Stem Cell Clinic

Partner Therapeutics Announces Initiation of Clinical Trial to Evaluate Leukine in Patients with COVID-19 Associated Respiratory Illness – P&T…

By adminMarch 25, 2020Stem Cell Medicine

LEXINGTON, Mass., March 24, 2020 /PRNewswire/ --Partner Therapeutics, Inc. (PTx) announced that Leukine (sargramostim, rhu-GM-CSF)is being assessed in the SARPAC trial (sargramostim inpatients withacute hypoxic respiratory failure due toCOVID-19 EudraCT #2020-001254-22) at University Hospital Ghent to treat patients with respiratory illness associated with COVID-19. Major medical centers in Germany, Italy and Spain are considering joining the study. The study will evaluate the effect of Leukine on lung function and patient outcomes.

"Patients with COVID-19 who progress to acute hypoxic respiratory failure due to COVID-19 have very limited treatment options and a high mortality rate," said Prof. Bart Lambrecht, Principal Investigator for the trial at University Hospital Ghent and the Flanders Institute of Biotechnology (VIB). "We rapidly initiated this study with Leukine, because GM-CSF has profound effects on antiviral immunity, can provide the stimulus to restore immune homeostasis in the lung, and can promote lung repair mechanisms."

Granulocyte macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF) is essential for the health of the lungs. Alveolar macrophages, a cell type found in the lungs, are dependent on GM-CSF for differentiation and normal functioning. GM-CSF is an immunomodulator that plays a critical role in host defense against pathogens and maintaining proper functioning of the immune system.1 GM-CSF confers resistance to influenza by enhancing innate immune mechanisms.2 In animal studies, GM-CSF reduced morbidity and mortality due to acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) from viral pneumonia.3 In clinical studies, use of Leukine showed beneficial effects in patients with viral pneumonia.4,5 Recent data highlight the importance of understanding the immune status of patients and role of immunomodulating agents like GM-CSF to activate the immune system to help clear virus and reduce the risk of secondary infections.6

"Partner Therapeutics is committed to investigating Leukine in patients with COVID-19 and we are working with academic and government agencies here in the US and in Europe in this effort," said Dr. Debasish Roychowdhury, Chief Medical Officer at Partner Therapeutics. "We believe, like many investigators and scientists, that GM-CSF has multiple ways by which it may help these patients, including playing a role in clearing the infection, boosting the immune system and repairing damaged tissues."

"In pre-clinical studies, GM-CSF protects the lungs from viral pneumonia and the influenza A virus", stated E. Scott Halstead, MD, PhD, Associate Professor, Penn State University College of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Critical Care Medicine. "Preliminary data indicate an apparent benefit of inhaled Leukine therapy for autoimmune pulmonary alveolar proteinosis ("aPAP") and suggest it has reduced the need for whole lung lavage therapy for patients receiving treatment. Collectively, the data suggest that aerosolized Leukine may prove to be a meaningful therapy to decrease mortality and increase ventilator-free days in patients with respiratory disorders associated with viruses such as COVID-19 and Influenza A."

For the treatment of COVID-19 associated acute hypoxic respiratory failure and ARDS, Leukine will be used in nebulized form for direct inhalation or through intravenous administration for patients already on a respirator. Nebulized Leukine has been studied in phase 2 and phase 3 randomizedtrials in pulmonary conditions that affect alveolar macrophages, such as aPAP. IV administration of Leukine has been studied extensively in other conditions and in phase 2 randomized trials in ARDS.

Leukine was initially approved in the United States in 1991 and has been approved for use in five clinical indications. Its safety and tolerability profile are well understood. In 2018, Leukine was approved for use as a medical countermeasure to treat Acute Radiation Syndrome (ARS) and has been procured for use by the U.S. Strategic National Stockpile. Leukine is distributed outside the U.S. on a named-patient basis through PTx's designated program manager, Tanner Pharma Group. The use of Leukine to treat respiratory disorders associated with COVID-19 is investigational and has not been fully evaluated by any regulatory authority.

