Stem Cell Clinic

Can Tai Chi slow the aging process?

By Stem Cell Medical Center

PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:

28-May-2014

Contact: Robert Miranda cogcomm@aol.com Cell Transplantation Center of Excellence for Aging and Brain Repair

Putnam Valley, NY. (May 28, 2014) Tai Chi, a traditional Chinese martial art and sport, has been found to be beneficial in raising the numbers of an important type of cell when three groups of young people were tested to discover the benefits of Tai Chi, brisk walking or no exercise. The group performing Tai Chi saw a rise in their cluster of differentiation 34 expressing (CD34+) cells, a stem cell important to a number of the body's functions and structures.

The study was published in issue 23(4/5) of Cell Transplantation and is freely available on-line at: http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/cog/ct/2014/00000023/F0020004/art00020.

"To evaluate the potential life-lengthening effect of Tai Chi, we conducted a year-long, retrospective cross-sectional study comparing the rejuvenating and anti-aging effects among three groups of volunteers under the age of 25 who engaged in either Tai Chi (TCC), brisk walking (BW), or no exercise habit (NEH)," said study corresponding author Dr. Shinn-Zong Lin of the Center for Neuropsychiatry, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan. "We used young volunteers because they have better cell-renewing abilities than the old population and we also wanted to avoid having chronic diseases and medications as interfering factors."

According to the authors, Tai Chi "has been confirmed to benefit" patients with mild to moderate Parkinson's disease and fibromyalgia. In addition, they cite possible advantages of Tai Chi in pain reduction, fall prevention and balance improvement, aerobic capacity, blood pressure, quality of life and stress reduction.

"Compared with the NEH group, the TCC group had a significantly higher number of CD 34+ cells," wrote the authors. "We found that the CD34+ cell count of the TCC group was significantly higher than the BW group."

CD 34+ cells, they explained, express the CD 34 protein and are "cluster markers" for hematopoietic stem cells (blood stem cells) involved in cell self-renewal, differentiation and proliferation.

"It is possible that Tai Chi may prompt vasodilation and increase blood flow," said Lin. "Considering that BW may require a larger space or more equipment, Tai Chi seems to be an easier and more convenient choice of anti-aging exercise." "This study provides the first step into providing scientific evidence for the possible health benefits of Tai Chi." said Dr. Paul R. Sanberg, distinguished professor at the Center of Excellence for Aging and Brain Repair, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL. "Further study of how Tai Chi can elicit benefit in different populations and on different parameters of aging are necessary to determine its full impact."

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Can Tai Chi slow the aging process?

Brazilian researchers find human menstrual blood-derived cells 'feed' embryonic stem cells

By Uncategorized

PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:

28-May-2014

Contact: Robert Miranda cogcomm@aol.com Cell Transplantation Center of Excellence for Aging and Brain Repair

Tampa, Fla. (May 28, 2014) To be suitable for medical transplantation, one idea is that human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) need to remain "undifferentiated" i.e. they are not changing into other cell types. In determining the best way to culture hESCs so that they remain undifferentiated and also grow, proliferate and survive, researchers have used blood cell "feeder-layer" cultures using animal-derived feeder cells, often from mice (mouse embryonic fibroblasts [MEFs]). This approach has, however, been associated with a variety of contamination problems, including pathogen and viral transmission.

To avoid contamination problems, a Brazilian research team has investigated the use of human menstrual blood-derived mesenchymal cells (MBMCs) as feeder layers and found that "MBMCs can replace animal-derived feeder systems in human embryonic stem cell culture systems and support their growth in an undifferentiated stage."

The study will be published in a future issue of Cell Medicine, but is currently freely available on-line as an unedited early e-pub at: http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/cog/cm/pre-prints/content-CM1019silvadosSantos.

"Human embryonic stem cells present a continuous proliferation in an undifferentiated state, resulting in an unlimited amount of cells with the potential to differentiate toward any type of cell in the human body," said study corresponding author Dr. Regina Coeli dos Santos Goldenberg of the Instituto de Biofisica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro. "These characteristics make hESCs good candidates for cell based therapies."

Feeder-layers for hESCs comprised of MEFs have been efficiently used for decades but, because of the clinical drawbacks, the authors subsequently experimented with human menstrual blood cells as a potential replacement for animal-derived feeder-layers, not only for negating the contamination issues, but also because human menstrual blood is so accessible. MBMCs are without ethical encumbrances and shortages, nor are they difficult to access - a problem with other human cells, such as umbilical cord blood cells, adult bone marrow cells or placenta cells.

