Stem Cell Clinic

Dr. Nathan Newman’s Stem Cell Lift Helps Women Get Their Sex Life Back! – Business Wire (press release)

By adminMay 8, 2017Stem Cell Treatment

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Stem cell therapy is revolutionizing medicine and now has come to the rescue once again, this time, to help those who suffer from a debilitating, auto-immune skin disease called Lichen Sclerosus (LS). For most patients, this condition attacks the genitalia causing unbearable burning and itching, as well as making sexual intercourse very painful and impossible for some. Severe symptoms can interfere with activities such as exercising, sitting for extended periods of time, or even wearing tight clothing. Previously reported that LS only occurs in post-menopausal women, recent reports, however, state that as many as one in 30 people may suffer from LS and yet, the information on this disease is sparse and relief is hard to find. To date, there is no known cure for this painful disease, which can also affect men and children.

The tragedy of Lichen Sclerosus, says Board Certified Dermatologist, Nathan Newman, M.D. of Beverly Hills, CA is that it often goes unrecognized for years and is frequently misdiagnosed as a post-menopausal change, a yeast infection, urinary tract infection or even a venereal disease, such as herpes. Until now, the main treatment for LS has been topical potent steroids to alleviate the symptoms. However, many patients report no symptomatic relief from conventional treatments and some even experience an exacerbation of symptoms.

Now, with the Stem Cell Lift developed by Dr. Newman, there is hope for these patients for not only relief of their symptoms, but also to help prevent disease progression. Dr. Newman, a well-known pioneer in stem cell therapy, developed his proprietary Stem Cell Lift over 16 years ago for post-cancer reconstruction, wound healing and the innovative, natural, scar-free, knife-free rejuvenating face lift. During this procedure, fat is removed from your own body and the stem cells found in this fat are concentrated and injected back into the treatment area. Stem cells are specialized cells that are genetically programmed to help repair, restore and replenish damaged cells and tissues in our body. Through my experience and knowledge of stem cell therapy, explains Dr. Newman, I knew that stem cells have been able to positively affect the immune response and put other auto-immune diseases in remission.

He applied his knowledge of stem cell therapy to treating patients suffering from LS with the Stem Cell Lift and is finding success in helping to alleviate the symptoms of Lichen Sclerosus. In fact, the first patient he treated for LS with the Stem Cell Lift has been in remission for almost four years.

Anna, a 56-year-old woman diagnosed two years ago with LS says, The fusing, burning and tearing were so painful, I couldnt sit down. Topical steroids were not providing her relief from her painful symptoms. After her first Stem Cell Lift treatment, Anna is thrilled to report she is experiencing 91-100% relief from her debilitating symptoms. ANNA VIDEO

To date, I have treated more than 150 patients with Lichen Sclerosus with the Stem Cell Lift, states Dr. Newman. Remarkably, 25% of these patients are in complete remission; meaning they have no symptoms and no disease progression. Most describe significant improvement in symptoms, are no longer using any topical steroids and do not have any anatomical changes. Patients report they can resume their normal activities, such as exercising, wearing jeans or underwear and are able to have intercourse without discomfort.

He adds, My staff and I are in constant contact with our Lichen Sclerosus patients to monitor their progress and to study the effectiveness of the Stem Cell Lift. Although all of his patients have reported significant overall improvement in their symptoms, most patients require 2-3 treatments to achieve optimal benefits. Dr. Newman continues, The Stem Cell Lift is showing very promising results in bringing relief to Lichen Sclerosus sufferers. Our hope is it will continue to result in remission of LS.

After discovering how little information is available to those who suffer from LS, Dr. Newman is dedicated to raising more awareness about it and is determined to help those suffering from this horrible disease. To achieve this personal mission, he is launching a campaign called #LS HOPE: Helping Open Peoples Eyes to Lichen Sclerosus in May 2017. His dream is to create an annual LS HOPE month every May.

