Stem Cell Clinic

Scientist denies faking stem cell paper

By Stem Cell Doctors

ByElaine Kurtenbach

The Japanese scientist accused of falsifying data in a widely heralded stem cell research paper says the results are valid despite mistakes in their presentation.

Haruko Obokata, 30, struggled to maintain her composure during a televised news conference packed with hundreds of reporters, but insisted she did not tamper with the data to fabricate results. She said she did not agree with retracting the research that appeared in the scientific journal Nature.

The phenomenon of ordinary cells transforming into stem cells under the influence of external stimulus was "confirmed many times for a fact", Obokata said at the press conference in the western city of Osaka. She said she could replicate her results again if allowed back into the lab to do so.

She has contested allegations of research malpractice made by a panel of scientists at the government-funded Riken Center for Development Biology, where she is employed.

Obokata said Riken had advised her not to speak publicly about the controversy. The event Wednesday, which lasted for over two hours, was her first public appearance in weeks and was made against doctors' orders after seeking hospital treatment Monday.

"I wasn't able to sleep well and was feeling worse and worse," she said. "I take this responsibility severely. I am deeply sorry."

Obokata apologised repeatedly for having used the wrong images and having altered an image in a report on using a simple lab procedure to grow tissue for treating illnesses such as diabetes and Parkinson's disease.

In an emailed statement, Riken reiterated Obokata's right to an appeal of its findings.

"Riken will give due consideration to the appeal in accordance with our regulations," it said.

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Scientist denies faking stem cell paper

Arroyo's stem cell doctor charged with illegal practice

By Stem Cell Medical Center

The NBI says Park 'misrepresented herself as a licensed physician in several occasions'

CHARGED. The NBI files charges against an alternative medicine doctor based in Tagaytay. File photo by Buena Bernal/Rappler

MANILA, Philippines The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) on Thursday, April 10, filed before the Tagaytay City Prosecutor's Office a case against former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's stem cell physician for illegal practice of medicine.

Antonia Carandang-Park, an alternative medicine doctor based in Tagaytay City, was charged for having violated Republic Act 2382 or The Medical Act of 1959. Park is the owner and operator of the Green & Young Health & Wellness Center.

The bureau's investigation found that Park "misrepresented herself as a licensed physician [on] several occasions."

Watch this report below,

The NBI Anti-Organized and Transnational Crime Division (AOTCD) was acting on a complaint filed before the bureau by physician Eunice Salazar-Abad, who worked as an aesthetic physician with Park.

According to the NBI, Abad noticed some "irregularities" and the "unorthodox method" of treatment by Park. The NBI also found that Park, whose treatment of Arroyo gained her popularity, did not make an effort to correct news reports that referred to her as a medical doctor.

ILLEGAL PRACTICE. Dr Antonia Park in this Nov 17, 2012 photo taken by Kate Tan. Photo from Bernard Tan.

In her diagnosis of Arroyo, Park supposedly signed an official statement dated July 25, 2012 as "Dra. Antonia Park, M.D.," where she considered stem cell therapy for Arroyo, who's now under hospital arrest for plunder charges at the Veterans Memorial Medical Center in Quezon City. Mrs Arroyo is suffering from a debilitating neck and back pain.

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Arroyo's stem cell doctor charged with illegal practice

NBI files raps vs Arroyo's 'fake' stem cell doc

By Stem Cell Clinic

MANILA - The National Bureau of Investigation-Anti-Organized and Transnational Crime Division (NBI-AOTCD) has filed a case against an allegedly fake doctor who once administered stem cell therapy on former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.

Members of the NBI-AOCTD, headed by Head Agent Rommel J. Vallejo, acted on the complaint filed by Dr. Eunice Salazar-Abad, who worked as an aesthetic physician for Antonia Carandang-Park.

The latter is the owner of Green and Young Health and Wellness Center based in San Jose, Tagaytay City.

