Stem Cell Clinic

Defending the First Amendment since 1911 | The independent student newspaper of Texas State University

By Stem Cell Medicine

Since the inception of stem cell research, controversy has unfortunately dominated much of the debate without properly considering the potential benefit it may bring to humanity.

Stem cell research involves the manipulation and transfer of undesignated cells in hopes of regenerating other body cells that have been affected by general degeneration. This includes organ failure, tissue damage and even specific ailments like cancer, diabetes and Parkinsons disease. A stem cell may be used to create additional cells for skin, bone, liver, muscle, fat and even nerves. They are all crucial to the development and maintenance of the human bodys immune system.

This research also occasionally utilizes cells from human embryoswhich is where most of the moral debate stems from. Critics of stem cell research typically condemn the practice for ethical reasons. Opponents claim it destroys life and physicians play God in terms of deciding the fate of a lab-grown human embryo.

Without truly lending credence to the wonders of advanced medicine, anti-stem cell critics arent realizing that this research could potentially be Gods work. After all, such procedures unequivocally lead to the extension and increased protection of human life.

Moral obligations aside, the arguments against stem cell research on the basis of embryonic origins have more to do with a misunderstanding of science and less to do with the substantiated concern of saving unborn lives.

Embryonic cells used in stem cell research are typically three to five days old. They are fertilized in vitro within a clinical setting and are provided with consent by the donors.

So say, for instance, a mother with fertility issues utilized eggs from a donor and was over-fertilized. Instead of terminating the remaining pregnancies, the mother could donate the additional eggs to stem cell researchthus saving herself from a difficult and otherwise harmful pregnancyand allow other people who are combating illness to seek a potentially life-saving alternative.

Concerns about how sensitive the embryos may be are also irrelevant, seeing as how those used in stem cell research are only a couple of days old. Fetuses do not fully contain the neurological pathways necessary to feel pain until they are 24 weeks old.

Much like the anti-vaccination movement, many critics against stem cell research are unfortunately misguided on the subject. While the concern is noble, resistance to advances in modern medicine that may ultimately be the deciding factor in how we treat potentially catastrophic diseases isnt a step back from the right direction but an unnecessary fear of moving forward.

Follow Greg Arellano on Twitter @GregGonewild.

Here is the original post:
Defending the First Amendment since 1911 | The independent student newspaper of Texas State University

Seattle Genetics (SGEN) Filed Supplemental BLA for Adcetris – Analyst Blog

By Stem Cell Treatment

Seattle Genetics, Inc. ( SGEN ) announced the submission of a supplemental biologics license application (BLA) to the FDA for Adcetris as consolidation therapy immediately following an autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT) in patients suffering from Hodgkin lymphoma, who are at a high risk of relapse.

The company submitted the BLA on the basis of positive data from the phase III AETHERA study.

We note that Adcetris is already approved for intravenous injection in the U.S. (accelerated approval) and the EU (conditional marketing authorization) for the treatment of patients with Hodgkin lymphoma after the failure of ASCT or at least two previous multi-agent chemotherapy regimens in patients who have not undergone ASCT.

The drug also received accelerated approval for systemic anaplastic large cell lymphoma (sALCL) after the failure of at least one prior multi-agent chemotherapy regimen in the U.S. and conditional marketing authorization for relapsed or refractory sALCL in the EU.

Adcetris is being developed by Seattle Genetics in partnership with Takeda Pharmaceutical ( TKPYY ). According to the agreement, Seattle Genetics holds the commercialization rights to Adcetris in the U.S. and Canada, while Takeda has the rights in the rest of the world. Both companies share development costs for Adcetris equally, except in Japan where Takeda bears the entire costs of development.

Apart from the AETHERA study, both companies are evaluating Adcetris in three phase III studies - ALCANZA (relapsed cutaneous T-cell lymphoma), ECHELON-1 (front-line advanced classical Hodgkin lymphoma) and ECHELON-2 (front-line mature T-cell lymphoma including sALCL). Data from the ALCANZA study should be out in 2016.

