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Heard about a free stem cell bank in Chennai?

By Stem Cell Treatment

CHENNAI: There is a public stem cell bank in Chennai where people can donate stem cell stems, but most clinicians and people are unaware of it.

In her presentation at the 58th All India Congress of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Dr Saranya Narayan, medical director and co-founder of Jeevan Stem Cell Bank, said many clinicians were not aware of the existence of the public stem cell bank in the city that could store stem cells for free of cost and help patients with hematological illnesses like thalassemia and blood cancer.

"The only operational public stem cell bank is in Chennai. We function with the grant from the Tamil Nadu government and help from the World Bank. But many clinicians are not aware of this public bank," the doctor said.

She explained that stem cell is separated from the umbilical cord blood which is collected during the birth of a baby and is stored.

While awareness is important, the doctor had also observed that many clinicians feel that counselling families for donating cord blood is eating into their consultation time.

"We have sent our staff members for counselling families in some hospitals. But with the pamphlets and awareness material, it is easy to convince families to donate. We also found that some doctors say they do not have an infrastructure to collect cord blood. We give them the kit to collect the cord blood," she explained.

The lack of awareness among people on the benefits of stem cells leaves about 90 percent of cord blood ending up as a medical waste, the doctor said.

"There is a 60 to 80 percent success rate in stem cell transplant treatment for hematological illnesses. So a donor's stem cell is used on someone else with the illness. But if the donor or donor's family has an illness and needs it, they can approach us. We will either give the donor's own stem cells or find a suitable match and provide them at a concessional rate," Dr Saranya said.

While the level of donation of umbilical cord blood is low, the doctor noted that about 40 percent of cord blood donations are rejected for various reasons, including volume below 60ml, leaks from blood bag, large clots in blood bag and delay in transportation of the cord blood for preservation.

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Heard about a free stem cell bank in Chennai?

Parkinson’s Disease: Mr Garnet’s experience 6 months after stem cell therapy by Harry Adelson, N.D. – Video

By Uncategorized


Parkinson #39;s Disease: Mr Garnet #39;s experience 6 months after stem cell therapy by Harry Adelson, N.D.
At Docere Clinics, our clinical focus is on the treatment of musculoskeletal pain disorders. On rare occasions, we have patients, usually relatives of satisf...

By: Harry Adelson, N.D.

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Parkinson's Disease: Mr Garnet's experience 6 months after stem cell therapy by Harry Adelson, N.D. - Video

Stoneham mom could be saved by stem cell transplant insurance refuses to cover

By Stem Cell Doctors

STONEHAM, Mass. (MyFoxBoston.com) -- A Stoneham mom is battling a very unusual and potentially deadly autoimmune disease and doctor's say a stem cell transplant could save her.

Scleroderma makes it hard for Brianna Garcia to move or even breathe. Her doctors say a stem cell transplant, and a lot of support, could save her life.

Being healthy is crucial for Garcia because being a mom is her top priority.

"She's my world!" she said of her daughter. "She's absolutely my world, I'd do anything for her."

So she's determined to be here for her 5-year-old Gracelyn. She says her daughter asked her husband if she would "go to heaven with grandma Jill?" And her husband promised that she would always be there for Gracelyn.

But Garcia is battling a debilitating disease that could, in fact, take her life. Dr. Ann Kiessling from the Bedford Stem Cell Research Foundation says a rare stem cell transplant could save Garcia.

"This woman is very young and she seems to have really severe systemic Scleroderma," she said.

She went on to say, "Her immune system is stimulating an excess of collagen that she has. If you can reset the immune system you can stop that process."

The procedure costs $150,000 and her insurance company will not cover the bill.

"I will not let an insurance company decide what my life is gonna be like," Garcia said. "It's just not gonna happen."

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Stoneham mom could be saved by stem cell transplant insurance refuses to cover

Roseville teen fights for life, needs donations for stem cell treatment

By Stem Cell Doctors

A 17-year old student from Roseville is fighting to stay alive and preparing for a possible double lung transplant but an experimental and very expensive procedure, which is not covered by his insurance, shows more promise for saving his life.

Tina Castillo says her son Myles has been fighting to survive his entire life. As she explains, it started when he was a baby.

"When he was one, he caught virus and it attacked his white blood cells which led to another virus and his blood wasn't holding oxygen," Tina explains.

As Myles' illness progressed, breathing became harder. The family says his lungs are so badly damaged that doctors want to give 17-year-old Myles, who is currently at Children's Hospital, a double lung transplant. That brings the risk of rejection and infection. So Castillo says she found a better way.

