Stem Cell Clinic

2 Legionnaires’ disease cases reported at Seattle hospital, 1 resulting in death – KIRO Seattle

By Stem Cell Doctors

by: Linzi Sheldon Updated: Aug 25, 2017 - 5:43 PM

Two patients have developed Legionella pneumonia while being treated at University of Washington Medical Center, and a third patient is believed to have acquiredLegionellaoutside the hospital, medical director of the UW Medical Center Dr. TomStaigersaid at a news conference Friday.

One of the patients who contracted the disease at UWMC, a woman, has died. Hospital officials say the woman had multiple underlying conditions in addition to the severe kind of pneumonia she acquired.

The other patient, a man, is currently being treated at the hospital, as is the man who got the disease in the community.

Patients in the Cascade Tower are not allowed use sinks or showers and are being provided bottled water for drinking.

Tammee Ryan, whose son is staying in the tower after a stem cell transplant for leukemia, contacted KIRO 7 with photos of the warnings. She said her son is on immunosuppressant medication.

It's a very difficult time for us right now and Im extremely concerned for his safety, she said.

Ryan said that while a nurse had informed them of the cases of Legionnaires disease, no one had told them about the recent death.

To find out that someones diedits really concerning, she said, adding that patients and their families should be updated daily.

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These are the first cases of health care-associated Legionella pneumonia to occur at the hospitalsince five cases were confirmed in August and September of 2016 in the same tower.

UWMC identified faucets in two operating-room scrub sinks as the source.

Doctors said Friday that since last fall, they've implemented an intensive water management program with constant testing.

KIRO 7 asked Staiger about the most recent test in July. He said it did not show high levels of Legionella.

The levels that we have seen now are a tenth to a hundredth of what we saw last year, he said. He said its unclear if there was a sudden spike or if even very low levels of the bacteria caused these recent cases.

How on earth is this happening again? In less than a year? Ryan asked.

Staiger said there are bathing facilities available for some patients in other parts of the building. He said based on experts' advice, some patients with weakened immune systems are being given antibiotics to help protect them from the Legionella bacteria, although Ryan noted her son had not been put on the antibiotics.

People can develop Legionella pneumonia by breathing in small droplets of water (such as steam or mist) that contain the bacteria.

Legionella bacteria live naturally in freshwater and rarely cause illness. In certain situations, Legionellabacteria can also grow in other water settings, such as showers and faucets, cooling towers, decorative fountains and hot tubs.

People with a chronic lung disease or weak immune systems as well as people who take drugs that suppress the immune system are at greater risk of contracting Legionella pneumonia.

The bacteria are rarely, if ever, transmitted from one person to another.

UW Medicine is testing sinks, ice machines and other water sources.

Preliminary test results are expected next week and more definitive results are expected in two weeks.

2017 Cox Media Group.

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2 Legionnaires' disease cases reported at Seattle hospital, 1 resulting in death - KIRO Seattle

New Stanford drug saves child with deadly genetic disease – The Mercury News

By Gene Therapy Clinics

At 7 months old, Zoe Harting got a shot at Lucile Packard Childrens Hospital Stanford that changed the course of her life.

A few months earlier, during a family Christmas vacation, Zoes parents, John and Eliza Harting of El Granada, realized something was wrong with their newborn.

Zoe was not developing at the same rate as her cousin even though the two were born just a week apart.

Her cousin was very mobile: wriggling around, pushing stuff, John Harting said. Zoe wasnt doing any of that. She was very quiet.

The Hartings got the difficult news in early 2013 that Zoe had a deadly genetic disease: spinal muscular atrophy type 1, or SMA-1. Nationwide, about 250 babies are annually diagnosed with the rare disease, or about one in 10,000.

They learned that their first child was expected to die before she turns 2.

Without effective treatment, Zoes muscles would progressively weaken, taking away her ability to walk, eat and, ultimately, breathe.

The Hartingswere told there was nothing they could do. Distraught and frustrated, they joined an SMA support group, now called Cure SMA, and found a new pediatrician.

It was a good thing we did, John Harting said, because our pediatrician happened to attend a conference where she met John Day.

Dr. Day, director of the Neuromuscular Division and Clinics at Stanford University, was about to conduct a clinical trial using nusinersen as the first drug for SMA-1.

Zoe was the first baby in the world to receive the drug.

Day emphasized to the Hartings that he didnt know if the treatment would work but they knew this was their only option.

In December 2016, the Food and Drug Administration approved Spinraza, developed by Biogen, as the first-ever sanctioned therapy for pediatric and adult patients with SMA.

Patients with SMA dont produce enough of a protein called survival motor neuron, or SMN, which helps send signals from the spinal cord to muscles. When the muscles dont get the signals, they atrophy.

