Regenerative medicine: Mayo Clinic and collaborators develop new tool for transplanting stem cells

PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:

16-Dec-2013

Contact: Jennifer Schutz newsbureau@mayo.edu 507-284-5005 Mayo Clinic

ROCHESTER, Minn. -- Mayo Clinic researchers and colleagues in Belgium have developed a specialized catheter for transplanting stem cells into the beating heart. The novel device includes a curved needle and graded openings along the needle shaft, allowing for increased distribution of cells. The result is maximized retention of stem cells to repair the heart. The findings appear in the journal Circulation: Cardiovascular Interventions.

"Although biotherapies are increasingly more sophisticated, the tools for delivering regenerative therapies demonstrate a limited capacity in achieving high cell retention in the heart," says Atta Behfar, M.D., Ph.D., a Mayo Clinic cardiology specialist and lead author of the study. "Retention of cells is, of course, crucial to an effective, practical therapy."

Researchers from the Mayo Clinic Center for Regenerative Medicine in Rochester and Cardio3 Biosciences in Mont-Saint-Guibert, Belgium, collaborated to develop the device, beginning with computer modeling in Belgium. Once refined, the computer-based models were tested in North America for safety and retention efficiency.

What's the significance?

This new catheter is being used in the European CHART-1 clinical trials, now underway. This is the first Phase III trial to regenerate hearts of patients who have suffered heart attack damage. The studies are the outcome of years of basic science research at Mayo Clinic and earlier clinical studies with Cardio3 BioSciences and Cardiovascular Centre in Aalst, Belgium, conducted between 2009 and 2010.

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The development of the catheter and subsequent studies were supported by Cardio3 BioSciences; Walloon Region General Directorate for Economy, Employment & Research; Meijer Lavino Foundation for Cardiac Research Aalst (Belgium); the National Institutes of Health; Grainger Foundation; Florida Heart Research Institute; Marriott Heart Disease Research Program; and the Mayo Clinic Center for Regenerative Medicine.

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Regenerative medicine: Mayo Clinic and collaborators develop new tool for transplanting stem cells

West Coast Stem Cell Clinic, Telehealth, Now Offering Stem Cell Injections for Plantar Fasciitis

Orange County, California (PRWEB) December 16, 2013

Top California stem cell clinic, TeleHealth, is now offering stem cell injections for plantar fasciitis. The condition may lead to chronic pain and may not respond to traditional treatments, with the stem cell therapy often allowing for pain relief and the ability to avoid the need for surgery. For more information and scheduling, call (888) 828-4575.

Planter fasciitis affects millions of Americans. The condition leads to chronic heel pain and may make it difficult to participate in recreational activities and even walk normally. Traditional treatments such as physical therapy, NSAIDS, steroid injections and orthotics are often effective over time. However, the condition may not respond as desired to these options and stem cells for plantar fasciitis may be the answer.

Therefore, stem cell injections that TeleHealth provides may offer an excellent option for healing the inflamed area while at the same time providing considerable pain relief. The conventional pain management treatments tend to mask pain, however, they do not actually heal the condition directly.

Regenerative medicine treatments with stem cells maintain the potential of actually healing the damaged tissue to provide long term relief. Telehealth has multiple US Board Certified doctors who have a long history of providing stem cell therapy for numerous conditions including degenerative arthritis, rotator cuff and Achilles tendonitis, ligament injury, elbow soft tissue tendinitis and more.

For those suffering from planter fasciitis or any of the other arthritic or soft tissue injury conditions, call TeleHealth at (888) 828-4575.

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West Coast Stem Cell Clinic, Telehealth, Now Offering Stem Cell Injections for Plantar Fasciitis

Arizona Pain Stem Cell Institute Now Offering Stem Cell Therapy for Plantar Fasciitis

Phoenix, Arizona (PRWEB) December 16, 2013

The top Phoenix stem cell treatment clinic, Arizona Pain Stem Cell Institute, is now offering stem cell therapy for plantar fasciitis. The treatments are offered by Board Certified pain management doctors in Arizona, and often help patients avoid surgery. For more information and scheduling, call (602) 507-6550.

Plantar fasciitis affects millions of Americans, causing heel pain that may make it difficult to participate in recreational activities and walking in general. Conventional treatments such as steroid injections, NSAIDS, bracing and physical therapy at times do not relieve the pain properly. Surgery for plantar fasciitis unfortunately does not always provide the desired relief.

