Category Archives: Stem Cell Doctors

SINGAPORE - The use of stem cells to reverse liver cirrhosis - or the hardening of the liver - is being explored in a clinical trial.

Conducted by a multi-centre team led by the National University Hospital (NUH), doctors aim to determine if stem cell therapy can improve liver function.

Previously, liver cirrhosis, caused by various diseases such as chronic hepatitis B and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, was thought to be irreversible.

A liver transplant provides a definitive cure to end-stage cirrhosis.

However, in Singapore, less than 5 per cent of end-stage liver cirrhosis patients receive a liver transplant.

The number of people on the waiting list for a liver transplant has been increasing over the years, according to statistics from the Ministry of Health.

In 2007, there were nine on the waiting list, compared with 57 last year. There are around 50 waiting for a liver transplant this year.

Also, many patients do not fulfil the eligibility criteria to receive a liver transplant due to other health complications or being above the age limit of 70 years.

The $2.6 million study, which was launched on Tuesday (July 11),is funded by the National Medical Research Counciland 46 patients will be recruited for it. It will run for four years and patients will not need to bear the costs of the stem cell treatment.

Stem cells will be taken from a patient's own bone marrow and will be isolated and injected directly into the patient's liver to initiate the repair.

Similar therapy treatments have been conducted overseas in countries such asEgypt and India, although they have not been fully evaluated for efficacy.

Associate Professor Dan Yock Young, a senior consultant in the division of gastroenterology and hepatology at NUH, said: "We are conducting the study in a systematic and scientific mannerto get definitive evidence of the effects of the treatment."

He also notes that the stem cell therapy is not a substitute for a liver transplant. "This treatment is not intended to pull patients off the waiting list, but provide an option for those who are not eligible for a transplant."

Original post:
Clinical trial for stem-cell therapy to reverse liver cirrhosis - The Straits Times

Ashli Stempel helped save her brother’s life. She hopes to inspire others. – GazetteNET

By adminJuly 11, 2017Stem Cell Doctors

A few small scars on Ashli Stempels lower back are the only evidence that a drill burrowed into her hipbone last year at Brigham and Womens Hospital in Boston. The surgery was to harvest the stem cells in her bone marrow to save her older brother Andrew Stempels life.

At age 27, Andrew was diagnosed with cancer of the white blood cells called Hodgkins lymphoma. Donating her bone marrow so that Andrews body could manufacture healthy blood cells, was a small price to pay to give him a shot at survival, Ashli says.

Since the transplant last August after years of treatment and testing Andrew has been cancer-free and Ashli now volunteers periodically in their hometown of Greenfield, where she serves on the Town Council, to spread awareness about this life-saving treatment.

Our bodies are a cure for some cancers, says Ashli Stempel on a recent Saturday as she handsout sign-up forms atGreenfields Energy Park for the Be A Matchnational donor registry. If even one person joins the registry that is awesome.

Its a sunnyday and Stempel, 30,wearing a black and white spaghetti-strap dress stands behind a booth smiling and talking to passersby.

Everybody wants to cure cancer, but I think not everybody understands that we, ourselves, can be the cure for some types of cancers, she says. I can say that I killed cancer and I am pretty excited about that.

In the hollow spaces in a bodys bones, stem cells inside the bone marrow tissue work to create red blood cells, which feed oxygen to the organs, and make white blood cells to fight infections. The bone marrow also produces blood platelets to help form clots but when a cancer of the blood like, leukemia or lymphoma strikes, these life-supporting systems are thrown out of whack, leaving the bodys immune system unable to fight diseases, infection or the cancer.

Chemotherapy and radiation also can kill off bone marrow tissue, leaving patients with more damage to their immune systems, says physician assistant Susanne Smith, donor services clinician at Dana-Farber/Brigham and Womens Hospitals Cancer Center in Boston.

When transplanted into a cancer patients bloodstream, stem cells, a precursor to all the immune system cells in the body, colonize the bones and help fight any remaining cancer, says Smith.

In many cases (a transplant) is the only cure for a leukemia or lymphoma diagnosis chemotherapy can only get a patient so far, says Mary Halet, director of community engagement at the Be The Match Registry, the Minneapolis organization that manages the largest bone marrow registry in the world. But first, a patient must find a tissue match, that is, a donor who has a similar protein marker called the human leukocyte antigen, which is found on most cells in the body.

There are up to 14,000 patients every year who could benefit from a bone marrow transplant, but many of these people will not receive a donation, says Halet. In most cases, the patient will not finda tissue match in his or her own family andmust seek help from a stranger, she says. A patients likelihood of finding a matching bone marrow donor ranges from 66 percent to 97 percentdepending on ethnic background. White patients have a 97 percent chance of finding a match, while black patients only find a match 66 percent of the time.The difference reflects the complexity of the tissues makeup and the number of donors.

Thats why Halets organization promotes recruitment events like the one Ashli Stempel held in Greenfield.

Stempel says she was ecstatic when she found out that she was a match for her brother. She was in her late 20s at the time, a bubbly woman working in communications at Smith College in Northampton, who grew up in a close-knit family.

Her brother, who was working as a retail manager in the Boston area, had discovered a bump on his collarbone.

I woke up one morning and there was a non-painful lump, Andrew Stempel says.

He ignored it for as long as he could before seeing a doctor who diagnosed it as a swollen lymph node caused by Hodgkins lymphoma.

Cancer is a very scary word. I think what you learn going through it is that it is not such a scary word, you can survive, says Ashli Stempel.

The Stempel family had seen that firsthand years earlier when Andrew and Ashlis mother, Deborah, recovered from breast cancer.

Still, that didnt lessen the anxiety for Andrew. As soon as the doctor said the word cancer, he says, his life started to unravel with a battery of experimental drugs, chemotherapy and radiation.

In the begining there was a lot of uncertainty, he says.

Even through his cancer went into remission after a year, doctors did not expect it to remain that way without high doses of chemo or radiation. The plan was to do a bone marrow transplant for long-term survival.

Still, using donated bone marrow meant taking the risk that Andrews body would reject it, which could be fatal.

So, doctors first wanted to try using Andrews own tissue. That would require removing some of his bone marrow, treating it and then injecting it back into his bloodstream.

