Billings veterinary clinic conducts city’s first dog stem cell therapy treatment

Thor, an athletic 7-year-old Catahoula leopard hound, lay on a table at the Animal Clinic of Billings, panting lightly while staffers put small bags over his feet and temperature-controlled packs on his chest before the anesthesia kicked in.

Not long after he went under, those same staff members carried Thor to an operating table where his owner, Dr. Bobbi Jo Massic, who is also a veterinarian at the clinic, made a small incision in his abdomen, the first step in a cutting-edge process designed to help the alleviate the dogs hip dysplasia and arthritis.

By the end of Tuesday, Thor became the very first patient in the clinics brand new animal stem cell therapy program.

This is a very exciting day, said Dr. Bryna Felchle, another vet at the clinic who will help spearhead the program. Were launching our very first stem cell therapy right here.

The process is widespread across the United States, but Felchle is just the second vet in Montana certified to perform the procedure and the only one in the eastern half of the state.

Generally, it involves removing fatty tissue from an animal, separating the stem cells from that tissue, activating the cells and then injecting or applying them back into the animal to promote healing or tissue growth.

The stem cells which differentiate and adapt into needed cells and tissues help to treat arthritis, hip dysplasia, ligament and cartilage injuries and other degenerative diseases.

Massic said Thor is a very active dog. Several years ago, he tore an anterior cruciate ligament, for which he underwent three surgeries and has a metal plate and three screws in one of his legs, along with the arthritis and dysplasia.

He has a lot of his active life ahead of him, she said. Were hoping that we can get him back to that mobility he had before.

She also said it could cut down on healing time, since the surgery requires fairly small incisions and a simple injection of the cells later.

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Billings veterinary clinic conducts city's first dog stem cell therapy treatment

New Method to Produce Blood Cells from Stem Cells Could Yield a Purer, Safer Cell Therapy

Durham, NC (PRWEB) July 12, 2013

A new protocol for reprogramming induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) into mature blood cells, using just a small amount of the patients own blood and a readily available cell type, is reported on in the current issue of STEM CELLS Translational Medicine. This novel method skips the generally accepted process of mixing iPSCs with either mouse or human stromal cells during the differentiation process and, in essence, ensures no outside and potentially harmful DNA is introduced into the reprogrammed cells.

As such, it could lead to a purer, safer therapeutic grade of stem cells for use in regenerative medicine.

The discovery of iPSCs holds great promise for regenerative medicine since it is possible to produce patient-specific iPSCs from the individual for potential autologous treatment that is, treatment using the patients own cells. This avoids the possibility of rejection and numerous other harmful side effects.

CD34+ cells are a type of blood stem cell that has been linked to proliferation. However, collecting enough CD34+ cells from a patient to produce an adequate amount of blood usually requires a large volume of blood to be taken from the patient. But scientists found a way around this, as outlined in the new study conducted by researchers in the Department of Medicine and Institute for Human Genetic, University of California-San Francisco. They were led by Yuet Wai Kan, M.D., FRS, and Lin Ye, Ph.D.

We used Sendai viral vectors to generate iPSCs efficiently from adult mobilized CD34+ and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (MNCs), Dr. Kan explained. Sendai virus is an RNA virus that carries no risk of altering the host genome, so is considered an efficient solution for generating safe iPSC.

Just 2 milliliters of blood yielded iPS cells from which hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells could be generated. These cells could contain up to 40 percent CD34+ cells, of which approximately 25 percent were the type of precursors that could be differentiated into mature blood cells. These interesting findings reveal a protocol for the generation iPSCs using a readily available cell type, Dr. Ye added. We also found that MNCs can be efficiently reprogrammed into iPSCs as readily as CD34+ cells. Furthermore, these MNCs derived iPSCs can be terminally differentiated into mature blood cells.

This method, which uses only a small blood sample, may represent an option for generating iPSCs that maintains their genomic integrity, said Anthony Atala, MD, Editor of STEM CELLS Translational Medicine and director of the Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine. The fact that these cells were differentiated into mature blood cells suggests their use in blood diseases.

