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Smith trying to turn the corner on cancer battle – Johnson City Press (subscription)

By Stem Cell Doctors

Now hes counting on skilled doctors along with an army of family and friends to help him fight a major battle with Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

Smith has been at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston for the last couple of months. The longtime physical therapist, who is well known for treating athletes throughout Carter County, is currently in isolation because of treatments and the coronavirus pandemic. He received good news this week when his wife was allowed to join him in isolation.

They shut the hospital down to outside people coming in, said Dannys son, Justin, who followed in his dads footsteps at Physical Therapy Services in Elizabethton. But I think they changed their policy because people wanted a family member in the room, understandably so. She is basically in quarantine with him.

Justin said the family is hopeful Danny will be released from the hospital Tuesday. He would then stay in Houston, close to the hospital, for a week and return each day for testing.

Dannys faith has been at the forefront of his battle.

Its 100 percent faith based, said Justin. He has kept a positive outlook.

It wasnt the pandemic that initially forced Danny into isolation, Justin said. It was because his white blood cell count was so low after a stem cell transplant. His count should have been between 12 to 14, but it was zero.

He would have to be careful anyway, but hes more cautious now, Justin said. He was being cautious even when he was in chemo.

Smith was diagnosed last fall and found he had a rare form of the cancer, and it was aggressive.

You dont ever want aggressive cancer, but the good thing is they caught it early and were able to treat it, which is wonderful, said Justin.

Smith went through four rounds of chemo. Two of them came during Elizabethtons historic run to the Class 4A state football championship.

Because the chemo did so well, it made him a candidate for a stem cell transplant, Justin said. They do it because the long-term survivability with a stem cell transplant is like 86 percent.

Dannys well-known smiling face has been on a lot of peoples minds in the Elizabethton area. Justin said the support Danny has received has been nothing short of incredible.

It has been absolutely amazing, Justin said. Living in a small town has its plusses and minuses, this being one of the plusses. Everybody knows what is going on. Weve heard from so many people, even from as far away as Hawaii. The prayers, love and support have been amazing.

Part of the reason for that support is Dannys excellent work helping others, Justin said.

Excellent is the result of caring more than others think its wise, risking more than others think is safe, dreaming more than others think is practical, and expecting more than others think is possible, he said.

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Smith trying to turn the corner on cancer battle - Johnson City Press (subscription)

Adam Castillejo ‘feared dying of cancer more than Aids and considered ending it all at Dignitas’ Daily Mail – westofthepond.com

By Stem Cell Doctors

Dailymail.co.uk

Adam Castillejo (pictured), 40, was known only as the London Patient when doctors revealed his success story last March after a stem cell transplant to treat his cancer.

