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Stem cell treatment warnings after Australian woman dies in Russia

By Stem Cell Doctors

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While stem cells have many applications in treating bone tumors and early leukaemia and lymphoma cases Dr Tony Bartone says patients undergoing unproven treatments are taking "life into a Tatts Lotto" situation.

Authorities are warning of the risks of unproven stem cell treatments available in Australia and overseas after the death of an Australian woman in Russia.

Brisbane mother-of-two Kellie van Meurs travelled to Moscow for treatment for a rare neurological disorder called Stiff Person Syndrome but died from a heart attack while undergoing the controversial treatment on July 19.

Her death - and the continued marketing of stem cell tourism by groups including Adult Stem Cell Foundation - prompted warnings that manyof the therapies on offer are untested and not acceptedby mainstream science.

Stem Cells Australia's head of education, ethics, law and community awareness Megan Munsie said a proliferation of private clinics combined with a growing consumer base was a potentially dangerous mix.

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''This sad case illustrates that some people are prepared to take the risk,'' she said. ''But people should balance their high hopes with the acknowledgement that there is a risk.''

She also cautioned that treatment decisions should be based more on the advice of medical professionals than the experiences outlined in social media, which was flush with success stories and often failed to reflect reality.

In December the country's main medical research funding body, the National Health and Medical Research Council, released a guide for patients and doctors highlighting the risks associated with unproven stem cell treatments in Australia and overseas.

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Stem cell treatment warnings after Australian woman dies in Russia

'Sad case' reveals stem cell risk

By Stem Cell Doctors

Video will begin in 5 seconds.

While stem cells have many applications in treating bone tumors and early leukaemia and lymphoma cases Dr Tony Bartone says patients undergoing unproven treatments are taking "life into a Tatts Lotto" situation.

Authorities are warning of the risks of unproven stem cell treatments available in Australia and overseas after the death of an Australian woman in Russia.

Brisbane mother-of-two Kellie van Meurs travelled to Moscow for treatment for a rare neurological disorder called Stiff Person Syndrome but died from a heart attack while undergoing the controversial treatment on July 19.

Her death - and the continued marketing of stem cell tourism by groups including Adult Stem Cell Foundation - prompted warnings that manyof the therapies on offer are untested and not acceptedby mainstream science.

Stem Cells Australia's head of education, ethics, law and community awareness Megan Munsie said a proliferation of private clinics combined with a growing consumer base was a potentially dangerous mix.

Advertisement

''This sad case illustrates that some people are prepared to take the risk,'' she said. ''But people should balance their high hopes with the acknowledgement that there is a risk.''

She also cautioned that treatment decisions should be based more on the advice of medical professionals than the experiences outlined in social media, which was flush with success stories and often failed to reflect reality.

In December the country's main medical research funding body, the National Health and Medical Research Council, released a guide for patients and doctors highlighting the risks associated with unproven stem cell treatments in Australia and overseas.

Excerpt from:
'Sad case' reveals stem cell risk

Mum dies during stem cell therapy

By Stem Cell Doctors

Kellie van Meurs, pictured with her husband Mark, died while undergoing stem cell treatment in Russia. Photo: Facebook

Supporters of a Brisbane mother-of-two who died while undergoing a controversial stem cell treatment in Russia say it did not cause her death, nor have others been discouraged from seeking it.

Kellie van Meurs suffered from a rare neurological disorder called stiff person syndrome, which causes progressive rigidity of the body and chronic pain.

She travelled to Moscow in late June to undergo an autologous haematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) under the care of Dr Denis Fedorenko from the National Pirogov Medical Surgical Centre.

Kellie van Meurs, pictured with family and supporters, died while undergoing stem cell treatment in Russia. Photo: Facebook

The transplant more commonly used for multiple sclerosis patients involves rebooting a patients immune system with their own stem cells after high-dose chemotherapy.

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Ms van Meurs was Dr Fedorenkos first SPS patient, and her husband Mark said she died of a heart attack on July 19.

I do know that Rosemary [Ms van Meurs' aunt and carer in Moscow] felt she received the best possible care, especially from Dr Fedorenko, he said.

Given her level of constant pain and overlapping auto-neuronal problems I still don't think we had a better option.

