Animal Cell Therapies - She-Dog #39;s Stem Cell Treatment Story
She-dog was rescued from the streets and had some pretty severe health issues when she walked in the door. A couple months after her stem cell treatment from...
By: Animal Cell Therapies, Inc.
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Animal Cell Therapies - She-Dog's Stem Cell Treatment Story - Video
GOLTRY, Okla. A Goltry-area woman is back on Oklahoma soil after traveling to Milwaukee to give her brother a special birthday present.
Jeni Sumner was the only match among family members tested to donate stem cells to her younger brother, who was diagnosed with acute myelogenous leukemia last year.
Ed Dees cancer went into remission last October but returned earlier this year. Sumner said Dees doctors felt a stem cell transplant would be the best treatment.
Sumner spoke by phone about the events of the past week, as she prepared to return to Oklahoma on Thursday morning.
The transplant began at 2:07 p.m. Tuesday Dees birthday and took about an hour, she said.
We had a little birthday party for him and then he got my present, Sumner said.
Prior to the transplant, Dee went through chemotherapy and had a conditioning treatment, which Sumner said entailed the doctors wiping out his immune system and blood levels.
Sumner had to give herself injections over four days to make her bone marrow produce more stem cells and push them into her blood.
Those went really well, she said.
The stem cell retrieval process was on Monday.
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Special birthday present: Stem cell donor returns to Goltry
Durham, NC (PRWEB) June 27, 2014
A new study released today in STEM CELLS Translational Medicine suggests a new way to produce endothelial progenitor cells in quantities large enough to be feasible for use in developing new cancer treatments.
Endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) are rare stem cells that circulate in the blood with the ability to differentiate into the cells that make up the lining of blood vessels. With an intrinsic ability to home to tumors, researchers have focused on them as a way to deliver gene therapy straight to the cancer. However, the challenge has been to collect enough EPCs for this use.
This new study, by researchers at the Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, National University of Singapore and Zhejiang University led by Shu Wang, Ph.D., explored whether human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) could provide the answer. iPSCs, generated from adult cells, can propagate indefinitely and give rise to every other cell type in the body, much like human embryonic stem cells, which are considered the gold standard for stem cell therapy.
However, human iPS cells can be generated relatively easily through reprogramming, a procedure that circumvents the bioethical controversies associated with deriving embryonic stem cells from human embryos, Dr. Wang said.
After inducing human iPS cells to differentiate into the EPCs, the research team compared the stability and reliability of the induced EPCs with regular EPCs by injecting them into mice with breast cancer that had metastasized (traveled) to the lungs. The results showed that their induced EPCs retained the intrinsic ability to home to tumors, just as regular EPCs do. They also did not promote tumor growth or metastasis.
We next tested the induced EPCs therapeutic potential by infusing them with an anticancer gene and injecting them into the mice, Dr. Wang said. The results indicated that the tumors were reduced and the animals survival rates increased.
Since this approach may use patient's own cells to prepare cellular therapeutics and is based on non-toxic immunotherapy, it holds potential for translation to clinical application and may be particularly valuable as a new type of anti-metastatic cancer therapy.
With the increasing potential of using EPCs as cancer therapeutics, it is important to have a reliable and stable supply of human EPCs, said Anthony Atala, M.D., editor of STEM CELLS Translational Medicine and director of the Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine. This study demonstrates the feasibility of generating EPs from early-passage human iPS cells.
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New Stem Cell Production Method Could Clear Way for Anticancer Gene Therapy
Tampa, FL (PRWEB) June 27, 2014
Furthering its goal to restore quality of life to patients with little or no hope of medical improvement, Regenerative Medicine Solutions (RMS) announced today that it has entered into an agreement to acquire Advanced Healthcare Partners (AHP). The strategy behind the business move was the realignment of resources, and the innovative use of stem cells to treat an array of medical conditions under one roof. AHP was a leading healthcare management and consulting company, which owned and operated the Lung Institute.
We are now ready to continue growing the Lung Institute to be the world leader in the care of patients suffering from lung disease by providing the best option for their treatment, said Jimmy St. Louis, Chief Executive Officer of RMS. In order to accomplish this mission, we needed to combine all of our teammates and resources together to focus on one company and one mission, RMS.
As a leader in regenerative medicine, the Lung Institute utilizes stem cells from the patients own body to treat lung disease. These autologous cells work to promote the repair and regeneration of previously damaged lung tissue. RMS is a global provider of stem cell therapy for medical conditions in areas of the body other than the lung.
