Police say man used Facebook, Twitter to offer stem-cell treatment

A Lake Worth man is facing serious charges.

Jon Rubenstein is charged with one count of unlicensed practice of medicine, WPBF 25 News has learned.

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According to an arrest report, Palm Beach County Sheriff's detectives received a complaint from the Department of Health that Rubenstein is using social media to offer stem-cell therapy treatments for injured athletes.

Rubenstein has no professional medical licenses, but was the registered agent of Innovative Blood Technology Inc., and the Center for Natural Healing and Regenerative Medicine Inc., based in Margate.

An undercover agent contacted Rubenstein, who replied via email, saying he "has helped hundreds of people with arthritis live a pain-free life through stem-cell injection therapy."

A single injection is $300 and if a patient chooses to have the full, three-shot treatment, the charge is $750.

Rubenstein and the undercover agent scheduled to have the procedure take place at a home in Lake Worth. The suspect arrived wearing scrubs and carrying medical equipment when he met two undercover agents.

The Palm Beach County Diversion Task Force placed Rubenstein under arrest.

WPBF's attempts to contact him for comment were unsuccessful.

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Police say man used Facebook, Twitter to offer stem-cell treatment

Creative Medical Health to Recruit Principal Investigator for U.S. Clinical Trial on Use of Stem Cells for Treatment …

PHOENIX--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Creative Medical Health, Inc. (CMH) announced today initiation of efforts to recruit a preeminent U.S. urologist as principal investigator to run a Phase I/II study under FDA jurisdiction assessing efficacy of its patented method of treating erectile dysfunction.

Creative Medical Health, Inc. owns U.S. patent #8,372,797, titled Treatment of Erectile Dysfunction by Stem Cell Therapy, which covers the use of various stem cells for treatment of patients who are resistant to Viagra, Cialis and Levitra. In contrast to pharmaceutical agents, the treatment developed by Creative Medical Health, Inc. involves regenerating the blood vessels and smooth muscle of the penis, thus offering the possibility of permanent regeneration, not a temporary remedy.

The medical procedure involves extracting stem cells from the patients own bone marrow, processing them and subsequent administration into the penis. A peer-reviewed study describing the first patient treated with this procedure may be found at http://www.translational-medicine.com/content/pdf/1479-5876-11-139.pdf.

There are approximately 18 million patients with erectile dysfunction in the USA. Of these, 30% are resistant to pharmaceutical interventions, which represents approximately 5.4 million potential patients that could benefit from our approach, stated Timothy Warbington, CEO of Creative Medical Health, Inc. Given that this patient group has limited alternatives besides costly implants and injections before intercourse, which can be associated with horrific side effects, we believe it is our responsibility to accelerate development of this program in a timely manner.

The use of bone marrow stem cells is currently part of medical practice in bone marrow transplantation, and is currently in advanced clinical trials for conditions including heart failure, peripheral artery disease and stroke. Creative Medical Health, Inc. is the first to patent and subsequently clinically validate the feasibility of applying this form of stem cell therapy to urological conditions.

Investigators interested in collaborating with Creative Medical Health, Inc. should contact Timothy Warbington at CEO@creativemedicalhealth.com.

About Creative Medical Health Inc:

CREATIVE MEDICAL HEALTH, INC. and its wholly owned subsidiaries, in collaboration with leading U.S. universities, physicians and scientists, have developed and tested our patented cutting-edge BIONUTRACEUTICAL(TM) products, stem cell related blood testing services and treatment of various medical conditions with stem cell technology. Our area of concentration is the scientific and evidence-based approach to the approximately $30 billion per year complementary and alternative medicine market in the United States and $250 billion worldwide market. For more information about Creative Medical Health go to http://www.creativemedicalhealth.com.

The statements and products have not been evaluated or approved by the FDA. They are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease or condition.

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Creative Medical Health to Recruit Principal Investigator for U.S. Clinical Trial on Use of Stem Cells for Treatment ...

Top 10 Stem Cell Treatment Facts | Closer Look

Many clinics that are offering stem cell treatments make claims about what stem cells can and cannot do that are not supported by our understanding of science. The information on this page corrects some of the misinformation that is being widely circulated.

There are many different types of stem cells that come from different placesin the body or are formed at different times in our lives. These include embryonic stem cells that exist only at the earliest stages of development and various types of tissue-specific or adult stem cells that appear during fetal development and remain in our bodies throughout life.

