New approach to assessing effectiveness of anti-cancer drugs

Manchester scientists have a developed a new method to monitor the effect of anti-cancer drugs on very rare leukemia stem cells. The approach potentially allows doctors to screen patients and personalise their treatment.

The recent development of novel agents has improved outcomes for patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). These so-called tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) target abnormal proteins caused by commonly found genetic mutations in CML patients. However, the existence of treatment-resistant cancer stem cells -- cells that are able to repeatedly renew the leukemia cell population -- is one way that many patients experience disease recurrence when treatment stops.

Any new drug must therefore be tested on such stem cells, but unfortunately they are only found in very low numbers and are identified by certain cell surface markers. Now researchers at The University of Manchester -- part of the Manchester Cancer Research Centre -- have tested a way to monitor the effect of drugs on small samples of cells.

Professor Tony Whetton, head of the Stem Cell and Leukaemia Proteomics Laboratory who led the study, said: "Current techniques require greater numbers of cells in order to detect changes caused by TKIs. Our study investigated the potential of a new technology platform that can identify changes in very small cell numbers."

The research team looked at an antibody-based approach to detect structural changes in certain proteins, in order to track the effectiveness of the TKI drugs. The instrument used fixes proteins in place and holds them, there allowing for a better signal to be generated from less material. With this approach they found that they could record changes in samples of only a few thousand critically important but rare stem cells.

"This new approach will enable us to test drugs on cells taken from patients, either at presentation or in a clinical trial setting. It has great potential to allow us to implement precision medicine, where patients receive the most appropriate treatment to target their individual tumour," added Professor Whetton.

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The above story is based on materials provided by Manchester University. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.

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New approach to assessing effectiveness of anti-cancer drugs

Prolotherapy, PRP, Stem Cell Therapy Doctors Listings and …

Prolotherapy is an injection technique that stimulates growth of cells and tissue that stabilize and strengthen weakened joints, cartilage, ligaments and tendons. The injected solution intentionally causes controlled irritation in the injected tissue. This irritation is an inflammatory response, which increases the blood supply and thereby stimulates the tissue to heal and regrow new tissue.

GetProlo is happy to be the webs largest listing of Prolotherapy doctors. GetProlo.com is a referral and informational site only. If you would like to know if you are a good candidate for Prolotherapy or other Regenerative Injection Therapy, please contact a Prolotherapy physicians office directly for an opinion. Thank you for using GetProlo.com!

Many Prolotherapy physicians also utilize Platelet Rich Plasma Therapy and Stem Cell Therapy for chronic joint and back pain. Please visit that doctors page and contact his/her office directly.

Doctors if you want to be listed please visithttp://www.getprolo.com/referral-network-application/

In this article, getprolo.com doctors discuss Knee Osteoarthritis treatment options

Is there a rush to send patients to knee surgery? Are patients given all the options? Researchers say this:

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Todays article February 10, 2015

In this article, getprolo.com doctors discuss Prolotherapy for ankle pain.

Writing in the medical journal Practical Pain Management, Ross Hauser MD, et al reported that patients treated for ankle problems with prolotherapy had less pain, stiffness, crepitating, depressed and anxious thoughts, medication usage, as well as improved range of motion, walking ability, sleep and exercise ability.. . .Prolotherapy helped all patients on pain medications reduce the amount of medications taken. Dextrose Prolotherapy Injections for Chronic Ankle PainRoss Hauser MD et al.

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Prolotherapy, PRP, Stem Cell Therapy Doctors Listings and ...

You could be the match and save someone's life

To what length would you go to save someone's life, a stranger's life at that?

It's a question Be The Match group representatives are asking you as every ten minutes someone who has blood cancer dies.

We're talking about people diagnosed with leukemia, lymphoma and sickle cell anemia.

For hundreds of patients each year, their only hope for survival is a bone marrow or stem cell transplant.

"My doctors told me, you can go through a transplant or you can die," said John Philpott, Be The Match community engagement representative. "Those were my only choices."