All AHP and Lung Institute 31 employees are now considered employees of RMS, added St. Louis. With everyone together as one cohesive team, we have tripled our number. We are one team, with one goal: utilization of regenerative medicine to improve the quality of life of our patients from COPD to Crohns disease and beyond.
Together, RMS and the Lung Institute will offer patients access to better care with a staff dedicated to one goal: Improving quality of life in patients. Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed. RMS has facilities in Tampa and Lima, Peru.
About Regenerative Medicine Solutions Regenerative Medicine Solutions (RMS) is a leading global provider of innovative regenerative technologies in order to treat an array of debilitating medical conditions. Committed to an individualized patient-centric approach, RMS consistently provides the highest quality of care while producing positive outcomes. By applying modern-day best practices to the growing field of regenerative medicine, RMS is changing lives. For more information, visit our website at myregenmed.com, like us on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter or call us today at 1-855-469-5864.
About Lung Institute Located in Tampa, Florida, the Lung Institute is changing the lives of hundreds of people across the world through the innovative technology of regenerative medicine. We are committed to providing patients a more effective way to address pulmonary conditions and improve quality of life. Our physicians, through their designated practices, have gained worldwide recognition for the successful application of revolutionary minimally invasive stem cell therapies. With over a century of combined medical experience, our doctors have established a patient experience designed with the highest concern for patient safety and quality of care. For more information, visit our website at LungInstitute.com, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or call us today at 1-855-4MY-LUNG.
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Regenerative Medicine Solutions Acquires Advanced Healthcare Partners
Released: 6/26/2014 12:00 PM EDT Source Newsroom: Mayo Clinic Contact Information
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Mayo Clinic Recommends New Routine Testing for some Non-Hodgkin Lymphomas
Newswise ROCHESTER, Minn. A Mayo Clinic-led group of researchers has discovered three subgroups of a single type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma that have markedly different survival rates. These subgroups could not be differentiated by routine pathology but only with the aid of novel genetic tests, which the research team recommends giving to all patients with ALK-negative anaplastic large-cell lymphoma (ALCL). Findings are published in the journal Blood.
MULTIMEDIA ALERT: Video and audio are available for download on the Mayo Clinic News Network.
Patients whose lymphomas had TP63 rearrangements had only a 17 percent chance of living five years beyond diagnosis, compared to 90 percent of patients whose tumors had DUSP22 rearrangements. A third group of tumors, those with neither rearrangement, was associated with an intermediate survival rate.
This is the first study to demonstrate unequivocal genetic and clinical heterogeneity among systemic ALK-negative anaplastic large-cell lymphomas, says Andrew L. Feldman, M.D., a Mayo Clinic pathologist and senior author on the multi-institutional study. Most strikingly, patients with DUSP22-rearranged ALCL had excellent overall survival rates, while patients with TP63-rearranged ALCL had dismal outcomes and nearly always failed standard therapy. Dr. Feldman also is a Damon Runyon Clinical Investigator.
ALCL is a rare type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, but one of the more common subtypes of T-cell lymphoma, according to the Lymphoma Research Foundation. ALCL comprises about three percent of all non-Hodgkin lymphoma and 10 to 30 percent of all cases in children. Currently, all ALK-negative anaplastic large-cell lymphomas are treated the same, using chemotherapy and, in some institutions, stem cell transplantation. Results from the study make a clear case for additional testing and possible changes standard of care.
This is a great example of where individualized medicine can make a difference, says Dr. Feldman. Patients whose chance of surviving is 1 in 6 are receiving the same therapy as patients whose odds are 9 in 10. Developing tests that identify how tumors are different is a critical step toward being able to tailor therapy to each individual patient.
TP63 and DUSP22 rearrangements are examples of abnormal swapping of DNA that disturbs the way genes are arranged on a tumor cells chromosomes. These abnormalities cannot be seen in the standard microscopic evaluation that pathologists use to diagnose lymphoma, but can be visualized using a genetic test called fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). The authors of the study recommend performing FISH in all patients with ALK-negative anaplastic large-cell lymphoma. Learn more about the new tests:
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Mayo Clinic Recommends New Routine Testing for some Non-Hodgkin Lymphomas
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Newswise LA JOLLA, CA June 26, 2014 Scientists working to make gene therapy a reality have solved a major hurdle: how to bypass a blood stem cells natural defenses and efficiently insert disease-fighting genes into the cells genome.
In a new study led by Associate Professor Bruce Torbett at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI), a team of researchers report that the drug rapamycin, which is commonly used to slow cancer growth and prevent organ rejection, enables delivery of a therapeutic dose of genes to blood stem cells while preserving stem cell function.