Our bodies use different types of tissue-specific stem cells to fit a particular purpose. Tissue-specific stem cells are limited in their potential and largely make the cell types found in the tissue from which they are derived. For example, the blood-forming stem cells (or hematopoietic stem cells) in the bone marrow regenerate the blood, while neural stem cells in the brain make brain cells. A neural stem cell wont spontaneously make a blood cell and likewise a hematopoietic stem cell wont spontaneously make a brain cell. Thus, it is unlikely that a single cell type could be used to treat a multitude of unrelated diseases that involve different tissues or organs. Be wary of clinics that offer treatments with stem cells thatoriginate from a part of the body that is different from the part being treated.

Read more about differentTypes of Stem Cells

As described above, each type of stem cell fulfills a specific function in the body and cannot be expected to make cell types from other tissues. Thus, it is unlikely that a single type of stem cell treatment can treat multiple unrelated conditions, such as diabetes and Parkinsons disease. The underlying causes are very different and different cell types would need to be replaced to treat each condition. It is critical that the cell type used as a treatment be appropriate to the specific disease or condition.

Embryonic stem cells may one day be used to generate treatments for a range of human diseases. However, embryonic stem cells themselves cannot directly be used for therapies as they would likely cause tumors and are unlikely to become the cells needed to regenerate a tissue on their own. They would first need to be coaxed to develop into specialized cell types before transplantation. A major warning sign that a clinic may not be credible is when treatments are offered for a wide variety of conditions but rely on a single cell type.

The range of diseases where stem cell treatments have been shown to be beneficial in responsibly conducted clinical trials is still extremely restricted. The best defined and most extensively used is blood stem cell transplantation to treat diseases and conditions of the blood and immune system, or to restore the blood system after treatments for specific cancers. Some bone, skin and corneal diseases or injuries can be treated with grafting of tissue that depends upon stem cells from these organs. These therapies are also generally accepted as safe and effective by the medical community.

There are three main reasons why a person might feel better that are unrelated to the actual stem cell treatment: the placebo effect, accompanying treatments, and natural fluctuations of the disease or condition. The intense desire or belief that a treatment will work can cause a person to feel like it has and to even experience positive physical changes, such as improved movement or less pain. This phenomenon is called the placebo effect. Even having a positive conversation with a doctor can cause a person to feel improvement. Likewise, other techniques offered along with stem cell treatmentsuch as changes to diet, relaxation, physical therapy, medication, etc.may make a person feel better in a way that is unrelated to the stem cells. Also, the severity of symptoms of many conditions can change over time, resulting in either temporary improvement or decline, which can complicate the interpretation of the effectiveness of treatments. These factors are so widespread that without testing in a controlled clinical study, where a group that receives a treatment is carefully compared against a group that does not receive this treatment, it is very difficult to determine the real effect of any therapy. Be wary of clinics that measure or advertise their results primarily through patient testimonials.

Science, in general, is a long and involved process. Understanding what goes wrong in disease or injury and how to fix it takes time. New ideas have to be tested first in a research laboratory, and many times the new ideas dont work. Even once the basic science has been established, translating it into an effective medical treatment is a long and difficult process. Something that looks promising in cultured cells may fail as a therapy in an animal model and something that works in an animal model may fail when it is tried on humans. Once therapies are tested in humans, ensuring patient safety becomes a critical issue and this means starting with very few people until the safety and side effects are better understood.

If a treatment has not been carefully designed, well studied and gone through the necessary preclinical and clinical testing, it is unlikely to have the desired effect. Even more concerning is that it may prove to make the condition worse or have dangerous side effects. SeeHow Science Becomes Medicine

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Top 10 Stem Cell Treatment Facts | Closer Look

Pushing the boundaries of stem cells

PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:

7-May-2014

Contact: Lucia Lee NewsMedia@mssm.edu 212-241-9200 The Mount Sinai Hospital / Mount Sinai School of Medicine

(NEW YORK May 7) Adults suffering from diseases such as leukemia, lymphoma, and other blood-related disorders may benefit from life-saving treatment commonly used in pediatric patients. Researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai have identified a new technique that causes cord blood (CB) stems cells to generate in greater numbers making them more useful in adult transplantation.

