Doubt over stem-cell based infertility treatment

A new study by a Swedish institution suggests that infertility cannot be successfully treated with stem cells.

"Ever since 2004, the studies on stem cell research and infertility have been surrounded by hype," Xinhua news agency quoted Kui Liu, a researcher at the Department of Chemistry and Molecular Biology at the University of Gothenburg as statinf in the study.

"There has been a great amount of media interest in this, and the message has been that the treatment of infertility with stem cells is about to happen. However, many researchers, including my research group, have tried to replicate these studies and not succeeded."

According to the old theory that the Swedish researchers are questioning, infertile women, such as those who have entered menopause, could be given new eggs. However, staff at Liu's laboratory carried out experiments on mice that showed that the only eggs female mice have are the ones they have had since birth.

"This shows not only that the use of stem cell research in the clinical treatment of childlessness is unrealistic but also that clinics should focus on using the eggs that women have had since birth in treating infertility," says Professor Liu.

These new research studies have been published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).

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Doubt over stem-cell based infertility treatment

Okyanos Cell Therapy Success Brings Hope for a Normal Life

Freeport, Grand Bahama (PRWEB) February 04, 2015

In just a few short months since Okyanos opened its doors, remarkable results are becoming a daily reality. In light of these mounting successes, Okyanos, the leader in cell therapy, has augmented its adult stem cell therapy for severe heart disease and expanded their offerings to include treatments for patients with other chronic unmet needs. Now, patients like Patsy and Dylan are experiencing the tangible benefits that Okyanos cell therapy provides.

Patsy, 72 years old, lived a normal life until 2012 when a diagnosis of congestive heart failure (CHF) put a halt to her active lifestyle. Patsys health quickly deteriorated. Despite open heart surgery, a pacemaker and medications, all were insufficient to arrest her physical decline. Faced with a heart transplant as her next option and fearful of the idea, Patsy began searching for another alternative.

I was looking at going to Mexico, and my cardiologist was talking to me about being a part of a clinical trial where they inject two different kinds of drugs into the heart, but I was hesitant about that idea and worried I would get the placebo. A friend knew I had a heart problem, and she recommended Okyanos.

Patsys arrival at Okyanos quickly allayed any apprehension as she said, I couldnt ask to be treated any better than if they were my own sisters or brothers. It was truly amazing. You just dont get that kind of care in regular hospitals.

After just a few short months since her mid-October (2014) treatment with Okyanos cell therapy, Patsy is noticing improvements. Im doing better. I can already tell the difference. Im getting up the stairs more easily. Im doing the laundry again. I have more energy, and when you have more energy and you feel better, your point of view on life is betterit really makes a big difference.

Dylan is another success. At 16, Dylan had dreamt of a career playing tennis but began experiencing extreme pain with his hips locking up, causing him to fall to the ground. He was diagnosed with a rare condition that causes abnormal growth of tissue lining the joints that can later break off and damage cartilage. After 2 surgeries to clean out his hips, constant pain and an inability to walk without a limp, run or bend over, the condition worsened. After speaking with doctors, it was clear that continuation of regular surgeries would further deteriorate Dylans hips. Determined to see her son walk normally, Dylans mother discovered Okyanos and both decided to move forward with cell therapy.

Dylan underwent cell therapy wherein stem cells were separated from his own fat tissue for direct injections into the hip as well as delivery by IV to address underlying causes of ischemia, inflammation and abnormal immune response. Ten days later, Dylan was pain-free and able to walk normally, run and bend over.

Im pinching myself. Its amazing. No, its miraculous! says Elena about her sons recovery. If Dylan had not had the cell therapy, we would have kept doing other treatments and crossed our fingers. At 20 years old, his future would have been hip replacement surgery and a lifetime of problems walking, painful movement and an inability to bend down.

Stem cell therapy is a relatively simple and minimally-invasive same-day procedurea stark contrast from open heart surgery or hip surgeryyet offers patients the hope of a more normal life. Patients like Patsy concur, Its going to give people hope. And give them a life. You get to a point with a body where you push and push and run out of energy. Thats not really life to me. I think stem cell therapy can give back life.

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Researchers question treatment of infertility with stem cells

Whether or not infertility can be treated with stem cells has been a matter of debate for many years.

The classical theory is based on the idea that the eggs a woman has are the ones she has had from birth, but there are researchers who claim that stem cell research could lead to the creation of new eggs. If so, this would mean that infertile women, such as those who have entered the menopause, could be given new eggs.

New studies done by researchers at the University of Gothenburg and Karolinska Institute now show that the dream of successfully treating infertility with stem cells will probably not be realized. These new research studies have been published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).

