Stem cells and the art of giving – TheHealthSite

Our health scenario has undergone drastic changes over the past few decades.

Our health scenario has undergone drastic changes over the past few decades. Is it not fair to say that given todays lifestyles, finding someone who is completely fit and healthy is quite rare?In an attempt to take precautions, people are doing their best such as exercising, controlling their diet, taking health supplements, undergoing periodic health check-ups and what not. However, these are only precautionary or preventive measures. How can you protect yourself or your family in the worst case of being diagnosed by a disorder that could take you by surprise? The good news is that while more new diseases are being discovered, medical science is also growing at a matching pace with treatment solutions for such conditions. Here comes the role of stem cells. Stem cell treatment has been found to be a solution for many ailments that are not treatable by conventional methods of surgery or medication. Diseases such as leukemia ans thalassemia can now be treated by stem cells with a hope of survival, which was not possible even a decade or so ago.

As stem cell medicine keeps advancing with more conditions being researched, the future sounds quite promising as more and more disorders that were once considered as permanent or terminal will soon become treatable.But, the question is, where does one find these stem cells? Well, the answer is, within you; in your bone marrow.Unfortunately in more than 80 per cent of these disorders, your own stem cells cannot be used and you would need to seek them from someone else. Here comes the challenge of finding a matching donor and someone who is willing to donate his stem cells. Alternatively, you can source stem cells from a public bank which preserves umbilical cord stem cells of donors. Here, in addition to the rarity of finding a matching stem cell of Indian ethnicity, the problem gets compounded with the need of Rs 15 lakh to Rs 20 lakh for stem cell treatment. Seven out of 10 patients who require a matching stem cell do not find a match in their family.Can this scenario change? Is there a hope for treating such dreaded conditions? The answer is yes. If you are expecting a baby in your family, then you are blessed. (Read: Stem cell therapy what you ought to know)

We say a child is a blessing from God, which is true in real terms. While as parents we bless our children, now the baby can bless us to stay protected against such medical conditions. The babys umbilical cord is a rich source of stem cells. These can be collected and preserved at the time of birth for future use so that it can come to the rescue when required. With the new concept of community stem cell banking by one of the leading stem cell banks in the country which preserves a babys stem cells by making him/her a member of the community of parents who have also preserved their babys stem cells. The stem cell of all the babies within the community forms a collective pool to be accessed by all members.Hence, at any given time, one can access donor stem cells from this collective pool for treatment, protecting not just your baby but your family too from such ailments. There is only the initial cost of preserving your babys stem cells which is much lower than sourcing stem cells from a public stem cell bank. More importantly, the probability of finding a match of Indian ethnicity is higher and stem cells are readily available for treatment when required.If you are worried about the uncertainties over the health of your family, you can now rest assured that your babys birth will now bless your family with the protection of good health. (Read: New colour-coding tool enables to better track live blood stem cells clones that affects blood disorders, cancers like leukemia)

Source: IANS

Image source: Shutterstock

Published: April 21, 2017 9:47 am

Disclaimer: TheHealthSite.com does not guarantee any specific results as a result of the procedures mentioned here and the results may vary from person to person. The topics in these pages including text, graphics, videos and other material contained on this website are for informational purposes only and not to be substituted for professional medical advice.

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Stem cells and the art of giving - TheHealthSite

Reminder: San Diego stem cell meeting open to the public tomorrow – The San Diego Union-Tribune

Interested in learning about stem cell science and medicine and what it means to you? A public meeting will be held Thursday from noon to 1 p.m. at the Sanford Consortium for Regenerative Medicine in La Jolla.

Heres more details from my earlier story.

Not only will researchers and a patient advocate with Parkinsons disease discuss the state of stem cell treatments, the public will be able to ask questions.

The Sanford Consortium building is located across the street from the Salk Institute. For those seeking a bite to eat before or after the event, the building also hosts a bistro, the Bella Vista Social Club and Cafe.

The video with this story shows Sandra Dillon describing how she regained stamina and energy after an experimental treatment that blocked cancer stem cells. While not a cure, the treatment reversed what appeared to be an inevitable downward progression.