The study, published in the May issue of The Journal of Clinical Investigation, looked at ways to expand the number of hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) in the laboratory required to replenish and renew blood cells. Cord blood stem cells have the ability to rapidly divide in the presence of combinations of growth factors but they often lose their marrow-repopulating potential following cell division. Researchers looked at ways to overcome this limitation by inducing a genetic program by which a stem cell retains its full functional properties after dividing in the laboratory.

"Cord blood stem cells have always posed limitations for adult patients because of the small number of stem cells present in a single collection," said Pratima Chaurasia, PhD, Assistant Professor of Medicine at the Tisch Cancer Institute at Mount Sinai. "These limitations have resulted in a high rate of graft failure and delayed engraftment in adult patients."

Researchers used a technique called epigenetic reprogramming which reshaped cell DNA by treating cells with a combination of histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACI) and valproic acid. The VPA-treated cells produced a greater number of repopulating cells, and established multilineage hematopoiesis in primary, secondary and tertiary immune-deficient mice.

"We're excited by these results. The findings have important implications for patients battling blood cancers and the difference between success and failure of life saving stem cell transplants." added Ronald Hoffman, MD, Albert A. and Vera G. List Professor of Medicine, Director of Myeloproliferative Disorders Research Program at the Tisch Cancer Institute at Mount Sinai.

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This study was supported by a New York Stem Cell Science grant from the Empire State Stem Cell Board, whose mission is to foster a strong stem cell research community in New York State and to accelerate the growth of scientific knowledge about stem cell biology and the development of therapies and diagnostic methods under the highest ethical, scientific, and medical standards for the purpose of alleviating disease and improving human health.

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Pushing the boundaries of stem cells

OMICS Groups Cell Science & Stem Cell Research Congress to Explore the Recent Developments

Valencia, spain (PRWEB) May 07, 2014

Cell Science International Conference is being organized to broaden the scope of the research in the field of Tumorogenesis, Recombinant DNA technology, Cancer cell development and signaling pathway, Evolution of cancer, Genetic engineering and Gene therapy, Tumor suppressor genes, Tissue Engineering, Stem cell treatment, Bioinformatics and Computational biology, Bio Ethics and Patent Rights.

Eminent speakers including Stewart Sell, University of Albany, USA, Sudhakar Akul Yakkanti, SRI International, USA, and Diana Anderson, University of Bradford, UK will be joining their peers at Cell Science-2014, an International Conference 2014 to share their upcoming researches and experience in the field of Cell Science.

James L Sharely, Director of The Adult Stem Cell Technology Centre, LLC, USA organizes a symposium on Stem Cell DNA Segregation and Genetic Fidelity. Ornella Parolini, President, International Placenta Stem Cell Research (IPLASS) holds another symposium on Fetal-derived Stem cells: Characteristics and Applications during Cell Science-2014.

The GID Group, Inc. that manufactures and distributes versatile tissue processing system, sterile disposable canister like GID 700 and GID SVF-1 exhibits its products and services during the conference.

The Organizing Committee welcomes you to attend Cell Science-2014 which includes Ornella Parolini, IPLASS (International Placenta Stem Cell Society), Italy; Sudhakar A Yakkanti, Stanford Research Institute (SRI) International, USA; Stewart Sell, University of Albany, USA; Valles Marti, University of Valencia, Spain; LilianSoraya, University of Valencia, Spain; James L. Sherley, The Adult Stem Cell Technology Center, LLC, USA; Diana Anderson, University of Bradford, UK; Shiaw-Yih (Phoebus) Lin, Anderson Cancer Center The University of Texas, USA; Behjatolah Monzavi Karbassi, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, USA.

Cell Science-2014 official partners include The Adult Stem Cell Technology Center, LLC USA and the International Placenta Stem Cell Research (IPLASS).

The three day conference will be hosting significant sessions like Keynote forum, speaker Sessions, Poster sessions, awards and Exclussive session on Successful Postdoctoral Fellowship training.

In addition to this, Soraya L Valles, University of Valencia, Spain organized a pre-conference workshop on NeuroSceince at Salon de Grados, Faculty of Medicine Valencia, Spain on February 25th, 2014 thus promulgating this pragmatic conference.

OMICS Publishing Group hosts 350 Open Access, Online ScientificJournals and hosts more than 100 Scientific Conferences worldwide. With 30,000 strong editorial board members drawn from academics, research and industries, OMICS Group Journals will publish the best papers presented in Cell Science- 2014.