"Ever since 2004, the studies on stem cell research and infertility have been surrounded by hype. There has been a great amount of media interest in this, and the message has been that the treatment of infertility with stem cells is about to happen. However, many researchers, including my research group, have tried to replicate these studies and not succeeded. This creates uncertainty about whether it is at all possible to create new eggs with the help of stem cells," says Kui Liu, a researcher at the Department of Chemistry and Molecular Biology at the University of Gothenburg.

Together with Outi Hovatta's research group at Karolinska Institute and Jan-ke Gustafsson's research team at the University of Houston in the United States, staff at Professor Liu's laboratory have carried out experiments on mice showing that the only eggs female mice have are the ones they have from birth.

"This shows not only that the use of stem cell research in the clinical treatment of childlessness is unrealistic but also that clinics should focus on using the eggs that women have had since birth in treating infertility," says Professor Kui Liu.

Dr. Kui Liu is a Professor at the Department of Chemistry and Molecular Biology at the University of Gothenburg. His group specialises in the study of the genetic and epigenetic regulation of female germ cell development. Research in recent years has covered both preclinical basic research and the transfer of the results generated from studies of mouse models to clinically applicable techniques for treating female infertility.

Story Source:

The above story is based on materials provided by University of Gothenburg. The original article was written by Carina Eliasson. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.

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Gordie Howe recovering from stroke after stem-cell transplant

Gordie Howe is making a remarkable recovery from a stroke that nearly led to him being placed in hospice care last fall.

The hockey great has gained 20 pounds and is doing fantastic after undergoing stem-cell treatment in Mexico in early December, one of his sons told NHL Live. Howe continues to recover at the Lubbock, Texas, home of his daughter.

Hes doing very, very well, said Dr. Murray Howe, director of sports medicine imaging of Toledo Hospital. He has good days and bad days like anybody whos 86, but overall hes heading in the right direction really every day, a little bit better. He had his stem cell treatment Dec. 8 and really since that time hes just been doing fantastic.

He loves to be busy. If you want to torture him just make him sit down and watch television. He is just about doing stuff. Hes in great spirits. He has an excellent quality of life. Hes doing all the things that he wants to do now other than fishing, only because we havent taken him fishing since his treatment, but hes looking forward to doing that.

Howe was unable to stand, walk or feed himself after suffering the stroke in late October. He was losing weight because he wasnt able to sustain himself in terms of eating, his son said. He essentially got to the point where he was bedridden and it was just no quality of life there.

Although it was feared that he had suffered another stroke in early December, he was suffering from dehydration, but his family was told to consider hospice care. At around the same time, a San Diego biopharmaceutical company reached out to offer treatment at no charge. According to Howes son, the results were instant. From NHL.coms Jon Lane:

Gordie Howe had the treatment Dec. 8 in Tijuana at a Mexican stem cell company called Novastem thats licensed the use of Stemedicas cells for clinical trials approved by the Mexican government. Neural stem cells were injected into the spinal canal on Day 1 and mesenchymal stem cells by intravenous infusion on Day 2, according to a release sent by the Howe family in mid-December.

They said that we might see some changes in my father within 24 hours and I just didnt believe it, Dr. Howe said.

Eight hours later, Gordie Howe began talking. He then demanded to walk to the bathroom.

I said Ill get the urinal because you cant walk and he says, Well the [heck] I cant walk, Dr. Howe said. We actually sat up and put his feet down on the side of bed and I was absolutely stunned. Id never seen anything like it in 28 years of doing medicine.

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Lung Institute to Celebrate New Expansion with Ribbon Cutting Ceremony

Scottsdale, AZ (PRWEB) February 03, 2015

On February 9th, a new stem cell treatment facility will open its doors in Scottsdale. The Lung Institute provides patients with an effective way to treat their lung diseases, such as COPD and pulmonary fibrosis. With locations in Tampa and Nashville, the Lung Institute has made positive strides in each city and will bring the same amount of involvement to the Scottsdale community.

Headed by Dr. Burton Feinerman, a world-renowned physician and expert in the field of regenerative medicine, the Lung Institute has performed hundreds of minimally invasive, outpatient stem cell therapies for a variety of debilitating lung diseases. With these treatments, the Lung Institute successfully offers world-class care to their patients who travel from around the world to visit their clinics.

The addition of this facility means more medical, sales and administrative jobs for Scottsdale residents. Since most patients travel to receive treatment, local businesses will benefit from the increase in visitors. Patient coordinators at the Lung Institute actively promote all that Scottsdale has to offer as an ancillary benefit to obtaining advanced treatment for lung disease in Scottsdale. Patient coordinators not only book the stem cell treatments, but they also coordinate hotel accommodations and arrange shuttle services to and from the airport. The patients itinerary is completely taken care of by the Lung Institute and their hotel stay and shuttle services are complimentary for all out-of-town patients.

