in launching and/or successfully completing our clinical trials; our products may not be approved by regulatory agencies, our technology may not be validated as we progress further and our methods may not be accepted by the scientific community; we may be unable to retain or attract key employees whose knowledge is essential to the development of our products; unforeseen scientific difficulties may develop with our process; our products may wind up being more expensive than we anticipate; results in the laboratory may not translate to equally good results in real clinical settings; results of preclinical studies may not correlate with the results of human clinical trials; our patents may not be sufficient; our products may harm recipients; changes in legislation; inability to timely develop and introduce new technologies, products and applications, which could cause the actual results or performance of the Company to differ materially from those contemplated in such forward-looking statements. Any forward-looking statement in this press release speaks only as of the date of this press release. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or review any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise, except as may be required by any applicable securities laws. More detailed information about the risks and uncertainties affecting the Company is contained under the heading Risk Factors in Cellect Biotechnology Ltd.'s final prospectus dated July 29, 2016 filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC, which is available on the SEC's website, http://www.sec.gov, and in the Companys period filings with the SEC and the Tel-Aviv Stock Exchange.

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Wash. Univ. School of Medicine receives research grant to fight sickle cell – fox2now.com

Wash. Univ. School of Medicine receives research grant to fight sickle cell
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... living with the inherited blood disorder. It will also help patients transition from pediatric to adult care and break barriers that prevent them from getting much needed treatment, and allow people to be the best they can be while living with ...

and more »

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Wash. Univ. School of Medicine receives research grant to fight sickle cell - fox2now.com

Contemplating stem cell therapy for epilepsy-induced neuropsychiatric symptoms – Dove Medical Press

Back to Browse Journals Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment Volume 13

Gautam Rao, Sherwin Mashkouri, David Aum, Paul Marcet, Cesar V Borlongan

Department of Neurosurgery and Brain Repair, Center of Excellence for Aging and Brain Repair, University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine, Tampa, FL, USA

Abstract: Epilepsy is a debilitating disease that impacts millions of people worldwide. While unprovoked seizures characterize its cardinal symptom, an important aspect of epilepsy that remains to be addressed is the neuropsychiatric component. It has been documented for millennia in paintings and literature that those with epilepsy can suffer from bouts of aggression, depression, and other psychiatric ailments. Current treatments for epilepsy include the use of antiepileptic drugs and surgical resection. Antiepileptic drugs reduce the overall firing of the brain to mitigate the rate of seizure occurrence. Surgery aims to remove a portion of the brain that is suspected to be the source of aberrant firing that leads to seizures. Both options treat the seizure-generating neurological aspect of epilepsy, but fail to directly address the neuropsychiatric components. A promising new treatment for epilepsy is the use of stem cells to treat both the biological and psychiatric components. Stem cell therapy has been shown efficacious in treating experimental models of neurological disorders, including Parkinsons disease, and neuropsychiatric diseases, such as depression. Additional research is necessary to see if stem cells can treat both neurological and neuropsychiatric aspects of epilepsy. Currently, there is no animal model that recapitulates all the clinical hallmarks of epilepsy. This could be due to difficulty in characterizing the neuropsychiatric component of the disease. In advancing stem cell therapy for treating epilepsy, experimental testing of the safety and efficacy of allogeneic and autologous transplantation will require the optimization of cell dosage, delivery, and timing of transplantation in a clinically relevant model of epilepsy with both neurological and neuropsychiatric symptoms of the disease as the primary outcome measures.

Keywords: epilepsy, neuropsychiatric, stem cells, autologous

This work is published and licensed by Dove Medical Press Limited. The full terms of this license are available at https://www.dovepress.com/terms.php and incorporate the Creative Commons Attribution - Non Commercial (unported, v3.0) License. By accessing the work you hereby accept the Terms. Non-commercial uses of the work are permitted without any further permission from Dove Medical Press Limited, provided the work is properly attributed. For permission for commercial use of this work, please see paragraphs 4.2 and 5 of our Terms.

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HealthWatch: Stem Cell Therapy for Osteoarthritis – WeAreGreenBay.com

CHICAGO. (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis in the U.S., affecting nearly 27 million adults. It is currently an incurable disease in which the joints deteriorate. Now, a therapy that has been used in eye surgery and to heal the skin of burn victims is being used for the first time in knees. This new form of treatment involves stem cells from amniotic fluid.

As a professional photographer, climbing up step ladders and walking down stairs are part of the daily grind for 65-year-old Linda Schwartz.

"There's constant activity; you're moving the whole time, really," Schwartz told Ivanhoe.

But the pain of osteoarthritis in both of her knees was making all that activity a little harder.

Schwartz detailed, "I tried cortisone shots. I had something called Euflexxa. I was sent to physical therapy twice. I mean, I did try acupuncture in my knees. But it didn't really seem to make a difference."

