Stem Cell Clinic

Selma Blair Shares That Shes Now in Remission 3 Years After MS Diagnosis – Self

Three years after actor Selma Blair received her multiple sclerosis (MS) diagnosis, her treatment is working well and her prognosis is positive.

"My prognosis is great. I'm in remission. Stem cell put me in remission," Blair said at a TCA panel in support of the upcoming Introducing Selma Blair documentary, per People. "It took about a year after stem cell for the inflammation and lesions to really go down."

Multiple sclerosis is thought to be an autoimmune condition that occurs when the body's immune system begins attacking the protective myelin sheaths that coat and protect nerve fibers. That can cause communication issues along the nerves and, over time, lead to permanent nerve damage.

People who have MS can have a range of symptoms such as fatigue, dizziness, tingling, balance issues, muscle weakness, and changes in vision (like blurred vision or double vision). The symptoms typically come and go, and someone may experience a flare of their symptoms (that can last days, weeks, or months) or they might be in a period of remission when their symptoms wane (but don't necessarily disappear completely).

Although there is no cure for MS, there are a variety of medications and treatment options that can help manage the symptoms. Experts are still researching and developing stem cell therapy for MS, the type of treatment Blair mentioned. To use stem cells to manage more aggressive forms of MS, doctors will typically perform an autologous stem cell transplant, the Mayo Clinic says, meaning they'll take a patient's own stem cells and use them to replenish their bone marrow. This type of stem cell transplant is most commonly used in the treatment of conditions such as myeloma, Hodgin's lymphoma, and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, the Mayo Clinic says.

Blair was first diagnosed with MS in 2018 after dealing with symptoms like falling, dropping things, chronic pain, and a foggy memory, she revealed in an Instagram post. At first, Blair said she attributed her symptoms to a pinched nerve, but received her diagnosis after undergoing an MRI.

She told the panel that, for the past few months, she's been feeling noticeably better. But she was reluctant to talk about her improvements publicly because she felt like she still needed to be more healed and more fixed, People reports. "I've accrued a lifetime of some baggage in the brain that still needs a little sorting out or accepting. That took me a minute to get to that acceptance. It doesn't look like this for everyone."

In grappling with her diagnosis, Blair has found that being open with how she's feeling and what her life looks like now have been helpfulfor herself and others. "To hear even just me showing up with a cane or sharing something that might be embarrassing, it was a key for a lot of people in finding comfort in themselves and that means everything to me," she said.

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Selma Blair Shares That Shes Now in Remission 3 Years After MS Diagnosis - Self

Third dose of COVID-19 vaccine to be offered to certain residents – Martins Ferry Times Leader

Coronavirus

Aug 18, 2021

WOODSFIELD Local health departments will offer a third dose of the COVID-19 vaccine to immunocompromised residents in an effort to help further protect those individuals from the virus.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Ohio Department of Health announced a recommendation for a third dose of Moderna or Pfizer for immunocompromised individuals who have been fully vaccinated more than 28 days ago. Those who qualify include:

Individuals undergoing active treatment for cancer (solid tumor and hematologic malignancies);

Individuals who have received a solid-organ transplant and are taking immunosuppressive therapy;

Individuals who have received a CAR-T-cell or hematopoietic stem cell transplant (within two years of transplant or taking immunosuppression therapy);

Individuals with moderate or severe primary immunodeficiency (e.g., DiGeorge syndrome, Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome);

Individuals with advanced or untreated HIV infection;

Individuals undergoing active treatment with high-dose corticosteroids (i.e., =20mg prednisone or equivalent per day), alkylating agents, antimetabolites, transplant-related immunosuppressive drugs, cancer chemotherapeutic agents classified as severely immunosuppressive, tumor-necrosis (TNF) blockers, and other biologic agents that are immunosuppressive or immunomodulatory.

The Monroe County Health Department will hold a third dose clinic Aug. 26 at the health department in Woodsfield. Amanda Sefert, public information officer of the county health department, said the clinic will be by appointment only. For more information on whether a person may qualify or to make an appointment for the third dose, call 740-472-4299 and leave your name, number and birthdate.

She said a staff member will return the call to answer questions.

Sefert said the third dose is needed to help further build the immune system of immunocompromised people. According to the CDC, severely compromised immune systems do not always build the same level of immunity compared to people who are not immunocompromised. Receiving the third dose will help prevent those individuals from contracting the virus or lessen the symptoms if they do, she said.

