Stem Cell Clinic

Belgian technique uses fat cells

Right off the bat, Dr. Ed Santos, oncologist and surgeon who trained in stem cell therapy in Belgium and has been a medical doctor for 30 years, will tell you how old he is. "I'm 60."

Well can he afford to brag, because his skin is clear, rosy and bright, while the rest of him shows a body that is just about to ripen for middle age. In his brand-new StemGenics Center for Age Management and Regenerative Medicine on Eisenhower St. in Greenhills, San Juan, the doctor proudly gives the visitor a tour of the clinic's gleaming equipment and facilities, all because its principal investor, Sunder Hemandas, believes that "SCT is the future of medicine." There's another reason for the pride in the doctor's voice. Unlike some fly-by-night "clinics" operating out of hotel rooms, StemGenics is endorsed by the Department of Health.

The following are excerpts of a conversation with Dr. Santos.

When does someone need stem cell therapy?

There is an increasing demand for the use of stem cells as therapy in oncology, end-organ diseases and regenerative medicine, as well as aesthetic applications. Despite the heightened interest, SCT is not a cure-all treatment. It should be considered when standard of care modalities fail or are inadequate.

Which type of procedure should a patient choose?

There are stem cell types that have been proven to cause complications such as kidney failure, or even death. Embryonic stem cells have been associated with tumor formation. SCT preparations that are permitted (by DOH) for patient use are autologous (your own) adult human stem cells, allogeneic (from another person) human stem cells, human umbilical cord stem cells and human organ-specific cells. DOH does not allow SCT from embryonic, aborted fetal, and genetically altered animal and plant stem cells.

How is your (StemGenics) procedure different?

I work primarily with autologous (from the patient) uncultured fat-derived stromal vascular tradition and its stem cells, where tissue harvest, minimal manipulation techniques, stem cell activation, and delivery are done in a single procedure. The process is completed as an outpatient procedure within a four-to-six-hour time frame.

Using fat as a source of stem cells allows for the treatment to be a single step procedure, as fat is very rich in stem cells. . .In other techniques, harvested tissue such as bone marrow or blood needs to spend time in the lab for expansion, so that it can reach the required number of stem cells needed. Our Belgian technology has been shown to provide about 200 percent more stem cells.

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Belgian technique uses fat cells

Mayo Clinic to Open Stem Cell Laboratory in Phoenix Mayo Clinic to Open Stem Cell Laboratory in Phoenix

Thursday, August 22, 2013

PHOENIX Mayo Clinic in Arizona, with one of the most active bone marrow transplant programs in United States, will open its own stem cell laboratory in summer 2014. The laboratory will be initially dedicated to storing and processing stem cells used for bone marrow transplants at Mayo Clinic Hospital and Phoenix Children's Hospital.

Mayo Clinic is a regional referral center and performs more than 200 adult stem cell transplants each year and approximately 30 pediatric transplants with Phoenix Children's. The program is accredited by the Foundation for the Accreditation of Cellular Therapy and the National Bone Marrow Donor Program.

Stem cell (blood or marrow) transplant is the infusion or injection of healthy stem cells into the body to replace damaged or diseased stem cells. Although the procedure to replenish the body's supply of healthy blood-forming cells is generally called a stem cell transplant, it's also known as a bone marrow transplant, peripheral blood stem cell transplant or an umbilical cord blood transplant, depending on the source of the stem cells. Stem cell transplants can use cells from a person's own body (autologous stem cell transplant), from a donor (allogeneic stem cell transplant) or from an identical twin (syngeneic transplant).

Mayo Clinic's Bone Marrow Transplant program provides consultations, evaluations and treatment for patients who would potentially benefit from a stem cell transplant. Patients who are younger than age 18 are cared for through Mayo Clinic's pediatric program at Phoenix Children's Hospital.

The new 6,200-square-foot lab will be located on the Phoenix campus of Mayo Clinic in Arizona. Mayo Clinic physicians say the new lab will help increase capacity, improve turnaround times for processing and provide the potential for research-related activities including regenerative medicine.

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Mayo Clinic is a nonprofit worldwide leader in medical care, research and education for people from all walks of life. For more information, visit MayoClinic.com or MayoClinic.org/news.

Journalists can become a member of the Mayo Clinic News Network for the latest health, science and research news and access to video, audio, text and graphic elements that can be downloaded or embedded.