For more information on Dr. Nathan Newman and his treatment of Lichen Sclerosus, please visit his website http://stem-cell-lift.com/ and LS link http://stem-cell-lift.com/lichen-sclerosus/ that includes videos of patient testimonials. Dr. Newman is located at 9301 Wilshire Boulevard, Beverly Hills, CA and can be reached at 310-273-3344.

Links to patient testimonials TRACI VIDEO LAURIE VIDEO

My husband’s heart failure inspired a life-saving stem cell therapy – Telegraph.co.uk

By adminMay 8, 2017Stell Cell Research

Its our goal for this to be a normal NHS procedure, so everyone who has a heart problem [and could benefit from this] will be able to. There are few downsides because theres no rejection as theyre your own stem cells, and every patient who has successfully had this treatment ends up taking less medication.

Jenifer is overjoyed with the progress already made, and knows that Ian would be, too, had he lived to tell his story.

For Ian, the treatment gave him an extra three years of life, but in 2006 he died from heart failure, at the age of 70.

He would be so thrilled, says Jenifer. His concern would be were not doing it quick enough, because for him everything had to be done immediately. But to have achieved this much well, the medical world says weve done it all in a very short space of time.

The couple spent their final years together alternating between their family home in St Johns Wood, north London, and a holiday home in Miami.

They were both each others second spouses, having married in 1980 after a whirlwind romance in Cannes Jenifers first husband had died, while Ian had divorced his wife and did not have children together. But Ian had two children from his first marriage, as well as two young grandchildren who he was able to spend those extra three years with.

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My husband's heart failure inspired a life-saving stem cell therapy - Telegraph.co.uk

CAR T Cells: Keeping Pace With Adverse Effects of an Emerging Therapy – Oncology Nurse Advisor

By adminMay 7, 2017Uncategorized

Oncology Nurse Advisor

CAR T Cells: Keeping Pace With Adverse Effects of an Emerging Therapy
Oncology Nurse Advisor
Chimeric antigen receptor T cells (CAR T cells) are human T cells that are collected from the patient and genetically modified to express a CAR immunoreceptor. The modified CAR T cells target specific surface proteins on cancer cells. CAR T cell ...

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CAR T Cells: Keeping Pace With Adverse Effects of an Emerging Therapy - Oncology Nurse Advisor

Platelets suppress T cell immunity against cancer – Science Daily

By adminMay 7, 2017Uncategorized

Platelets suppress T cell immunity against cancer
Science Daily
Scientists have known for several years that certain cancers suppress T cells to avoid the immune system. That is why adoptive T cell therapy is one of the most promising advances in modern cancer treatment. It is a type of immunotherapy that awakens ...

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Platelets suppress T cell immunity against cancer - Science Daily

Vitamin A deficiency is detrimental to blood stem cells – Phys.org – Phys.Org

By adminMay 6, 2017Stem Cell Medical Center

May 5, 2017

Lack of vitamin A in the body has a detrimental effect on the hematopoietic system in the bone marrow. The deficiency causes a loss of important blood stem cells, scientists from the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and the Heidelberg Institute of Stem Cell Research and Experimental Medicine (HI-STEM) now report in the latest issue of the journal Cell. These findings will open up new prospects in cancer therapy.

Many specialized cells, such as in the skin, gut or blood, have a lifespan of only a few days. Therefore, steady replenishment of these cells is indispensable. They arise from so-called "adult" stem cells that divide continuously. In addition, there is a group of very special stem cells in the bone marrow that were first discovered in 2008 by a research team led by Andreas Trumpp, who is a division head at the DKFZ and director of HI-STEM. These cells remain in a kind of dormancy most of the time and only become active in an emergency such as bacterial or viral infections, heavy blood loss, or in the wake of chemotherapy. Once their work is done, the body sends its most potent stem cells back to sleep. The scientists assume that this protects them from dangerous mutations that may lead to leukemia.