The second person to be cured of HIV has revealed how he was more fearful of dying from cancer than Aids and considered ending his life at Dignitas.Adam Castillejo, 40, was known only as the London Patient when doctors revealed his success story last March after a stem cell transplant to treat his cancer.He remained anonymous until he decided he wanted to be seen as an ambassador of hope after struggling with his health for almost two decades.Mr Castillejo, who was born in Venezuela and moved to London in 2002, was diagnosed with blood cancer in 2012, having already lived with HIV since 2003.His last hope of cancer survival was a bone marrow transplant from a donor with HIV-resistant genes that could wipe out his cancer and virus in one fell swoop.But in a powerful interview with The Sunday Times,Mr Castillejo admitted that he was more fearful of dying from stage 4 Hodgkins lymphoma than Aids.Calling the second diagnosis another death sentence, the sou-chef revealed that he panicked because cancer can kill you faster than HIV.Adam Castillejo, 40, was known only as the London Patient when doctors revealed his success story last March after a stem cell transplant to treat his cancerMr Castillejo embarked upon a gruelling treatment regime that left him physically emaciated and pushed the Venezuelan to the mental edge.Both illnesses became one because you had to deal with the anti-retroviral medications not interfering with thechemotherapy regime and vice versa, he said.By the end of 2014, he said that he had given up on battling the two illnesses, and had made up his mind to end it all at Dignitas in Switzerland.Around this time,Mr Castillejo disappeared, and was found four days later outside London psychologically broken. He does not remember this period.Doctors gave him six months to live, before a switch flicked.At that time I accepted straight away, because what choice have I got? I would rather die fighting, he explained.Within days, he met with Dr Ian Gabriel at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, who advised that he could attempt a bone marrow transplant.The procedure in May 2016 meantMr Castillejo was cleared of both cancer and HIV.But he lost five stone and took 60 pills a day, revealing: I told my doctors there werent enough hours in the day to take all the medication I needed.Mr Castillejo, who was born in Venezuela and moved to London in 2002, was diagnosed with blood cancer in 2012, having already lived with HIV since 2003An American man treated in Germany 12 years ago called Timothy Ray Brown (pictured) the so-called Berlin Patient also survived the transplantHe also developed mouth ulcers which inhibited his ability to eat, and his anti-retroviral medication had to be crushed and washed down.Mr Castillejo also claimed that he felt victimised and guilty when he told people that he was suffering from HIV, saying: This is a punishment for you.The Venezuelan chef is the second person to have survived the life-threatening technique and come out the other side HIV-free.An American man treated in Germany 12 years ago called Timothy Ray Brown the so-called Berlin Patient also survived the transplant.He was put into an induced coma for six months, however.Experts have hailed the treatment as a milestone in the fight against HIV, but are urging caution when calling it a cure so early on.In the context of HIV infection, the term cure means there are no virus-carrying cells left.Anti-retroviral therapy is very effective at reducing the viral load in the blood of infected individuals so that it cannot be transmitted to others.Unfortunately, the Berlin and London Patients cases do not change the reality much for 37 million HIV patients.The treatment is unlikely to have potential on a wider scale because both Mr Castillejo and Mr Ray Brown were given stem cells to treat cancer, not HIV.Stem cell and bone marrow transplants are life-threatening operations with huge risks. Patients can suffer a fatal reaction if substitute immune cells dont take.In his private life, Mr Castillejo likes to walk the streets of Shoreditch and travel.Kat Smithson, director of policy at National AIDS Trust, said: We applaud the London Patient Adam Castillejo for sharing his unique experience of having his HIV cured following a bone-marrow transplant to treat cancer. Mr Castillejo has been through a long and extremely challenging journey with his health, within which HIV is just one part.His decision to speak about his experience without anonymity can only enrich our understanding of his experience on a human level, and we thank him for this.Theres still a great deal of stigma around HIV which can make it harder for people to access the services and support they need and for people to talk openly about HIV.His story helps raise much-needed awareness of HIV, but broader than that its a story about incredible resilience, determination and hope.How a stem cell transplant cured the Berlin and London Patients and how it can go badly wrongUsually, HIV patients expect to stay on daily pills for life to suppress the virus. When drugs are stopped, the virus roars back, usually in two to three weeksThe vast majority of humans carry the gene CCR5.In many ways, it is incredibly unhelpful. It affects our odds of surviving and recovering from a stroke, according to recent research.And it is the main access point for HIV to overtake our immune systems.But some people carry a mutations that prevents CCR5 from expressing itself, effectively blocking or eliminating the gene.Those few people in the world are called elite controllers by HIV experts. They are naturally resistant to HIV.If the virus ever entered their body, they would naturally control the virus as if they were taking the virus-suppressing drugs that HIV patients require.Both the Berlin patient and the London patient received stem cells donated from people with that crucial mutation.WHY HAS IT NEVER WORKED BEFORE?There are many reasons this hasnt worked, Dr Janet Siliciano, at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, told DailyMail.com.1. FINDING DONORSIts incredibly difficult to find HLA-matched bone marrow [i.e. someone with the same proteins in their blood as you], Dr Siliciano said.Its even more difficult to find the CCR5 mutation.2. INEFFECTIVE TRANSPLANT LEADS TO CANCER RELAPSESecond, there is a risk that the bone marrow wont take.Sometimes you dont become fully chimeric, meaning you still have a lot of your own cells.This means they will not defeat the cancer if it returns again.3. THE OLD IMMUNE SYSTEM ATTACKS THE NEW ONEThe other most common reason this approach has failed is graft-versus-host disease: whenthe patients immune system tries to attack the incoming, replacement immune system, causing a fatal reaction in most.4. UNKNOWN QUANTITIESInterestingly, both the Berlin patient and the London patient experienced complications that are normally lethal in most other cases.And experts believe that those complications helped their cases.Timothy Ray Brown, the Berlin patient, had both his cancer returned and he developed graft-versus-host disease, putting him in a coma and requiring a second bone marrow transplant.The London patient had one: he suffered graft-versus-host disease.Against the odds, they both survived, HIV-free.Some believe that, ironically, graft-versus-host disease might have helped both of them to further obliterate their HIV.But there is no way to control or replicate that safely.

