Some NFL Players Use Unproven Stem Cell Therapies: Report

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MONDAY, Dec. 8, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Some professional football players are seeking unproven stem cell therapies to speed their recovery from injuries. But experts are concerned that they may be unaware of the potential risks, a new report shows.

Stem cell therapy has attracted the attention of elite athletes. A number of National Football League (NFL) players have highlighted their use of those therapies and their successful recoveries.

Twelve NFL players are known to have received unapproved stem cell treatments since 2009.

"The online data on NFL players and the clinics where they obtained treatment suggest that players may be unaware of the risks they are taking," report co-author Kirstin Matthews, a fellow in science and technology policy at Rice University's Baker Institute for Public Policy, said in a university news release.

"Players who are official spokespersons for these clinics could influence others to view the therapies as safe and effective despite the lack of scientific research to support these claims," she added.

Most of the players receive treatment in the United States, but several have gone to other countries for stem cell therapies that aren't available in the United States.

"With the rise of new and unproven stem cell treatments, the NFL faces a daunting task of trying to better understand and regulate the use of these therapies in order to protect the health of its players," Matthews said.

The NFL and other sports leagues may need to evaluate and possibly regulate stem cell therapies in order to ensure the safety of their players, the report authors suggested.

The paper appears in a special supplement to the journal Stem Cells and Development.

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Some NFL Players Use Unproven Stem Cell Therapies: Report

Can A Pill Help To Shed Fat?

Image Caption: Harvard researchers have created a system using human stem cells to screen for compounds that have the potential to turn white, or bad, fat cells into brown, or good, fat cells. Pictured are human pluripotent stem cell-derived fat cells. Credit: Tim Ahfeldt/Harvard University

Provided by B. D. Colen, Harvard University

Harvard stem cell researchers say they finally can turn bad fat into good

Harvard Stem Cell Institute (HSCI) researchers have taken what they describe as the first step toward a pill that can replace the treadmill for the control of obesity, though that shift, of course, would not provide all of the many benefits of exercise.

HSCI principal faculty member Chad Cowan and his team members at Harvard University and Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), a Harvard affiliate, say they have created a system using human stem cells to screen for compounds that have the potential to turn white, or bad, fat cells into brown, or good, fat cells, and have already identified two compounds that can accomplish that in human cells.

The path from these findings to a safe and effective medication may not be easy, and the findings will have to be replicated by other research groups, as well as refined, before they could lead to a clinical treatment.

However, Cowan said that the two compounds discovered so far target the same molecule, and that molecule plays a role in the inflammatory response. So if you administered them for a long time, the person taking them could become immune-compromised, which argues against the use of these initial compounds without modifications. One, however, is already on the market, as a treatment approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for rheumatoid arthritis.

White fat cells store energy as lipids and play a role in the development of obesity, type 2 diabetes, and related conditions, including heart disease, while brown fat has been shown in mice to lower triglyceride levels, reduce the insulin resistance associated with type 2 diabetes, and burn white fat.

When the body takes in excess energy, it is stored as lipids in white fat cells. When there are too many calories coming in and not enough burned, adult stem cells in the body produce more white fat cells, adding to a persons burden of fat.

Cowans group has found two small molecules that convert fat stem cells, which normally would produce white fat, into brown-like fat cells. These brown-like fat cells burn excess energy and thereby reduce the size and numbers of white fat cells.

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Can A Pill Help To Shed Fat?

Some NFL players use unproven stem cell therapies

MONDAY, Dec. 8, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Some professional football players are seeking unproven stem cell therapies to speed their recovery from injuries. But experts are concerned that they may be unaware of the potential risks, a new report shows.

Stem cell therapy has attracted the attention of elite athletes. A number of National Football League (NFL) players have highlighted their use of those therapies and their successful recoveries.

Twelve NFL players are known to have received unapproved stem cell treatments since 2009.

"The online data on NFL players and the clinics where they obtained treatment suggest that players may be unaware of the risks they are taking," report co-author Kirstin Matthews, a fellow in science and technology policy at Rice University's Baker Institute for Public Policy, said in a university news release.

"Players who are official spokespersons for these clinics could influence others to view the therapies as safe and effective despite the lack of scientific research to support these claims," she added.

Most of the players receive treatment in the United States, but several have gone to other countries for stem cell therapies that aren't available in the United States.

"With the rise of new and unproven stem cell treatments, the NFL faces a daunting task of trying to better understand and regulate the use of these therapies in order to protect the health of its players," Matthews said.

The NFL and other sports leagues may need to evaluate and possibly regulate stem cell therapies in order to ensure the safety of their players, the report authors suggested.

