Stem Cell Clinic

Adult Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma Treatment – National Cancer …

By adminJuly 13, 2015Uncategorized

General Information About Adult Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma (NHL)

The NHLs are a heterogeneous group of lymphoproliferative malignancies with differing patterns of behavior and responses to treatment.[1]

Like Hodgkin lymphoma, NHL usually originates in lymphoid tissues and can spread to other organs. NHL, however, is much less predictable than Hodgkin lymphoma and has a far greater predilection to disseminate to extranodal sites. The prognosis depends on the histologic type, stage, and treatment.

Estimated new cases and deaths from NHL in the United States in 2015:[2]

NHL usually originates in lymphoid tissues.

Anatomy of the lymph system.

The NHLs can be divided into two prognostic groups: the indolent lymphomas and the aggressive lymphomas.

Indolent NHL types have a relatively good prognosis with a median survival as long as 20 years, but they usually are not curable in advanced clinical stages.[3] Early-stage (stage I and stage II) indolent NHL can be effectively treated with radiation therapy alone. Most of the indolent types are nodular (or follicular) in morphology.

The aggressive type of NHL has a shorter natural history, but a significant number of these patients can be cured with intensive combination chemotherapy regimens.

In general, with modern treatment of patients with NHL, overall survival at 5 years is over 60%. Of patients with aggressive NHL, more than 50% can be cured. The vast majority of relapses occur in the first 2 years after therapy. The risk of late relapse is higher in patients who manifest both indolent and aggressive histologies.[4]

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Adult Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma Treatment - National Cancer ...

Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) Injections – HSS.edu – HSS

By adminJuly 12, 2015Platelet Rich Plasma Injections

Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Treatment – National Cancer …

By adminJuly 10, 2015Uncategorized

General Information About Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC)

NSCLC is any type of epithelial lung cancer other than small cell lung cancer (SCLC). The most common types of NSCLC are squamous cell carcinoma, large cell carcinoma, and adenocarcinoma, but there are several other types that occur less frequently, and all types can occur in unusual histologic variants. Although NSCLCs are associated with cigarette smoke, adenocarcinomas may be found in patients who have never smoked. As a class, NSCLCs are relatively insensitive to chemotherapy and radiation therapy compared with SCLC. Patients with resectable disease may be cured by surgery or surgery followed by chemotherapy. Local control can be achieved with radiation therapy in a large number of patients with unresectable disease, but cure is seen only in a small number of patients. Patients with locally advanced unresectable disease may achieve long-term survival with radiation therapy combined with chemotherapy. Patients with advanced metastatic disease may achieve improved survival and palliation of symptoms with chemotherapy, targeted agents, and other supportive measures.

Estimated new cases and deaths from lung cancer (NSCLC and SCLC combined) in the United States in 2014:[1]

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related mortality in the United States.[1] The 5-year relative survival rate from 1995 to 2001 for patients with lung cancer was 15.7%. The 5-year relative survival rate varies markedly depending on the stage at diagnosis, from 49% to 16% to 2% for patients with local, regional, and distant stage disease, respectively.[2]

NSCLC arises from the epithelial cells of the lung of the central bronchi to terminal alveoli. The histological type of NSCLC correlates with site of origin, reflecting the variation in respiratory tract epithelium of the bronchi to alveoli. Squamous cell carcinoma usually starts near a central bronchus. Adenocarcinoma and bronchioloalveolar carcinoma usually originate in peripheral lung tissue.

Anatomy of the respiratory system.

Smoking-related lung carcinogenesis is a multistep process. Squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma have defined premalignant precursor lesions. Before becoming invasive, lung epithelium may undergo morphological changes that include the following:

Dysplasia and carcinoma in situ are considered the principal premalignant lesions because they are more likely to progress to invasive cancer and less likely to spontaneously regress.