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Adam Castillejo 'feared dying of cancer more than Aids and considered ending it all at Dignitas' Daily Mail - westofthepond.com

Cell and gene therapy startup ElevateBio raises $170 million – Yahoo Lifestyle

By Stem Cell Doctors

While economic conditions and the ongoing global coronavirus pandemic may not make for the best atmosphere for raising funding, some companies are still announcing round closures with significant money committed. Cambridge-based ElevateBio, for instance, revealed a $170 million Series B funding on Monday, with participation from new investors The Invus Group, Surveyor Capital, EDBI, and Vertex Ventures, along with existing investors F2 Ventures, MPM Capital, EcoR1 Capital, Redmile Group and Samsara BioCapital.

ElevateBio, which was officially launched to the public less than a year ago, specializes in development of new types of cellular and genetic therapies, and operates by the creation of new companies under its portfolio each dedicated to the development and manufacturing of a specific type of therapeutic approach. This funding brings the total raised by ElevateBio to over $300 million, on top of a $150 million Series A round that the company announced last year, led by Swiss investment bank UBS' Oncology Impact Fund.

The biotech company has ramped up quickly, nearing completion of a 140,000 square foot facilitating in Massachusetts to focus on R&D. It also launched a company called AlloVir that's working on T-cell immunotherapy for combating viruses that specifically arise stem cell transplantations and is already in the later stages of clinical trials. Finally, it launched another company called HighPassBio, which is also aimed at helping treat stem cell-related diseases using T-cell therapies, in this case specifically around the potential relapse of leukaemia following a transplant.

As you might expect, ElevateBio is also turning the attention of some of its efforts towards research focused on mitigating the impact of COVID-19; specifically, its AlloVir subsidiary has expanding an existing research agreement in place with the Baylor College of Medicine to work on developing a type of T-cell therapy that can help protect patients with conditions that compromise their immune systems and put them at increased risk for COVID-19.

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Cell and gene therapy startup ElevateBio raises $170 million - Yahoo Lifestyle

Stifle injuries and treatments – Tri-State Livestock News

By Platelet Rich Plasma Injections

In the past, an injury to the stifle joint of a horse may have certainly ended his or her career or usefulness. Now, with the ever-evolving science of veterinary medicine, afflictions to the joint have a much higher chance of being treated or even healed.

One of the reasons a stifle injury gives apprehension to horse owners is the complicated nature of the joint said Scott Cammack, D.V.M. He practices at Northern Hills Veterinary Clinic in Sturgis, South Dakota, with several other specialists.

Cammack explains that its treatment is much more involved than similar injuries. For example, an injury to the hock can often be resolved by fusing the bottom two joints (the hock consists of four total). Because it is a low-motion joint, the horse will still be sound and function after fusion.

The stifle, on the other hand, is a high-motion joint. Its got a lot of things going on in there. It doesnt have the capacity to be fused and still be sound. I would consider that they are more serious. They are more prone to long-term issues than a hock is, in my mind, he said.

According to Dr. Cammack, the stifle is anatomically similar to a human knee. All the parts are similar to your knee. Just as athletes injure their knees, they injure themselves. They have a patella, theyve got meniscuses, theyve got anterior and posterior cruciate ligaments, theyve got collateral ligaments. One major difference is that humans have one patellar ligament coming off the kneecap, while horses have three. Therefore, horses can have very unique issues.

One condition, often found in younger horses (aged 2-6) is the intermittent upward fixation of the patella or simply a catchy stifle. Dr. Cammack describes this condition: The locking mechanism of the stifle is inappropriately keeping the leg in the locked, extended position. They cant bend their leg and it only bends at the fetlock. That one is one that we treat in different ways. Sometimes, well do a procedure where we put a needle in the medial patellar ligament and we split it a little bit and cause it to thicken up and tighten up a little bit to help correct that. So thats a pretty simple procedure.

Another condition found in younger horses is OCD (osteochondrosis) lesions, a developmental issue. According to Dr. Cammack, they are cyst-like lesions on the bone. Some of them fill in and some require surgery. We saw one just the other day. A four year old had large cysts up in the bone. All they did was turn the horse out and waited. That one filled in on its own, but thats not common. Usually youre injecting the cyst or putting a screw across it or various treatments for something like that.

