Howe's recovery shows stem-cell advances

Published: Sunday, 3/1/2015 - Updated: 50 seconds ago

BY MARLENEHARRIS-TAYLOR BLADE STAFF WRITER

Hockey legend Gordie Howes star power is raising awareness in the United States and Canada about advances in stem-cell therapies as he continues what is being called a miraculous recovery from a massive stroke.

Those closest to him, including his son, Toledo radiologist Dr. Murray Howe, are convinced the former Detroit Red Wings player would have died if he had not traveled to a medical clinic in Tijuana, Mexico, for an experimental stem-cell treatment not yet available in the United States.

After a debilitating stroke on Oct. 26, Mr. Howe, 86, had a few weeks of slight recovery, but then his health went downhill quickly, said Dr. Howe, director of sports medicine imaging for ProMedica Toledo Hospital. The family had started preparing for his funeral. But that all turned around after he had the adult stem-cell treatment on Dec. 8.

If you saw him now, you wouldnt know he had a stroke, Dr. Howe said.

Its been wonderful. Every day I would say hes a little bit better, and there are little hints of improvement. Certainly in the first month, every day his strength, coordination, and balance were better. He has been eating like a horse. He had lost 20 pounds, and now he has gained back 25 pounds, so he is pretty close to his playing weight now, Dr. Howe said.

Amazing results

In describing his fathers treatment and recovery in the last three months, Dr. Howe does not hesitate to use words such as unbelievable, astonishing, and amazing.

Eight hours after Mr. Howe received what is called a lumbar puncture, where stem cells were injected in the spinal fluid of his lower back by an anesthesiologist, he went from being bedridden and only mumbling short sentences to speaking clearly and walking with assistance, Dr. Howe said.

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Howe's recovery shows stem-cell advances

'Miracle' stem cell therapy reverses multiple sclerosis

In the new treatment, specialists use a high dose of chemotherapy to knock out the immune system before rebuilding it with stem cells taken from the patients own blood.

Stem cells are so effective because they can become any cell in the body based on their environment.

"Since we started treating patients three years ago, some of the results we have seen have been miraculous," Professor Basil Sharrack, a consultant neurologist at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, told The Sunday Times.

"This is not a word I would use lightly, but we have seen profound neurological improvements."

During the treatment, the patient's stem cells are harvested and stored. Then doctors use aggressive drugs which are usually given to cancer patients to completely destroy the immune system.

The harvested stem cells are then infused back into the body where they start to grow new red and white blood cells within just two weeks.

Within a month the immune system is back up and running fully and that is when patients begin to notice that they are recovering.

Holly Drewry, 25, of Sheffield, was wheelchair bound after the birth of her daughter Isla, now two.

But she claims the new treatment has transformed her life.

It worked wonders, she said. I remember being in the hospital... after three weeks, I called my mum and said: 'I can stand'. We were all crying.

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'Miracle' stem cell therapy reverses multiple sclerosis

Animal cells for a younger you

THE contemporary age brings a lot of new things that leave people in awe, amazement, and sometimes, in disbelief and disagreement. One thing that the more advanced technology gave birth to is the controversial Stem Cell Therapy (SCT).

According to mayoclinic.org, SCT is the replacement of damaged or diseased stem cells by injecting or infusing healthy stems into your body.

An article from philstar.com also says that SCT replaces or supports ones degenerating tissues and organs. The stem cells used in this technology are capable of developing into different kinds of cells, thus, are also called master cells.

According to bethematch.org, the diseases that are treatable by SCT are leukemia, bone marrow diseases, inherited immune system disorders, and diseases with poorly functioning red blood cells.

SCT is also used as an anti-aging treatment. Some of the prominent Filipinos have used this therapy to maintain their youthful glow and energy.

In the Philippines, clinics offering SCT have sprouted like mushrooms due to its perceived benefits to the patients. In fact, Makati Medical Center has its Cellular Therapeutics Center, equipped with facilities from Germany, USA, and Japan.

In an article from makatimed.net, it was said that the center has an extensive range of services that boast the remarkable efficacy of stem cells.

Dr. Florencio Q. Lucero who started the use of adult SCT in the Philippines in 2006, was quoted in an article from inquirer.net saying that in the Philippines, most of the customers rich businessmen and public officials who are mostly males.