Fortunately, for John Philpott who was diagnosed with leukemia in 2012, he eventually heard the words "We found a match."

Philpott, like many others, 70 percent, to be exact, do not find a matched donor within their family.

After beating cancer, he nabbed a job working for the group that saved his life.

"The number one thing that Be The Match does is provide hope patients who have no other choice than to receive a transplant," Philpott said.

Friday, Feb. 20 and Saturday, Feb. 21, people can sign up to be a part of the registry. You have to be between the ages of 18-44 years old.

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CardioWise Completes Installation of the First Totally Integrated CardioWise Analysis Software at National Institutes …

Fayetteville, Arkansas (PRWEB) February 19, 2015

CardioWise, Inc. has completed development of the first fully integrated version of its Multiparametric Strain Analysis Software (MPSA) and has installed it at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI). MPSA software is being used in clinical research protocol number 12-H-0078, sponsored by the NHLBI entitled, Preliminary Assessment of Direct Intra-Myocardial Injection of Autologous Bone Marrow-derived Stromal Cells on Patients Undergoing Revascularization for Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) with Depressed Left Ventricular Function. The Principle Investigator is Dr. Keith A. Horvath, the Director of Cardiothoracic Surgery at the NHLBI and Chief of Cardiothoracic Surgery at Suburban Hospital, where he leads the NIH Heart Center. Details of the study are available here: http://clinicalstudies.info.nih.gov/cgi/wais/bold032001.pl?A_12-H-0078.html@mesenchymal@@@@.

The recently completed integrated version of CardioWise analysis software has been installed at the NIH; and, Dr. Justin Miller, and Dr. Ming Li, both research fellows in the Cardiothoracic Surgery Research Program of the NHLBI, have been trained on its operation and use. They were assigned to the project by Dr. Horvath and Dr. Andrew Arai, Chief of the Advanced Cardiovascular Imaging Research Group in the NHLBIs Division of Intramural Research. CardioWise has completed validation testing of its software and the analyses of the first two patient cardiac MRI (CMR) data sets are in process. The patients who enrolled in the protocol received one baseline CMR scan and three additional follow-up CMR scans. Those CMR scans are being analyzed by CardioWise analysis software and the analyses will be compared to determine whether stem cell injections can improve the contractile function of the heart muscle by repairing damaged tissue.

The installation at the NIH under a Beta site agreement signed in 2014 marks the first clinical test of CardioWise MPSA software outside of Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, where it was developed. CardioWise has obtained the exclusive worldwide license for the patent-pending software and accompanying normal hearts database from Washington University in St. Louis. The companys MPSA software is uniquely capable of analyzing the three-dimensional motion of the heart that is acquired from cardiac MRI images and then comparing the analysis at 15,300 points to the motion of a normal heart model. The analysis detects portions of the heart that are moving abnormally and demonstrates to what degree the heart muscle has been affected. Since MRI uses no ionizing radiation or contrast, it is completely non-invasive and poses minimal risk to the patient. This allows the patient to be followed through the course of treatment and to measure outcomes of interventions such as the stem cell therapy currently being evaluated. In the near future, CardioWise MPSA may aid doctors to determine what intervention, such as surgery, stent insertion, or drug is most appropriate for the patient who presents with cardiovascular disease symptoms.

CardioWise is commercializing patent-pending, non-invasive Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Imaging (CMR) analysis software that produces a quantified 4D image model of the human heart, called Multiparametric Strain Analysis (MPSA). CardioWise heart analysis software combined with cardiac MRI is a single diagnostic test that is able to provide quantitative analysis of the myocardium, arteries and valves with an unprecedented level of detail. It has the opportunity to become the new gold standard of care for heart health analysis. CardioWise is a VIC Technology Venture Development portfolio company.

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CardioWise Completes Installation of the First Totally Integrated CardioWise Analysis Software at National Institutes ...