On the other hand, older horses may have very different afflictions in the joint. He said, In my mind, youre going to see more of the soft tissue injuries in your younger horses and more of the osteoarthritis in the older horses.

Older horses are going to be more prone to seeing arthritis in their stifle, which might be secondary to an injury it had had way back when. They injured a collateral ligament and it wasnt diagnosed, or they have some instability from ligament damage and then it healed some and they got by with it. Years down the road, youre seeing the arthritis, the osteoarthritis in there.

Stifle injuries are often seen in performance horses in various disciplines. When you start getting into any disciplines where theyre having to run hard, turn hard, stop hard, spin. We see it more in the reined cow horses and the reiners and the barrel horses, Dr. Cammack said. However, injuries can occur on the ranch or in other disciplines, as well. Certainly any horse can catch some bad ground or find a hole in the ground or something that can cause them injury.

Interestingly, younger horses may be more prone to injuries that occur in the arena. We are doing our futurities and so much heavy training on them when theyre young and they dont have the muscle memory and the skillset to have their leg in the right place at the right time with that amount of force on it.

Dr. Cammacks procedure for examining horses includes a flex test, where the joint is stressed momentarily to determine the location of any potential weaknesses in the joints. The end goal is to determine how to optimize the horses performance without masking any problems. If the horse deals with chronic issues, the typical injection of HA (hyaluronic acid), a type of steroid, may be administered, costing around $175.

For other injuries, different types of injections may do the trick. Theres certainly a lot more going on with regenerative medicine than there used to be, Dr. Cammack said. Using PRP (platelet-rich plasma) can help the joint heal itself. Youre taking the blood and processing it and pulling out platelet-rich plasma. Its going to have healing factors and certain proteins that can help the joint get better. This may cost around $250.

Theres another one called pro-stride, which is another form of PRP, but its a more concentrated form of PRP. Its more like $450. If youre getting into stem cells, that goes right up. We just pull the bone marrow or the fat, depending on which form were doing and we send it in. With that sample that we send in, we have to send $2,300 to the laboratory. That one can be in excess of $2,500 to do stem cells, Dr. Cammack said. Its an exciting area.

Cammack has devoted his professional career to the study of equines and particularly their joints and movement.

When I was in college, I started working at this clinic with Dr. Margie Jones. I developed a strong affinity for equine work and did a year internship with an equine surgeon in California, but he did a sports medicine practice and then I got in the deep pool of sports medicine and developed a deep love for it, he said.

More severe injuries to the stifle may involve surgeries, which range vastly in involvement and price.

This article serves as a brief overview of a very large field of veterinary study. Dr. Cammack devotes much of his practice and time to learning more about the equine, attending the yearly American Association of Equine Practitioners conferences, and expanding into regenerative medicine.

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Stifle injuries and treatments - Tri-State Livestock News

Study reveals how skin cells prepare to heal wounds – Jill Lopez

By Stell Cell Research

A team of University of California, Irvine researchers have published the first comprehensive overview of the major changes that occur in mammalian skin cells as they prepare to heal wounds. Results from the study provide a blueprint for future investigation into pathological conditions associated with poor wound healing, such as in diabetic patients.

"This study is the first comprehensive dissection of the major changes in cellular heterogeneity from a normal state to wound healing in skin," said Xing Dai, PhD, a professor of biological chemistry and dermatology in the UCI School of Medicine, and senior author. "This work also showcases the collaborative efforts between biologists, mathematician and physicists at UCI, with support from the National Institute of Arthritis & Musculoskeletal & Skin Diseases-funded UCI Skin Biology Resource-based Center and the NSF-Simons Center for Multiscale Cell Fate Research.

The study, titled, "Defining epidermal basal cell states during skin homeostasis and wound healing using single-cell transcriptomics," was published this week inCell Reports.

"Our research uncovered at least four distinct transcriptional states in the epidermal basal layer as part of a 'hierarchical-lineage' model of the epidermal homeostasis, or stable state of the skin, clarifying a long-term debate in the skin stem cell field," said Dai.

Using single-cell RNA sequencing coupled with RNAScope and fluorescence lifetime imaging, the team identified three non-proliferative and one proliferative basal cell state in homeostatic skin that differ in metabolic preference and become spatially partitioned during wound re-epithelialization, which is the process by which the skin and mucous membranes replace superficial epithelial cells damaged or lost in a wound.

