Stem Cell Clinic

Adler Footcare Recognized as New York Center of Excellence for HyProCure Foot Treatment

By Stem Cell Medical Center

New York, New York (PRWEB) August 20, 2014

Dr. Jeffrey Adler, Dr. Darline Kulhan and Dr. Alex Tievsky, accomplished podiatric surgeons with Adler Footcare, have been recognized as the first HyProCure Center of Excellence in New York. The group is one of less than 20 nationwide to receive the designation from GraMedica, a global orthopedic medical device company headquartered in Macomb, Michigan. The Center of Excellence designation reflects superior quality of care, education and experience as related to the HyProCure medical procedure.

HyProCure is an innovative solution to the devastating effects of partial talotarsal dislocation, a foot imbalance that throws the foot and the entire body out of alignment. Two common symptoms of this condition are hyperprontation (where the feet roll inwards) and fallen arches. Conservative estimates indicate that up to 40% of people of all ages suffer from this painful misalignment and related secondary conditions, such as: bunions, heel pain, knee pain, hip and back pain. HyProCure is a minimally invasive outpatient procedure that preserves full foot motion and permanently corrects talotarsal displacement, realigning both the foot and the entire body.

Dr. Adler, Medical/Surgical Director and owner of Adler Footcare, has been in practice for 35 years and has performed thousands of foot surgeries. He is Board Certified in Podiatric Surgery and Primary Podiatric Medicine and is also a Professor of Minimally Invasive Surgery for the Academy of Ambulatory Foot and Ankle Surgeons.

Dr. Kulhan has 35 years of medical and surgical experience in podiatry, sports medicine, geriatrics and podopediatrics. She also provides cutting-edge expertise in cosmetic treatments for varied foot problems.

Dr. Tievsky is well-versed in all aspects of foot and ankle surgery. His residency included a specialization in reconstructive foot and ankle surgery and he has extensive expertise in wound care.

At Adler Footcare, Dr. Adler and his colleagues are committed to exceptional care supported by advanced technology and technique. They specialize in minimally invasive foot and ankle surgery, pain management, stem cell therapy and the treatment of common foot problems. Visit them at either of two convenient locations in Manhattan and White Plains; the Manhattan office features a state-of-the-art, accredited Podiatric Operating Suite.

To learn more about how Adler Footcare can help resolve your foot and ankle problems, please contact either the Manhattan office at (646) 783-1477, the White Plains office at (914) 712-6365 or visit http://www.mynycpodiatrist.com/.

For more information about the HyProCure procedure, please visit http://Alignmyfeet.com.

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Adler Footcare Recognized as New York Center of Excellence for HyProCure Foot Treatment

Coronary arteries hold heart-regenerating cells

By Stem Cell Clinic

Endothelial cells residing in the coronary arteries can function as cardiac stem cells to produce new heart muscle tissue, Vanderbilt University investigators have discovered.

The findings, published recently in Cell Reports, offer insights into how the heart maintains itself and could lead to new strategies for repairing the heart when it fails after a heart attack.

The heart has long been considered to be an organ without regenerative potential, said Antonis Hatzopoulos, Ph.D., associate professor of Medicine and Cell and Developmental Biology.

"People thought that the same heart you had as a young child, you had as an old man or woman as well," he said.

Recent findings, however, have demonstrated that new heart muscle cells are generated at a low rate, suggesting the presence of cardiac stem cells. The source of these cells was unknown.

Hatzopoulos and colleagues postulated that the endothelial cells that line blood vessels might have the potential to generate new heart cells. They knew that endothelial cells give rise to other cell types, including blood cells, during development.

Now, using sophisticated technologies to "track" cells in a mouse model, they have demonstrated that endothelial cells in the coronary arteries generate new cardiac muscle cells in healthy hearts. They found two populations of cardiac stem cells in the coronary arteries -- a quiescent population in the media layer and a proliferative population in the adventitia (outer) layer.