The answer is an experimental procedure provided by a Florida medical facility. She says it involves stem cell treatments that help repair damaged lung tissue helping the patient to breath easier.

But it's not FDA approved and that means insurance won't cover it.

"This doctor in Florida is saying he can save my son. What am I supposed to to do?" Tina said. "But it's not FDA approved and insurance doesn't touch it. It's all cash."

So the family started a Fight for Myles GoFundMe Account to help with the $12,000 per treatment medical bill

"I took him for his first one in October due back in April.

The family says the money raised will not only go to finance the medical procedure but medicine that costs hundreds per month.

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Roseville teen fights for life, needs donations for stem cell treatment

Bio whiz Sheldon High student competes for $1 million in science awards

By Stem Cell Medicine

Sheldon High School senior Ryan Fong is doing his part to help advance the field of stem cell biology.

The research project hes been working on for the past few years entitled, Utility of Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell Derived Endothelial Cells as Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension Models, was selected from more than 1,800 entrants to place him in a semi-finalist slot in the 2015 Intel Science Talent Search.

Fong was one of only three semifinalists and the only one from Elk Grove - selected from Sacramento County for the national search.

He, along with Sheldon High will receive a $1,000 award each for the respected selection.

I was really excited and not expecting it. I was extremely humbled, Fong said. Ive worked on this project for a while. But this whole thing doesnt just affect me - it affects the entire community, thebiology academy at Sheldon, and everyone whos helped me along the way. I also hope that it will all inspire future Sheldon students.

The Intel Science Talent Search recognizes talented young scientists who are creating the technologies and solutions that will positively impact peoples lives.

Projects submitted to the search cover all disciplines of science, including engineering, mathematics, biochemistry, medicine, and health.

Fongs project delved into the devastating disease of Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension (PAH), in which a heart artery narrows leading to right heart failure. The disease is most prevalent in women in their 30s-50s with a five-year survival rate of only 50 percent.

The student chose to take on the project, which is a continuing study at the school, because he noticed the impact it has on women during what many would consider the prime of their lives.

I have no personal connection to the disease, but I wanted to choose a project that had a direct impact on many people. Plus, it affects a demographic that we can all be sensitive about.

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Bio whiz Sheldon High student competes for $1 million in science awards

Stamina doc Davide Vannoni offers plea bargain

By Stem Cell Treatment

Psychologist on trial for criminal association, fraud

(ANSA) - Turin, January 23 - A psychologist who developed the now-banned Stamina stem-cell treatment for terminal nerve disease patients has tried to plea bargain his way out of trial, sources said Friday. Davide Vannoni and 13 co-defendants are on trial on charges including aggravated criminal association with intent to commit fraud in connection with the therapy, which he used on terminally ill degenerative nerve disease patients. Vannoni offered to withdraw his suit against the health ministry and to shut down his Stamina Foundation in Italy in exchange for a prison sentence of one year and ten months. In Italy, custodial sentences of under three years are usually suspended. The health ministry last November decreed the end of experimentation with the controversial Stamina treatment, which supporters say could help cure degenerative nerve diseases but which experts say lacks a scientific basis. The credibility of the Stamina treatment, which involves extracting bone-marrow stem cells from a patient, supposedly turning them into neurons by exposing them to retinoic acid for two hours, and injecting them back into the patient, has long been suspect. The health ministry in late 2013 ruled that the Stamina Foundation would no longer be allowed to test the treatment on humans, and it was stripped of its non-profit status. A panel of government-appointed experts said last year it found the therapy seriously lacking in both premise and practice. Their report cited "serious imperfections and omissions in the Stamina protocol, including conceptual errors and an apparent ignorance of stem-cell biology". Vannoni told Nature magazine in a 2013 interview that he developed the therapy after receiving what he said was stem-cell treatment for a virus-induced facial paralysis in Russia in 2004. The court will decide next week whether to accept his plea bargain, sources said.

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Stamina doc Davide Vannoni offers plea bargain

Broeska breaks silence, responds to coverage of MS treatment operation

By Stem Cell Treatment

Winnipeg Free Press - ONLINE EDITION

By: Mary Agnes Welch

Posted: 10:43 AM | Comments: | Last Modified: 12:19 PM | Updates

After days of silence, the Winnipeg medical researcher who charged MS patients thousands for overseas stem cell treatment says hes been "unfairly accused and victimized by inaccurate media reporting" and looks forward to clearing his name.