Vallejo said: Even for a short period of time working at the clinic, she began to notice some irregularities and the unorthodox method being applied by Park in treating the patients. She discovered too, that Park is using her name and her license number in dealing with patients.

Salazar-Abad then verified with the Professional Regulation Commission to check if Park is a licensed doctor,

Based on a document dated August 12, 2013, the PRC certified that after a diligent search, the name Antonia Carandang Park does not appear in the database of Physician, which contains the names of those duly authorized to practice medicine in the Philippines.

The document reads, this certification is issued upon request of the Board of Medicine for whatever legal purpose it may serve.

Park gained popularity when she treated Arroyo, who had been complaining of pains due to a cervical spine surgery.

Salazar-Abad noted Park did not make any effort to speak up when reports tagged her as a doctor. She said Park also misrepresented herself as an oncologist.

Vallejo said Park filed her counter-affidavit on August 22, saying she is not a quack doctor.

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NBI files raps vs Arroyo's 'fake' stem cell doc

Irvine Stem Cell Treatment Center: Public Seminar on Adipose Derived Stem Cells

By Stem Cell Treatment

Irvine, California (PRWEB) April 09, 2014

The Irvine Stem Cell Treatment Center, located in Irvine, California, announces a free public seminar on the use of stem cells for various degenerative and inflammatory conditions. They will be provided by Dr. Thomas A. Gionis, Surgeon-in-Chief.

The seminar will be held on April 13. On April 13 and will be held at 3500 Barranca Parkway, Suite 315, Irvine, CA 92606 at 2 p.m.

At the Irvine Stem Cell Treatment Center, utilizing investigational protocols, adult adipose derived stem cells (ADSCs) can be deployed to improve patients quality of life with a number of degenerative conditions and diseases. ADSCs are taken from the patients own adipose (fat) tissue (also called stromal vascular fraction (SVF). Adipose tissue is exceptionally abundant in ADSCs. The adipose tissue is obtained from the patient during a 15 minute mini-liposuction performed under local anesthesia in the doctors office. SVF is a protein-rich solution containing mononuclear cell lines (predominantly autologous mesenchymal stem cells), macrophage cells, endothelial cells, red blood cells, and important Growth Factors that facilitate the stem cell process and promote their activity.

ADSCs are the body's natural healing cells - they are recruited by chemical signals emitted by damaged tissues to repair and regenerate the bodys damaged cells. The Irvine Stem Cell Treatment Center only uses autologous stem cells from a person's own fat no embryonic stem cells are used. Our current areas of study include: Heart Failure, Emphysema, COPD, Asthma, Parkinsons Disease, Stroke, Multiple Sclerosis, and orthopedic joint injections. For more information, or if someone thinks they may be a candidate for one of the stem cell protocols offered by Irvine Stem Cell Treatment Center, they may contact Dr. Gionis directly at (949) 679-3889, or see a complete list of the Centers study areas at: http://www.StemCellsUSA.net.

About Irvine Stem Cell Treatment Center:

The Irvine Stem Cell Treatment Center is an affiliate of the Cell Surgical Network (CSN). We provide care for people suffering from diseases that may be alleviated by access to adult stem cell based regenerative treatment. We utilize a fat transfer surgical technology to isolate and implant the patients own stem cells from a small quantity of fat harvested by a mini-liposuction on the same day. The investigational protocols utilized by the Irvine Stem Cell Treatment Center have been reviewed and approved by an IRB (Institutional Review Board) which is registered with the U.S. Department of Health, Office of Human Research Protections (OHRP) and the study is registered with Clinicaltrials.gov, a service of the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH). For more information contact: Info(at)StemCellsUSA(dot)net or visit our website: http://www.StemCellsUSA.net.