Meanwhile, Seattle Genetics is also working on developing its pipeline beyond Adcetris. The company has several early-stage candidates in its pipeline including six antibody drug conjugates - SGN-CD19A, SGN-CD33A, SGN-LIV1A, SGN-CD70A, ASG-22ME and ASG-15ME. Earlier this week, Seattle Genetics initiated a phase I study on its investigational immuno-oncology agent, SEA-CD40, for multiple types of advanced solid tumors.

Seattle Genetics carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). Some better-ranked stocks in the health care sector are BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc. ( BMRN ) and Cytokinetics, Inc ( CYTK ). While Cytokinetics carries a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), BioMarin holds a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).

SEATTLE GENETIC (SGEN): Free Stock Analysis Report

BIOMARIN PHARMA (BMRN): Free Stock Analysis Report

Continue reading here:
Seattle Genetics (SGEN) Filed Supplemental BLA for Adcetris - Analyst Blog

CardioWise Completes Installation of the First Totally Integrated CardioWise Analysis Software at National Institutes …

By Stem Cell Doctors

Fayetteville, Arkansas (PRWEB) February 19, 2015

CardioWise, Inc. has completed development of the first fully integrated version of its Multiparametric Strain Analysis Software (MPSA) and has installed it at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI). MPSA software is being used in clinical research protocol number 12-H-0078, sponsored by the NHLBI entitled, Preliminary Assessment of Direct Intra-Myocardial Injection of Autologous Bone Marrow-derived Stromal Cells on Patients Undergoing Revascularization for Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) with Depressed Left Ventricular Function. The Principle Investigator is Dr. Keith A. Horvath, the Director of Cardiothoracic Surgery at the NHLBI and Chief of Cardiothoracic Surgery at Suburban Hospital, where he leads the NIH Heart Center. Details of the study are available here: http://clinicalstudies.info.nih.gov/cgi/wais/bold032001.pl?A_12-H-0078.html@mesenchymal@@@@.

The recently completed integrated version of CardioWise analysis software has been installed at the NIH; and, Dr. Justin Miller, and Dr. Ming Li, both research fellows in the Cardiothoracic Surgery Research Program of the NHLBI, have been trained on its operation and use. They were assigned to the project by Dr. Horvath and Dr. Andrew Arai, Chief of the Advanced Cardiovascular Imaging Research Group in the NHLBIs Division of Intramural Research. CardioWise has completed validation testing of its software and the analyses of the first two patient cardiac MRI (CMR) data sets are in process. The patients who enrolled in the protocol received one baseline CMR scan and three additional follow-up CMR scans. Those CMR scans are being analyzed by CardioWise analysis software and the analyses will be compared to determine whether stem cell injections can improve the contractile function of the heart muscle by repairing damaged tissue.

The installation at the NIH under a Beta site agreement signed in 2014 marks the first clinical test of CardioWise MPSA software outside of Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, where it was developed. CardioWise has obtained the exclusive worldwide license for the patent-pending software and accompanying normal hearts database from Washington University in St. Louis. The companys MPSA software is uniquely capable of analyzing the three-dimensional motion of the heart that is acquired from cardiac MRI images and then comparing the analysis at 15,300 points to the motion of a normal heart model. The analysis detects portions of the heart that are moving abnormally and demonstrates to what degree the heart muscle has been affected. Since MRI uses no ionizing radiation or contrast, it is completely non-invasive and poses minimal risk to the patient. This allows the patient to be followed through the course of treatment and to measure outcomes of interventions such as the stem cell therapy currently being evaluated. In the near future, CardioWise MPSA may aid doctors to determine what intervention, such as surgery, stent insertion, or drug is most appropriate for the patient who presents with cardiovascular disease symptoms.

CardioWise is commercializing patent-pending, non-invasive Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Imaging (CMR) analysis software that produces a quantified 4D image model of the human heart, called Multiparametric Strain Analysis (MPSA). CardioWise heart analysis software combined with cardiac MRI is a single diagnostic test that is able to provide quantitative analysis of the myocardium, arteries and valves with an unprecedented level of detail. It has the opportunity to become the new gold standard of care for heart health analysis. CardioWise is a VIC Technology Venture Development portfolio company.