The finding that coronary arteries house a cardiac stem cell "niche" has interesting implications, Hatzopoulos said. Coronary artery disease -- the No. 1 killer in the United States -- would impact this niche.

"Our study suggests that coronary artery disease could lead to heart failure not only by blocking the arteries and causing heart attacks, but also by affecting the way the heart is maintained and regenerated," he said.

The current research follows a previous study in which Hatzopoulos and colleagues demonstrated that after a heart attack, endothelial cells give rise to the fibroblasts that generate scar tissue.

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Coronary arteries hold heart-regenerating cells

Vanderbilt researchers find that coronary arteries hold heart-regenerating cells

By Stem Cell Clinic

PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:

20-Aug-2014

Contact: Craig Boerner craig.boerner@vanderbilt.edu 615-322-4747 Vanderbilt University Medical Center

Endothelial cells residing in the coronary arteries can function as cardiac stem cells to produce new heart muscle tissue, Vanderbilt University investigators have discovered.

The findings, published recently in Cell Reports, offer insights into how the heart maintains itself and could lead to new strategies for repairing the heart when it fails after a heart attack.

The heart has long been considered to be an organ without regenerative potential, said Antonis Hatzopoulos, Ph.D., associate professor of Medicine and Cell and Developmental Biology.

"People thought that the same heart you had as a young child, you had as an old man or woman as well," he said.

Recent findings, however, have demonstrated that new heart muscle cells are generated at a low rate, suggesting the presence of cardiac stem cells. The source of these cells was unknown.

Hatzopoulos and colleagues postulated that the endothelial cells that line blood vessels might have the potential to generate new heart cells. They knew that endothelial cells give rise to other cell types, including blood cells, during development.

Now, using sophisticated technologies to "track" cells in a mouse model, they have demonstrated that endothelial cells in the coronary arteries generate new cardiac muscle cells in healthy hearts. They found two populations of cardiac stem cells in the coronary arteries a quiescent population in the media layer and a proliferative population in the adventitia (outer) layer.

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Vanderbilt researchers find that coronary arteries hold heart-regenerating cells

Novartis to Invest $35M in Gamida Cell for 15% Equity – Analyst Blog

By Uncategorized

Novartis ( NVS ) recently entered into an investment and option agreement with Israel-based Gamida Cell, a company which focuses on stem cell expansion technologies and therapeutic products.

As per the terms of the agreement, Novartis will invest $35 million in Gamida Cell. In exchange, Novartis will receive a 15% stake in Gamida Cell and an option to fully acquire the company.

The option for full acquisition is exercisable for a limited period of time following achievement of certain milestones in connection with the development of pipeline candidate, NiCord. These milestones are expected to be achieved during 2015. Novartis will also be required to pay the other shareholders in Gamida Cell approximately $165 million upon exercising the option along with potential milestone payments of $435 million.

We note that Gamida Cell is developing stem cell therapy for the potential treatment of blood cancers, solid tumors, non-malignant hematological diseases such as sickle cell disease and thalassemia, neutropenia and acute radiation syndrome, autoimmune diseases and genetic metabolic diseases as well as conditions that can be helped by regenerative medicine.

The company is currently evaluating NiCord for the potential treatment of hematological malignancies such as leukemia and lymphoma in a phase I/II study using its proprietary NAM technology.

Meanwhile, enrolment is on for the company's phase I/II study on NiCord for pediatric sickle cell disease.

We remind investors that Novartis has been taking strategic steps to realign its portfolio in order to focus on its core portfolio of pharmaceuticals, eye care and generics. Novartis' recent deal to acquire oncology products from GlaxoSmithKline ( GSK ) and the divestiture of the Vaccines business is a step in the right direction.

Novartis, a large-cap pharma, currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). Right now, Allergan ( AGN ) and AbbVie ( ABBV ) look well positioned among the large-cap pharmas. While Allergan carries a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), AbbVie is a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) stock.