Twitter the right prescription for sharing health research: UBC study

Using Twitter can help prepare doctors to answer questions from their patients, researchers from the University of British Columbia say.

The study, Finally, We Can Grow Spines: Stem Cells on Twitter, was presented Saturday at the 2015 Annual Meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, claims an increasing number of physicians are embracing social media.

"Many people go online for health information, but little research has been done on who is participating in these discussions or what is being shared," Prof. Julie Robillard, the studys lead author, said.

Robillard and fourth-year psychology student Emanuel Cabral spent six months monitoring conversations on Twitter surrounding stem cell research related to spinal cord injury and Parkinson's disease. They found the majority of tweets were about research findings, particularly the ones perceived as medical breakthroughs.

The study also found that users tweeting about spinal cord injury talked about clinical trials, while users who tweet about Parkinson's disease mostly talked about new tools or methods being developed to conduct research.

"We expected to see debate on stem cell controversy," says Robillard. "But people are sharing ideas of hope and expectations much more than anything else."

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Twitter the right prescription for sharing health research: UBC study

Twitter can help doctors treat patients better

Toronto, Feb 15:

Using Twitter can help physicians be better prepared to answer questions from their patients, according to new research.

The study by researchers from the University of British Columbia has found more and more health care professionals are embracing social media.

This challenges common opinion that physicians are reluctant to jump on the social media bandwagon.

Many people go online for health information, but little research has been done on who is participating in these discussions or what is being shared, said Julie Robillard, lead author and neurology professor at UBCs National Core for Neuroethics and Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health.

Robillard and psychology student Emanuel Cabral spent six months monitoring conversations surrounding stem cell research related to spinal cord injury and Parkinsons disease on Twitter.

They found roughly 25 per cent of the tweets about spinal cord injury and 15 per cent of the tweets about Parkinsons disease were from health care professionals.

The study found the majority of tweets were about research findings, particularly the ones perceived as medical breakthroughs. The most shared content were links to research reports.

The study also found the users tweeting about spinal cord injury and Parkinsons disease differed.

Users who tweeted about spinal cord injury talked about clinical trials, while users who tweeted about Parkinsons disease mostly talked about new tools or methods being developed to conduct research.

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Twitter can help doctors treat patients better

florida- StemCell Doctors

Florida Hospital Pepin Heart Institute is First in West & Central Florida to Perform a Groundbreaking Stem Cell Clinical Trial for Heart Failure Patients

The first patient has been treated as part of The ATHENA Trial, which derives stem cells from the patientsown adipose (fat) tissue and injects extracted cells into damaged parts of the heart.

TAMPA, Florida (December 20, 2013) Florida Hospital Pepin Heart Institute and Dr. Kiran C. Patel Research Institute announced the first patient, a 59 year old Clearwater man, has been treated as part of the ATHENA clinical trial. The trial, sponsored by San Diego-based Cytori Therapeutics, derives stem cells from the patients own fat tissue and injects extracted cells into damaged parts of the heart. The ATHENA trial is a treatment for chronic heart failure due to coronary heart disease. Dr. Charles Lambert, Medical Director of Florida Hospital Pepin Heart Institute, is leading the way for the first U.S. FDA approved clinical trial using adipose-derived regenerative cells, known as ADRCs, in chronic heart failure patients. I am pleased to report that all procedures went well. The patient is doing well, he was released and is recovering at home. We look forward to following his progress over the coming months, said Dr. Charles Lambert. Heart failure (HF) can occur when the muscles of the heart become weakened and cannot pump blood sufficiently throughout the body. The injury is most often caused by inadequate blood flow to the heart resulting from chronic or acute cardiovascular disease, including heart attacks. The ATHENA clinical trial procedure is a three step process. First, the trial involves the collection of fat from the patients body by liposuction. Then the fat sample is filtered through a machine that extracts out the stem cells. Finally, the stem cells are injected into the damaged part of the patients heart. During this first case at Florida Hospital Pepin Heart Institute, Dr. Paul Smith performed the liposuction to obtain the fat sample, a team at the Dr. Kiran C. Patel Research Institute isolated stem cells from the fat sample and then Dr. Charles Lambert performed the cell therapy by direct injection into the patients heart. Pepin Heart and Dr. Kiran C. Patel Research Institute is exploring and conducting leading-edge research to develop break-through treatments long before they are even available in other facilities. Stem cells have the unique ability to develop into many different cell types, and in many tissues serve as an internal repair system, dividing essentially without limit to replenish other cells, said Dr. Lambert.