"Menstrual blood is derived from uterine tissues," explained the researchers. "These cells are widely available 12 times a year from women of child-bearing age. The cells are easily obtained, possess the capability of long-term proliferation and are clinically compatible with hESCs-derived cells."

The researchers found that their culture system using MBMCs as a feeder-layer for hESCs are the "closest and more suitable alternative to animal-free conditions for growing hESCs" and a "good candidate for large-expansion of cells for clinical application." They also found no difference in growth factor expression when comparing the use of growth factors in both the standard feeder system using animal cells and the feeder system they tested using hESCs.

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Brazilian researchers find human menstrual blood-derived cells 'feed' embryonic stem cells

European rights court says Stamina ban legit

By Stem Cell Treatment

Discredited stem-cell treatment loses in Strasbourg

(ANSA) - Strasbourg, May 28 - The European Court of Human Rights on Wednesday ruled that an Italian ban on a controversial stem-cell therapy was legitimate. The case centered around a woman suffering from a degenerative brain disease since birth who argued her rights had been violated by the State denying her Stamina treatment. The process involves extracting bone-marrow stem cells from a patient, turning them into neurons by exposing them to retinoic acid for two hours, and injecting them back into the patient. But its credibility has long been suspect, and last fall the health ministry ruled that the Stamina Foundation would no longer be allowed to test the treatment on humans. The foundation was also stripped of its non-profit status after a study found its treatment was "ignorant of stem-cell biology". Recent investigations have shown risks of the treatment range from nausea to cancer, and as many as one quarter of all patients treated have experienced "adverse effects". The head of the foundation, Davide Vannoni, may face indictment.

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European rights court says Stamina ban legit

Dr Tariq Drabu Welcomes Tooth Stem Cell Treatment for Stroke Patients

By Stem Cell Treatment

(PRWEB) May 26, 2014

Dr Tariq Drabu is a leading dentist and specialist oral surgeon in Manchester in the United Kingdom. He was one of the youngest dentists to ever graduate in the UK and has spent years working in busy dental hospitals in the UK and abroad. Dr Drabu is the owner of the successful Langley Dental Practice and is also the Clinical Lead Dentist for the Oral Surgery Assessment Clinic and Treatment Services at NHS Heywood Middleton and Rochdale. He also tutors and mentors postgraduate dentists in oral surgery at the UCLAN Dental Clinic in Preston.

Dr Tariq Drabu was talking about an article published in the Denistry website on the GDCs review on their new approach to their fees. The full article can be read here.

Dr Tariq Drabu said All dental professionals have to register with the GDC (General Dental Council) in the UK. It is a legal requirement and a very important one for patient and public protection. It is important for patients that their dentist is registered, especially as we welcome more dentists from other countries who may have different ways of working with patients compared to what we have in the UK.

Dr Tariq Drabu went on to say The GDC require dental professionals to pay an ARF, an annual retention fee, which is a complex fee made up of different levels and amounts. It is welcome news that the GDC are taking steps to make this a simplified process for dentists around the country by being completely transparent in the different levels and fee structures. Often dentists will need to change their level and now they will have the necessary information at their fingertips to know what level they are at and what level they should be paying for. The GDCs review includes information on why fees are legally required, what the fees are used for and they go into detail on explaining the different levels available.

Dr Tariq Drabu closed in saying Patients can enjoy peace of mind in knowing their dentist is registered with the General Dental Council. The council puts rules and regulations in place to try and ensure all patients receive the highest level of care and safety from their dental professional. This is important for dentists that move to the UK from other countries, so they can understand the rules and regulations that we abide to here in the UK to provide our patients with high quality dental care.

About Dr Tariq Drabu Dr Tariq Drabu is a leading dentist and specialist oral surgeon. This Manchester born and educated dentist was one of the youngest dentists to graduate in the United Kingdom. He has worked at some of the busiest hospitals in the UK and Saudi Arabia and completed his Fellowship in Dental Surgery from the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh. He is the owner of the very successful Langley Dental Practice and is also the Clinical Lead Dentist for the Oral Surgery Clinical Assessment and Treatment Services at NHS Heywood Middleton and Rochdale. Dr Tariq Drabu also teaches and mentors postgraduate dentists in oral surgery at the UCLAN Dental Clinic in Preston.