NOVARTIS AG-ADR (NVS): Free Stock Analysis Report

ABBVIE INC (ABBV): Free Stock Analysis Report

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Novartis to Invest $35M in Gamida Cell for 15% Equity - Analyst Blog

New Stem Cell Facial Unveiled at Botanica Day Spa

By Stem Cell Treatment

Clearwater, FL (PRWEB) August 20, 2014

Botanica Day Spa has unveiled their first-ever stem cell facial. Utilizing the new and popular stem cell line from Pevonia, the anti-aging treatment effectively targets fine lines and wrinkles and naturally repairs the skin. The spa also recently announced August specials, highlighting the new service by offering clients a complimentary dermaplaning session with the purchase of the stem cell facial.

Pevonia continues to be a global leader in natural, botanical-based skincare and aging solutions. The Stem Cells Phyto-Elite collection, launched just last month, features two unique plant-based stem cell sources for skin repair and the reversal of signs of aging. According to Pevonia, the new line contains a concentration of stem cells that may be up to ten times higher than any other currently available product. Stem cells from the Argan tree work to improve skin elasticity while stem cells from the European Comfrey Root speed up skin cell renewal. Take a few moments to learn more about the science: What is a plant stem cell?

Aging appears in different ways, but commonly its seen in the form of wrinkles, loss of elasticity and progressively thinner skin over time, said Gen Obolensky, owner at Botanica Day Spa and an aesthetician/facialist herself. All of these common signs of aging are the result of our skin producing fewer and fewer new skin cells over time. Age reversal treatments generally target only the symptoms of slower cell turnover, so its very exciting to be able to offer innovative products that work from inside the skin at the root of what causes these signs of aging.

Obolensky recognizes the buzz surrounding stem cell beauty treatments, adding, Botanicas stem cell facial uses the new Stem Cells Phyto-Elite line which offers a wide range of age reversal benefits. It cleanses, exfoliates, tones, hydrates and brightens while stimulating faster skin cell repairall of which is backed by clinical research and testing, conducted by a respected skincare leader.

In addition to their offer of a no-cost dermaplaning with the stem cell facial, Botanica recently announced more August spa specials including:

Botanica expects appointment spots to fill up quickly with this special offer. To schedule your stem cell facial treatment, call 727-441-1711 or book online today!

ABOUT BOTANICA DAY SPA Located in downtown Clearwater, Botanica Day Spa specializes in natural treatments for the body, skin and nails. Recognized in 2013 as first runner-up for Creative Loafings Best of the Bay awards, Botanica was voted first runner-up for Best Day Spa and first place for Best Mani/Pedi. Botanica was also voted Best of Tampa Bay for Brazilian bikini waxing, eyebrow shaping and therapeutic massage by CitySearch in 2010. With an emphasis on the use of organic and natural product lines in a cutting edge beauty services setting, Botanicas staff is comprised of 12 fully licensed aestheticians, nail technicians, massage therapists and makeup artists offering a full menu of luxury spa services. The spa celebrates its twentieth year in business in 2014. For more information, please visit http://www.BotanicaDaySpa.com.

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New Stem Cell Facial Unveiled at Botanica Day Spa

Cincinnati Archdiocese freezes Catholic school donations to ice bucket challenge charity

By Stem Cell Treatment

The Cincinnati Archdiocese has warned Catholic school principals against donating to the ALS Association due to concerns that the money could wind up funding research that uses embryonic stem cells.

Archdiocese spokesman Dan Andriacco told the Cincinnati Enquirer that Catholic schools are still allowed to participate in the ice bucket challenge, the inescapable viral video sensation that challenges individuals to either dump a bucket of ice water on their heads or donate $100 to the ALS Association.

But the archdiocese wants Catholic participants to re-purpose thefundraising juggernaut by donating to a different research group one the archdiocese believes is more in line with Catholic values.