Dillions doctor, physician-researcher Catriona Jamieson, will be one of the speakers at tomorrows event.

Ill be on site at the event, and will have a report(s) up tomorrow afternoon.

bradley.fikes@sduniontribune.com

(619) 293-1020

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Reminder: San Diego stem cell meeting open to the public tomorrow - The San Diego Union-Tribune

First participant treated in trial of stem-cell therapy for heart failure – Medical Xpress

April 18, 2017 by Gian Galassi

A research team at University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health has treated its first patient in an innovative clinical trial using stem cells for the treatment of heart failure that develops after a heart attack.

The trial is taking place at University Hospital, one of three sites nationwide currently enrolling participants. The investigational CardiAMP therapy is designed to deliver a high dose of a patient's own bone-marrow cells directly to the point of cardiac injury to potentially stimulate the body's natural healing response.

The patient experience with the trial begins with a cell-potency screening test. Patients who qualify for therapy are scheduled for a bone-marrow aspiration. The bone marrow is then processed on-site and subsequently delivered directly to the damaged regions in a patient's heart in a minimally invasive procedure.

"Patients living with heart failure experience a variety of negative symptoms that can greatly impact their day-to-day life," said UW Health cardiologist Dr. Amish Raval, associate professor of medicine and one of the principal investigators for the trial. "By being at the forefront of research for this debilitating condition, we look forward to studying the potential of this cell therapy to impact a patient's exercise capacity and quality of life."

The primary outcome to be measured is the change in distance during a six-minute walk 12 months after the initial baseline measurement.

Heart failure commonly occurs after a heart attack, when the heart muscle is weakened and cannot pump enough blood to meet the body's needs for blood and oxygen. About 790,000 people in the U.S. have heart attacks each year. The number of adults living with heart failure increased from about 5.7 million (2009-2012) to about 6.5 million (2011-2014), and the number of adults diagnosed with heart failure is expected to dramatically rise by 46 percent by the year 2030, according to the American Heart Association (AHA).

The CardiAMP Heart Failure Trial is a phase III study of up to 260 patients at up to 40 centers nationwide. Phase III trials are conducted to measure effectiveness of the intervention, monitor side effects and gather information for future use of the procedure. Study subjects must be diagnosed with New York Heart Association (NYHA) Class II or III heart failure as a result of a previous heart attack.

Information about eligibility or enrollment in the trial is available at http://www.clinicaltrials.gov, or through a cardiologist.

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Heart failure patients who are getting by on existing drug therapies can look forward to a far more effective medicine in the next five years or so, thanks to University of Alberta researchers.

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Billings Clinic accredited for using stem cell method to ‘successfully treat’ a rare cancer – Billings Gazette

The prognosis was dire when Cheryl Grantham learned she had multiple myeloma, a rare form of cancer, in March 1999.

"I thought I'd be dead by Christmas," she said.

The best treatment to extend her life was a round of specialty high-dose chemotherapy, a course more potent than the normal chemotherapy prescribed to combat more common cancers.

Multiple myeloma is cancer of the plasma cells and the high-dose chemotherapy treatments fight it by destroying the cancerous cells in the bone marrow, where plasma originates. The treatments are intense enough that it can kill a patient. But it's one of the most effective ways to treat the cancer.

So doctors a few decades ago created a workaround using stem cells, extracting them from the patient's blood before administering the high-dose chemotherapy and then transplanting them back in to repair the damaged bone marrow after the chemo has been given.

Stem cells are given back to the patient like a blood transfusion, saidBrock Whittenberger, Grantham's doctor at Billings Clinic.

Billings Clinic has been using this stem cell approach with its myeloma cancer treatments for years, and Whittenberger has been the one performing procedure.

"What it's allowed us to do is successfully treat the cancer," he said. "There's a fairly rapid recovery."

Billings Clinic was recently accredited by the Foundation for the Accreditation of Cellular Therapy for its stem cell treatment.With the FACT accreditation, those treatments will be more accessible.

The accreditation also will make it easier for insurance companies to approve the procedure and will allow Billings Clinic to conduct trials on the stem cell treatment.

Billings Clinic is currently the only FACT-accredited center in Montana.

