Are stem cell facelifts REALLY worth the $20,000 price tag?

By Catherine Townsend

PUBLISHED: 17:14 EST, 4 April 2013 | UPDATED: 04:43 EST, 5 April 2013

First it was the liquid facelift; then the vampire facelift. In recent years, nonsurgical options to turn back the clock have multiplied as quickly as the catchy nicknames.

Now, as women pay up to $20,000 for stem cell facelifts, the treatment is being hailed as the new Botox.

But according to The New York Times, the technology may not be that cutting-edge.

Miracle treatment? Stem cell facelifts have been hailed as the new Botox, but some experts question whether they are worth the five-figure price tag (posed by model)

While embryonic skin cells can transform into any type of cell, adult stem cells can only regenerate the types of the organ from which they originate.

So in a stem cell facelift - not to be confused with the stem cell facial that uses sheep placenta - doctors take stem cell-enriched tissue from fatty areas like the stomach or inner thigh and inject it back into the face. They may also use a centrifuge to separate the cells and add them back into the fat before grafting.

Practitioners claim that this process produces better results. Since there are already stem cells present in fatty tissue, however, some experts claim that this is just another name for fat grafting - a technique that has been around for years.

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Are stem cell facelifts REALLY worth the $20,000 price tag?

Neural Stem Cell Transplants May One Day Help Parkinson’s Patients, Others (preview)

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Neurodegenerative disorders devastate the brain, but doctors hope one day to replace lost cells

By Ferris Jabr

BRAIN GROWTH: To replace brain cells lost to neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson's disease, some researchers are experimenting with grafts of fetal brain tissue and injections of young neurons grown from stem cells in the lab. Image: Bryan Christie

Inside the human brain, branching neurons grow beside, around and on top of one another like trees in a dense forest. Scientists used to think that any neurons that wilted and died from injury or disease were gone forever because the brain had no way to replace those cells. By the 1990s, however, most neuroscientists had accepted that the adult brain cultivates small gardens of stem cells that can turn into mature neurons.

This article was originally published with the title Replanting the Brain's Forest.

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Neural Stem Cell Transplants May One Day Help Parkinson's Patients, Others (preview)

Stem Cell Orthopedic Applauds New Study Promoting Platelet Rich Plasma Therapy

Stem Cell Orthopedic Applauds New Study Showing Platelet Rich Plasma Therapy Significantly Improving Clinical Results in Patients with Tennis Elbow.

(PRWEB) April 06, 2013

The analysis, from the Rothman Institute at Jefferson, included a multi-center randomized prospective study to research the clinical value of PRP. The study utilized 230 patients with chronic tennis elbow, where virtually one half was treated with PRP and the other half was the control group. The PRP group received single PRP injections into their extensor tendon.

Both groups were studied for up to 24 weeks. By week 12, the PRP group reported a 55% improvement in pain, versus 47% for the control group. Concurrently, at week 12, the PRP group reported 37.4% significant elbow tenderness, compared to 48% from the control group. By the end of 24 weeks, the PRP group reported an outstanding 29% significant tenderness rating, versus 54% from the control.

The results of this study present some of the most compelling evidence to date of the efficacy of platelet rich plasma therapy and its significance in the medical community at large.

The study was recently presented at the annual meeting of the American Association of Orthopedic Surgeons (AAOS) in Chicago.

As leading stem cell treatment practitioners, the Institute of Regenerative and Molecular Orthopaedics applauds the findings of this latest PRP therapy study. Headed by the world-renowned stem cell treatment pioneer, Dr. Joseph Purita, the IRMO are one of the very few orthopedic practices in the world that utilizes PRP stem cell therapy with orthopedic surgery.

About Stem Cell Orthopedic

The Institute of Regenerative and Molecular Orthopaedics (IRMO) is a world-class orthopedic practice and stem cell facility staffed with seasoned board certified orthopedic surgeons. They differ from most orthopedic practices because they offer stem cells and platelet rich plasma (PRP) therapy in conjunction with surgery or as alternative to surgical procedures. They utilize state-of-the-art technology and the latest in stem cell research to best treat their patients. IRMO uses hematopoietic stem cells (HSC), which are found circulating in blood, fat, and bone marrow, to help repair the body. They are headed by Medical Director, Dr. Joseph Purita, a world-renowned pioneer in laser orthopedic surgery and graduate of the esteemed Georgetown University Medical School. For more information, visit http://www.stemcellorthopedic.com/ or follow them on Facebook, Twitter, or YouTube.

Contact Us IRMO 561-300-1840 Email Information

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Stem Cell Orthopedic Applauds New Study Promoting Platelet Rich Plasma Therapy

They are expensive, unregulated and potentially dangerous . . . Are stem cell facials REALLY worth the $20,000 price …

By Catherine Townsend

PUBLISHED: 17:14 EST, 4 April 2013 | UPDATED: 17:25 EST, 4 April 2013

First it was the liquid facelift; then the vampire facelift. In recent years, nonsurgical options to turn back the clock have multiplied as quickly as the catchy nicknames.

