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Stem cell hope for stroke victims

By Stem Cell Treatment

Brain damage caused by strokes could be repaired through the use of stem cells in a discovery that may revolutionise treatment, a study has suggested.

Researchers at Imperial College London found that injecting a patient's stem cells into their brain may be able to change the lives of the tens of thousands of people who suffer strokes each year.

Their results have been called "one of the most exciting recent developments in stroke research".

Doctors said the procedure could become routine in 10 years after larger trials are conducted to examine its effectiveness.

Researcher Dr Paul Bentley, from the college's Department of Medicine, said: "Currently, the main form of treatment is an unblocking of the blood vessel, and that only helps one-third of the patients who are treated and only 10 per cent are eligible anyway. So we said, 'What about the other 90 per cent?' "

The team targeted patients who had suffered severe strokes involving a clot in a blood vessel in the middle of the brain. Typically, there is a high mortality rate in these patients and those who survive are often severely disabled, unable to walk, talk, feed or dress themselves. The experimental procedure was carried out on five such patients, aged 40 to 70, all of whom showed improvement over the following six months, and three were living independently.

Dr Madina Kara, a neuroscientist at the Stroke Association, said: "This is one of the most exciting recent developments in stroke research. However, it's still early days in stem cell research, but the findings could lead to new treatments for stroke patients in the future.

"In the UK, someone has a stroke every three and a half minutes, and around 58 per cent of stroke survivors are left with a disability."

The experimental procedure involved harvesting the patient's own bone marrow, which was then sent to a specialist laboratory so specific stem cells, called CD34+, could be selected. The patient then has a wire inserted into the area of the brain damage. Once there, the stem cells are released and the wire retracted. During the trials the whole process took half a day, but it is hoped that with refinement it could be reduced.

It is thought the cells work in two ways: by growing into small blood vessels that allow the brain to grow new nerves and brain tissue surrounding them, and by releasing anti-inflammatory chemicals that encourage tissue repair.

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Stem cell hope for stroke victims

Cell Separation Technologies Market Expected to Reach USD 3.3 Billion Globally in 2019: Transparency Market Research

By Stem Cell Treatment

ALBANY, New York, August 8, 2014 /PRNewswire/ --

According to a new market report published by Transparency Market Research "Cell Separation Technologies Market (Technology: Gradient Centrifugation, MACS and FACS; Application: Stem Cell Research, Immunology, Neuroscience and Cancer Research) - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast, 2013 - 2019", the global cell separation technologies market was valued at USD 1.7 billion in 2012 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 9.7% from 2013 to 2019, to reach an estimated value of USD 3.3 billion in 2019.

Browse the full Cell Separation TechnologiesMarket Report at http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/cell-separation-technologies.html

Cells play an important role in the field of microbiology, biotechnology and bioscience which have wide application in pharmaceuticals and healthcare industries. Taking into consideration the increasing demand for cell therapies to treat chronic diseases, research activities targeting cellular therapies have increased tremendously in the last decade. Growth in cell therapy oriented research has escalated demand for cell separation technologies worldwide.

Out of the various types of technologies available in the market, magnetic activated cell sorting (MACS) technology was the major technology segment in 2012, with market share of more than 42.5% in the global cell separation technologies market. Further, fluorescence activated cell sorting (FACS) technology is estimated to capture the market share of rest of the technology segments during the forecast period owing to increased adoption of fluorescence activated cell sorting technology into cell purity sensitive research areas. It is estimated that the global FACS market will reach USD 1,078.5 billion in 2019 growing at a CAGR of 13.9% from 2013 to 2019.

Stem cell research was the major application segment by revenue in the cell separation technologies market in the year 2012. Rising demand for cell therapy and predictable potential of stem cells in the chronic disease treatment have raised the stem cell research activities globally and thereby has resulted in swift growth of the overall cell separation technologies market.