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The full article, Blood cell derived induced pluripotent stem cells free of reprogramming factors generated by Sendai viral vectors, can be accessed at http://www.stemcellstm.com.

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New Method to Produce Blood Cells from Stem Cells Could Yield a Purer, Safer Cell Therapy

IntelliCell BioSciences Discusses their Stem Cell Treatment Technology in Online Interview

NEW YORK, NY, July 12, 2013 - (eTeligis via ACCESSWIRE) IntelliCell BioSciences, Inc. (OTC PINK: SVFC), a developer of novel, patented stromal vascular fraction cells (stem cells) technologies that address the regenerative, curative and preventative conditions of disease states, announces an online interview where they discuss their current SVF (stem cell) treatment technology.

Dr. Steven Victor, the Chairman and CEO of IntelliCell BioSciences, Inc. conducted an online interview where he discusses the company's current SVF (stem cell) treatment technology, and prospects for their patented extraction technology in healthcare facilities in the US.

To access the online interview please visit http://www.wallstreetnewscast.com/profile/svfc.html

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About IntelliCell BioSciences

IntelliCell BioSciences is a Regenerative Medicine company developing novel technologies that address the regenerative, curative and preventative conditions of disease states with high unmet clinical needs. The Company has patented technology for the use of ultrasonic cavitation for separating stromal vascular fraction with stem cells from adipose tissue and several patent-pending. The Company is also pioneering the development of autologous and allogeneic cells from living and non-living tissue donors for research purposes. IntelliCell is planning a series of in-human clinical studies with top tier universities for the treatment of cardiac disease, osteoarthritis, multiple sclerosis, lower limb ischemic wounds, and gum regeneration in the oral cavity as well as medical aesthetics. The Company has developed a first class cGTP cellular processing facility in New York City, purpose built and designed to be fully integrated into an ambulatory surgery center and hospitals. http://www.intellicellbiosciences.com

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains forward-looking statements regarding IntelliCell BioSciences, Inc., and its future business plans, which statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results and future achievements of IntelliCell BioSciences to be materially different from those implied by these forward-looking statements. IntelliCell BioSciences has and undertakes no obligation to provide public updates and revisions to these forward-looking statements to reflect any changes in its expectations of future events.

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IntelliCell BioSciences Discusses their Stem Cell Treatment Technology in Online Interview

Babraham scientists make stem cell discovery

Epigenetics researchers at the Babraham Institute in Cambridge UK have identified the biological process that leads to global loss of the genomes methylation memory when cells are reprogrammed at fertilisation to the so-called ground-state development.

Epigenetics is revolutionising our understanding of genetic inheritance and also helping to explain how our genes can be influenced by the environment. Genomic methylation, which does not alter DNA sequence but essentially marks it in a stable lifelong manner, is accumulated during development and plays a vital role in committing cells to specialised roles in the body.

These methylation marks must be erased at the start of each new generation, to restore the ability of a newly fertilised egg to develop into a new organism.

Understanding this mechanism of wiping the slate clean is important to appreciate how the developmental capacity of cells is reset and also provides insights that will guide the use of stem cells for therapeutic purposes, which also requires remodelling of genomic methylation.

It is known that when adult cells are reprogrammed to stem cell-like cells, they do not completely erase their memory. This unfortunately limits their use in stem cell therapy since these cells will have the tendency to develop into the types of specialised cells from which they were originally derived.

Stem cells receive signals from the environment that force them to become more specialised cells. The Babraham researchers blocked these environmental signals with drugs and found that they could induce this superior stem cell state with the treatment.

In a parallel study published recently in Nature, researchers from The University of California San Francisco and The University of British Columbia in Canada found that treating stem cells with Vitamin C had similar effects, suggesting that nutritional factors may lead to better stem cells.

Dr Gabriella Ficz, lead author from the Babraham Institute said: We were quite surprised by the strong mechanistic link between the external signals and the DNA methylation machinery.

This work consequently opens up a whole range of questions related to what happens in the adult body where we know that aberrant methylation is associated with cancer.