The mechanisms that activate these special stem cells or make them go back to sleep after their work is done have remained elusive until now. The scientists have now identified retinoic acid, a vitamin A metabolite, as a crucial factor in this process. If this substance is absent, active stem cells are unable to return to a dormant state and mature into specialized blood cells instead. This means that they are lost as a reservoir. This was shown in studies with specially bred mice whose dormant stem cells are green fluorescent. "If we feed these mice on a vitamin A deficient diet for some time, this leads to a loss of the stem cells," said Nina Cabezas-Wallscheid, who is the first author of the publication. "Thus, we can prove for the first time that vitamin A has a direct impact on blood stem cells."

This finding not only enhances our understanding of the development of blood cells, it also sheds new light on prior studies that demonstrate that vitamin A deficiency impairs the immune system. "This shows how vitally important it is to have a sufficient intake of vitamin A from a balanced diet," Cabezas-Wallscheid emphasized. The body cannot produce its own vitamin A.

The scientists also have hopes for new prospects in cancer treatment. There is evidence that cancer cells, like healthy stem cells, also rest in a state of dormancy. When dormant, their metabolism is almost completely shut downand this makes them resistant to chemotherapy. "Once we understand in detail how vitamin A or retinoic acid, respectively, sends normal and malignant stem cells into dormancy, we can try to turn the tables," explained Trumpp. "If we could make cancer cells temporarily enter an active state, we could thus make them vulnerable to modern therapies."

In addition, in collaboration with colleagues from the European Bioinformatics Institute in Cambridge, the team performed genome-wide analyses of single cells and discovered that the transition from dormant to active stem cells and then on to progenitor cells is a continuous one and follows a different path for each individual cell. So far, scientists had assumed that specific cell types develop step by step in a defined pattern. This finding revolutionizes the previous concept of how cell differentiation in the body takes place.

Explore further: Vitamins and aminoacids regulate stem cell biology

More information: Nina Cabezas-Wallscheid et al, Vitamin A-Retinoic Acid Signaling Regulates Hematopoietic Stem Cell Dormancy, Cell (2017). DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2017.04.018

Journal reference: Cell

Provided by: German Cancer Research Center

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Vitamin A deficiency is detrimental to blood stem cells - Phys.org - Phys.Org

Identical twins; not-so-identical stem cells – Biotechin.Asia

By adminMay 6, 2017Embryonic Stem Cells

A new twin study sheds light on what causes reprogrammed stem cells to have different epigenetic patterns Scientists turned to twins to compare the difference between iPSCs Credit: Pixabay

Salk scientists and collaborators have shed light on a longstanding question about what leads to variation in stem cells by comparing induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) derived from identical twins. Even iPSCs made from the cells of twins, they found, have important differences, suggesting that not all variation between iPSC lines is rooted in genetics, since the twins have identical genes.

Because they can differentiate into almost any cell type in the body, stem cells have the potential to be used to create healthy cells to treat a number of diseases. But stem cells come in two varieties: embryonic stem cells (ESCs), which are isolated from embryos, and iPSCs, which are created in the lab from adult cells that are reprogrammed using mixtures of signaling molecules and are a promising tool for understanding disease and developing new treatments.

But stem cells come in two varieties: embryonic stem cells (ESCs), which are isolated from embryos, and iPSCs, which are created in the lab from adult cells that are reprogrammed using mixtures of signaling molecules and are a promising tool for understanding disease and developing new treatments.

Although iPSCs resemble ESCs in most ways, scientists have found that iPSCs often have variations in their epigeneticsmethyl marks on the DNA that dictate when genes are expressed. These epigenetic markers arent the same between iPSCs and ESCs, or even between different lines of iPSCs. In the past, its been hard to determine what drives these differences.

