Neural Stem Cell Transplants May One Day Help Parkinson’s Patients, Others (preview)

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Neurodegenerative disorders devastate the brain, but doctors hope one day to replace lost cells

By Ferris Jabr

BRAIN GROWTH: To replace brain cells lost to neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson's disease, some researchers are experimenting with grafts of fetal brain tissue and injections of young neurons grown from stem cells in the lab. Image: Bryan Christie

Inside the human brain, branching neurons grow beside, around and on top of one another like trees in a dense forest. Scientists used to think that any neurons that wilted and died from injury or disease were gone forever because the brain had no way to replace those cells. By the 1990s, however, most neuroscientists had accepted that the adult brain cultivates small gardens of stem cells that can turn into mature neurons.

This article was originally published with the title Replanting the Brain's Forest.

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Neural Stem Cell Transplants May One Day Help Parkinson's Patients, Others (preview)

Stem Cell Orthopedic Applauds New Study Promoting Platelet Rich Plasma Therapy

Stem Cell Orthopedic Applauds New Study Showing Platelet Rich Plasma Therapy Significantly Improving Clinical Results in Patients with Tennis Elbow.

(PRWEB) April 06, 2013

The analysis, from the Rothman Institute at Jefferson, included a multi-center randomized prospective study to research the clinical value of PRP. The study utilized 230 patients with chronic tennis elbow, where virtually one half was treated with PRP and the other half was the control group. The PRP group received single PRP injections into their extensor tendon.

Both groups were studied for up to 24 weeks. By week 12, the PRP group reported a 55% improvement in pain, versus 47% for the control group. Concurrently, at week 12, the PRP group reported 37.4% significant elbow tenderness, compared to 48% from the control group. By the end of 24 weeks, the PRP group reported an outstanding 29% significant tenderness rating, versus 54% from the control.

The results of this study present some of the most compelling evidence to date of the efficacy of platelet rich plasma therapy and its significance in the medical community at large.

The study was recently presented at the annual meeting of the American Association of Orthopedic Surgeons (AAOS) in Chicago.

As leading stem cell treatment practitioners, the Institute of Regenerative and Molecular Orthopaedics applauds the findings of this latest PRP therapy study. Headed by the world-renowned stem cell treatment pioneer, Dr. Joseph Purita, the IRMO are one of the very few orthopedic practices in the world that utilizes PRP stem cell therapy with orthopedic surgery.

About Stem Cell Orthopedic

The Institute of Regenerative and Molecular Orthopaedics (IRMO) is a world-class orthopedic practice and stem cell facility staffed with seasoned board certified orthopedic surgeons. They differ from most orthopedic practices because they offer stem cells and platelet rich plasma (PRP) therapy in conjunction with surgery or as alternative to surgical procedures. They utilize state-of-the-art technology and the latest in stem cell research to best treat their patients. IRMO uses hematopoietic stem cells (HSC), which are found circulating in blood, fat, and bone marrow, to help repair the body. They are headed by Medical Director, Dr. Joseph Purita, a world-renowned pioneer in laser orthopedic surgery and graduate of the esteemed Georgetown University Medical School. For more information, visit http://www.stemcellorthopedic.com/ or follow them on Facebook, Twitter, or YouTube.

Contact Us IRMO 561-300-1840 Email Information

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Stem Cell Orthopedic Applauds New Study Promoting Platelet Rich Plasma Therapy

They are expensive, unregulated and potentially dangerous . . . Are stem cell facials REALLY worth the $20,000 price …

By Catherine Townsend

PUBLISHED: 17:14 EST, 4 April 2013 | UPDATED: 17:25 EST, 4 April 2013

First it was the liquid facelift; then the vampire facelift. In recent years, nonsurgical options to turn back the clock have multiplied as quickly as the catchy nicknames.

Now, as women pay up to $20,000 for stem cell facelifts, the treatment is being hailed as the new Botox.

But according to The New York Times, the technology may not be that cutting-edge.

Miracle treatment? Stem cell facelifts have been hailed as the new Botox, but some experts question whether they are worth the five-figure price tag (posed by model)

While embryonic skin cells can transform into any type of cell, adult stem cells can only regenerate the types of the organ from which they originate.

So in a stem cell facelift - not to be confused with the stem cell facial that uses sheep placenta - doctors take stem cell-enriched tissue from fatty areas like the stomach or inner thigh and inject it back into the face. They may also use a centrifuge to separate the cells and add them back into the fat before grafting.

Practitioners claim that this process produces better results. Since there are already stem cells present in fatty tissue, however, some experts claim that this is just another name for fat grafting - a technique that has been around for years.

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They are expensive, unregulated and potentially dangerous . . . Are stem cell facials REALLY worth the $20,000 price ...