Within months of the procedure, however, Andrews cancer returned, indicating to doctors that his body wasnt strong enough to fight it on its own.

Ashli was tested via a mouth swab and Andrew was relieved to learn that she was a tissue match.

I was just overwhelmed with happiness, he says.

Ashli went through a month-long screening process to ensure that she was healthy enough to be a donor. People who have infectious diseases like HIV or hepatitis cannot be donors, nor can those with immune systems weakened by autoimmune diseases. Doctors also prefer to use bone marrow from young donors under the age of 44, says Halet. The registry wont accept donors over 60.

When we are young, our immune systems are at their healthiest and the older we get the less robust they are, she says.

It took two years from the time Ashli first learned she was a match for her brother for the transplant to take place.

Not long aftershe woke up from the surgery, Ashli saw the bone marrow that had been taken from her, a two-literjug ofmilky, red liquid. It was whisked away to another partof the hospital where it ended up in a drip bag connected to a vein in Andrews arm.

Doctors saw hisred and white blood cell counts go up immediately after the transplant.

My sisters cells were working, he says. It was amazing.

Even though the transplant was a success, Andrew had to stay in the hospital for a month. Chemotherapy had caused sores in his mouth, he lost his ability to taste food along withhis appetiteand he droppednearly 30 pounds.

It was tough, day to day, but progressively got better, he says.

Since he was essentially receiving a new immune system, like a newborn baby he also had to be shielded from germs, says Ashli.

When his wife, Meghan Stempel, came to visit him, she needed to wear a facemask and gloves. Even when he returned home, he had to be careful. Hetook a year off from his job to recover, spending many afternoons resting on the couch watching TV. After spending months working to building hisstrength back up,he says, most of his weakness has subsided.

I feel a thousand times better, he says.

He is now cancer free and is returning to hisjob as a retail managerat Sherwin Williams this week.

Following her operation, Ashli took off a few weeks from her job in communications at Smith College, but was back on her feet within a couple days. Her hips were sore which meant limping around the house for a short time.

I was in pain, of course, she says. But its a quick recovery.

A few weeks ago Ashli decided to signup for the national bone marrow donor registry through Be A Matchto donate for a second time.

Her name will stay in the system for the foreseeable future. A match could come up or it might never.

Maybe I will be called on to do it again, who knows?

To learn more about becoming a bone marrow donor or to sign up for the registry, go tobethematch.org.

Potential donors can fill out an online form and the registry will mail a mouth swab kit, which can be returned by mail.

If called, a potential donor will undergo a series of blood tests which will evaluate the suitabililty and safety of the match. Though doctors say risks are low for donors, possible complications include infection and bleeding.

Once a donor is cleared, the transplant procedure could occur within a few weeks or a few months, depending on a recommendation from the patients doctor.

The bone marrow transplant is an outpatient procedure for the donor.Recovery time is only a few days anddonors are typically back to their normal routine in two to seven days.

Donors are told their commitment means being willing to devote up to 30 hours spread over four to six weeks to attend appointments and give the donation.

All medical costs for the donation procedure are covered by the National Marrow Donor Program, which operates the Be The Match Registry, or by the cancer patients medical insurance.

Sometime travel is required. Most travel expenses are covered by Be The Match.

New NUH study to test stem cells as treatment for liver disease – TODAYonline

By adminJuly 11, 2017Stem Cell Doctors

SINGAPORE The use of stem cell treatment to repair liver cirrhosis, or hardening of the liver, will be tested in a clinical trial here involving 46 patients and costing S$2.6 million.

The four-year study, which was launched yesterday, came amid a growing waiting list in Singapore for a liver transplant, which is currently the only cure for patients with end-stage liver cirrhosis.

Conducted by a multi-centre team from several restructured hospitals here, the study is led by the National University Hospital (NUH).

Liver failure is one of the top 20 causes of death in Singapore, but many patients are not suitable for a transplant due to factors such as age and surgical fitness.

Out of every five patients doctors see with end-stage liver disease, only one qualifies for a liver transplant, said Dr Dan Yock Young, principal investigator of the clinical trial and senior consultant at NUHs division of gastroenterology and hepatology.

(A liver transplant) is curative, but it is a complex procedure, and many patients are not suitable for it. For these patients, treatment is limited, but morbidity and mortality rates are high as high as 50 per cent in one year and this is probably worse than many (of the) other terminal illnesses we talk about today, he said.

Animal studies conducted over the last five years have shown that stem cells can reconstruct the micro-environment of a normal liver.

Like how branches are of critical importance in supporting the leaves and fruits of a tree, the endothelial (stem) cells contribute to supporting a nutritious environment for the hepatocyte (liver) cells, Dr Dan explained.

While similar stem-cell studies have been conducted in other centres in Asia, there has been no definitive evidence of the benefits of the treatment for liver patients.

The study will recruit 46 patients aged between 40 and 70 years old, and who are at the terminal stages of chronic liver disease, over three years. It is funded by the National Medical Research Council.

During the clinical trial, patients will be divided into a therapeutic group and a control group.

All patients will receive an injection to stimulate their bone marrow cells as part of the supportive treatment for their liver cirrhosis. However, only patients in the study group will have the stem cells from the bone marrow extracted and deposited directly into their liver for more targeted repair.

Using ones own stem cells will avoid the problem of cell rejection.

The liver tissue will be examined three months later, and an investigation to compare pre- and post-transplant results will be conducted after a year.

Since invasive surgery is not required for stem-cell therapy, the fatality risk is significantly lowered for the patient. However, other risks such as severe bleeding and infections still remain, given the patients weakened condition.

NUH also noted that the stem-cell therapy does not replace liver transplants, and the latter remains the best available treatment for liver cirrhosis.

It is very painful to turn patients away when we cannot offer them a liver transplant, said Dr Dan, adding that this stem cell therapy will serve as an alternative option.

We hope that this is a stepping stone to trials for stem cell candidates, he added.

MORE WAITING FOR A LIVER

The number of people on the waiting list for a liver transplant has been growing in recent years. In June last year, it was reported that there were 54 people on the list, more than double the 24 patients in 2011.

Chronic Hepatitis B remains the primary cause of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, which refers to a range of liver conditions affecting people who drink little to no alcohol. However, obesity has become a contributing factor to the illness as well.