The paper appears in a special supplement to the journal Stem Cells and Development.

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Some NFL players use unproven stem cell therapies

Stem cell transplant without radiation or chemotherapy pre-treatment shows promise

PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:

7-Dec-2014

Contact: Irene Sege irene.sege@childrens.harvard.edu 617-919-3110 Dana-Farber Cancer Institute @DanaFarber

SAN FRANCISCO (DECEMBER 7, 2014) - Researchers at Dana-Farber/Boston Children's Cancer and Blood Disorders Center report promising outcomes from a clinical trial with patients with a rare form of bone marrow failure who received a hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) after pre-treatment with immunosuppressive drugs only. This is the first trial reporting successful transplant in dyskeratosis congenita (DC) patients without the use of any radiation or conventional cytotoxic chemotherapy beforehand.

The trial's data were presented by study authors Leslie Lehmann, MD, and Suneet Agarwal, MD, PhD, of Dana-Farber/Boston Children's, at the 56th annual meeting of the American Society of Hematology (abstract #2941). The data suggest that this immunosuppression-only approach could benefit patients with DC--and, perhaps, other bone marrow failure syndromes--who are at high risk of poor transplant outcomes because they cannot tolerate the toxicity of conventional or even reduced-intensity conditioning.

All four participants in the study are alive and well between 10 and 27 months after transplant. None remain dependent on transfusions to maintain blood counts, nor did any experience significant unexpected toxicities or infections during or after transplantation. Were it not for this new regimen, one patient would have been ineligible for transplant due to severe DC-related lung disease.

Conventional transplant conditioning employs radiation and/or high-dose cytotoxic drugs (also known as alkylators) to destroy the bone marrow and blood and immune cells; it also causes widespread cellular damage throughout the body. The process prepares the patient's body to accept the donated stem cells, reducing the risk of rejection and providing a hospitable environment for the new cells to engraft, thrive and produce new blood and immune cells.

In DC and other bone marrow failure syndromes, however, the disease itself already weakens or destroys the patient's bone marrow, raising the question of whether a less toxic approach could effectively condition patients for transplant.

"These data show that it is possible to achieve engraftment within the context of DC using immunosuppression-only conditioning. This experience begs the question of whether we can think more broadly about this approach's applicability for other conditions, something I think is worth considering," Agarwal said.

"Bone marrow failure syndromes are problems of blood and immune cell production," he added. "In theory, then, in some of these conditions it should be possible for healthy donated stem cells to outcompete native cells, without exposing patients to the toxic effects of radiation or alkylating agents."

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Stem cell transplant without radiation or chemotherapy pre-treatment shows promise

Use of Unproven Stem Cell Therapy Questioned

Robert Vondracek has had multiple sclerosis for 20 years. His speech is starting to slur and he's been having more trouble getting around, and when he heard about a controversial stem cell therapy that might help, he got excited.

"I heard about the stem cell treatments being done right here in Phoenix," said Vondracek, 61. "It shocked me because it was not approved in this country, I didn't think."

The therapy was offered by an Arizona plastic surgeon who gives the stem cell treatments in the same clinic where he does cosmetic procedures.

But when Vondracek's neurologist heard about his interest in the therapy, which would cost $7,000 per treatment, "He went crazy," said Vondracek. He strongly advised Vondracek against it.

Plastic surgeons, other doctors and naturopaths at more than 100 clinics round the country are charging thousands of dollars for a controversial procedure called stem cell therapy to treat a range of disorders, including neurological diseases like MS and Parkinson's.

Robert Vondracek and his girlfriend, Terese Knapik.

The procedure has angered many neurologists and prominent researchers who say these doctors are preying on vulnerable people and capitalizing on the huge but still unrealized potential of stem cell research, which they say is years away from producing an approved treatment for neurological diseases.

"Peddling snake oil in the guise of stem cell therapies is really a threat to legitimate research," said Dr. George Daley, director of the Stem Cell Transplantation Program at Boston Children's Hospital, past president of the International Society for Stem Cell Research and a professor at Harvard Medical School.

"Finding cures is hard, it takes sometimes decades, it's extremely expensive and it's not something that we can just wish and hope for," he said. "It can only be achieved through very, very hard work."

Dr. George Daley is a nationally recognized expert on stem cells at Boston Childrens Hospital and Harvard Medical School.

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Use of Unproven Stem Cell Therapy Questioned

Cordlife launches newly upgraded stem cell facility

Cordlife Medical Philippines Inc. (Cordlife), a fully owned subsidiary of Cordlife Group Ltd., a Singapore Exchange mainboard-listed consumer healthcare company catering to the mother and child segment, recently opened its newly upgraded stem cell processing and cryopreservation facility at UP-Ayalaland Technohub in Quezon City.

