Stem Cell Clinic

Local vet taking part in stem cell therapy study for dogs – Story … – ABC Action News

By Stem Cell Treatment

TARPON SPRINGS, Fla. - Cosby just doesnt get around like he used to.

We have six dogs and hes always the one thats the last to get up. The last to get out, said his owner Brian Cirillo.

And for Cirillo, its sad to see.

I hate it. Its always like he always on his tippy topes on his back legs. So its heartbreaking.

But a new trial study that is about to start at the St. Francis Pet Care Center in Tarpon Springs, could be just what Cosby needs.

Veterinarian Mike Amsberry is offering stem cell therapy for dogs.

They are seeing that its very, very safe. And very effective.

This study is focused specifically on four-legged friends with arthritis.

But in the past hes seen stem cell treatments work wonders for other ailments.

Its cells treating the body, rather than then some foreign substance. Some medication.

In this trial, the stem cells come from umbilical cords of donor dogs.

Not only can qualified pets get the treatment for free, but owners are paid too.

Cosby seems like the perfect candidate.

I think thats where everything seems to be going with regard to medicine. So to be on the leading edge of that to potential help him without having to put him on a bunch of medicine is definitely a plus, said Cirillo.

The hope is one day Cosby will be able to keep up with the rest.

And lead the way to help thousands of other dogs.

For more information on the trial study go to petstemcells.org.

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Local vet taking part in stem cell therapy study for dogs - Story ... - ABC Action News

Treating Cerebral Palsy With Stem Cells – Financial Tribune

By Stem Cell Medical Center

The biggest national project to treat patients with Cerebral Palsy (CP) through injection of stems cells from umbilical cord blood into the brain will be trialed in the country by the end of the current year in March, said Dr. Morteza Zarrabi, head of Royan Institute. The plan will be implemented jointly by Royan Institute, Childrens Medical Center (affiliated to Tehran University of Medical Sciences), and Iranian Blood Transfusion Organization. In the first phase, it would provide treatment to 130 children with CP between the ages 5-13, IRNA quoted him as saying, on the sidelines of the conference Stem Cells and Their Potentials for Clinical Application, held at Kashan University of Medical Sciences Thursday. In September 2016, the treatment was tried out in a few children with CP in some hospitals, and the results were satisfactory, he said. Many questions must be answered before stem cell treatment becomes a success in the medical field such as: which of the various types of stem cells would be the best to use; what is the best way in which to use these cells and how will they affect the body; when does the treatment need to be given to achieve the best result; and should the cells be injected directly into the damaged area of the brain or into the bloodstream. So far, 27 cord blood banks have been launched across the country. Around 75,000 samples have been stored in private banks and 5,000 in public banks, Zarrabi said. Approximately four in every 1,000 children in Iran have CP while in the developed countries the rate is 2 to 2.5 per 1000 live births. Cerebral palsy is a group of permanent movement disorders that appear in early childhood. Signs and symptoms vary among people. Symptoms usually include poor coordination, stiff muscles, weak muscles and tremors. There may be problem with sensation, hearing and vision, swallowing, and speaking. Babies with CP dont roll over, sit or walk as early as other children of their age. Difficulty with ability to think or reason and seizures occur in about one-third of people with CP. CP is caused by abnormal development or damage to the parts of the brain that control movement, balance, and posture. Most often the problems occur during pregnancy; however they may also occur during childbirth or shortly after birth. While the cause is unknown, risk factors such as preterm birth, being a twin, certain infections during pregnancy such as rubella, exposure to methyl-mercury during pregnancy, difficult delivery, head trauma during the first years of life, and inherited genetic disorders, are some of the causes.

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Treating Cerebral Palsy With Stem Cells - Financial Tribune

Transplanted Human Embryonic Stem Retinal Pigment Cells Survive 22 months in a Human Recipient – MedicalResearch.com (blog)

By Embryonic Stem Cells

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Won Kyung Song MD.PhD Assistant Professor, Vitreoretinal service, Department of Ophthalmology CHA Bundang Medical Center CHA University Republic of Korea

MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?