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New NUH study to test stem cells as treatment for liver disease - TODAYonline

Stem Cell and Biobanking – Stem Cell Conferences

By adminJuly 9, 2017Stem Cell Doctors

Conference Series Ltdinvites all the members of Biological Sciences family, from all over the world to join and share research at the10th World Congress on Stem Cell and Biobankingduring 23th& 24thOctober, 2017 at Osaka, Japan, which includes prompt keynote presentations, plenary talks, oral talks, poster presentations and exhibitions.

Theme: Accelerating the Innovative Research &Technology in Stem Cell & Biobanking

Stem Cell Convention 2017aims in proclaim knowledge and share new ideas amongest the professionals, industrialists and students from research area of Stem Cells and Biobanking to share their research experiences and indulge in interactive discussions at the event. This scientific gathering guarantees that offering the thoughts and ideas will enable and secure you the theme Accelerating the Innovative Research &Technology in Stem Cell & Biobanking. Biobanking is the latest trending technology in many fields. The current era fully rolled out with many new Stem cells and Biobanking technologies. In such case more research centres and Hospitals were newly introduced within market which obviously shows the market growth of stem cells and Biobanking techniques. While analyzing the revenue growth of stem cells research, it highly developed from $150 billion USD to $250 billion USD since from 2010-2015. And the annual growth percentage increases from 20-55 percentages.

Track-1

Stem Cells Biology

Stem cellsare undifferentiated biological cells that can differentiate into specialized cells and can divide (through mitosis) to produce more stem cells. They are found in multicellular organisms. In mammals, there are two broad types of stem cells:embryonic stem cells, which are isolated from the inner cell mass of blastocysts, and adult stem cells, which are found in various tissues. In adult organisms, stem cells andprogenitor cellsact as a repair system for the body, replenishingadult tissues. In a developing embryo, stem cells can differentiate into all the specialized cellsectoderm, endoderm and mesoderm (see induced pluripotent stem cells)but also maintain the normal turnover of regenerative organs, such as blood, skin, or intestinal tissues.Umbilical cord cells are also included in this Stem Cell Research.

7th Annual Conference on Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine ,Aug 4-5, 2016, Manchester, UK; 2nd International Conference on Antibodies,July 14-15, 2016 ,Philadelphia, USA; 2nd International Conference on Innate Immunity,July 21-22, 2016 ,Berlin, Germany; 2nd International Congress on Neuroimmunology ,March 31-April 02, 2016, Atlanta, USA; International Conference on Cancer Immunology ,July 28-30, 2016 ,Melbourne, Australia.

Stem cells technologyis a rapidly developing field that combines the efforts of cell biologists,geneticists, and clinicians and offers hope of effective treatment for a variety of malignant and non-malignant diseases. Stem cells are defined astotipotent progenitor cellscapable of self-renewal and multilineage differentiation. Stem Cell s technologysurvive well and show stable division in culture, making them ideal targets for in vitro manipulation. Although early research has focused on hematopoietic stem cells, stem cells have also been recognised in other sites. Research into solid tissue stem cells has not made the same progress as that on hematopoietic stem cells. This is due to the difficulty of reproducing the necessary and precise three dimensional arrangements and tight cell-cell and cell-extracellular matrix interactions that exist in solid organs. However, the ability of tissue stem cells to integrate into the tissue cytoarchitecture under the control of the host microenvironment and developmental cues makes them ideal for cell replacement therapy. Some of the methods of Stem Cells technology include Cord Stem Cell Transplantation, Allogeneic stem cell transplantation.

8th World Congress on Stem Cell Research ,March 20-22, 2017 ,Orlando, USA;International Conference on Cancer Immunology ,July 28-30, 2016 ,Melbourne, Australia; 5th International Conference on Immunology ,October 24-26, 2016 ,Chicago, USA; Cancer Vaccines: Targeting Cancer Genes for Immunotherapy, Mar 610 2016, Whistler, Canada; Systems Immunology: From Molecular Networks to Human Biology, Jan 1014 2016, Big Sky, USA.

Track-3

Stem Cells Therapy Research

Stem cells therapyis the use of stem cells to treat or prevent a disease or condition.Bone marrow transplantis the most widely used stem-cells therapy, but some therapies derived from umbilical cord blood are also in use. Research is underway to develop various sources forstem cells, and to apply stem-cells treatments for neurodegenerative diseases and conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, and other conditions.Cord blood stem cells therapy is highly recommended at the time of delivery to save the umbilical cord of the child to resolve any future health conditions. Umbilical cord stem cells research has more scope to resolve the issues caused due to DNA changes.

4thInternationalConference on Plant Genomics,July 14-15, 2016 ,Brisbane, Australia; 8thWorld Congress on Stem Cell Research,March 20-22, 2017 ,Orlando, USA; 7thAnnual Conference on Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine,Aug 4-5, 2016, Manchester, UK; 2ndInternationalConference on Tissue preservation and Biobanking,September 12-13, 2016 ,Philadelphia, USA;World Congress on Human Genetics,October 31- November 02, 2016 ,Valencia, Spain.

Track-4

Epigenetics

Epigeneticsis the study of potentially heritable changes in gene expression (active versus inactive genes) that does not involve changes to the underlyingDNA sequence a change in phenotype without a change in genotype which in turn affects how cells read the genes. Epigenetic change is a regular and natural occurrence but can also be influenced by several factors including age, the environment/lifestyle, and disease state. Epigenetic modifications can manifest as commonly as the manner in which cells terminally differentiate to end up as skin cells, liver cells, brain cells, etc. Or, epigenetic change can have more damaging effects that can result in diseases like cancer. At least three systems includingDNA methylation, histone modification and non-coding RNA (ncRNA)-associated gene silencing are currently considered to initiate and sustain epigenetic change. New and ongoing research is continuously uncovering the role of epigenetics in a variety ofhuman disordersand fatal diseases.

InternationalConference on Next Generation Sequencing,July 21-22, 2016 ,Berlin, Germany; 5thInternationalConference on Computational Systems Biology,August 22-23, 2016 ,Philadelphia, USA; 7thInternationalConference on Bioinformatics,October 27-28, 2016 ,Chicago, USA; InternationalConference on Synthetic Biology,September 28-30, 2015 ,Houston, USA; 4thInternationalConference on Integrative Biology,July 18-20, 2016 ,Berlin, Germany.