Patients with SMA are missing the main gene, SMN1, that produces the protein. Patients have a second gene, SMN2, that also can produce the protein, but it only makes 5 to 10 percent of the amount needed.

The new drug works by acting like a patch to cover up the flawed portion of the SMN2 gene, which then spurs production of the protein.

What we need to do is get a person up to about 50 percent of the normal amount of protein, Day said. Its a 15-or-20 nucleic long signal that ends up being precisely paired with RNA. Thats what gives us this power. Make something incredibly focused on that flaw and it will fix that flaw but not have any other side effect.

Day said its important that families now know there is something doctors can do if they see the infants early enough.

Day said theres minimal awareness of the genetic disease largely because many patients die so young and pediatricians may not have updated information that treatment is available.

Today, a pediatrician gets a genetic test back and they might very well tell the family, Go home and love your child as long as you have them, Day said.

By the time a family does research and come across Days comprehensive care clinic, the child might be six or nine months old with irreversible muscular atrophy.

If we see them early enough, before they see any symptoms, the child may not see any muscular impact, Day said. Its potentially that effective of a treatment if we see the patient early enough.

Day is an advocate for newborn genetic screening so SMA is identified at birth and treatment can begin before the child shows signs of the disease.

Babies are not yet being treated in utero, but such treatment is under development, Day said.

The Hartings shared their story this month as part of SMA Awareness Month, because they want families to know the importance of early detection and that there is treatment. About one in 50 parents are carriers of the recessive gene disorder.

Every four months, Zoe, who is now 4 years old, goes to Stanford for a 12 mg dose of the drug through a lumbar puncture, similar to an epidural. She gets physical therapy in between shots.

She has a weak musculature, and a simple cold can immobilize her. She cant swallow or walk by herself. But after three years of treatment, she can now sit up, interact, draw and play. SMA does not affect cognitive development and there are small signs she will continue to gain muscle strength.

Day is quick to point out that the drug isnt a magic wand that makes the disease go away. But he said Zoe, who had a fairly aggressive course of SMA at three months, has strength she didnt have before treatment and theres hope for continued improvement.

She can talk, she can move her legs and arms, she even yells at me now, Day said with a chuckle. She has personality. She can throw a beach ball around. Shes going to have a life.

See the article here:
New Stanford drug saves child with deadly genetic disease - The Mercury News

Orphan Diseases Market Key Players analysis … – Digital Journal – Digital Journal

By Gene Therapy Clinics

"Global Orphan Diseases Market- Global Forecast To 2022"

Global Orphan diseases Market information, by Type of Diseases (autoimmune disorders, genetic disorders, blood disorders, cancer, growth disorder, cardiovascular diseases, neurological disorders, respiratory disorders, digestive disorders, eye disorders and Others), by Type of Treatment (gene therapy, cell therapy, drug therapy and others), by End user (hospital and clinics, research laboratory and others) - Forecast to 2022

Market Synopsis of Global Orphan diseases Market:

Market Scenario:

Global orphan diseases market also known as rare disease is growing rapidly. It affects a very small percentage of the global population. Most of the orphan diseases are genetic and is remains throughout the life of the patient. There are no exact number of diseases available but approximately there are about 7000 different rare diseases and disorders throughout the globe. Global orphan diseases market is expected to grow at the average CAGR of 24.9% constantly throughout this period 2015-2022. It is also expected that this market which was US$ 121.6 billion in 2015 will grow to US$ 576.9 billion by 2022. . However due to lack of awareness, correct diagnosis, correct treatments and availability of healthcare facilities are inhibiting the growth of the global orphan diseases market.

Key Players for Global Orphan diseases Market:

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Segments:

Global orphan diseases market has been segmented

On the basis of types of diseases which includes autoimmune disorders, genetic disorders, blood disorders, cancer, growth disorder, cardiovascular diseases, neurological disorders, respiratory disorders, digestive disorders, eye disorders and others.

On the basis of treatment type it segmented into gene therapy, cell therapy, drug therapy and others.

On the basis of end user the market is segmented into hospital and clinics, research laboratory and others.

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Taste the market data and market information presented through more than 50 market data tables and figures spread in 110 numbers of pages of the project report. Avail the in-depth table of content TOC & market synopsis on Global Orphan Diseases Market- Global Forecast To 2022

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Table of Content

1 Report Prologue 2 Market Introduction 2.1 Definition 2.2 Scope Of The Study 2.2.1 Research Objective 2.2.2 Assumptions 2.2.3 Limitations 2.3 Market Structure 3 Research Methodology 3.1 Research Process 3.2 Primary Research 3.3 Secondary Research 3.4 Market Size Estimation 3.5 Forecast Model 4 Market Dynamics 4.1 Drivers 4.2 Restraints 4.3 Opportunities 4.4 Mega Trends 4.5 Macroeconomic Indicators 4.6 Technology Trends & Assessment 5 Market Factor Analysis

Continue.