Epithelial tissue maintenance is driven by resident stem cells, the proliferation and differentiation dynamics of which need to be tailored to the tissue's homeostatic and regenerative needs. However, our understanding of tissue-specific cellular dynamics in vivo at single-cell and tissue scales is often very limited.

"Our study lays a foundation for future investigation into the adult epidermis, specifically how the skin is maintained and how it can robustly regenerate itself upon injury," said Dai.

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Study reveals how skin cells prepare to heal wounds - Jill Lopez

One Upside of the Coronavirus Shutdown, Maybe? Fewer Voter Initiatives – Lost Coast Outpost

By Stell Cell Research

Voters fill out their ballots on Nov. 6, 2018, at The Salvation Army in San Jose. Photo by Dai Sugano, Bay Area News Group

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California voters may experience a small silver lining amid the coronavirus pandemic: a shorter November ballot, featuring fewer of the statewide propositions that often put voters in the middle of confusing industry fights.

Initiative proponents have until the end of April to collect the signatures they need to put their ideas on the ballot and with millions of Californians staying home, and practicing social distancing when they go out, it may be impossible for some campaigns to collect enough signatures in time.

People arent out in public, and those who are out in public arent inclined to approach a stranger, take a pen, and stand within 6 feet to put something on the ballot, said Brian Brokaw, a Democratic political consultant who has been involved in several potential ballot measures.

Normally presidential election years attract a slew of initiatives, as campaigns particularly those pushing liberal ideas seek approval from a larger and more diverse electorate. Though we wont know until July exactly how many propositions will be on the ballot, it appears likely that it will be a lot less than in 2016, when Californians voted on 17 statewide ballot measures. Political insiders estimate the final number for 2020 will be in the range of six to 10.

Thats good news for election officials, who could face lower costs for printing and mailing shorter ballots, and for voters who may find the decision-making easier when faced with fewer proposals, said Kim Alexander, president of the nonprofit California Voter Foundation.

Sometimes voting in California can feel like youre taking a test voters can be intimidated by the length and complexity of the ballot, she said. So it could help encourage voter participation if we have fewer complex initiatives sprouting out of special-interest fighting.

People arent out in public, and those who are out in public arent inclined to approach a stranger, take a pen, and stand within 6 feet to put something on the ballot. Brian Brokaw, political consultant

So far four measures have qualified for the November ballot, one measure has submitted signatures that are being verified, and another eight have collected at least 25% of the necessary signatures. (Depending on what type of law an initiative would change, it needs either about 623,000 valid signatures or about 997,000 valid signatures.)

Several campaigns have stopped collecting signatures because of the coronavirus shutdown, including those pushing initiatives to allow sports betting, tax plastic packaging to fund environmental programs, continue funding stem cell research and expand Californias data privacy law.

None of them are officially calling it quits. Some may already have enough signatures to make it on the ballot, while others are hoping they can resume collecting signatures in time to get more.

Because the health and wellbeing of Californians is foremost, we paused paid signature gathering efforts for the time being, said Jacob Mejia, a spokesman for the Pechanga Indian tribe that is backing the measure to permit sports betting. Tribal leadership remains committed to bringing this proposal to voters in November and are monitoring developments closely and assessing all options.

But the odds of getting back on the street with pens and clipboards any time soon seem slim, as Gov. Gavin Newsom has said the order to stay home to curb the spread of coronavirus may last two to three months.

Everything is on hold until its safe, said Dan Newman, a spokesman for the plastic recycling measure.

He said the campaign will try to get on the 2022 ballot if it cant resume gathering signatures very soon.

Newsom said this week that companies that are paid to gather signatures for ballot initiatives have asked him to extend the deadlines for submitting signatures so they can have more time to qualify for the November ballot. He was noncommittal, saying only that the question is one of many things hes processing in response to the pandemic.

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CALmatters.org is a nonprofit, nonpartisan media venture explaining California policies and politics.

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One Upside of the Coronavirus Shutdown, Maybe? Fewer Voter Initiatives - Lost Coast Outpost

Reviewing CRYO-CELL International (OTCMKTS:CCEL) and Harsco (OTCMKTS:HSC) – Redmond Register

By Stem Cell Medicine

CRYO-CELL International (OTCMKTS:CCEL) and Harsco (NYSE:HSC) are both small-cap medical companies, but which is the superior business? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their dividends, profitability, analyst recommendations, risk, valuation, institutional ownership and earnings.