Track-5

Stem cells apoptosis and signal transduction

Self-renewal and proliferation ofstem cellspopulation is controlled, in part, by induction of apoptosis. The number of stem cells is therefore a balance between those lost to differentiation / apoptosis and those gained through proliferation.Apoptosisof stem cells is believed to be a dynamic process which changes in response to environmental conditions. For example, the release of stem cells factor inhibits apoptosis following spinal cord injury, presumably in an attempt to promotetissue repair. Dysregulation of apoptosis instem cellsis believed to underlie somecancer pathologies, where apoptotic resistance results in uncontrolled growth (i.e. glioblastoma). Controlling apoptosis is also an important focus for studies ofstem cells transplantation, where inhibition may increase the survival of grafted cells during replacement therapy. Harnessing the full therapeutic potential of stem cells will require full elucidation of the signal transduction cascades for proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis.

7thInternationalConference on Bioinformatics,October 27-28, 2016 ,Chicago, USA; InternationalConference on Synthetic Biology,September 28-30, 2015 ,Houston, USA; 7thAnnual Conference on Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine,Aug 4-5, 2016, Manchester, UK; 4thInternationalConference on Integrative Biology,July 18-20, 2016 ,Berlin, Germany; 1stInternationalConference on Pharmaceutical Bioinformatics,Jan 2426 2016, Pattaya, Thailand.

Trcak-6

Regenerative medicine

Regenerative medicineis the branch of medicine that develops methods to regrow, repair or replace damaged or diseased cells, organs or tissues. Regenerative medicine includes the generation and use of therapeutic stem cells, tissue engineering and the production of artificial organs.

InternationalConference on Restorative Medicine,October 24-26, 2016 ,Chicago, USA; 3rdWorld Congress onHepatitis and Liver Diseases,October 17-19, 2016 Dubai, UAE; InternationalConference on Molecular Biology,October 13-15, 2016 ,Dubai, UAE; 2nd InternationalConference on Tissue preservation and Biobanking, September12-13, 2016 ,Philadelphia USA; 26thEuropean Congress ofClinical Microbiology, April 912 2016, Istanbul, Turkey;Conference onCell Growth and Regeneration, Jan 1014 2016, Breckenridge, USA.

Track-7

Bio-banks

Biobanksplay a crucial role in biomedical research. The wide array ofbio specimens(including blood, saliva, plasma, and purified DNA) maintained inbiobankscan be described as libraries of the human organism. They are carefully characterized to determine the general and unique features of the continuous cell line and the absence or presence of contaminants, therefore establishing a fundamental understanding about the raw material from which the biological product is being derived and maintained.Biobankscatalog specimens using genetic and other traits, such as age, gender, blood type, and ethnicity. Some samples are also categorized according to environmental factors, such as whether the donor had been exposed to radiation, asbestos, or some other substance that can affecthuman genes.In Biobank Category the most popular biobank projects includes cord blood banking, banking stem cells, baby cord blood banking.

8thWorld Congress on Stem Cell Research,March 20-22, 2017 ,Orlando, USA; 5thInternationalConference onCell and Gene Therapy,May 19-21, 2016 ,San Antonio, USA; 7thAnnual Conference on Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine,Aug 4-5, 2016 ,Manchester, UK; InternationalConference on Restorative Medicine,October 24-26, 2016 ,Chicago, USA; InternationalConference on Molecular BiologyOctober 13-15, 2016 Dubai, UAE.

Track-8

Stem cells biomarkers

Bio markeris a biological molecule found in blood, other body fluids, or tissues that is a sign of a normal or abnormal process, or of a condition or disease. A bio marker may be used to see how well the body responds to a treatment for a disease or condition.

In cancer research and medicine, bio markers are used in three primary ways:

To help diagnose conditions, as in the case of identifying early stage cancers (Diagnostic)

To forecast how aggressive a condition is, as in the case of determining a patient's ability to fare in the absence of treatment (Prognostic)

To predict how well a patient will respond to treatment (Predictive).

InternationalConference on Genetic Counseling and Genomic Medicine,August 11-12, 2016 ,Birmingham, UK;World Congress on Human Genetics,October 31- November 02, 2016 ,Valencia, Spain; InternationalConference on Molecular Biology,October 13-15, 2016 ,Dubai, UAE; 3rdInternationalConference on Genomics & Pharmacogenomics,September 21-23, 2015 ,San Antonio, USA; EuropeanConference on Genomics and Personalized Medicine ,April 25-27, 2016 ,Valencia, Spain.

Track-9

Cells & Organ Regeneration

Regenerationmeans the regrowth of a damaged or missing organ part from the remaining tissue. As adults, humans can regenerate some organs, such as the liver. If part of the liver is lost by disease or injury, the liver grows back to its original size, though not its original shape. And our skin is constantly being renewed and repaired. Unfortunately many other human tissues dont regenerate, and a goal inregenerative medicineis to find ways to kick-start tissue regeneration in the body, or to engineerreplacement tissues.

4thCongress on Bacteriology and Infectious Diseases,May 16-18, 2016 ,San Antonio, USA; 2ndWorld Congress on Applied Microbiology,October 31-November 02, 2016 ,Istanbul, Turkey; InternationalConference on Infectious Diseases & Diagnostic Microbiology,Oct 3-5, 2016 ,Vancouver, Canada; InternationalConference on Water Microbiology,July 18-20, 2016 ,Chicago, USA; 5thInternationalConference on Clinical Microbiology,October 24-26, 2016 ,Rome, Italy.

Track-10

Fertility biobanks

Fertility preservation is the effort to help cancer patients retain their fertility, or ability to procreate. Research into howcanceraffects reproductive health and preservation options are growing, sparked in part by the increase in the survival rate of cancer patients. The main methods of fertility preservation are ovarian protection by GnRH agonists, cryopreservation of ovarian tissue, eggs or sperm, or of embryos afterin vitro fertilization. The patient may also choose to use egg or sperm from a donor by third party reproduction rather than having biological children.