Please see full Prescribing Information for LEUKINE at http://www.leukine.com

About Leukine(sargramostim)Leukine is a yeast-derived recombinant humanized granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor (rhuGM-CSF) and the only FDA approved GM-CSF. GM-CSF is an important leukocyte growth factor known to play a key role in hematopoiesis, epithelial repair, and augmentation of innate host defense by effecting the growth and maturation of multiple cell lineages as well as the functional activities of these cells in antigen presentation and cell mediated immunity.

Important Safety Information for LEUKINE (sargramostim)

Contraindications

Warnings and Precautions

Adverse Reactions

Adverse events occurring in >10% of patients receiving LEUKINE in controlled clinical trials and reported in a higher frequency than placebo are:

Please see full Prescribing Information for LEUKINE at http://www.leukine.com

Indications and Usage

LEUKINE (sargramostim) is a leukocyte growth factor indicated for the following uses:

About Partner Therapeutics, Inc.: PTx is an U.S.-based commercial-stage biotech company focused on the development and commercialization of therapeutics that improve health outcomes in the treatment of cancer. PTx's development focus spans the entire range of cancer therapy from primary treatments to supportive care. The company believes in delivering great products with the purpose of creating the best possible outcomes for patients and their families.

References

Cited References

Other RelevantReferences

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SOURCE Partner Therapeutics, Inc.

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Partner Therapeutics Announces Initiation of Clinical Trial to Evaluate Leukine in Patients with COVID-19 Associated Respiratory Illness - P&T...

Unlocking the Potential of a Widely Used Drug – Technology Networks

By adminMarch 25, 2020Stem Cell Clinic

The blood-thinning drug heparin is used all over the world. But, the underlying sugar structures of heparin and the wider family of heparan sulfate sugars in cells have not been fully mapped. Now, a research group headed by a recent recruit from the UK, Dr Rebecca Miller at the University of Copenhagen has invented a method to map this type of sugar structure in detail. This method has vast potential to reveal important biological functions and allow new drugs to be developed.

GAGs of the heparan sulfate type play key roles in regulating many biological functions, including inflammation, neurodegeneration and tumor metastasis. In fact, a special type of heparan sulfate called heparin is currently one the most used drugs in the clinic where it is used to prevent coagulation. Researchers are therefore intensively trying to map the detailed structures of heparan sulfates and link them to their biological functions.

So far, only a few structures have been successfully identified, but that may be about to change. In a new study inNature Communicationsfrom the Danish National Research Foundation Centre for Glycomics at the Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Rebecca and her team has invented a new method that will boost the mapping of these structures.

Determining the structures is a key question in the research about sugars. If we know the structure, we can determine what the cues are for specific biological functions and consider potential ways to exploit this in the development of therapeutics. This is hugely important and clinically relevant, as shown by the widely used anti-coagulant heparins, and the potential application of new heparin-based drugs for multiple diseases in the future, says Dr Rebecca Louise Miller, corresponding author of the new study and Assistant Professor at the Copenhagen Center for Glycomics.

The researchers new method is called Shotgun ion mobility mass spectrometry sequencing or SIMMS2. The technique relies on advanced mass spectrometry to break the sugar structures into smaller fragments, separate them, and fingerprint them compared to known standards. Virtual reassembly of the sugar pieces into a picture of the original sugar like a big jigsaw puzzle only infinitely more complicated can for the first time determine larger sequences of polysaccharides that are big enough to capture the cues that direct functions like anti-coagulation.

The instrumentation behind this new method was invented by the company Waters Ltd in 2006 and is available to many pharmaceutical companies and researchers. This means that the method could be easily implemented and widely used for drug discovery by many research groups in a short period of time, says Professor Jeremy Turnbull, University of Liverpool and Copenhagen Center for Glycomics, a co-author on the study.