In addition, how these changes are mediated through the new DNA modification 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5-hmC), similar to what we have observed in ES cells, remains a key focus in epigenetics research.

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Babraham scientists make stem cell discovery

Stop stem cell therapy – Doctor

Manila, Philippines -- If she would have her way, Dr. Marita V.T. Reyes, Co-Chairperson of the Philippine Health Research Ethics Board (PHREB), yesterday said she would put a stop to the medical procedure of stem cell therapy.

Reyes delivered a paper yesterday on the topic, "Ethical Consideration In Stem Cell-based Therapy and Research-Poor Countries," on the last day of the 35th Annual Scientific Meeting of the Department of Science and Technology-National Academy of Science and Technology (DOST-NAST) at the historic landmark Manila Hotel.

Reyes acknowledged that there is a "standard" stem cell therapy treatment involving "hematopoietic disorders," such as "leukemia and lymphomas," through "bone marrow or cord blood transplant."

She, however, emphasized that this cannot be said yet in the cases of diseases of the heart, eyes, diabetes, stroke, spinal cord injury, Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, Lou Gehrig's (ALS), multiple sclerosis, cancer, and cartilage repair.

Stem cell therapy for these diseases, she stressed, should be stopped.

"If I have the power, I will say, 'stop this in the meantime, until the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has come up with a quality assurance. Until the FDA is able to say that what you say is there, is there, we have no way of protecting our people," said Reyes, when asked about the ethics board's possible advice.

"So, as far as I am concerned, I would like the stem cell therapy, meaning for people who are saying they are using stem cell therapy, to stop, until we have set up very clear quality assurance (system)," the PHREB official said.

Stem cell therapy discussions resulted from the reported death of three Filipino politicians, and the complaint of a government official, after allegedly subjecting themselves from the controversial medical procedure.

Dr. Francisco Chung, Jr., of the Makati Medical Center (MMC), on the other hand, conceded that there are many stem cell procedures that are "experimental in nature."

"What we have approved clinically is bone marrow transplantation," he said, citing the approval of the United States Food and Drug Administration (USFDA).

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Stop stem cell therapy – Doctor

Promise and caution shown in ongoing research into stem cell treatment of strokes

Public release date: 9-Jul-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Dwight Angell dwight.angell@hfhs.org 313-850-3471 Henry Ford Health System

DETROIT While stem-cell therapy offers great promise for the treatment of stroke, much research remains to be done to show its long-term effectiveness and to understand the potential for dangerous side effects.

These are the conclusions drawn by Henry Ford Hospital neurologists Jing Zhang, M.D., Ph.D., and Michael Chopp, Ph.D., scientific director of the Henry Ford Hospital Neuroscience Institute, in a review of their own and other current research into the next-generation treatment of one of the leading causes of death and disability around the world. The article has been accepted for publication by Expert Opinion on Biological Therapy.

Most strokes are ischemic, meaning they occur when an artery to the brain is blocked, stopping the flow of vital, oxygen-rich blood. The blockage can be caused by a blood clot, air bubble or other mass in the blood stream.

"This touches off many complicated reactions," Dr. Zhang explains. "Nerve circuits are disrupted. Chemical processes within cells are disturbed. The blood-brain barrier, which protects the brain from a wide range of harmful invasions, including infection, is damaged.

"As a result, many stroke survivors are left with permanent neurological and physical disability. And this leads to a huge social and economic burden."

Current stroke treatment focuses on restoring blood flow to the brain to stop further cell and tissue damage. However, Drs. Zhang and Chopp write, only one drug has FDA approval for the clinical treatment of stroke.

Called tPA, it's an enzyme that works on destroying or dissolving the blockage that caused the stroke. Although it can be effective, it also has downsides, they note.

The time in which tPA can be helpful is short at most only four and a half hours after the stroke. This is probably the reason less than 10 percent of stroke patients are treated with tPA.

