Stem Cell Clinic

The ethical, legal and political minefield of stem cell research

By Stem Cell Medical Center

5 hours ago Mines. Credit: The District

Human stem cell research holds promise for combating some of the most recalcitrant of diseases and for regenerating damaged bodies. It is also an ethical, legal and political minefield.

Human stem cell research is a thriving field of science worldwide holding promise for treating diseases such as diabetes, multiple sclerosis and Parkinson's disease, as well as for furthering our understanding of how we develop from the very earliest stages of life.

But using human embryonic stem (ES) cells to improve the health of other humans has also been the subject of comment, criticism and even court cases. Time magazine dubbed the "complexity and drama" surrounding these cells as the "Great Debate".

Most notably, the field witnessed the 2001 restriction on funding for ES cell research in the USA by President Bush and the lifting of the ban in 2009 by President Obama. Then in 2011, the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) banned the patenting of inventions derived from human eggs or their equivalent on the basis that they were human embryos, the commercial exploitation of which "would be contrary to morality."

While religious bodies and green lobbyists use patent law to elevate the status of the embryo, scientists argue that doing so threatens research that might benefit the health of millions.

International law permits states to refuse patents where necessary to protect morality in their territory. "Yet, how does a patent examiner or a court assess whether an invention is immoral to the point that, unlike other inventions, it can't be patented? That is a particularly difficult question," said Dr Kathy Liddell from the Faculty of Law. "It is a conundrum that runs headlong into the complex intersection of law and morality, intellectual property and philosophy."

It is precisely this intersection that a new research centre in the Faculty will investigate. The new centre funded by the Hatton Trust and the WYNG Foundation will focus on medical law, ethics and policy relating to controversial issues such as patenting inventions involving DNA and body parts, the regulation of medical research and technologies, assisted reproduction and surrogacy, and the governance of 'big data' in the medical field, as well as the regulatory and legislative issues that stem cell research is likely to meet en route from the lab to the clinic.

"These areas need to be considered not as a post hoc rationalisation of events that have already happened, but alongside and ahead of technological advances," said Liddell, who is centrally involved in the new centre, as well as being Deputy Director of the Faculty's Centre for Intellectual Property and Law. "To complement the extraordinary science that is happening, we need to consider the ramifications of biomedical advances in a thorough and timely way."

Liddell's own research interests relate to the pathway that leads from the research bench to clinically effective treatments. She sees the law's role as facilitating and supporting this pathway in morally responsible ways.

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The ethical, legal and political minefield of stem cell research

Beverly Hills Stem Cell Clinic with Dr. Raj Now Replacing Knee Cartilage Nonoperatively with Stem Cell Procedures

By Stem Cell Clinic

Beverly Hills, California (PRWEB) October 28, 2014

Dr. Raj of the Beverly Hills Orthopedic Institute is now offering stem cell procedures which can help replace knee cartilage. The procedures are outpatient, low risk and highly effective at providing pain relief. Call (310) 247-0466 for more information and scheduling.

Hundreds of thousands of knee replacement procedures are performed annually in the US. There are potential risks with the procedure that may be extremely serious, including blood clots or infection. Therefore, the joint replacement should always be considered as a last resort procedure.

With the advent of effective stem cell procedures, known as regenerative medicine, patients are often able to delay or even avoid the need for a knee replacement. Dr. Raj performs the procedures as an outpatient, and they involve either bone marrow derived procedures or amniotic derived therapy. The amniotic fluid provides an immense source of concentrated stem cells, and there is no fetal tissue involved. Therefore, ethical concerns are avoided.

Platelet rich plasma therapy is also offered for knee pain and arthritis. Recent studies at leading institutions such as Hospital for Special Surgery have shown the procedures are able to preserve knee cartilage and possibly even restore it. Pain relief is impressive in the vast majority of patients.

Appointments are readily available with Beverly Hills Orthopedic Institute to discuss options. Dr. Raj is one of the best orthopedic doctors in Beverly Hills and Los Angeles. He is Double Board Certified, and is an ABC News Medical Correspondent along with a WebMD expert. Call (310) 247-0466 for more information and scheduling. Visit http://drhipandknee.com/stemcell/ to find out more about the procedures.