Grantham, who was an infusion nurse at the time of her diganosis, elected to have the treatment and has outlived her initial prognosis by almost two decades.

"I've been fine," she said. "I've been alive for 18 years."

Unexpectedly, the treatments helped her become a better nurse.

"It made me more empathetic," she said.

The stem cell treatment eradicates certain forms of lymphoma but it won't cure Grantham's cancer. At some point themultiple myeloma will return.

Until then, she visits with her doctor every three months for blood work and works to keep her focus on the now.

"With a diagnosis like that you have short-term goals," she said.

Her youngest son was in high school in 1999, and she was still working full time as a nurse. As much as she wanted to crawl under her covers and not face the reality of her cancer diagnosis, she had no choice but to move forward.

"It made me be normal," she said.

And it helped her focus on what was important in the moment. The Christmas before she began her treatments, she took her three sons to the Cayman Islands for the holidays.

"Because everything was going to change," she said."You just do it."

And it's an attitude she still carries. Her youngest son, long graduated from high school, is now married. These days, she's hopeful he'll give her a grandchild.

"That's my goal now," she said, smiling.

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Billings Clinic accredited for using stem cell method to 'successfully treat' a rare cancer - Billings Gazette

Melbourne woman travelling to Russia for ground-breaking MS stem cell treatment – 9news.com.au

A Melbourne woman is attempting to raise $170,000 for her sister to travel to one of the world's pre-eminent stem cell treatment facilities in an attempt to stop the fatal progression of Multiple Sclerosis.

Chantelle Baker was first diagnosed with MS in May, 2016. In a six month period, 79 lesions had developed on her brain.

"There is no medication to stop the progression of MS," Mrs Baker told A Current Affair.

Chantelle Baker, 41, is hoping to travel to Russia for stem cell treatment to stem the progression of Multiple Sclerosis (Source: A Current Affair)

Mrs Baker, her husband Dara, five-year-old daughter, Lilly, and younger daughter, Edie, are hostages to the hope that Russian doctors can achieve what Australia doctors cannot.

The cost is high, so Mrs Baker's sister, Maxine Parker, has set up an online fundraising campaign to raise the money on her sister's behalf.

"That's my job, I am her big sister," Ms Parker said.

"I have spent 17 years sharing the same bedroom with her growing up and there was no way I was going to let anything take her away from me and I still won't. I am determined to fight this all the way, side-by-side with her."

Mrs Baker's sister, Maxine Parker, has launched a crowd-funding campaign to pay for her sister's treatment in Russia (Source: A Current Affair)

But the cost is nothing compared to the regret the family would face if they didn't give it their all to get Mrs Baker to Russia for the ground-breaking treatment.

"I am scared of not being able to walk, I am scared of waking up one day and not being able to see my kids again because I have gone blind," Mrs Baker said.

"My worst fear is not remembering my children in four or five years' time."

Ms Parker said she would do anything to keep her sister active for her children (Source: A Current Affair)

NSW mother of two Nikki Tatum has just finished the treatment at the same stem cell clinic in Moscow that Mrs Baker is hoping to attend.

Ms Tatum is now back in Australia and will have to wait months before she knows if the therapy worked.

"I have just recently returned from to have HSCT (Hematopoietic Stem Cell Therapy) to hold the progression of my MS," Ms Tatum said in a video message to Mrs Baker.

"I just want to wish you luck for July and let you know that you have made the best choice. The doctors and nurses are just outstanding and you are definitely well looked after."

Mrs Baker, her husband and their children (Source: A Current Affair)

The video message affirmed to Mrs Baker that she was making the right decision.

"It definitely gives me hope. I know I am making the right decision and that is just verifying that I am," Mrs Baker said.

Mrs Baker's husband, Dara, agrees.

"We need to make it work. We need the treatment to work. But of course, I love her to death anyway," Mr Baker said.

Mrs Baker's family have set up a Facebook page where her journey can be followed, Chantelle Fights Multiple Sclerosis.