The report gives the clear picture of current market scenario which includes historical and projected market size in terms of value, technological advancement, macro economical and governing factors in the market. The report provides details information and strategies of the top key players in the industry. The report also gives a broad study of the different market segments and regions.

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Orphan Diseases Market Key Players analysis ... - Digital Journal - Digital Journal

Stem cell research could double avo production – Fruitnet

By Stell Cell Research

Researchers at the University of Queensland (UQ) have developed a stem cell multiplication method that could double the states avocado production.

The growing method could lead to 500 times more avocado plants being supplied to the industry, and could reduce the time it takes for avocado orchards to mature.

Neena Mitter from the Queensland Alliance for Agriculture & Food Innovation, said the technology would be a potential game changer the global avocado industry,which is currently experiencing a backlog of plant orders until 2020.

At present, to supply new trees, the avocado industry follows the same process they have for the last 40 years, which is to take cuttings from high quality trees and root them, Mitter said. However, this is a cumbersome, labour and resource intensive process, as it takes about 18 months from the cutting stage to having a plant for sale, which creates a huge bottleneck for nurseries across the globe in the number of trees that they can supply trees to growers."

The non-GM and environmentally friendly technology, however, can grow and root multiple avocado plants from the shoot tip of an existing plant.

[With the new technology] ten-thousand plants can be generated in a 10m2 room on a soil-less media, Mitter said.

More than 600 plants developed by the stem cell multiplication method will be tested at different sites across Australia, with the research team also looking into whether heat-adapted avocado trees can grow alongside banana plants.

The Queensland Alliance for Agriculture & Food Innovation is a UQ research institute, with funding from the Queensland government.

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Stem cell research could double avo production - Fruitnet

Human stem cell defenses activated by irradiation, study finds – Phys.Org

By Stell Cell Research

August 25, 2017 Credit: MIPT

Researchers from several Russian institutes, including MIPT, have found out how prolonged exposure to ionizing radiation affects human stem cells. They discovered that it causes a cell cycle delay, which leads to faster repairs of radiation-induced DNA double-strand breaks, with fewer errors. It is unclear what the health implications are, in particular, how this affects the risk of developing cancer. The paper was published in Oncotarget.

Ionizing radiation is capable of turning neutral atoms and molecules into charged ions. The human body is inevitably exposed to natural background radiation, with an average person receiving about 3 milligrays of radiation annually. Moreover, one X-ray exam amounts to anywhere from 0.001 to 10 milligrays of additional exposure, depending on the exact procedure. That said, overexposure is dangerousa dose of more than 1,000 milligrays received within a brief period of time causes acute radiation sickness.

To ensure radiation security, it is vital to assess the risks posed by ionizing radiation. Studies of people exposed to radiation have only conclusively established the increased risk of cancer as a result of receiving a high dose of radiation. This led regulating authorities to accept a linear model under which low doses of radiation also increase the risk of cancer. However, experiments show that low-dose radiation exposure either had no adverse biological effect or was even beneficial, as evidenced by prolonged lifespans and less frequent cancer occurrence.

Apart from that, the importance of the so-called dose rate should not be overlooked. Exposure to equal doses of radiation over shorter or longer time intervals has a different effect, with "slow" irradiation causing less harm. The extent to which dose rate affects the biological outcomes is a cause of much debate. In a real-life setting, people are more likely to face prolonged exposure to low-dose radiation, so it is crucial that we understand its effects.

DNA double-strand breaks

One of the negative effects of radiation is the formation of the so-called DNA double-strand breaks, in which both strands of the double helix are severed. Fortunately, the cell is capable of repairing damaged DNA. If one of the two strands is damaged, the other can be used to repair it. However, in the case of a double-strand break, more error-prone mechanisms have to be employed. Left unrepaired or misrepaired, such lesions can give rise to oncological diseases. This explains why research into the effects of radiation on living cells tends to focus on double-strand breaks. Not long ago, it was found that stem cellsfunctionally undifferentiated cellsplay a major part in the formation of tumors by accumulating mutations and passing them on to the specialized cells that are their descendants. However, stem cell response to prolonged irradiation remains poorly understood.