Response: The retina is a light-sensitive neural tissue lining the inner surface of the human eye. The center of this retina is calledthe macula, which is responsible for high quality vision and central visual field. Retinal pigment epithelium is a layer of cells in the outer layer of the retina which has a critical role in maintaining and supporting the retina, especially the macula.

Age-related macular degeneration(AMD) is the leading cause of vision loss in the elderly in Western countries. There are two types of AMD, wet (neovascular or exudative) and dry (atrophic).The retinal pigment epithelium and choroid, are closely related with the pathophysiology of AMD. In dry AMD,age-relateddegeneration ofRPE cellsleads to the loss of photoreceptor cells and visual deficit. Currently, some therapies are available for amelioratingthe wet AMD. However, there are no effective therapy available for dry AMD.

Previous studies have shown that healthy RPE cells can be implanted to replace unhealthy RPE cells in lesion areas where RPE cells have been lost.Allogenic RPEs resulted in graft rejection and autologous RPEs are difficult to harvest leading to surgery related complications. Now, abundant RPEs with stable genotype and phenotyemay be generated from embryonic stem cells. Therefore, we have undergone subretinal transplantation of human embryonic stem cell derived RPE cells. (Clinicaltrials.govNCT 01674829)Among the patients enrolled for

this clinical trial, we noted epiretinal membrane(ERM) with pigmentations over the retina in a proportion of patients as an adverse event. One patientwithdry AMD and an epiretinal membrane after the hES-RPE transplantationundergoneremoval of this ERM. The histologic examination of this ERM with pigmentations showed that the pigmented cellsoriginatedfrom thetransplantedhES-RPE cells which survived in the recipient for 22 months without anaplasia.

MedicalResearch.com: What should readers take away from your report?

Response: The main concerns of clinical application of hES derived cellsaretumorigenesisand immune rejection.

Thereare limitations of these trials lackingconfirmative measurements of engraftment of the transplanted cells. Because biopsy of the retina results in focal loss of nurosensory retina and labelling the cells may cause additional clinical harm.

This is the first report showing that hES derived cells has survived upto 22 months in human organwithout anaplasia and may form an ERM.

MedicalResearch.com: What recommendations do you have for future research as a result of this study?

Response: Objective measurement of engraftment is necessary, together with advancement of an objective visual function measurements.

MedicalResearch.com: Is there anything else you would like to add?

Response: The case reported in thisjournalis a finding froma patient enrolled in the clinical trial sponsored byCHAbiotech.Co,Ltd.

HI12C1794(A121941)

MedicalResearch.com: Thank you for your contribution to the MedicalResearch.com community.

Citation:

Shim SH, Kim G, Lee DR, Lee JE, Kwon HJ, Song WK. Survival of Transplanted Human Embryonic Stem CellDerived Retinal Pigment Epithelial Cells in a Human Recipient for 22 Months. JAMA Ophthalmol. Published online February 09, 2017. doi:10.1001/jamaophthalmol.2016.5824

Note: Content is Not intended as medical advice. Please consult your health care provider regarding your specific medical condition and questions.

More Medical Research Interviews on MedicalResearch.com

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Transplanted Human Embryonic Stem Retinal Pigment Cells Survive 22 months in a Human Recipient - MedicalResearch.com (blog)

Henrietta Lacks family calls for inquiry into Johns Hopkins’ use of her cells – Baltimore Sun

By Uncategorized

The eldest son of Henrietta Lacks doubled down Friday on his efforts to reclaim his mother's legacy, calling for a congressional inquiry into Johns Hopkins Medicine's unauthorized use of her cells and the suspension of nearly $2 billion in National Institutes of Health funding.

Lawrence Lacks, the executor of his mother's estate, said the years of research using his mother's cells helped the medical institution build its reputation and led to scores of studies and medical breakthroughs. All of this in turn contributed to the funding Johns Hopkins received and continues to get, Lacks and other family members said.