4thCongress on Bacteriology and Infectious Diseases,May 16-18, 2016 ,San Antonio, USA; 2ndWorld Congress on Applied Microbiology,October 31-November 02, 2016 ,Istanbul, Turkey; InternationalConference on Infectious Diseases & Diagnostic Microbiology,October 3-5, 2016 ,Vancouver, Canada; InternationalConference on Water Microbiology ,July 18-20, 2016 ,Chicago, USA; 5thInternationalConference on Clinical Microbiology,October 24-26, 2016 ,Rome, Italy.

Track-11

Biobank Ethics

Ethical issues are commonly present in many aspects ofBiobanking. The fact that Biobanks deal with human samples, invading an individual autonomy or limiting self-control, provokes a number of ethical issues. Who is actually competent to give informed consent and donate a sample? When individuals donate part of their body to abiobank, how is that human sample processed? Who is the owner of the sample? Who should decide how it should be used? Who has the right to know individual results of research? These and many more ethical dilemmas exist in the ethical framework of biobanks. With the recent rapid developments in Biobanking, all of these issues are magnified with plenty of further new questions continuously arising. Ethical framework has been the most controversial issue in the domain of biobanking. Thus, it is not surprising that there is a substantial literature focusing on ethical dilemmas in biobanking, such as informed consent, privacy, protection, and returning of results to participants. For many years, researchers at CRB have provided constructive advice on how to deal with ethical aspects of research usinghuman tissuematerial and personal data. For more than 80 years tissue has been derived from human bodies, stored, distributed and used for therapeutic, educational, forensic and research purposes as part of healthcare routine in most western countries.

American Society forBioethicsand Humanities Houston, USA, Association of Bioethics World Congress Edinburgh, UK, Oxford Global Health and Bioethics International Conference Oxford shire, UK, CFP: Global Forum on Bioethics in Research Foundation Merieux, France, Hands On Biobanks 2016 conference Vienna, Austria, Global Biobanking London, UK, TheBiomarker ConferenceOrlando, Florida USA, ART World Congress Symposium on Safe and Efficient IVF New York City, United States, VIII International Postharvest Symposium: Enhancing Supply Chain and Consumer Benefits - Ethical and Technological Issues Cartagena, Murcia, Spain.

4thCongress on Bacteriology and Infectious Diseases,May 16-18, 2016 San Antonio, USA; 2ndWorld Congress on Applied Microbiology,October 31-November 02, 2016 ,Istanbul, Turkey; InternationalConference on Infectious Diseases & Diagnostic Microbiology,October 3-5, 2016 ,Vancouver, Canada; InternationalConference on Water Microbiology,July 18-20, 2016 ,Chicago, USA; 5thInternationalConference on Clinical Microbiology,October 24-26, 2016 ,Rome, Italy.

Track-12

Market Analysis in Biobanking

The globalbiopreservationmarket is expected to reach USD 3,731.03 Million by 2020 from USD 2,150.48 Million in 2015, growing at a CAGR of 11.65% between 2015 and 2020. Biopreservation is used to ensure the stability, quality and purity ofbiospecimens. With a CAGR of 23.7%, global market value for cryopreservation equipment used instem cellsindustry is anticipated to worth US$2.2 billion by 2015. On a global scale, North America accounts for nearly 35% of the market and will likely witness a higher growth rate in the upcoming years, in comparison with Asia-Pacific. While US accounts for the highest share of the global market value on a country basis, India and China surpasses the US in terms of growth rate anticipated in the near future. As per our analysis, freezers represent more than half of thecryopreservationequipment market value while Cyropreservative reagents stand for a share of close to 20%. The global biopreservation market is poised for rapid growth between 2015 and 2020. The drivers include increasing healthcare expenditure, growing demand for preserving new-borns stem cells, increasing R&D spending on research, and increasing adoption ofregenerative medicine.

InternationalConference on Case Reports,March 31-April 02, 2016 ,Valencia, Spain; 2nd International Meeting onClinical Case Reports,April 18-20, 2016 ,Dubai, UAE; 3rd Experts Meeting onMedical Case Reports,May 09-11, 2016 ,New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; 12thEuro BiotechnologyCongress,November 7-9, 2016 ,Alicante, Spain; 2nd InternationalConference onTissue preservation and Biobanking,September 12-13, 2016 ,Philadelphia, USA.

Track-13

Next Generation Biobanking

Biorepositoriesprovide a resource for researchers to increase understanding of complex diseases. Studies such as the Lung Genomics Research Consortium (LGRC), a two-year project launched in October 2009, are going a step further than standardbiobanking practicesand characterizing the samples with their molecular makeup. The molecular data can then be mined along with the clinical data. Led by National Jewish Health and funded by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, a division of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the LGRC project consists of five institutions, including Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Collaborators in the project work with samples banked at theLung Tissue ResearchConsortium (LTRC), which houses tissue samples and blood from lung disease sufferers, primarily chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), along with a rich set of clinical data from patients.

Immuno-Oncology London UK, Next-Generation Cancer Immunotherapies San Diego, USA, ESBB conference Johannesburg, South Africa, HandsOn Biobanks 2016 conference Vienna, Austria, American Society forBioethicsand Humanities Houston, USA, Craniofacial Morphogenesis &Tissue RegenerationVentura, CA, USA, ISSCR Pluripotency: From basic science to therapeutic applications Kyoto, Japan, Craniofacial Morphogenesis & Tissue Regeneration Ventura, CA, USA, Phacilitate Cell &Gene TherapyWorld Washington D.C., USA, Notch Signaling in Development, Regeneration & Disease Gordon Research Conference Lewiston, ME, USA.

The biobanking market is poised for explosive growth if it can overcome the challenges of an adolescent industry. According to an August 2012 Infiniti Research report titled Global Biobanking Market 2011-2015, the biobanking market will increase 30 per cent from 2011 to 2015 to nearly $183 billion. Growth is being driven by an increase in populationgeneticsstudies, personalized medicine, and the use of genetic information in food safety, forensics, and disease surveillance.

