Stem Cell Clinic

Loss of antioxidant protein Nrf2 represses regeneration of muscle lost to aging

By Stem Cell Medicine

PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:

8-Mar-2014

Contact: Phil Sahm phil.sahm@hsc.utah.edu 801-581-2517 University of Utah Health Sciences

(SALT LAKE CITY)Good news for lifelong exercisers: Along with its salutary effects on the heart, weight, and other facets of health, physical activity also helps to regenerate muscle mass, which tends to diminish as people age.

In a study published in the journal Free Radical Biology and Medicine, researchers from the University of Utah and other institutions found that aged mice lacking Nrf2 that underwent two weeks of endurance exercise stress on treadmills showed poor stem cell regeneration, which is likely to hinder the recovery of lost muscle mass. Nrf2 is protein that regulates the production of antioxidants in the body.

"Physical activity is the key to everything," says Raj Soorappan, Ph.D., assistant research professor of medicine at the University of Utah and senior author on the study. "After this study, we believe that moderate exercise could be one of the key ways to induce stem cells to regenerate especially during senescence."

Sarcopenia age-related loss of skeletal muscle mass occurs naturally and begins in most people around age 30. Fortunately, to help stem this tide, the body produces antioxidants, which are molecules that help maintain muscle mass through the regeneration of stem cells that become muscle cells.

For reasons not yet entirely known, as people age, their bodies produce fewer antioxidants. This can result in oxidative stress, a condition in which the level of molecules called free radicals rogue electrons that travel through the body triggering chemical reactions that damage proteins and cells exceeds that of antioxidants. When this happens, stem cell regeneration and, consequently, formation of muscle cells doesn't keep up with muscle mass loss.

Nrf2 is a protein and transcription factor that turns on and off the genes that produce antioxidants. To test the role of Nrf2 in regeneration of skeletal muscle during aging, Soorappan tested two groups of mice that were 23 months or older the murine equivalent of senior citizens. In one group of mice the gene that codes for Nrf2 had been knocked out while the other group of mice was able to produce the protein. Each group underwent endurance training to create a profound oxidative stress setting.

Typically, regeneration, maintenance and repair of adult skeletal muscle damage due to aging and/or chronic stress states require activation of satellite cells (stem cells). In the group that couldn't produce Nrf2, endurance exercise stress on the treadmills affected stem cell protein expression and limited skeletal muscle regenerative capacity.

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Loss of antioxidant protein Nrf2 represses regeneration of muscle lost to aging

Okyanos CEO Matt Feshbach Announces Appointment of Institutes Marketing Executive Erika Rosenthal to International …

By Stem Cell Medicine

Freeport, The Bahamas (PRWEB) March 10, 2014

Matt Feshbach, CEO of Okyanos Heart Institute whose mission it is to bring a new standard of care and better quality of life to patients with coronary artery disease using cardiac stem cell therapy has announced the appointment of Okyanos senior vice president of marketing, Erika Rosenthal, to the International Stem Cell Society (STEMSO) Advisory Board. She will advise the trade organization in a communications capacity to benefit the membership and the mission.

STEMSO is a member-based, international, non-profit 501(c) 6 trade association which promotes the interests of organizational members of the global, adult stem cell healthcare community. STEMSO provides information, education, resources, advocacy and public awareness for the advancement of adult stem cell research and therapy. The organization recently hosted a global regenerative medicine conference in Freeport, The Bahamas, entitled, Bridging the Gap: Research to Point of Care which brought together experts in adult stem cell therapy and regulations to discuss commercialization of therapies for chronic disease in a safe, ethical, and compliant manner.

STEMSO is an important organization to the field of stem cell therapy and research, said Feshbach. Communications and healthcare are both fields in which Erika excels, and so I am pleased to see her lend her expertise for an important cause. I look forward to the Okyanos Heart Institute executive team continuing with such efforts for the greater good of medicine.

Rosenthal was a 2008 recipient of the National Association of Women Business Owners Business Woman of the Year award, and was recognized in Business Leader Magazine as a Woman Extraordinaire, for her business accomplishments and contributions to the non-profit community. She is a former faculty member of the University of California where she taught Marketing and Hospitality Management.

It is indeed an honor to work with STEMSO to advance their cause to help advance adult stem cell research and therapy worldwide, and to bring together leading researchers, physicians, regulators and scientists to set standards for ethical and responsible delivery of therapies as they become available to the public worldwide, said Rosenthal. It is an exciting time in medicine, and STEMSO is greatly needed to bring collaboration and guidance between this impressive member group of thought leaders.