Insider & Institutional Ownership

91.7% of Harsco shares are owned by institutional investors. 54.0% of CRYO-CELL International shares are owned by insiders. Comparatively, 1.8% of Harsco shares are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, large money managers and hedge funds believe a stock is poised for long-term growth.

CRYO-CELL International has a beta of -0.25, suggesting that its share price is 125% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Harsco has a beta of 2.27, suggesting that its share price is 127% more volatile than the S&P 500.

Analyst Recommendations

This is a breakdown of recent recommendations for CRYO-CELL International and Harsco, as provided by MarketBeat.

Harsco has a consensus price target of $26.67, suggesting a potential upside of 321.27%. Given Harscos higher possible upside, analysts clearly believe Harsco is more favorable than CRYO-CELL International.

Earnings & Valuation

This table compares CRYO-CELL International and Harscos revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

Harsco has higher revenue and earnings than CRYO-CELL International.

Profitability

This table compares CRYO-CELL International and Harscos net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

Summary

Harsco beats CRYO-CELL International on 8 of the 12 factors compared between the two stocks.

About CRYO-CELL International

Cryo-Cell International, Inc. engages in the cellular processing and cryogenic cellular storage with a focus on the collection and preservation of umbilical cord blood stem cells for family use. It provides cord tissue service that stores a section of the umbilical cord tissue, a source of mesenchymal stem cells that are used in regenerative medicine to treat a range of conditions, including heart, kidney, ALS, wound healing, and auto-immune diseases. The company also manufactures and sells PrepaCyte CB processing system, a technology used to process umbilical cord blood stem cells. It stores approximately 500,000 cord blood and cord tissue specimens worldwide. The company markets its cord blood stem cell preservation services directly to expectant parents, as well as by distributing information through obstetricians, pediatricians, childbirth educators, certified nurse-midwives, and other related healthcare professionals. Cryo-Cell International, Inc. was founded in 1989 and is headquartered in Oldsmar, Florida.

About Harsco

Harsco Corporation provides industrial services and engineered products worldwide. The company operates in three segments: Harsco Metals & Minerals, Harsco Industrial, and Harsco Rail. The Harsco Metals & Minerals segment provides on-site services of material logistics, product quality improvement, and resource recovery for iron, steel, and metals manufacturing; and value added environmental solutions for industrial co-products, as well as produces industrial abrasives and roofing granules. The Harsco Industrial segment manufactures and supplies custom-engineered and manufactured air-cooled heat exchangers for the natural gas, natural gas processing, and petrochemical industries; industrial grating products, such as metal bar grating configurations for industrial flooring, and safety and security applications in the energy, paper, chemical, refining, and processing industries. It also offers heat transfer products, such as boilers and water heaters for commercial and institutional applications; and high-security fencing products. The Harsco Rail segment designs and manufactures safety systems for transportation and industrial applications; and equipment, after-market parts, and services for the maintenance, repair, and construction of railway track. It serves private and government-owned railroads, and urban mass transit systems. Harsco Corporation was founded in 1853 and is headquartered in Camp Hill, Pennsylvania.

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Reviewing CRYO-CELL International (OTCMKTS:CCEL) and Harsco (OTCMKTS:HSC) - Redmond Register

Blood donors in high demand – Dominion Post – The Dominion Post

By Stem Cell Treatment

As COVID-19 restricts residents from leaving their homes, Monongalia County is faced with a lack of blood donors.

The American Red Cross is facing a severe blood shortage due to an unprecedented number of blood drive cancellations during this coronavirus outbreak, said Jason Keeling, executive director of the American Red Cross local chapter.

Nationally, 7,000 Red Cross blood drives have been canceled with 63 being canceled in West Virginia.

Due to the cancellations, West Virginia is down 1,800 pints of blood from its typical intake, which would usually be enough to save up to 600 lives.

Keeling said contributions from the public are now desperately needed to save lives.

It inhibits the nations ability to have blood supply available for those that need it most such as cancer patients and those needing emergency procedures, Keeling said.

The Centers for Disease Control encourages anyone who is healthy even if they are social distancing to donate.