When we reprogram cells, we see small differences when we compare them to stem cells that come from an embryo. We wanted to understand what types of differences are always there, what is causing them, and what they mean, says Juan Carlos Izpisua Belmonte, a professor in Salks Gene Expression Laboratory and cosenior author, with Kelly Frazer of the University of California, San Diego, on the new paper, which was published in Cell Stem Cell in April 2017.

A better understanding of these differences will help researchers refine stem cell-based treatments for disease.

Izpisua Belmonte and Frazer, along with cofirst authors of the paper Athanasia Panopoulos, formerly a postdoctoral fellow at Salk and now at the University of Notre Dame, and Erin Smith of UCSD, turned to twins to help sort it out.

Although identical twins have the same genes as each other, their epigenomesthe collection of methyl marks studded in their DNAare different by the time they reach adulthood due in part to environmental factors. Reprogramming the skin cells of adult identical twins to their embryonic state eliminated most of these differences, the researchers found when they studied cells from three sets of twins. However, there were still key epigenetic differences between twins in terms of how the iPSCs compared to ESCs.

When the team looked more in depth at the spots of the genome where this variation between methyl marks tended to show up in twins, they found that they often fell near binding sites for a regulatory protein called MYC.

In the past, researchers had found lots of sites with variations in methylation status, but it was hard to figure out which of those sites had variation due to genetics, says Panopoulos. Here, we could focus more specifically on the sites we know have nothing to do with genetics. That new focus, she says, is what allowed them to home in on the MYC binding sites.

The MYC proteinwhich is one of the molecules used to reprogram iPSCs from adult cellslikely plays a role in dictating which sites in the genome are randomly methylated during the reprogramming process, the researchers hypothesized.

The twins enabled us to ask questions we couldnt ask before, says Panopoulos. Youre able to see what happens when you reprogram cells with identical genomes but divergent epigenomes, and figure out what is happening because of genetics, and what is happening due to other mechanisms.

The findings help scientists better understand the processes involved in reprogramming cells and the differences between iPSCs and ESCs, which has implications on future studies aiming to understand the specific causes and consequences of these changes, and the way iPSCs are being used for research and therapeutics.

Source: Salk Institute

The original paper can be accessed here.

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Identical twins; not-so-identical stem cells - Biotechin.Asia

University of Suffolk begins link with UK Stem Cell Bank for science courses – East Anglian Daily Times

By adminMay 6, 2017Uncategorized

PUBLISHED: 13:11 05 May 2017 | UPDATED: 13:23 05 May 2017

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The department for science and technology at the university recently began the collaboration with the aim of ensuring that the MSc Regenerative Medicine and BSc (Hons) Bioscience courses are informed by high-standards in the industry.

The tie-up will also mean a boost for research into regenerative medicine and stem cell use at the university.

Dr Federica Masieri, senior lecturer and course leader for MSc Regenerative Medicine said: We are delighted to be collaborating with what is considered one of the most reputable bodies in the field of stem cell industry.

It is recognised that employers in the regenerative medicine industry require graduates and postgraduates equipped with the most up to date skills, to ensure a seamless assimilation in the constantly evolving stem cellrelated work environment.

This collaboration will help us ensure our students are trained in line with requirements of such employers, by reviewing and developing courses as informed by the standards applied at UKSCB.

To launch the joint scheme, final year students paid a visit to the stem cell bank in London to help the students understand the logistics and complexities of the work there, as well as lectures from leading figures at the leading institution.

The university is aiming to make the trip an annual visit for final year students.

Dr Masieri said: A career in life science is a busy, fast-evolving and challenging one. It makes it an exciting area of endeavour, however there is a constant need to keep up with the rapid pace of change.

By establishing this relationship we are better placed to do this, at par with well-established universities with many years of history in the industry.

Prof Glyn Stacey, director of UKSCB added: The UKSCB is committed to advancing scientific research; we welcome the opportunity to educate, train and inspire the next generation of scientists.

Moreover finalisation of agreements are underway which could see MSc student placements with the UKSCB.