Regenerative medicine at the Arizona Pain Stem Cell Institute offers a nonoperative option for plantar fasciitis. This may include stem cell injections with bone marrow, fat derived or amniotic derived material. The procedure is outpatient and low risk.

In addition to treatments for plantar fasciitis, the Institute offers stem cell treatments for degenerative arthritis, tennis elbow, rotator cuff symptoms, achilles tendonitis and more. The procedures are performed by Board Certified pain doctors, with four research projects ongoing.

The Institute is a division of Arizona Pain Specialists, the leading pain center in Arizona. Five locations accept over 50 insurance plans including Workers Compensation, Personal Injury, PPO's, some HMO's and self pay. The regenerative medicine treatments are offered as fee for service.

For more information and scheduling to discuss plantar fasciitis options, call (602) 507-6550.

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Arizona Pain Stem Cell Institute Now Offering Stem Cell Therapy for Plantar Fasciitis

Brittle-bone babies helped by fetal stem cell grafts

PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:

16-Dec-2013

Contact: Press Office pressinfo@ki.se 46-852-486-077 Karolinska Institutet

Osteogeneis imperfecta (OI) is a congenital bone disease that causes stunted growth and repeated, painful fracturing. Ultrasound scans can reveal fractures already in the fetus, and now an international team of researchers from Sweden, Singapore and Taiwan have treated two babies in utero by injecting bone-forming stem cells. The longitudinal results of the treatment are published in the journal Stem Cells Translational Medicine.

The babies were treated with mesenchymal stem cells, connective tissue cells that can form and improve bone tissue. The stem cells were extracted from the livers of donors and although they were completely unmatched genetically, there was no rejection and the transplanted cells were accepted as self.

Back in 2005, a paper was published from Karolinska Institutet in Sweden describing how stem cells were given to a female fetus. The present study describes how the girl suffered a large number of fractures and developed scoliosis up to the age of eight, whereupon the researchers decided to give her a fresh stem cell graft from the same donor. For the next two years the girl suffered no new fractures and improved her growth rate. Today she takes dance lessons and participates more in PE at school.

Another unborn baby with OI, a girl from Taiwan, was also given stem cell transplantation by the Karolinska Institutet team and their colleagues from Singapore. The girl subsequently followed a normal and fracture-free growth trajectory until the age of one, when it levelled off. She was given a fresh stem cell treatment and her growth resumed. The girl started to walk and has since not suffered any new fractures. Today she is four years old.

"We believe that the stem cells have helped to relieve the disease since none of the children broke bones for a period following the grafts, and both increased their growth rate," says study leader Dr Cecilia Gtherstrm, researcher at Karolinska Institutet's Department of Clinical Sciences, Intervention and Technology. "Today, the children are doing much better than if the transplantations had not been given. OI is a very rare disease and lacks effective treatment, and a combined international effort is needed to examine whether stem cell grafts can alleviate the disease."

The researchers have also identified a patient, a boy from Canada, who was born with OI caused by exactly the same mutation as the Swedish girl had. The boy was not given stem cell therapy and was born with severe and widespread bone damage, including numerous fractures and kyphosis of the thoracic vertebrae, which causes such over-curvature of the spine that it impairs breathing. The boy died of pneumonia within his first 5 months.

Participating institutions in Singapore have been the National University Hospotal, and the KK Women's and Children's Hospital. Collaborating partner of Taiwan was the Chang Gung Memorial Hospital in Linkou. Researchers of several universities and hospitals in Sweden, Canada and the USA also took part in the work. The study was financed with a grant from the Swedish Society for Medical Research, and two of the participating researchers received a salary from the Singaporean Ministry of Health.

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Brittle-bone babies helped by fetal stem cell grafts

Kidney Grown From Stem Cells For The First Time, Australian Scientists Call Breakthrough ‘An Amazing Process’

The breakthrough marks a major advance in treating kidney disease and more avenues in bioengineering human organs. Researchers published their findings in the journal Nature Cell Biology, following their success in making human skin cells form a functioning "mini-kidney" with a width of only a few millimeters.

During self-organization, different types of cells arrange themselves with respect to each other to create the complex structures that exist within an organ, in this case, the kidney, Professor Melissa Little of University of Queenslands Institute for Molecular Bioscience (IMB), who led the study, said in a statement. The fact that such stem cell populations can undergo self-organization in the laboratory bodes well for the future of tissue bioengineering to replace damaged and diseased organs and tissues.