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Mayo Clinic to Open Stem Cell Laboratory in Phoenix Mayo Clinic to Open Stem Cell Laboratory in Phoenix

Mayo Clinic to Open Stem Cell Lab in Phoenix

Released: 8/22/2013 7:00 PM EDT Source Newsroom: Mayo Clinic

Newswise PHOENIX Mayo Clinic in Arizona, with one of the most active bone marrow transplant programs in United States, will open its own stem cell laboratory in summer 2014. The laboratory will be initially dedicated to storing and processing stem cells used for bone marrow transplants at Mayo Clinic Hospital and Phoenix Childrens Hospital.

Mayo Clinic is a regional referral center and performs more than 200 adult stem cell transplants each year and approximately 30 pediatric transplants with Phoenix Childrens. The program is accredited by the Foundation for the Accreditation of Cellular Therapy and the National Bone Marrow Donor Program.

Stem cell (blood or marrow) transplant is the infusion or injection of healthy stem cells into the body to replace damaged or diseased stem cells. Although the procedure to replenish the body's supply of healthy blood-forming cells is generally called a stem cell transplant, it's also known as a bone marrow transplant, peripheral blood stem cell transplant or an umbilical cord blood transplant, depending on the source of the stem cells. Stem cell transplants can use cells from a persons own body (autologous stem cell transplant), from a donor (allogeneic stem cell transplant) or from an identical twin (syngeneic transplant).

Mayo Clinic's Bone Marrow Transplant program provides consultations, evaluations and treatment for patients who would potentially benefit from a stem cell transplant. Patients who are younger than age 18 are cared for through Mayo Clinic's pediatric program at Phoenix Children's Hospital.

The new 6,200-square-foot lab will be located on the Phoenix campus of Mayo Clinic in Arizona. Mayo Clinic physicians say the new lab will help increase capacity, improve turnaround times for processing and provide the potential for research-related activities including regenerative medicine. ###

About Mayo Clinic Mayo Clinic is a nonprofit worldwide leader in medical care, research and education for people from all walks of life. For more information, visit http://www.mayoclinic.com and http://www.mayoclinic.org/news.

Journalists can become a member of the Mayo Clinic News Network for the latest health, science and research news and access to video, audio, text and graphic elements that can be downloaded or embedded.

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Mayo Clinic to Open Stem Cell Lab in Phoenix

Harvard Stem Cell researchers create cells that line blood vessels

Public release date: 22-Aug-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: B. D. Colen bd_colen@harvard.edu 617-413-1224 Harvard University

In a scientific first, Harvard Stem Cell Institute scientists have successfully grown the cells that line the blood vesselscalled vascular endothelial cellsfrom human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), revealing new details about how these cells function. Using a unique approach, the researchers induced the differentiation of specific cell types by generating mechanical forces on the surface of the iPSC-derived endothelium mimicking the flow of blood. For example, cells that felt a stronger "flow" became artery cells, while those that felt a weaker "flow" became vein cells.

"It was especially exciting to us to discover that these cells are basically responding to biomechanical cues," research leader Guillermo Garca-Cardena, PhD, an HSCI Affiliated Faculty member, said. "By exposing cells to 'atheroprone flow,' we can direct differentiation of these cells into cells that are present in areas of the circulatory system that we know are affected by diseases like atherosclerosis." Garca-Cardena is now working on modeling the formation of arterial plaques using human iPSC-derived vascular endothelial cells and identifying potential drugs that might prevent plaque formation.

Garca-Cardena's team, which included Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences graduate student William Adams, found that the iPS-derived human endothelial cells display three critical functions carried out by mature endothelium in the body: mounting inflammatory responses, keeping blood from leaking out of the blood vessel, and preventing blood clots.

Based on this information, Garca-Cardena's work, published this month in the journal Stem Cell Reports, has another exciting implicationit could potentially reduce, or even eliminate the need for heparin use during kidney dialysis and lung failure treatmentmaking both markedly safer.

Traditionally, patients undergoing dialysis are treated with heparin, a powerful drug, which prevents the blood from clotting as it's routed through the dialysis machine. While heparin is quite effective in preventing clotting, because it considerably thins the blood, it can also cause loss of blood, internal bleeding, and interfere with the healing process.

"The iPSC-derived endothelial cells cells beautifully function as an anticoagulant surface," said Garca-Cardena, an Associate Professor of Pathology at Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women's Hospital. "In the future, we may take a tissue sample from a patient, generate iPSCs, and then cover an extracorporeal device with the patient's own endothelial cellsso the patient can go home with the device without the need for regular heparin shots."