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University of Suffolk begins link with UK Stem Cell Bank for science courses - East Anglian Daily Times

Presidential Symposium at the American Society of Gene and Cell … – PR Newswire (press release)

By adminMay 6, 2017Uncategorized

Jane S. Lebkowski, Ph.D., Asterias' President of R&D and Chief Scientific Officer, will be one of the presenters during the Presidential Symposium session scheduled on Friday, May 12, 2017 at 1:00pm Eastern Time. Dr. Lebkowski's presentation, titled "498 - Safety and Efficacy of Human Embryonic Stem Cell Derived Oligodendrocyte Progenitor Cells (AST-OPC1) in Patients with Subacute Cervical Spinal Cord Injury," is expected to begin at 2:15pm Eastern Time. The abstract for Dr. Lebkowski's presentation at the ASGCT meeting is available online at: http://www.abstractsonline.com/pp8/#!/4399/presentation/1996.

ASGCT is the primary professional membership organization for gene and cell therapy. The Society's members are scientists, physicians, patient advocates, and other professionals. Its members work in a wide range of settings including universities, hospitals, government agencies, foundations, biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies. Its mission is to advance knowledge, awareness, and education leading to the discovery and clinical application of gene and cell therapies to alleviate human disease.

About the SCiStar Trial

The SCiStar trial is an open-label, single-arm trial testing three sequential escalating doses of AST-OPC1 administered at up to 20 million AST-OPC1 cells in as many as 35 patients with sub-acute, C-5 to C-7, motor complete (AIS-A or AIS-B) cervical SCI. These individuals have essentially lost all movement below their injury site and experience severe paralysis of the upper and lower limbs. AIS-A patients have lost all motor and sensory function below their injury site, while AIS-B patients have lost all motor function but may retain some minimal sensory function below their injury site. AST-OPC1 is being administered 14 to 30 days post-injury. Patients will be followed by neurological exams and imaging procedures to assess the safety and activity of the product.

The study is being conducted at six centers in the U.S. and the company plans to increase this to up to 12 sites to accommodate the expanded patient enrollment. Clinical sites involved in the study include the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee, Shepherd Medical Center in Atlanta, University of Southern California (USC) jointly with Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center in Los Angeles, Indiana University, Rush University Medical Center in Chicago and Santa Clara Valley Medical Center in San Jose jointly with Stanford University.

Asterias has received a Strategic Partnerships Award grant from the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine, which provides $14.3 million of non-dilutive funding for the Phase 1/2a clinical trial and other product development activities for AST-OPC1.

Additional information on the Phase 1/2a trial, including trial sites, can be found at http://www.clinicaltrials.gov, using Identifier NCT02302157, and at the SCiStar Study Website (www.SCiStar-study.com).

About AST-OPC1

AST-OPC1, an oligodendrocyte progenitor population derived from human embryonic stem cells, has been shown in animals and in vitro to have three potentially reparative functions that address the complex pathologies observed at the injury site of a spinal cord injury. These activities of AST-OPC1 include production of neurotrophic factors, stimulation of vascularization, and induction of remyelination of denuded axons, all of which are critical for survival, regrowth and conduction of nerve impulses through axons at the injury site. In preclinical animal testing, AST-OPC1 administration led to remyelination of axons, improved hindlimb and forelimb locomotor function, dramatic reductions in injury-related cavitation and significant preservation of myelinated axons traversing the injury site.

In a previous Phase 1 clinical trial, five patients with neurologically complete, thoracic spinal cord injury were administered two million AST-OPC1 cells at the spinal cord injury site 7-14 days post-injury. They also received low levels of immunosuppression for the next 60 days. Delivery of AST-OPC1 was successful in all five subjects with no serious adverse events associated with AST-OPC1. No evidence of rejection of AST-OPC1 was observed in detailed immune response monitoring of all patients. In four of the five patients, serial MRI scans indicated that reduced spinal cord cavitation may have occurred. Based on the results of this study, Asterias received clearance from FDA to progress testing of AST-OPC1 to patients with cervical spine injuries, which represents the first targeted population for registration trials.