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Beverly Hills Stem Cell Clinic with Dr. Raj Now Replacing Knee Cartilage Nonoperatively with Stem Cell Procedures

San Diego Stem Cell Clinic, Telehealth, Now Offering Knee Procedures for Cartilage Restoration

By Uncategorized

San Diego, California (PRWEB) October 28, 2014

The top stem cell clinic in San Diego, Telehealth, is now offering regenerative medicine procedures for the knee to help restore cartilage and avoid the need for joint replacement. The procedures are outpatient and performed by Board Certified doctors at Telehealth. Call (888) 828-4575 for more information and scheduling.

Hundreds of thousands of knee replacements are performed every year in the US, with most being extremely successful. However, it is a major surgery and there is a chance of complications such as infection or blood clot. Therefore, it is advisable to consider a stem cell procedure for the arthritic knee in an effort to delay or avoid the procedure.

Telehealth provides the procedures with several options, including platelet rich plasma therapy, bone marrow or fat derived stem cells, along with amniotic derived procedures. All of the procedures are outpatient and low risk.

In most cases, the procedures are covered in whole or partly by insurance. Telehealth will perform an insurance verification prior to one's procedure. The Board Certified doctors at the stem cell clinic in San Diego treat patients from a broad area in Southern California. There are several locations including La Jolla, Orange and Upland CA.

In addition to stem cell procedures for knee arthritis, TeleHealth also provides regenerative medicine options for tendon and ligament injuries, sports injuries along with hip, shoulder and ankle arthritis.

For those interested in avoiding knee replacement with a procedure that can potentially preserve or repair arthritic cartilage, call Telehealth at (888) 828-4575 and visit http://stemcelltherapyincalifornia.com/ for more information.

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San Diego Stem Cell Clinic, Telehealth, Now Offering Knee Procedures for Cartilage Restoration

My Pet World: Stem cell treatments show promise for some feline health issues

By Uncategorized

Q: You recently wrote about stem cell research, and I understand that stem cell therapy is being used to treat inflammatory bowel disease in cats. Do you have more details?

A: The Winn Feline Foundation has funded the research of Dr. Craig Webb and Dr. Tracy Webb of Colorado State University College of Veterinary Medicine to study the use of stem cells to treat inflammatory bowel disease in cats. Early results are promising.

Stem cell research in cats doesn't stop there. Dr. Glenn Olah, president of the Winn Feline Foundation, notes that Winn also funded stem cell studies to treat feline asthma and kidney disease. Results are hopeful, but it's simply too early to offer definitive answers.

"In some ways, stem cell studies in pets are ahead of (those in) people."

Q: About a month ago, I adopted a beautiful Burmese after she romanced me at the shelter. Once we got home, she wanted nothing to do with me. It's not that she isn't friendly. She loves my son and even sleeps with him. When I get up early to feed her, she stays away until I've left the room. My son suggested that the cat harbors resentment toward me because I took her from her cat friends. What can do to improve the situation?

A: "The good news is that it's very unlikely the cat harbors any resentment," said Winn Feline board member and feline veterinarian Dr. Drew Weigner, of Atlanta. "The bad news for you -- but good news for the cat and your son -- is that they developed a fast friendship.

Here are tips that might help the cat warm up to you:

Sit on the floor in an empty room with her. Close the door, but provide an empty box or two for the cat to hop into. Then, simply watch TV, or read a children's story out loud. Cats sometimes like that soft sing-song voice we tend to use when reading children's stories.

Wait until the cat comes to you. It may take several days, but eventually curiosity will out.

Next, take over feeding the cat, even if she waits for you to leave the room to eat.

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My Pet World: Stem cell treatments show promise for some feline health issues

Toxin-producing stem cells fight brain tumors where it matters most

By Stem Cell Treatment

When it comes to new tumor-fighting treatments, its often as much about location, location, location as it is the actual drug interaction. Cytoxin-producing stem cells produced by scientists at Harvard University lodge at the site of brain tumor removal to continually attack remaining tumor cells. As an alternative to drug treatments that can be invasive or ineffective, the researchers saw promising results against glioblastomas, which hold the dubious distinction of being the most common and most fatal brain cancer.

When surgery is performed to remove a brain tumor, tumor cells are left behind. The common course of treatment to eradicate those remaining cells involves inserting a catheter directly into the brain to dispenses drugs which would otherwise not make it through the blood-brain barrier. However, one particular toxin, Pseudomonas exotoxin (PE), while effective and tolerated by humans, has a very short half-life and when washed over the area where the tumor was removed, degrades before significant interaction occurs with the target cells.