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Irvine Stem Cell Treatment Center: Public Seminar on Adipose Derived Stem Cells

Stem Cell Therapy Could Transform Parkinson's

By Stem Cell Treatment

See Inside

Stem cell therapy is emerging as a promising treatment for Parkinson's disease

Neurosurgeon Ivar Mendez of the University of Saskatchewan often shows a video clip to demonstrate his work treating Parkinson's disease. It features a middle-aged man with this caption: Off medications. The man's face has the dull stare typical of Parkinson's. Asked to lift each hand and open and close his fingers, he barely manages. He tries but fails to get up from a chair without using his hands. When he walks, it is with the slow, shuffling gait that is another hallmark of Parkinson's, a progressive neurological disorder that afflicts an estimated one million Americans, most of them older than 60.

Then the video jumps forward in time. The same man appears, still off medications. It is now eight years since Mendez transplanted dopamine cells from a fetus into the patient's brain. These neurons, which live in a midbrain region called the substantia nigra and secrete the neurotransmitter dopamine to initiate movement, are the ones that die off in Parkinson's. The man has aged, but his energy and demeanor are characteristic of a much younger man. Asked to do the same tasks, he smoothly raises his arms high and flicks his fingers open and shut rapidly. Arms crossed on his chest, he rises from a chair with apparent ease. Then he struts down the hall.

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Stem Cell Therapy Could Transform Parkinson's

National Stem Cell Coordinating Centre Launched

By Stem Cell Treatment

KUALA LUMPUR, April 10 (Bernama) - The Ministry of Health finally realised its wish to have a National Stem Cell Coordinating Centre (NSCCC) which was launched Thursday.

Director of Medical Development Division, Datuk Dr Azmi Shapie said the NSCCC was built at a mere cost of RM50,000 using the expertise from its own staff.

"I hope the existence of the NSCCC can benefit patients in dire need of stem cell treatment," he told reporters after launching the NSCCC at the National Blood Centre here, on behalf of the director-general of Health, Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah.

In a statement distributed to reporters, Dr Noor Hisham said stem cells could only be obtained from blood vessels, bone marrow or umbilical cord blood to produce different types of blood components needed to treat patients.

It said all Malaysians aged 18 to 50 years who are healthy and free from infectious diseases and chronic diseases are encouraged to register as cell donors.

Among the diseases that may be treated with stem cell blood transplant are leukemia, lymphoma, thalassemia and aplastic anemia.

Statistics (from 2006 to March 31) show that 22,933 Malaysians or 0.08 per cent of the total population registered as stem cell donors in the Malaysian Stem Cell Registry.

Also launched at the event was a book of guidelines on the policies and procedures to ensure that the stem cell donation process meet professional ethics.

-- BERNAMA

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National Stem Cell Coordinating Centre Launched

Japan stem cell researcher says results valid – Quincy Herald-Whig | Illinois & Missouri News, Sports

By Stem Cell Doctors

By ELAINE KURTENBACH AP Business Writer

TOKYO (AP) - The Japanese scientist accused of falsifying data in a widely heralded stem-cell research paper said Wednesday the results are valid despite mistakes in their presentation.

Haruko Obokata, 30, struggled to maintain her composure during a televised news conference packed with hundreds of reporters, but insisted she did not tamper with the data to fabricate results. She said she did not agree with retracting the research that appeared in the scientific journal Nature.

The phenomenon of ordinary cells transforming into stem cells under the influence of external stimulus was "confirmed many times for a fact," Obokata said at the press conference in the western city of Osaka. She said she could replicate her results again if allowed back into the lab to do so.

She has contested allegations of research malpractice made by a panel of scientists at the government-funded Riken Center for Development Biology, where she is employed.

Obokata said Riken had advised her not to speak publicly about the controversy. The event Wednesday, which lasted for over two hours, was her first public appearance in weeks and was made against doctors' orders after seeking hospital treatment Monday.

"I wasn't able to sleep well and was feeling worse and worse," she said. "I take this responsibility severely. I am deeply sorry."

Obokata apologized repeatedly for having used the wrong images and having altered an image in a report on using a simple lab procedure to grow tissue for treating illnesses such as diabetes and Parkinson's disease.