The GAG team at Copenhagen Center of Glycomics recently reported the first cell-based method (GAGOme) to produce all variants of GAGs for discovery of functions and development of therapeutics (Chen et al,Nature Methods2018), and this will be combined with the new method for sequencing of GAG structures. The hope is to follow up on many promising therapeutic effects of heparins in cancer and neurogenerative diseases and pioneer new use of GAGs in medicine.

To continue the development of the SIMMS method and pioneer new use of GAGs in medicine, Miller and Turnbull were recently awarded an EU grant worth 3.8m to a consortium that also includes researchers from Freie Universitt Berlin, University of Utrecht, University of Liverpool and Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm. They will also apply the method to understand heparan sulfate structural cues that regulate stem cells to generate specialized neurons for treatment of Parkinsons disease.

Reference:Miller, R.L., Guimond, S.E., Schwrer, R. et al. (2020) Shotgun ion mobility mass spectrometry sequencing of heparan sulfate saccharides. Nat Commun. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-15284-y

This article has been republished from the following materials. Note: material may have been edited for length and content. For further information, please contact the cited source.

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Unlocking the Potential of a Widely Used Drug - Technology Networks

Veterans in Pain helps ease the pain for veterans – Tullahoma News and Guardian

By adminMarch 25, 2020Stem Cell Medical Center

Veterans in Pain (VIP) is a national program for veterans who have been hurt severely in combat. Their mission is facilitating regenerative medical solutions for veterans suffering from chronic pain by connecting civilian physicians with our countrys heroes, nationwide.

Dr. Joseph Kanan and his medical staff at Tullahoma Chiropractic Center recently joined the program and performed their first pro bono procedure for a veteran named Ryan in February.

Ryan had severe right hip pain when he came in. My medical team and I gave him a $6,500 procedure, injecting stem cells into his hip, Kanan said. There is no insurance company that covers this procedure so either he would have had to pay for it himself or the VIP organization would have had to do it. We decided to do it for free.

Veteran Ryan, 36, thanks Dr. Kanan after his procedure at Tullahoma Chiropractic Center.

Stem cells are part of the bodys natural repair process. Humans have them in their bone marrow and fat cells. When they are placed at the site of damaged tissue, these stem cells can activate to become the healthy new cells the body needs for pain relief.

No-surgery stem cell therapy helps the body heal damage and relieve pain from arthritis, aging and injuries to joints, tendons, ligaments and muscles.

I think veterans do a lot for our country and there are very few doctors that are performing medical procedures like this, Kanan said. We were very glad to be able to do this for him.

Ryan, 36, lives three hours away. He drove to Tullahoma himself for the procedure. Veterans in Pain provided the funds for his hotel stay while he was in town.

The procedure was done on Feb. 13. He did feel better right after, but this is a procedure where the results take time. You experience 10 percent of improvement every month for 10 months, Kanan said. I own the clinic and I am a chiropractor, so I did not actually perform this procedure. My medical team Jana Wood and Dr. Frank Perry performed the procedure, which was giving injections into Ryans hip.

Tullahoma Chiropractic Center performs these scheduled procedures twice a month. The medical team has seen positive results from the injections, according to Kanan.

I just talked to a patient this morning that had the procedure done one year ago. He had doctors recommending a knee replacement on his left knee. My medical team conducted the stem cell procedure on his knee, Kanan said.

The experience was great. I came in and got the injection and now my knee is fluid. About three months after the injection, I felt a lot better, the patient said. It was much better than having a knee replacement. I am very passionate about golf and my knee was preventing me from doing what I loved. After a year, it is magnitudes better than it was one year ago.

Tullahoma Chiropractic Center is located at 1490 N. Jackson St.

Old human cells rejuvenated with stem cell technology – Stanford Medical Center Report

By adminMarch 25, 2020Stem Cell Treatment

During this process the cells not only shed any memories of their previous identities, but they revert to a younger state. They accomplish this transformation by wiping their DNA clean of the molecular tags that not only differentiate, say, a skin cell from a heart muscle cell, but of other tags that accumulate as a cell ages.