OncoMed to Present New Data in Six Anti-Cancer Stem Cell Programs at AACR

REDWOOD CITY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

OncoMed Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a clinical-stage company developing novel therapeutics that target cancer stem cells (CSCs), or tumor-initiating cells, today announced an oral presentation and five posters that will highlight the progress of OncoMeds pipeline of anti-cancer biologics at the Annual Meeting of the American Association of Cancer Research in Washington D.C., April 7 9, 2013.

Oral Presentation, Sunday, April 7, 1:30 1:55 pm ET, Room 207, Washington Convention Center

As part of the New Drugs on the Horizon Special Session, Timothy Hoey, PhD, OncoMeds Senior Vice President of Cancer Biology, will discuss, Development of FZD8-Fc (OMP-54F28), a Wnt signaling antagonist that inhibits tumor growth and reduces tumor initiating cell frequency.

Poster #218, Sunday, April 7, 1 5 pm ET, Hall A-C, Poster Section 13

R-Spondin (RSPO) signaling drives the growth of multiple human tumor types will be presented by Austin Gurney, PhD, Senior Vice President of Molecular and Cellular Biology at OncoMed, in the Tumor Biology 2 Poster Session.

Poster #3725, Tuesday, April 9, 1 5 pm ET, Hall A-C, Poster Section 12

Anti-DLL4 (demcizumab) Inhibits tumor growth and reduces cancer stem cell frequency in patient-derived ovarian cancer xenografts will be presented by Wan-Ching Yen, PhD, Senior Scientist at OncoMed, in the Tumor Biology 35 Poster Session.

Poster #213, Sunday, April 7, 1- 5 pm ET, Hall A-C, Poster Section 13

Novel NOTCH3 activating mutations identified in tumors sensitive to OMP-59R5, a monoclonal antibody targeting the Notch2 and Notch3 receptors will be presented by Breanna Wallace, PhD, Post-Doctoral Research Fellow at OncoMed, in the Cancer Stem Targeting Therapies Poster Session.

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OncoMed to Present New Data in Six Anti-Cancer Stem Cell Programs at AACR

Dr. Doohi Lee introduces Stem Cell Therapy at Advanced Surgical Arts

Dr. Lee is one of the first in Texas to use adipose stem cell treatment to care for patients.

Plano, TX (PRWEB) April 03, 2013

Adipose tissue is fat inside the body. Fat is the richest source of adult stem cells in the human body. Stem cells help fight disease or injury by repairing or rejuvenating affected tissue in the body. Medical researchers believe that stem cell treatments have the potential to change the face of human disease.

In the procedure performed by Dr. Lee, fat will be extracted from the body, purified and re-injected into specific areas that need stem cells. Dr. Lee uses an automated machine called the Adivive Lipokit to perform the fat transplantation. The Adivive Lipokit is an all-in-one, FDA-approved device that collects, filters and transfers fat for use in cosmetic and reconstructive surgeries. The Lipokit is able to keep transferred fat cells alive throughout the process.

Procedures that will use adipose stem cell therapy include breast augmentation, facelift surgery, liposuction and fat transfer.

Besides cosmetic purposes, Dr. Lee will also use the Lipokit stem cell therapy for rejuvenation to help relieve chronic pain, whether from aging or due to injuries.

About the company

Advanced Surgical Arts was established in Plano, Texas in 2003. With three board certifications, Dr. Doohi Lee is able to offer his patients a multi-faceted approach to health and well-being. Continuing education is a priority for Dr. Lee, and he regularly attends seminars and conferences to expand his knowledge on cosmetic procedures and anti-aging. Dr. Lee constantly strives to investigate the latest and most minimally invasive procedures in cosmetic and laser vein surgery. His unified approach with artistry and technology provide patients at Advanced Surgical Arts with optimum results. For more information, please visit their website at http://advsurgicalartsdallas.com.

Maggie Gordon Advanced Surgical Arts Dallas 469-666-1075 Email Information

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Dr. Doohi Lee introduces Stem Cell Therapy at Advanced Surgical Arts

Scientists develop new protocol to ready induced pluripotent stem cell clinical application

Apr. 3, 2013 A team of New York Stem Cell Foundation (NYSCF) Research Institute scientists led by David Kahler, PhD, NYSCF Director of Laboratory Automation, have developed a new way to generate induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cell lines from human fibroblasts, acquired from both healthy and diseased donors. Reported in PLOS ONE, this cell-sorting method consistently selects the highest quality, standardized iPS cells, representing a major step forward for drug discovery and the development of cell therapies.

Employing a breakthrough method developed by 2012 Nobel laureate Shinya Yamanaka, MD, PhD, adult cells are "reprogrammed" or reverted to an embryonic-like state, commonly through viral infection. Reprogramming is a dynamic process, resulting in a mixture of fully reprogrammed iPS cells, partially reprogrammed cells, and residual adult cells. Previous protocols to select promising fully reprogrammed cells rely primarily on judging stem cell colonies by eye through a microscope.