4thCongress on Bacteriology and Infectious Diseases, May 16-18, 2016 San Antonio, USA; 2ndWorld Congress on Applied Microbiology,October 31-November 02, 2016 ,Istanbul, Turkey; InternationalConference on Infectious Diseases & Diagnostic Microbiology,October 3-5, 2016 ,Vancouver, Canada; InternationalConference on Water Microbiology ,July 18-20, 2016 ,Chicago, USA; 5thInternationalConference on Clinical Microbiology,October 24-26, 2016 ,Rome, Italy.

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Stem Cell and Biobanking - Stem Cell Conferences

She was yellow, 11-year-old Oklahoma girl battling severe type of leukemia with a smile – kfor.com

By adminJuly 5, 2017Stem Cell Doctors

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OKLAHOMA CITY - When you get five siblings together for a board game, the play can get competitive quickly. Today, the Asher family is playing the game 'Sorry,' and it's just grateful to be all together at their Yukon home.

About one year ago, the four brothers rallied around their sister, 11-year old Mackenzie. She had been complaining for days about feeling extremely tired.

I was tired really tired! I had a lot of nausea too, Mackenzie said.

Her dad picks up the story, remembering when he dropped her at a summer camp, only to have her call an hour later saying she simply couldnt handle it.

So, I picked her up, and it was in the sunlight and I don't know if it was the light at the moment, but I could just instantly tell that she was yellow," said dad Jayson Asher. "She had a yellowish color to her, and it was jaundice."

Doctors at the Childrens Hospital confirmed Mackenzie had leukemia. In her case, it was one of the most severe types of leukemia, acute myeloid leukemia, or AML.

Asher chokes up at the memory of receiving the diagnosis.

Its hard to talk about," he said. "I mean it was a shock.

The next shock was when a predicted three-week hospital stay to start chemotherapy stretched into a seven-month medical ordeal.

Her pediatric oncologist, Dr. David Crawford, confirms her diagnosis was particularly troublesome because she had a mutation in one gene.

For Mackenzie, the things she loved to do, including ballet with friends or swimming, had to be put on hold. Round after round of chemotherapy did not wipe out the cancer cells in her blood.

She needed a stem cell transplant and, at first, that looked very promising when two individuals who signed a donor registry were found to be perfect matches. Each donor ended up backing out of the procedure.

That left doctors to consider Mackenzies mother, who was willing to do the transplant but was not a perfect match. Thankfully, the stem cell transplant worked.

Jayson said the staff at the Jimmy Everest Center for Cancer was supportive and professional the entire way through the many hard turns in Mackenzies treatment.

You know, they saved her life, he said, shedding a tear. You know, as a parent, you don't know how to thank somebody for that.

Mackenzie has found ways to thank the doctors and nurses in her own special way, creating little packages with notes and candy. Crawford said shes touched him many times with her gifts.

Shes made many, many individualized cards for me, and I post them around proudly," he said. "Theyre really special.

Mackenzie is back at her ballet studio, dancing with her friends. Shes able to play with the family dog and swing in the backyard.

Shell have to wait until her chemotherapy port is removed before she can swim due to a risk of infection. Shes said swimming is something shes really looking forward to again.

Her treatment is not over yet. Shes been chosen to take part in a clinical trial that will take place in August in Washington DC. The treatment she will receive is designed to boost the ability of her stem cell transplant to fight off any lingering cancer cells in her blood.

Its been a tough battle, but Mackenzie is smiling and winning.

If youd like to help children like Mackenzie fight cancer, consider donating.

'Kids With Courage' is sponsored by the Jimmy Everest Center.

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She was yellow, 11-year-old Oklahoma girl battling severe type of leukemia with a smile - kfor.com

Doctors to offer stem cell treatments – The News (subscription)

By adminJuly 3, 2017Stem Cell Doctors

Dr. Ren Halverson can empathize with his patients. Like many of those who walk through his doors at Advanced Chiropractic in Brunswick, he has also experienced injuries and the pain they cause.

I had a torn labrum in my right shoulder, a torn rotator cuff in my left shoulder and and torn meniscus in my right knee. I already had two surgeries on my knees, he said. It was a daily challenge treating patients.

In order to help his patients and himself find relief, the chiropractor is always on the lookout for the latest in scientific health developments that might help. He spends countless hours studying the latest in medical innovations. Not too long ago, Halversons research paid off when he came across amniotic stem cells.

Of course, Halverson was already familiar with stem cells and the long term research concerning some for joint treatment. But the new data, methods and results were something he simply couldnt ignore.

World-wide the results with stem cells are off the charts. There are different types of stem cells ... blood marrow, which is best used for blood diseases. Amniotic, which is the membrane surrounding the placenta and is the safeguard between the mothers blood flow and the babys. That is what we are talking about here, he said. It has proven to be best for joint and tendon repair.

Amniotic arent, however, the same as the controversial fetal stem cells that gained so much attention over the past decade. Halverson says these types of stem cells raise no moral or ethical questions. They are also more effective than other types of stem cells in healing musklo-skeletal injuries.

These are offered by willing, cesarean donors. The FDA has approved the process and it is very strictly regulated. The hosts, the mothers who donate, are screened for all blood born pathogens before they are able to donate.

The regenerative field of medicine is something that has proven itself invaluable over the past few decades. It has convinced Halverson to open that door to his patients. After all, he has experienced the positive effects of the treatment first hand.

I wanted to try the stem cell treatment first. I did it about three months ago and the results are just incredible, he said, moving his arms to illustrate his range of motion.

It takes about eight months for the full effects to set in but Im swimming again. I couldnt do that before. In many cases worldwide, patients have been able to fully heal arthritic joints and tendons or cartilage tears without having to have surgery.

He feels the statistics truly speak for themselves. The company Halverson uses has conducted more than 100,000 similar treatments.

Stem cells contain Hyaluronic Acid which provides a scaffold for mesenchymal growth cells to begin the rebuilding process. They also contain natural anti inflammatory agents known as Cytokines.

Halverson says there is not one documented case of a side effect reported.

There has never been a negative reaction. Patient satisfaction is/over 98 percent ... thats just in the U.S. They are doing this heavily in Europe and Israel, he said. The results are unbelievable. Pre- and post -X-rays show remarkable results.

He will however bring on new faces who will run the expanded medical clinic.

Our medical director is Dr. Theresa Cezar, who is a great internist but has extensive experience in physical medicine. We also have Cynthia White who is our nurse practitioner. They are both excellent, he said. We have a really exceptional staff here.