In addition, after resection of a lung cancer, there is a 1% to 2% risk per patient per year that a second lung cancer will occur.[3]

NSCLC is a heterogeneous aggregate of histologies. The most common histologies include the following:

Non-small cell lung cancer | University of Maryland …

By adminJuly 10, 2015Uncategorized

Description

An in-depth report on the causes, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Lung cancer - non-small cell; NSCLC

Risk:

Treatment:

Although lung cancer accounts for only 15% of all newly-diagnosed cancers in the United States, it is the leading cause of cancer death in U.S. men and women. It is more deadly than colon, breast, and prostate cancers combined. About 160,000 patients die from lung cancer each year. Death rates have been declining in men over the past decade, and they have about stabilized in women.

The lungs are two spongy organs surrounded by a thin moist membrane called the pleura. Each lung is composed of smooth, shiny lobes: the right lung has three lobes, and the left has two. About 90% of the lung is filled with air. Only 10% is solid tissue.

The major features of the lungs include the bronchi, the bronchioles, and the alveoli. The alveoli are the microscopic blood vessel-lined sacks in which oxygen and carbon dioxide gas are exchanged.

Lung cancer develops when genetic mutations (changes) occur in a normal cell within the lung. As a result, the cell becomes abnormal in shape and behavior, and reproduces endlessly. The abnormal cells form a tumor that, if not surgically removed, invades neighboring blood vessels and lymph nodes and spreads to nearby sites. Eventually, the cancer can spread (metastasize) to locations throughout the body.

The two major categories of lung cancer are small cell lung cancer and non-small cell lung cancer. Most lung cancers are non-small cell cancer, the subject of this report. Less common cancers of the lung are known as carcinoids, cylindromas, and certain sarcomas (cancer in soft tissues). Some experts believe all primary lung cancers come from a single common cancerous (malignant) stem cell. As it copies itself, that stem cell can develop into any one of these cancer types in different people.

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Non-small cell lung cancer | University of Maryland ...

Stem Cell Research Facts – Adult Stem Cell Success

By adminJuly 8, 2015Adult Stem Cells

"I Will Walk Again" The Laura Dominguez Story If there was ever a woman on a mission, its Laura Dominguez. Doctors once told her shed never walk again. And while shes not ready to run a marathon, shes already proving them wrong, with the best yet to come.

An oil spill on a San Antonio freeway is blamed for the car crash that sent Laura and her brother directly into a retaining wall one summer afternoon in 2001. Laura was just 16 years old at the time and the crash left her completely paralyzed from the neck down. Surgeons say she suffered whats known as a C6 vertebrae fracture that severely damaged her spinal cord.

I refused to accept their prognosis that I never would walk again and began searching for other options, says Laura. After stays in several hospitals for nearly a year, Laura and her mother relocated to San Diego, CA so that she could undergo extensive physical therapy. While in California, they met a family whose daughter was suffering from a similar spinal cord injury. They were also looking for other alternatives to deal with spinal cord injuries.

After extensive research and consultations with medical experts in the field of spinal cord injuries, they decided to explore a groundbreaking new surgical procedure using adult stem cells pioneered by Dr. Carlos Lima of Portugal.

The surgery involved the removal of tissue from the olfactory sinus area at the back of the nose--and transplanting it into the spinal cord at the injury site. Both procedures, the harvesting of the tissue and the transplant, were done at the same time. Laura was the tenth person in the world and the second American to have this procedure done and was featured in a special report by PBS called Miracle Cell. (Link to Miracle Cell (PBS) Episode)

Following the surgery she returned to California where she continued with the physical therapy regimen, then eventually returned home to San Antonio. Upon her return home, an MRI revealed her spinal cord was beginning to heal. Approximately 70% of the lesion now looked like normal spinal cord tissue. More importantly to Laura, she began to regain feeling in parts of her upper body and within six months of the surgery regained feeling down to her abdomen.

Improvements in sensory feelings have continued until the present time. She can feel down to her hips, and has regained feeling and some movement in her legs. Lauras upper body has gained more strength and balance and one of the most evident improvements has been her ability to stand and remain standing, using a walker, and with minimal assistance. When she stands she can contract her quadriceps and hamstring muscles.

