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Embryonic-like stem cells collected from adults to grow bone – Stem …

By Stell Cell Research

Washington, April 7 (ANI): Researchers at the University of Michigan School of Dentistry and New York-based NeoStem Inc. are all set for the first known human trial to use embryonic-like stem cells collected from adult cells to grow bone.

The cells technology, called VSEL stem cells, or very small embryonic-like stem cells, are derived from adults-not fetuses. This eliminates ethical arguments and potential side effects associated with using actual embryonic stem cells derived from a fetus, according to researchers at the University of Michigan School of Dentistry and New York-based NeoStem Inc.

The research partners hypothesize that the VSEL stem cells, which mimic properties of embryonic stem cells, can provide a minimally invasive way to speed painful bone regeneration for dental patients and others with bone trauma.

U-M&s role in the study involves design, patient care and data analysis, while NeoStem provides the cells and patented technology to purify the special stem cells.

Study leaders include Russell Taichman, U-M professor of Laurie McCauley, professor and newly named dean of the U-M Dental and Denis Rodgerson, director of grants and academic liaisons for NeoStem. U-M&s work will take place at the Michigan Center for Oral Health Research and the U-M Health System.

&Within a year, researchers hope to begin recruiting roughly 50 patients who need a tooth extraction and a dental implant,& Taichman said.

Before extracting the tooth, U-M researchers harvest the patient&s cells, and then NeoStem&s VSEL technology is used to purify and isolate those VSEL stem cells from the patient&s other cells.

This allows U-M researchers to implant pure populations of the VSEL stem cells back into test patients. Control patients receive their own cells, not the VSELs. After the new bone grows, researchers remove a small portion of it to analyze, and replace it with an implant.

&We&re taking advantage of the time between extraction and implant to see if these cells will expedite healing time and produce better quality bone,& Taichman said.

&They are natural cells that are already in your body, but NeoStem&s technology concentrates them so that we can place a higher quantity of them onto the wound site,& he added.

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Adhesive force differences enable separation of stem cells to …

By Stell Cell Research

Image shows adult human fibroblast cells with intracellular proteins involved in adhesion of these cells to an extracellular matrix. These fibroblasts are converted to human induced pluripotent stem cells through a reprogramming process during which restructuring of the adhesion proteins takes place. Credit: Ankur Singh

A new separation process that depends on an easily-distinguished physical difference in adhesive forces among cells could help expand production of stem cells generated through cell reprogramming. By facilitating new research, the separation process could also lead to improvements in the reprogramming technique itself and help scientists model certain disease processes.

The reprogramming technique allows a small percentage of cells often taken from the skin or blood to become human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) capable of producing a wide range of other cell types. Using cells taken from a patient&s own body, the reprogramming technique might one day enable regenerative therapies that could, for example, provide new heart cells for treating cardiovascular disorders or new neurons for treating Alzheimer&s disease or Parkinson&s disease.

But the cell reprogramming technique is inefficient, generating mixtures in which the cells of interest make up just a small percentage of the total volume. Separating out the pluripotent stem cells is now time-consuming and requires a level of skill that could limit use of the technique and hold back the potential therapies.

To address the problem, researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology have demonstrated a tunable process that separates cells according to the degree to which they adhere to a substrate inside a tiny microfluidic device. The adhesion properties of the hiPSCs differ significantly from those of the cells with which they are mixed, allowing the potentially-therapeutic cells to be separated to as much as 99 percent purity.

The high-throughput separation process, which takes less than 10 minutes to perform, does not rely on labeling technologies such as antibodies. Because it allows separation of intact cell colonies, it avoids damaging the cells, allowing a cell survival rate greater than 80 percent. The resulting cells retain normal transcriptional profiles, differentiation potential and karyotype.

&The principle of the separation is based on the physical phenomenon of adhesion strength, which is controlled by the underlying biology,& said Andrs Garca, the study&s principal investigator and a professor in Georgia Tech&s Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering and the Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience. &This is a very powerful platform technology because it is easy to implement and easy to scale up.&

The separation process will be described April 7 in the advance online publication of the journal Nature Methods. The research was supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Science Foundation (NSF), supplemented by funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).