The health department is also offering youth clinics for ages 12-17. With school set to begin soon, Sefert said they wanted to help ensure students have access to the vaccine. She said there has been a fairly positive response for the clinics and she is hoping for a good turnout. The next youth clinic is set for 9:30-11:30 a.m. and 1:30-3:30 p.m. Thursday at the health department, with another set for 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Aug. 27 at the EMS Pavilion during the county fair.

With the information from the delta variant coming out, I think more people are concerned, she added.

The Harrison County Health Department will offer third doses to residents who meet the qualifications and have received a recommendation from a doctor. Garen Rhome, administrator of the county health department, said there is only a small population who meet the qualifications so a clinic will not be necessary in his county.

What we want people to do is to get documentation from their providers. We just want to make sure they are part of that very select group that is currently recommended for the third dose of the series, so we want to know that their doctor recommends that they get it and then we can help them from there, he said.

To schedule an appointment for a third dose, call the health department at 740-942-2616.

Belmont County Deputy Health Commissioner Robert Sproul said his department is planning a third dose specific clinic. He said they are still working on a day and location. The department is currently only administering first and second doses out of the health department office. The department frequently posts upcoming clinics on its Facebook page.

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Friends, family continue Jocelyn’s drive to increase stem cell donors – Chatham This Week

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The importance of stem cell donation became a key part of Jocelyn McGlynns fight against leukemia.

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An aspiring doctor, the Chatham woman may have lost the battle, but she has inspired friends and family to continue her mission to increase the number of potential stem cell donors across Canada.

A total of 135 units of blood were collected during a blood donation clinic held in Jocelyns memory at the Chatham YMCA on Aug. 10, just days before those who loved the Western University medical science student will mark the first year of her death at age 23.

People at the clinic were also encouraged to join Canadas national stem cell registry.

Family friend Megan Canniff, who helped organize the event, said the clinic was a rewarding experience.

Jocelyn was just such an inspiration. I feel very blessed to be able to continue doing what she started, Canniff said. Its a good feeling and it makes you feel a little closer to her as well, being part of something she was so passionate about.

Canniff said a good number of people donated blood for the first time because they were inspired by Jocelyns passion.

Its really great to see. Hopefully, the impact is going to be continued in the future, she said.

Not long after Jocelyn was diagnosed with leukemia in the fall of 2018, she and her family dedicated themselves to promoting stem cell donor registration.

I think its so important because it was so important to our Jocey, said her mother, Jacquelyn McGlynn.

Jocelyns father, Peter McGlynn, said its heartening to know this kind of effort is helping someone else because so many people helped us.

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He said Jocelyn received numerous blood products because of people that were thinking, perhaps, of somebody else that had issues.

Having seen what his daughter started, he said it was critical to continue advocating for the things that she thought were important.

It brings sad memories, but this is what she would have wanted us to do, he said.

However, McGlynn said the clinic also brought happiness to the family knowing Jocelyns friends have embraced her cause.

Its lovely to see them and to know that they still think about her and love her, he said. Were very proud of these young folks.

A single donation of blood is equal to one unit of blood, and a leukemia patient can require up to eight units of blood per week.

As McGlynn wrote: Everybody join the team, theres a cure in your bloodstream.

Maureen Macfarlane, event co-ordinator with Canadian Blood Services, said there is an increased need for blood donations as hospital procedures, which were previously on hold during the COVID-19 pandemic, are being scheduled.

Another blood donor clinic is being held in Chatham on Aug. 31 from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Retro Suites Hotel.

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Friends, family continue Jocelyn's drive to increase stem cell donors - Chatham This Week

Calidi Biotherapeutics Announces Exclusive License Agreement with City of Hope and the University of Chicago for Novel Oncolytic Virotherapy…

Details Category: DNA RNA and Cells Published on Monday, 16 August 2021 17:11 Hits: 487

LA JOLLA, CA, USA I August 16, 2021 I Calidi Biotherapeutics, Inc., a clinical-stage biotechnology company with novel allogeneic stem cell platforms for delivery of oncolytic viruses, together with the University of Chicago and City of Hope, a world renowned NCI-Designated Comprehensive Cancer Center, based in Duarte, California, have entered into an exclusive worldwide licensing agreement for patents covering cutting edge therapies using an oncolytic adenovirus in combination with a clinical grade allogeneic neural stem cell line.

City of Hope (COH) scientists, led by Dr. Karen Aboody in collaboration with Dr. Maciej Lesniak's team at University of Chicago, and later Northwestern University, have used COHs exclusive GMP grade immortalized, clonal human neural stem cell line, to selectively deliver an oncolytic adenovirus to tumor sites. Dr. Aboody and Dr. Lesniak, together with Dr. Rachael Mooney at COH, have spent 13 years in a passionate effort to translate promising pre-clinical results into the clinic, attaining FDA approval for commencing a first-in-human Phase-1 trial in recurrent glioma patients.