The scientists conducted several experiments using stem cells derived from gingivae, or the gums. They treated the cells with identical radiation doses administered over long and short time spans. The formation of double-strand breaks was monitored using stained H2AX and 53BP1 proteins as markers. With brief but intense radiation exposure, the incidence of both markers was found to increase linearly with the dose. But in the case of prolonged irradiation, the response was linear only up to a certain point, followed by a plateau at 1,000 milligrays. In other words, after reaching a certain number, the lesion count does not continue to rise. A balance of sorts is achieved between break formation and repair.

DNA repair

The cell comes equipped with repair systems capable of mending DNA double-strand breaks. However, following intense irradiation, the cell has to resort to a mechanism known as end joininga quick but faulty procedurein eight out of 10 double-strand breaks. This often leads to chromosomal aberrations. Such misrepairs of DNA breaks can potentially result in cell death, oncogene activation, and anti-oncogene suppression. But there is an alternative mechanism of DNA repair, called homologous recombination. It uses a similar or identical DNA molecule as a template and produces far fewer errors, but it is only available during certain phases in the cell cycle. The researchers monitored homologous recombination using Rad51, another protein marker. During a two-hour long exposure, the amount of Rad51 remained roughly constant, followed by a linear growth afterward. The team hypothesized that prolonged irradiation might activate homologous recombination.

Cell division

Stem cells can be divided into two groups, called proliferating and quiescent, in which the former undergo division, the latter have ceased reproducing, and there is a balance between the two types of cells. The researchers counted the DNA double-strand breaks in proliferating and quiescent cells separately. This is made possible by a certain protein that is only found in cells undergoing division. It turned out that in both types of cells, the number of DNA breaks grew, eventually reaching a constant value.

The researchers also observed that exposure to radiation did not change the roughly four to one ratio between proliferating and quiescent cells. However, a more detailed investigation revealed that four hours of "slow" irradiation results in a considerably increased number of cells in the S and G2 phases of the cyclethat is, DNA synthesis and final preparation for division, respectively. It is during these phases that a copy of the cell's DNA is available for the sake of division, but also to be used as a template in homologous recombination. This fact is a likely explanation for the detection of increased amounts of the Rad51 marker. To put it another way, irradiation causes a delay in the cell cycleas a result, at any given time, there are more cells in those phases that enable homologous recombination. This means it is possible to repair DNA double-strand breaks correctly.

"We have shown that prolonged irradiation of mesenchymal stem cells leads to cell cycle redistribution. This might influence the biological response to radiation," says Sergey Leonov, the director of the Phystech School of Biological and Medical Physics. "Our findings could become the basis of further research into double breaks in stem cells and their effect on tumor formation."

Explore further: How breaks in DNA are repaired

More information: Anastasia Tsvetkova et al, H2AX, 53BP1 and Rad51 protein foci changes in mesenchymal stem cells during prolonged X-ray irradiation, Oncotarget (2017). DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.19203

A team of researchers from the biology department at TU Darmstadt has discovered that the processes for repairing DNA damage are far more complex than previously assumed. The ends of breaks in the double helix are not just ...

We humans like to think our DNA is well-protected in the nucleus of each cell. But it's a hard life for the hard-working genetic code.

Drexel University and Georgia Institute of Technology researchers have discovered how the Rad52 protein is a crucial player in RNA-dependent DNA repair. The results of their study, published today in Molecular Cell, reveal ...

Japanese researchers from Osaka University have uncovered a way in which our cells regulate the repair of broken DNA. Their results, published in the journal Cell Reports show a common molecule regulates multiple repair mechanisms ...

The genetic information of every cell is encoded in the sequence of the DNA double helix. Double strand breaks in the DNA, which can be induced by radiation, are a dangerous threat to the cells, and if not properly repaired ...

Researchers with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)'s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab), through a combination of time-lapse live imaging and mathematical modeling of a special line of human breast cells, ...

"Gut bacteria get to use a lot of our food before we do," says Federico Rey, a professor of bacteriology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Then we get their leftoversor their waste.

A majority of shark fins and manta ray gills sold around the globe for traditional medicines come from endangered species, a University of Guelph study has revealed.

The "jumping genes" of maize have finally been mapped by an international team led by researchers at the University of California, Davis, and the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. The discovery could ultimately benefit the breeding ...

More evidence that our intestinal microbes are profoundly influenced by the foods we eator don't: The gut ecosystems of members of a small group of hunter-gatherers inhabiting Tanzania's Rift Valley show a strong cyclicality ...

The advent of farming, especially dairy products, had a small but significant effect on the shape of human skulls, according to a recently published study from anthropologists at UC Davis.

Biological "detectives" are tracking down biothreats such as the bacteria that causes tularemia ("rabbit fever"), but they constantly face the challenge of avoiding false positives. Sounding the alarm over a bioattack, only ...