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Melbourne woman travelling to Russia for ground-breaking MS stem cell treatment - 9news.com.au

Andrews Institute to study stem cells’ impact on knee – Pensacola News Journal

Joseph Baucum , jbaucum@pnj.com Published 4:06 p.m. CT April 16, 2017 | Updated 14 hours ago

Andrews Institute is conducting new stem cell research that could impact the FDA approval of certain treatments. Joseph Baucumjbaucum@pnj.com

Dr. Andrew Anz, an orthopedic surgeon and sports medicine specialist at the Andrews Institute in Gulf Breeze is working on cutting-edge stem cell research for cartilage therapy.(Photo: Tony Giberson/tgiberson@pnj.com)Buy Photo

By the time most reach age 55, Adam Anz estimatesas much as 30 percent of the population will incur some form of knee degeneration, a problem that equals pain and in many cases, surgery.

Its a problem that were all going to face at some point in our lives, said Anz, orthopaedic surgeon at Andrews Institute for Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine.

But in May, a new study will begin at Andrews Institute in Gulf Breeze that could play a game-changing role in evolving the range of medicine available for treating knee injuries. In the process, the research may also help drive down patients costs.

Anz will help spearhead a study next month into increasing the amount of stem cells doctors are able to harvest from bone marrow transplants with the goal of utilizing those cells to regrow cartilage in knees. Cartilage, a tough and flexible material, is essential to the knee, because it acts as a cushion between the bones in the joint. Damaged cartilage can often necessitate knee replacement.

ADDITIONAL CONTENT:Andrews Institute expands prep athletics care in region

In the study, Anz said researchers will attempt to increase the amount of stem cells in participants bone marrow, which would then empty from the marrow into their bloodstream. Researchers would collect the blood, separate the stem cells from it and inject the cells into patients knees. Doctors would then monitor if the marrow cells transform into cartilage cells and spark regeneration.

Its about determining how can we obtain those cells in efficient quantities and put those cells in the right place at the right time to help with healing patients injuries, Anz said.

Because the Food & Drug Administration has not approved the vast majority of stem cell-based remedies, not all treatments involving the cells are available for patients, including the cartilage procedure. For the treatments that are offered, health insurance providers do not cover them without the FDAs consent. Patients who choose to undergo them must pay out-of-pocket prices.

The study at Andrews Institute could push a stem cell cartilage treatment closer to FDA approval and by extension, availability and affordability. The research is an official FDA study. It is led by Khay Yong Saw, a Malaysian physicianwho has already demonstrated conceptual proof of the treatment in an animal study in 2006. He completed a randomized control trial in 2012. This study is the next step in proving the safety and efficacy of the procedure to gain federal endorsement.

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ADDITIONAL CONTENT:Elite athletes just piece of Andrews Institute

Anz, optimistic about the studys potential, emphasized more research must be conducted into the effectiveness of stem cell treatments those already available and those still in the testing phase.

Its important to be excited about technologies, but its also important to be honest with the patients that more must be done to show these treatments are effective, said Anz, who estimated the cartilage study to require two years for participant enrollment and another two years before researchers can observe outcomes.

But some who have undergone stem cell treatments advocate for the procedures federal approval. Jody Falvey, a retired Pensacola resident, had a stem cell procedure conducted at Andrews Institute on her knee in the fall of 2012.

Falvey, 67, tore the medial and lateral meniscus in her knee during a family visit to South Florida while brewing coffee in the morning. The sensation, she said, felt like a knife slicing through her joint.

Following a consultation with Anz, who described an available stem cell treatment known as bone marrow aspirate concentrate, Falvey chose to have the procedure done. The treatment utilized cells from her own body to repair the knee. The process, from procedure to recovery, spanned about two years.

Falvey said her knee does not feel like it ever underwent surgery. The fact that it helped prevent her from having to undergo a knee replacement made the operation even better.

I did not want metal in my body, she said. This was just one of the greatest alternatives I had heard of. I would do it again in a heartbeat.

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Andrews Institute expands prep athletics care in region

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Andrews Institute to study stem cells' impact on knee - Pensacola News Journal

Stem Cells for Knees: Promising Treatment or Hoax? – WebMD

April 14, 2017 -- At 55, George Chung of Los Angeles could keep up with skiers decades younger, taking on difficult slopes for hours and hours. "Skiing was my passion," he says.