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Promise and caution shown in ongoing research into stem cell treatment of strokes

Stemedica Advances to Phase II Stroke Trial with Lead Product Stemedyne-MSC

San Diego, CA (PRWEB) July 10, 2013

Stemedica Cell Technologies, Inc., a leader in adult allogeneic stem cell manufacturing, research and development, announced today the completion of enrollment and treatment of patients in a Phase I study with Stemedicas lead product Stemedyne-MSC. These specially formulated ischemic adult allogeneic mesenchymal stem cells have been manufactured at Stemedicas cGMP compliant facility and have been successfully used to treat patients in an ischemic stroke study: A Phase I/II, Multi-Center, Open-Label Study to Assess the Safety, Tolerability and Preliminary Treatment Efficacy of a Single Intravenous Dose of Allogeneic Mesenchymal Bone Marrow Cells to Subjects with Ischemic Stroke.

The primary goal of the Phase I study was to assess the safety and tolerability of treatment with Stemedyne-MSC as determined by the incidence and severity of adverse events, clinically-significant changes on clinical laboratory tests, vital signs, physical and neurologic examinations in patients with a clinical diagnosis six months post ischemic stroke. The secondary goal was to assess the clinical effects of treatment on neurologic, functional, and motor deficits.

Fifteen patients were treated in this dose escalation Phase I study. Patients received one dose of Stemedyne-MSC via intravenous administration. An Independent Data Safety Monitoring Board reviewed safety data for subjects including adverse events, laboratory data and vital signs. Based on the review, they unanimously voted for the trial to proceed to Phase II.

Michael Levy, MD, PhD, FACS, the Principle Investigator and John Crawford, MD, Co-Investigator at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) clinical site commented, We are optimistic that we will continue to see efficacy in Phase II based on improvements in levels of alertness and functional speech we have observed, especially in those patients with significant injuries.

Nabil Dib, MD, MSc, FACC, the Co-Investigator at the Mercy Gilbert Medical Center, Chandler Regional Medical Center in Gilbert, Arizona site commented, We are extremely excited about the Data Safety Monitoring Boards report on the first 15 patients treated and are encouraged by our preliminary observations of the improvements of the patients clinical symptoms. We look forward to completing patient enrollment into Phase II and the final analysis of this very important clinical trial. Cell therapy potentially has significant application in stroke patients that may change the way that we treat patients with cerebrovascular accidents.

Lev Verkh, PhD, Stemedicas Chief Regulatory and Clinical Development Officer, commented, Stemedica achieved this significant milestone by demonstrating the safety of the product at all doses studied in this trial. We are also encouraged that this treatment resulted in clinical benefits in patients with this diagnosis. The Phase II portion of this trial is open for enrollment (http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/results?term=stemedica).

Nikolai Tankovich, MD, PhD, FASLMS, President and Chief Medical Officer of Stemedica noted, Our current and planned clinical trials are directed toward the entire spectrum of ischemic disease, from the early onset of the vascular damage in metabolic syndrome, to the acute damage of myocardial infarction and chronic damage as evidenced by the stroke patients in this trial. By expanding Stemedyne-MSC cells in our proprietary low oxygen process, we produce MSCs that have higher levels of the critical factors necessary for vascular repair as compared to cells expanded in normal oxygen.

More than 800,000 Americans suffer a stroke annually and according to the American Heart Association, stroke is the fourth leading cause of death - costing an estimated $73.7 billion in 2010 for stroke-related medical costs and disability.

About Stemedica Cell Technologies, Inc. http://www.stemedica.com Stemedica Cell Technologies, Inc. is a specialty bio-pharmaceutical company that is committed to the manufacturing and development of best-in-class allogeneic adult stem cells and stem cell factors for use by approved research institutions and hospitals for pre-clinical and clinical (human) trials. The company is a government licensed manufacturer of clinical grade stem cells and is approved by the FDA for its clinical trials for ischemic stroke, cutaneous photoaging and acute myocardial infarction. Additional information can be found at http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Stemedica is currently developing regulatory pathways for a number of medical indications using adult allogeneic stem cells. The Company is headquartered in San Diego, California.