The Pepin Heart Institute has a history of cardiovascular stem cell research as part of the NIH sponsored Cardiac Cell Therapy Research Network (CCTRN) as well as other active cell therapy trials. The trial is a double blind, randomized, placebo controlled study designed to study the use of a patients own Adipose-Derived Regenerative Cells (ADRCs) to treat chronic heart failure from coronary heart disease in patients who are on maximal therapy and still have heart failure symptoms. All trial participants undergo a minor liposuction procedure to remove fat (adipose) tissue. Following the liposuction, trial participants may have their tissue processed with Cytoris proprietary Celution System to separate and concentrate cells, and prepare them for therapeutic use. Trial participants will then have either their own cells or a placebo injected back into their damaged heart tissue. To test whether ADRCs will improve heart function, several measurements will be made, including peak oxygen consumption (VO2max), which measures how much physical exercise (gentle walking on a treadmill) a patient can perform, blood flow to the heart (perfusion), the amount of blood in the left ventricle at the end of contraction and relaxation (end-systolic and end-diastolic volumes), and the fraction of blood that is pumped during each contraction (ejection fraction). After the injection procedure, patients are seen in the clinic for follow-up visits over the first 12 months; they are then contacted by phone once a year for up to five years after the procedure.

There are approximately 5.1 million Americans currently living with heart failure, according to the American Heart Association. Chronic heart failure due to coronary heart disease is a severe, debilitating condition caused by restriction of blood flow to the heart muscle, reducing the hearts oxygen supply and limiting its pumping function. Individuals interested in participating in the ATHENA clinical research trial or learning more can visit http://www.theathenatrial.com or call Brian Nordgren, Florida Hospital Pepin Heart Institute Physician Assistant & Stem Cell Program Lead at (813) 615-7527.

About Florida Hospital Tampa Florida Hospital Tampa is a not-for-profit 475-bed tertiary hospital specializing in cardiovascular medicine, neuroscience, orthopaedics, womens services, pediatrics, oncology, endocrinology, bariatrics, wound healing, sleep medicine and general surgery including minimally invasive and robotic-assisted procedures. Also located at Florida Hospital Tampa is the renowned Florida Hospital Pepin Heart Institute, a recognized leader in cardiovascular disease prevention, diagnosis, treatment and leading-edge research. Part of the Adventist Health System, Florida Hospital is a leading health network comprised of 22 hospitals throughout the state. For more information, visit http://www.FHTampa.org.

About Florida Hospital Pepin Heart Institute and Dr. Kiran C. Patel Research Institute Florida Hospital Pepin Heart Institute is a free-standing cardiovascular institute providing comprehensive cardiovascular care with over 76,000 angioplasty procedures and 11,000 open-heart surgeries in the Tampa Bay region. Leading the way with the first accredited chest pain emergency room in Tampa Bay, the institute is among an elite few in the state of Florida chosen to perform the ground breaking Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR) procedure. It is also a HeartCaring designated provider and a Larry King Cardiac Foundation Hospital. Florida Hospital Pepin Heart Institute and the Dr. Kiran C. Patel Research Institute, affiliated with the University of South Florida (USF), are exploring and conducting leading-edge research to develop break-through treatments long before they are available in most other hospitals. To learn more, visit http://www.FHPepin.org.