Related & Recently Published Reports by Transparency Market Research

Geographically, North America was the market leader in the global cell separation technologies market in 2012 mainly owing to availability of research funds, highly developed research infrastructure and higher rates of adoption of newer technologies in the practice. Further, growth of the North American cell separation technologies market is driven by factors such as technological advancement, higher healthcare spending and availability of supportive economy to conduct research. In addition, Asia-Pacific is estimated to be a potential market due to rapidly developing healthcare infrastructure on the basis of rapidly increasing medical tourism industry in the Asian countries, mainly in India and Malaysia, increased government support for biotech research and development and large pool of patients suffering from chronic diseases. Some of the key participants operating in this market include BD Bioscience, EMD Millipore, Mitenyi Biotec GmbH, and STEMCELL Technologies and Life Technologies (Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc.).

The global cell separation technologies market is segmented as follows:

Cell Separation Technologies Market, by Technology

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Cell Separation Technologies Market Expected to Reach USD 3.3 Billion Globally in 2019: Transparency Market Research

Due to a radical new approach by stem cell bank BioEden future generations could be guaranteed a stem cell match

By Stem Cell Treatment

(PRWEB UK) 9 August 2014

Stem cell therapy and treatments continue to move on in finding cures for diseases that in the past were thought to be incurable. The success of stem cell treatment and therapy relies to a great extent on the ability for the patient to have a stem cell match. Although stem cell banking has been available for a number of years, the cost for many has been a barrier.

Specialist stem cell bank BioEden who operate in 21 countries have come up with a solution that brings this potentially life saving opportunity within an affordable range for the majority.

Their aim is to make stem cell therapy an affordable reality and hope that their new approach which includes a low monthly membership option will do just that.

As more and more people bank their children's stem cells for their future use, the problem of finding a stem cell match could become a thing of the past.

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Due to a radical new approach by stem cell bank BioEden future generations could be guaranteed a stem cell match

Embryonic Stem Cell Research – Stem Cell Home Page

By Stell Cell Research

Embryonic Stem Cell Research Pros and Cons of Stem Cell Research Embryonic Stem Cell Research is a controversial topic throughout the world. There are many pros and cons of stem cell research. Many people believe that embryonic stem cells hold the key to developing therapeutic treatments for a wide variety of life destroying illnesses including Parkinson's disease, diabetes, cancer, spinal cord injuries, muscle damage, Purkinje cell degeneration, Duchenne's muscular dystrophy, heart disease, and vision and hearing loss. Even though stem cell therapy holds promise in helping millions of people enjoy better lives there is still great concern regarding the ethics of stem cell research. Stem cell debate issues are constantly in the news especially when treatments such as stem cell transplants or stem cell therapy are hot topics. Still, there are many people who decide to use the services of companies that specialize in areas such as banking their newborn's stem cell cord blood in the hopes that it could possibly help their child later on in life.

The following information is from the United States Government Fact Sheet on Embryonic Stem Cell Research. Their website (which also includes the history of stem cell reasearch) can be found at http://whitehouse.gov. For more information and additional resources, you'll find a variety of links included on this site.

Adult stem cells - - Adult stem cells are unspecialized, can renew themselves, and can become specialized to yield all of the cell types of the tissue from which they originate. Although scientists believe that some adult stem cells from one tissue can develop into cells of another tissue, no adult stem cell has been shown in culture to be pluripotent.

The potential of embryonic stem cell research - - Many scientists believe that embryonic stem cell research may eventually lead to therapies that could be used to treat diseases that afflict approximately 128 million Americans. Treatments may include replacing destroyed dopamine-secreting neurons in a Parkinson's patient's brain; transplanting insulin-producing pancreatic beta cells in diabetic patients; and infusing cardiac muscle cells in a heart damaged by myocardial infarction. Embryonic stem cells may also be used to understand basic biology and to evaluate the safety and efficacy of new medicines.

The creation of embryonic stem cells - - To create embryonic stem cells for research, a "stem cell line" must be created from the inner cell mass of a week-old embryo. If they are cultured properly, embryonic stem cells can grow and divide indefinitely. A stem cell line is a mass of cells descended from the original, sharing its genetic characteristics. Batches of cells can then be separated from the cell line and distributed to researchers.