The research team under the direction of Khalid Shah instead created stem cells that were capable of independently producing this cytotoxin. Prior to this research, PE and other toxins had been engineered to not enter (and thus subsequently destroy) any human cells they came into contact with. However, Shahs stem cells would need to have this resistance when the toxin was by design already inside the cell.

After genetically constructing a stem cell that produced a toxin that it also could resist, the next design trick involved encapsulating those cells inside a gel matrix that the lab had previously used to test other tumor-fighting techniques. Their previous research found that the matrix kept the cells and resulting toxins in close proximity to the tumor cells.

This cell-doped gel can then be placed within the cavity created when a tumor is removed and could potentially remove the need to insert catheters for recurring drug treatments. To test this technique, mice first were given different strains of glioblastomas, which is important because not all strains respond in the same way to treatments. Researchers then removed the tumors and inserted the stem cell matrix.

When mice treated in this fashion were compared with those who received the same drug via catheter, and those mice who only had surgery, median survival for those three groups fell out significantly in favor of the stem cell group at 79 days versus 48 for those receiving catheter treatment, and 26 for the control. Additionally, no tumors regrew in those mice with the stem cell matrix, a result not seen in the other groups.

The treatment could have some promising applications, such as engineering cells to dispense multiple toxins, or even based directly off the patients tumor. Shah predicts there could be clinical trials for this technique within five years.

The research was originally published in the journal Stem Cells.

Source: Harvard University

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Toxin-producing stem cells fight brain tumors where it matters most

Cellular Dynamics receives contract to make eye cells

By Stem Cell Treatment

Cellular Dynamics International(CDI) is getting a $1.2 million contract from the National Eye Institute, part of the National Institutes of Health, as part of an effort to fight macular degeneration, a condition that leads to loss of vision.

By reprogramming skin and blood samples from patients with age-related macular degeneration, CDI will create induced pluripotent stem cells and will turn them into human retina cells. The cells will be put back into the patient's eyes to treat the disorder.

Ten patients have been chosen for a pilot study of the process by the National Eye Institute, CDI said.

The Madison company said the process, called autologous cellular therapy, will be the first in the U.S. using a patient's own reprogrammed cells.

Publicly traded CDI was founded by UW-Madison stem cell pioneer James Thomson in 2004 and manufactures large quantities of human stem cells for drug discovery, safety screening and for stem cell banks.

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Cellular Dynamics receives contract to make eye cells

World Stem Cells Clinic Team of Doctors and StaffStem Cell …

By Stem Cell Doctors

World Stem Cells Clinic Team

Dr. Ernesto Gutierrez is a published and extensively educated physician. He is a graduate from the Universidad Anhuac Poniente, School of Medicine in Huixquilucan, Mexico and additionally holds a Masters Degree in Aesthetic and Anti-Aging Medicine from the Instituto Mexicano de Medicina Antienvejecimiento y Esttica, Guadalajara, Mexico.

His studies continued, with rotations in both Florida and Las Vegas. One of the significant aspects of Dr. Gutierrezs training background is his postgraduate training in Age Management medicine. His well rounded approach in the area of whole person medicine expands on the teams expertise to address a wide range of medical issues. This affords you the opportunity to maximizing your stem cell therapy and overall health. His specific medical interests include childhood disorders, such as Autistic Spectral disorder, which began during medical training with additional coursework in Prenatal Vigilance and Birth Defects Prevention presented by Laboratorios Silanes Toluca Mexico, 6 years ago. He holds Diplomat status and a Masters degree in Aesthetic and Anti-Aging Medicine. Dr. Gutierrez has spent considerable time in additional training in the US, with two specialty organization and is certified in Age Management Medicine from Cenegenics Medical Institute, Las Vegas, Nevada. He was a collaborator on two published studies including one concerning hematopoetic stem cell transplantation, at the Instituto Nacional de Cancerologia. His bilingual English and Spanish skills, both in medical and conversational applications, are excellent. Dr. Gutierrez has a thorough understanding of both the North and South American medical systems. As a patient you will experience his level of medical practice excellence.

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Dr. Fredy Sansores completed his subspecialty training in hematology at the prestigious Centro Medico Nacional 20 de Noviembre in Mexico City. This institution is one of the most important teaching and research hospitals in the country. It is ranked as one of the most coveted residency positions for postgraduate medical training, in Latin America. His inclination towards hematology started during his specialty training in internal medicine where he was the lead professor for the hematology module in a nation-wide continuing medical education program for general practitioners.