Recently researchers have begun to wonder whether exposing the adult cells to Yamanaka proteins for days rather than weeks could trigger this youthful reversion without inducing full-on pluripotency. In fact, researchers at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies found in 2016 that briefly expressing the four Yamanaka factors in mice with a form of premature aging extended the animals life span by about 20%. But it wasnt clear whether this approach would work in humans.

Sarkar and Sebastiano wondered whether old human cells would respond in a similar fashion, and whether the response would be limited to just a few cell types or generalizable for many tissues. They devised a way to use genetic material called messenger RNA to temporarily express six reprogramming factors the four Yamanaka factors plus two additional proteins in human skin and blood vessel cells. Messenger RNA rapidly degrades in cells, allowing the researchers to tightly control the duration of the signal.

The researchers then compared the gene-expression patterns of treated cells and control cells, both obtained from elderly adults, with those of untreated cells from younger people. They found that cells from elderly people exhibited signs of aging reversal after just four days of exposure to the reprogramming factors. Whereas untreated elderly cells expressed higher levels of genes associated with known aging pathways, treated elderly cells more closely resembled younger cells in their patterns of gene expression.

When the researchers studied the patterns of aging-associated chemical tags called methyl groups, which serve as an indicator of a cells chronological age, they found that the treated cells appeared to be about 1 to 3 years younger on average than untreated cells from elderly people, with peaks of 3 years (in skin cells) and 7 years (in cells that line blood vessels).

Next they compared several hallmarks of aging including how cells sense nutrients, metabolize compounds to create energy and dispose of cellular trash among cells from young people, treated cells from old people and untreated cells from old people.

We saw a dramatic rejuvenation across all hallmarks but one in all the cell types tested, Sebastiano said. But our last and most important experiment was done on muscle stem cells. Although they are naturally endowed with the ability to self-renew, this capacity wanes with age. We wondered, Can we also rejuvenate stem cells and have a long-term effect?

When the researchers transplanted old mouse muscle stem cells that had been treated back into elderly mice, the animals regained the muscle strength of younger mice, they found.

Finally, the researchers isolated cells from the cartilage of people with and without osteoarthritis. They found that the temporary exposure of the osteoarthritic cells to the reprogramming factors reduced the secretion of inflammatory molecules and improved the cells ability to divide and function.

The researchers are now optimizing the panel of reprogramming proteins needed to rejuvenate human cells and are exploring the possibility of treating cells or tissues without removing them from the body.

Although much more work needs to be done, we are hopeful that we may one day have the opportunity to reboot entire tissues, Sebastiano said. But first we want to make sure that this is rigorously tested in the lab and found to be safe.

Other Stanford co-authors are former postdoctoral scholar Marco Quarta, PhD; postdoctoral scholar Shravani Mukherjee, PhD; graduate student Alex Colville; research assistants Patrick Paine, Linda Doan and Christopher Tran; Constance Chu, MD, professor of orthopaedic surgery; Stanley Qi, PhD, assistant professor of bioengineering and of chemical and systems biology; and Nidhi Bhutani, PhD, associate professor of orthopaedic surgery.

Researchers from the Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System, the University of California-Los Angeles and the Molecular Medicine Research Institute in Sunnyvale, California, also contributed to the study.

The research was supported by the National Institutes of Health (grants R01 AR070865, R01 AR070864, P01 AG036695, R01 AG23806, R01 AG057433 and R01 AG047820), the Glenn Foundation for Medical Research, the American Federation for Aging Research and the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Sarkar, Quarta and Sebastiano are co-founders of the startup Turn Biotechnologies, a company that is applying the technology described in the paper to treat aging-associated conditions. Rando is a member of the scientific advisory board.