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Human stem cell defenses activated by irradiation, study finds - Phys.Org

Hair Loss Got You Down? Platelet-Rich Plasma May Regrow It … – Health Essentials from Cleveland Clinic (blog)

By Platelet Rich Plasma Injections

Are you looking for a hair loss solution? A therapy that promotes healing in injured joints may help restore your lost hair.

Cleveland Clinic is a non-profit academic medical center. Advertising on our site helps support our mission. We do not endorse non-Cleveland Clinic products or services. Policy

About 50 million American men and 30 million womenhave male- or female-pattern baldness. It can begin early in life, but is much more common after the age of 50, when more than 50 percent of men will experience some kind of hair loss.

However, an emerging treatment platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy appears to help regrow lost hair. And, there are virtually no side effects from PRP, except for a mild feeling of pressure at the injection site, saysdermatologist Shilpi Khetarpal, MD.

Physicians began using PRP therapy about a decade ago to speed up the healing process in damaged joints after injury or surgery.

During the treatment, a technician draws your blood and spins it in a centrifuge to separate out the platelets and plasma. Doctors then inject the plasma, which helps repair blood vessels, promote cell growth and wound healing, and stimulate collagen production.

Doctors began using PRP in dermatology after researchers found that high concentrations of platelets in plasma cells help promote hair growth by prolonging the growing phase of the hair cycle.

Doctors inject plasma into the scalp where hair loss has occurred. They typically administer injections monthly for three months, then spread them out over about three or four months for up to two years. The injection schedule will depend on your genetics, pattern and amount of hair loss, age and hormones.

Because the treatment is cosmetic, insurance does not cover the procedure, Dr. Khetarpal says. The cost ranges between $500 and $1,000 per injection session.

Other treatments for hair loss currently on the market are often more problematic for many patients, Dr. Khetarpal says.

There are two FDA-approved medications for treating hair loss: finasteride and minoxidil.But you must take these drugs consistently over time and results are inconsistent, she says.

Each drug also sometimes has side effects:

Hair transplantation is another option, but it requires cuts in the scalp and recovery time is longer, she says.

Because it is a surgical procedure, doctors typically recommend hair transplantation only for those who have dramatic hair loss. A transplant is also more costly and leaves scars. Doctors can perform PRP therapy prior to transplantation, which can provide better results with more dense hair growth, Dr. Khetarpal says.

Recent research bears out the potential of PRP therapy.

In a 2014 study, researchers in India looked at men with male-pattern baldness who used both approved medications, but saw little change in their hair growth.

After four PRP treatments, they had about 30 percent more growth in thinning areas.

A 2017 study out of Italy also found male patients had increased hair and density in areas where doctors used PRP therapy.

Dr. Khetarpal says it takes about three months to see an improvement. After that time, most of her patients both male and female have regrown 30 to 40 percent of the hair theyve lost.

Part of the success of PRP comes from selecting the right patients for therapy, Dr. Khetarpal says. PRP is safe and effective for many people. However, you should not have PRP therapy if you fall into either of these groups:

PRP therapy works better if your hair loss is recent. It is more challenging to wake up hair follicles that have been dormant for a long time, Dr. Khetarpal says.

I tell people I can get your hair back to what it was five years ago, she says. If your hair loss is older, you may see some recovery, but its likely not worth your investment of time and money.

Read more:
Hair Loss Got You Down? Platelet-Rich Plasma May Regrow It ... - Health Essentials from Cleveland Clinic (blog)

Stem cell treatment for children with spina bifida helps dogs first – Phys.Org

By Stem Cell Medicine

August 25, 2017 by Karen Finney An English bulldog undergoes surgery for spina bifida at the UC Davis Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital. The dog is part of a pair of puppies being treated for spina bifida through a combination of stem cell therapy and surgery, research made possible through collaboration between the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine and UC Davis Health. Credit: Gregory Urquiaga/UC Davis

A pair of English bulldog puppies are the first patients to be successfully treated with a unique therapya combination of surgery and stem cellsdeveloped at the University of California, Davis, to help preserve lower-limb function in children with spina bifida.

Because dogs with the birth defect frequently have little control of their hindquarters, they also have little hope for a future. They are typically euthanized as puppies.

At their postsurgery re-check at 4 months old, however, the siblings, named Darla and Spanky, showed off their abilities to walk, run and play to their doctor, veterinary neurosurgeon Beverly Sturges.

"The initial results of the surgery are promising, as far as hind limb control," said Sturges. "Both dogs seemed to have improved range of motion and control of their limbs."

The dogs have since been adopted, and continue to do well at their home in New Mexico.