See the article here:
CardioWise Completes Installation of the First Totally Integrated CardioWise Analysis Software at National Institutes ...

Stem Cell Therapy Using Bone Marrow – Howard Beach, Ozone Park, Queens NY – Dr. Benjamin Bieber, MD – Video

By Uncategorized


Stem Cell Therapy Using Bone Marrow - Howard Beach, Ozone Park, Queens NY - Dr. Benjamin Bieber, MD
http://www.crossbaypmr.com Stem Cell Therapy Using Bone Marrow - Howard Beach, Ozone Park, Queens NY - Dr. Benjamin Bieber, MD - Regenerative Medicine Phone:...

By: wpv wpvmedia

Read the original here:
Stem Cell Therapy Using Bone Marrow - Howard Beach, Ozone Park, Queens NY - Dr. Benjamin Bieber, MD - Video

Coach gambles on unproven stem cell therapy

By Uncategorized

Jeff Dienhart took a deep breath. Painfully. The tubes from his oxygen tank shifted slightly near his nostrils as he began to speak.

"I was originally diagnosed with cystic fibrosis at the age of 17," Dienhart said matter-of-factly. "At that time, life expectancy for someone with my disease was to live into your early 20s."

At 44, Dienhart, an assistant coach for the Lafayette Central Catholic Knights girls basketball team, long ago beat those odds.

He crouched forward and struggled to take another deep breath, no longer able to hide an illness he used to be embarrassed about.

Central Catholic assistant girls basketball coaches Jeff Dienhart, foreground, and Dave Crandall watch the action as the Knights host Guerin Catholic on Jan. 30. It was the first game for Dienhart in quite a while, as he had spent the better part of the month of January in the hospital. Dienhart is set to receive stem cell treatment in the Dominican Republic to hopefully assist in his battle with cystic fibrosis. (Photo: John Terhune/Journal & Courier)

"Basically, his day is: Wake up, take care of himself and go to basketball," said his son, Drew Dienhart.

The coach has defied other statistics as well. The odds suggest, for example, that many men with cystic fibrosis are infertile, yet Dienhart fathered two children.

Nor are CF sufferers supposed to be able to play marathon rounds of golf.

"I would tell the doctor he played 36 holes of golf in 90-degree heat," said Dienhart's mother, Kathy Dienhart. "The doctor would tell me I made that up. My husband and I came to the conclusion that he is a fighter. Odds don't mean anything to him."

All of which may go some way toward explaining why Dienhart now is preparing to take the riskiest gamble of his life to try to extend his life before the inexorable slow-motion suffocation of cystic fibrosis finally takes its toll.

Originally posted here:
Coach gambles on unproven stem cell therapy

Stem Cell Treatment for Mr. Hockey Stirs Controversy

By Stem Cell Treatment

Any hockey fan would recognize Mr. Hockey Gordie Howe and remember the former Red Wing star as one of the toughest players in the history of the game. His name is famously, if somewhat incorrectly, connected to the unofficial Gordie Howe Hat Trick, in which a player records a goal, an assist, and a fight in the same game. His remarkable career spanned six decades, including a record-setting five in the NHL, and his contributions to the game have lasted long after his retirement.

Struck By Illness

Sadly, Howe suffered a severe stroke in October of 2014. Friends, family, and fans expected the worst. The 86-year-old legends condition seemed to deteriorate rapidly. When he was released to his daughters home in Texas, many people thought Mr. Hockey would not survive long. Then surprising news of significant recovery began to surface. On February 6, Howe made an almost unbelievable public appearance and looked quite well considering what hed been through.

Controversial Treatment

It is now being widely reported that, in December, Howe underwent a stem cell treatment in Mexico. The treatment was developed by San Diego-based Stemedica. Since then, Mr. Hockey has been on the mend. But many experts are questioning whether it was the stem cell treatment, and whether such treatments are safe and reliable. Stem cell treatments are brand new, and many medical professionals believe the results are unproven.

As the debate rages on, the Howe family and many other people in dire medical straits now believe that stem cell treatment can give them hope for meaningful treatment and recovery.