In addition to the stem cell treatments, Halverson is offering an expanded line of medical services, designed to treat musklo-skeletal patients with a cutting edge integrated approach. Those include trigger point injections, state of the art spinal bracing, biomechanics as well as the regeneration therapy, which includes stem cell and Hormone Replacement Therapy.

Halverson is excited about the opportunity to bring these innovative techniques to the Golden Isles. He sees these treatments as a significant building blocks in the future of healthcare, a departure from relying on medication, dangerous opioids and other invasive options.

Ive experienced it and I know it works. Even Medicare says integration with medicine, chiropractic and therapies together are the wave of the future. We are combining what weve already been doing ... the chiropractic and rehabilitation to really take this to the next level, Halverson said.

The doctor is in again – VVdailypress.com

By adminJuly 2, 2017Stem Cell Doctors

Rene Ray De La Cruz Staff Writer @DP_ReneDeLaCruz

VICTORVILLE After a 60-year medical career, William Jacobson recently hung up his stethoscope. But he couldn't stay away too long. Instead, he has picked up his stethoscopre again after a few short months.

I retired in October, but I got bored and realized this old body and mind still have a lot to offer the community, said Dr. Jacobson, 85, from his newly opened clinic located on 11th Street, just across from Victor Valley Global Medical Center in Victorville.

Jacobson and his staff said theyre hosting an open house at noon July 21 at his clinic and are hoping that old and new friends will drop by.

When I started working for Desert Valley Hospital, I was one of five doctors who specialized in family medicine, said Jacobson, who moved to the High Desert from the East Coast in the late 1990s. I tried to stay retired, but then I got bored and tried to pick up a part-time job. Thats when I knew it was time to open a clinic.

Besides his new practice, Jacobson is also the medical director for Green Valley Home Health Care Services and Hospice Services, according to Community Liaison Betty Stevenson.

Hes an old-school doctor who really loves his patients and what he does, Stevenson said. When people discover that hes back, hes going to have a full calendar.

Wearing a bright white physicians lab coat, Jacobson pointed to his computer monitor and told the Daily Press this technological wonder is one of the biggest changes hes seen in medicine over the decades.

Jacobson, who grew up on a farm in the small town of Hagerman, New Mexico, said computer-based medical programs have been a major benefit for patients and medical staff around the world, but a nightmare to him.

These programs are so sophisticated, and inputting patient information is just not for me, said Jacobson, as his iPhone 6 Plus rang on his desk. These advances are wonderful, but a definite challenge to me.

Jacobson said advances in medicine, such as stem cell research and new drugs that pinpoint effectiveness rather than offering a shotgun effect, are the second biggest change hes seen over the years.

Even in the eight months that I was gone, theres been many advances in medicine, Jacobson said. Theres a lot to keep up with and there are constant changes, and I hope that my brain can handle it.

Jacobson said despite having an aortic valve replacement at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center four years ago and back surgery for a ruptured disc, he feels good and younger than ever.

He graduated from Pacific Union College in Napa Valley and Loma Linda University with a medical degree in 1957. A Naval physician for 10 years his office was once aboard the U.S.S. Northampton Jacobson ended his military career in 1967 and he opened a practice in Worcester, Massachusetts, where he later opened a medical rehabilitation center and gym.

Jacobson headed to California in 1994, He worked at a clinic in Redlands and at a Loma Linda University Medical Center-based clinic in Sun City before moving to the High Desert.

Ive always been fascinated with medicine. I used to read my mothers large medical book all the time as a child, Jacobson said. I was also inspired by my two uncles. One was a gynecologist and the other a general practitioner.

Jacobson said the biggest challenge in opening the clinic and coming out of retirement was city officials, health insurance companies and other people in the industry treated him like he just graduated from medical school.

It was a challenge to get back on the saddle, but were here and ready to start caring for people, Jacobson said. Im going to do what I love for as long as I can.

Dr. Jacobsons clinic is located at 15203 11th St., Suite D, in Victorville. For more information, call 760-241-0080.

Rene Ray De La Cruz may be reached at 760-951-6227, RDeLa Cruz@VVDailyPress.com or on Twitter @DP_ReneDeLaCruz.

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The doctor is in again - VVdailypress.com

U team discovers ‘powerhouse’ new treatment in fight against deadly skin disease – Southernminn.com

By adminJune 28, 2017Stem Cell Doctors

Jonathan Pitre is a teenager who loves to write science fiction as an escape from the painful disease that causes his body to be coated with wounds.

But the breakthrough bone-marrow transplant he just received at the University of Minnesota is anything but fantasy.

A decade after performing the worlds first bone marrow transplants to treat epidermolysis bullosa a rare and potentially fatal skin disease university researchers believe they have discovered a powerhouse new formula that advances their research, helps the body grow new skin and will allow patients such as Pitre, 17, to live longer, less painful lives.

Its really not miraculous. It certainly isnt science fiction, said Dr. Jakub Tolar, director of the Us stem cell institute and the world leader in transplant therapies for EB. Its based on the hard work of our predecessors. You accomplish something and then you use that knowledge to enhance the next step and the next step.

When they conducted the first transplants using donor bone marrow and umbilical cord blood in 2007, Tolar and colleagues were trying to produce a collagen that binds skin together and is lacking in EB patients. But they had little certainty about the types of cells that would work best.

Since then, research discoveries have allowed them to home in on mesenchymal stem cells, which they believe are uniquely good at bullying their way into the body and producing the missing collagen.

This is the first time ever, that I know of, when you are infusing them with the goal that these cells will stay, Tolar said. They will graft into the skin, set up shop there. Its as if these mesenchymal stem cells are coming home.

The doctors have also focused on transplants involving bone marrow from relatives, which is more familiar to the body and less likely to be rejected by the recipients.

A transplant like Jonathans occurs in a one-two punch. After receiving radiation and chemotherapy treatments to suppress the immune system, the patient receives an infusion of hematopoietic blood stem cells from a donor. Their job in this procedure is to give the patient a new immune system that wont reject the donors mesenchymal cells when they are transplanted later.

Since the U received federal approval last fall to offer the treatment experimentally, seven patients have undergone the procedure.