YOUR HEALTH: A rare disease that hardens the skin – WQAD.com

By adminMarch 25, 2020Stem Cell Treatment

In severe cases, it can also cause deadly hardening of internal organs like the lungs

MADISON, Wis. A year ago, Chuck Beschta couldn't walk more than a few minutes without stopping to rest.

"Just going out and doing normal activities outside raking the lawn mowing the grass shoveling the driveway whatever;snow blowing, those became impossible."

After months of testing he was diagnosed with severe scleroderma, which was hardening his skin but even worse. it was hardening his lungs, making it hard to breathe.

Scleroderma is an autoimmune rheumatic disease where an overproduction of collagen produced in the body tissues.

But in severe cases, it can also cause deadly hardening of internal organs like the lungs, giving some patients little hope of surviving.

Chuck's case was getting more dire.

"He was getting worse despite the best therapy we had to offer," explained Dr. Kevin McKown, a rheumatologist at the University of Wisconsin Hospital in Madison

Dr. McKown recommended a stem cell transplant newly approved for scleroderma to reboot chucks immune system.

"There's a process by which they try to remove the autoreactive immune cells, the cells that are caught in the immune process and then they infuse that back in and hope that the body will basically take up and graft that immune system

Rheumatologists at University of Wisconsin Health tested the treatment since they have already been conducting bone marrow transplants for decades.

Surgeons take out a sample of the patient's bone marrow, isolate the stem cells, and use radiation and chemotherapy to clean out their immune system. The same stem cells are later injected back into the patient's immune system with the hope that new cells will grow and the system is rid of the bad ones.

The process is dangerous when the cells are taken out because the patient's immune system is more vulnerable, making infections more likely to occur.

Chuck saw almost immediate results. His skin was softer and his breathing improved.

He hopes his scleroderma has been cured.

"I think we can be optimistic and so far the people who have been followed out as far as 10 years out don't seem to be getting it back," said Dr. McKown.

After four and a half years, 79% of patients who underwent the treatment were alive without serious complications compared to 50% that were treated with the original drugs.

Without a transplant, less than half the patients, like Chuck, who have diffuse scleroderma and severe lung disease live 10 years past diagnosis. stem cell transplants are commonly used to treat leukemia and lymphoma, cancers that affect the blood and lymphatic system.

If this story has impacted your life or prompted you or someone you know to seek or change treatments, please let us know by contacting Jim Mertens atjim.mertens@wqad.comor Marjorie Bekaert Thomas atmthomas@ivanhoe.com.

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YOUR HEALTH: A rare disease that hardens the skin - WQAD.com

Can cell-based therapy be helpful in tackling coronavirus? – YourStory

By adminMarch 25, 2020Stem Cell Treatment

Ever since the novel coronavirus, or COVID-19, was first reported in China's Wuhan city, the virus has spread to more than 196 countries and territories around the world with393,284 confirmed cases and17,161 deaths so far. In India, the maximum number of cases has been reported in the state of Maharashtra.The number of coronavirus cases in the country has risen to 519, with 10 deaths.

It is the need of the hour to find a solution for coronavirus.

Clinical trials in China are already testing the efficacy of stem cell therapies for COVID-19. Arecent clinical trialwith seven COVID-19 patients showed that a stem cell product improved patient outcome. According to research published in the peer-reviewed journalAging and Disease,mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) therapy could be effective in treating COVID-19.

Coronaviruses (CoV) belong to a large family of viruses leading to respiratory illnesses, such as common coldto more severe diseases such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV) and Severe Acute RespiratorySyndrome (SARS-CoV).

Earlier this year, a new strain of coronavirus was discovered, which was not previously identified in humanbeings, also known as the novel coronavirus (nCov). The symptoms of the infection are respiratory issues, fever, cough, shortness of breath, and breathingdifficulties. More severe cases of COVID-19 can cause pneumonia, severe acute respiratory syndrome, and kidneyfailure.