Adam Yanke, M.D., an orthopedic surgeon at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, explained, "It's like the rubber on the tire. So as you start to lose the rubber in your tire and the rim hits the road, that's what happens when you have bone on bone arthritis and you've lost all the cartilage in your knee."

Dr. Yanke enrolled Schwartz in an experimental new therapy that involved injecting amniotic fluid that contained stem cells donated by healthy mothers into the knees of osteoarthritis patients.

"Between the two of those they're a potent anti-inflammatory and they also have growth factors that help promote healing or healthy growth of tissue," said Dr. Yanke.

It was by far the most effective pain treatment that Schwartz has tried. Unlike cortisone shots, there are no side effects. The pain relief has so far lasted up to a year.

"It was a very gradual feeling of it's a little bit better, it's a little bit better, and then realizing, wow, it's really pretty good," said Schwartz.

The one drawback is this therapy is not for patients whose arthritis is so bad it requires knee replacement surgery. Even though it's still in the experimental stage, Dr. Yanke offers the stem cell treatment to his patients. But at a cost of $2,200 a shot, it is not yet covered by insurance.

Contributors to this news report include: Cyndy McGrath, Supervising Producer; Jessica Sanchez, Field Producer; Milvionne Chery, Assistant Producer; Roque Correa, Editor.

MEDICAL BREAKTHROUGHS

RESEARCH SUMMARY

TOPIC: Stem Cell Therapy for Osteoarthritis

REPORT: MB #4213

BACKGROUND: Osteoarthritis, also known as degenerative joint disease or degenerative arthritis, is the most chronic condition in the joints, affecting 27 million Americans. This disease is an incurable one in which the tissue and bone in the joints deteriorate. Because the cartilage is a cushion between the bones, when this is lost a person can experience considerable pain, swelling and problems when moving the joint. This condition can affect people of any age, but it is more common in people over the age of 65. Some common risk factors include:

* Age

* Obesity

* Previous joint injury

* Overuse of the joint

* Weak thigh muscles

* Genetics

(Source: http://www.arthritis.org/about-arthritis/types/osteoarthritis/what-is-osteoarthritis.php)

TREATMENTS: Although there is no cure for osteoarthritis, there are several treatments that exist to treat it. Each treatment depends on the patient and the severity of the disease, but all focus on managing pain, stiffness and swelling; as well as joint mobility and flexibility. Some of these treatments are:

* Medications, like analgesics, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, pills, cream and lotions

* Physical and occupational therapies

* Surgery

* Natural and alternative therapies like nutritional supplements, acupuncture, massages, physical activities, and weight management

(Source: http://www.arthritis.org/about-arthritis/types/osteoarthritis/treatment.php)

STEM CELL THERAPY: Stem cell therapy consists of a membrane product that also has amniotic fluid in it. They are usually used in eye surgery and to heal the skin of burned victims but now they're being used to treat osteoarthritis in an experimental therapy. The main goal of the trial is to demonstrate this is an adequate therapy for relieving inflammation in the joints. The therapy involves injecting amniotic fluid that contains stem cells donated by healthy mother into the knees of patients. Dr. Adam Yanke says it's too soon to tell if the stem cell therapy will actually help with growing back healthy tissue in order to avoid surgery, or if it will simply delay the process. Furthermore, the therapy can't be given to patients suffering from chronic arthritis and are in need of knee replacement surgery. Nevertheless, the treatment helps with pain relief, movement and there are no reported side effects.

(Source: Adam Yanke)

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THIS REPORT, PLEASE CONTACT:

Deb Song

Media Relations

Deb_song@rush.edu

If this story or any other Ivanhoe story has impacted your life or prompted you or someone you know to seek or change treatments, please let us know by contacting Marjorie Bekaert Thomas at mthomas@ivanhoe.com

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Thanks to Stem Cell Therapy, Thinning Hair May Be a Thing of the … – W Magazine

Call me a creature of habit, or just plain boring, but Ive been wearing my hair long, blonde, straight, and side-parted for more than 15 years. The only thing thats really changed is how much of it I have left. Whether the result of bleach, blowouts, stress, hormones, genetics, or all of the above, Ive been shedding like a cheap angora sweater since the age of 30. And, to make matters worse, the hair I do have is fine, fragile, and flyaway.

It wasnt always so. Flipping through old photo albums, I found evidence not only of my natural color (a long-forgotten brown) but also of the graphic, blunt bob I sported in my early 20s. I had oodles of hair back then and would smooth it to my head with pomade and push it behind my earsmuch like Guido Palau did on some of the models in Pradas spring runway show, I noted smugly.

Efforts in the ensuing years to save my ever-sparser strands have been all but futile. You name it, Ive tried it: platelet-rich plasma (PRP), treatments in which your own blood is spun down to platelets and injected into your scalp; mesotherapy (painful vitamin shots, also in the scalp); oral supplements; acupuncture; massage; herbal remedies; and high-tech hair products. Ive even resorted to wearing a silly-looking helmet that bathed my head in low-level laser light and was said to stimulate failing follicles. At this point, I would soak my mane in mares milk under the glow of a waxing supermoon if I thought it would help.