We appreciate the compassion that has caused so many people to engage in this, Andriacco told the paper. But its a well-established moral principle that a good end is not enough. The means to that ends must be morally licit.

Cincinnati-area Catholic schools participating in the challenge should direct donations to theJohn Paul II Medical Research Institute in Iowa City instead, Andriacco said. Jim Rigg, superintendent of Catholic schools for the archdiocese, will take the re-purposed version of the ice bucket challenge Thursday morning and make a donation to the archdioceses preferred charity.

The ALS Association hasraised more than$30million through the ice bucket challenge since late July, including fundsfrom 637,527 new donors to the association. By comparison, the organization received just $1.9 million in donations for the same time period last year. The funds support the organizations mission of pursuing research, treatment and care for the disease better known asLou Gehrigs disease.

Like just about everyone in your Facebook news feed, several Catholic schools and organizations have already participated in the challenge, seemingly without any dissonance over the charity it benefits.

Those participants include the seventh-grade volleyball team atSt. James Catholic School, seen here:

As the challenge caught on, a few Catholic organizations began to raise questions aboutwhat sort of research the ALS Association funds. Although the Vatican has in recent years expressed support for research using adult stem cells, the issue of embryonic stem cells is more morally complicated for Catholics.

In general, the church believes that adult stem cell research is more scientifically and morally sound than that conducted on embryonic stem cells.

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Cincinnati Archdiocese freezes Catholic school donations to ice bucket challenge charity

Stem Cell Research Holy Grail' Uncovered, Thanks to Zebrafish

By Stem Cell Treatment

By Estel Grace Masangkay

With help from the zebrafish, a team of Australian researchers has uncovered how hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) renew themselves, considered by many to be the holy grail of stem cell research.

HSCs are a significant type of stem cell present in the blood and bone marrow. These are needed for the replenishment of the bodys supply of blood and immune cells. HSCs already play a part in transplants in patients with blood cancers such as leukemia and myeloma. The stem cells are also studied for their potential to transform into vital cells including muscle, bone, and blood vessels.

Understanding how HSCs form and renew themselves has potential application in the treatment of spinal cord injuries, degenerative disorders, even diabetes. Professor Peter Currie, of the Australian Regenerative Medicine Institute at Victorias Monash University, led a research team to discover a crucial part of HSCs development. Using a high-resolution microscopy, Prof. Curies team caught HSCs on film as they formed inside zebrafish embryos. The discovery was made while the researchers were studying muscle mutations in the aquatic animal.

Zebrafish make HSCs in exactly the same way as humans do, but whats special about these guys is that their embryos and larvae develop free living and not in utero as they do in humans. So not only are these larvae free-swimming, but they are also transparent, so we could see every cell in the body forming, including HSCs, explained Prof. Currie.

While playing the film back, the researchers noticed that a buddy cell came along to help the HSCs form. Called endotome cells, they aided pre-HSCs to turn into HSCs. Prof. Currie said, Endotome cells act like a comfy sofa for pre-HSCs to snuggle into, helping them progress to become fully fledged stem cells. Not only did we identify some of the cells and signals required for HSC formation, we also pinpointed the genes required for endotome formation in the first place.

The next step for the researchers is to locate the signals present in the endotome cells that trigger HSC formation in the embryo. This can help scientists make different blood cells on demand for blood-related disorders. Professor Currie also pointed out the discoverys potential for correcting genetic defects in the cell and transplanting them back in the body to treat disorders.

The teams work was published in the international journal Nature.

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Stem Cell Research Holy Grail' Uncovered, Thanks to Zebrafish

Stem cell study reveals how genetic variations linked to mental illness affects neuron

By Stem Cell Medicine

A new study of stem cells has revealed how a genetic variation linked to schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and severe depression affects connections among neurons in the developing brain.