Keeling said additional precautionary measures are being taken to protect staff and those who choose to donate. He said everyone who comes in to donate is having their temperature taken first and using social distancing.

Those who have traveled abroad to China, Hong Kong, Macau, Iran, Italy and South Korea within the last 28 days are asked not to donate.

Hospitals, including WVU Medicine, have been working through the shortage to ensure those who need donations the most are not left without them.

Aaron Shmookler, assistant professor in the WVU department of pathology, anatomy, and laboratory medicine said WVU Medicine has postponed or canceled elective surgeries to avoid any complications.

Hematopoietic stem cell transplants, which is often used to treat cancer, have also been delayed. Schmookler said many of the blood products for this type of cellular therapy come from donors living outside the United States, which has made it difficult to administer the products to those who need them.

We have routine blood orders not being filled to 100%, Schmookler said. Although generally we have maintained stock of our inventory, over time a dwindling blood supply will make it more difficult to provide transfusion support when clinically indicated.

WVU Medicine has continued to treat patients with complex medical issues, including hemorrhagic shock, postpartum bleeding, surgery, cancer, and heart disease. Schmookler said blood has never been denied to those who need it.

In the case that the COVID-19 pandemic continues to escalate, and the blood supplies continue to diminish, Schmookler said it would force hospitals to make a difficult decision.

This coordinated effort is essential to ensure that the best clinical and laboratory decisions are made for each patient who needs blood, he said. The worst possible plan would be having to make very, very difficult and complex ethical decisions on who receives those last precious units of available blood. I am certainly hopeful for the best.

Several local blood drives are still scheduled for the coming weeks, and residents are encouraged to register by visiting http://www.redcrossblood.org.

Morgantown Red Cross drives will be held 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday and Tuesday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Wednesday, noon-5:30 p.m. Thursday and noon-5 p.m. Friday at the Morgantown Red Cross office.

From noon-4 p.m. April 7, an additional drive will be held at the Fresh Harvest Church in Morgantown.

I implore everyone who is healthy and eligible to please donate blood, Schmookler said. Call your local blood donation center, make an appointment, and help me and my professional clinical and laboratory colleagues in the hospital care for our relatives, our loved ones, and our friends.

By Gabriella Brown

TWEET @DominionPostWV

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Blood donors in high demand - Dominion Post - The Dominion Post

Reversing The Ageing Process With Stem Cell Therapy – Version Weekly

By Stem Cell Treatment

It is a universally acknowledged fact that the majority of women refuse to age, the moment they reach the age of 40. The desire to turn back the clock is something that gets automatically etched on their minds, after hitting middle age. Making a wise choice from the wide range of anti-ageing solutions available for women can be a highly baffling affair, but understanding the skins needs is equally crucial.

So what exactly is ageing, that every person, especially women dread? It can be regarded as a complex process resulting in accrual changes in a persons body over. a period of time. Ageing occurs in fractions, because the stem cells which have the ability to renew themselves grow old as DNA gets damaged and changes occur in the overall physiology. As time passes by and people age, the majority of the cells present in their bodies get replaced and the ability of the body to produce more new cells gradually declines, Thus, anti-ageing retards the degeneration process of the body.

Post an anti-ageing fat stem cell treatment the skin shows prominent signs of turning softer while the body notices a remarkable surge of energy, resulting in improved sleeping and breathing patterns, controlled sugar levels, rebalanced hormones, increased metabolism, average weight loss and fading age spots. This all seems possible owing to the insertion of 30-50 million supercharged active stem cells.

Ageing is indeed complex, as its causes have not yet been completely understood. A big part of ageing occurs when the body is being attacked by inflammation and oxidative stress. Even though it is said that ageing is a natural process which is unavoidable, there is still scope to maintain health and stay young for both preventing age-related diseases and to enjoy the benefits of youth.

The desire to be younger is not exactly a new idea. The concept of anti-ageing has kept humankind occupied since ages, with the idea about staying healthy and fit with age and improving the quality of life. So with the rising evidence about the association of ageing diseases with adult stem cell exhaustion, it will not be surprising to witness an elevation of interest towards restoring the adult stem cell function to improve these conditions and to turn back the clock!

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Reversing The Ageing Process With Stem Cell Therapy - Version Weekly

4 relationship problems that can be linked back to early childhood – Big Think

By Adult Stem Cells

Fear of abandonment can stem from childhood loss or childhood maltreatment.

