Stem Cell Clinic

Clinical Trial Evaluates Safety of Stem Cell Transplantation in Spine

Contact Information

Available for logged-in reporters only

Newswise Researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine have launched a clinical trial to investigate the safety of neural stem cell transplantation in patients with chronic spinal cord injuries. This Phase I clinical trial is recruiting eight patients for the 5-year study.

The goal of this study is to evaluate the safety of transplanting neural stem cells into the spine for what one day could be a treatment for spinal cord injuries, said Joseph Ciacci, MD, principal investigator and neurosurgeon at UC San Diego Health System. The studys immediate goal, however, is to determine whether injecting these neural stem cells into the spine of patients with spinal cord injury is safe.

Related goals of the clinical trial include evaluating the stem cell grafts survival and the effectiveness of immunosuppression drugs to prevent rejection. The researchers will also look for possible therapeutic benefits such as changes in motor and sensory function, bowel and bladder function, and pain levels.

Patients who are accepted for the study will have spinal cord injury to the T7-T12 level of the spines vertebrae and will have incurred their injury between one and two years ago.

All participants will receive the stem cell injection. The scientists will use a line of human stem cells approved by the U.S. FDA for human trials in patients with chronic traumatic spinal injuries. These cells were previously tested for safety in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

Since stem cell transplantation for spinal cord injury is just beginning clinical tests, unforeseen risks, complications or unpredictable outcomes are possible. Careful clinical testing is essential to ensure that this type of therapy is developed responsibly with appropriate management of the risks that all medical therapies may present.

Pre-clinical studies of these cells by Ciacci and Martin Marsala, MD, at the UC San Diego School of Medicine, showed that these grafted neural stem cells improved motor function in spinal cord injured rats with minimal side effects indicating that human clinical trials are now warranted.

This clinical trial at UC San Diego Health System is funded by Neuralstem, Inc. and was launched and supported by the UC San Diego Sanford Stem Cell Clinical Center. The Center was recently created to advance leading-edge stem cell medicine and science, protect and counsel patients, and accelerate innovative stem cell research into patient diagnostics and therapy.

Continue reading here:
Clinical Trial Evaluates Safety of Stem Cell Transplantation in Spine

A stem cell study shows promising results for severe stroke patients

An injection of stem cells into the brains of recent stroke victims might help their long-term recovery, according to a promising but preliminary study out of the United Kingdoms Imperial College London.

A strokes occurs when there is an interruption or reduction of blood flow to the brain. The particular stem cells used in this treatment could, in theory, encourage the growth of new blood vessels in the brain, as the BBC explained. Blood vessel growth could help patients suffering from a severe stroke regain the ability to walk, talk and take care of themselves to a greater degree, and with greater speed, than previously possible during recovery. But again, this is just a preliminary study a guide for researchers to a potential new path for stem-cell based stroke treatments.

Working on the hypothesis that this approach mighthave an effect on more recent stroke cases, researcherstreatedpatients within a week of their strokes. The stroke patients in the pilot study demonstrated signs of recovery over a six-month period after treatment. But the small study of just five patients did not demonstrate whether that improvement came from the therapy or from the hospital care the stroke patients also received during the six-month time frame.

However, the sample demonstrated a somewhat remarkable survival and tentative recovery rate, no matter the cause.Four patients of the five were recovering from the most severe form of stroke, which overall has an extremely low rate of patients who survive and can eventually live independently. At the end of the study, all four of those patients were alive. Three were able to live independently.

The next step, the ICLs consultant neurologist Paul Bentley told the Guardian, would be a larger, controlled and randomized study with 50 patients. That study, for which the group is currently seeking funding, would look to discernwhether the pilot studys promising results really had anything to do with the treatment.

Abby Ohlheiser is a general assignment reporter for The Washington Post. Before that, she wrote about news, politics, and religion for the Atlantic's Wire, and covered breaking news for Slate. She also has bylines at Religion and Politics, the Revealer, and the Columbia Journalism Review.

Read this article:
A stem cell study shows promising results for severe stroke patients

Global Stem Cells Group and Regenestem Announce Launch of Stem Cell Treatment Center in Cozumel, Mexico

Miami (PRWEB) August 10, 2014

Regenestem, a division of the Global Stem Cells Group, Inc., has announced the launch of a new stem cell treatment center in Cozumel, Mexico, offering the most advanced protocols and techniques in cellular medicine to patients from around the world.