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Dr Tariq Drabu Welcomes Tooth Stem Cell Treatment for Stroke Patients

Maryland Stem Cell Research Commission Funds 31 New Research Proposals in 2014

By Stem Cell Medicine

The Maryland Stem Cell Research Commission(Commission) has completed its review of the 151 applications received in response to itsFY 2014 Requests for Applications(RFAs). The board of directors of the Maryland Technology Development Corporation (TEDCO) approved the Commissions recommendation to fund 31 new proposals with the Maryland Stem Cell Research Funds (MSCRF) $10.4 million FY2014 budget. These projects show promise of contributing to cures for some of todays most debilitating diseases and conditions such as diabetes, vascular disease, schizophrenia, sickle cell anemia, chronic pain, Alzheimers, Parkinsons, osteoarthritis, depression, autism, and epilepsy.

Since its establishment in 2006, the Commission has had the goal of promoting State-funded stem cell research and cures through grants to public and private entities in the State. The Commission was able to recently announce the stories of two Johns Hopkins Hospital patients who were cured of sickle cell disease, lupus and bone marrow failure from research funded by the MSCRF. To read the MSCRF success stories of patients Yetude Olagbaju and Lilly Boyer, click here and here.

Each year, the Maryland Stem Cell Research Fund produces and supports results and research that is leading to advancements in modern medicine right here in Maryland, saidGovernor Martin OMalley. I congratulate this years grant recipients and look forward to the contributions they make to the improved health and wellbeing of our citizens.

This years MSCRF awards include:

1 Pre-Clinical Research Award This funding mechanism provides up to $500,000 over up to three years and is designed for companies conducting pre-clinical research in Maryland that seek to advance medical therapies in the State. The award in this category will focus on diabetes.

7 Investigator-Initiated Research Awards These grants provide up to $200,000 of direct costs per year, for up to three years, and are designed for Maryland investigators who have preliminary data to support their hypotheses. The awardees in this category will focus on vascular disease, peripheral nerve trauma, schizophrenia, major depression, sickle cell anemia, traumatic optic nerve injuries, glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy, chronic pain and bone defects.

15 Exploratory Research Awards These grants provide up to $100,000 of direct costs per year, for up to two years, and are designed for Maryland researchers who are new to the stem cell field (young investigators and scientists from other fields), or for exploratory projects that have little or no preliminary data. FY 2014 awards in this category will address such topics as cord blood transplant in blood diseases, leukemias and cancers, Alzheimers, anemias, hematopoietic stem cell transportation, inflammatory bowel diseases, osteoarthritis, Parkinsons, epilepsy, diabetic retinopathy, Hutchinsons-Gilford progeria syndrome, leukodystrophy, Autism spectrum disorders, schizophrenia, bone defects and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

8 Post Doctoral Fellowship Awards - These grants provide up to $55,000 per year, for up to two years, including direct and indirect costs and fringe benefits, and are designed for post-doctoral fellows who wish to conduct human stem cell research in Maryland. FY 2014 awards in this category will address such topics as double cortex syndrome, schizophrenia, dry eye syndrome, stroke, osteporisis, organ transplantation, and Parkinsons.

We are very proud of the research we have supported. The cures we have contributed to are a testament to the importance of the Maryland Stem Cell Research Fund, saidRabbi Avram Reisner, Chair of the Commission. This round of awardees holds the promise to one day change the lives of those suffering from complex and debilitating diseases and conditions. The future of modern medicine is taking place today in Maryland thanks in-part to this critical program.

For a complete list of the names of the Principal Investigators (PIs), their project titles and institutions, please visithttp://www.mscrf.org/content/awardees/2014Awardees.cfm.

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Maryland Stem Cell Research Commission Funds 31 New Research Proposals in 2014

Veterinarian clinic offers alternative

By Stem Cell Clinic

By Heidi McKinley, correspondent

Until recently, the only treatment options for animals with degenerative tissue disease were pain relievers and anti-inflammatories.

Eastern Iowa Veterinary Specialty Center, however, soon will offer a promising new alternative.

The typical drug therapy doesnt solve the problem, said veterinarian Bob Harman, CEO of the company Vet Stem. It just reduces the inflammation.

Harmans company has partnered with EIVSC, which is in Cedar Rapids, to use an animals own cells for healing. This therapy is presented to owners as a way to regenerate tissue more naturally.

Were not using foreign (cells). Were not killing babies. Were not using embryos. Were not doing any of the stuff you see on 60 Minutes and CNN, Harman said. Were going to use the dogs own natural cells.

The process involves harvesting a sample from a pets fatty tissue, concentrating the cells in a lab and then injecting them back into the joint. The average dog will go 18 months to two years between therapies.