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OMICS Groups Cell Science & Stem Cell Research Congress to Explore the Recent Developments

Unlicensed stem cell doctor slapped with charges over patient's death

Charges of syndicated estafa, illegal medical practice and murder were filed on Tuesday against Dr. Zoharina Antonia Pedrera Carandang, also known as Dr. Antonia Carandang-Park, for practicing stem cell therapy on 23-year-old cancer patient Katherine Kate Tan. The treatment was alleged to have caused the Tan's death.

The charges were filed by Kate's father Bernard Tan before the Tagaytay Municipal Fiscal's Office. Aside from Carandang, owner and operator of Tagaytay-based Green & Young Health and Wellness Center, also charged were Joy Dimaranan, Estrella Maranan, Bebot Maranan and several other employees of the wellness center.

Tan also filed on Tuesday a separate administrative complaint against Park before Tagaytay's Office of the City Administrator, GMA News TV's Quick Response Team (QRT) reported.

According to the City Administrator's Office, Park had, in the past, applied for a permit to operate a medical clinic but was denied for failing to present the necessary documents, such as a Department of Health (DOH) certification.

Park, was, however, granted a permit to operate a massage clinic in 2012.

A caretaker at the wellness center, who received the copy of the criminal and administrative complaints, said Park had left the clinic Tuesday morning.

The Fiscal's Office also sent a letter to Park requiring her to respond to the complaint within two days, otherwise an investigation based only on the evidence presented by the Tans would be pursued.

The Office of the City Administrator also prohibited the wellness clinic from operating until a reply to the administrative complaint was filed.

Alternative treatment

In a separate complaint filed last month before the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), Tan alleged that Park was not licensed by the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) to practice medicine in the Philippines.

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Unlicensed stem cell doctor slapped with charges over patient's death

Irvine Stem Cell Treatment Center Upcoming Lecture Tour

Irvine, California (PRWEB) May 05, 2014

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

The tour dates and locations are as follows:

Wednesday, May 7, 2014 @ 3pm Coco's Restaurant 18380 Brookhurst St., Fountain Valley, CA 92708

Thursday, May 8, 2014 @ 3pm Polly's Pies 18132 Imperial Hwy., Yorba Linda, CA 92886

Friday, May 9, 2014 @ 2pm Polly's Pies 23701 Moulton Pkwy., Laguna Woods, CA 92637

At the Irvine Stem Cell Treatment Center, utilizing investigational protocols, adult adipose derived stem cells (ADSCs) can be deployed to improve patients quality of life with a number of degenerative conditions and diseases. ADSCs are taken from the patients own adipose (fat) tissue (also called stromal vascular fraction (SVF). Adipose tissue is exceptionally abundant in ADSCs. 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 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 body's natural healing cells - they are recruited by chemical signals emitted by damaged tissues to repair and regenerate the bodys damaged cells. The Irvine Stem Cell Treatment Center only uses autologous stem cells from a person's own fat no embryonic stem cells are used. Our current areas of study include: Heart Failure, Emphysema, COPD, Asthma, Parkinsons Disease, Stroke, Multiple Sclerosis, and orthopedic joint injections. For more information, or if someone thinks they may be a candidate for one of the stem cell protocols offered by 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.StemCellsUSA.net.

About Irvine Stem Cell Treatment Center: The Irvine Stem Cell Treatment Center is an affiliate of the Cell Surgical Network (CSN). 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 Research Health, Office of Human Reseach Protections (OHRP); and the study is registered with Clinicaltrials.gov, a service of the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH). For more information contact: Info(at)StemCellsUSA(dot)net or visit our website: http://www.StemCellsUSA.net.

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Irvine Stem Cell Treatment Center Upcoming Lecture Tour

Valley Foot Surgeons Now Offering Stem Cell Procedures for Achilles Tendonitis and Tears for Pain Relief and Helping …

Scottsdale, Arizona (PRWEB) May 05, 2014

Top Phoenix and Scottsdale foot and ankle doctors at Valley Foot Surgeons are now offering stem cell procedures for the nonoperative treatment of Achilles tendonitis and tears. The regenerative medicine procedures are typically able to provide exceptional pain relief while allowing patients the ability to avoid surgery. Call (480) 420-3499 for more information and scheduling about the foot and ankle stem cell procedures.