A team of stem cell medical professionals led by Rafael Moguel, M.D., an advocate and pioneer in the use of stem cell therapies to treat a range of medical conditions, will provide cutting edge therapies and follow-up treatment under the Regenestem brand.

In June, Global Stem Cells Group opened the Regenestem Asia Clinic in Manila, Philippines, adding a new state-of-the-art regenerative medicine facility to the company's growing global presence that includes clinics in Miami, New York, Los Angeles, and Dubai. Regenestem Asia facility marks the first Regenestem brand clinic in the Philippines.

Regenestem provides stem cell treatments for a variety of diseases and conditions, including arthritis, autism, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), diabetes, and multiple sclerosis at various facilities worldwide. Regenestem Mexico will have an international staff experienced in administering the leading cellular therapies available.

Regenestem Mexico is certified for the medical tourism market, and staff physicians are board-certified or board-eligible. Regenestem clinics provide services in more than 10 specialties, attracting patients from the United States and around the world.

The Global Stem Cells Group and Regenestem are committed to the highest of standards in service and technology, expert and compassionate care, and a philosophy of exceeding the expectations of their international patients.

For more information, visit the Regenestem website, email info(at)regenstem(dot)com, or call 305-224-1858.

About Regenestem:

Regenestem, a division of the Global Stem Cells Group, Inc., is an international medical practice association committed to researching and producing comprehensive stem cell treatments for patients worldwide. Having assembled a highly qualified staff of medical specialistsprofessionals trained in the latest cutting-edge techniques in cellular medicineRegenestem continues to be a leader in delivering the latest protocols in the adult stem cell arena.

Here is the original post:
Global Stem Cells Group and Regenestem Announce Launch of Stem Cell Treatment Center in Cozumel, Mexico

Stem cell treatment holds hope for better stroke recovery

A new first-of-its kind pilot study has revealed that stem cell treatment can significantly improve recovery from stroke in humans.

The therapy uses a type of cell called CD34+ cells, a set of stem cells in the bone marrow that give rise to blood cells and blood vessel lining cells. Rather than developing into brain cells themselves, the cells are thought to release chemicals that trigger the growth of new brain tissue and new blood vessels in the area damaged by stroke.

The patients were treated within seven days of a severe stroke, in contrast to several other stem cell trials, most of which have treated patients after six months or later. The Imperial researchers believe early treatment might improve the chances of a better recovery.

Dr Soma Banerjee, Consultant in Stroke Medicine at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, said that the treatment appeared to be safe and that it's feasible to treat patients early when they might be more likely to benefit.

However, it's too early to draw definitive conclusions about the effectiveness of the therapy and more tests to work out the best dose and timescale for treatment before starting larger trials, she further added.

The study is published in the journal Stem Cells Translational Medicine.

(Posted on 09-08-2014)

Here is the original post:
Stem cell treatment holds hope for better stroke recovery

Stem cell hope for stroke victims

Brain damage caused by strokes could be repaired through the use of stem cells in a discovery that may revolutionise treatment, a study has suggested.

Researchers at Imperial College London found that injecting a patient's stem cells into their brain may be able to change the lives of the tens of thousands of people who suffer strokes each year.

Their results have been called "one of the most exciting recent developments in stroke research".

Doctors said the procedure could become routine in 10 years after larger trials are conducted to examine its effectiveness.

Researcher Dr Paul Bentley, from the college's Department of Medicine, said: "Currently, the main form of treatment is an unblocking of the blood vessel, and that only helps one-third of the patients who are treated and only 10 per cent are eligible anyway. So we said, 'What about the other 90 per cent?' "

The team targeted patients who had suffered severe strokes involving a clot in a blood vessel in the middle of the brain. Typically, there is a high mortality rate in these patients and those who survive are often severely disabled, unable to walk, talk, feed or dress themselves. The experimental procedure was carried out on five such patients, aged 40 to 70, all of whom showed improvement over the following six months, and three were living independently.

Dr Madina Kara, a neuroscientist at the Stroke Association, said: "This is one of the most exciting recent developments in stroke research. However, it's still early days in stem cell research, but the findings could lead to new treatments for stroke patients in the future.

"In the UK, someone has a stroke every three and a half minutes, and around 58 per cent of stroke survivors are left with a disability."