Stem cell therapy is most commonly used to treat arthritis; however, future applications could be used for possibly fatal diseases such as kidney failure, immune system malfunction (for example, dry eye) and traumatic injury.

The clinics motivation to offer the service came from the case of a 12-year-old sheltie/collie mix named Yurtie.

Yurtie is the first and only patient to receive stem cell therapy at the clinic. Jan Erceg adopted her after her previous owner, Kevin McClain, died from lung cancer in 2011. McClain had been living out of his car when Erceg, a paramedic, was dispatched to take him to the hospital. One of the dying mans last requests was for his dog to be taken care of, and Erceg has honored that request.

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Veterinarian clinic offers alternative

Packaged batches of stem cells for regenerative medicine

By Uncategorized

The Spanish start-up Aglaris Cell is close to launching onto the market the world's first bioreactor that cultures cell in a fully automated way, without using toxic additives. The device has attracted interest from the University of Oxford and the pharmaceutical giant, Merk.

David Horna, a 33-year-old from Madrid and one of the co-founders of Aglaris Cell, whose offices are located in the Madrid Scientific Park (PCM), is in London this week to meet with investors to secure a second round of funding. Horna, alongside his two partners, Miquel Costa and Manuel A. Gonzlez de la Pea, created the company a little over two years ago with the aim of developing a device that would automate stem cell cultures thereby making advances in the production of 'live' medicines.

As David Horna explained, after four years of intensive research and development, the prototype called Aglaris Facer 1.0, patented in 2012 in Spain and in the process of obtaining its international patent, "is practically ready to be sold on the market."

The idea of developing this device came about when the partners, who worked in various fields of biotechnology, noticed that more and more industries were using cells and tissues in their production processes.

Fully automatic

"We saw that the way live medicines from stem cells were being produced was highly manual, and so we came up with the idea of designing and developing a cell culture bioreactor that could automate the entire process. We believe that the stem cell-based therapies sector is going to expand rapidly in the years to come and will become a very promising business," Horna stated.

He noted that there are other bioreactors on the market and some have been able to automate some of the stages in the process, "but ours is the first in the world to perform all the process stages in a fully automated way."

Until now, an additive called trypsin was usually used in this type of culture, however, trypsin is toxic for cells and removes part of the membrane's proteins. "It has been used up to now because there was no other alternative, but our technology does not need to use this product," Horna said.

"Instead, our development uses an iterative method of cell culture which enables us to completely automate and remove the need for human involvement in the cell separation and washing stages, without using any additives that increase the toxicity level. We have achieved this by using smart surfaces that make cell adhesion and de-adhesion possible depending on changes in the environment," the co-founder explained.

He also adds that "we are currently finalising the developments that also make it possible to use the same device to produce genetically-modified cell lines for cellular reprogramming and gene therapies." These advances build on the work Horna undertook for his thesis on smart surfaces at the Spanish National Centre for Cardiovascular Research (CNIC) and the Sarri Institute of Chemistry (IQS) which was published in the 'Advanced Healthcare Materials' journal.

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Packaged batches of stem cells for regenerative medicine

Stem Cell Therapy Market Worth $330 Million in 2020 – New Report by MarketsandMarkets

By Uncategorized

(PRWEB) May 26, 2014

The report Stem Cell Therapy Market by Treatment Mode (Autologous & Allogeneic), Therapeutic Applications (CNS, CVS, GIT, Wound Healing, Musculoskeletal, Eye, & Immune System) - Regulatory Landscape, Pipeline Analysis & Global Forecasts to 2020 analyzes and studies the major market drivers, restraints, opportunities, and challenges in North America, Asia-Pacific, Europe, and the Rest of the World (RoW).

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The global stem cell therapy market on the basis of the mode of treatment is segmented into allogeneic and autologous stem cell therapy. In addition, based on the therapeutic applications, the global stem cell therapy market is segmented into eye diseases, metabolic diseases, GIT diseases, musculoskeletal disorders, immune system diseases, CNS diseases, CVS diseases, wounds and injuries, and others.

Inquire before buying at http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Enquiry_Before_Buying.asp?id=48.

This report studies the global stem cell therapy market over the forecast period of 2015 to 2020.The market is poised to grow at a CAGR of 39.5% from 2015 to 2020, to reach $330million by 2020.

Download PDF brochure: http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownload.asp?id=48.

A number of factors such as increasing funding from various government and private organizations, growing industry focus on stem cell research, and rising global awareness about stem cell therapies through various organizations are driving the growth of the global market. In addition, increasing funding for new stem cell lines, development of advanced genomic methods for stem cell analysis, and rising approvals of clinical trials for stem cell therapy are other factors that are propelling the growth of the market.