A major step toward curing spina bifida

Spina bifida occurs when spinal tissue improperly fuses in utero, causing a range of cognitive, mobility, urinary and bowel disabilities in about 1,500 to 2,000 children born in the U.S. each year. The dogs' procedure, which involved surgical techniques developed by fetal surgeon Diana Farmer of UC Davis Health together with a cellular treatment developed by stem cell scientists Aijun Wang and Dori Borjesson, director of the university's Veterinary Institute for Regenerative Cures, represents a major step toward curing spina bifida for both humans and dogs.

Farmer pioneered the use of surgery prior to birth to improve brain development in children with spina bifida. She later showed that prenatal surgery combined with human placenta-derived mesenchymal stromal cells (PMSCs), held in place with a cellular scaffold, helped research lambs born with the disorder walk without noticeable disability.

Sturges wanted to find out if the surgery-plus-stem-cell approach could give dogs closer-to-normal lives along with better chances of survival and adoption. At 10-weeks old, Darla and Spanky were transported from Southern California Bulldog Rescue to the UC Davis veterinary hospital, where they were the first dogs to receive the treatment, this time using canine instead of human PMSCs.

Another distinction for Darla and Spanky is that their treatment occurred after birth, since prenatal diagnosis of spina bifida is not performed on dogs, Sturges explained. The disorder becomes apparent between 1 and 2 weeks of age, when puppies show hind-end weakness, poor muscle tone, incoordination and abnormal use of their tails.

A unique environment for collaborative research

UC Davis is the only place where this type of cross-disciplinary, transformational medicine could happen, according to Farmer.

"It's rare to have a combination of excellent medical and veterinary schools and strong commitment to advancing stem cell science at one institution," she said.

UC Davis is also home to the One Health initiative aimed at finding novel treatments like these for diseases that affect both humans and animals.

"I've often said that I have the greatest job on the planet, because I get to help kids," Farmer said. "Now my job is even better, because I get to help puppies too."

Hopes for clinical trials in humans and dogs

With additional evaluation and U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval, Farmer and Wang hope to test the therapy in human clinical trials. Sturges and Borjesson hope to do the same with a canine clinical trial. They hope the outcomes of their work help eradicate spina bifida in dogs and humans.

In the meantime, the team wants dog breeders to send more puppies with spina bifida to UC Davis for treatment and refinements that help the researchers fix an additional hallmark of spina bifidaincontinence. While Darla and Spanky are very mobile and doing well on their feet, they still require diapers.

"Further analysis of their progress will determine if the surgery improves their incontinence conditions," Sturges said.

Explore further: Prenatal stem cell treatment improves mobility issues caused by spina bifida

The lower-limb paralysis associated with spina bifida may be effectively treated before birth by combining a unique stem cell therapy with surgery, new research from UC Davis Health System has found.

In a study to be presented Saturday, Jan. 28, in the oral concurrent session, at the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine's annual meeting, The Pregnancy Meeting, researchers evaluated a possible regenerative patch by using ...

In a study to be presented on Feb. 5 in an oral plenary session, at the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine's annual meeting, The Pregnancy Meeting, in Atlanta, researchers will present findings from a study titled, Cryopreserved ...

A system incorporating a smartphone app may help adolescents and young adults with spina bifida to improve their daily self-management skills, suggests a paper in the American Journal of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, ...

In a study to be presented today at the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine's annual meeting, The Pregnancy Meeting, in Dallas, Texas, researchers will report findings that show that, for children with spina bifida, surgery ...

A gene related to neural tube defects in dogs has for the first time been identified by researchers at the University of California, Davis, and University of Iowa.

"Gut bacteria get to use a lot of our food before we do," says Federico Rey, a professor of bacteriology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Then we get their leftoversor their waste.

A majority of shark fins and manta ray gills sold around the globe for traditional medicines come from endangered species, a University of Guelph study has revealed.

The "jumping genes" of maize have finally been mapped by an international team led by researchers at the University of California, Davis, and the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. The discovery could ultimately benefit the breeding ...

More evidence that our intestinal microbes are profoundly influenced by the foods we eator don't: The gut ecosystems of members of a small group of hunter-gatherers inhabiting Tanzania's Rift Valley show a strong cyclicality ...

The advent of farming, especially dairy products, had a small but significant effect on the shape of human skulls, according to a recently published study from anthropologists at UC Davis.

Biological "detectives" are tracking down biothreats such as the bacteria that causes tularemia ("rabbit fever"), but they constantly face the challenge of avoiding false positives. Sounding the alarm over a bioattack, only ...

Please sign in to add a comment. Registration is free, and takes less than a minute. Read more

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Stem cell treatment for children with spina bifida helps dogs first - Phys.Org

‘Beating Heart’ Patch Offers New Hope for Desperately Ill Patients – NBCNews.com

By Stem Cell Medicine

Aug.25.2017 / 10:24 AM ET

Let our news meet your inbox.

