Stem Cell Therapy: Alternative Treatment to Hip & Knee …

The Regenerative therapy procedure is performed in an outpatient setting and only takes up to two hours. No general anaesthesia is required, and most patients dont need post-operative pain medication. After the procedure, patients typically return to work within a week or two and may resume physical activity much faster than after invasive surgery. Many patients report feeling marked improvement in their joint within one to three months.

For the procedure, PRP and cell concentrates are obtained from your body and prepared for injection. Once injected, cells follow inflammatory signals from damaged tissues and travel to the injured areas. These cells have multiple ways of repairing these damaged areas from inducing the production of natural anti-inflammatories which can assist with Osteoarthritis pain and swelling in the joint area to kick-starting the healing in injuries and stimulating regeneration. The anti-inflammatory effect lasts from 2-3 months. From there, you can see continued gradual improvement as the cells help provide healing to the affected area. However, you should not expect to see the full effect of the treatment earlier than six months, especially in the case of joint interventions. Variables like the type of disease or condition, age, lifestyle, comorbidities, general health and other factors also affect the outcome and length of recovery.

Read the original here:
Stem Cell Therapy: Alternative Treatment to Hip & Knee ...

Selma Blair Posts Nude Diving Photo After MS Stem Cell …

Kids do the darndest things to their parents, and thats apparently true whether you have a chronic illness or not.

Selma Blair just shared a photo on Instagram of herself executing a perfect dive. At first, its like whoa, Selma has amazing form! but then you realize you can totally see her bare butt. Sotheres a backstory to this.

On Wednesday, Selma (who has multiple sclerosis) shared a photo of herself on Instagram preparing to dive into a pool. Given that Selma uses a cane to walk and has mobility issues, this was kind of a BFD. Well, just as Selma prepared to take the plunge, her 8-year-old son Arthur came out of nowhere and pushed her in, leaving Selma flailing as she fell.

Preparing to dive. A very big deal for me, she wrote in the caption. "Instead, I felt a tiny hand on swimsuit and lost any coordination. Her hashtags were hilarious: #terror #punkkid #payback is coming.

This content is imported from Instagram. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.

Fast-forward to that gorgeous dive pic Victory. I dont give up. #bottomsup my boy is a #crackup@kidarthursaint, Selma wrote in the caption.

This content is imported from Instagram. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.

Selma, who was diagnosed with MS more than a year ago, has been very candid with fans about her mobility issues. She often uses a cane for balance and occasionally uses an Alinker walking bike to help her get around.

This content is imported from {embed-name}. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.

Selma recently revealed that she had been away from home for months to undergo treatment for her MS. One fan asked in the comments what differences she's noticed after having stem cell treatment, and she responded with this: "I can dive!"

Selma, FTW!

This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io

The rest is here:
Selma Blair Posts Nude Diving Photo After MS Stem Cell ...

How The Overlap Between Artificial Intelligence And Stem Cell Research Is Producing Exciting Results – Forbes

Passage Of California Stem Cell Proposition Boosts Research

For the last decade and more, Stem Cell research and regenerative medicine have been the rave of the healthcare industry, a delicate area that has seen steady advancements over the last few years.

The promise of regenerative medicine is simple but profound that one day medical experts will be able to diagnose a problem, remove some of our body cells called stem cells and use them to grow a cure for our ailment. Using our body cells will create a highly personalized therapy attuned to our genes and systems.

The terminologies often used in this field of medicine can get a bit fuzzy for the uninitiated, so in this article, I have relied heavily on the insights of Christian Drapeau, a neurophysiologist and stem cell expert.

Drapeau was one of the first voices who discovered and began to speak about stem cells being the bodys repair system in the early 2000s. Since then, he has gone on to discover the first stem cell mobilizer, and his studies and research delivered the proof of concept that the AFA (Aphanizomenon flos-aquae) extract was capable of enhancing repair from muscle injury.

Christian Drapeau is also the founder of Kalyagen, astem cell research-based company, and the manufacturers of Stemregen. This stem cell mobilizer combines some of the most effective stem cell mobilizers Drapeau has discovered to create an effective treatment for varying diseases.

How exactly do stem cell-based treatments work? And how is it delivering on its promise of boosting our abilities to regenerate or self-heal?

Drapeau explains the concept for us;

Stem cells are mother cells or blank cells produced by the bone marrow. As they are released from the bone marrow stem cells can travel to any organ and tissue of the body, where they can transform into cells of that tissue.Stem cells constitute the repair system of the body.