In an emailed statement, Riken reiterated Obokata's right to an appeal of its findings.

"Riken will give due consideration to the appeal in accordance with our regulations," it said.

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Japan stem cell researcher says results valid - Quincy Herald-Whig | Illinois & Missouri News, Sports

Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine | UNMC

By Stem Cell Medicine

Regenerative Medicine encompasses many fields of science and medicine. The image below effectively portrays the scope of Regenerative Medicine; as the umbrella, it covers many fields of research and clinical practice. Stem cell research and therapies continue to enhance the field of Regenerative Medicine and what it offers patients and scientists. Stem cells have and will continue to play a critical role in scientific discoveries through developmental biology and therapeutic applications, however, we should be mindful to not limit our descriptions or thoughts regarding Regenerative Medicine and its capabilities to stem cell research alone. The only constraints placed around it are the ones we set, as those in the field seek to uncover the intricacies of our biological systems.

STEM CELLS

Typically, when the term Regenerative Medicine arises people automatically think about stem cells, particularly, embryonic stem cells. Being that embryonic stem cell research is currently a highly debated topic in both the scientific and political field, the assumption that Regenerative Medicine Research only involves embryonic stem cell research can be narrowing to the field and does not allow one to understand its full potential. While all stem cell work is vital to the advancement of Regenerative Medicine research and therapies, we cannot interchange the two terms as equals. As we learn more about Regenerative Medicine, we must broaden our minds, so as not to limit the vast possibilities that Regenerative Medicine researchers seek to find in the inherent mysteries of our biological systems.

How are stem cells and Regenerative Medicine linked?

As discussed in other portions of this site, Regenerative Medicine is a comprehensive term used to describe the current methods and research employed to revive and/or replace dead or damaged tissue. A portion of Regenerative Medicine research revolves around the use of stem cells, including embryonic, adult, and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS), however there are many other resources that are utilized in order to carry out the mission of Regenerative Medicine research. These include transplants, biomaterials, scaffolds, machines and electronics, stimulation pathways, drug therapy, and many others. This is thoroughly discussed on the What is Regenerative Medicine? page.

Stem cells have a very important role in Regenerative Medicine Research and have many potential applications. First, because of their role in development and their potential to develop into many different cells types, stem cells are vital to the field of developmental biology. Developmental biologists seek to uncover what genes and pathways are involved in cell differentiation (how cells develop into specific cell types such as liver, skin, or muscle cells) and how these can be manipulated to create new healthy tissues. Second, stem cells can be applied to drug testing and development. New drugs that are developed in Pharma could be safely and effectively tested using differentiated stem cells. As scientists learn more about how stem cells develop to form new tissue they will be able to apply their knowledge in maintaining differentiated cell types that can be used to test particular drugs. This method is already underway in the cancer therapy world, where cancer cells and grown in the laboratory for the purpose of testing anti-tumor and chemotherapeutic drugs. Finally, and of most interest to patients and scientists is the role stem cells will play in Cell-Based Therapy. These therapies will apply the understanding of stem cell development, differentiation, and maintenance to generate new, healthy tissue for diseases needing transplant or replacement of damaged tissue, such as arthritis, Parkinson's disease, type 1 diabetes, and coronary disease. Cell therapies may one day be able to replace organ donation and eliminate the issues that accompany it such as rejection and tissue insufficiency. Although there are still many difficulties surrounding the field of stem cell research and therapy, over the coming decades scientists hope to continue to make discoveries that will enable the potentials of cell-based therapy to become a reality.

Learn more about Stem Cells on UNMC's Stem Cell site.

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Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine | UNMC

Lawmaker wants Arroyo stem cell doctor arrested

By Stem Cell Medical Center

A HOUSE member is urging law enforcement agents to arrest the alternative medicine doctor of Pampanga Representative Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in connection with the death of an Ateneo de Manila scholar last year.