Then the pain started, and the bad news. He had severe osteoarthritis, the ''wear-and-tear'' type, in both knees. Doctors suggested surgery, but he chose instead an investigational treatment -- injections of stem cells. Two months after the first treatment, he was out of pain. "I had been in pain of various degrees for 6 years," he says.

Now, nine treatments and 3 years later, he is back to intense skiing. Last year, he also took up long-distance cycling, completed five double-century cycling rides, and earned the prestigious California Triple Crown cycling award.

Treatments with stem cells -- which can grow into different types of cells -- are booming in the U.S., with an estimated 500 or more clinics in operation. Some clinics offer treatment for conditions ranging from autism to multiple sclerosis to erectile dysfunction, often without scientific evidence to support how well they work.

Treatment for knee arthritis is especially popular. Its one type of osteoarthritis, which afflicts 30 million Americans. Fees vary, but $2,000 per treatment for knee arthritis is about average. Insurance companies usually deny coverage, although in rare cases they may cover it when done alongwith another, established procedure.

Many doctors and scientists view the growth of stem cell treatments as very promising. But that growth comes as the FDA debates whether to tighten regulations on stem cell clinics after recent reports of patients suffering severe damage from treatment. The only stem cell-based product approved by the FDA is for umbilical cord blood-derived stem cells for blood cancers and other disorders.

In an editorial published March 16 in TheNew England Journal of Medicine, FDA officials warned the lack of evidence for unapproved stem cell treatments is ''worrisome." The officials cited reports of serious side effects, including two people who became legally blind after receiving the treatment in their eyes for macular degeneration.

In another case, a patient who received stem cell injections after a stroke developed paralysis and needed radiation treatment.

The FDA also notes that stem cell treatments potentially have other safety concerns, such as causing tumors to grow. And because patients mayreceive the treatmentsoutside of formal research studies, it can bedifficult to track their side effects.

Doctors say that treating the kneehasless of a chance forcomplications. It is also the body part with perhaps the most research.

Still, even doctors who offer the treatment for arthritic knees say more study is needed.

"We don't have a lot of controlled trials yet," says Keith Bjork, MD, an orthopedist in Amarillo, TX, who has given stem cell treatments to about 500 patients with knee arthritis in the past 5 years. "Their results are the strongest evidence," he says.

The most common side effects are joint stiffness and pain at the injection site as well as swelling, according to the results of one study.

For knee injections, doctors often take stem cells from the patient's bone marrow, fat tissue, or blood. Doctors who do the treatments cite anecdotal evidence as validation that the treatments work.

Marc Darrow, MD, the Los Angeles physical medicine specialist who cares for Chung, says he has done thousands of stem cell treatments. He uses stem cells from the patient's own bone marrow, a process he says is simple and fast.

His patients pain often subsides after knee injections, he says. He also has had cases in which the ''before'' and ''after'' X-rays suggest an increase in cartilage, he says.

Harvey E. Smith, MD, an assistant professor of orthopedic surgery at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, says its clear the treatment has an effect. What is not as clear is how it lessens pain. Researchers are studying whether the stem cells themselves cut inflammation or if they release substances that affect other cells. They also are looking at whether the treatments can regenerate worn-out cartilage.

Published studies have produced mixed results. One from 2014 showed that stem cell injections given aftersurgery to remove torn knee cartilage showed evidence of cartilage regeneration and lessened pain. In March, researchers who reviewed the findings of six studies on stem cells for knee arthritis found that patients reported good results with no serious side effects. More data is needed, however, before researchers can recommend it.

''There is still not enough evidence to suggest this should be routine treatment for knee early osteoarthritis," says Wellington Hsu, MD, the Clifford C. Raisbeck professor of orthopedic surgery at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. Even so, he says, ''there is very little damage you are going to do with an injection to the knee. I think stem cells appear to be safe in orthopedic applications."

There is, of course, the risk that an investment of a couple thousand dollars will do nothing. But Hsu says that ''you are not going to find the catastrophic cases that will shut down a clinic [as may occur for other body parts].''