During his residency Dr. Sansores participated in numerous research papers involving bone marrow and autologous stem cell transplantation. This has enabled him to expand and accelerate our development of cutting edge therapeutic research and clinical therapies. The doctor has also participated in cord blood cryobiology which is a perfect complement to our new cryo banking division, for our patients stem cells. Currently, Dr. Sansores is also the lead physician responsible for the blood bank, in Playa del Carmen. This level of laboratory responsibility is a perfect complement to the strict requirements of our cellular facility. We are very fortunate to have Dr. Sansoress experience and expertise in stem cell treatments as part of our team effort to provide the superior quality of care that has distinguished World Stem Cells Clinic as an industry leader, since its inception.

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Dr. Marcial Maciel, MD is an internationally experienced physician with an extensive background in scientific research and applications as well as in clinical patient management. Maintaining a full academic scholarship, Marcial Maciel graduated as one of the top students in his class from one of the currently renowned medical universities in the country, Anhuac University. He graduated with an outstanding performance diploma his final exam of his career. Also, he achieved a high score in his first United States Medial Licensing Examination.

He has worked the intensive care unit at Floyd Medical Center, Rome, GA United States; under supervision and evaluation of Brijh Singh MD and Neurological Surgery Clinical Training, Las Vegas, NV United States; under supervision of Yevgeniy Khavkin MD and Clinical Internship, University of Aachen, Aachen Germany in Anesthesiology, Emergency, Medicine, Neurology, General Surgery and OBGYN. Dr. Marcial Maciel is Fluent Spanish, English, German. Understands French and has publications and presentations on subject such as Restrictive cardiomyopathy as a socio-medical condition, oxygen levels analysis on rats immunized with modified neural peptides with spinal cord lesion, Immunization with neural-derived antigens inhibits lipid peroxidation alter spinal cord injury, factors that influence self medication for respiratory diseases in Caritas Center of Primary Medical Attention and others.

With his years of experience in clinical and research immunology as well as patient management, he is currently working at World Stem Cells Clinic as part of the specialized physicians team and also actively participates in the improvement and design of stem cell research protocols to provide the best care possible to the patients of World Stem Cells Clinic.

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Global Stem Cells Group Announces Launch of Official Regenestem Network Website

By Stem Cell Medicine

MIAMI (PRWEB) October 27, 2014

Global Stem Cells Group has announced the launch of the official Regenestem Network website, dedicated to promoting the worlds largest and most recognizable membership organization of regenerative medicine practitioners. The Regenestem Network was developed to promote the Miami-based companys global expansion program and establish affiliate representatives able to bring stem cell treatments, therapies, training courses and conferences to communities worldwide.

In order to become a part of the Regenestem Network, medical practitioners are required to have more than five years experience in the health care industry that includes experience in regenerative medicine. In return, network physicians are entitled to a myriad of benefits and advantages built into the Regenestem Network membership model, including:

Global Stem Cells Group Founder and CEO Benito Novas says that Regenestem Network members also enjoy royalty-free income by committing to the companys established protocols and proven system for the best patient outcomes. Additional benefits of the Regenestem Network membership model include:

Unlike a typical franchise agreement, if you decide to leave us someday we dont take your company away from you, Novas says. We build high quality partnerships with leading stem cell scientists and physicians around the world by establishing mutually beneficial relationships based on professional respect and collaboration.

For more information on the Regenestem Network, visit the Global Stem Cells Group website, email bnovas(at)stemcellsgroup(dot)com, or call 305-224-1858.

About the Global Stem Cells Group:

Global Stem Cells Group, Inc. is the parent company of six wholly owned operating companies dedicated entirely to stem cell research, training, products and solutions. Founded in 2012, the company combines dedicated researchers, physician and patient educators and solution providers with the shared goal of meeting the growing worldwide need for leading edge stem cell treatments and solutions. With a singular focus on this exciting new area of medical research, Global Stem Cells Group and its subsidiaries are uniquely positioned to become global leaders in cellular medicine.

Global Stem Cells Groups corporate mission is to make the promise of stem cell medicine a reality for patients around the world. With each of GSCGs six operating companies focused on a separate research-based mission, the result is a global network of state-of-the-art stem cell treatments.

To learn more about Global Stem Cells Group, Inc.s companies and for investor information, visit the Global Stem Cells Group website, email bnovas(at)regenestem(dot)com, or call 305-224-1858.