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Mum dies during stem cell therapy

Regenerative Medicine Market: Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2013 – 2019

By Stem Cell Medicine

(PRWEB) July 28, 2014

According to a new market research report published by Transparency Market Research "Regenerative Medicine (Bone and Joint) Market (By Technology - Stem Cell Therapy, Biomaterial and Tissue Engineering; By Applications - Bone Graft Substitutes, Osteoarticular Diseases, Allogeneic Products, Autogenic Products and Others) - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast, 2013 - 2019" the global regenerative medicine (bone and joint) market was valued at USD 2.6 billion in 2012 and is estimated to reach a market worth of USD 6.5 billion in 2019 growing at a CAGR of 12.8% from 2013 to 2019.

Regenerative medicine is considered as an emerging field of medical science that aims to regenerate, repair or replace damaged tissue and organs. U.S. National Institute of Health stated that regenerative medicine is the process of creating functional tissue to repair and replace tissue or organ which has lost their function due to damage, congenital defects, disease and age. Technological advancement in tissue engineering and stem cell therapy is expected to drive the global market for regenerative medicine (bone and joint). Moreover, growing prevalence of bone and joint disorder has also accounted for the market growth of the global regenerative medicine (bone and joint) market. However, ethical issues pertaining to stem cell therapy and fear of disease transmission due to allogeneic bone implantation are considered as market hindering factors during the study period. Companies operating in this market focus on investing in emerging economies of Asia-Pacific such as India, China, Japan and South Korea. These economies represent huge potential for various bone and joint reconstructive products due to rising healthcare expenditure and presence of large patient pool suffering from arthritis disorder (rheumatoid arthritis).

Title: Regenerative Medicine (Bone and Joint) Market Published: 1 July 2014 Pages: 85 Price: US$ 4,795.00 (Single User) For further inquiries, click here: http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=S&rep_id=419.

The global market for regenerative medicine is segmented based on technology as stem cell therapy, biomaterials and tissue engineering. In 2012, biomaterials segment accounted for the largest market share in the global regenerative medicine (bone and joint) market owing to favorable reimbursement policies and strong demand of biomaterials in the global market. However, high cost associated with biomaterials is a factor that would restrict the global market demand to some extent during the study period.

In addition, based on applications the global market for regenerative medicine (bone and joint) is segmented as bone graft substitute, osteoarticular diseases, allergenic bones, autogenic bones and others. In 2012, bone graft substitute segment accounted for the largest market share in the global regenerative medicine bone and joint application market owing to growing demand of bone graft substitute in orthopaedic surgeries. However, post implantation rejection associated with bone graft substitute is considered as a crucial factor that would restrict the global market demand of bone graft substitute.

Browse the Press Release of Regenerative Medicine Market @ http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/pressrelease/regenerative-medicines-market.htm

On the basis of geography, the regenerative medicine (bone and joint) market is segmented as North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific and Rest of the World (RoW). North America accounted for the largest market share for regenerative medicine (bone and joint) globally in 2012 owing to increase in orthopaedic re-constructive surgeries and introduction of technologically advanced medical devices and products. According to the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons (AAOS), prevalence of Lumbar Spinal Stenosis (LSS) is increasing with rise in elderly population and is estimated that approximately 2.4 million Americans would be affected by LSS by 2021. It has also stated that in 1990 approximately 129,000 Total Knee Arthroplasty (TKA) surgeries were performed in the U.S. Europe accounted for the second largest share in the global regenerative medicine (bone and joint) market in 2012.

Large geriatric population base is one of the important factors driving the growth of regenerative medicine bone and joint application market in this region. Asia-Pacific is expected to grow at the highest CAGR from 2013 to 2019, due to large pool of potential reconstructive surgery patients and strong support from federal government. Additionally, companies are expecting large revenue with sufficient market penetration from Asia-Pacific region and thereby focusing on increasing investments in this region. For instance, in May 2013, Smith & Nephew acquired Sushrut Surgical Pvt. Ltd. an Indian medical technology company. Sushrut Surgicals product portfolio includes trauma implants and instruments, spine and limb salvage products. This acquisition would expand and enhance the product offerings of Smith & Nephew and would also assist in capturing lucrative market share in Asia-Pacific region.

Major market players having presence in the global regenerative medicine (bone and joint) market include DePuy Synthes, Inc. (HEALOS Bone Graft), Medtronic, Inc. (INFUSE Bone Graft) and Zimmer Holdings, Inc. (CopiOs Bone Void Filler), Orthofix, Inc. (Trinity Evolution) and NuVasive, Inc. (Osteocel Plus).