The origin of embryonic stem cells - - Embryonic stem cells are derived from excess embryos created in the course of infertility treatment. As a result of standard in vitro fertilization practices, many excess human embryos are created. Participants in IVF treatment must ultimately decide the disposition of these excess embryos, and many individuals have donated their excess embryos for research purposes.

Existing stem cell lines. - - There are currently more than 60 existing different human embryonic stem cell lines that have been developed from excess embryos created for in vitro fertilization with the consent of the donors and without financial inducement. These existing lines are used in approximately one dozen laboratories around the world (in the United States, Australia, India, Israel, and Sweden).

Therapies from adult and embryonic stem cell research - - To date, adult stem cell research, which is federally-funded, has resulted in the development of a variety of therapeutic treatments for diseases. Although embryonic stem cell research has not yet produced similar results, many scientists believe embryonic stem cell research holds promise over time because of the capacity of embryonic stem cells to develop into any tissue in the human body.

Additional Resources:

NIH Stem Cell Information http://stemcells.nih.gov

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Embryonic Stem Cell Research - Stem Cell Home Page

Stem cell stroke therapy shows promise after first human trial

By Stem Cell Doctors

A pilot study undertaken by researchers from Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust and Imperial College London has shown promise in rapid treatment of serious strokes. The study, the first of its kind published in the UK, treated patients using stem cells from bone marrow.

Imagine a perfectly ordinary beginning to your day, say burned toast, no matching pair of socks and the usual damp commute to work. Except at some point through the usual minutiae you suffer a massive stroke. If you dont die outright, you may soon afterwards. Even supposing you survive those first days or weeks, the chance of your life resuming its comforting tedium is impossibly remote. You may need assistance for the rest of your shortened life.

According to the Stroke Association, about 152,000 people suffer a stroke in the UK alone each year. However, the five patients treated in the recent Imperial College pilot study all showed improvements. According to doctors, four of those had suffered the most severe kind of stroke, which leaves only four percent of people alive or able to live independently six months after the event. All four of the patients were alive after six months.

A particular set of CD34+ stem cells was used, as they help with the production of blood cells and blood vessels lining cells. These same cells have been found to improve the effects of stroke in animals, and they assist in brain tissue and blood growth in the affected areas of the brain. The CD34+ cells were isolated from samples taken from patients bone marrow and then infused into the affected area via an artery that leads to the brain, using keyhole surgery.

The innovative stem cell treatment differs from others in one important way: patients are treated within seven days of their stroke, rather than six months hence. The stroke sufferers all recorded improvements in terms of clinical measures of disability, despite four of the five having suffered the most severe kind of stroke.

It's still early days for the research, and much more will need to be done to expand clinical trials, but eventually it is hoped that a drug may be developed that can be administered to stroke sufferers as soon as they are admitted to hospital. This could ameliorate longer term effects and allow for speedier recovery and a faster entry into therapy.

A paper detailing the research was published in journal Stem Cells Translational Medicine.

Source: Imperial College London

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Stem cell stroke therapy shows promise after first human trial

Hope for stroke victims after radical stem cell treatment enables patients to move and talk again

By Stem Cell Doctors

5 stroke victims were treated with stem cells extracted from bone marrow Treatment triggers rapid regeneration of damaged brain cells Patients regained power of speech and use of their arms and legs More than 150,000 people have a stroke in England every year Treatment is at early stage and needs years of testing Imperial College London scientists says it shows 'great potential'

By Ben Spencer

Published: 09:25 EST, 8 August 2014 | Updated: 19:30 EST, 8 August 2014

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Five people who had suffered severe strokes (illustrated) regained the power of speech and mobility thanks to a radical new treatment

Stroke patients have shown remarkable signs of recovery after they were given a radical new treatment.

Five people who had suffered severe strokes regained the power of speech, use of their arms and legs and improved cognition after just six months, according to British research published today.

The three men and two women, aged between 45 and 75, were treated with stem cells extracted from their own bone marrow in the first experiment of its kind.