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florida- StemCell Doctors

Cancer research lab in Membertou welcomes new equipment

SYDNEY A typical day for Dr. Alex Wawer will find him carefully tracking colourful movements across a computer screen in a small lab in Membertou.

Greg McNeil - Cape Breton Post

From left, Dr. William Harless, Dr. Alex Wawer and Beth Lewis demonstrate the flow citometer at the Encyt Technologies lab in Membertou.

Though the movements of cells as they make their way through the human body might not be of interest to the average person, to the staff at Encyt Technologies it's a fascinating method of differentiating between circulating cancer stem cells and non-cancer stem cells.

"Those are essentially the cells we think are cancer cells, compared to all the other cells of different colours," the research scientist said while pointing at the computer screen.

"Tumour cells would stain these particular (green) ones, compared to the red ones which are probably more like white blood cells."

The resulting implications of such tracking measures could lead to ground-breaking cancer treatment discoveries.

"It's important because stem cells are like the master cells, they are the ones that do everything," said Dr. William Harless, CEO of Encyt Technologies Inc.

"If we can find a way to figure out when they are in the blood, it will help us."

Tracking is more efficient after his lab received it's new flow citometer this week, which was funded by the Cape Breton Regional Hospital Foundation.

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Cancer research lab in Membertou welcomes new equipment

Roseville teen fights for life, needs donations for stem cell treatment

A 17-year old student from Roseville is fighting to stay alive and preparing for a possible double lung transplant but an experimental and very expensive procedure, which is not covered by his insurance, shows more promise for saving his life.

Tina Castillo says her son Myles has been fighting to survive his entire life. As she explains, it started when he was a baby.

"When he was one, he caught virus and it attacked his white blood cells which led to another virus and his blood wasn't holding oxygen," Tina explains.

As Myles' illness progressed, breathing became harder. The family says his lungs are so badly damaged that doctors want to give 17-year-old Myles, who is currently at Children's Hospital, a double lung transplant. That brings the risk of rejection and infection. So Castillo says she found a better way.

The answer is an experimental procedure provided by a Florida medical facility. She says it involves stem cell treatments that help repair damaged lung tissue helping the patient to breath easier.

But it's not FDA approved and that means insurance won't cover it.

"This doctor in Florida is saying he can save my son. What am I supposed to to do?" Tina said. "But it's not FDA approved and insurance doesn't touch it. It's all cash."

So the family started a Fight for Myles GoFundMe Account to help with the $12,000 per treatment medical bill

"I took him for his first one in October due back in April.

The family says the money raised will not only go to finance the medical procedure but medicine that costs hundreds per month.

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Roseville teen fights for life, needs donations for stem cell treatment

Stoneham mom could be saved by stem cell transplant insurance refuses to cover

STONEHAM, Mass. (MyFoxBoston.com) -- A Stoneham mom is battling a very unusual and potentially deadly autoimmune disease and doctor's say a stem cell transplant could save her.

Scleroderma makes it hard for Brianna Garcia to move or even breathe. Her doctors say a stem cell transplant, and a lot of support, could save her life.

Being healthy is crucial for Garcia because being a mom is her top priority.

"She's my world!" she said of her daughter. "She's absolutely my world, I'd do anything for her."

So she's determined to be here for her 5-year-old Gracelyn. She says her daughter asked her husband if she would "go to heaven with grandma Jill?" And her husband promised that she would always be there for Gracelyn.

But Garcia is battling a debilitating disease that could, in fact, take her life. Dr. Ann Kiessling from the Bedford Stem Cell Research Foundation says a rare stem cell transplant could save Garcia.

"This woman is very young and she seems to have really severe systemic Scleroderma," she said.

She went on to say, "Her immune system is stimulating an excess of collagen that she has. If you can reset the immune system you can stop that process."

The procedure costs $150,000 and her insurance company will not cover the bill.

"I will not let an insurance company decide what my life is gonna be like," Garcia said. "It's just not gonna happen."

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Stoneham mom could be saved by stem cell transplant insurance refuses to cover