In a statement, Lacks said he wanted a congressional inquiry into the money the medical institution made from Henrietta Lacks' cells, known as the HeLa cells, and called for the NIH to suspend $1.89 billion in research funding allocated to Johns Hopkins for 2017 during any investigation.

The cells, collected from the 31-year-old Turners Station woman during a diagnostic procedure before she died of an aggressive form of cervical cancer in 1951, were the first to live outside the body in a glass tube. They have become the most widely used human cells that exist today in scientific research.

Vaccines, cancer treatments and in vitro fertilization are among the many medical techniques derived from her cells.

Lawrence Lacks, 82, was not available for a phone interview Friday, but his son, Ron Lacks, and nephew Alfred Lacks Carter spoke on his behalf.

"The HeLa cells put Johns Hopkins at the top of the research chain worldwide," Ron Lacks said. "And we're thinking that we need Congress to step in and stop Johns Hopkins until we find out what is going on."

Lawrence Lacks asserted Monday that the family wanted compensation from Johns Hopkins for its use of his mother's cells. His statements come as an HBO movie about his mother's life starring Oprah Winfrey is scheduled for release in April. Lacks' story garnered national attention after Rebecca Skloot wrote a best-selling book, "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks."

Hopkins declined to comment Friday, referring to a statement it released Monday that said it had not made money from the cells.

"Johns Hopkins never patented HeLa cells, and therefore does not own the rights to the HeLa cell line," the statement said. "Johns Hopkins also did not sell or profit from the discovery or distribution of HeLa cells." It also said there was no established practice for informing or obtaining consent from cell or tissue donors when the cells were taken, nor were there any regulations on the use of cells in research.

NIH spokesman John Burklow disagreed with Lacks' belief that NIH funding is based on research of the HeLa cells.

"The assertion that NIH funding to Hopkins is given in large part due to the HeLa cell discovery is not correct," Burklow said in a written statement. "NIH provides funding support to Hopkins and other research institutions for a broad array of projects that are peer reviewed for scientific merit, public health needs, and scientific opportunity, among many other considerations."

Lawrence Lacks also criticized an agreement NIH reached with other family members in 2013 that required scientists to get permission from the government agency to use her genetic blueprint. The agreement also required researchers who get NIH funding to use a database of Lacks' genome that they can only access by applying through the federal agency. Two family members were appointed to a working group to help make the decisions.

While NIH officials said they would ask biomedical researchers not funded by the agency to abide by the agreement, they acknowledged at the time that the new restrictions were limited and scientists could create a map of her genome using already available data on HeLa cells.

Lawrence Lacks said that as executor of her estate he never signed off on that agreement and told NIH he didn't want the database created. He said the relatives on the board were not legally allowed to make decision on behalf of his mother's estate. Jerri Lacks, one of the family members on the board, said earlier this week that she did not agree with many of Lawrence Lacks' assertions, but she and other family members declined to comment further.

Ron Lacks said his father would like to see that agreement renegotiated.

Burklow said in his statement that the NIH was trying to help the family have more control over use of the HeLa cells.

"Without those discussions, initiated by NIH and facilitated by Rebecca Skloot and Dan Ford, the HeLa sequence would have been available without restriction to anyone," Burklow said. "Our desire was to respect the family's interest in confidentiality and privacy, and to recognize the contributions of Henrietta Lacks and her descendants."

Lawrence Lacks said Skloot represented the family before the NIH without his permission and also raised questions about a foundation she created to help the family. He and other family members also said she didn't accurately portray the family in the book.

Skloot could not be reached for comment Friday.

Crown Publishing Group, which published the book, said Skloot provided the manuscript to members of the Lacks family for comment and corrections that were put into the book. The statement didn't specify which members saw the book, but said that Lawrence Lacks participated in meetings and interviews with Skloot. Lawrence Lack's son Ron said Skloot spent only an hour with his father and late mother.