Every week it seems Im able to do something new, something different that I hadnt done the week before, says Laura.

Now Lauras story is poised to take a new, potentially groundbreaking turn. In the Fall of 2009, she traveled again to Portugal where adult stem cells were extracted from her nose for culturing. As this story is written, she is preparing to fly back to Portugal where scar tissue at her injury site will be removed and her own adult stem cells injected in the area of her original wound.

The Laura Dominguez story is not complete. The next chapter may or may not yield the results she seeksbut no one can deny the determination and courage of Laura. For her part, she has one goal in mind: I will walk again.

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Stem Cell Research Facts - Adult Stem Cell Success

Generating Mice from Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells | Protocol

By adminJuly 3, 2015Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells

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JoVE Biology

Michael J. Boland1, Jennifer L. Hazen1, Kristopher L. Nazor1, Alberto R. Rodriguez2, Greg Martin2, Sergey Kupriyanov2, Kristin K. Baldwin1

1Dorris Neuroscience Center & Department of Cell Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, 2Mouse Genetics Core Facility, The Scripps Research Institute

Generating induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) lines produces lines of differing developmental potential even when they pass standard tests for pluripotency. Here we describe a protocol to produce mice derived entirely from iPSCs, which defines the iPSC lines as possessing full pluripotency1.

Date Published: 11/29/2012, Issue 69; doi: 10.3791/4003

Keywords: Stem Cell Biology, Issue 69, Molecular Biology, Developmental Biology, Medicine, Cellular Biology, Induced pluripotent stem cells, iPSC, stem cells, reprogramming, developmental potential, tetraploid embryo complementation, mouse

Boland, M. J., Hazen, J. L., Nazor, K. L., Rodriguez, A. R., Martin, G., Kupriyanov, S., et al. Generation of Mice Derived from Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells. J. Vis. Exp. (69), e4003, doi:10.3791/4003 (2012).

The production of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) from somatic cells provides a means to create valuable tools for basic research and may also produce a source of patient-matched cells for regenerative therapies. iPSCs may be generated using multiple protocols and derived from multiple cell sources. Once generated, iPSCs are tested using a variety of assays including immunostaining for pluripotency markers, generation of three germ layers in embryoid bodies and teratomas, comparisons of gene expression with embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and production of chimeric mice with or without germline contribution2. Importantly, iPSC lines that pass these tests still vary in their capacity to produce different differentiated cell types2. This has made it difficult to establish which iPSC derivation protocols, donor cell sources or selection methods are most useful for different applications.

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Generating Mice from Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells | Protocol

induced pluripotent stem cells – RCN Corporation

By adminJuly 3, 2015Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells

Stem cells are cells that divide by mitosis to form either

How the choice is made is still unknown. However, several genes have been found whose activity prevents a daughter cell from differentiating.

The only totipotent cells are the fertilized egg and the first 4 or so cells produced by its cleavage (as shown by the ability of mammals to produce identical twins, triplets, etc.).

In mammals, the expression totipotent stem cells is a misnomer totipotent cells cannot make more of themselves.

Three types of pluripotent stem cells occur naturally:

All three of these types of pluripotent stem cells

In mice and rats, embryonic stem cells can also:

Using genetic manipulation in the laboratory, pluripotent stem cells can now be generated from differentiated cells. These induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) are described below.

Multipotent stem cells are found in adult animals; perhaps most organs in the body (e.g., brain, liver, lungs) contain them where they can replace dead or damaged cells. These adult stem cells may also be the cells that when one accumulates sufficient mutations produce a clone of cancer cells.