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Regenerative Medicine Market: Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2013 - 2019

St. Olaf student awarded Harvard Stem Cell Institute internship

By Stem Cell Clinic

July 28, 2014

As part of her Harvard Stem Cell Institute internship, St. Olaf student Alexa Roemmich 15 is working to grow adult mouse inner ear stem cells in a laboratory dish something that has never been done before.

St. Olaf College student Alexa Roemmich 15 is one of 40 undergraduate students from around the world selected to participate in the 2014 Harvard Stem Cell Institute (HSCI) Internship Program, which provides participants with a challenging summer research experience in a cutting-edge stem cell science laboratory.

Roemmich is spending 10 weeks in the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary laboratory of faculty member Zheng-Yi Chen, known for his research on age-related and noise-induced hearing loss.

Roemmichs project this summer is to grow adult mouse inner ear stem cells in a laboratory dish something that has never been done before with the goal of persuading these cells to become the sound-converting cells that are lost in an aging or damaged ear.

Im working on a project that no one has succeeded at before, Roemmich says. Its very exciting. Im able to experience the scientific process in a very real way my results are unknown, and any new result is something that can be learned.

Ive had excellent opportunities at St. Olaf, and also from my summers at the University of North Dakota and the Mayo Clinic, that prepared me to design and carry out multi-week experiments, she adds. I cannot wait to continue my scientific journey in graduate school and beyond.

Over the course of the HSCI program, interns participate in a stem cell seminar series, a career pathways presentation, and a weekly stem cell companion course. They present their summer research findings, both orally and in poster format, at an end-of-program symposium.

This program represents an exciting opportunity for undergraduates to gain hands-on experience in stem cell research while working in an HSCI laboratory under the supervision of an experienced researcher, says HSCI Internship Program Co-Director M. William Lensch.

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St. Olaf student awarded Harvard Stem Cell Institute internship

Stem Cell Advance May Increase Efficiency of Tissue Regeneration

By Uncategorized

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Newswise A new stem-cell discovery might one day lead to a more streamlined process for obtaining stem cells, which in turn could be used in the development of replacement tissue for failing body parts, according to UC San Francisco scientists who reported the findings in the current edition of Cell.

The work builds on a strategy that involves reprogramming adult cells back to an embryonic state in which they again have the potential to become any type of cell.

The efficiency of this process may soon increase thanks to the scientists identification of biochemical pathways that can inhibit the necessary reprogramming of gene activity in adult human cells. Removing these barriers increased the efficiency of stem-cell production, the researchers found.

Our new work has important implications for both regenerative medicine and cancer research, said Miguel Ramalho-Santos, PhD, associate professor of obstetrics, gynecology and reproductive sciences and a member of the Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research at UCSF, who led the research, funded in part by a prestigious NIH Directors New Innovator Award.

The earlier discovery that it was possible to take specialized adult cells and reverse the developmental clock to strip the mature cells of their distinctive identities and characteristics and to make them immortal, reprogrammable cells that theoretically can be used to replace any tissue type led to a share of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine being awarded to UCSF, Gladstone Institutes and Kyoto University researcher Shinya Yamanaka, MD, in 2012.

These induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells are regarded as an alternative experimental approach to ongoing efforts to develop tissue from stem cells obtained from early-stage human embryos. However despite the promise of iPS cells and the excitement surrounding iPS research, the percentage of adult cells successfully converted to iPS cells is typically low, and the resultant cells often retain traces of their earlier lives as specialized cells.

Researchers generate stem cells by forcing the activation within adult cells of pluripotency-inducing genes starting with the so-called Yamanaka factors a process that turns back the clock on cellular maturation.

Yet, as Ramalho-Santos notes, From the time of the discovery of iPS cells, it was appreciated that the specialized cells from which they are derived are not a blank slate. They express their own genes that may resist or counter reprogramming.

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Stem Cell Advance May Increase Efficiency of Tissue Regeneration

Skinspirations Study Supports Medical Findings: Stem Cell Treatment Triggers Tissue Regeneration

By Uncategorized

Tampa Bay, FL (PRWEB) July 28, 2014

Nearly 53 million Americans today are suffering with arthritis, with the majority of them diagnosed with osteoarthritis. (1) Osteoarthritis is a degeneration of joint cartilage and its underlying bone, causing significant pain and stiffness. While osteoarthritis has no cure, stem cell therapy has been demonstrated to induce profound healing in many forms of arthritis, according to the Stem Cell Institute. (2) Dr. Cynthia Elliott of Skinspirations, a center for cosmetic enhancement devoted to non-surgical aesthetics and now also specializing in administering regenerative medicine by stem cell, has made use of these services in a recent case study, which resulted in improved health in one of their clients.