According to the study led by Guo-li Ming and Hongjun Song of the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, using stem cells generated from people with and without mental illness to observe the effects of a rare and pernicious genetic variation on young brain cells found that several major mental illnesses have common roots in faulty "wiring" during early brain development.

Ming said that this was the next best thing to going back in time to see what happened while a person was in the womb to later cause mental illness and they found the most convincing evidence yet that the answer lies in the synapses that connect brain cells to one another.

One difficulty in studying the genetics of common mental illnesses is that they are generally caused by environmental factors in combination with multiple gene variants, any one of which usually could not by itself cause disease. A rare exception is the gene known as disrupted in schizophrenia 1 (DISC1), in which some mutations have a strong effect. Two families have been found in which many members with the DISC1 mutations have mental illness.

To find out how a DISC1 variation with a few deleted DNA "letters" affects the developing brain, the research team collected skin cells from a mother and daughter in one of these families who have neither the variation nor mental illness, as well as the father, who has the variation and severe depression, and another daughter, who carries the variation and has schizophrenia. For comparison, they also collected samples from an unrelated healthy person. Postdoctoral fellow Zhexing Wen, Ph.D., coaxed the skin cells to form five lines of stem cells and to mature into very pure populations of synapse-forming neurons.

After growing the neurons in a dish for six weeks, collaborators at Pennsylvania State University measured their electrical activity and found that neurons with the DISC1 variation had about half the number of synapses as those without the variation.

To find out how DISC1 acts on synapses, the researchers also compared the activity levels of genes in the healthy neurons to those with the variation and found that the activities of more than 100 genes were different and the researchers added that this is the first indication that DISC1 regulates the activity of a large number of genes, many of which are related to synapses.

The study was published online in the journal Nature.

(Posted on 18-08-2014)

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Stem cell study reveals how genetic variations linked to mental illness affects neuron

Stem cells reveal how illness-linked genetic variation affects neurons

By Stem Cell Medicine

A genetic variation linked to schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and severe depression wreaks havoc on connections among neurons in the developing brain, a team of researchers reports. The study, led by Guo-li Ming, M.D., Ph.D., and Hongjun Song, Ph.D., of the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and described online Aug. 17 in the journal Nature, used stem cells generated from people with and without mental illness to observe the effects of a rare and pernicious genetic variation on young brain cells. The results add to evidence that several major mental illnesses have common roots in faulty "wiring" during early brain development.

"This was the next best thing to going back in time to see what happened while a person was in the womb to later cause mental illness," says Ming. "We found the most convincing evidence yet that the answer lies in the synapses that connect brain cells to one another."

Previous evidence for the relationship came from autopsies and from studies suggesting that some genetic variants that affect synapses also increase the chance of mental illness. But those studies could not show a direct cause-and-effect relationship, Ming says.

One difficulty in studying the genetics of common mental illnesses is that they are generally caused by environmental factors in combination with multiple gene variants, any one of which usually could not by itself cause disease. A rare exception is the gene known as disrupted in schizophrenia 1 (DISC1), in which some mutations have a strong effect. Two families have been found in which many members with the DISC1 mutations have mental illness.

To find out how a DISC1 variation with a few deleted DNA "letters" affects the developing brain, the research team collected skin cells from a mother and daughter in one of these families who have neither the variation nor mental illness, as well as the father, who has the variation and severe depression, and another daughter, who carries the variation and has schizophrenia. For comparison, they also collected samples from an unrelated healthy person. Postdoctoral fellow Zhexing Wen, Ph.D., coaxed the skin cells to form five lines of stem cells and to mature into very pure populations of synapse-forming neurons.

After growing the neurons in a dish for six weeks, collaborators at Pennsylvania State University measured their electrical activity and found that neurons with the DISC1 variation had about half the number of synapses as those without the variation. To make sure that the differences were really due to the DISC1 variation and not to other genetic differences, graduate student Ha Nam Nguyen spent two years making targeted genetic changes to three of the stem cell lines.