For people who have knee arthritis, the most invasive treatment is total knee replacement, Hsu says. Doctors are also testing other injectable therapies, including platelet-rich plasma, hyaluronic acid, and steroids, he says.

Consumers who decide to try stem cell treatments for achy knees should research their doctor and the specifics on the stem cell treatment. It's crucial to ask the clinic where the stem cells come from, Smith says. Ask if they will retrieve them from your own bone marrow or fat tissue, or if they will come from donors. The FDA requires donor cells and tissues to be tested for communicable diseases. There is no consensus on which source is best, but most doctors use stem cells from fat, Hsu says.

The FDA suggests patients who decide to get stem cells for any purpose should speak to their doctor about the potential risks and benefits, and ask whether they are part of an FDA-approved clinical trial. Most often, doctors who offer stem cell treatments are orthopedists, plastic surgeons, or physical medicine and rehabilitation doctors,

The reduction in pain, however, isnt permanent, Smith says. "The effect may last 6 months," he says, citing results from knee studies. When people are paying out of pocket, he adds, they may over-report good effects to feel like they got their money's worth.

Chung, the skier-cyclist, says the investment has been worth it. He plans to continue his injections once or twice a year, as needed, so he can stay active on the bike and the slopes.

SOURCES:

Wellington Hsu, MD, Clifford C. Raisbeck professor of orthopedic surgery, Feinberg Northwestern University School of Medicine, Chicago.

Harvey E. Smith, MD, assistant professor of orthopedic surgery, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia.

Keith Bjork, MD, orthopedic surgeon, Amarillo, TX; clinical advisory staff member, Amnio Technology.

Julian Cameron, MD, orthopedic surgeon, Tamarac, FL.

Marc Darrow, MD, Los Angeles physical medicine specialist.

George Chung, stem cell recipient, Los Angeles.

CDC: "Osteoarthritis Fact Sheet."

The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery: "Adult Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells Delivered via Intra-Articular Injection to the Knee Following Partial Medial Meniscectomy."

The New England Journal of Medicine: "Clarifying Stem-Cell Therapy's Benefits and Risks."

American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons annual meeting, presentation: ''Platelet-Rich Plasma, Bone Morphogenetic Protein, and Stem Cells: What Surgeons Need to Know." March 14, 2017, San Diego.

International Society for Stem Cell Research. "Stem Cell Facts."

Andrea Fischer, FDA spokeswoman.

FDA: "Consumer Information on Stem Cells."

Link:
Stem Cells for Knees: Promising Treatment or Hoax? - WebMD

Parkinson’s stem cell therapy 2.0: New treatment coaxes the brain to repair itself – Genetic Literacy Project

For the past five decades pharmaceutical drugs like levodopa have been the gold standard for treating Parkinsons disease. These medications alleviate motor symptoms of the disease, but none of them can cure it.

Now a study from the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm shows it is possible to coax the brains own astrocytescells that typically support and nurture neuronsinto producing a new generation of dopamine neurons.

The reprogrammed cellscould alter the course of Parkinsons, according to the researchers. You can directly reprogram a cell that is already inside the brain and change the function in such a way that you can improve neurological symptoms, says senior author Ernest Arenas, a professor of medical biochemistry at Karolinska.

Directly converting astrocytes already present in patients brains could eliminate the need to search for donor cells[and the treatment may] be less likely to cause side effects compared with current drugs. This is like stem cell 2.0. Its the next-generation approach to stem cell treatments and regenerative medicine, says James Beck, vice president and chief scientific officer, for the nonprofit Parkinsons Disease Foundation.

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The GLP aggregated and excerpted this blog/article to reflect the diversity of news, opinion, and analysis. Read full, original post:Cell Therapy 2.0: Reprogramming the Brains Own Cells for Parkinsons Treatment

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Parkinson's stem cell therapy 2.0: New treatment coaxes the brain to repair itself - Genetic Literacy Project

DCGI approves Regenerative Medical’s stem cell therapy for cartilage defects – Livemint

Mumbai: Regenerative Medical Services Pvt. Ltd on Wednesday said that the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) recently approved its stem cell-based therapy to treat cartilage defects.