Tolar said all seven are progressing though Jonathan needed a second transplant this spring because the first one failed to knock out his old immune system.

Jonathan suffered an infection after his most recent transplant, which forced him to return to the hospital this month with high fevers and blisters on his face and mouth. Even so, Jonathans mother, Tina Boileau, said she has been taking pictures since the latest transplant to document the progress for her son, whose back is covered with wounds but for a healthy spot on his right shoulder blade.

Theyre actually in scabs, a sign of healing, said Boileau, who was the bone marrow donor for her sons transplant. Which Ive never seen before.

10 patients died

EB afflicts about one in every 30,000 to 50,000 people, though some forms are more severe than others. While it is known largely for the grotesque skin wounds it causes, the disease is often fatal because it leads to severe infections or skin cancers. It can also create internal wounds to the patients digestive tract, which impairs eating.

The desperation of children with the disorder and their families compelled the first transplants at the university in 2007. Even using the old approach, about two-thirds of patients saw improvements, but 10 of the first 30 recipients died from their diseases or complications of treatment.

The Us latest success with mesenchymal stem cells might end up being an incremental step. Earlier this year, Tolar and his colleagues published research showing success in an even more advanced therapy: laboratory testing using gene editing that can reprogram the patients cells to produce healthy skin cells and tissue.

Further successes could lead to clinical trials in which a patients own dysfunctional cells would be reprogrammed, preventing the need for chemotherapy and the replacement of their immune systems.

Before they came to the U, Boileau said, her son had run out of options. Managing his pain, once possible with over-the-counter Advil, had come to require opioid painkillers such as methadone. That made him groggy and complicated his already awkward life at school back home in Ottawa. Jonathan wasnt even able to eat lunch in the school cafeteria for fear of being accidentally bumped and suffering fresh wounds.

Then the Canadian government approved funding to make him his countrys first recipient of an experimental bone marrow transplant for EB. And his home community rallied to support the family. Among other things, he has visited with pro hockey players from the Ottawa Senators, which also issued a contract adding him to their scout staff.

After seeing the pain her son has endured, Boileau said shell never complain about a blister from new shoes. She marvels at his optimism and his use of science fiction reading and writing to escape.

Inspired by the success of Christopher Paolini, who wrote the acclaimed Eragon science fiction novel as a teen, Jonathan has resolved to write his own science fiction book about a teen who develops the ability to overcome EB. The project resulted in long visits and e-mail exchanges between Tolar and his patient about medicine and physics, because Jonathan wants his story grounded in reality.

Theyre almost soul mates, Boileau said.

Tolar said he enjoys the intellectual relationship and that his patient is providing an example of hope and teaching others about the disease: He may be the only person [who] can bring this kind of view to others, Tolar said.

‘Little Frankenstein,’ conceived so Minnesota doctors could save sister, is now a happy teen – Minneapolis Star Tribune

By adminJune 25, 2017Stem Cell Doctors

Richard Sennott, Star Tribune file During a family portrait in 2000, Molly Nash gives her 4-week-old brother, Adam, a kiss. Molly Nash received some umbilical blood from her brother, saving her from a fatal genetic disease.

Adam Nash was dubbed Little Frankenstein by the New York Post in 2000 because he was conceived via in vitro fertilization specifically so doctors at the University of Minnesota could collect stem cells from his umbilical cord blood to save his sister, Molly.

Today, back home in Colorado, Adam has a drivers license and helps disabled children ski. His sister once weeks from death due to a condition called Fanconi anemia is debating whether to focus on oceanography or graphic design in college. And IVF to produce an ideal child for a siblings stem cell transplant is common, albeit with lingering ethics concerns.

A squirrelly trio of teens is vindication for Adams mother, Lisa Nash, who felt the weight of the ethical questions when the Us Dr. John Wagner suggested IVF in 1995.

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'Little Frankenstein,' conceived so Minnesota doctors could save sister, is now a happy teen - Minneapolis Star Tribune

Jonathan Pitre still ailing as doctors search for answers | Ottawa … – Ottawa Citizen

By adminJune 25, 2017Stem Cell Doctors

Photo of Jonathan Pitre and his mother, Tina Boileau, taken in Minnesota. Tina Boileau / -

Doctors in a Minnesota hospital continue to search for answers to a mysterious infection that has left Jonathan Pitre feverish, nauseated and short of breath.

Pitre, 17, of Russell, has been in the University of Minnesota Masonic Childrens Hospital for the past two weeks, suffering from an array of complications more two months after his stem cell transplant. Doctors are also trying to adjust his medications to better deal with his increased pain levels.

Hes having a tough run, said his mother, Tina Boileau, and I really dont know when it will get better.

The teenager suffers from a severe form of epidermolysis bullosa (EB), a painful and progressive skin disease that has left deep, open wounds on his body.

Last week, Pitres face and neck became swollen in response to what doctors believed was some kind of viral infection. That swelling has been brought under control, but a battery of tests has yet to reveal the source of the infection, which continues to cause problems.

Pitres breathing is laboured and hes running a high-grade fever of about 104 F (40 C); he has also developed bleeding and painful sores in his mouth.

We still have no idea what were dealing with, said Boileau. Its frustrating because Im at the point where it would be nice to see that all that Jonathan has gone through has been worth it.

Doctors are monitoring Pitre for graft-versus-host-disease (GVHD), but all of his tests have so far been inconclusive.Anyone who receives stem cells from another person is at risk of developing GVHD, a condition in which the donors white blood cells turn on the patients own tissues and attack them as foreign. It can range from mild to life-threatening.

About one-third of the almost 50 EB patients who have had a stem cell transplant at the Masonic Childrens Hospital have experienced the condition.

Pitre checked back into hospital earlier this month just three days after being released following a stem cell transplant that had successfully taken root in his bone marrow. Bone marrow stem cells produce most of the bodys blood cells, and are responsible for arming its immune system.

Pitre has been in Minnesota since mid-February to undergo the transplant, his second. The first ended in disappointment on Thanksgiving Day last year.

Tests show Pitres latest transplant remains fully engrafted, and there are signs that it has started to improve the condition of his skin.

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Jonathan Pitre still ailing as doctors search for answers | Ottawa ... - Ottawa Citizen

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