In recent years, scientific research hasshown that MSCs have properties that maymake them very useful to repair damaged tissues in the patients respiratory system and promotefaster healing and recovery.Umbilical cord tissueis particularly rich inthese cells, which is why many parents arechoosing to store them at birth.

MSCs can reduce the overproduction of immune cells caused by a reaction to the virus and reduce excessive levels of inflammatory substances, thus regulating the immune system.

Currently, many vaccines or drugs are being tested to deal with coronavirus. There is widespread fear and phobia among the population. Why not use your own defence system rather than searching for drugs to tackle the virus?

MSCs are multi-potent cells that have been widely used for tissue regeneration and immunomodulation, and can be a potential solution. The infusion of autologous and allogenic MSCs has been proven safe and effective in tissue repair and disease modulation. MSCs have anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial properties; therefore, they have the potential to control inflammatory conditions, possibly viral diseases, and may reduce mortality.

Another interesting therapeutic avenue is immunotherapy. Natural killer (NK) cells, a component of our innate immune system, play an important role in tackling malignancies as well as virally infected cells. These cells serve to contain viral infections while the adaptive immune response is generating antigen-specific cytotoxic T cells that can clear the infection. Thus, NK cell therapy can be safe and effective in the management of COVID-19.

We need to ensure control of person-to-person transmission of the infection. Therefore, stringent isolation/quarantine measures are important until complete recovery of an infected individual.

(Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of YourStory.)

How has the coronavirus outbreak disrupted your life? Write to us or send us a video with subject line 'Coronavirus disruption' to editorial@yourstory.com

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Can cell-based therapy be helpful in tackling coronavirus? - YourStory

Rationales for Selecting CD19-Targeted Therapy in R/R B-Cell ALL – Cancer Therapy Advisor

By adminMarch 25, 2020Stem Cell Treatment

Five real-life cases of adult patients with relapsed/refractory CD19-positiveB-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) were recently detailed in an articlein Blood along with the rationalesfor selecting CD19-directed CAR-T therapy or the CD3/CD19 bispecific antibody,blinatumomab, as the first CD19-targeted treatment approach for each patientcase.

While both blinatumomab and CD19-directed CAR-T therapy (ie,tisagenlecleucel in patients 25 years or younger) are approved by the US Foodand Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of relapsed/refractory B-cellALL, the mechanisms of action of these therapies are very different: the formerdrug activates T cells by linking them through their CD3 receptor to the CD19surface antigen on B cells, whereas CD19-directed CAR-T therapy uses autologousT cells that have been genetically modified to express the CD19 receptor.

Nevertheless, both treatment approaches are considered tolerable and potentiallycurative in the setting of relapsed/refractory B-cell ALL. Furthermore, it maybe possible to subsequently offer the alternative CD19-targeted treatment ifdisease progression occurs following treatment with either CD19-directed CAR-Ttherapy or blinatumomab. However, some patients will become ineligible for subsequenttreatment with the alternative approach due to loss of B-cell expression ofCD19.

Oncethe decision to use CD19-targeted immunotherapy to treat a patient withadvanced ALL has been made, the physician faces the challenge of selectingbetween blinatumomab and CAR T cells, the study authors noted, adding that itis crucial to weigh all considerations for each individual patient beforeselecting one immunotherapy over another.

Inthe patient cases highlighted in this article, multiple factors were consideredin making individualized treatment decisions.

Forexample, initial treatment with blinatumomab was selected for an older patientwith low-burden disease, given its FDA approval across all age groups, itslower associated risks of severe cytokine release syndrome and neurotoxicitycompared with CAR-T therapy, and its demonstrated efficacy in patients withlow-burden disease. Furthermore, because allogeneic hematopoietic stem celltherapy (allo-HCT) was planned for this patient who had a matched siblingdonor, another factor weighing in favor of blinatumomab was the avoidance of delaysassociated with CAR-T manufacturing.