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Hope for stroke victims after radical stem cell treatment enables patients to move and talk again

Hope for future treatment of thousands of stroke sufferers from stem cells

By Stem Cell Doctors

"So we said what about the other 90 per cent?"

The team targeted patients who had suffered massive strokes involving a blood clot in the blood vessel in the middle of the brain. Typically there is a high mortality rate in these patients and those who survive are often severely disabled, are unable to walk, talk, feed or dress themselves.

The experimental procedure was carried out on five patients aged between 40 and 70, all of whom showed improvement over the following six months and three were living independently.

More than 152,000 people suffer a stroke in England per year and the research team said that the new procedure could eventually help most of them.

Dr Madina Kara, a neuroscientist at The Stroke Association, said: Previous studies have shown that a type of stem cell, called CD34+ cells, shows promise to aid stroke recovery. These latest results suggest that this type of treatment could be administered safely and were looking forward to seeing the outcomes of further studies to see exactly how they are aiding recovery.

This is one of the most exciting recent developments in stroke research; however, its still early days in stem cell research but the findings could lead to new treatments for stroke patients in the future.

"In the UK, someone has a stroke every three and half minutes, and around 58 per cenrt of stroke survivors are left with a disability.

"One of the few existing treatments which can limit brain damage caused by stroke is thrombolysis. However, this drug can only be used to treat strokes caused by blood clots and must be administered within the first 4.5 hours after a stroke. There is an urgent need for alternative treatments to help prevent the debilitating impact of stroke."

The experimental procedure involves several stages, first the patient's own bone marrow is harvested, which was then sent to a specialist laboratory so the specific stem cells, called CD34+ can be selected.

Then the patient undergoes a procedure in which a wire is inserted into a vein in the neck and up into the area of brain damage. Once there the stem cells are released and the wire retracted.

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Hope for future treatment of thousands of stroke sufferers from stem cells

Cord blood donation available at two additional metro hospitals

By Stem Cell Medical Center

Beginning today, Menorah Medical Center and Shawnee Mission Medical Center have joined Saint Lukes Hospital's Cord Blood Program and now offer mothers the option to donate their newborn babys umbilical cord blood to help those in need of a stem cell transplant.

According to a news release from Saint Luke's Hospital, umbilical cord blood, like bone marrow, is rich in hematopoietic stem cells, which create all of a persons blood cells. Cord blood cells can be used in the treatment of leukemia, sickle cell anemia and dozens of other diseases. Cord blood stem cells are collected after the birth of a healthy infant and pose no risk to the donating mother or baby.

Through this partnership, our hospitals are helping increase the worlds supply of stem cell-rich umbilical cord blood and helping those who suffer from any one of 80 life-threatening diseases, said Bill Ward, director of the Cord Blood Program for Saint Lukes Hospital of Kansas City.

Prior to today, the Cord Blood Program at Saint Lukes Hospital, the areas only free cord blood donation program, collected and processed donations from the four metro area Saint Lukes hospitals, as well as Overland Park Regional Medical Center.

Since its inception in 2008, the Cord Blood Program at Saint Lukes has received more than 9,000 donations and banked 939 units of cord blood at the St. Louis Cord Blood Bank. Cord blood units are made available to anyone, anywhere in the world, who needs a stem cell transplant.

Cord blood collected from the hospitals is processed and cryopreserved at Saint Lukes before being sent to the St. Louis Cord Blood Bank, which distributes the blood units to hospitals upon request. Donations are made anonymously, and the process is safe, painless, easy and free to families. The cord blood is collected after the baby has delivered, so it does not interfere with the birthing process. The collection does not take place if there is concern for the safety of the mother or newborn.

For more information about Saint Lukes Cord Blood Program, click here.

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Cord blood donation available at two additional metro hospitals

Most Cosmetic Procedures Based on Stem Cells Are Bogus, Experts Say

By Stem Cell Medical Center

MONDAY, Aug. 4, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Could stem cell injections help rejuvenate your face or body? Probably not, plastic surgery experts say, but ads for these types of bogus procedures abound on the Internet.