"The veracity of the book, which has brought heightened awareness to the important contributions of HeLa cells to medicine and modern science, has not been challenged in the seven years since its initial publication in February 2010," the Crown Publishing statement said. "In the subsequent years, numerous members of the Lacks family have participated in interviews and public events in support of the book and of the need to tell the story of Henrietta Lacks."

Members of the Lacks family said they would like compensation for the use of Henrietta Lacks' cells. Two of her sons have debilitating illnesses and can't afford proper care, said Alfred Lacks Carter, Henrietta Lacks' grandson and Lawrence Lacks' nephew. They would like to set up a foundation to start a school for kids who want to study science and math.

They don't want to disrupt research, they said, but they want more say in it as well as compensation for Henrietta Lacks' contributions.

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Henrietta Lacks family calls for inquiry into Johns Hopkins' use of her cells - Baltimore Sun

Stem Cells Treat Baldness with PRP | NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth – NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth

By Stem Cell Treatment

Americans spend between one and four billion dollars a year treating hair loss.

Now, four surgeons in the U.S. are testing a stem cell treatment in a non-surgical procedure.

Overseas trials in Japan and Egypt are already showing some success.

Its been 30 years of concern, Roy Woelke said.

Woelke knows how overwhelming hair loss can be.

I noticed thinning in my late twenties, and it never stops. It seems like it just goes on and on, Woelke detailed.

Hes had three hair replacement surgeries, but thats really just moving hair around the head, and as he says, you run out of supply.

Kenneth Williams, D.O., a hair restoration surgeon at Orange County Hair Restoration in Los Angeles, California, may have new hope for Woelke and millions of others.

Hes running a clinical trial that uses stem cells and platelet-rich plasma, or PRP, to treat baldness.

The study is taking cells that are in our body that help to regenerate or stimulate inactive or dormant hair follicles," Williams explained. "That is the theory behind what were doing this procedure on.

Williams takes fat from the abdomen, emulsifies it and separates the stem cells, mixes it with the patients own plasma which has been spun down to be super concentrated. Then with 300 shots, injects the mixture into the scalp, twice over a three-month period.

Woelke hopes to get into the trial, which has five participants so far.

Williams already does the procedure for paying patients whove had promising results.

Those patients are seeing some differences in the density of the hair," Williams said. "Were waiting for the final results, which take nine to 12 months after the administration. We look to see the final results of what were doing.

He hopes to publish results in two years.

Williams trial is supported by NIH, but not by a major pharmaceutical company yet. That means his trial is patient-funded, meaning theyll pay a reduced cost of the $2,500 to $5,800 procedure, depending on which arm of the trial is chosen.

Contact the Irvine Institute of Medicine and Cosmetic Surgery at (949) 333-2999 or visit http://www.straandstudy.com for more information.

Published at 5:46 PM CST on Feb 17, 2017 | Updated at 5:50 PM CST on Feb 17, 2017

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Stem Cells Treat Baldness with PRP | NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth - NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth

Stem cell therapy adds pep to pets – Columbus Telegram

By Stem Cell Treatment

COLUMBUS For the past year, Dr. Todd Paczosa has been practicing what he calls the future of medicine.

The veterinarian treats his four-legged patients through stem cell therapy.

Im not anti-antibiotic, anti-medicine. I just believe that even in the future of cancer treatment that it is going to come down to your body healing itself, Paczosa said.

The process involves removing fatty tissue from a patient, extracting stem cells, then injecting the cells back into the animal's joints to promote healing.

Paczosa said he researched the treatment for about a decade before deciding to offer it at Redstone Veterinary Hospital in Columbus.

Our body is full of cells that heal. You get cut, your body heals. What we are doing is taking those cells, waking them up and saying, Hey, lets go to work, he said.

Since he started offering stem cell therapy last March, 17 dogs, horses and cattle have used the treatment. One of those patients is Butch, a 9-year-old schnauzer owned by Marge Biester of Columbus that was suffering from a strained ligament and achy joints.

He was really hurting. I had to do something for him, Biester said, adding that Butch wasnt putting much weight on his back leg when he walked.