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Image shows a close-up view of a microfluidic device that exploits the differences in adhesion strength between derived stem cells and contaminating cell types in a heterogeneous culture to selectively isolate cells of interest using fluid shear forces. Credit: Gary Meek

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Meta-Analysis of VELCADE® (bortezomib)-Based Induction Therapy Followed by Stem – Cell Transplantation Showed …

By Stem Cell Treatment

CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Millennium: The Takeda Oncology Company with its parent company Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited (TSE:4502) today announced data from a meta-analysis of VELCADE-based regimens compared to non-VELCADE-based regimens as induction therapy prior to autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT) in patients with previously untreated multiple myeloma (MM). These data were reported in an oral presentation at the 14th International Myeloma Workshop (IMW) held April 3-7, 2013 in Kyoto, Japan.

The median progression-free survival (PFS) was significantly higher with VELCADE-based induction therapy compared to non-VELCADE-based: 35.9 months compared to 28.6 percent respectively (p

This meta-analysis demonstrated that VELCADE-based induction therapy improved progression-free survival and overall survival in multiple myeloma patients who underwent autologous transplantation, said Karen Ferrante, M.D., Chief Medical Officer, Millennium. With data from more than 1,500 patients, this meta-analysis underscores the extensive body of evidence, both in clinical trials and real-world experience, that exists for VELCADE.

Bortezomib-based versus non-bortezomib-based induction prior to ASCT in multiple myeloma: meta-analysis of phase 3 trials (Abstract #O-11)

The primary objectives of this analysis were to compare the post-transplant CR+nCR rates and PFS of VELCADE-based induction therapy (administered IV, twice weekly) with non-VELCADE-based induction in previously untreated patients with MM undergoing ASCT. Secondary endpoints included overall response rate (ORR) and overall survival (OS). This meta-analysis of three phase 3 studies included 1,572 patients. Results, which were presented by Pieter Sonneveld, M.D., Dept. of Hematology, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands, showed:

Patient-level data from three large phase 3 studies were pooled in a thorough integrated analysis of efficacy and safety. Data from a fourth study was included in a larger meta-analysis; however patient-level data was not available due to legal restrictions and is not included in the data reported here with the exception of the OS. The VELCADE-based regimens included VELCADE (Vc) plus dexamethasone (dex), Vc plus doxorubicin plus dex and Vc plus thalidomide (T) plus dex. Non-Vc-based regimens included vincristine plus doxorubicin plus dex, and T plus dex.

About VELCADE VELCADE is co-developed by Millennium and Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies. Millennium is responsible for commercialization of VELCADE in the U.S.; Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies are responsible for commercialization in Europe and the rest of the world. Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited and Janssen Pharmaceutical K.K. co-promote VELCADE in Japan. VELCADE is approved in more than 90 countries and has been used to treat more than 400,000 patients worldwide.

Important Safety Information VELCADE (bortezomib) is approved for the treatment of patients with multiple myeloma. VELCADE is also approved for the treatment of patients with mantle cell lymphoma who have already received at least one prior treatment.

Patients should not receive VELCADE if they are allergic to bortezomib, boron or mannitol. VELCADE should not be administered intrathecally. Women should avoid becoming pregnant or breastfeeding while taking VELCADE. Patients with diabetes may require close monitoring and adjustment of their medication.

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Meta-Analysis of VELCADE® (bortezomib)-Based Induction Therapy Followed by Stem - Cell Transplantation Showed ...

"Nanokicking" Stem Cells Offers Cheaper And Easier Way To Grow …

By Stell Cell Research

Apr 06

Featured Article Academic Journal Main Category: Stem Cell Research Also Included In: Bones / Orthopedics Article Date: 05 Apr 2013 & 12:00 PDT

Current ratings for: &Nanokicking& Stem Cells Offers Cheaper And Easier Way To Grow New Bone

3.75 (8 votes)

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Matt Dalby from the Centre for Cell Engineering at the University of Glasgow, and colleagues, write about their work in a study that was published recently in the journal ACS Nano.