From clot-busting drugs to bypass surgery, cardiologists have many options for treating the 700,000-plus Americans who suffer a heart attack each year. But treatment options remain limited for the 5.7 million or so Americans who suffer from heart failure, an often debilitating condition in which damage to the heart (often resulting from a heart attack) compromises its ability to pump blood.

Severe heart damage can pretty much incapacitate people, says Dr. Timothy Henry, director of cardiology at the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. You cant climb a flight of stairs, youre fatigued all the time, and youre at risk of sudden cardiac arrest.

Medication is available to treat heart failure, but its no panacea. And some heart failure patients undergo heart transplantation, but it remains an iffy proposition even 50 years after the first human heart was transplanted in 1967.

But soon, there may be another option.

A patch for the heart

Researchers are developing a new technology that would restore normal cardiac function by covering scarred areas with patches made of beating heart cells. The tiny patches would be grown in the lab from patients own cells and then surgically implanted.

The patches are now being tested in mice and pigs at Duke University, the University of Wisconsin and Stanford University. Researchers predict they could be tried in humans within five years with widespread clinical use possibly coming within a decade.

The hope is that patients will be again to live more or less normally again without having to undergo heart transplantation which has some serious downsides. Since donor hearts are in short supply, many patients experiencing heart failure die before one becomes available. And to prevent rejection of the new heart by the immune system, patients who do receive a new heart typically must take high doses of immunosuppressive drugs.

Heart transplants also require bypass machines which entails some risk and complications, says Dr. Timothy Kamp, co-director of the University of Wisconsins Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Center and one of the researchers leading the effort to create heart patches. Putting a patch on doesnt require any form of bypass, because the heart can continue to pump as it is.

To create heart patches, doctors first take blood cells and then use genetic engineering techniques to reprogram them into so-called pluripotent stem cells. These jack-of-all-trade cells, in turn, are used to create the various types of cells that make up heart muscle. These include cardiomonocytes, the cells responsible for muscle contraction; fibroblasts, the cells that give heart tissue its structure; and endothelial cells, the cells that line blood vessels.

These cells are then grown over a tiny scaffold that organizes and aligns them in a way that they become functional heart tissue. Since the patches would be made from the patients own blood cells, there would be no chance of rejection by the patients immune system.

Once the patch tissue matures, MRI scans of the scarred region of the patients heart would be used to create a digital template for the new patch, tailoring it to just the right size and shape. A 3D printer would then be used to fabricate the extracellular matrix, the pattern of proteins that surround heart muscle cells.

The fully formed patch would be stitched into place during open-heart surgery, with blood vessel grafts added to link the patch with the patients vascular system.

In some cases, a single patch would be enough. For patients with multiple areas of scarring, multiple patches could be used.

Inserting patches will be delicate business, in part because scarring can render heart walls thin and susceptible to rupture. Researchers anticipate that heart surgeons will look at each case individually and decide whether it makes more sense to cut out the scarred area and cover the defect with a patch or simply affix the patch over the scarred area and hope that, over time, the scars will go away.

Another challenge will be making sure the patches contract and relax in synchrony with the hearts onto which theyre grafted. We think this will happen because cells of the same type like to seek each other out and connect over time, Kamp says. We anticipate that if the patch couples with the native heart tissue, the electrical signals which pass through the heart muscle like a wave and tell it to contract, will drive the new patch to contract at the same rate.

How much would it cost to patch a damaged heart? Researchers put the price tag at about $100,000. Thats far less than the $500,000 or so it costs give a patient a heart transplant. And regardless of the cost, researchers are upbeat about the possibility of having a new way to treat heart failure.

Using these patches to repair the damaged muscle is likely to be very effective, says Henry. Were not quite there yet itll be a few years before you see the first clinical trials. But this technology may really provide a whole new avenue of hope for people with these conditions who badly need new treatment options.

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Yeargan Uses Patients Own Cells To Heal – Greater Wilmington Business Journal

By Stem Cell Medicine

Austin Yeargan III is on an ongoing quest to dismantle human disease.

The orthopedic sports surgeon and regenerative orthopedist is also a husband, dad and self-described motocross and surfing athlete, who likes to keep an eye on the most up-to-date techniques in his profession.

I am most excited about discovering the simplest, most natural, least invasive and most efficacious cellular- and molecular-based treatment options for patients to keep them doing what they love, Yeargan said.

At his practice, Regenerative Medicine Clinic at 5725 Oleander Drive, he uses techniques he has brought to the rapidly expanding field of regenerative medicine and orthobiologics.