OFW Family party-list Representative Roy Seneres said the Philippine National Police (PNP) can now arrest Antonia Park if found to be practicing medicine without any license.

Park, who is believed to be a South Korean, was blamed by the family of Katherine Grace Tan for her death last year.

Bernard Tan said his 23-year-old daughter died after undergoing embryonic stem cell therapy allegedly administered by Park at the latters Green and Young Health and Wellness Center in Tagaytay City.

Seneres called for an investigation of Park's operations, saying that unless she is a medical doctor and has a license to practice medicine, she is barred from conducting any medical procedure on sick patients.

The lawmaker also called on the Tan family to file the necessary charges against Park if they have enough evidence against her.

Park's service was previously sought by Arroyo when she was granted bail on electoral fraud charges two years ago.

The former chief executive motored to Tagaytay City reportedly to confer with Park regarding her spine problem.

Seneres noted that the former president's spine ailment has not improved since her Tagaytay trip but, in fact, doctors at the Veterans Memorial Medical Center (VMCC) where she is under hospital detention had claimed that her health issue has turned for the worse.

Arroyo's sister, Cielo Macapagal-Salgado, and former spokesperson, Charito Planas, have reportedly recommended Park's services to the Pampanga lawmaker.

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Lawmaker wants Arroyo stem cell doctor arrested

Mahendra Rao Joins The New York Stem Cell Foundation Research Institute

By Uncategorized

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Newswise NEW YORK, NY (April 9, 2014) Dr. Mahendra Rao, who has directed the Center for Regenerative Medicine at the National Institutes of Health (NIH CRM) since 2010, will join The New York Stem Cell Foundation (NYSCF) Research Institute as its Vice President for Regenerative Medicine, a newly created position, Susan Solomon, NYSCF Chief Executive Officer, announced today.

Dr. Rao, who holds an MD degree and a PhD in developmental neurobiology, is one of the nations most prominent stem cell scientists. He has over twenty years of experience in all aspects of the stem cell field including government, academia, and business. Before joining the NIH, Dr. Rao spent six years as the vice president of Regenerative Medicine at Life Technologies, Inc. (now Thermo Fisher Scientific) after serving as the chief of Neurosciences at the National Institute on Aging and co-founding Q Therapeutics, a neural stem cell company based in Utah. Dr. Rao is tenured at the University of Utah School of Medicine in both Neurobiology and Anatomy and has over twenty submitted and ten issued patents.

Dr. Raos expertise in translational research, academia, and industry make him a valuable asset in our mission to take stem cell research from the laboratory to the clinic in order to find cures for the diseases that affect those we love, Solomon said. We are delighted to have him on board.

Solomon said that recruiting Dr. Rao is a major coup for NYSCF as it builds on its existing successes and carries out its strategic goals. Dr. Raos expertise and experience in setting up a company and in leading the translational effort at NIH will complement their expertise in automation and high-throughput induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cell generation.

I am enthused about NYSCFs efforts to generate high-quality stem cell lines and partner with the pharma and academic communities. I am excited to be joining them to advance their goals, said Dr. Rao.

In addition to his business career, Dr. Rao has served on scientific advisory boards, editorial boards and review panels and on committees including as the U.S. Food and Drug Administrations Cellular, Tissue, and Gene Therapies Advisory Committee chair and as the California Institute of Regenerative Medicine and International Society for Stem Cell Research liaison to the International Society for Cellular Therapy. Currently, he sits on the board of Cesca Therapeutics, Inc. and serves as the Chief Strategy Officer and Chairman of the Scientific Advisory Board at Q Therapeutics.

"Mahendra is a widely-recognized and accomplished leader in stem cell research. He will be a major asset for NYSCF as we continue to develop new therapeutics for patients," said Dr. Zach Hall, NYSCF Board Member and former Director of National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.

About The New York Stem Cell Foundation

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Mahendra Rao Joins The New York Stem Cell Foundation Research Institute

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