The experimental procedure involved harvesting the patient's own bone marrow, which was then sent to a specialist laboratory so specific stem cells, called CD34+, could be selected. The patient then has a wire inserted into the area of the brain damage. Once there, the stem cells are released and the wire retracted. During the trials the whole process took half a day, but it is hoped that with refinement it could be reduced.

It is thought the cells work in two ways: by growing into small blood vessels that allow the brain to grow new nerves and brain tissue surrounding them, and by releasing anti-inflammatory chemicals that encourage tissue repair.

Read the rest here:
Stem cell hope for stroke victims

Cell Separation Technologies Market Expected to Reach USD 3.3 Billion Globally in 2019: Transparency Market Research

ALBANY, New York, August 8, 2014 /PRNewswire/ --

According to a new market report published by Transparency Market Research "Cell Separation Technologies Market (Technology: Gradient Centrifugation, MACS and FACS; Application: Stem Cell Research, Immunology, Neuroscience and Cancer Research) - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast, 2013 - 2019", the global cell separation technologies market was valued at USD 1.7 billion in 2012 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 9.7% from 2013 to 2019, to reach an estimated value of USD 3.3 billion in 2019.

Browse the full Cell Separation TechnologiesMarket Report at http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/cell-separation-technologies.html

Cells play an important role in the field of microbiology, biotechnology and bioscience which have wide application in pharmaceuticals and healthcare industries. Taking into consideration the increasing demand for cell therapies to treat chronic diseases, research activities targeting cellular therapies have increased tremendously in the last decade. Growth in cell therapy oriented research has escalated demand for cell separation technologies worldwide.

Out of the various types of technologies available in the market, magnetic activated cell sorting (MACS) technology was the major technology segment in 2012, with market share of more than 42.5% in the global cell separation technologies market. Further, fluorescence activated cell sorting (FACS) technology is estimated to capture the market share of rest of the technology segments during the forecast period owing to increased adoption of fluorescence activated cell sorting technology into cell purity sensitive research areas. It is estimated that the global FACS market will reach USD 1,078.5 billion in 2019 growing at a CAGR of 13.9% from 2013 to 2019.

Stem cell research was the major application segment by revenue in the cell separation technologies market in the year 2012. Rising demand for cell therapy and predictable potential of stem cells in the chronic disease treatment have raised the stem cell research activities globally and thereby has resulted in swift growth of the overall cell separation technologies market.

Related & Recently Published Reports by Transparency Market Research

Geographically, North America was the market leader in the global cell separation technologies market in 2012 mainly owing to availability of research funds, highly developed research infrastructure and higher rates of adoption of newer technologies in the practice. Further, growth of the North American cell separation technologies market is driven by factors such as technological advancement, higher healthcare spending and availability of supportive economy to conduct research. In addition, Asia-Pacific is estimated to be a potential market due to rapidly developing healthcare infrastructure on the basis of rapidly increasing medical tourism industry in the Asian countries, mainly in India and Malaysia, increased government support for biotech research and development and large pool of patients suffering from chronic diseases. Some of the key participants operating in this market include BD Bioscience, EMD Millipore, Mitenyi Biotec GmbH, and STEMCELL Technologies and Life Technologies (Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc.).

The global cell separation technologies market is segmented as follows:

Cell Separation Technologies Market, by Technology

Originally posted here:
Cell Separation Technologies Market Expected to Reach USD 3.3 Billion Globally in 2019: Transparency Market Research

Due to a radical new approach by stem cell bank BioEden future generations could be guaranteed a stem cell match

(PRWEB UK) 9 August 2014

Stem cell therapy and treatments continue to move on in finding cures for diseases that in the past were thought to be incurable. The success of stem cell treatment and therapy relies to a great extent on the ability for the patient to have a stem cell match. Although stem cell banking has been available for a number of years, the cost for many has been a barrier.

Specialist stem cell bank BioEden who operate in 21 countries have come up with a solution that brings this potentially life saving opportunity within an affordable range for the majority.

Their aim is to make stem cell therapy an affordable reality and hope that their new approach which includes a low monthly membership option will do just that.

As more and more people bank their children's stem cells for their future use, the problem of finding a stem cell match could become a thing of the past.

Read the original:
Due to a radical new approach by stem cell bank BioEden future generations could be guaranteed a stem cell match