Our techniques harvest, concentrate and deploy the bodys own cells for healing. Specifically, we offer patients suffering from chronic, debilitating and often immobilizing joint pain with an alternative to traditional bone and joint surgery, including total joint replacement, Yeargan said. We have developed techniques that surgeons across the country and the world have successfully duplicated, confirming the efficacy of the treatments.

His interest in this type of treatment was rooted in an early memory.

When I was 14, I was an elite-level soccer player and contest surfer, said the Raleigh native. I broke my tibia at a soccer tournament in the spring, just after receiving a new surfboard for my birthday. When the long leg cast came off in August, my knee wouldnt bend, and the limb was atrophied. Ever since then, Ive had it in the back of my mind how ridiculous it was that modern medicine couldnt make my leg heal faster or keep my knee from becoming stiff.

He was introduced to the field by the Dan Eglinton, who practiced in Asheville. Yeargan said Eglinton was the first nationally to use biologics in orthopedic surgery for hip avascular necrosis.

After receiving his science degree in chemistry at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1993, Yeargan attended the East Carolina University School of Medicine. He completed his general surgery internship and orthopedic surgery residency at the University of Hawaii, spending six months each at the Tripler Army Medical Center and Shriners Hospital for Children.

During his time in Hawaii, he gained additional expertise through two years of clinical and bench research, focusing on cellular and molecular level changes in thermal capsulorrhaphy and cartilage injury.

Yeargan then completed a sports medicine, adult shoulder, elbow and knee fellowship with additional hand training at The Steadman Clinic in Vail, Colorado.

During Yeargans fellowship, he worked with players on several professional sports teams, including the Colorado Rockies, Denver Broncos, Denver Nuggets and the U.S. ski and snowboard teams. (More recently, Yeargan has served as a team doctor for local high schools.)

When I returned to North Carolina in 2009, I was the first surgeon in the country to use a patients own stem cells in combination with shoulder surgery, and I witnessed firsthand the positive effects, Yeargan said. The results were extraordinary, and it was then that I realized that there was about to be a massive paradigm shift in medicine.

He said he didnt necessarily make a conscious decision to pursue regenerative medicine.

I just found that I had become a regenerative orthopedic surgeon. I was so excited to read and study immunology. I think this was the biggest advancement in my knowledge base, when I realized the potential for cellular technology to dismantle human disease, as we know it, he said.

In 2010, Yeargan introduced stem cell treatment to the area.

Thanks to new ultrasound technology and instrumentation, we have been able to narrow our focus to office procedures that are minimally invasive and can be done through a tiny, 2 [millimeter] incision and with little recovery time, he said.

He said that in some settings, genetic screening, nutrition counseling and lifestyle management planning may be offered.

All of our procedures are non-operative. Our flagship procedure is the mesenchymal signaling cell concentrate that involves harvest and processing of nucleated stem cells, dendritic cells, immune cells, endothelial cells and pericytes. Yeargan said. Bone marrow is taken easily and virtually painlessly from the pelvic crest with the patient seated comfortably. Once collected, the isopycnic separator produces three distinct layers that are processed in a proprietary fashion before administration at the target site.

The procedure may be just as valuable in a 14-year-old with a cartilage injury as it is to an 87-year-old grandmother with gonarthrosis who just wants pain relief, he added.

Human cells work by signaling, Yeargan said. We think of it like medicinal signaling cells. Signaling cells respond to the environment so just the right amount of substrate will be produced by the cell until ultimately being shut down by natural feedback loops, he said.

The clinic also offers another non-surgical option for patients suffering from Achilles tendonitis, tennis and golfers elbow and plantar fasciitis. The Tenex Tenotomy System addresses those conditions.

Biologics are ideal when combined with the percutaneous Tenex procedure for tendinitis and tendinosis in most locations and contribute to the effectiveness of the procedure, Yeargan said.

The clinics Proprietary Platelet Rich Plasma procedure, or PRP+, is used to treat acute injuries primarily. It can be used for pain in areas ranging from joints to the face.

MI-EYE is camera-in-needle technology that also can be performed routinely in the office. It allows full view of the joint space for diagnosis without having to undergo an MRI, and injection procedures can be performed at the same time without changing the portal, Yeargan said.

The clinic serves about 500 patients annually.

There is definitely a growing demand for regenerative therapies in orthopedics and in general, Yeargan said. Being one of the only orthopedic surgeons specializing in non-operative orthopedics and regenerative medicine in the state, my hope is not only to educate patients about regenerative medicine but also educate the local and regional medical community as to its advantages and patient benefits.

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Yeargan Uses Patients Own Cells To Heal - Greater Wilmington Business Journal

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