The treatment was done in January. Butch was put under anesthesia to retrieve the fat tissue. Using equipment in-house, the stem cells were extracted and injected back into the dog that same day.

Paczosa, who has been a veterinarian for 23 years, said the entire process can be done in a day.

Biester noticed results in about two weeks.Butch wasnt doing his three-legged walk anymore and began acting like a more-active, younger version of himself.

Im amazed at how quickly he recovered, she said.

Paczosa said all of the animals he has treated so far have shown improvement.

One of these days, we will have one that doesnt work. Thats just medicine, but we havent had one yet, he said.

The possibility of the stem cell therapy not working can be a turnoff for some pet owners who might find it difficult to spend $1,900 to $2,400 for the treatment at Redstone. If it does work, Paczosa said the therapy is less expensive in the long run than putting an animal on medication for extended periods of time to ease the pain from arthritis.

Other pluses, he said, are that the regenerative therapy isnt as invasive as surgery and anti-rejection drugs don't have to be used since the cells come from the same animal.More than one joint can also be treated at a time and it can eliminate the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.

The biggest risks are putting the animal under anesthesia and infection of the surgical site where the fatty tissue is removed, typically from the shoulder area or abdomen.

Stem cell therapy is practiced at a few hundred veterinary clinics in the country. Redstone works with the animal stem cell company MediVet Biologics and uses that companys in-house technology.

Paczosa said owners have come from other states to use the therapy at his Columbus clinic.

Initial results from the procedure lasts about two years. An option to bank stem cells from a pet is available. A portion of what is taken can be stored in a lab and used again in the future.

For Paczosa's patients, results have been quick and ongoing.

Most owners have seen a dramatic improvement in two weeks. Our first patient is still seeing improvements, he said.

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Stem cell therapy adds pep to pets - Columbus Telegram

Upstate Opens Cord Blood Bank, Only the Second Public Cord Blood Bank in New York and One of Only 32 in the US – Newswise (press release)

By Stem Cell Medical Center

Newswise Upstate Medical University opens the Upstate Cord Blood Bank, only the second public cord blood bank in New York and one of only 32 in the US.

The $15 million, 20,000 square foot facility features a state of the art processing laboratory and cryogenic storage containers that can store nearly 14,500 units of cord blood. The building is located on Upstates Community Campus, 4910 Broad Road in Syracuse, home to Upstates obstetric services. The cord blood bank opened Feb. 9.

The bank will collect, test, process, store and distribute umbilical cord blood donated by families throughout central and northern New York to be used by those in need of life-saving medical treatments and for medical research.

The bank is currently accepting cord blood donations from families who give birth at Upstates Community Campus. Cord blood donations will be accepted from families who give birth at Syracuse's Crouse Hospital and St. Josephs Hospital Health Center as early as summer 2017. Agreements with other area hospitals will be forthcoming.

Umbilical cord blood is blood that remains in the placenta and umbilical cord after childbirth. Cord blood that is not donated is discarded as medical waste. It is a rich source of hematopoietic stem cells that have the potential of being used in the treatment of dozens of diseases, like blood cancers and bone marrow diseases such as sickle cell anemia.

State Sen. John DeFrancisco played a key role in securing the $15 million funding for the building, enabling Syracuse to have one of only two public cord blood banks in New York and one of only 32 in the United States.

The Upstate Cord Blood Bank responds directly to the mission of our academic medical center, said Upstate President Danielle Laraque-Arena, MD, FAAP. It is a community resource that will improve the health of individuals here, throughout our region and beyond. Whether the cord blood is used for transplantation or research, we are providing hope of better health and new treatments.

Laraque-Arena said she was grateful for the support of New York State Sen. John DeFrancisco. I applaud Senator DeFranciscos efforts to move this project forward and to enable Upstate to be at the forefront of this impactful initiative, Laraque-Arena said.