In a statement sent to local media Friday morning, Doug Broeska, owner of Regenetek Research says media reports that he falsified his credentials, overstated the effects of the stem cell clinical trial, failed to follow up with patients and was recently asked to step down as the studys researcher are false.

He said he stands by his role in the "case-based study" where his job was to track patients for follow-up. He said he has not breached ethical standards and did not give medical advice to patients.

He also enclosed a notarized copy of his PhD certificate from Brightland University, which is not accredited in Canada, the United States or the United Kingdom. Brightlands website includes no contact or location information, spells Brightland incorrectly and is linked to a well-known degree mill operator

He also enclosed a notarized copy of his PhD certificate from Brightland University, which is not accredited in Canada, the United States or the United Kingdom. Brightlands website includes no contact or location information, spells "Brightland" incorrectly and is linked to a well-known degree mill operator.

Broeskas degree certificate, notarized by Liya Akalu, a notary public in Washington, D.C., includes a stamp saying the oath was sworn before her Dec. 15, 2015, a date that has not yet occurred.

Broeska originally claimed to have a BSc and a PhD from the University of Manitoba. Neither is true.

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Broeska breaks silence, responds to coverage of MS treatment operation

Growing bone in space: Study to test therapy for bone loss on the International Space Station

By Stem Cell Medical Center

UCLA has received grant funding from the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS) to lead a research mission that will send rodents to the International Space Station (ISS). The mission will allow astronauts on the space station and scientists on Earth to test a potential new therapy for accelerating bone growth in humans.

The research will be led by Dr. Chia Soo, a UCLA professor of plastic and reconstructive surgery and orthopaedic surgery, who is member of the Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research. Soo is also research director for UCLA Operation Mend, which provides medical care for wounded warriors. The study will test the ability of a bone-forming molecule called NELL-1 to direct stem cells to induce bone formation and prevent bone degeneration.

Other members of the UCLA research team are Dr. Kang Ting, a professor in dentistry who discovered NELL-1 and is leading efforts to translate NELL-1 therapy to humans, Dr. Ben Wu, a professor of bioengineering who modified the NELL-1 molecule to make useful for treating osteoporosis, and Dr. Jin Hee Kwak, an assistant professor of dentistry who will manage daily operations.

Based on results of previous studies supported by the NIH, the UCLA-ISS team will begin ground operations in early 2015. They hope that the study will provide new insights into the prevention of bone loss or osteoporosis as well as the regeneration of massive bone defects that can occur in wounded military personnel. Osteoporosis is a significant public health problem commonly associated with "skeletal disuse" conditions such as immobilization, stroke, cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, spinal cord injury and jaw resorption after tooth loss.

"NELL-1 holds tremendous hope, not only for preventing bone loss but one day even restoring healthy bone," Ting said. "For patients who are bed-bound and suffering from bone loss, it could be life-changing."

The UCLA team will oversee the ground operations of the mission in tandem with a flight operation coordinated by CASIS and NASA.

"A group of 40 rodents will be sent to the International Space Station U.S. National Laboratory onboard the SpaceX Dragon capsule, where they will live for two months in a microgravity environment during the first ever test of NELL-1 in space," said Dr. Julie Robinson, NASA's chief scientist for the International Space Station program at the Johnson Space Center.

"CASIS is proud to work alongside UCLA in an effort to promote the station as a viable platform for bone loss inquiry," said Warren Bates, director of portfolio management for CASIS. "Through investigations like this, we hope to make profound discoveries and enable the development of therapies to counteract bone loss ailments common in humans."

Prolonged space flights induce extreme changes in bone and organ systems that cannot be replicated on Earth.

"Besides testing the limits of NELL-1's robust bone-producing effects, this mission will provide new insights about bone biology and could uncover important clues for curing diseases such as osteoporosis," Wu said.

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Growing bone in space: Study to test therapy for bone loss on the International Space Station

Growing Bone in Space: UCLA and CASIS Announce Pioneering Collaborative Study to Test Therapy for Bone Loss on the …

By Stem Cell Medical Center

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Available for logged-in reporters only

Newswise UCLA has received grant funding from the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS) to lead a research mission that will send rodents to the International Space Station (ISS). The mission will allow astronauts on the space station and scientists on Earth to test a potential new therapy for accelerating bone growth in humans.

The research will be led by Dr. Chia Soo, a UCLA professor of plastic and reconstructive surgery and orthopaedic surgery, who is member of the Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research. Soo is also research director for UCLA Operation Mend, which provides medical care for wounded warriors. The study will test the ability of a bone-forming molecule called NELL-1 to direct stem cells to induce bone formation and prevent bone degeneration.