These findings, published recently online ahead of print by the journal Blood, could lead to more effective and affordable long-term treatments for blood cell disorders in which mutations in the DNA cause abnormal cell functions, such as in leukemia and sickle cell anemia.
Improving Gene Delivery to Blood Stem Cells
Viruses infect the body by inserting their own genetic material into human cells. In gene therapy, however, scientists have developed gutted viruses, such as the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), to produce what are called viral vectors. Viral vectors carry therapeutic genes into cells without causing viral disease. Torbett and other scientists have shown that HIV vectors can deliver genes to blood stem cells.
For a disease such as leukemia or leukodystrophy, where mutations in the DNA cause abnormal cell function, efficiently targeting the stem cells that produce these blood cells could be a successful approach to halting the disease and prompting the body to produce healthy blood cells.
If you produce a genetic modification in your blood stem cells when you are five years old, these changes are lifelong, said Torbett. Furthermore, the gene-modified stem cells can develop into many types of cells that travel throughout the body to provide therapeutic effects.
However, because cells have adapted defense mechanisms to overcome disease-causing viruses, engineered viral vectors can be prevented from efficiently delivering genes. Torbett said that when scientists extract blood stem cells from the body for gene therapy, HIV viral vectors are usually able to deliver genes to only 30 to 40 percent of them. For leukemia, leukodystrophy or genetic diseases where treatment requires a reasonable number of healthy cells coming from stem cells, this number may be too low for therapeutic purposes.
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Scripps Research Institute Scientists Find Potential New Use for Cancer Drug in Gene Therapy for Blood Disorders
WASHINGTON (AP) Bone marrow transplants save thousands of lives but patients are vulnerable to severe viral infections in the months afterward, until their new immune system kicks in. Now scientists are developing protection for that risky period injections of cells specially designed to fend off up to five different viruses at once.
"These viruses are a huge problem, and there's a huge need for these products," said Dr. Ann Leen, who leads a team at Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children's Hospital that found an easier way to produce these long-desired designer T cells.
Healthy people have an army of T cells that roams the body, primed to recognize and fight viruses. People with suppressed immune systems such as those undergoing a bone marrow transplant to treat leukemia or other diseases lack that protection. It can take anywhere from four months to more than a year for marrow stem cells from a healthy donor to take root and start producing new immune cells for the recipient. When patients get sick before then, today's antiviral medications don't always work and cause lots of side effects.
The proposed solution: Take certain virus-fighting T cells from that same bone marrow donor, and freeze them to use if the recipient gets sick. Years of experiments show it can work. But turning the idea into an easy-to-use treatment has been difficult. A dose had to be customized to each donor-recipient pair and protected against only one or two viruses. And it took as long as three months to make.
Wednesday, Leen reported a novel technique to rapidly manufacture so-called virus-specific T cells that can target up to five of the viruses that cause the most trouble for transplant patients: Epstein-Barr virus, adenovirus, cytomegalovirus, BK virus, and human herpesvirus 6.
Essentially, Leen came up with a recipe to stimulate donated T cells in the laboratory so that they better recognize those particular viruses, and then grow large quantities of the cells. It took just 10 days to create and freeze the designer T cells.
To see if they worked, Leen's team treated 11 transplant recipients. Eight had active infections, most with multiple viruses. The cell therapy proved more than 90 percent effective, nearly eliminating all the viruses from the blood of all the patients, Leen reported in the journal Science Translational Medicine.
The other three patients weren't sick but were deemed at high risk. They were given early doses of the T cells protectively and remained infection-free, Leen said.
Next, her team is beginning a bigger step to try creating a bank of those cells from a variety of healthy donors that any patient could use, without having to custom-brew each dose.
It would take large studies to prove such a system really works.
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Designer T cells fight viruses after transplants
Poway, CA (PRWEB) June 27, 2014
South Reno Veterinary Hospital and Mathew Schmitt, VMD have recently discovered the secret to prolonging a pets quality of life with the use of stem cell therapy, and the ability to bank stem cells for the future care of a pet. Dr. Schmitt and South Reno Veterinary Hospital offer stem cell therapy and stem cell banking through Vet-Stem, Inc. for small animal osteoarthritis and partial ligament tears.
As many as 65% of dogs between the ages of 7 and 11 years old will be inflicted with some degree of arthritis. For certain specific breeds the percentage is as high as 70, such as Labrador Retrievers. Barley, a Labrador mix, was treated using cells from a sample of his own fat, and some stem cells are also stored (or banked) with Vet-Stem just in case he needs future treatment with Dr. Schmitt. Those banked stem cells do not have to be used for the same use as they were originally used for either. For example, if a pet has stem cell therapy initially for osteoarthritis pain and inflammation, the banked stem cells can be used years later for an acute injury.