Chondron, its cartilage repair procedure, uses the bodys own cartilage cells that are cultured, multiplied and implanted into the patients damaged joint leading to new cartilage regeneration and avoiding the need for early joint replacement. This is the first stem cell-therapy product to be approved in India.

We are creating new age cartilage regeneration procedure which optimizes the chances of healing due to the use of the bodys own cells. We will tie up with hospitals to promote it; we have received interest from around 200 hospitals, chief executive officer and managing director Yash Sanghavi said.

The company has capacity to culture 1,000-1,200 patient samples annually, which it plans to enhance to 10,000-12,000 samples in next three years, chief scientific officer Satyen Sanghavi, said.

The Mumbai-based company, started in 2009, has invested around Rs70-75 crore on development of Chondron and conducted clinical trials on 350 patients. It is looking to raise funds for capacity expansion and marketing of the cell therapy.

We are looking to raise Rs40-50 crore through equity dilution and have already appointed bankers, Sanghavi said. The treatment, he said, is likely to cost around Rs2 lakh, which is almost the same or slightly lower than the price of a knee replacement surgery.

First Published: Wed, Apr 12 2017. 09 11 PM IST

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DCGI approves Regenerative Medical's stem cell therapy for cartilage defects - Livemint

Fundraising appeal for stem cell treatment after chickenpox triggers … – News Shopper

A desperate father has launched a fundraising bid to treat his sonafter he was diagnosed with a debilitating central nervous system disease.

Tiago Gouveia was diagnosed with Spinal Cerebellar Ataxia Type Seven (SCA7) after chickenpox triggered the genetic condition, inherited from father Marvino.

The four-year-old can no longer walk unaided and his weight has dropped to just 1.7 stones - 11kg - since last May - half of what he should normally weigh for his age.

He has also developed kidney disease as a result of his illness and could go blind, lose his ability to speak and no longer be able to swallow if not treated.

Dad Marvino, 40, who lives in Malvern Road, Orpington, is now hoping to raise 30,000 to fund stem cell treatment in Bangkok, Thailand, which could cure Tiago.

He said: "He was born well, and he was a normal child growing up until the age of two-and-a-half.

"In May 2015, he was with his cousin who had chickenpox, and it triggered the disease.

"It's a genetic condition, and I carry the gene - my mum, sister and niece all have it.

"After six to seven months, Tiago stopped walking and got a lot more wobbly before it came to a point where he couldn't walk anymore.

"He's lost lots of weight and for now his sight is okay, but it will get worse.

"He was vomiting every day until he got a gastrostomy on April 4, and we're hoping that will stop it - he had been fed through a tube since November but it was making him sick.

"He developed nephrosis, which affects his kidneys, so now he's on steroids as well as seven or eight other types of medication.

"It came to the point where we said we can't wait to fix him, so we decided to start the fundraising page for stem cell treatment."

Tiago has inherited the condition from finance worker Marvino, whose mother, sister and niece also have the genetic disorder.

His Geneva-based sister Canisia Brunier, 52, her daughter Melissa, 21, and Marvino's mother Latifa Goveia, 71, who lives in his native Portugal, all suffer from SCA7.

Marvino added: "He's got a bad gene, and because he's young and male the disease is developing much more quickly.

"He weighs 11kg and he should be double that, he's very skinny and you can see all his bones.

"Sometimes he's in a good mood but the medication gives him really bad moods.

"I don't have words to describe it, it's just too much."

Marvino and full-time carer wife Rosa Gouveia, 38, are also parents to Andre, 11, who does not have SCA7.

The family are now hoping to raise enough money for Tiago to undertake crucial stem cell treatment.

They have already raised 7,200 on JustGiving but need more.

Marvino said: "We're hoping we can get this money to help him, it's been very tough seeing him suffer like this - he's always sick.

"The stem cell treatment could help a lot or maybe even cure him and the doctor says he has a very good chance of improving.

"He's getting worse every day so need to do it soon.

"We've had a lot of support from our friends and family and we're really happy with how much we've raised, but we're still trying to spread the word."

The fundraising page is here

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Fundraising appeal for stem cell treatment after chickenpox triggers ... - News Shopper