We are very excited about the partnership and collaboration with Calidi Biotherapeutics. Their deep understanding and expertise using allogeneic stem cells as a delivery platform to protect, deliver, amplify, and potentiate oncolytic virotherapy, can potentially result in a significantly more effective treatment for cancer patients with invasive tumors, commented Dr. Karen Aboody, Professor, Department of Developmental and Stem Cell Biology, City of Hope National Medical Center & Beckman Research Institute.

The first wave of Oncolytic Viruses were novel, but lacked the ability to efficiently deliver the virus to tumor sites, due to the human complement immune system inactivating the viruses, usually within one hour of patient injection, thus resulting in a lack of efficacy, stated Allan Camaisa, Co-Founder, Chairman and CEO of Calidi Biotherapeutics. We believe this collaboration with City of Hope will allow us to implement Calidis proprietary techniques together with City of Hopes novel approach to glioblastoma and other malignant tumors, using neural stem cells combined with an oncolytic adenovirus. This FDA approved Investigational New Drug (IND), planned for patient trials in the first quarter of 2022, increases Calidis drug pipeline and gives our company a tumor-tropic stem cell line to use for oncolytic virus delivery in cancer patients.

This exclusive license agreement, which was executed by the University of Chicagos Polsky Center for Entrepeneurship and Innovation, transferred the COH/University of Chicago IND to Calidi for the commercial development of a licensed product. The agreement grants to Calidi commercial exclusivity in using neural stem cells with the adenovirus known as CRAd-pk-S-7 for oncolytic virotherapy.

Calidis scientific and medical teams are very excited to contribute in the development of this promising technology that has significant potential to help many patients with advanced tumors, said Boris Minev, MD, President, Medical and Scientific Affairs at Calidi Biotherapeutics. We are delighted to collaborate with the outstanding researchers and clinicians who developed this novel oncolytic virotherapy approach.

About Calidi Biotherapeutics

Calidi Biotherapeutics is a clinical-stage immuno-oncology company with proprietary technology that is revolutionizing the effective delivery of oncolytic viruses protected by stem cells for targeted therapy against difficult-to-treat cancers. Calidi Biotherapeutics is advancing a potent allogeneic stem cell and oncolytic virus combination for use in multiple oncology indications. Calidis off-the-shelf, universal cell-based delivery platform is designed to protect, amplify, and potentiate oncolytic viruses currently in development leading to enhanced efficacy and improved patient safety. Calidi Biotherapeutics is headquartered in San Diego, California. For more information, please visit http://www.calidibio.com.

About University of Chicago

The University of Chicago is a leading academic and research institution that has driven new ways of thinking since its founding in 1890. As an intellectual destination, the University draws scholars and students from around the world to its campuses and centers around the globe. The University provides a distinctive educational experience and research environment, empowering individuals to challenge conventional thinking and pursue field-defining research that produces new understanding and breakthroughs with global impact.

The Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation applies world-class business expertise from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business to bring new ideas and breakthrough innovations to market. Home of the Universitys technology transfer office, the Polsky Centers dedicated team of professionals with deep technical expertise enabling technology commercialization perform market analysis, manage intellectual property, identify partners, and negotiate partnerships and licenses for discoveries and inventions developed by faculty, researchers, and staff. Learn more at polsky.uchicago.edu and follow us on Twitter @polskycenter.

About City of Hope

City of Hope is an independent biomedical research and treatment center for cancer, diabetes and other life-threatening diseases. Founded in 1913, City of Hope is a leader in bone marrow transplantation and immunotherapy. City of Hopes translational research and personalized treatment protocols advance care throughout the world. Human synthetic insulin, monoclonal antibodies, and numerous breakthrough cancer drugs are based on technology developed at the institution. Translational Genomic research (TGen) became a part of City of Hope in 2016. AccessHope, a wholly owned subsidiary, was launched in 2019, dedicated to serving employers and their health care partners by providing access to City of Hopes exceptional cancer expertise. A National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center and a founding member of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, City of Hope is ranked among the nations Best Hospitals by U.S. News & World Report. Its main campus is located in Pasadena, California, near Los Angeles, with additional locations throughout Southern California and in Arizona. For more information about City of Hope, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, or Instagram.

SOURCE: Calidi Biotherapeutics

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Calidi Biotherapeutics Announces Exclusive License Agreement with City of Hope and the University of Chicago for Novel Oncolytic Virotherapy...