Cell colonies selected by qualitative measures could include partially reprogrammed cells, a major concern for clinical applications of cell therapies because these cells could become any other cell type in a patient following transplantation. Additionally for drug efficacy assays and toxicity investigations on iPS cells, heterogeneous cell populations can mar the response of representative iPS cell lines.

The NYSCF scientists developed a quantitative protocol, optimized over three and a half years, in order to consistently harvest early-reprogrammed cells. Using fluorescence activated cell sorting (FACS), fully reprogrammed cells were identified by two specific proteins, or pluripotency markers. The group then looked at third marker that is expressed by partially reprogrammed or adult cells, and they then negatively selected against these cells to obtain only fully reprogrammed cells.

"To date, this protocol has enabled our group to derive (and characterize over) 228 individual iPS cell lines, representing one of the largest collections derived in a single lab," said Dr. Kahler. "This standardized method means that these iPS cells can be compared to one another, an essential step for the use in drug screens and the development of cell therapies."

This process of selecting stem cell colonies provides the basis for a new technology developed by NYSCF, The NYSCF Global Stem Cell Array (Array), a fully automated, robotic platform to generate cell lines in parallel. Currently underway at the NYSCF Laboratory, the Array reprograms thousands of healthy donors' and diseased patients' skin and/or blood samples into iPS cell lines. Sorting and characterizing cells at an early stage of reprogramming allows efficient development of iPS cell clones and derivation of adult cell types.

"We are enthusiastic about the promise this protocol holds to the field. As stem cells move towards the clinic, Dr. Kahler's work is a critical step to ensure safe, effective treatments for everyone," said Susan L. Solomon, CEO of NYSCF.

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Part 19, after stem cell treatment, climbing up again and that’s good, 31march2013 – Video

Part 19, after stem cell treatment, climbing up again and that #39;s good, 31march2013
My name is Carole St-Laurent, I am from Rimouski, Quebec, Canada. I have a Spinal Muscular Atrophy from birth, it #39;s in the family of Muscular Dystrophy. I re...

By: Kina Diamond

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Part 19, after stem cell treatment, climbing up again and that's good, 31march2013 - Video

Bioheart Completes FDA Registration for Tissue Bank Establishment

SUNRISE, FL--(Marketwired - Apr 2, 2013) - Bioheart, Inc. (OTCQB: BHRT) announced today that it has completed the FDA tissue bank registration process.Bioheart is offering stem cell storage for patients enrolled in the studies at the centers of excellence outside the US.Patients can store additional stem cell doses in liquid nitrogen for future use in approved clinical trials.These trials focus on the use of LipiCell (adipose derived stem cells) in a variety of different degenerative diseases.

Kristin Comella, Chief Science Officer, commented, "We are excited to offer these additional therapies to the patients who participate in our trials in Jamaica and Mexico.We now have the ability to store their stem cells for future use in repeat dosing studies."

About Bioheart, Inc.Bioheart is committed to maintaining its leading position within the cardiovascular sector of the cell technology industry delivering cell therapies and biologics that help address congestive heart failure, lower limb ischemia, chronic heart ischemia, acute myocardial infarctions and other issues.Bioheart's goals are to cause damaged tissue to be regenerated, when possible, and to improve a patient's quality of life and reduce health care costs and hospitalizations.

Specific to biotechnology, Bioheart is focused on the discovery, development and, subject to regulatory approval, commercialization of autologous cell therapies for the treatment of chronic and acute heart damage and peripheral vascular disease. Its leading product, MyoCell, is a clinical muscle-derived cell therapy designed to populate regions of scar tissue within a patient's heart with new living cells for the purpose of improving cardiac function in chronic heart failure patients. For more information on Bioheart, visit http://www.bioheartinc.com, or visit us on Facebook: Bioheart and Twitter @BioheartInc.

Forward-Looking Statements: Except for historical matters contained herein, statements made in this press release are forward-looking statements. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, words such as "may," "will," "to," "plan," "expect," "believe," "anticipate," "intend," "could," "would," "estimate," or "continue" or the negative other variations thereof or comparable terminology are intended to identify forward-looking statements.

Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Also, forward-looking statements represent our management's beliefs and assumptions only as of the date hereof. Except as required by law, we assume no obligation to update these forward-looking statements publicly, or to update the reasons actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements, even if new information becomes available in the future.

The Company is subject to the risks and uncertainties described in its filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the section entitled "Risk Factors" in its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2012, and its Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2012.

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Bioheart Completes FDA Registration for Tissue Bank Establishment

:: 02, Apr 2013 :: A*STAR HOSTS NOBEL LAUREATE AND RENOWNED STEM CELL EXPERT PROFESSOR SHINYA YAMANAKA

Nobel Laureate Professor Shinya Yamanaka to give a lecture on latest progress in stem cell research at Biopolis and share insights on stem cell research with A*STAR scientific leaders.