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Global Stem Cells Group Announces Launch of Official Regenestem Network Website

Stem Cell Treatment Centers | BioRegeneration Integrated …

By Stem Cell Medical Center

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The stem cell treatments provided at the BioRegeneration Integrated Medical Centre are there to help you overcome any medical problem you may be experiencing. Located in a beautiful setting, the Stem Cell Treatment Centers are the perfect place to recover from an illness and get back on your feet. We also provide intravenous nutrient therapy, in addition to the stem cell treatments to enhance the speed of recovery. A stem cell treatment has saved many lives in the past, and continues to provide hope to the hopeless.

The treatments offered by the center are truly novel and unlike that which is offered in many countries around the world. They provide many patients with the chance to greatly improve their health in the most unique way possible. Every year stem cell treatments are being approved for more illness. So far there is full approval for most orthopedic cases including arthritis, sports injuries, ligament tears and fracture non-unions. There is also approval for Diabetes, Critical Limb Ischemia, Erectile Dysfunction, Emphysema and Chronic Bronchitis. Many other illnesses are still in the trial phase and the results are encouraging.

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Casa Cassam Villa &

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Stem Cell Research Center – Rutgers University

By Stem Cell Clinic

Topics Latest Publications Moore, J.C., M.H. Sheldon, and R.P. Hart (2012) Biobanking in the Era of the Stem Cell: A Technical and Operational Guide, Colloquium Series on Stem Cell Biology, Morgan & Claypool Publishers, DOI: 10.4199/C00059ED1V01Y201206SCB002 : 86 pp. Ricupero, C. L., Swerdel, M. R., & Hart, R. P. (2013). Epigenome analysis of pluripotent stem cells. Methods in molecular biology (Clifton, N.J.), 997, 203-16. PubMed Moore, J.C., K. Atze, P. Yeung, A.J. Toro-Ramos, C. Camarillo, K. Thompson, C.L. Ricupero, M. Brenneman, R.I. Cohen and R.P. Hart (2010) Efficient, high-throughput transfection of human embryonic stem cells., Stem Cell Res Ther 1: 23. Abstract | PubMed Lakshmipathy, U., J. Davila and R.P. Hart (2010) miRNA in pluripotent stem cells., Regen Med 5: 545-55. Abstract | PubMed Moore, J.C., S. Sadowy, M. Alikani, A.J. Toro-Ramos, M.R. Swerdel, R.P. Hart and R.I. Cohen (2010) A high-resolution molecular-based panel of assays for identification and characterization of human embryonic stem cell lines., Stem Cell Res 4: 92-106. Abstract | PubMed Goff, L.A., J. Davila, M.R. Swerdel, J.C. Moore, R.I. Cohen, H. Wu, Y.E. Sun and R.P. Hart (2009) Ago2 immunoprecipitation identifies predicted microRNAs in human embryonic stem cells and neural precursors., PLoS One 4: e7192. Abstract | PubMed SCRC Facilities Procedures requiring non-federally funded lab space : Derivation of new ESC lines Working with non-approved lines

With the new NIH Stem Cell Guidelines now in place, there is much less of a restriction on working with NIH-approved stem cell lines in a federally-funded research laboratory. However, there are still some procedures that are not allowed in a federally-funded environment.

Since the SCRC was built without federal funds these procedures may be performed in this laboratory. Prior to planning such projects, please contact Dr. Martin Grumet, director of the SCRC. Your project will need approval from the Rutgers-UMDNJ ESCRO committee before work may begin.

The New Jersey Stem Cell Symposium is held each September at a convenient location in central New Jersey to bring together researchers from academics and industry. The focus is on current stem cell research and novel technologies. Opportunities for New Jersey scientists to present their work will be offered.

The 2013 Symposium will be held at the Bridgewater Marriott on Tuesday, September 24.

The Rutgers Stem Cell Research Center has partnered with the Rutgers University Cell & DNA Repository (RUCDR) to establish the NIMH Stem Cell Center. This new service of the RUCDR will archive source cells for making iPSC, will make iPSC from cells representing mental health disorders, and distribute both types of cells to NIMH-funded researchers.

With support from the New Jersey Commission on Science & Technology, the Rutgers Stem Cell Research Center has hosted several hands-on training courses in stem cell biology. For information on upcoming scheduled courses, please use this link.

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Stem Cell Research Center - Rutgers University

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