One of them is Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada. He had his SCT at a clinic in Germany called Villa Medica on April 2012. Another article from inquirer.net said that Estrada had 14 shots of blood from the donor animal, the unborn sheep, on his buttocks.

In the same article, Estrada was quoted saying he could sleep better, his knees are working better, and that his skin has shown its glow.

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Animal cells for a younger you

Progencell | Stem Cell Therapy | Tijuana Mexico

WELCOME TO PROGENCELL-STEM CELL THERAPIES

Congratulations on taking the first step to improving your health!

PROGENCELL offers stem cell protocols with effective results. Many years of research and experience have resulted in substantial improvements in the health and conditions of patients with various diseases, even where other treatments have failed.

With the highest quality protocols, Progencell uses stem cells directly from the patient (autologous adult stem cells) in order to improve their health. The patients medical condition creates the appropriate environment in the body, resulting in a personalized therapy created specially for him.

We offer patients with certain degenerative diseases an opportunity to improve their health through cellular therapy, correcting their medical conditions from the source by regenerating the tissues and organs that are causing the ailments. Since we use stem cells from the patient, this therapy has no risk of tissue rejection, and minimal secondary effects.

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Progencell | Stem Cell Therapy | Tijuana Mexico

The Irvine Stem Cell Treatment Center Announces Adult Stem Cell Public Seminars in Riverside, Ontario, and Brea …

Riverside, ON and Brea CA (PRWEB) February 26, 2015

The Irvine Stem Cell Treatment Center announces a series of free public seminars on the use of adult stem cells for various degenerative and inflammatory conditions. They will be provided by Dr. Thomas A. Gionis, Surgeon-in-Chief.

The seminars will be held on Saturday, March 7, 2015, at 11:00 am, 1:00 pm and 3:00 pm at Courtyard Riverside Downtown / Marriott, 1510 University Avenue, Riverside, CA 92507; Tuesday, March 10, 2015, at 11:00 am, 1:00 pm and 3:00 pm at Ayres Suites Ontario at the Mills Mall, 4370 Mills Circle, Ontario, CA 91764; and Saturday, March 21, 2015, at 11:00 am, 1:00 pm and 3:00 pm at Embassy Suites Hotel, 900 E Birch Street, Brea, CA 92821. Please RSVP at (949) 679-3889.

The Irvine Stem Cell Treatment Center (Irvine and Westlake), along with sister affiliates, the Miami Stem Cell Treatment Center (Miami; Boca Raton; Orlando; The Villages, Florida) and the Manhattan Regenerative Medicine Medical Group (Manhattan, New York), abide by approved investigational protocols using adult adipose derived stem cells (ADSCs) which can be deployed to improve patients quality of life for a number of chronic, degenerative and inflammatory conditions and diseases. ADSCs are taken from the patients own adipose (fat) tissue (found within a cellular mixture called stromal vascular fraction (SVF)). ADSCs are exceptionally abundant in adipose tissue. The adipose tissue is obtained from the patient during a 15 minute mini-liposuction performed under local anesthesia in the doctors office. SVF is a protein-rich solution containing mononuclear cell lines (predominantly adult autologous mesenchymal stem cells), macrophage cells, endothelial cells, red blood cells, and important Growth Factors that facilitate the stem cell process and promote their activity.

ADSCs are the bodys natural healing cells - they are recruited by chemical signals emitted by damaged tissues to repair and regenerate the bodys injured cells. The Irvine Stem Cell Treatment Center only uses Adult Autologous Stem Cells from a persons own fat No embryonic stem cells are used; and No bone marrow stem cells are used. Current areas of study include: Emphysema, COPD, Asthma, Heart Failure, Heart Attack, Parkinsons Disease, Stroke, Traumatic Brain Injury, Lou Gehrigs Disease, Multiple Sclerosis, Lupus, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Crohns Disease, Muscular Dystrophy, Inflammatory Myopathies, and degenerative orthopedic joint conditions (Knee, Shoulder, Hip, Spine). For more information, or if someone thinks they may be a candidate for one of the adult stem cell protocols offered by the Irvine Stem Cell Treatment Center, they may contact Dr. Gionis directly at (949) 679-3889, or see a complete list of the Centers study areas at: http://www.IrvineStemCellsUSA.com.