The Upstate Cord Blood Bank is a project near and dear to my heart, said DeFrancisco. Its a project that has been a long time coming, and I am absolutely ecstatic that the public bank is now open and receiving donations of umbilical cord blood. I look forward to witnessing the many cures that will result from having the use of cord blood available right here in Upstate.

Upstates Robert Corona, DO, MBA, professor and chair of the Department of Pathology, said the Upstate Cord Blood Bank would put to good use what is often referred to as medical waste.The blood from the umbilical cord and placenta, cord blood, contains hematopoietic stem cells that have potential to treat many diseases including cancer, genetic disorders and blood disorders, he said. What was once medical waste becomes a source of life saving cells and a significant contribution to the field of regenerative medicine. Stem cells show great potential in treating all sorts of neurologic disorders including metabolic disorders, spastic cerebral palsy and autism. We are truly fortunate to have a new Cord Blood Bank in our community as a cutting-edge patient care and research resource.

Nicholas Greco, PhD, executive director and tissue bank director of the Upstate Cord Blood Bank, said the use of cord blood in treatment for various diseases has expanded. Historically, cord blood from public banks in transplantation has focused on the safety and use in regenerating dysfunctional or damaged bone marrow. But, within the last decade, family banks have focused on using cord blood- and cord tissue-derived stem cells to replace or regenerate human cells, tissue or organs, to restore or establish normal function (regenerative medicine). These emerging uses, extend patient options for treatment and cures.

SUNY Chancellor Nancy Zimpher applauded the opening of the Upstate Cord Blood Bank. New Yorks ongoing investment in medical research and education provides far reaching benefits for our students and faculty as well as communities not only in New York state but around the globe, Zimpher said. Congratulations to President Laraque-Arena and the entire SUNY Upstate community on the opening of this new facility, which is certain to advance research in a vital field of study, enhance patient care, and provide new educational opportunities for students.

Designation as a public cord blood bank The designation of Upstate Cord Blood Bank as a public blood bank is important in that there is no cost to donate and donated cord blood is available to anyone who needs it. Once donated, the cord blood will be stored in the bank and made available to transplant centers in the United States and throughout the world for patients needing life-saving transplants. The cord blood units will be listed initially on the Bone Marrow Donors Worldwide registry and on the Be The Match registry maintained by the National Marrow Donor Program, which maintains a large listing of cord blood units available for transplant. Those units that are not suitable for transplantation will be made available to researchers, both at Upstate Medical University and around the country.

The Upstate Cord Blood Bank will in the near future open a family cord blood bank that will collect, test, process, store, and distribute a babys umbilical cord blood only for use by families who have a need for future use. An initial fee and annual fee will be charged for collection, processing and storage of umbilical cord blood in the family bank.

The Upstate Cord Blood Bank will operate under strict guidelines and protocols, established by state and federal health organizations, including the state Health Department, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), AABB and the Foundation for the Accreditation of Cellular Therapy (FACT).

As is currently under way at Crouse Hospital and St. Josephs Hospital Health Center, Upstate will work with regional hospitals to develop guidelines and agreements to enable mothers who deliver in these facilities the ability to donate their cord blood for free.

Upstate officials hope the cord blood bank will ultimately receive donations from 10,000 births a year, which would represent 50 percent of the approximately 20,000 births in Central New York annually.

How is cord blood donated Once a mother has delivered her baby and after the umbilical cord is clamped and cut as is done with all deliveries, a medical provider will insert a needle into the umbilical vein that is still attached to the placenta. The process, which takes less than 10 minutes, yields about 3 to 5 ounces of cord blood, which is then sent to the Upstate Cord Blood Bank for testing, processing and storage. There is no pain for the mother or baby nor is their safety compromised during the delivery.

Treatments with cord blood Stem cell transplants from umbilical cord blood, researchers say, may be more suitable for transplants than the more common stem cells taken from bone marrow as treatment for various cancers. Umbilical cord blood has an underdeveloped immune cell system providing less of a chance that the transplanted cells will attack the recipients immune system. Hematopoietic stem cells are capable of forming all different types of blood forming cells in the human body. They are used to treat some cancers, metabolic disorders and immunodeficiency diseases, and bone marrow disorders, such as sickle cell anemia. Cord blood is rich in these hematopoietic stem cells.