Now, as women pay up to $20,000 for stem cell facelifts, the treatment is being hailed as the new Botox.

But according to The New York Times, the technology may not be that cutting-edge.

Miracle treatment? Stem cell facelifts have been hailed as the new Botox, but some experts question whether they are worth the five-figure price tag (posed by model)

While embryonic skin cells can transform into any type of cell, adult stem cells can only regenerate the types of the organ from which they originate.

So in a stem cell facelift - not to be confused with the stem cell facial that uses sheep placenta - doctors take stem cell-enriched tissue from fatty areas like the stomach or inner thigh and inject it back into the face. They may also use a centrifuge to separate the cells and add them back into the fat before grafting.

Practitioners claim that this process produces better results. Since there are already stem cells present in fatty tissue, however, some experts claim that this is just another name for fat grafting - a technique that has been around for years.

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They are expensive, unregulated and potentially dangerous . . . Are stem cell facials REALLY worth the $20,000 price ...

OncoMed to Present New Data in Six Anti-Cancer Stem Cell Programs at AACR

REDWOOD CITY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

OncoMed Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a clinical-stage company developing novel therapeutics that target cancer stem cells (CSCs), or tumor-initiating cells, today announced an oral presentation and five posters that will highlight the progress of OncoMeds pipeline of anti-cancer biologics at the Annual Meeting of the American Association of Cancer Research in Washington D.C., April 7 9, 2013.

Oral Presentation, Sunday, April 7, 1:30 1:55 pm ET, Room 207, Washington Convention Center

As part of the New Drugs on the Horizon Special Session, Timothy Hoey, PhD, OncoMeds Senior Vice President of Cancer Biology, will discuss, Development of FZD8-Fc (OMP-54F28), a Wnt signaling antagonist that inhibits tumor growth and reduces tumor initiating cell frequency.

Poster #218, Sunday, April 7, 1 5 pm ET, Hall A-C, Poster Section 13

R-Spondin (RSPO) signaling drives the growth of multiple human tumor types will be presented by Austin Gurney, PhD, Senior Vice President of Molecular and Cellular Biology at OncoMed, in the Tumor Biology 2 Poster Session.

Poster #3725, Tuesday, April 9, 1 5 pm ET, Hall A-C, Poster Section 12

Anti-DLL4 (demcizumab) Inhibits tumor growth and reduces cancer stem cell frequency in patient-derived ovarian cancer xenografts will be presented by Wan-Ching Yen, PhD, Senior Scientist at OncoMed, in the Tumor Biology 35 Poster Session.

Poster #213, Sunday, April 7, 1- 5 pm ET, Hall A-C, Poster Section 13

Novel NOTCH3 activating mutations identified in tumors sensitive to OMP-59R5, a monoclonal antibody targeting the Notch2 and Notch3 receptors will be presented by Breanna Wallace, PhD, Post-Doctoral Research Fellow at OncoMed, in the Cancer Stem Targeting Therapies Poster Session.

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OncoMed to Present New Data in Six Anti-Cancer Stem Cell Programs at AACR

Dr. Doohi Lee introduces Stem Cell Therapy at Advanced Surgical Arts

Dr. Lee is one of the first in Texas to use adipose stem cell treatment to care for patients.

Plano, TX (PRWEB) April 03, 2013

Adipose tissue is fat inside the body. Fat is the richest source of adult stem cells in the human body. Stem cells help fight disease or injury by repairing or rejuvenating affected tissue in the body. Medical researchers believe that stem cell treatments have the potential to change the face of human disease.

In the procedure performed by Dr. Lee, fat will be extracted from the body, purified and re-injected into specific areas that need stem cells. Dr. Lee uses an automated machine called the Adivive Lipokit to perform the fat transplantation. The Adivive Lipokit is an all-in-one, FDA-approved device that collects, filters and transfers fat for use in cosmetic and reconstructive surgeries. The Lipokit is able to keep transferred fat cells alive throughout the process.

Procedures that will use adipose stem cell therapy include breast augmentation, facelift surgery, liposuction and fat transfer.

Besides cosmetic purposes, Dr. Lee will also use the Lipokit stem cell therapy for rejuvenation to help relieve chronic pain, whether from aging or due to injuries.

About the company

Advanced Surgical Arts was established in Plano, Texas in 2003. With three board certifications, Dr. Doohi Lee is able to offer his patients a multi-faceted approach to health and well-being. Continuing education is a priority for Dr. Lee, and he regularly attends seminars and conferences to expand his knowledge on cosmetic procedures and anti-aging. Dr. Lee constantly strives to investigate the latest and most minimally invasive procedures in cosmetic and laser vein surgery. His unified approach with artistry and technology provide patients at Advanced Surgical Arts with optimum results. For more information, please visit their website at http://advsurgicalartsdallas.com.

Maggie Gordon Advanced Surgical Arts Dallas 469-666-1075 Email Information

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Dr. Doohi Lee introduces Stem Cell Therapy at Advanced Surgical Arts