The discovery of this function has led scientists on a long journey to discover how to use stem cells to cure diseases, which are essentially caused by cellular loss. Diseases like Diabetes and age-related degenerative diseases are all associated with the loss of a type of cell or cellular function.

However, what Drapeaus research has unearthed over the last few decades is that there are naturally occurring substances that show a demonstrated ability to induce the release of stem cells from the bone marrow. These stem cells then enter the bloodstream, from where they can travel to sites of cell deficiency or injury in the body to aid healing and regeneration. This process is referred to as Endogenous Stem Cell Mobilization (ESCM).

Stemregen is our most potent creation so far, explains Drapeau, and it has shown excellent results with the treatment of problems in the endocrine system, muscles, kidneys, respiratory systems, and even with issues of erectile dysfunction.

Despite the stunning advancements that have been made so far, a concern that both Drapeau and I share is how this innovation can be merged with another exciting innovation; AI.

Is it even a possibility? Drapeau, an AI enthusiast, explains that AI has already been a life-saver in stem cell research and has even more potential.

On closer observation, there are a few areas in which AI has greatly benefited stem cell research and regenerative medicine.

One obstacle that scientists have consistently faced with delivering the full promise of regenerative medicine is the complexity of the available data.Cells are so different from each other that scientists can struggle with predicting what the cells will do in any given therapeutic scenario. Scientists are faced with millions of ways that medical therapy could go wrong.

Most AI experts believe that in almost any field, AI can provide a solution whenever there is a problem with data analysis and predictive analysis.

Carl Simon, a biologist at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and Nicholas Schaub recentlytested this hypothesiswhen they applied Deep Neural Networks (DNN), an AI program to the data they had collected in their experiments on eye cells. Their research revolved around causes and solutions for age-related eye degeneration. The results were stunning; the AI made only one incorrect prediction about cell changes out of 36 predictions it was asked to make.

Their program learned how to predict cell function in different scenarios and settings from annotated images of cells. It soon could rapidly analyze images of the lab-grown eye tissues to classify the tissues as good or bad. This discovery has raised optimism in the stem cell research space.

Drapeau explains why this is so exciting;

When we talk about stem cells in general, we say stem cells as if they were all one thing, but there are many different types of stem cells.For example, hair follicle and dental pulp stem cells contain neuronal markers and can easily transform into neurons to repair the brain. Furthermore, the tissue undergoing repair must signal to attract stem cells and must secrete compounds to stimulate stem cell function. A complex analysis of the tissue that needs repair and the conditions of that tissue using AI, in any specific individual, will help select the right type of stem cells and the best cells in that stem cell population, along with the accompanying treatment to optimize stem cell-based tissue repair.

Christian Drapeau

Ina study published in Februaryof this year inStem Cells, researchers from Tokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU) reported that their AI system, called DeepACT, had successfully identified healthy, productive skin stem cells with the same accuracy that a human could. This discovery further strengthens Drapeaus argument on the potentials of AI in this field.

This experiment owes its success to AIs machine learning capabilities, but it is expected that Deep Learning can be beneficially introduced into regenerative medicine.There are many futuristic projections for these possibilities, but many of them are not as far-fetched as they may first seem.

Researchers believe that AI can help fast-track the translation of regenerative medicine into clinical practice; the technology can be used to predict cell behavior in different environments. Therefore, hypothetically, it can be used to simulate the human environment. This means that researchers can gain in-depth information more rapidly.

Perhaps the most daring expectation is the possibility of using AI to pioneer the 3D printing of organs. In a world where organ shortage is a harsh reality, this would certainly come in handy. AI algorithms can be utilized to identify the best materials for artificial organs, understand the anatomic challenges during treatment, and design the organ.

Can stem cells actually be used along with other biological materials to grow functional 3D-printed organs? If this is possible, then pacemakers will soon give way to 3D-printed hearts. A 3D-printedheart valvehas already become a reality in India, making this even more of an imminent possibility.

While all of these possibilities excite Drapeau, he is confident that AIs capabilities with data analysis and prediction, which is already largely in use, would go down as its most beneficial contribution to stem cell research;

It was already shown that stem cells laid on the connective tissue of the heart, the soft skeleton of the heart, can lead the entire formation of a new heart. Stem cells have this enormous regenerative potential. AI can take this to another level by helping establish the conditions in which this type of regeneration can be orchestrated inside the body.But we have to be grateful for what we already have, over the last 20 years, I have studied endogenous stem cell mobilization and today the fact that we have such amazing results with Stemregen is testament that regenerative medicine is already a success.