Research with cord blood Umbilical cord blood stem cells will be valuable for medical research, in studies seeking to advance new treatments for cancer and using cord blood to treat and cure diseases that are not cancers, that is, in regenerative medicine applications. These latter applications may regenerate new tissues such as heart, muscle, skin, and neuronal tissues. Some Upstate researchers have expressed an interest in working with stem cells from umbilical cord blood. An available supply of cord blood would enhance and expedite research studies on finding new treatments for various diseases.

Upstate Cord Blood Bank credits: Architect: Francis Cauffman, New York, N.Y. Engineer: Buro Happold Engineers, New York, N.Y., Project Management: Pike Construction Company, Rochester, N.Y.; General Contractor: Murnane Building Contractors, East Syracuse, N.Y.

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Upstate Opens Cord Blood Bank, Only the Second Public Cord Blood Bank in New York and One of Only 32 in the US - Newswise (press release)

Mayo researcher Abba Zubair is sending stem cells for study on the … – Florida Times-Union

By Stem Cell Clinic

As a boy growing up in Nigeria, Abba Zubair dreamed of becoming an astronaut.

But as he prepared to apply to college, an adviser told him to find a different path.

He said it may be a long time before Nigeria sends rockets and astronauts into space, so I should consider something more practical, Zubair saud.

He decided to become a physician, and is currently the medical and scientific director of the Cell Therapy Laboratory at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville. And while hell almost certainly never get to make a journey outside the Earths atmosphere himself, if the weather stays good Saturday hell be sending a payload into space.

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket is scheduled to launch at 10:01 a.m. Saturday from the Kennedy Space Center on a cargo delivery mission to the International Space Station. Among the cargo it will be carrying are several samples of donated adult stem cells from Zubairs research lab.

Zubair believes adult stem cells, extracted from bone marrow, are the future of regenerative medicine. Currently at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville they are being used in clinical trials to treat knee injuries and transplanted lungs.

But a big problem with using stem cells to treat illnesses is that it may require up to 200 million cells to treat a human being and the cells take a long time to reproduce. Based on studies using simulators on Earth, Zubair believes that the stem cells will more quickly mass produce in microgravity.

Thats the hypothesis hell be testing as the stem cells from his lab spend a month aboard the space station. Astronauts will conduct experiments measuring changes in the cells. They will then be returned on an unmanned rocket and Zubair will continue to study them in his lab.

We want to understand the process by which stem cells divide so we can grow them at a faster rate and also so we can suppress them when treating cancer, he said.

Zubair became interested in the idea of sending stem cells into space four years ago, when he learned of a request for proposals that involved medicine and outer space. Hes been trying to arrange to send stem cells into space for three years.

In May 2015, he sent stem cells to the edge of space as a hot-air balloon carried a capsule filled with cells from his lab to about 100,000 feet then dropped the capsule. The idea was to test how the cells handled re-entry into the Earths atmosphere.

It turned out well, he said. The cells were alive and functioning.

Zubair was supported in that effort as he is being supported in sending cells to the space station by the Center for Applied Spacee Technology. Its chief executive is Larry Harvey, a retired Navy pilot and former astronaut candidate who lives in Orange Park.

While stem cells have myriad potential medical applications, one that particularly interests Zubair is the use of them in treating stroke patients. Its a personal cause to Zubair, whose mother died of a stroke in 1997.

Weve shown that an infusion of stem cells at the site of stroke improves the inflammation and also secretes factors for the regeneration of neurons and blood vessels, he said.

Zubair hasnt entirely given up on his old dream of being an astronaut. Hes applied for the civilian astronaut program. But he doesnt expect that to happen.

Im not sure I made the cut, he said. I just wanted to apply.

And he realizes what a long, strange trip hes made.