In a statement released this week, Dalby says their new method offers a simple way of &converting adult stem cells from the bone marrow into bone-making cells on a large scale without the use of cocktails of chemicals or recourse to challenging and complex engineering&.

Scientists have found it is possible to grow these tissue types in the lab by isolating MSCs and culturing them in an environment that simulates that which occurs naturally in the human body.

But current methods of coaxing the stem cells to differentiate are notoriously problematic and require expensive and highly engineered materials or complex chemical cocktails.

Nanokicking replicates a vibration that occurs in the membranes of bone cells when they stick together to form new bone naturally in the body.

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"Nanokicking" Stem Cells Offers Cheaper And Easier Way To Grow ...

State medical board revokes license of stem cell doctor Zannos Grekos

By Stem Cell Treatment

DEERFIELD BEACH _ The Florida Board of Medicine revoked the license of Dr. Zannos Grekos on Friday, accepting a judges finding that he committed medical malpractice in performing an unproven stem cell therapy on a patient who later died.

The medical boards vote was unanimous and without discussion.

The Bonita Springs cardiologist and his attorney said they will appeal to a state appellate court.

While we are disappointed, we are not totally surprised, said Richard Ozelie, Grekos attorney.

Ozelie said the board was predisposed to accepting the findings of an administrative law judge. The board rejected more than a dozen objections he raised about the judges findings, and Ozelie described the proceeding Friday as an exercise in futility.

Grekos had developed a following among patients with debilitating conditions, such as heart and lung failure, with his stem cell therapy. It involved sending a sample of the patients blood to Israel for cultivating the stem cells and sending it to the Dominican Republic. The patient would travel to the Dominican Republic and Grekos partner would inject the stem cells into the patients damaged heart muscle, lungs or circulatory system.

Grekos, 47, who didnt address the panel Friday, showed no reaction to the boards decision.

The decision comes three years after the April 4, 2010, death of Domenica Fitzgerald, a 69-year-old woman who went to Grekos for his stem cell treatment.

She suffered from numbness and tingling in her legs as a side-effect from chemotherapy for breast cancer treatment earlier. She was hoping the stem cell therapy could help.

She suffered a stroke after the treatment, was hospitalized and was taken off life support. The state Department of Health restricted Grekos license in 2011 and told him not to do anything with stem cells. He violated that order in March 2012 and did a similar procedure with another patient, who also died. The state then suspended Grekos license.

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State medical board revokes license of stem cell doctor Zannos Grekos

Creation of adult stem cell center at KU Med sent to Brownback for consideration

By Stem Cell Treatment

By SCOTT ROTHSCHILD, The Lawrence Journal-World

The creation of an adult stem cell research and treatment center at Kansas University Medical Center requires only the signature of Gov. Sam Brownback, who has indicated he supports the venture.

The House and Senate on Friday sent the legislation to Brownback even though KU Med didnt ask for the measure, and there is no funding in the proposal to start what would be called the Midwest Stem Cell Therapy Center.

The proposal was championed by abortion opponents who say that adult stem cell research has the potential to establish new cures and therapies.

The bill would prohibit the center from using embryonic stem cells or cells taken from aborted fetal tissue. Abortion opponents oppose human embryonic stem cell research because it involves the destruction of the embryo.

But opponents of the bill said the startup of a research center requires a lengthy planning process that brings experts together before approaching the Legislature.

The Legislature has no business inserting itself into this sort of operation at the Medical Center, said Sen. Laura Kelly, D-Topeka. We have no qualifications to do this.

Kelly also said the advisory board set up for the center would have too many political appointees.

Under the proposal, KU would appoint a director of the center who would be responsible for oversight of patient treatment and research. The center would require $1.1 million to renovate a lab and hire staff and $750,000 annually after that, according to a state fiscal note. But the funding has not been provided by the Legislature.

Supporters of the bill said KU could solicit grants, gifts and contributions.

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Creation of adult stem cell center at KU Med sent to Brownback for consideration

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

By Stem Cell Treatment

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)

By Stem Cell Treatment

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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

By Stem Cell Treatment

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

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