Other members of the UCLA research team are Dr. Kang Ting, a professor in dentistry who discovered NELL-1 and is leading efforts to translate NELL-1 therapy to humans, Dr. Ben Wu, a professor of bioengineering who modified the NELL-1 molecule to make useful for treating osteoporosis, and Dr. Jin Hee Kwak, an assistant professor of dentistry who will manage daily operations.

Based on results of previous studies supported by the NIH, the UCLA-ISS team will begin ground operations in early 2015. They hope that the study will provide new insights into the prevention of bone loss or osteoporosis as well as the regeneration of massive bone defects that can occur in wounded military personnel. Osteoporosis is a significant public health problem commonly associated with skeletal disuse conditions such as immobilization, stroke, cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, spinal cord injury and jaw resorption after tooth loss.

NELL-1 holds tremendous hope, not only for preventing bone loss but one day even restoring healthy bone, Ting said. For patients who are bed-bound and suffering from bone loss, it could be life-changing.

The UCLA team will oversee the ground operations of the mission in tandem with a flight operation coordinated by CASIS and NASA.

A group of 40 rodents will be sent to the International Space Station U.S. National Laboratory onboard the SpaceX Dragon capsule, where they will live for two months in a microgravity environment during the first ever test of NELL-1 in space, said Dr. Julie Robinson, NASAs chief scientist for the International Space Station program at the Johnson Space Center.

CASIS is proud to work alongside UCLA in an effort to promote the station as a viable platform for bone loss inquiry, said Warren Bates, director of portfolio management for CASIS. Through investigations like this, we hope to make profound discoveries and enable the development of therapies to counteract bone loss ailments common in humans.

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Growing Bone in Space: UCLA and CASIS Announce Pioneering Collaborative Study to Test Therapy for Bone Loss on the ...

Scientists announce revolutionary culturing technique for liver and pancreas

By Uncategorized

The International Society for Stem Cell Research's McEwen Award recipient Hans Clevers extends breakthrough work

CHICAGO -- The International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR) has awarded Dr. Hans Clevers, senior author on two important papers published recently in the scientific journal Cell, the society's McEwen Award for Innovation. The papers describe the development of a culturing system for human liver stem cells, as well as stem cells from pancreatic cancer, discoveries with the potential to revolutionize liver transplantation and aid in the fight against pancreatic cancer, respectively.

Clevers is a professor at the Hubrecht Institute and president of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences. He shares the McEwen Award for Innovation with Dr. Irving Weissman, Stanford School of Medicine, for the identification, prospective purification and characterization of somatic (adult) tissue-associated stem cells and advancement of this research toward clinical applications.

"These new discoveries by Hans Clevers extend the work for which he was awarded the McEwen Award, the ISSCR's most prestigious award," Dr. Rudolf Jaenisch, ISSCR president, said. "The innovative approach Dr. Clevers took in the gut has borne fruit and proven the basis of these significant advances in the liver and pancreas, which hold great promise for the study of and treatments for diseases impacting these organs."

Organoids

Until recently, it appeared impossible to keep healthy or diseased tissue from patients alive under laboratory conditions, let alone multiply it. However, in 2009, the research group headed by Clevers described a revolutionary culturing method that allowed the culturing of mini-guts from single mouse intestine stem cells. These organoids are functional miniature organs that can grow in tissue culture. The same research group now adds a culturing system for liver stem cells and stem cells from pancreatic cancer to their record. In the future, cultured stem cells could conceivably replace donor organs for transplantation. They also offer prospects for personalized medicine, the development of treatments specifically geared to individual patients.

Cultured Liver Stem Cells

The technology described in Cell can be used for the long-term replication in the laboratory of minute amounts of tissue harvested from a healthy or diseased liver. Over a period of four months, the equivalent of a full-grown liver can be cultured from a single liver stem cell. All analyses show that this cultured tissue is genetically the same as healthy liver tissue and is very stable.

The cultured human mini-livers have already been successfully transplanted in mice with liver damage. This is the first step toward using this cultured liver tissue to replace donor livers for transplantation. As such, this technology could solve the worldwide shortage of donor livers. Moreover, this technology offers future potential for personalized medicine. Organoids could, for instance, be grown from the tissue of patients suffering from genetic liver diseases, so that drugs could be tested on this patient material first, before being administered to the patients themselves. Examples of such diseases are alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency and Alagille Syndrome.

Pancreatic Stem Cells

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Scientists announce revolutionary culturing technique for liver and pancreas

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