STEMSO is pleased to have Erika Rosenthal participate on STEMSOs Advisory Board, said Douglas Hammond, president of STEMSO. Non-profit trade associations are only as strong as their member participation and leadership allows. If other members or prospective organizational members were to support STEMSO as Okyanos Heart Institute and Erika Rosenthal, there would be no limit to STEMSOs impact in the Regenerative Medicine Industry.

About Okyanos Heart Institute: (Oh key AH nos) Based in Freeport, The Bahamas, Okyanos Heart Institutes mission is to bring a new standard of care and a better quality of life to patients with coronary artery disease using cardiac stem cell therapy. Okyanos adheres to U.S. surgical center standards and is led by Chief Medical Officer Howard T. Walpole Jr., M.D., M.B.A., F.A.C.C., F.S.C.A.I. Okyanos Treatment utilizes a unique blend of stem and regenerative cells derived from ones own adipose (fat) tissue. The cells, when placed into the heart via a minimally-invasive procedure, can stimulate the growth of new blood vessels, a process known as angiogenesis. Angiogenesis facilitates blood flow in the heart, which supports intake and use of oxygen (as demonstrated in rigorous clinical trials such as the PRECISE trial). The literary name Okyanos, the Greek god of rivers, symbolizes restoration of blood flow.

END

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Protein synthesis studied in stem cells for the first time

By Stem Cell Medical Center

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A new breakthrough in stem cell research has occurred, thanks to scientists at the Children's Medical Center Research Institute at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, Texas.

The researchers claim that protein synthesis - an essential biological process - can be studied in adult stem cells. This is something that scientists have been previously unable to accomplish.

It is believed that many degenerative diseases and some cancers are linked with mutations that affect the process of protein synthesis. But experts have been unable to pinpoint why this happens.

Therefore, the team's discovery is important in improving understanding of protein synthesis and why changes in the process are linked with the development of disease.

The research built on previous work that used a modified antibiotic, called puromycin, to make it possible to see and measure the amount of protein that is being synthesized in the body.

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Protein synthesis studied in stem cells for the first time

Stem cell center starting trials

By Uncategorized

Seven months after a bill to create a regional stem cell therapy hub at the University of Kansas Medical Center took effect, two doctors from the center say it is enrolling patients in clinical trials and they are beginning their work.

David Prentice and Buddhadeb Dawn expressed excitement Monday about what the Midwest Stem Cell Therapy Center has been able to accomplish in a short time and what possibilities it holds for the future.

"Kansas can be the leader in providing adult stem cell treatments and information to physicians and patients around the world," Dawn said.

Prentice said the center, which limits itself to research on adult stem cells, will foster "ethical, non-controversial" treatments for patients with multiple sclerosis, spinal cord injuries, heart damage, stroke and juvenile diabetes.

At the same time he said it will serve to educate schoolchildren on the promise of adult stem cells and act as a "hub" for regional research.

Potentially physicians from across the region could be sending samples," Prentice told the Senate Ways and Means Committee that approved millions in start-up funds for the center last year.

Sen. Jeff Melcher, R-Leawood, said he was heartened by news of the center beginning work, but somewhat concerned about it monetizing that work.

He noted that the 15 members of the center's advisory board are academics and legislators, with no one from the business community.

I see kind of a void in that I dont see the people that it would take to product-ize this," Melcher said. "The sales and marketing expertise, the product development.

Dawn said the medical center has some "in-house" experts who can help with that and that it will also be working with specific companies in some of its clinical trials.

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Stem cell center starting trials

Stem Cell Center advancing treatments, officials say

By Uncategorized

Topeka Eight months after the establishment of the Midwest Stem Cell Therapy Center at Kansas University Medical Center, the center is conducting clinical trials and advancing treatments for numerous diseases, KU officials said Monday.

"We are very excited about the work that is going on," said Dr. Doug Girod, executive vice chancellor of the KU Medical Center.

Dr. Buddhadeb Dawn, the center's director, detailed clinical trials that are under way and several in the planning stages to the Senate Ways and Means Committee.

"These trials will help local patients to get access to stem cell therapy," Dawn said. "Kansas can be a leader in providing stem cell treatments."

Created last year by the Legislature and Gov. Sam Brownback, the center will work on adult stem cell, cord blood and related stem cell research, providing therapies to patients and serving as a clearinghouse for physicians on cutting-edge treatments.