I have come so far from Africa to here, he said, and now Im sending stem cells into space.

Charlie Patton: (904) 359-4413

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Mayo researcher Abba Zubair is sending stem cells for study on the ... - Florida Times-Union

THON by the numbers: An anaylsis of the work done and the funds raised – The Daily Collegian Online

By Stem Cell Clinic

With THON merely hours away, lets take a look at the massive event by the numbers. One thing is certain: the statistics are remarkable.

Two-thirds of all money raised since THONs inception in 1977 has been raised in the past 10 years.

Since 2007, THON has raised over $93 million dollars for Four Diamonds, according to the Four Diamonds annual financial reports.

Four Diamonds provides financial and medical assistance to children with pediatric cancer and their families, specifically for care and treatment not covered by insurance or other means as well as additional expenses that disrupt the welfare of the children.

According to Four Diamonds website, 100 percent of all patients bills are covered.

However, the Four Diamonds does not just cover the treatment bills for kids with pediatric cancer. Four Diamonds also enables specialty care providers to be made exclusively available to patients and their families. These specialty care providers offer psychological care, nutritional care, social work such as transportation assistance, musical therapy to help cope with hospital settings and pastoral care for spiritual and religious needs.

Based on the information aggregated from Four Diamonds annual financial and impact reports, Four Diamonds on average takes in and provides funding for treatment for about 93 new patients per year and provides funding for treatment for about 558 patients per year total.

The funding Four Diamonds has received has allowed them to fund researchers and research initiatives for fighting and treating cancer. Specifically, funds from THON have allowed for the creation of stem cell transplant clinic, a pediatric cancer experimental therapeutics research program.

Gil Pak, the Operations Director for the Hershey Childrens Hospital, said the fundraising from

THON is one of the primary contributors to research funding.

The original goal of the Millards, when they founded Four Diamonds was to assist families, but with the fundraising success of THON and Mini-THONs we can go beyond that and invest in research, Pak said. Providing assistance to families will always be the main goal, but now we can go beyond just helping families and help find a cure.

From 2007 to 2014 the funds raised by THON increased steadily. In 2007 THON raised $4,497,001, but by 2012 THON was raising eight figure sums and in 2014 THON raised a record breaking $13.3 million in funds.

However, the last couple years saw a dip in funds raised by THON.

Despite Four Diamonds receiving record of $20 million in 2015, THON actually experienced a slight drop in fundraising from the previous year.

In 2015 THON raised $12,732,897, about $60 thousand less than 2014 when THON raised a record breaking $13,336,675.

Funds raised for the Four Diamonds by THON 2016, $10,262,256 was the lowest since THON 2011 when it raised, $9,266,841.

The cutbacks on canning in 2015 to 2016 (THON 2016 but the 2015-2016 Annual Financial Report), following the death of Vitalya Tally Sepot, a sophomore at Penn State, in September of 2015, may have been one of the factors that led to THON raising less money that year.

Sepots death sent shockwaves through the Penn State community and caused THON to evaluate the safety of canning trips. Several canning trips were cancelled by THON organizers due to concerns about less than ideal weather or other safety concerns.

Other factors could be at play as well. The drop in funds raised could also be that it is just difficult for those canning and participating in other fundraising events to continue raising money that will top the previous years eight figure sums. One student quoted in a previous report by The Daily Collegian said that the number of people canning in the same areas made it more competitive.

However, as reported previously by The Daily Collegian, many of those participating THON do not see topping the previous year's funds as important as how much the funds are benefiting kids with childhood cancer.

Even though funds raised by THON have decreased over the last couple years, the funds raised by Mini-THONs have steadily increased each year.

In 2007, Mini-THONs which are as events similar to THON that are held in elementary schools, middle schools, high schools and colleges, raised $624,246, but by 2016 though less than a decade later funds the funds raised were $5,497,215, about 8.8 times the funds raised by Mini-THONs in 2007.

Read the original here:
THON by the numbers: An anaylsis of the work done and the funds raised - The Daily Collegian Online

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