To date, the lead foot and ankle doctor at Valley Foot Surgeons, Dr. Richard Jacoby, has performed close to 100 regenerative medicine procedures. Typically, these are administered for a variety of conditions such as diabetic ulcers, foot and ankle arthritis, plantar fasciitis, and Achilles injuries.

Conditions with the Achilles tendon may include pain due to chronic tendonitis or tears from degeneration. This may occur during a sporting activity, traumatic event, or simply as part of an individual's tendon weakening after taking quinolone antibiotics.

The stem cell procedures are performed as an outpatient, with the injections consisting of amniotic derived stem cells. The material is harvested from consenting donors after scheduled c-section procedures, with no fetal tissue at all being used.

The material is exceptionally rich in stem cells, growth factors, hyaluronic acid, and more. This can dramatically improve pain relief and healing, which is very different from how steroid medications work.

All too often, traditional treatments for Achilles tendonitis and tears fail to provide relief. This may lead to potentially risky surgery, where complications may lead to continued disability.

With the stem cells for Achilles tears and tendonitis, patients go through an outpatient procedure that is low risk and offers the potential for avoiding the risks of surgery while speeding up recovery.

Dr. Jacoby at Valley Foot Surgeons has been a four time Phoenix Top Doc Winner and sees patients out of two offices in the Valley. For the top stem cell treatment for achilles conditions, diabetic wounds, foot and ankle arthritis and more, call (480) 420-3499.

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Valley Foot Surgeons Now Offering Stem Cell Procedures for Achilles Tendonitis and Tears for Pain Relief and Helping ...

Questions and Answers

FAITH Stem Cell Research and Human Cloning by: FR. GAMMY TULABING I would like to share with you this article from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Questions and Answers

What is a stem cell?

A stem cell is a relatively unspecia-lized cell that, when it divides, can do two things: make another cell like itself, or make any of a number of cells with more specialized functions. For example, just one kind of stem cell in our blood can make new red blood cells, or white blood cells, or other kindsdepending on what the body needs. These cells are like the stem of a plant that spreads out in different directions as it grows.

Is the Catholic Church opposed to all stem cell research?

Not at all. Most stem cell research uses cells obtained from adult tissue, umbilical cord blood, and other sources that pose no moral problem. Useful stem cells have been found in bone marrow, blood, muscle, fat, nerves, and even in the pulp of baby teeth. Some of these cells are already being used to treat people with a wide variety of diseases.

Why is the Church opposed to stem cell research using the embryo?

Because harvesting these stem cells kills the living human embryo. The church opposes the direct destruction of innocent human life for any purpose, including research.

If some human embryos will remain in frozen storage and ultimately be discarded anyway, why is it wrong to try to get some good out of them?

In the end, we will all die anyway, but that gives no one a right to kill us. In any case, these embryos will not die because they are inherently unable to survive, but because others are choosing to hand them over for destructive research instead of letting them implant in their mothers womb. One wrong choice does not justify an additional wrong choice to kill them for research, much less a choice to make tax payers support such destruction. The idea of experimenting on human beings because they may die anyway also poses a grave threat to convicted prisoners, terminally ill patients, and others.

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Questions and Answers

Lack of bone marrow, stem cell donors takes many lives

New Delhi, May 4, 2014, PTI:

Two-year-old Garvit Goel had to wait for over one year to get a donor for stem cell treatment for cure of his thalassemia, a life-threatening blood disorder. But Garvit, hailing from Panipat in Haryana, was lucky to get a donor.

Thousands of patients die in India every year as it is very difficult to get stem cell donors in the country, unlike in Western countries.

Garvit had undergone blood transfusion immediately after he was detected with thalassemia at a hospital here when he was just six months old.

The doctors at the BLK Super Specialty hospital suggested stem cell transplantation as cure for his disease.

Goels sibling was not a matched donor and for his parents, getting a donor outside the family was a herculean task.

Finally after a year-long struggle, the parents with the help of doctors could get in touch with Datri, an NGO which helps patients get donors for stem cell therapy.

We found a suitable donor for Garvit in Datri database and performed the unrelated peripheral blood stem cell transplant in April last year.

Garvit is doing fine, said Dr Dharma R Choudhary, director, BLK Super Specialty.

The donor, 34-year old Sumeet Mahjan, who is working with a Bangalore-based software company, had registered himself with Datri when one of his colleagues child was diagnosed with Leukaemia.

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Lack of bone marrow, stem cell donors takes many lives