As AI continues to scale over industry boundaries, we can only sit back and hope it delivers on its full potential promise. Who knows? Perhaps AI really can change the world.

Excerpt from:
How The Overlap Between Artificial Intelligence And Stem Cell Research Is Producing Exciting Results - Forbes

Stem cell therapy for heart failure lowers risk of adverse outcomes – Cardiovascular Business

Stem cell therapy can help heart failure (HF) patients decrease their risk of a non-fatal myocardial infarction (MI) or stroke, according to new research presented at the American Heart Associations Scientific Sessions 2021.

Researchers tracked data from 537 patients with heart failure withreduced ejection fraction (HFrEF).Eighty percent of the patients were men, and the median age was 63 years old.

Patients were split into two groups: 261 patients were injected with 150 million mesenchymal precursor cells [stem cells] provided by healthy donors directly into the heart using a catheter, and 276 patients underwent a fake procedure.

According to the authors, patients were discharged from the hospital the day after the procedure and were followed for an average of 30 months.

Overall, the team associated stem cell use with a 65% decrease in non-fatal MIs and stroke events. Also,patients with high levels of inflammation (CRP levels of at least 2 mg/L) were 79% less likely to have non-fatal MI or stroke after being given stem cells.

Moreover, stem cell treatment lowered cardiac death by 80% in patients with high levels of inflammation and less severe HF.

However, the team added, there was no reduction in hospitalizations for HF among patients who received stem cells.

Cell therapy has the potential to change how we treat HF, lead author Emerson C. Perin, MD, PhD, director of the Center for Clinical Research and medical director of the Texas Heart Institute in Houston, said in a prepared statement. This study addresses the inflammatory aspects of HF, which go mostly untreated, despite significant pharmaceutical and device therapy development. Our findings indicate stem cell therapy may be considered for use in addition to standard guideline therapies.

Read the original:
Stem cell therapy for heart failure lowers risk of adverse outcomes - Cardiovascular Business

A second HIV patient may have been ‘cured’ of infection without stem cell treatment, in extremely rare case – CNN

The patient has received no regular treatment for her infection but is a rare "elite controller" of the virus who, eight years after she was first diagnosed, shows no signs of active infection and shows no signs of intact virus in her body, researchers reported Monday. This has only been reported once before.

The 30-year-old woman in the new study is only the second patient who has been described as achieving this sterilizing cure without help from stem cell transplantation or other treatment. The other patient who has been described as achieving this was a 67-year-old woman named Loreen Willenberg.

"A sterilizing cure for HIV has previously only been observed in two patients who received a highly toxic bone marrow transplant. Our study shows that such a cure can also be reached during natural infection -- in the absence of bone marrow transplants (or any type of treatment at all)," Dr. Xu Yu, of the Ragon Institute of Massachusetts General Hospital, MIT and Harvard, who was an author of the study, wrote in an email to CNN on Monday.

"Examples of such a cure that develops naturally suggest that current efforts to find a cure for HIV infection are not elusive, and that the prospects of getting to an 'AIDS-free generation' may ultimately be successful," Yu wrote.

Yu, Dr. Natalia Laufer in Argentina, and their colleagues analyzed blood samples collected from the 30-year-old HIV patient between 2017 and 2020. She had a baby in March 2020, allowing scientists to collect placental tissue, as well.

The patient was first diagnosed with HIV in March 2013. She started no antiretroviral treatment until 2019, when she became pregnant and began treatment with the drugs tenofovir, emtricitabine, and raltegravir for six months during her second and third trimesters, the researchers noted. After delivering a healthy HIV-negative baby, she stopped the therapy.

An analysis of billions of cells in her blood and tissue samples showed that she had been infected with HIV before but, during the analysis, the researchers found no intact virus that was capable of replicating. All they could find were seven defective proviruses -- a form of a virus that is integrated into the genetic material of a host cell as part of the replication cycle.

The researchers are not sure how the patient's body was able to apparently rid itself of intact, replication-competent virus but, "we think it's a combination of different immune mechanisms -- cytotoxic T cells are likely involved, innate immune mechanism may also have contributed," Yu wrote in her email.

"Expanding the numbers of individuals with possible sterilizing cure status would facilitate our discovery of the immune factors that lead to this sterilizing cure in broader population of HIV infected individuals."