About the Irvine Stem Cell Treatment Center: The Irvine Stem Cell Treatment Center, along with sister affiliates, the Miami Stem Cell Treatment Center and the Manhattan Regenerative Medicine Medical Group, is an affiliate of the California Stem Cell Treatment Center / Cell Surgical Network (CSN); we are located in Irvine and Westlake, California. We provide care for people suffering from diseases that may be alleviated by access to adult stem cell based regenerative treatment. We utilize a fat transfer surgical technology to isolate and implant the patients own stem cells from a small quantity of fat harvested by a mini-liposuction on the same day. The investigational protocols utilized by the Irvine Stem Cell Treatment Center have been reviewed and approved by an IRB (Institutional Review Board) which is registered with the U.S. Department of Health, Office of Human Research Protection (OHRP); and our studies are registered with Clinicaltrials.gov, a service of the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH). For more information, visit our websites: http://www.IrvineStemCellsUSA.com, http://www.MiamiStemCellsUSA.com, or http://www.NYStemCellsUSA.com.

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The Irvine Stem Cell Treatment Center Announces Adult Stem Cell Public Seminars in Riverside, Ontario, and Brea ...

Quality control for adult stem cell treatment

A team of European researchers has devised a strategy to ensure that adult epidermal stem cells are safe before they are used as treatments for patients. The approach involves a clonal strategy where stem cells are collected and cultivated, genetically modified and single cells isolated before being rigorously tested to make sure they meet the highest possible safety criteria. The strategy, which is published online in EMBO Molecular Medicine, is inspired by the approaches the biotechnology industry and regulatory affairs authorities have adopted for medicinal proteins produced from genetically engineered mammalian cells.

"Until now there has not been a systematic way to ensure that adult epidermal stem cells meet all the necessary requirements for safety before use as treatments for disease," says EMBO Member Yann Barrandon, Professor at Lausanne University Hospital, the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne and the lead author of the study. "We have devised a single cell strategy that is sufficiently scalable to assess the viability and safety of adult epidermal stem cells using an array of cell and molecular assays before the cells are used directly for the treatment of patients. We have used this strategy in a proof-of-concept study that involves treatment of a patient suffering from recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa, a hereditary condition defined by the absence of type VII collagen which leads to severe blistering of the skin."

The researchers cultivated epidermal cells from the patient that can be used to regenerate skin. The scientists used their array of tests to determine which of the transduced cells met the necessary requirements for stemness -- the characteristics of a stem cell that distinguish it from a regular cells -- and safety. Clonal analysis revealed that the transduced stem cells varied in their ability to produce functional type VII collagen. When the most viable, modified stem cells were selected, transplantation onto immunodeficient mice regenerated skin that did not blister in the mouse model system for recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa and produced functional type VII collagen. Safety was assessed by determining the sites of integration of the viral vector, looking for rearrangements and hit genes, as well as whole genome sequencing.

"Our work shows that at least for adult epidermal stem cells it is possible to use a clonal strategy to deliver a level of safety that cannot be obtained by other gene therapy approaches. A clonal strategy should make it possible to integrate some of the more recent technologies for targeted genome editing that offer more precise ways to change genes in ways that may further benefit the treatment of disease. Further work is in progress in this direction."

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The above story is based on materials provided by EMBO - excellence in life sciences. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.

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Quality control for adult stem cell treatment

Moffitt Cancer Center Researchers Identify Protein Pathway Involved in Brain Tumor Stem Cell Growth

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Newswise TAMPA, Fla. Glioblastomas are a highly aggressive type of brain tumor, with few effective treatment options. Moffitt Cancer Center researchers are one step closer to understanding glioblastoma development following the identification of a key protein signaling pathway involved in brain tumor stem cell growth and survival. Brain tumor stem cells are believed to play an important role in glioblastoma development and may be possible therapeutic targets.

The neurotrophin protein pathway controls nerve growth, survival and specialization. In an article published in the Feb. 6 issue of The Journal of Biological Chemistry, Moffitt researchers reported that the neurotrophin pathway is also involved in the survival and growth of brain tumor stem cells. The stem cells have high levels of neurotrophin receptors called TrkB and TrkC. Cellular signals from normal brain cells can activate TrkB and TrkC on the stem cells and stimulate cell growth. And when scientists inhibited TrkB and TrkC, they found decreased stem cell survival. This suggests that TrkB and TrkC may be possible drug targets for stem cells in gliomas and glioblastomas.