In one of the cell lines with the variation, he swapped out the DISC1 gene for a healthy version. He also inserted the disease-causing variation into one healthy cell line from a family member, as well as the cell line from the unrelated control. Sure enough, the researchers report, the cells without the variation now grew the normal amount of synapses, while those with the inserted mutation had half as many.

"We had our definitive answer to whether this DISC1 variation is responsible for the reduced synapse growth," Ming says.

To find out how DISC1 acts on synapses, the researchers also compared the activity levels of genes in the healthy neurons to those with the variation. To their surprise, the activities of more than 100 genes were different. "This is the first indication that DISC1 regulates the activity of a large number of genes, many of which are related to synapses," Ming says.

The research team is now looking more closely at other genes that are linked to mental disorders. By better understanding the roots of mental illness, they hope to eventually develop better treatments for it, Ming says.

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Stem cells reveal how illness-linked genetic variation affects neurons

Blood Cells Generate Neurons in Crayfish; Could Have Implications for Treatment of Neurodegenerative Disorders

By Stem Cell Treatment

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Newswise A new study by Barbara Beltz, the Allene Lummis Russell Professor of Neuroscience at Wellesley College, and Irene Sderhll of Uppsala University, Sweden, published in the August 11 issue of the journal Developmental Cell, demonstrates that the immune system can produce cells with stem cell properties, using crayfish as a model system. These cells can, in turn, create neurons in the adult animal. The flexibility of immune cells in producing neurons in adult animals raises the possibility of the presence of similar types of plasticity in other animals.

We have been suspicious for some time that the neuronal precursor cells (stem cells) in crayfish were coming from the immune system, Beltz wrote. The paper contains multiple lines of evidence that support this conclusion, in addition to the experiments showing that blood cells transferred from a donor to a recipient animal generate neurons.

Beltz, whose research focuses on the production of new neurons in the adult nervous system, uses the crustacean brain as the model system because the generations of precursor cells are spatially segregated from one another. According to Beltz, this separation is crucial because it allowed the researchers to determine that the first generation precursors do not self-renew. For the Developmental Cell study, the cells of one crayfish were labeled and this animals blood was used for transfusions into another crayfish. They found that the donor blood cells could generate neurons in the recipient.

In many adult organisms, including humans, neurons in some parts of the brain are continually replenished. While this process is critical for ongoing health, dysfunctions in the production of new neurons may also contribute to several neurological diseases, including clinical depression and some neurodegenerative disorders.

Beltz notes, of course, that it is difficult to extrapolate from crayfish to human disease. However, because of existing research suggesting that stem cells harvested from bone marrow also can become neural precursors and generate neurons, she says it is tempting to suggest that the mechanism proposed in crayfish may also be applicable in evolutionarily higher organisms, perhaps even in humans.

Prior studies conducted in both humans and mice and published about a decade ago, showed that bone marrow recipients who had received a transplant from the opposite gender had neurons with the genetic signature of the opposite sex. The implication was that cells from the bone marrow generated those neurons. However, it is currently thought that neuronal stem cells in mammals, including humans, are self-renewing and therefore do not need to be replenished. Thus, these findings have not been interpreted as contributing to a natural physiological mechanism.

Every experiment we did confirmed the close relationship between the immune system and adult neurogenesis, Beltz said. Often when one is doing research, experiments can be fussy or give variable results. But for this work, once we started asking the right questions, the experiments worked first time and every time. The consistency and strength of the data are remarkable.

Our findings in crayfish indicate that the immune system is intimately tied to mechanisms of adult neurogenesis, suggesting a much closer relationship between the immune system and nervous system than has been previously appreciated, said Sderhll. If further studies demonstrate a similar relationship between the immune system and brain in mammals, these findings would stimulate a new area of research into immune therapies to target neurological diseases.

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Blood Cells Generate Neurons in Crayfish; Could Have Implications for Treatment of Neurodegenerative Disorders

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