About Asterias Biotherapeutics

Asterias Biotherapeutics, Inc. is a biotechnology company pioneering the field of regenerative medicine. The company's proprietary cell therapy programs are based on its pluripotent stem cell and immunotherapy platform technologies. Asterias is presently focused on advancing three clinical-stage programs which have the potential to address areas of very high unmet medical need in the fields of neurology and oncology. AST-OPC1 (oligodendrocyte progenitor cells) is currently in a Phase 1/2a dose escalation clinical trial in spinal cord injury. AST-VAC1 (antigen-presenting autologous dendritic cells) is undergoing continuing development by Asterias based on promising efficacy and safety data from a Phase 2 study in Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML), with current efforts focused on streamlining and modernizing the manufacturing process. AST-VAC2 (antigen-presenting allogeneic dendritic cells) represents a second generation, allogeneic cancer immunotherapy. The company's research partner, Cancer Research UK, plans to begin a Phase 1/2a clinical trial of AST-VAC2 in non-small cell lung cancer in 2017. Additional information about Asterias can be found at http://www.asteriasbiotherapeutics.com.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

Statements pertaining to future financial and/or operating and/or clinical research results, future growth in research, technology, clinical development, and potential opportunities for Asterias, along with other statements about the future expectations, beliefs, goals, plans, or prospects expressed by management constitute forward-looking statements. Any statements that are not historical fact (including, but not limited to statements that contain words such as "will," "believes," "plans," "anticipates," "expects," "estimates") should also be considered to be forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, including, without limitation, risks inherent in the development and/or commercialization of potential products, uncertainty in the results of clinical trials or regulatory approvals, need and ability to obtain future capital, and maintenance of intellectual property rights. Actual results may differ materially from the results anticipated in these forward-looking statements and as such should be evaluated together with the many uncertainties that affect the businesses of Asterias, particularly those mentioned in the cautionary statements found in Asterias' filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Asterias disclaims any intent or obligation to update these forward-looking statements.

To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/presidential-symposium-at-the-american-society-of-gene-and-cell-therapy-asgct-20th-annual-meeting-will-feature-presentation-on-asterias-ast-opc1-for-spinal-cord-injury-300450272.html

SOURCE Asterias Biotherapeutics, Inc.

http://www.asteriasbiotherapeutics.com

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Presidential Symposium at the American Society of Gene and Cell ... - PR Newswire (press release)

Platelets suppress T cell immunity against cancer – Medical Xpress

By adminMay 6, 2017Uncategorized

May 5, 2017 Stylized illustration of a platelet and T cell. Plus and negative signs are used to symbolically indicate the positive (clotting) and negative (downregulating T cell immunity) effects of platelets. Credit: Emma Vought of the Medical University of South Carolina.

Blood platelets help disguise cancer from the immune system by suppressing T cells, report scientists at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) in the May 5, 2017 issue of Science Immunology. In extensive preclinical tests, a promising T cell therapy more successfully boosted immunity against melanoma when common antiplatelet drugs such as aspirin were added.

Zihai Li, M.D., Ph.D., senior author on the article, is chair of the MUSC Department of Microbiology and Immunology, the program leader for the Cancer Immunology Research Program at MUSC Hollings Cancer Center, and the SmartState Sally Abney Rose Chair in Stem Cell Biology & Therapy. Li studies how tumors hide themselves from the immune system.

Li's team found that platelets release a molecule that suppresses the activity of cancer-fighting T cells. That molecule, unsurprisingly, was TGF-beta, which has been recognized for decades for its role in cancer growth.