Examples:

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induced pluripotent stem cells - RCN Corporation

Adult Stem Cells 101 | Boston Children’s Hospital

By adminJuly 3, 2015Adult Stem Cells

Although commonly used and accepted, the term "adult stem cells" is a little misleading, since these cells are actually found in infants and children as well as in adults. Adult stem cells produce the different kinds of cells that maintain the bodys tissues and organs, and, importantly, they have the ability to divide and reproduce indefinitely. These cells typically produce the type of tissue in which they are found. Adult stem cells are sometimes also called somatic stem cells.

Various types of adult stem cells have been identified in many organs and tissues. They range from cells that are able to form many different kinds of tissues to more specialized cells that form just some of the cells of a particular tissue or organ. Mesenchymal stem cells, for example, are adult stem cells that form fat cells, cartilage, bone, tendon, ligaments, muscle cells, skin cells and even nerve cells. In contrast, hematopoietic stem cells give rise to blood cells only (red cells, white cells and platelets), while neural stem cells form only cells in the nervous system.

Often confused with adult stem cell, progenitor cells are early descendants of stem cells that can differentiate to form one or more kinds of cells, but cannot divide and reproduce indefinitely.

Some tissues and organs have more adult stem cells than others. Those organs with fewer or no stem cells (the heart, for example) dont readily regenerate when they are injured or diseased.

Scientists around the world are actively studying ways to isolate different kinds of adult stem cells, to control and expand the rate at which they make copies of themselves, and to learn how to direct them to form the specific cell types needed for treatment.

Learn more about adult stem cells by clicking on these links:

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Adult Stem Cells 101 | Boston Children's Hospital

The Case for Adult Stem Cell Research

By adminJuly 3, 2015Adult Stem Cells

For more articles on biology and medicine, see Biology and Medicine categories in index.

BIOLOGY & MEDICINE

The Case for Adult Stem Cell Research

by Wolfgang Lillge, M.D.

(Full text of article from Winter 2001-2002 21st Century)

Problems of Therapeutic Cloning

Whoever Would Cure, Must Use Adult Stem Cells

Human Treatments

For more articles on biology and medicine, check the subject index

The question of stem cells is currently the dominant subject in the debate over biotechnology and human genetics: Should we use embryonic stem cells or adult stem cells for future medical therapies? Embryonic stem cells are taken from a developing embryo at the blastocyst stage, destroying the embryo, a developing human life. Adult stem cells, on the other hand, are found in all tissues of the growing human being and, according to latest reports, also have the potential to transform themselves into practically all other cell types, or revert to being stem cells with greater reproductive capacity. Embryonic stem cells have not yet been used for even one therapy, while adult stem cells have already been successfully used in numerous patients, including for cardiac infarction (death of some of the heart tissue).

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The Case for Adult Stem Cell Research

Pros & Cons of Embryonic Stem Cell Research

By adminJuly 3, 2015Embryonic Stem Cells

Spencer Platt/Getty Images News/Getty Images

Pros

Embryonic stem cells are thought by most scientists and researchers to hold potential cures for spinal cord injuries, multiple sclerosis, diabetes, Parkinson's disease, cancer, Alzheimer's disease, heart disease, hundreds of rare immune system and genetic disorders and much more.

Scientists see almost infinite value in the use of embryonic stem cell research to understand human development and the growth and treatment of dieases.

Actual cures are many years away, though, since research has not progressed to the point where even one cure has yet been generated by embryonic stem cell research.

Over 100 million Americans suffer from diseases that eventually may be treated more effectively or even cured with embryonic stem cell therapy. Some researchers regard this as the greatest potential for the alleviation of human suffering since the advent of antibiotics.

Many pro-lifers believe that the proper moral and religious course of action is to save existing life through embryonic stem cell therapy.

Cons

Some staunch pro-lifers and most pro-life organizations regard the destruction of the blastocyst, which is a laboratory-fertilized human egg, to be the murder of human life. They believe that life begins at conception, and that destruction of this pre-born life is morally unacceptable.

They believe that it is immoral to destroy a few-days-old human embryo, even to save or reduce suffering in existing human life.

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Pros & Cons of Embryonic Stem Cell Research