After rupturing the canine cruciate ligaments in both of his stifles, or hind knees, Barleys pain was managed by medication but then medication was finally not enough and he was facing the possibility of surgery. Dr. Schmitt reported shifting lameness in Barleys hind end, which was a sign of severe discomfort. Barleys owner did not want to put him through surgery on both knees. Instead, Barleys owner elected for stem cell therapy.
I fully believe stem cell therapy has significantly prolonged Barleys quality of life and I am so glad I found out about the therapy when he was injured at six years old. He just turned 13 and his legs are still doing well. It truly is a miracle of science and I tell all my friends about it, said Barleys mom.
Vet-Stem, along with countless research and academic institutions, is working to support additional uses for stem cells which may include treatment for liver disease, kidney disease, auto-immune disorders, and inflammatory bowel disease in animals. These uses for stem cells are in the early stages of development and may provide additional value to the ability to bank stem cells to ensure a pets quality of life into the future.
About Vet-Stem, Inc. Vet-Stem, Inc. was formed in 2002 to bring regenerative medicine to the veterinary profession. The privately held company is working to develop therapies in veterinary medicine that apply regenerative technologies while utilizing the natural healing properties inherent in all animals. As the first company in the United States to provide an adipose-derived stem cell service to veterinarians for their patients, Vet-Stem, Inc. pioneered the use of regenerative stem cells in veterinary medicine. The company holds exclusive licenses to over 50 patents including world-wide veterinary rights for use of adipose derived stem cells. In the last decade over 10,000 animals have been treated using Vet-Stem, Inc.s services, and Vet-Stem is actively investigating stem cell therapy for immune-mediated and inflammatory disease, as well as organ disease and failure. For more on Vet-Stem, Inc. and Veterinary Regenerative Medicine, visit http://www.vet-stem.com/ or call 858-748-2004.
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South Reno Veterinary Hospital is Prolonging Pet Quality of Life with Stem Cell Therapy and the Ability to Bank Cells ...
TOKYO: Japanese stem cell scientists have succeeded in slowing the deterioration of mice with motor neuron disease, possibly paving the way for eventual human treatment, according to a new paper.
A team of researchers from the Kyoto University and Keio University transplanted specially created cells into mice with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also called Lou Gehrig's, or motor neuron disease.
The progress of the creatures' neurological degeneration was slowed by almost eight per cent, according to the paper, which was published on Thursday in the scholarly journal Stem Cell Reports.
ALS is a disorder of motor neurons -- nerves that control movement -- leading to the loss of the ability to control muscles and their eventual atrophy.
While it frequently has no effect on cognitive function, it progresses to affect most of the muscles in the body, including those used to eat and breathe.
British theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking has been almost completely paralysed by the condition.
In their study, the Japanese team used human "iPS" -- induced pluripotent stem cells, building-block cells akin to those found in embryos, which have the potential to turn into any cell in the body.
From the iPS cells they created special progenitor cells and transplanted them into the lumbar spinal cord of ALS mice.
Animals that had been implanted lived 7.8 per cent longer than the control group without the procedure, the paper said.
"The results demonstrated the efficacy of cell therapy for ALS by the use of human iPSCs (human induced pluripotent stem cells) as cell source," the team said in the paper.
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Cell scientists slow degeneration in motor neuron mice
Friday 27 June 2014 17.27
Japanese stem cell scientists have succeeded in slowing the deterioration of mice with motor neurone disease, possibly paving the way for eventual human treatment.
A team of researchers from the Kyoto University and Keio University transplanted specially created cells into mice with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also called Lou Gehrig's, or motor neurone disease.
The progress of the creatures' neurological degeneration was slowed by almost eight percent, according to the paper, which was published Thursday in the scholarly journal Stem Cell Reports.
ALS is a disorder of motor neurones -- nerves that control movement -- leading to the loss of the ability to control muscles and their eventual atrophy.
While it frequently has no effect on cognitive function, it progresses to affect most of the muscles in the body, including those used to eat and breathe.
British theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking has been almost completely paralysed by the condition.
In their study, the Japanese team used human "iPS" -- induced pluripotent stem cells, building-block cells akin to those found in embryos, which have the potential to turn into any cell in the body.
From the iPS cells they created special progenitor cells and transplanted them into the lumbar spinal cord of ALS mice.
Animals that had been implanted lived 7.8% longer than the control group without the procedure, the paper said.
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Scientists slow degeneration in motor neurone mice