This work might be a first step in developing new treatment approaches targeting brain tumor stem cells. It may also partly explain why brain tumors can grow so quickly since proteins from the surrounding normal brain might be used by the tumor to grow even faster, said Peter A. Forsyth, M.D., chair of the Department of Neuro-Oncology at Moffitt.

Researchers also reported a potential reason why several clinical trials targeting a protein called EGFR in glioblastoma patients have failed to live up to expectations. EGFR is frequently activated in glioblastoma, but results from trials using EGFR inhibitors showed little or no patient improvement. Moffitt scientists discovered that TrkB and TrkC maintain brain stem cell survival and growth even when EGFR inhibitors are used. These observations suggest that one reason why EGFR inhibitors may be ineffective in glioblastoma is that TrkB and TrkC are active, thereby bypassing EGFR inhibition and allowing stem cells to continue to grow.

This is the first time that scientists have shown that TrkB and TrkC are involved in brain tumor stem cell growth. Currently, no drugs that target TrkB and TrkC have been used as brain cancer treatments. Researchers hope that these results might encourage the development of drugs that target both the stem cell compartment and the more differentiated parts of the brain tumor and result in more effective therapies.

The study was supported by funds The V Foundation for Cancer Research and the Moffitt Cancer Center Foundation.

About Moffitt Cancer Center: Located in Tampa, Moffitt is one of only 41 National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers, a distinction that recognizes Moffitts excellence in research, its contributions to clinical trials, prevention and cancer control. Moffitt is the top-ranked cancer hospital in the Southeast and has been listed in U.S. News & World Reports Best Hospitals for cancer care since 1999. With more than 4,500 employees, Moffitt has an economic impact in Florida of nearly $1.6 billion. For more information, visit MOFFITT.org, and follow the Moffitt momentum on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

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Moffitt Cancer Center Researchers Identify Protein Pathway Involved in Brain Tumor Stem Cell Growth

Moffitt researchers identify protein pathway involved in brain tumor stem cell growth

H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute

TAMPA, Fla. - Glioblastomas are a highly aggressive type of brain tumor, with few effective treatment options. Moffitt Cancer Center researchers are one step closer to understanding glioblastoma development following the identification of a key protein signaling pathway involved in brain tumor stem cell growth and survival. Brain tumor stem cells are believed to play an important role in glioblastoma development and may be possible therapeutic targets.

The neurotrophin protein pathway controls nerve growth, survival and specialization. In an article published in the Feb. 6 issue of The Journal of Biological Chemistry, Moffitt researchers reported that the neurotrophin pathway is also involved in the survival and growth of brain tumor stem cells. The stem cells have high levels of neurotrophin receptors called TrkB and TrkC. Cellular signals from normal brain cells can activate TrkB and TrkC on the stem cells and stimulate cell growth. And when scientists inhibited TrkB and TrkC, they found decreased stem cell survival. This suggests that TrkB and TrkC may be possible drug targets for stem cells in gliomas and glioblastomas.

"This work might be a first step in developing new treatment approaches targeting brain tumor stem cells. It may also partly explain why brain tumors can grow so quickly since proteins from the surrounding normal brain might be used by the tumor to grow even faster," said Peter A. Forsyth, M.D., chair of the Department of Neuro-Oncology at Moffitt.

Researchers also reported a potential reason why several clinical trials targeting a protein called EGFR in glioblastoma patients have failed to live up to expectations. EGFR is frequently activated in glioblastoma, but results from trials using EGFR inhibitors showed little or no patient improvement. Moffitt scientists discovered that TrkB and TrkC maintain brain stem cell survival and growth even when EGFR inhibitors are used. These observations suggest that one reason why EGFR inhibitors may be ineffective in glioblastoma is that TrkB and TrkC are active, thereby bypassing EGFR inhibition and allowing stem cells to continue to grow.

This is the first time that scientists have shown that TrkB and TrkC are involved in brain tumor stem cell growth. Currently, no drugs that target TrkB and TrkC have been used as brain cancer treatments. Researchers hope that these results might encourage the development of drugs that target both the stem cell compartment and the more differentiated parts of the brain tumor and result in more effective therapies.

###

The study was supported by funds The V Foundation for Cancer Research and the Moffitt Cancer Center Foundation.