While it may be a while until the process can be used in human trials, Little says it could be a major development in treating chronic kidney disease.

One in three Australians is at risk of developing chronic kidney disease, and the only therapies currently available are kidney transplant and dialysis, Little said. Only one in four patients will receive a donated organ, and dialysis is an ongoing and restrictive treatment regime.

The engineered kidney is a first for science.

"This is the first time anybody has managed to direct stem cells into the functional units of a kidney," Professor Brandon Wainwright, from the University of Queensland, told The Telegraph. "It is an amazing process it is like a Lego building that puts itself together."

Scientists were able to make the kidney by identifying genes that remained active and inactive during kidney development. They were then able to alter the genes into embryonic cells that allowed them to self-organize into the human organ.

"The [researchers] spent years looking at what happens if you turn this gene off and this one on," Wainwright said. "You can eventually coax these stem cells through a journey they [the cells] go through various stages and then think about being a kidney cell and eventually pop together to form a little piece of kidney."

Little predicts the stem cell kidneys could one day be used to make human kidney transplants, or a cluster of mini kidneys used to boost renal function in patients.

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Kidney Grown From Stem Cells For The First Time, Australian Scientists Call Breakthrough ‘An Amazing Process’

stem cell therapy treatment for spinal cord injury by dr alok sharma, mumbai, india short – Video


stem cell therapy treatment for spinal cord injury by dr alok sharma, mumbai, india short
improvement seen in just 4 months after stem cell therapy treatment for spinal cord injury by dr alok sharma, mumbai, india. Stem Cell Therapy done date 2nd ...

By: Neurogen Brain and Spine Institute

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stem cell therapy treatment for spinal cord injury by dr alok sharma, mumbai, india short - Video

New study shows stem cell therapy helps brain injuries

By Dalia Dangerfield, Reporter Last Updated: Saturday, December 14, 2013, 8:48 PM TAMPA --

USF researchers believe stem cell therapy can help men and women with mild brain injuries.

This is quite a phenomenal observation, said Dr. Cesar Borlongan, a neuroscientist from USF Health. In our hands, stem cell therapy may offer this hope for the soldiers to prevent the progression of the disease and hopefully we can stop the disease process at the early stage."

In a recent study Borlongan injected adult stem cells in rats with traumatic brain injury. The stem cells served as a bridge, allowing new brain cells to move up to the damaged part of the brain.

That's a new concept, it's like the cells are very smart, said Borlongan.

Over time the adult stem cells helped partially repair the brain damage in rats.

Professor Borlongan believes the same may be true for humans allowing them to slowly get better.

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New study shows stem cell therapy helps brain injuries

Thomas K. Sees Results After One Stem Cell Treatment! Stem Cells Can Help Stroke Patients! – Video


Thomas K. Sees Results After One Stem Cell Treatment! Stem Cells Can Help Stroke Patients!
Dr. David Steenblock treated patient Thomas K. with stem cells and instantly sees miraculous results. Stem cell treatments are helping stroke patients/victim...

By: David Steenblock

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Thomas K. Sees Results After One Stem Cell Treatment! Stem Cells Can Help Stroke Patients! - Video

Cedars-Sinai Medical Tipsheet for Dec. 2013

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Scientists Design and Test New Approach for Corneal Stem Cell Treatments Researchers in the Cedars-Sinai Regenerative Medicine Institute have designed and tested a novel, minute-long procedure to prepare human amniotic membrane for use as a scaffold for specialized stem cells that may be used to treat some corneal diseases. This membrane serves as a foundation that supports the growth of stem cells in order to graft them onto the cornea. This new method, explained in a paper published in the journal PLOS ONE, may accelerate research and clinical applications for stem cell corneal transplantation. CONTACT: Cara Martinez, 310-423-7798; Email cara.martinez@cshs.org; Twitter @CedarsSinaiCara

Cancer Science Evolves, One Consent Form at a Time Tucked away in freezers chilled to minus 80 degrees Celsius are blood and tissue samples from Cedars-Sinai patients. The freezers that hold these samples also contain the hopes of investigators determined to uncover new treatments for cancer patients across the globe. As cancer research continues to evolve, scientists rely on specimen samples, such as tissue, blood or urine, from generous patients to advance discoveries and personalize care. Biobanks, like the state-of-the-art biobank at the Cedars-Sinai Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute, allow patients to make invaluable contributions to medical research and treatment advances that may ultimately be the solution to their own diagnosis or disease down the road. CONTACT: Cara Martinez, 310-423-7798; Email cara.martinez@cshs.org; Twitter @CedarsSinaiCara