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Stemedica Advances to Phase II Stroke Trial with Lead Product Stemedyne-MSC

Stem cell therapy: Future of medicine?

by Rappler.com Posted on 07/09/2013 9:42 PM |Updated 07/10/2013 3:51 PM

MANILA, Philippines - Everyone is talking about stem cell therapy. But scammers and swindlers are also taking advantage of the fad, prompting the Health Department to step in. Buena Bernal reports.

Its the new medical buzzword in the Philippines. Stem cell therapy is a procedure which uses repair cells found in the body to replace old cells. Dr Florencio Lucero started doing the procedure 6 years ago.

DR FLORENCIO LUCERO, STEM CELL TRANSPLANT SURGEON: Stem cells can help degenerative diseases. Some people who have serious illnesses, and they cannot find any solution to their condition, they seek this kind of treatment, because it can improve their condition. But not a cure. It cannot cure.

Pilar Vazquez who went through a mild stroke says she felt energized after undergoing the treatment.

PILAR VAZQUEZ, STEM CELL TRANSPLANT PATIENT: Stem cell is very good. I did not feel pain or what. Everything is very good. Before, I dont [always] talk. Now, I always talk. Thats a very good difference, because now they say, Ay si Mommy, ang galing galing niyan, parating nagsasalita!

But stem cell therapy became controversial after 3 government officials allegedly died from the treatment, while another official filed charges against his German doctor for his botched treatment last year. Food and Drug Administration director Dr. Kenneth Hartigan Go says right now, stem cell therapy is allowed but under investigation.

DR KENNETH HARTIGAN-GO, DIRECTOR, FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION: We are keeping an objective mind and saying, okay, if this is investigational, go ahead. And then we have to see outcome, say, within a period of a time whether the product actually works or not.

The Department of Health cautions the public from engaging in prohibited forms of the treatment -- those that are performed outside accredited facilities and those that source stem cells from human embryos. Health Secretary Enrique Ona says he does not want to stifle the innovation but there must be regulation.

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Stem cell therapy: Future of medicine?

Sports Medicine and Stem Cells: Athletes are ready for New Era of Treatment

TAMPA, Fla., July 9, 2013 /PRNewswire/--As new medical frontiers are forged, their place in sports medicine will be assured if athletes can recover or heal faster. This concept has not been lost in the dawn of Regenerative Medicine. This new age has emerged in which regenerative stem cell treatments are being applied to blindness, spinal cord injuries and congestive heart failure. It is no wonder that elite athletes such as Peyton Manning turned to stem cells when his neck wasn't healing. http://www.drlox.com

So what is it that makes the allure of stem cells attractive to high caliber athletes? According to Dr. Dennis Lox, a Sports Medicine and Regenerative specialist, in the Tampa Bay, Florida area, stem cells have unique capabilities for injured athletes. First the stem cells are very effective at alleviating inflammatory responses seen in chronic injuries. By blocking and altering the mechanisms in which inflammation occurs, some chronic injuries may heal. Dr. Lox then comments that, the stem cells are also at the same time regenerative cells that may heal by releasing factors that allow healing to occur, or trophic effects. Lastly, the stem cells may allow regeneration of injured tissue. All these mechanisms, Dr. Lox stresses, cannot be achieved by cortisone injections, or commonly prescribed anti-inflammatory medications. http://www.drlox.com

The unique way in which regenerative therapies such as Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) and stem cells, exert effects on injured tissues will always be seen positively as athletes search for better and quicker healing treatments. Also, athletes need to be concerned with career longevity. The possible fountain of youth that repairing injured muscles and joints may hold with stem cell therapy makes it an attractive option. No adverse effects have been reported in clinical trials using stem cells for knee arthritis. The same cannot be said for knee surgery. The upside to minimizing further joint injury by avoiding surgery, may deter accelerated arthritis development. Dr. Lox notes a player's career may be lengthened by early repair of knee injury, and preventing arthritis development. These are two goals of regenerative medicine, and in some athletes mind two reasons to consider stem cell therapy.

About Dr. Dennis Lox Dr. Lox practices in the Tampa Bay Florida area. Dr. Lox is a Sports and Regenerative Medicine Physician, who specializes in the use of regenerative and restorative medicine to assist in treating athletic and arthritis conditions. Dr. Lox may be reached at (727) 462-5582 or visit Drlox.com.