"Stem cells offer tremendous potential, but the marketplace is saturated with unsubstantiated and sometimes fraudulent claims that may place patients at risk," a team led by Dr. Michael Longaker, of Stanford University Medical Center, wrote in a review published in the August issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery.

The experts say consumers need to be wary of advertisements promoting the benefits of "minimally invasive, stem cell-based rejuvenation procedures." Claims for stem cell procedures for facelifts, breast augmentation and vaginal rejuvenation are not only unsubstantiated, but also risky, Longaker's team said.

They note that, to date, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved only one cosmetic stem cell procedure designed to treat fine facial wrinkles. And since that single procedure was approved, the product involved has been monitored extensively.

Overall, cosmetic stem cell procedures have not undergone significant scientific scrutiny, the Stanford team said. The risks associated with stem cell and tissue processing have not been closely examined. The effects of aging on stem cells are also not well established, the researchers explained.

To investigate concerning claims being made about cosmetic stem cell procedures, the researchers performed a basic Internet search. They found the most common result was "stem cell facelifts." Most of the procedures used stem cells isolated from fat but did not provide details on the quality of the stem cells.

More than 100 clinical trials are currently evaluating stem cells derived from fat, but few are focusing on cosmetic treatments. The researchers cautioned that the products used in these cosmetic procedures likely involves additional types of cells unless they utilized sophisticated cell-sorting techniques.

Many blood plasma-enriched "platelet protein treatments" are also incorrectly advertised as stem cell therapy, the study's authors noted.

Meanwhile, there is only minimal evidence that cosmetic stem cell procedures have any anti-aging effects, the researchers said. They warn that stem cell facelifts may actually be "lipo-filling" procedures -- fat injections with no prolonged anti-aging effect.

Although stem cells do hold potential for cosmetic procedures in years to come, today's advertising claims for these procedures are going beyond any scientific evidence on safety and effectiveness, the researchers conclude.

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Most Cosmetic Procedures Based on Stem Cells Are Bogus, Experts Say

Stem cell beauty treatments? Be wary, experts say

By Stem Cell Medical Center

Could stem cell injections help rejuvenate your face or body? Probably not, plastic surgery experts say, but ads for these types of bogus procedures abound on the Internet.

"Stem cells offer tremendous potential, but the marketplace is saturated with unsubstantiated and sometimes fraudulent claims that may place patients at risk," a team led by Dr. Michael Longaker, of Stanford University Medical Center, wrote in a review published in the August issue ofPlastic and Reconstructive Surgery.

The experts say consumers need to be wary of advertisements promoting the benefits of "minimally invasive, stem cell-based rejuvenation procedures." Claims for stem cell procedures for facelifts, breast augmentation and vaginal rejuvenation are not only unsubstantiated, but also risky, Longaker's team said.

They note that, to date, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved only one cosmetic stem cell procedure designed to treat fine facial wrinkles. And since that single procedure was approved, the product involved has been monitored extensively.

Overall, cosmetic stem cell procedures have not undergone significant scientific scrutiny, the Stanford team said. The risks associated with stem cell and tissue processing have not been closely examined. The effects of aging on stem cells are also not well established, the researchers explained.

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Tummy tucks and facelifts pale in comparison to these surprising surgeries patients request

To investigate concerning claims being made about cosmetic stem cell procedures, the researchers performed a basic Internet search. They found the most common result was "stem cell facelifts." Most of the procedures used stem cells isolated from fat but did not provide details on the quality of the stem cells.

More than 100 clinical trials are currently evaluating stem cells derived from fat, but few are focusing on cosmetic treatments. The researchers cautioned that the products used in these cosmetic procedures likely involves additional types of cells unless they utilized sophisticated cell-sorting techniques.

Many blood plasma-enriched "platelet protein treatments" are also incorrectly advertised as stem cell therapy, the study's authors noted.

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Stem cell beauty treatments? Be wary, experts say

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