1. Professor Shinya Yamanaka, Nobel Laureate in Medicine or Physiology 2012, has been invited to speak at Biopolis under the A*STAR Biomedical Research Council Distinguished Visitor Programme (DVP). Professor Yamanakas discovery of induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells in 2006, won him the Nobel Prize and revolutionised the stem cell field. Since then, iPS cells have been used to study cell therapy, disease mechanisms, and new drug developments worldwide. For Professor Yamanakas biography, please refer to Annex A.

2. Professor Yamanaka will be giving a scientific lecture today on the recent progress in induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cell research. Stem cells hold enormous potential in healthcare and medical sector as a renewable source of replacement tissues for regenerative medicine therapies. However, strict evaluation methods of selecting good iPS cell source for transplantation are essential to realise the promise of regenerative medicine. Professor Yamanaka will speak about the latest efforts to standardise iPS cells in clinical grade and to construct the basis of iPS cell stock. Details and an abstract of the lecture can be found in Annex B.

3. Stem cell research is one of the key focus areas in A*STARs biomedical research institutes and A*STAR scientific leaders and key clinical partners will also have the opportunity to meet with Professor Yamanaka to discuss his experience and views on stem cell research. A*STAR researchers have been making remarkable strides in the stem cell field, from basic research to provide insights into the regulatory networks that drive reprogramming of cells, to harnessing the power of stem cell-based research to target tumours and enhance healing. More details on some recent A*STAR discoveries and developments in stem cell research can be found at Annex C.

4. The DVP provides a platform for scientific leaders in Singapores BMS community to interact with renowned scientists worldwide and to foster collaborative links. Previous distinguished scientists hosted under the DVP include Professor Susumu Tonegawa in 2006 (Winner of the 1987 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine), Professor David Naylor (President of University of Toronto), Professor Iain Mattaj (Director-General, European Molecular Biology Laboratory) and Professor Sir John Savill (then Chief Scientist for the Scottish Government Health Directorates, and Vice-Principal and Head of the College of Medicine & Veterinary Medicine, University of Edinburgh, and current Biomedical Sciences International Advisory Council member). Since the inception of the DVP in 2001, over 70 distinguished visitors have visited Singapore.

________________________________________________________________

AGENCY FOR SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND RESEARCH (A*STAR)

Enclosed:

Annex A Professor Shinya Yamanakas biography

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:: 02, Apr 2013 :: A*STAR HOSTS NOBEL LAUREATE AND RENOWNED STEM CELL EXPERT PROFESSOR SHINYA YAMANAKA

Murphy’s Story: Stem cell therapy at Bridgewater Veterinary Hospital

Bridgewater Veterinary Hospital has been offering stem cell therapy treatment since 2010. We are now proud to announce the addition of Dr. Spencer Silvers to our veterinarians certified to perform this innovative procedure.

Chronic pain can lead to a significant decrease in your pets quality of life over time. Often, this pain can be managed through medications, dietary supplements, and/or physical therapy. However, in cases where these methods are not possible or the pet is unresponsive, stem cell therapy is a highly recommended alternative.

Owners are looking for a different approach to helping ease their pets pain and Vet-Stem Cell therapy is a new answer for some animals.

Vet-Stem Cell therapy is a procedure that uses an animals own stem cells to promote regeneration of new cells in the damaged tissue. It can be used in cases of arthritis in the knee, hip, and elbow. It can also be used in repairing partial ligament tears or to strengthen surgical repair of complete ligament tears.

The technology used in Vet-Stem Cell therapy has been commercially available since 2003. Eighty percent of dogs will have improvement after the Vet-Stem regenerative cells are implanted. Improvement can range from mild to dramatic. After Stem cell therapy, it is common for dogs to be able to either decrease their use of Non Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory drugs or discontinue use completely.

Stem cell therapy in animals has no connection to the controversy sparked by the use of embryonic stem cells as in humans. The therapy uses your own animals natural healing cells, similar to the way human adult stem cells are used in bone marrow transplants.

Murphy, a beautiful four year old black Laborador Retriever, was introduced to Bridgewater Veterinary Hospital about five months ago with torn cruciate ligaments in both knees as well as hip dysplasia.

To manage her chronic pain and to improve her quality of life, BVH performed a surgical repair of the ligament and injected her own isolated stem cells from her fat tissue into all of her painful joints on March 21, 2013. Her recovery was remarkable and you can continue to follow her story on our Facebook page.

For more success stories or to learn more about stem cell therapy, please contact Bridgewater Veterinary Hospital at 908-704-6700 or visit us at bridgewatervet.com and vet-stem.com.

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Murphy’s Story: Stem cell therapy at Bridgewater Veterinary Hospital