However, factors such as lack of required infrastructure, ethical issues related to embryonic stem cell, and difficulties related with the preservation of stem cell are restraining the growth of the market.

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Stem Cell Therapy Market Worth $330 Million in 2020 - New Report by MarketsandMarkets

Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation: MS Breakthrough …

By Stem Cell Medicine

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a devastating disease for many who become afflicted with the diseases progressive form, often in the prime of their lives, with no cure and when the effectiveness of established MS treatment is so often disappointing. Discouragement can lead to pinning premature hope on unproven therapies that seem to hold promise.

For example, withchronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency (CCSVI or CCVI) the so-called liberation therapy developed by Italian researcher Paolo Zamboni in 2008, Dr. Zamboni hypothesized that compromised flow of blood in the veins draining the central nervous system played a role as the cause or in the development of multiple sclerosis, and devised a procedure dubbed liberation therapy by the media that involves angioplasty (stenting) of key veins in an attempt to improve blood flow.

CCSVI was and still is greeted with skepticism within the medical community, and Wikipedias entry on the topic notes that Dr. Zambonis first published research was neither blinded nor did it have a comparison group, and that Dr. Zamboni also did not disclose his financial ties to Esaote, manufacturer of the ultrasound specifically used in CCSVI diagnosis.

The so-called liberation procedure has also been criticized for possibly resulting in serious complications and deaths while its benefits have not been proven, with the United States Food and Drug Administrations position being that it is not clear if CCSVI exists as a clinical entity, and that these treatments may cause more harm. Wikipedia notes that CCSVI research has been fast-tracked, but researchers thus far still have been unable to confirm whether CCSVI has a role in causing MS, consequently raising serious objection to the hypothesis of CCSVI originating multiple sclerosis. Research continues, and a 2013 study found that CCSVI is equally rare in people with and without MS, while narrowing of the cervical veins is equally common.

This writer is personally aware of specific cases in which CCSVI has seemed to result in substantial improvement in MS symptoms, and others where it proved ineffective. The jury, as they say, is still out, but a cautious approach seems to be prudent.

Likewise for another controversial new therapy being advocated for MS and other autoimmune diseases, known as high-dose immunosuppressive therapy with hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in MS and other autoimmune diseases, in which clinicians destroy the patients immune system with chemotherapy, and then reboot it with stem cells. Dr. Denis Federenko of the A.A. Maximov Hematology and Cell Therapy Department of the National Pirogov Medical Surgical Centre in Russia specializes in this treatment, pointing out that conventional therapies do not provide satisfactory control of multiple sclerosis; hormonal therapy helps to limit acute manifestations of the disease, but doesnt stop its progression; and Interferon therapy may help some patients, but in most cases it does not provide a stable long-term effect.

The Russian proponents of this approach to treating MS contend that chemotherapy eliminates the cause of the disease the autoimmune T-cells that are responsible for nerve tissue damage. Then the patient is transplanted with his/her own (autologous) stem cells, which were collected and frozen in advance. They say that over the past decade more than 700 patients have received this treatment, which they claim may stop progression of the disease in most patients and prevent further deterioration of their quality of life, and that MS patients will not need any maintenance therapy after transplantation. Claimed efficiency of high-dose immunosuppressive therapy with hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in multiple sclerosis approximates 75%-80%, and is most effective in young patients with rapidly progressing multiple sclerosis in its early stages, when the leading mechanism of the damage to the nervous system is autoimmune inflammation. In later stages of the disease, after irreversible damage is done, they caution that transplantations effect is limited.

In an opinion statement entitled Autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation as a treatment option for aggressive multiple sclerosis (Curr Treat Options Neurol. 2013 Jun;15(3):270-80. doi: 10.1007/s11940-013-0234-9) published in the journal Current Treatment Options in Neurology, N. Pfender, R. Saccardi, and R. Martin of the Department of Neurology at University Hospital Zurich in Zurich, Switzerland, observe that Despite the development of several injectable or oral treatments for relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), it remains difficult to treat patients with aggressive disease, and many of these continue to develop severe disability.

The authors observe that over the last two decades, hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (aHSCT or HSCT) has been explored, and clinical studies have shown that aHSCT is able to completely halt disease activity in the majority of patients with aggressive RRMS, and that research on the mechanisms of action supports that aHSCT indeed leads to renewal of a healthy immune system.

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Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation: MS Breakthrough ...

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