This expansion came less than five years from the opening of its facility in the country and was mainly driven by the growing number of parents who recognize the value of banking here their babys stem cells.

The event launch held at Crowne Plaza in Ortigas was hosted by popular DJ Delamar Arias and graced by celebrity moms, actress and beauty queen Lara Quigaman and journalist Nia Corpuz. Delamar, Lara and Nia all shared their personal experiences of being Cordlife moms themselves.

Also in attendance to underscore Cordlifes commitment to Filipino parents and their children were Cordlife Group CEO Jeremy Yee, Cordlife Philippines medical director Dr. Arvin Faundo and Cordlife Philippines director Michael Arnonobal.

The event highlighted the five essentials of mother and child that Cordlife addresses through services. These essentials are security, expertise, investment, bond and value for life.

With the newly upgraded stem cell facility that can accommodate up to 30,000 cord blood and cord lining units, more parents can enjoy a sense of security when they bank their babys stem cells at Cordlifes state-of-the-art processing and cryopreservation laboratory.

Peace of mind

Those who banked with Cordlife can have peace of mind knowing that their babys stem cells are kept in a highly-secure laboratory that was built to withstand earthquakes of up to magnitude 8, and ward off fire with its fire-retardant walls. Furthermore, the vapor-phased liquid nitrogen cryogenic tanks used to preserve the cord blood and cord lining samples are not dependent on electricity, making them 100-percent safe and reliable in case of power outages.

Cordlifes expertise in the stem cell banking arena, is proven not only by being the largest network of cord blood banks in Asia, but also the number of cord blood releases for stem cell transplant and their adherence to the stringent global standards of AABB (formerly known as American Association of Blood Banks).

Cordlife Philippines is also the countrys first and only ISO 9001:2008 and Department of Health-registered cord blood and cord lining bank.

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Cordlife launches newly upgraded stem cell facility

Uniting the Global Stem Cell Community

Posted by Dana Sparks (@danasparks) 3 day(s) ago

Uniting the Global Stem Cell Community

The World Stem Cell Summit, December 3-5 in San Antonio, unites and educates the global stem cell community. With more than 1,200 attendees from more than 40 countries, the annual World Stem Cell Summits interdisciplinary agenda explores disease updates, research directions, cell standardization, regulatory pathways, reimbursements, financing, venture capital and economic development.

Throughout the week, the Mayo Clinic Center for Regenerative Medicine will use social media to connect using the hashtag #WSCS14. At the end of the week, we'll let the tweets, Google+ posts, Flickr photos, Facebook posts and YouTube videos tell the story.

The World Stem Cell Summit includes in-depth programming and more than 200 international speakers, including leaders from theMayo Clinic Center for Regenerative Medicine:

About the World Stem Cell SummitMayo Clinic, The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, Kyoto University Institute for Integrated Cell-Material Sciences (iCeMS), BioBridge Global, Baylor College of Medicine and the Regenerative Medicine Foundation have joined the Genetics Policy Institute to organize the10th Annual World Stem Cell Summit the largest and most comprehensive multi-track interdisciplinary stem cell conference.

Related LinksMayo Clinic at World Stem Cell Summit 2013Mayo Clinic at World Stem Cell Summit 2012

Regenerative MedicineWorld Stem Cell Summit

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Uniting the Global Stem Cell Community

Bone Marrow Stem Cell Treatment (BMAC) for Knee Osteoarthritis – Mayo Clinic – Video

Bone Marrow Stem Cell Treatment (BMAC) for Knee Osteoarthritis - Mayo Clinic
Shane Shapiro, M.D., orthopedic physician at Mayo Clinic in Florida, discusses a regenerative medicine clinical research trial to treat knee arthritis, which is the bone marrow stem cell treatment...

By: Mayo Clinic

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Bone Marrow Stem Cell Treatment (BMAC) for Knee Osteoarthritis - Mayo Clinic - Video

Research: NFL athletes are seeking unproven stem cell treatments

PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:

4-Dec-2014

Contact: David Ruth david@rice.edu 713-348-6327 Rice University @RiceUNews

Some National Football League (NFL) players have been seeking out unproven stem cell therapies to help accelerate recoveries from injuries, according to a new paper from Rice University's Baker Institute for Public Policy. While most players seem to receive treatment within the United States, several have traveled abroad for therapies unavailable domestically and may be unaware of the risks involved, the paper found.

The paper is published in the 2014 World Stem Cell Report, which is a special supplement to the journal Stem Cells and Development and is the official publication of the 2014 World Stem Cell Summit being held Dec. 3-5 in San Antonio.