Stem cells are unique from other cells for the following reasons:

(a)They can renew themselves through cell division; and (b)Under certain conditions, they can become tissue or organ-specific cells.

Stem cells are revered for their ability to make replacement tissues, as it relates to regenerative therapy. (3) Medical scientists and researchers are discovering the seemingly endless possibilities of what stem cells can treat, including brain damage, bone repair, kidney disease, etc. (4) This treatment is starting to boom in the medical world as a viable procedure, but Skinspirations has already had these practices in place, establishing them as progressive practitioners in the field.

Skinspirations is specifically studying the Stromal Vascular Fraction (SVF)another term for stem cell treatmentand how it affects knees with severe arthritis. According to Dr. Elliott, Stromal Vascular Fraction can help to repair, replace and restore any damaged cells within the bodyDr. Elliott performed the stem cell procedure on her uncle after first treating other patients during her training, and he experienced the following results:

Case in Point:

Joe Elliott, a 63-year-old male, had severe arthritis in one knee. Doctors advised him to get a knee replacement, but Joe was hoping to avoid surgery for as long as possible. After talking to Dr. Elliott about the treatment, he drove to Skinspirations from Missouri to go forward with the stem cell procedure.

Dr. Elliott performed the treatment with the following steps:

(1)Numbed his abdomen with anesthesia; (2)Removed about 100 cc of fat; (3)Processed the fat to isolate the SVF; (4)Numbed the arthritic knee; and (5)Injected the pellet of SVF into the joint of his arthritic knee.

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Skinspirations Study Supports Medical Findings: Stem Cell Treatment Triggers Tissue Regeneration

'She received the best care'

By Stem Cell Treatment

Kellie van Meurs, pictured with her husband Mark, died while undergoing stem cell treatment in Russia. Photo: Facebook

Supporters of a Brisbane mother of two who died while undergoing a controversial stem cell treatment in Russia say it did not cause her death, nor have others been discouraged from seeking it.

Kellie van Meurs suffered from a rare neurological disorder called Stiff Person Syndrome, which causes progressive rigidity of the body and chronic pain.

She travelled to Moscow in late June to undergo an autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) under the care of Dr Denis Fedorenko from the National Pirogov Medical Surgical Centre.

Kellie van Meurs, pictured with family and supporters, died while undergoing stem cell treatment in Russia. Photo: Facebook

The transplant more commonly used for multiple sclerosis patients involves rebooting a patients immune system with their own stem cells after high-dose chemotherapy.

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Ms van Meurs was Dr Fedorenkos first SPS patient, and her husband Mark said she died of a heart attack on July 19.

I do know that Rosemary [Kellie's aunt and carer in Moscow] felt she received the best possible care, especially from Dr Fedorenko, he said.

Given her level of constant pain and overlapping auto-neuronal problems I still don't think we had a better option.

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'She received the best care'

LifeCell setting up 30-cr public stem cell bank

By Stem Cell Treatment

Chennai, July 27:

LifeCell, Indias largest umbilical cord blood stem cell bank, is setting up a public stem cell bank at a cost of 30 crore.

LifeCells Managing Director, Mayur Abhaya, announced the plans for the public facility being set up by LifeCell Foundation, a non profit organisation, at a function to mark the storage of 100,000 units of cord blood at its private banking facility.

At the function, LifeCells brand ambassador Aishwarya Rai Bachchan said cord blood banking is a simple and precious gift parents can make for their childrens well being. Once people are aware of the potential of stem cells in treating ailments, the decision to opt for cord blood banking is a no brainer.

Abhaya said LifeCell has contributed 10 crore; and R Thyagarajan, Chairman, LifeCell and founder of the ShriramGroup; S Abhaya Kumar, Vice-Chairman; and another donor whose name has not been disclosed, have contributed 2.5 crore each. In the private bank, parents can store the umbilical cord blood and cord tissue collected at the time of childbirth which can be used if the child or siblings need the cells for treatment at a later stage in life, Abhaya said.

Stem cells can be used to treat over 80 disorders.

Parents pay to get the cord blood stored in the private bank.

A public cord blood bank works much like a blood bank where donors allow the cord blood to be collected for use by those needing stem cells for treatment.

The cord blood will be stored at LifeCells own internationally recognised facility in Chennai where there is adequate capacity, he said.

(This article was published on July 27, 2014)

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LifeCell setting up 30-cr public stem cell bank

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