The clinics opening will be celebrated with a ribbon cutting ceremony held at the new facility. The medical staff, Lung Institute corporate team, community representatives and members of the Scottsdale Chamber of Commerce will be present at the event.

With Scottsdale being a medical hub for new technology, there are unlimited resources in this community. Says Lynne Flaherty, Executive Vice President of the Lung Institute, Additionally, our patients will really enjoy all of the attractions the Scottsdale area has to offer.

Join us for the official ribbon cutting ceremony for the Lung Institute:

When: Monday, February 9, 2015, at 5:00 p.m. Where: Lung Institute, 8377 East Hartford Drive, Suite 120, Scottsdale, AZ 85255 About the Lung Institute At the Lung Institute, we are changing the lives of hundreds of people across the nation through the innovative technology of regenerative medicine. We are committed to providing patients a more effective way to address pulmonary conditions and improve quality of life. Our physicians, through their designated practices, have gained worldwide recognition for the successful application of revolutionary minimally invasive stem cell therapies. With over a century of combined medical experience, our doctors have established a patient experience designed with the highest concern for patient safety and quality of care. For more information, visit our website at LungInstitute.com, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or call us today at (855)469-5864

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UCLA Researchers Receive Prestigious CIRM Tools and Technologies Award

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Newswise Two scientists from the Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research at UCLA have received a California Institute of Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) Tools and Technology Award that will forward revolutionary stem cell medicine. The UCLA researchers were among only 20 scientists nationwide to receive the Tools and Technologies Award, the most of any institution represented.

Recipients receiving awards for their respective projects included Dr. James Dunn, professor of bioengineering and surgery, for his research investigating skin-derived precursor stem cells for the treatment of enteric neuromuscular dysfunction, and Dr. Hanna Mikkola, associate professor of molecular, cell and developmental biology, for her work creating a suite of engineered human pluripotent stem cell lines to facilitate the generation of patient specific hematopoietic stem cells.

UCLA Broad Stem Cell Research Center Director Owen Witte said, We are very grateful for CIRMs support of these potentially groundbreaking projects intended to overcome significant bottlenecks in driving stem cell therapies to the clinic.

The CIRM Tools and Technologies initiative is designed specifically to support research that can address regenerative medicines unique translational challenges. The award seeks to facilitate the creation, design and testing of broadly applicable novel tools and technologies for addressing translational bottlenecks to stem cell therapies.

Dr. James Dunn: Unlocking the Secrets of Neuromuscular Dysfunction

Dr. Dunns cutting-edge work focuses on assessing the therapeutic potential of skin-derived stem cells to treat neuromuscular gastrointestinal diseases. CIRM reviewers noted that, if successfully completed, the project would likely have a major impact upon the field. His lab will develop a model of intestinal neuromuscular dysfunction that is amenable to stem cell transplantation.

Dunns novel approach to treat these patients will use stem cells reprogrammed from the patients own skin (induced pluripotent stem cells) to generate the neural system to correct the intestinal dysfunction. Dunn and his team hope the research will result in a clinical trial using patient specific induced pluripotent stem cells and provide a critical step toward an improved therapeutic approach and to treat intestinal neuromuscular dysfunction.

Dr. Dunns research was additionally supported by the National Institutes and Sun West Company.

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UCLA Researchers Receive Prestigious CIRM Tools and Technologies Award

Faversham woman Roisin Kelleher first in UK to receive life-saving stem cell treatment for cystic fibrosis

Favershams pioneering patient Roisin Kelleher has become the first person in the UK to receive life-saving treatment for cystic fibrosis.

Roisin, of Whitstable Road, returned home from America after spending two weeks in the Dominican Republic undergoing stem-cell transplants.

The 20-year-old, who is a pupil at Queen Elizabeths Grammar School, was also diagnosed with pulmonary hypertension in July last year and her health suddenly and rapidly declined.

Roisin and her mum Anntoinette lying in bed, with brother Cian

Her breathlessness, fatigue and endless amounts of medication and trips to London hospitals had taken a full grip on her life and school and dreams of university became completely out of reach.

In a life-changing moment, doctors suggested that Roisin was placed on a waiting list for a double lung transplant, a suggestion that Roisin described as like signing my own death warrant.

Roisin Kelleher has cystic fibrosis and pulmonary hypertension. Picture: Tony Flashman

But her mother Anntoinette refused to give up hope and discovered Dr Grekos miraculous treatment in the Dominican Republic.