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The National Institutes of Health funded this research.

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Harvard Stem Cell researchers create cells that line blood vessels

Probe stem cell practice — Koko

Press Release August 19, 2013

PROBE STEM CELL PRACTICE -- KOKO

Senator Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III, PDP Laban President, has filed a resolution seeking an inquiry into the conduct of stem cell procedures in the Philippines, with the view of having the practice regulated to ensure the protection of the health and welfare of our people.

Pimentel filed the resolution amidst growing concerns over the reported proliferation of stem cell procedures being conducted in the country.

Worse, Pimentel noted, stem cell procedures are reported to be performed by unaccredited foreign doctors in five-star hotels.

Pimentel warned these uncontrolled practices are not only posing serious safety issues to unknowing clients, but also claiming the lives of our people.

He emphasized, it is the duty of Congress to protect and uphold the right to health, and especially the right to life of our people.

He cited the state policy, as declared in Article 2, Section 15 of the Constitution, to protect and promote the right to health of the people.

Stem Cell Therapy (the "Procedure") is a type of intervention strategy that introduces adult stem cells into damaged tissues to be able to treat a disease or injury.

The Procedure has been proven beneficial in some medical conditions such as cancers of the blood and bone marrow, but is considered highly experimental in the treatment of other diseases, Pimentel noted in his resolution.

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Probe stem cell practice -- Koko

Fetal stem cell transplantation favorably impacts radiation-induced cognitive dysfunction

Public release date: 22-Aug-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]

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

Putnam Valley, NY. (Aug. 22, 2013) Patients receiving cranial irradiation treatment for brain cancer may find the treatment life-saving, but often suffer progressive and debilitating cognitive detriments, including spatial learning and memory deficits. The cognitive deficits are a contributing factor to the often significant adverse impacts on the surviving patients' quality of life after radiation therapy. In an effort to improve post-irradiation cognitive impairment, scientists at the University of California, Irvine, and colleagues at Neuralstem, Inc. (Rockville, MD), have transplanted fetal stem cells into laboratory animals with radiation-induced cognitive impairments and found that this led to a number of cognitive improvements. The study appears as an early e-publication for the journal Cell Transplantation, and is now freely available on-line at http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/cog/ct/pre-prints/ct1048acharya.

"Multiple mechanisms contribute to disrupted cognition following irradiation for patients with central nervous system malignancies. These include the depletion of radiosensitive populations of stem and progenitor cells in the hippocampus," said study co-author Dr. Charles L. Limoli of the Department of Radiation Oncology at the University of California, Irvine. "Interventions to combat long-term brain damage resulting from toxic radiation and chemotherapies therapies have yet to be developed. However, stem cell replacement strategies may provide a much needed intervention."

The researchers explored the potential beneficial impact of intra-hippocampal transplantation of fetal-derived human neural stem cells by transplanting the cells into laboratory rats a month after the animals were subjected to cranial irradiation with resulting cognitive deficits. The stem cells were FDA-approved human, fetal-derived neural stem cells provided by Neuralstem, Inc.

"Engrafted stem cells underwent extensive neuronal differentiation, formed new synaptic contacts, released neurotrophic factors, and showed an advanced degree of structural integration into the motor circuitry," reported the research team.

They found that the test animals showed improved hippocampal spatial memory and hippocampal-related "fear conditioning performance" when compared to a control group of irradiated animals that did not receive stem cell transplantation. The engrafted cells also migrated and differentiated into neural and glial subtypes in areas of the hippocampus.

"The engrafted stem cells survived and differentiated throughout an area of the hippocampus and significantly ameliorated cognitive dysfunction as shown at a one-month follow-up on the irradiated animals," said Dr. Limoli. "While it is premature to presume efficacy in the absence of human data, our efforts to thwart cognitive dysfunction by cell replacement therapy with fetal stem cell transplantation may provide an experimental backdrop for a potential treatment for cranially irradiated patients who developed cognitive dysfunctions."

"Cognitive dysfunction is an unfortunate side effect of the therapeutic use of radiation therapy for brain cancer and the identification of ways to ameliorate the dysfunction, such as the application of stem cell transplantation, is a significant area of research" 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.

"This study is an important step towards the development of a clinical therapy, though further research is still required."

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Fetal stem cell transplantation favorably impacts radiation-induced cognitive dysfunction