Yet this study is the first of its kind. Most TGF-beta is inactive. Li and his group found that the surface of platelets has a protein called GARP, a molecular hook that is uniquely able to trap and activate TGF-beta. Platelets, which are small cell fragments that circulate throughout the blood and are normally involved in clotting, become the major source of activated TGF-beta that invading tumor cells use to suppress T cells. In other words, platelets help give tumors their invisibility cloak from the immune system.

Scientists have known for several years that certain cancers suppress T cells to avoid the immune system. That is why adoptive T cell therapy is one of the most promising advances in modern cancer treatment. It is a type of immunotherapy that awakens the immune system by retraining a patient's T cells to recognize their cancer. T cells are isolated from a patient's blood and retrained, or "primed," to recognize tumor cells. They are then injected back into the patient's bloodstream where they can now hunt and fight cancer.

There was some evidence that platelets might make cancer worse. For example, patients who have excessive clotting related to their cancer almost always have a worse prognosis, according to Li.

"Over the years, it has become appreciated that platelets are doing more than just clotting," says Li.

The first clue that cancer-fighting T cells might be suppressed by the body's own clotting system came when the researchers gave melanoma to mice with genetically defective platelets. Melanoma tumors grew much more slowly and primed T cells were much more active than in mice with normal platelets.

Next, the team isolated platelets and T cells from blood drawn from humans and mice. In both cases, platelets with activated clotting activity suppressed T cell response. It then used mass spectrometry to thoroughly identify the molecules released by activated platelets that most suppressed T cell activity. The molecule with the most T cell suppression was TGF-beta.

Li and his team then studied how platelets activate TGF-beta. In genetically modified mice without GARP, the molecular hook on the surface of platelets, adoptive T cell therapy was more successful at controlling melanoma. This meant that platelets without the ability to grab and activate TGF-beta were not able to suppress cancer-fighting T cells. Similar experiments confirmed this result in mice with colon carcinoma.

Finally, mice with normal platelets that were given melanoma and then adoptive T cell therapy survived longer and relapsed less when aspirin and clopidogrel, two antiplatelet drugs, were added. The researchers noted that antiplatelet drugs by themselves were not successful in combating melanoma in their experiments.

This study could inform future treatment of melanoma and other cancers and offers a sound reason to test antiplatelet drugs in clinical trials of adoptive T cell therapy. In patients with melanoma or other cancers, adoptive T cell therapy may be successful if highly available platelet-blocking drugs such as aspirin are added to the treatment. However, the current standard of care for melanoma is not adoptive T cell therapy, but so-called checkpoint inhibitors.

Li and his group want to know if combination therapy with antiplatelet drugs could improve existing cancer treatment. They are waiting for approval to begin a clinical trial that will test certain checkpoint inhibitors in combination with aspirin and clopidogrel for the treatment of patients with advanced cancers. Li's trial will complement clinical trials that are already testing adoptive T cell therapy as a single treatment for cancer.

"I'm very excited about this," says Li. "We can test simple, over-the-counter antiplatelet agents to really improve immunity and make a difference in how to treat people with cancer."

Explore further: Aspirin slows growth of colon, pancreatic tumor cells

More information: "Platelets subvert T cell immunity against cancer via GARP-TGF axis," Science Immunology (2017). immunology.sciencemag.org/lookup/doi/10.1126/sciimmunol.aai7911

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If you scanned the body for relatively higher TGF concentrations, could you use that information to find active cancers?

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BioNews – Unproven stem cell therapies promise versus evidence – BioNews

By adminMay 6, 2017Uncategorized

The ability of stem cells to divide into different mature cell types has ignited the field of regenerative medicine. Stem cells promise to repair and regenerate damaged or diseased tissues without the need for orthodox medical or surgical interventions.

However, there is disparity between the expectations held by the general public and some medical professionals versus the reality of the emerging clinical evidence. This disconnect was highlighted recently by the case of three elderly patients who were blinded by the use of an unproven stem cell therapy at a clinic in Florida, USA (BioNews 893).