Adult stem cell treatment heals the damaged lung tissues by harvesting healthy cells from the patients bone marrow and that of a genetic relative who does not suffer from CF.

For Roisin, the donor was her mother.

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Faversham woman Roisin Kelleher first in UK to receive life-saving stem cell treatment for cystic fibrosis

Topeka Zoo Black Bear Undergoes Stem Cell Therapy

Peek the American black bear (Courtesy: Topeka Zoo)

Peek the bear is shown undergoing a CT scan at St. Francis Health Center in this photo from the Topeka Zoo.

St. Francis Health Center staff watch as a CT scan is performed on Peek the black bear. (Courtesy: Topeka Zoo)

TOPEKA, Kan. (WIBW) - An American black bear at the Topeka Zoo may be the first bear ever to undergo stem cell treatment for a spinal problem.

Zoo Director Brendan Wiley says Peek, who is 20-years old, started losing control of her hind legs two weeks ago. The condition worsened and zoo staff says pain medication was not having any impact on the situation.

One of the unique things about this scenario is that Peek hasnt acted like anything is hurting her. It is like the front half of her body can no longer communicate with the back half, said Animal Care Supervisor Shanna Simpson.

The zoo worked with St. Francis Health Center to perform a CT scan. Peek was tranquilized and transported to St. Francis' imaging facilities.

"Our first priority is human patient safety and access," says Brent Wilkins, director of Imaging Services at St. Francis Health. "We work with the Topeka Zoo to accommodate animals that need CT scans in off hours when one of our CT scanners is available. We made sure the bear was separated from any other patients and performed a high-level decontamination and cleaning of the area, called a terminal cleaning, after the bears visit."

The scan revealed an area of Peek's spine with spinal stenosis, a narrowing of her spinal column, causing pressure on the spinal cord.

In anticipation of future treatment, Dr. Larry Snyder and Dr. Travis Gratton, veterinarians from Topeka's University Small Animal Hospital were contacted. Before Peek was transported for the CT scan, the two harvested fat cells, which they converted to stem cells to inject back into her. The theory behind the treatment is that the stem cells can stimulate damaged area to repair and heal itself.

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Tampa stem cell clinic is long on promises, not evidence

TAMPA Dr. Burton Feinerman has spent more than a decade using stem cell therapies that are banned in the United States, sending desperate families to Peru seeking treatments for their babies' terminal conditions like Tay-Sachs disease.

The therapies are costly and unproven, and no insurer will cover them. But there is no law against a U.S. doctor recommending them, as long as they aren't performed here.

Now the 85-year-old pediatrician is focusing on a stem cell therapy he can perform in Tampa, for seniors with such incurable lung conditions as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD.

Feinerman, medical director of the Tampa-based Lung Institute, says lung patients tend to get the most benefit from stem cell therapies. And he can treat them in the United States because he is re-infusing patients with their own stem cells, a legal process under certain circumstances.

But it's not approved as a lung disease therapy in this country. Neither the American Lung Association nor the International Society for Stem Cell Research have endorsed it. Medicare won't cover it.

So Feinerman's patients must pay cash between $7,500 and $12,000 for a three-day treatment, plus $4,500 for additional "boosters'' of cells extracted from their blood or abdominal fat.

The Lung Institute has produced a slick website and an advertising campaign, and it puts on seminars at which prospects can hear the testimonials of satisfied patients.

But there are no clinical data showing stem cell therapies benefit patients with lung disease, said Dr. Daniel Weiss, a professor at the University of Vermont College of Medicine and a leading lung disease researcher. Further, studies of mice suggest that if the therapies work, it likely would help only acute lung conditions like respiratory distress syndrome, not chronic conditions like COPD.

"I do not recommend any type of cell therapy (for lung disease) at this point," Weiss said.

Feinerman insists the doubters are wrong. "Just go to Google," he told a Times reporter who asked him for clinical research to back his claims. Lung Institute employees later provided citations for three journal articles, but none showed the treatments worked. In fact, Weiss wrote two of the articles.

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Tampa stem cell clinic is long on promises, not evidence

Stem Cell Therapy + PRP Therapy Helps Pelvic Pain Patient – Video

Stem Cell Therapy + PRP Therapy Helps Pelvic Pain Patient
Stem Cell ARTS Actual Patient Testimonial--Julie Mariano "I had some abdominal surgery a few years ago and woke up with extreme back pain. It was a complete mystery how it happened and it still...

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Stem Cell Therapy + PRP Therapy Helps Pelvic Pain Patient - Video