"With the rise of new and unproven stem cell treatments, the NFL faces a daunting task of trying to better understand and regulate the use of these therapies in order to protect the health of its players," said Kirstin Matthews, the Baker Institute fellow in science and technology policy and an expert on ethical and policy issues related to biomedical research and development. She co-authored the paper with Maude Rowland Cuchiara, the Baker Institute scholar for science and technology policy.

Each year, more than 700 stem cell clinics around the world open their doors to "stem cell tourists," according to the paper's authors. Patients travel abroad to seek treatment for ailments -- ranging from autism to multiple sclerosis and paralysis -- for which no cure exists and treatment options are limited. The use of stem cells as orthopedic therapies in the U.S. is becoming more commonplace and has drawn the attention of elite athletes, most notably NFL players, who have been vocal about receiving stem cell treatments and their successful recoveries. The paper notes that 12 NFL players have been identified publicly as having received an unapproved stem cell treatment since 2009.

"The online data on NFL players and the clinics where they obtained treatment suggest that players may be unaware of the risks they are taking," Matthews said. "Furthermore, players who are official spokespersons for these clinics could influence others to view the therapies as safe and effective despite the lack of scientific research to support these claims."

The paper notes that while unproven stem cell treatments in U.S.-based clinics rarely have severe side effects, they also arguably have little to no appreciable therapeutic benefits. The paper focuses on treatments unapproved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and undertaken by NFL players in the past five years. The authors highlight the types of treatments obtained and how the clinics advertise specifically to athletes. They also review the intended and unintended consequences of high-profile players receiving and advocating for these types of therapies.

The authors suggest the NFL and other sports leagues should review the procedures for stem cell treatment to determine how best to support, evaluate and possibly regulate stem cell treatments to ensure the safety of their players and their followers. "This could be organized similarly to the NFL investigations on the effects of concussions and traumatic brain injuries," Matthews said.

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Research: NFL athletes are seeking unproven stem cell treatments

Approved breast cancer drug offers hope for the treatment of blood disorders

PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:

4-Dec-2014

Contact: Mary Beth O'Leary moleary@cell.com 617-397-2802 Cell Press @CellPressNews

Blood cancers are more common in men than in women, but it has not been clear why this is the case. A study published by Cell Press December 4th in Cell Stem Cell provides an explanation, revealing that female sex hormones called estrogens regulate the survival, proliferation, and self-renewal of stem cells that give rise to blood cancers. Moreover, findings in mice with blood neoplasms--the excessive production of certain blood cells--suggest that a drug called tamoxifen, which targets estrogen receptors and is approved for the treatment of breast cancer, may also be a valuable strategy for blocking the development of blood neoplasms in humans.

"Our study demonstrates that targeting estrogen signaling with a clinically approved drug, at doses with an acceptable toxicity profile in humans, provides a novel potential therapeutic strategy for a set of neoplasms currently without a definitive cure," said senior study author Simn Mndez-Ferrer of the National Center for Cardiovascular Research (CNIC) in Madrid, Spain.

Myeloproliferative neoplasms cause large numbers of abnormal white blood cells to be produced and enter the bloodstream, potentially causing life-threatening symptoms. These diseases can lead to cancer and arise from blood cells called hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells (HSPCs), which give rise to all of the other blood cells. Leukemia and other blood cancers are more common in men than in women, strongly suggesting that sex hormones such as estrogens contribute to the development of these malignancies. But until now, it has not been clear whether estrogen signaling could directly control normal and cancerous HSPCs.

In the new study, Mndez-Ferrer and Abel Snchez-Aguilera of CNIC found that HSPCs express estrogen receptors, and activation of these receptors with tamoxifen affected the survival, proliferation, and self-renewal of these cells. In mice with a genetic mutation associated with blood neoplasms, tamoxifen treatment blocked the excessive production of blood cells by restoring normal levels of programmed cell death in mutant cells. Moreover, tamoxifen enhanced the effects of conventional chemotherapy on cancerous cells in a mouse model of leukemia.

"Our results suggest that tamoxifen, at a similar dose used for the treatment of other diseases, might be useful to treat myeloproliferative neoplasms at various stages, without being toxic to normal blood cells," Mndez-Ferrer says. "The fact that this drug is FDA-approved, readily available and sufficiently safe facilitates the potential translation of our results from the bench to the bedside."

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Cell Stem Cell, Sanchez-Aguilera et al.: "Estrogen signaling selectively induces apoptosis of hematopoietic progenitors and myeloid neoplasms without harming steady-state hematopoiesis"

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Approved breast cancer drug offers hope for the treatment of blood disorders