Photo by Koldunova Anna on Shutterstock

"Powerful experiences can alter the functioning of an adult brain, but with children, traumatic events may change the entire framework of their brain." - Dr. Bruce Perry, Senior Fellow of the Child Trauma Academy.

Fear of abandonment can stem from childhood loss - the death of a parent or loved one - but it can also stem from maltreatment during childhood. Maltreatment or neglect as a child can be difficult to pinpoint, especially if that mistreatment isn't physical but more of an emotional nature.

Brain development, according to this Child Welfare Information Gateway study, is actually the process of creating, strengthening and discarding connections among the neurons we're born with.

These connections are called synapses and they organize the brain by forming neural pathways that connect various parts of the brain governing everything we do.

The growth of each region of the brain depends largely on receiving stimulation for that area - think of it as a muscle that needs to be exercised in order to grow strong and be useful. Leaving that muscle unattended, not giving it movement and strength, will eventually lead it to atrophy, making it a deterrent for your entire body to function properly.

This is how maltreatment works. To remedy this issue in your relationship, work on exercising that "attachment muscle", allowing yourself to become more vulnerable and open with your partner.

An inability to commit to the relationship can be really difficult to overcome.

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This 2016 study by Winston and Chicot offers proof to the theory that parental inconsistency and lack of love can lead to long-term mental health problems as well as to reduced overall potential and happiness later in life.

The human brain is made of over 100 billion brain cells that each connect to over 7000 other brain cells - it's an extremely complex system. And yet - by the age of 3, a child's brain has reached more than 90% of its adult size.

The experiences that a baby has within the first three years of life lay the ground for how their brain is wired well into adulthood. While it's possible for us to "re-learn" things as adults and change the framework of our brains this way - there is much importance laid on the connection and relationship that an infant has with their caregiver.

Longitudinal studies have proven that a child's inability to form and maintain healthy relationships throughout life may be significantly impaired by having an insecure attachment to a primary caregiver during their early development years.

To address this common relationship problem, consider how you view attachment, dedication and loyalty in relationships - there is a good chance you are already very committed to your partner but simply fear the "label" of being so invested in a relationship.

Entitlement can be an unrealistic, unmerited and inappropriate sense of how you should be treated and what you deserve.

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Entitlement, defined as an unrealistic, unmerited or inappropriate expectation of favorable living conditions and treatment by others, can also stem back to the experiences we have during childhood. To remedy this issue in a relationship can be quite difficult, as entitlement is an inherently selfish quality.

According to Better Help, there are two main reasons why people act entitled in relationships - they are either overcompensating for never getting what they want or are so used to getting what they want that they can't even entertain the possibility of not getting what they want.

Overcompensating for past wrongs - an example being a child who grows up lacking the toys, games, and clothes owned by their peers may grow up to believe they are entitled to what they missed out on.

A habit of getting what they want all the time - an example being a child who was given whatever they asked for without reason which can lead them to believe they should always get what they ask for even if it's not realistic.

Childhood emotional neglect is a deep and long lasting wound that can impact all future relationships.

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Childhood emotional neglect is a deep and long-lasting would that isn't always easily detectable. In fact, many times, these feelings of worthlessness and defectiveness that children feel aren't imposed by parents who mean harm to their child.

According to Good Therapy, there are four different kinds of parenting styles that can lead to your child feeling worthless or defective.

Authoritarian parents: they want their children to follow the rules but have very little time or inclination to listen to their child's feelings or needs.

Permissive parents: they have a very laid back attitude about child-rearing, but they may be too laid back - which may let children do what they wish and "fend for themselves." This can lead to children feeling as though they "aren't worthy of their parent's time" and in the future, they may feel unworthy of their romantic partner's time as well.

Narcissistic parents: they feel as though the world (and their children) revolve around them, placing their own needs and desires above those of their children. Adults who were raised by narcissistic parents may always allow their partner's needs and wants to overshadow their own, feeling as though they are not worthy of having their own needs met.

Addressing issues of self-worth often involve therapy, self-help programs and a lot of time to heal and retrain your brain in how you view yourself.

"Our brains are sculpted by our early experiences. Maltreatment is a chisel that shapes a brain to contend with strife but at the cost of deep, enduring wounds." - Teicher, 2000.

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4 relationship problems that can be linked back to early childhood - Big Think

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