While stem cell therapies in the field of haematology are showing promise, there are still many challenges in using them in any other disease models. In some countries, medical professionals are using unproven stem cell therapies as medical procedures to treat patients in lieu of conventional treatment pathways. What is more, these practitioners are operating under the premise of a trial.

Proponents of using stem cell therapies outside the context of a true clinical trial believe that these therapies are inherently safe, particularly if the stem cells derive from the individual patient themselves. And the medical professionals offering unproven stem cell therapies are convinced that the potential benefits of undergoing the therapy far outweigh the potential risks.

These benefits are used as an argument to forge ahead with unproven therapies outside ofclinical trials, as regulatory bodies are often to slow to regulate for the fast-paced field of regenerative medicine;gaining regulatory approval is usually a lengthy and costly process. And the regulation that is in place is often narrow in scope and does not account for the variety of products and manipulative techniques used in the field.

An anecdotal account of a stem cell therapys potential to cure a disease, however, does not make for an adequate standard of evidence. In the Florida case, three elderly patients with a progressive eye disease sought out an unproven stem cell therapy. The clinic involved was offering the therapy under the guise of a trial, however the patients had to pay for the procedure (in itself a 'red flag') that promised to 'cure' their disease. The therapy not only failed, but all three patients are now blind as described in The New England Journal of Medicine on 16 March.

Referring back to the disparity in expectations, how the word 'trial' is understood helps to clarify the basis of thedisconnect between the public and clinicians, and emerging evidence. The word 'trial' in the sense of a clinical trial calls for a robust experimental framework and sets of regulations and standards that safeguard the enrolled patients' rights and overall health. Furthermore, trials are performed in a phased manner to ensure any potential risks are minimised. The results generated from a certain phase informs the researchers as to the most effective way to proceed or indeed not proceed.

Using the word 'trial' in the sense of administering a therapy outside of the setting described above, however, only truly refers to the inherent risk of the therapy not working. Moreover, when being administered by a trusted medical professional, the harms of the therapy are often overshadowed by the promise of a'cure' relayed bythese professionals.

The differences in the interpretation of the word trial among medical professionals is reflected by the lack of strict regulation among professional bodies, such as medical councils and regulatory bodies including the Food & Drug Administration (FDA). While the FDA, for example, has published more specific guidelines in October 2015, these are unenforceable on a global scale.

Interestingly, on a regulatory level, there are opportunities afforded to medical professionals to use unproven stem cell therapies outside the context of a clinical trial as noted in the International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR) 2016 guidelines:

...the ISSCR acknowledges that in some very limited cases, clinicians may be justified in attempting medically innovative stem cell-based interventions in a small number of seriously ill patients.

However the ISSCR goes on to clarify that it 'condemns' the use of unproven stem cell therapies in any other setting where clinical need is not deemed serious.

In relation to classifying unproven stem cell therapies as a medical procedure, the 2014 United States of America v Regenerative Sciences, LLC et al case dealt with the use of mesenchymal stem cells taken from a sample of a patient's own bone marrow to treat their own orthopaedic disorders. In this case, the court was not convinced that manipulating stem cells outside the body and reintroducing them to the patient was a matter of standard 'medical procedure', as argued by the companyRegenerative Sciences LLC. Instead, the court upheld the FDAs right to regulate the manufacturing (or manipulating) of these stem cells: however cases where there is significantly less manipulation of stem cells are yet to be tested.

Issues remain regarding how best to regulate the use of stem cell therapies, particularly in the early phases of their development. There have been calls for strict regulation through bodies such as the FDA, but others argue that strict regulation will only curtail the benefits stem cell therapies can impart. On the other hand, regulations that are too lenient, it is argued, will only harm the patient seeking the therapy, as a solid evidence base will not yet have been compiled for the therapy.

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BioNews - Unproven stem cell therapies promise versus evidence - BioNews