The center is prohibited from using embryonic stem cells or cells taken from aborted fetal tissue. Abortion opponents oppose human embryonic stem cell research because it involves the destruction of the embryo.

David Prentice, senior fellow for life sciences of the Family Research Council, said the center was unique in the country.

Prentice, who was involved in the development of the center and is on the center's advisory board as a representative of the scientific community, said, "I do want to reemphasize the focus on the center is patient-centered," while also working on education, clinical trials and research.

The FRC describes itself as a Christian organization promoting the traditional family unit and the Judeo-Christian value system. Its critics say it spreads anti-gay propaganda.

State Sen. Jeff Melcher, R-Overland Park, said the research sounded exciting but that he was concerned that the advisory board had no business people on it to secure private and business funding.

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Stem Cell Center advancing treatments, officials say

Regenestem and Global Stem Cells Group Announce Alliance With Eric Yalung, M.D. to Build First Regenestem Clinic in …

By Stem Cell Treatment

Miami (PRWEB) March 10, 2014

Regenestem, Inc., a division of Global Stem Cells Group, has announced plans to build the first Regenestem brand clinic in the Philippines. The planned, 22,000 square foot, state-of-the-art medical facility in Manila will focus on providing the latest stem cell-based anti-aging and cosmetic therapies available, eliminating the need for invasive surgery.

Regenestem is collaborating with distinguished Philippine Cosmetic Surgeon Eric Yalung, M.D. of the Cosmetic Surgery Institute-Manila, Inc. to create the stem cell therapy center, offering the most advanced protocols in cosmetic cellular medicine to patients from around the world.

The new Regenestem clinic will be headed by Yalung, a prominent and popular cosmetic surgeon in Manila who has built a reputation for incorporating the latest, most modern and least-invasive techniques in aesthetic medicine into his practice. Yalung will be joined by a team of talented stem cell specialists to provide patient treatment and follow-up care under the Regenestem brand.

Regenestem currently offers stem cell treatments for arthritis, autism, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), diabetes and multiple sclerosis among other conditions at various facilities worldwide

As part of its commitment to maintaining the highest standards in service and technology, Regenestem provides an international staff and the leading cellular therapies available.

All Regenestem facilities are 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.

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.

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Stem cell study opens door to undiscovered world of biology

By Stem Cell Medical Center

13 hours ago This photo shows Dr. Sean Morrison, Director of the Children's Research Institute and senior author of the study, right, and Dr. Robert A.J. Signer, a postdoctoral research fellow and the study's first author. Credit: University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center

For the first time, researchers have shown that an essential biological process known as protein synthesis can be studied in adult stem cells something scientists have long struggled to accomplish. The groundbreaking findings from the Children's Medical Center Research Institute at UT Southwestern (CRI) also demonstrate that the precise amount of protein produced by blood-forming stem cells is crucial to their function.

The discovery, published online today in Nature, measures protein production, a process known as translation, and shows that protein synthesis is not only fundamental to how stem cells are regulated, but also is critical to their regenerative potential.

"We unveiled new areas of cellular biology that no one has seen before," said Dr. Sean Morrison, Director of the Children's Research Institute, Professor of Pediatrics, and the Mary McDermott Cook Chair in Pediatric Genetics at UT Southwestern Medical Center. "No one has ever studied protein synthesis in somatic stem cells. This finding not only tells us something new about stem cell regulation, but opens up the ability to study differences in protein synthesis between many kinds of cells in the body. We believe there is an undiscovered world of biology that allows different kinds of cells to synthesize protein at different rates and in different ways, and that those differences are important for cellular survival."

Dr. Adrian Salic's laboratory at Harvard Medical School chemically modified the antibiotic puromycin in a way that made it possible to visualize and quantify the amount of protein synthesized by individual cells within the body. Dr. Robert A.J. Signer, a postdoctoral research fellow in Dr. Morrison's laboratory and first author of the study, realized that this reagent could be adapted to measure new protein synthesis by stem cells and other cells in the blood-forming system.

What they came across was astonishing, Dr. Morrison said. The findings suggested that different types of blood cells produce vastly different amounts of protein per hour, and stem cells in particular synthesize much less protein than any other blood-forming cells.

"This result suggests that blood-forming stem cells require a lower rate of protein synthesis as compared to other blood-forming cells," said Dr. Morrison, the paper's senior author.