Since hair regeneration is one of the cosmetics-research worlds holiest grails (read: potential multibillion-dollar industry), Ive always hoped that a bona fide breakthrough was around the corner, and prayed it would arrive well ahead of my dotage. As it turns out, it might actually be a five-hour flight from New Yorkand around $10,000away.

It was the celebrity hairstylist Sally Hershberger who whispered the name Roberta F. Shapiro into my ear. You have to call her, she said. She is on to something, and it could be big. Shapiro, a well-respected Manhattan pain-management specialist, treats mostly chronic and acute musculoskeletal and myofascial conditions, like disc disease and degeneration, pinched nerves, meniscal tears, and postLyme disease pain syndromes. Her patient list reads like a whos who of the citys power (and pain-afflicted) elite, and her practice is so busy, she could barely find time to speak with me. According to Shapiro, a possible cure for hair loss was never on her agenda.

But thats exactly what she thinks she may have stumbled upon in the course of her work with stem cell therapy. About eight years ago, she started noticing a commonality among many of her patientsevidence of autoimmune disease with inflammatory components. Frustrated that she was merely palliating their discomfort and not addressing the underlying problems, Shapiro began to look beyond traditional treatments and drug protocols to the potential healing and regenerative benefits of stem cellsspecifically, umbilical cordderived mesenchymal stem cells, which, despite being different from the controversial embryonic stem cells, are used in the U.S. only for research purposes. After extensive vetting, she began bringing patients to the Stem Cell Institute, in Panama City, Panama, which she considers the most sophisticated, safe, and aboveboard facility of its kind. Its not a spa, or a feel-good, instant-fix kind of place, nor is it one of those bogus medical-tourism spots, she says. Lori Kanter Tritsch, a 55-year-old New York architect (and the longtime partner of Este Lauder Executive Chairman William Lauder) is a believer. She accompanied Shapiro to Panama for relief from what had become debilitating neck pain caused by disc bulges and stenosis from arthritis, and agreed to participate in this story only because she believes in the importance of a wider conversation about stem cells. If it works for hair rejuvenation, or other cosmetic purposes, great, but that was not at all my primary goal in having the treatment, Kanter Tritsch said.

While at the Stem Cell Institute, Kanter Tritsch had around 100 million stem cells administered intravenously (a five-minute process) and six intramuscular injections of umbilical cord stem cellderived growth factor (not to be confused with growth hormone, which has been linked to cancer). In the next three months, she experienced increased mobility in her neck, was able to walk better, and could sleep through the night. She also lost a substantial amount of weight (possibly due to the anti-inflammatory effect of the stem cells), and her skin looked great. Not to mention, her previously thinning hair nearly doubled in volume.

As Shapiro explains it, the process of hair loss is twofold. The first factor is decreased blood supply to hair follicles, or ischemia, which causes a slow decrease in their function. This can come from aging, genetics, or autoimmune disease. The second is inflammation. One of the reasons I think mesenchymal stem cells are working to regenerate hair is that stem cell infiltration causes angiogenesis, which is a fancy name for regrowing blood vessels, or in this case, revascularizing the hair follicles, Shapiro notes. Beyond that, she says, the cells have a very strong anti-inflammatory effect.

For clinical studies shes conducting in Panama, Shapiro will employ her proprietary technique of microfracturing, or injecting the stem cells directly into the scalp. She thinks this unique delivery method will set her procedure apart. But, she cautions, this is a growing science, and we are only at the very beginning. PRP is like bathwater compared with amniotic- or placenta-derived growth factor, or better yet, umbilical cordderived stem cells.

Realizing that not everyone has the money or inclination to fly to Panama for a treatment that might not live up to their expectations, Hershberger and Shapiro are in the process of developing Platinum Clinical, a line of hair products containing growth factor harvested from amniotic fluid and placenta. (Shapiro stresses that these are donated remnants of a live birth that would otherwise be discarded.) The products will be available later this year at Hershbergers salons.

With follicular salvation potentially within reach, I wondered if it might be time to revisit the blunt bob of my youth. I call Palau, and inquire about that sleek 1920s do he created for Prada. Fine hair can actually work better for a style like this, he says. In fact, designers often prefer models with fine hair, so the hairstyle doesnt overpower the clothing. Then he confides, Sometimes, if a girl has too much hair, we secretly braid it away. Say what? I know, its the exact opposite of what women want in the real world. But models are starting to realize that fine hair can be an asset. Look, at some point you have to embrace what you have and work with it. Wise words, perhaps, and proof that, like pretty much everything else, thick hair is wasted on the young.

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Thanks to Stem Cell Therapy, Thinning Hair May Be a Thing of the ... - W Magazine