Read the rest here:
Stem Cell Treatment for Mr. Hockey Stirs Controversy

Twitter the right prescription for sharing health research: UBC study

By Stem Cell Doctors

Using Twitter can help prepare doctors to answer questions from their patients, researchers from the University of British Columbia say.

The study, Finally, We Can Grow Spines: Stem Cells on Twitter, was presented Saturday at the 2015 Annual Meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, claims an increasing number of physicians are embracing social media.

"Many people go online for health information, but little research has been done on who is participating in these discussions or what is being shared," Prof. Julie Robillard, the studys lead author, said.

Robillard and fourth-year psychology student Emanuel Cabral spent six months monitoring conversations on Twitter surrounding stem cell research related to spinal cord injury and Parkinson's disease. They found the majority of tweets were about research findings, particularly the ones perceived as medical breakthroughs.

The study also found that users tweeting about spinal cord injury talked about clinical trials, while users who tweet about Parkinson's disease mostly talked about new tools or methods being developed to conduct research.

"We expected to see debate on stem cell controversy," says Robillard. "But people are sharing ideas of hope and expectations much more than anything else."

View original post here:
Twitter the right prescription for sharing health research: UBC study

Cynata Therapeutics to provide status of stem cell product manufacturing technology

By Stem Cell Medicine

(MENAFN - ProactiveInvestors)

() has been granted an ASX trading halt regarding the status of its Cymerus mesenchymal stem cell product manufacture.

The halt will last until the earlier of the announcement being made or the start of trade on Thursday 19th February 2015.

Its Cymerus technology enables large scale production of mesenchymal stem cells from a single one-time donor a pivotal requirement for pharmaceutical companies moving into stem cell medicine.

Earlier this month it partner with the University of Western Australia to test its stem cells in lung fibrosis disease model.

Proactive Investors Australia is the market leader in producing news articles and research reports on ASX Small and Mid-cap stocks with distribution in Australia UK North America and Hong Kong / China.

Read the original here:
Cynata Therapeutics to provide status of stem cell product manufacturing technology

Human neural stem cells restore cognitive functions impaired by chemotherapy

By Stem Cell Clinic

Human neural stem cell treatments are showing promise for reversing learning and memory deficits after chemotherapy, according to UC Irvine researchers.

In preclinical studies using rodents, they found that stem cells transplanted one week after the completion of a series of chemotherapy sessions restored a range of cognitive functions, as measured one month later using a comprehensive platform of behavioral testing. In contrast, rats not treated with stem cells showed significant learning and memory impairment.

The frequent use of chemotherapy to combat multiple cancers can produce severe cognitive dysfunction, often referred to as "chemobrain," which can persist and manifest in many ways long after the end of treatments in as many as 75 percent of survivors -- a problem of particular concern with pediatric patients.

"Our findings provide the first solid evidence that transplantation of human neural stem cells can be used to reverse chemotherapeutic-induced damage of healthy tissue in the brain," said Charles Limoli, a UCI professor of radiation oncology.

Study results appear in the Feb. 15 issue of Cancer Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.

Many chemotherapeutic agents used to treat disparate cancer types trigger inflammation in the hippocampus, a cerebral region responsible for many cognitive abilities, such as learning and memory. This inflammation can destroy neurons and other cell types in the brain.

Additionally, these toxic compounds damage the connective structure of neurons, called dendrites and axons, and alter the integrity of synapses -- the vital links that permit neurons to pass electrical and chemical signals throughout the brain. Limoli compares the process to a tree being pruned of its branches and leaves.

Consequently, the affected neurons are less able to transmit important neural messages that underpin learning and memory.

"In many instances, people experience severe cognitive impairment that's progressive and debilitating," Limoli said. "For pediatric cancer patients, the results can be particularly devastating, leading to reduced IQ, asocial behavior and diminished quality of life."

For the UCI study, adult neural stem cells were transplanted into the brains of rats after chemotherapy. They migrated throughout the hippocampus, where they survived and differentiated into multiple neural cell types. Additionally, these cells triggered the secretion of neurotrophic growth factors that helped rebuild wounded neurons.

See original here:
Human neural stem cells restore cognitive functions impaired by chemotherapy

→←