Continued here:
A second HIV patient may have been 'cured' of infection without stem cell treatment, in extremely rare case - CNN

Stem Cell Therapy Reduces Need for Nearly 10% of Hip Replacements – Yale School of Medicine

Daniel Wiznia, MD, an orthopaedic surgeon with Yale School of Medicine, is practicing a surgical technique designed to render 10% of hip replacements unnecessary. Regenerative properties from a patients own stem cells are responsible for regrowing bone, restoring blood flow, and being able to avoid further interventional surgery.

Osteonecrosis, also known as avascular necrosis, occurs in more than 20,000 Americans each year. As the condition progresses, bone cells known as osteoblasts become unable to repair themselves and sustain the integrity of the bone, and ultimately die. The bone deterioration leads to a decrease in blood flow to the area, further weakening the entire skeletal structure of the upper leg. If unaddressed, the ball portion of the hips ball and socket joint will cave in on itself and collapse, requiring a total hip replacement.

The fact that patients often receive this diagnosis during their 30s and 40s presents a particular challenge. While the lifespan of hip prosthetics has dramatically increased in recent years, a patient who undergoes a total hip arthroplasty, or total hip replacement, at that age will almost certainly require a revision later in life. This redo of the same surgery at an older age comes with an entirely new set of risks and potential complications, making it that much harder to manage down the road.

The goal in patients with this condition then becomes very clear: prevent the head of the femur (thighbone) from collapsing.

Wiznia, assistant professor of orthopaedics and rehabilitation, and of mechanical engineering and materials science, draws from both of those areas of expertise to use 3D imaging technology as part of an innovative joint-preservation procedure. In recent years, he has worked closely with the Yale School of Engineering & Applied Sciences and the Integrated 3D Surgical Team at the Yale School of Medicine to tailor this treatment to each patient. Imaging has proven to be critical to the successful outcome of this surgical technique.

One of the challenges of orthopaedic surgery in the human body is that surgeons are operating in a three-dimensional space and are often reliant on two-dimensional imagery such as X-rays, Wiznia says. Through computer modeling, we are able to customize those images and create models that are specific to each patient, which, in turn, enhances outcomes and overall post-operative success rates.

Wiznia surgically harvests bone marrow from the patients pelvis. By using a centrifuge inside the operating room, he is able to isolate and concentrate the individuals own stem cells. Material containing the stem cells is then injected into the area of bone that has died.

Research has shown that stem cells possess the characteristics and qualities needed for the body to regrow, repair, and regenerate damaged tissue and bone, and according to Wiznia, this treatment dramatically reduces the risk of the head of the femur from collapsing. Soon after the procedure, many patients with avascular necrosis experience rejuvenated blood supply to the area and the bone is repopulated with new cells. This can additionally alleviate the short-term need for a hip replacement.

The major challenge in this patient population is identifying, diagnosing, and performing surgical intervention in time before the collapse. Because the vascular injury is usually a painless event, says Wiznia, patients are generally unaware of the specific point in time when the injury occurred, which is why cases are rarely discovered in time.

Patients may be encouraged to know that those who have avascular necrosis of the hip generally have it present on both sides, and it can develop on the two sides at different rates. So, even if it is detected too late on one side, there is still a chance to preserve the other.

We usually are able to catch that second asymptomatic side in those situations and conduct the core decompression with stem cell treatment before it collapses, Wiznia says. This novel stem cell therapy has demonstrated improved pain and function, and the stem cells decrease the risk of the femoral head from collapsing. That ultimately translates into fewer young patients requiring hip replacements along with subsequent surgeries in their later years.

Read more from the original source:
Stem Cell Therapy Reduces Need for Nearly 10% of Hip Replacements - Yale School of Medicine

The Promise of Stem Cells to Help Children with Autism – Entrepreneur

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

I take great pleasure meeting many patients we help recover from serious injuries and ease symptoms of debilitating diseases so they can improve their lives through advanced stem cell therapy. In some cases, these patients report that after treatment they feel more energy a sense of vitality they enjoyed in their youth.

But what about patients who are young children some facing a future so uncertain that they may never even learn to talk, let alone enjoy a long rewarding life.

Thats the pain all too many parents cope with when their children are diagnosed with autism, or more specifically, autistic spectrum disorder (ASD). This spectrum of neurological conditions is seen in young children who dont seem to develop normalsocial, communication and behavioral skills.