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Sports Medicine and Stem Cells: Athletes are ready for New Era of Treatment

Intercellular Sciences Releases New Case Study on Stem Cell Treatment and its Effects on Strokes

Bonita Springs, FL (PRWEB) July 08, 2013

Karen Anderson was hoping that her husband John, 62, would see an improvement in his damaged heart following stem cell treatment in the Dominican Republic, and he did. His heart function improved and he was able to return to how he was before his heart went bad.

What Karen didnt expect was that his stroke would get better too. So much better that he can now drive for the first time since his stroke. Johns response to the stem cell treatment has just been amazing, nothing short of a miracle, Karen says. John had been struggling with severe deficits since his stroke two and a half years ago. He could not finish a sentence, do simple math, write words or even say his wifes name correctly. Now he can carry on conversations, add up the tip on a restaurant bill and most impressively safely drive the family car, which became very important when Karen broke her foot and John had to drive her around.

I never thought our roles would reverse and John would be taking care of me, but thanks to his stem cell therapy he is returning back to the man he was. Karens big smile says it all.

Strokes are usually blood clots that travel to the brain, block an artery and cause loss of brain function and paralysis. Stroke is a leading cause of death in the United States, killing nearly 130,000 Americans each yearthats 1 of every 18 deaths. This is devastating to not only the patient but also to their family.

John C. (age 62, Dickson, TN), has had Cardiomyopathy (weak heart) since he was a young man. First diagnosed while in college, he has had to adjust his life style, adapting it to his weak heart function. His doctors recommended a defibrillator a few years ago and he has been dependent on it ever since. Then, in 2010, he suffered a massive stroke which left him quite disabled. His heart symptoms also rapidly worsened. Due to severe shortness of breath and fatigue, he had to stop many of his activities; even walking up his driveway had become impossible. Johns heart ejection fraction (the percent of pumping of the heart) had dropped to under 10%. His doctors were not optimistic. He and his wife Karen refused to accept such a grim fate and searched for alternative treatment. They soon found an option: adult stem cell therapy.

Zannos Grekos MD, MAAC, FACC, chief science officer of Intercellular Sciences and a Florida-based pioneer in the field of adult stem cell therapy describes how stem cells from the patient are extracted and activated in a laboratory. These cells we call Regenocytes. Dr. Zannos G. Grekos explains how, in this groundbreaking treatment, cardiologist Doctor Hector Rosario, Chief of Interventional Therapy for Intercellular Sciences, inserts a catheter into the patients heart similar to a heart catheterization to inject the stem cells. The process of tissue repairing the damaged heart begins almost immediately. Since these stem cells are the bodys natural healing cells, some of those stem cells go to other parts of the body and start to repair damage. When this happens we can see some amazing improvement in areas we hadnt targeted. Things like arthritis or diabetes get better, even stroke symptoms like in this patient says Grekos, who has been treating patients with stem cells since 2006.

I have much more energy now, said John after his treatment. Im back to walking the perimeter of my 6 acre property and back at cardiac rehab. I have even started bowling again which I had stopped. An echocardiogram performed by his cardiologist 3 months after his treatment showed that his heart function had doubled.

ABOUT ZANNOS GREKOS, MD, MAAC, FACC:

Dr. Zannos Grekos is an Interventional Cardiologist and specialist in stem cell research and treatment. Dr. Grekos has extensive experience in the field of stem cell therapy. In collaboration with major treatment and research centers, he has developed many of the protocols used for adult stem cell therapy throughout the world. Dr. Zannos Grekos also trains physicians in the evaluation and treatment of patients receiving stem cell therapy. He was appointed to the Science Advisory Board of the United States' Repair Stem Cell Institute. Dr. Zannos Grekos was invited to Washington, DC to brief the United States Senate Health Advisory staff in 2007. Dr Grekos lectures and educates both nationally and internationally on the current clinical status of stem cell therapy.

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Intercellular Sciences Releases New Case Study on Stem Cell Treatment and its Effects on Strokes