Cedars-Sinai, UCLA Health System and Select Medical Announce Partnership to Open Medical Rehabilitation Hospital Cedars-Sinai, UCLA Health System and Select Medical announced today a partnership to create a 138-bed acute inpatient rehabilitation hospital located in the former Century City Hospital. With an expected opening in late 2015, the rehabilitation hospital will serve the growing needs in the community for inpatient rehabilitation, and is also expected to serve as a center for treating complex rehabilitation cases from throughout the nation. The joint venture is an LLC partnership among Cedars-Sinai, UCLA Health System and Select Medical. The vision of the partnership is to develop a world-class regional rehabilitation center providing highly specialized care, advanced treatment, and leading-edge technologies to treat individuals with spinal cord injuries, brain injuries, stroke, amputation, neurological disorders, and musculoskeletal and orthopedic conditions. CONTACT: Sally Stewart, 310-248-6566; Email sally.stewart@cshs.org

Cedars-Sinai Receives Fourth Straight Magnet Recognition for Nursing Excellence from American Nurses Credentialing Center For the fourth time in a row, the American Nurses Credentialing Center has granted Cedars-Sinai the Magnet recognition, the most prestigious designation a healthcare organization can receive for excellence in nursing and patient outcomes. Cedars-Sinai in 2000 became the first Southern California hospital to earn the Magnet honor; it is the only hospital in the state to be granted the designation four times. Cedars-Sinai joins a select list of only 12 hospitals worldwide that have earned Magnet recognition four times. CONTACT: Sally Stewart, 310-248-6566; Email sally.stewart@cshs.org

Ovarian Cancer Discovery Deepens Knowledge of Survival Outcomes Researchers in the Womens Cancer Program at Cedars-Sinais Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute have identified a series of 10 genes that may signify a trifecta of benefits for women diagnosed with ovarian cancer and ultimately reflect improved survival outcomes. The research found that the 10-gene biomarker panel may identify the aggressiveness of a patients disease, help predict survival outcomes and result in novel therapeutic strategies tailored to patients with the most adverse survival outcomes. CONTACT: Cara Martinez, 310-423-7798; Email cara.martinez@cshs.org; Twitter @CedarsSinaiCara

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Cedars-Sinai Medical Tipsheet for Dec. 2013

Parkinson’s stem cell project aims for 2014 approval

Parkinson's patient Ed Fitzpatrick speaks about stem cell research for his disease. Fitzpatrick talked on a Dec. 7 panel at the World Stem Cell Summit in San Diego. Bradley J. Fikes

Parkinson's patient Ed Fitzpatrick speaks about stem cell research for his disease. Fitzpatrick talked on a Dec. 7 panel at the World Stem Cell Summit in San Diego.

For eight local Parkinsons patients seeking treatment with stem cell technology, 2014 could bring the milestone theyve been anticipating.

If all goes well, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration will approve an attempt to replace the brain cells destroyed in Parkinsons. The new cells, grown from each patients own skin cells, are expected to restore normal movement in the patients.

Because the new brain cells are made from the patients own cells, immunosuppressive drugs shouldnt be needed. Ideally, patients could stop taking their medications and resume normal activities for many years, or even the rest of their lives.

The project, Summit4StemCell.org, is a collaboration between three nonprofits. The Scripps Research Institute handles the science; Scripps Clinic takes care of the medical side; and the Parkinsons Association of San Diego helps to raise money for the self-funded project.

Since 2011, the focus has been at the institute, where scientists led by Jeanne Loring have made the artificial embryonic stem cells, called induced pluripotent stem cells, and turned them into the needed brain cells. Now Scripps Clinic is assuming a more prominent role to prepare for treating the patients.

A study in rats began in early December; results are expected by April. The animal study is meant to assess safety, although researchers will also look for signs of effectiveness.

In January, scientists will visit the FDA to lay the groundwork for a formal application, said Scripps Clinic neurologist Melissa Houser, who treats all eight patients.

Success in the animal study will likely result in a go-ahead, Houser said. If the animal trial fails, its back to the drawing board.

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Parkinson’s stem cell project aims for 2014 approval