Researchers applied the findings to a mouse model with a genetic mutation in a component of the ribosome the machinery that makes proteins and the rate of protein production was reduced in stem cells by 30 percent. The scientists also increased the rate of protein synthesis by deleting the tumor suppressor gene Pten in blood-forming stem cells. In both instances, stem cell function was noticeably impaired.

Together, these observations demonstrate that blood-forming stem cells require a highly regulated rate of protein synthesis, such that increases or decreases in that rate impair stem cell function.

"Amazingly, when the ribosomal mutant mice and the Pten mutant mice were bred together, stem cell function returned to normal, and we greatly delayed, and in some instances entirely blocked, the development of leukemia," Dr. Morrison said. "All of this happened because protein production in stem cells was returned to normal. It was as if two wrongs made a right."

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Stem cell study opens door to undiscovered world of biology

Stem cell transplant shows 'landmark' promise for treatment of degenerative disc disease

By Stem Cell Treatment

Stem cell transplant was viable and effective in halting or reversing degenerative disc disease of the spine, a meta-analysis of animal studies showed, in a development expected to open up research in humans. Recent developments in stem cell research have made it possible to assess its effect on intervertebral disc (IVD) height, Mayo Clinic researchers reported in a scientific poster today at the 30th Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Pain Medicine.

"This landmark study draws the conclusion in pre-clinical animal studies that stem cell therapy for disc degenerative disease might be a potentially effective treatment for the very common condition that affects people's quality of life and productivity," said the senior author, Wenchun Qu, MD, PhD, of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn.

Dr. Qu said not only did disc height increase, but stem cell transplant also increased disc water content and improved appropriate gene expression. "These exciting developments place us in a position to prepare for translation of stem cell therapy for degenerative disc disease into clinical trials," he said.

The increase in disc height was due to restoration in the transplant group of the nucleus pulposus structure, which refers to the jelly-like substance in the disc, and an increased amount of water content, which is critical for the appropriate function of the disc as a cushion for the spinal column, the researchers concluded.

The researchers performed a literature search of MEDLINE, EMBASE and PsycINFO databases and also manually searched reference lists for original, randomized, controlled trials on animals that examined the association between IVD stem cell transplant and the change of disc height. Six studies met inclusion criteria. Differences between the studies necessitated the use of random-effects models to pool estimates of effect.

What they found was an over 23.6% increase in the disc height index in the transplant group compared with the placebo group (95% confidence interval [CI], 19.7-23.5; p<0.001). None of the 6 studies showed a decrease of the disc height index in the transplant group. Increases in the disc height index were statistically significant in all individual studies.

The authors commented that it is time to turn attention to the much-needed work of determining the safety, feasibility, efficacy of IVD stem cell transplant for humans.

"A hallmark of IVD degenerative disease is its poor self-repair capacity secondary to the loss of IVD cells. However, current available treatments fail to address the loss of cells and cellular functions. In fact, many invasive treatments further damage the disc, causing further degeneration in the diseased level or adjacent levels," said the lead study author Jason Dauffenbach, DO. "The goal of tissue engineering using stem cells is to restore the normal function and motion of the diseased human spine."

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The above story is based on materials provided by American Academy of Pain Medicine (AAPM). Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.

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Stem cell transplant shows 'landmark' promise for treatment of degenerative disc disease

Chicago Hospital Evaluates New Stem-Cell Therapy For Pain

By Stem Cell Doctors

CBS Chicago (con't)

Affordable Care Act Updates: CBSChicago.com/ACA

Health News & Information: CBSChicago.com/Health

(CBS) Is it the future of pain relief, the end of pain pills, physical therapy and knee or hip replacements?

CBS 2s Mary Kay Kleist looks at a new procedure offered at only a handful of places. Its still a bit controversial. But some doctors and their patients swear by it.

Linda Morning-Starpoole suffered terrible knee pain, the result of sports injuries when she was younger.

Traditional treatment might involve steroid injections, physical therapy and joint replacement. But she wanted an alternative.

The thought of me healing me with through my own stem cells is what sold me on the procedure, she says.

Heres how it works: Doctors take bone marrow from the hip and spin it in a machine to get the stem cells. Those cellsare then mixed with the patients platelets, a type of blood cell involved in healing.

The mixture is injected back into the joint, where the stem cells turn into new tissue, reduce pain and improve function.

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Chicago Hospital Evaluates New Stem-Cell Therapy For Pain

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