Thats a vague description, I know, but that makes a diagnosis of ASD even more frustrating. Some children may function relatively well, but not make friends easily or demonstrate odd speech patterns. Others may not even be able to make eye contact or communicate at all, making the idea of going to school, let alone graduate and lead an independent life, seem impossible. Its not a rare condition, either. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, ASD now affects about 1 out of 54 children in the United States.

Research shows that the earliertreatment can begin, the better. And the evidence is growing that stem cell therapy can help alleviate the symptoms for many children who suffer from ASD. Thats why Im so pleased that our advanced stem cell therapies can help more children who suffer from ASD enjoy a much brighter future.

Related:This 37-Year-Old Entrepreneur Is UntanglingAutisticMinds With ...

Current therapies for autism mostly include medications such as SSRIs, anxiolyticsand mood stabilizers. Although medications may decrease intensity and frequency of symptoms, they do not address the root causes of autistic disorders, which research shows can result from oxygen deprivation and intestinal inflammation.

The rationale behind treating autism with stem cells is that autism, and its degree of severity, has been significantly correlated to inflammatory and neuro-inflammatory cytokines. Intravenous administration of umbilical cord-derived stem cells has been shown in multiple clinical trials to reduce inflammation. Reducing inflammation in the autistic patient may alleviate symptoms of autism.

Heres one heartwarming story that reveals how stem cells offer new hope to parents of children with ASD. Back in June at age 19, Kenneth graduated from high school.

That may not seem like much of an accomplishment, but Kenneth was diagnosed with ASD at age two. When he was eightyears old, his parents say he was still in diapers and struggled to even communicate, but thats when he started receiving stem cell treatments.

His parents report that stem cells made a big difference. His mother, Marty Kelley, noted improvement within days of his first treatment. And his father Donald Kelley said, when you see that your child has been blessed with stem cell treatments and the improvement, its just a dream come true.

No, its not just a dream. Its based on science and research into how the body tries to heal itself naturally using stem cells.

As Kenneth says about the treatments, they put a little needle in, its not too bad. Thats a keen observation on another aspect of stem cell therapy that its a non-invasive procedure that poses little risk of side effects.

Related:This Is HowStem-Cell TherapyTreats Serious Brain Injuries

Although scientists arent sure exactly what causes ASD, our Chief Medical Officer Karolynn Halpert points out that these disorders are associated with the process of how the body modulates immune response and controls inflammation, but that stem cells have the ability to communicate with the immune system and release anti-inflammatory factors that can help reduce brain inflammation (neuroinflammation).

Dr. Halpert also explains that inflammation in the digestive system can also interfere with neurological function. Indeed, that phrase, gut feeling,isnt just an expression. Researchers have confirmed that the gut and the brain are linked in a gut-brain axisthat creates complex interactions in neurological functioning in ways that are not fully understood.

Some research suggests that autistic spectrum disorders may cause a heightened level of inflammation throughout the gastrointestinal tract, which can aggravate symptoms. There is significant evidence, however, that inflammation is controlled by stem cells. Thats why it helps promote healing and ease pain for patients we treat for a wide range of injuries such as TBI, and diseases such as autoimmune disorders, degenerative disc disease and many others all that can cause too much harmful inflammation.

Related:Researching the Safety and Effectiveness ofStem Cellsto Treat ...

As Dr. Halpert points out, stem cells help other cells signal each other more effectively replacing cells in the digestive system and throughout the body to balance immune response and control inflammation to potentially help children with autistic symptoms improve thinking and cognitive function.

Thats good news for ASD patients and their parents, especially with advanced stem cell therapy now available using ourproprietary protocols to culture the most potent cells. These cells are harvested from donated umbilical cords, which are rich in a specific type of stem cell mesenchymal stem cells. These cells are then screened for specific biomarkers that indicate high potency. Only cells that meet the criteria for high levels of potency are then reproduced into infusions that are given to patients a non-invasive therapy thats like Kenneth describes just a little needle.

As autistic spectrum disorder cases become more commonly diagnosed in children at younger ages, its essential to identify these cases early so treatment can begin as soon as possible. Its clear that the earlier treatment begins, the more likely it is that these children can enjoy better lives in the years ahead.

So congratulations Kenneth on your recent graduation. You earned your diploma. Your parents are proud of you. I am, as well. You and other ASD patients are an inspiration for our entire team to help others like you not only graduate from school but live a life filled with as much joy as possible.

More:
The Promise of Stem Cells to Help Children with Autism - Entrepreneur