About Moffitt Cancer Center:

Located in Tampa, Moffitt is one of only 41 National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers, a distinction that recognizes Moffitt's excellence in research, its contributions to clinical trials, prevention and cancer control. Moffitt is the top-ranked cancer hospital in the Southeast and has been listed in U.S. News & World Report's "Best Hospitals" for cancer care since 1999. With more than 4,500 employees, Moffitt has an economic impact in Florida of nearly $1.6 billion. For more information, visit MOFFITT.org, and follow the Moffitt momentum on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

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Moffitt researchers identify protein pathway involved in brain tumor stem cell growth

Rowan Researcher Targets Stem Cell-Based Therapy for Rare Childhood Disease

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Newswise STRATFORD Paola Leone, PhD, the director of the Cell and Gene Therapy Center and a professor of Cell Biology at the Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine (RowanSOM), has been awarded a three-year, $477,000 grant from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) to develop a stem cell-based therapy for Canavan disease, a rare but devastating neurological disorder in children that typically takes a childs life by age 10.

Canavan disease is a fatal, inherited disease caused by a mutation in the aspartaocylase gene, Dr. Leone explained. The disease is characterized by progressive and severe brain atrophy that manifests in delayed development, developmental regression, microcephaly, spasticity, seizures, visual impairment and short life expectancy. There, currently, is no treatment or cure for Canavan disease.

Under Dr. Leones direction, a team of RowanSOM researchers and students will examine the potential of stem cells for the treatment of Canavan disease in an animal model. This new study will build on the research teams preliminary data that demonstrated the successful engraftment of stem cells in animal models.

Our project will generate pre-clinical data to support the development of a stem-cell based therapy for Canavan disease, Dr. Leone said. It will also provide an important opportunity for a new generation of clinical researchers. Both undergraduate and graduate students will participate in this project, providing them with valuable experience to work with an extremely promising therapeutic intervention.

The symptoms of Canavan disease usually appear within the first six months of a childs life. The disease is caused by a genetic mutation that stops cells, called oligodendrocytes, from developing myelin, the fatty substance that coats the nerves in the brain. Without the protective myelin covering, the nerves do not form properly, causing the brain to atrophy. The preliminary research that Dr. Leone conducted showed that the engraftment of stem cells promoted significant recovery of the myelin sheath surrounding the nerves.

Our research represents a significant departure from other studies that have focused solely on strategies to augment the loss of the aspartaocylase function that is highly reduced in the brains of these patients, Dr. Leone said. We believe that any strategy seeking to treat Canavan must include a way to restore the myelin development that is disrupted in children with this disease.

This research is supported by the NINDS of the National Institutes of Health, under grant number 1R15NS088763-01A1.

Journalists wishing to speak with Dr. Leone, should contact Jerry Carey, Rowan University Media and Public Relations at 856-566-6171 or at careyge@rowan.edu.

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Rowan Researcher Targets Stem Cell-Based Therapy for Rare Childhood Disease

New study shows safer methods for stem cell culturing

21 hours ago

A new study led by researchers at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) and the University of California (UC), San Diego School of Medicine shows that certain stem cell culture methods are associated with increased DNA mutations. The study points researchers toward safer and more robust methods of growing stem cells to treat disease and injury.

"This is about quality control; we're making sure these cells are safe and effective," said Jeanne Loring, a professor of developmental neurobiology at TSRI and senior author of the study with Louise Laurent, assistant professor at UC San Diego.

Laurent added, "The processes used to maintain and expand stem cell cultures for cell replacement therapies needs to be improved, and the resulting cells carefully tested before use."

The findings were published February 25 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE.

Growing Stem Cells

Because these human stem cells, called "pluripotent stem cells," can differentiate into many types of cells, they could be key to reversing degenerative diseases, such as Parkinson's disease, or repairing injured tissue, such as cardiac muscle after a heart attack. Stem cells are relatively rare in the body, however, so researchers must culture them in dishes.

While all cells run the risk of mutating when they divide, previous research from Loring and her colleagues suggested that stem cell culturing may select for mutations that favor faster cell growth and are sometimes associated with tumors.

"Most changes will not compromise the safety of the cells for therapy, but we need to monitor the cultures so that we know what sorts of changes take place," said the paper's first author Ibon Garitaonandia, a postdoctoral researcher working in Loring's lab at the time of the study.

How to Reduce Mutations

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New study shows safer methods for stem cell culturing