Factorsassociated with selection of CD19-directed CAR-T therapy as the initialCD19-directed approach included the presence of extramedullary disease in the centralnervous system (CNS), as there is evidence supporting CNS penetration by CAR-Tcells, as well as promising antileukemic activity in patients with extramedullarydisease.

Inaddition, CAR-T therapy was preferred for a patient who experienced diseaseprogression following allo-HCT and was unlikely to receive a second allo-HCT,given evidence for long-lasting remissions even without consolidation allo-HCTfollowing treatment with CAR-T therapy.

Inthis context, the study authors stated that blinatumomab in this setting isbetter used as a bridging therapy rather than a definitivecurative treatment.

The study authors concluded that treatment with blinatumomab and CD19 CAR T cells holds promise in advanced ALL, allowing more patients to attain remission and possible cure with and without additional therapies. Both treatments have unique limitations and advantages, and the treating physician should be discerning when selecting treatment of each case.

Reference

Aldoss I, Forman SJ. How I treat adults with advanced acute lymphoblastic leukemia eligible for CD19-targeted immunotherapy.[published online March 12, 2020]. Blood. 2020;135:804-813. doi:10.1182/blood.2019002132

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Rationales for Selecting CD19-Targeted Therapy in R/R B-Cell ALL - Cancer Therapy Advisor

Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) Therapy for Arthritis

By adminMarch 25, 2020Platelet Rich Plasma Injections

Platelet-rich plasma therapy, sometimes called PRP therapy or autologous conditioned plasma (ACP) therapy, attempts to take advantage of the blood's natural healing properties to repair damaged cartilage, tendons, ligaments, muscles, or even bone.

See What Are Stem Cells?

Although not considered standard practice, a growing number of people are turning to PRP injections to treat an expanding list of orthopedic conditions, including osteoarthritis. It is most commonly used for knee osteoarthritis, but may be used on other joints as well.

This article describes how experts think PRP works, who might consider PRP injections for osteoarthritis, how to choose a doctor, and the injection procedure. Also discussed is the available research examining whether PRP is an effective treatment for osteoarthritis.

When treating osteoarthritis with platelet-rich plasma, a doctor injects PRP directly into the affected joint. The goal is to:

Platelet-rich plasma is derived from a sample of the patient's own blood. The therapeutic injections contain plasma with a higher concentration of platelets than is found in normal blood.

What is plasma? Plasma refers to the liquid component of blood; it is the medium for red and white blood cells and other material traveling in the blood stream. Plasma is mostly water but also includes proteins, nutrients, glucose, and antibodies, among other components.

What are platelets? Like red and white blood cells, platelets are a normal component of blood. Platelets alone do not have any restorative or healing properties; rather, they secrete substances called growth factors and other proteins that regulate cell division, stimulate tissue regeneration, and promote healing. Platelets also help the blood to clot; a person with defective platelets or too few platelets will bleed excessively from a cut.

There is no universally accepted medical definition for platelet-rich plasma, so a PRP injection that one patient receives can be very different than that of another. Variations occur for many reasons, including:

How PRP production and composition affects the therapy's effectiveness is not well understood. Until more research is done, patients considering platelet-rich plasma therapy should take time to learn what is known about PRP.

Experts are unsure exactly how PRP therapy may alleviate symptoms for certain orthopedic conditions. Doctors who use PRP therapy to treat osteoarthritis theorize that the platelet-rich plasma might:

It could be that platelet-rich plasma does all of these things, or none.5 More large-scale, high-quality clinical studies are needed before scientists can know.

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Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) Therapy for Arthritis

Losing Your Hair? This Is Why You Need A Scalp Analysis – Essence

By adminMarch 25, 2020Platelet Rich Plasma Injections

In my journey to regrow my edges, I have been doing a number of things that are supposed to aid in restoring my hairline, including getting PRP (plasma-rich platelet) injections, applying Rogaine 5% topical foam minoxidil daily, washing my hair once a week, steaming and spritzing my hair with a nourishing mist every other day. But I realized that Id skipped one of the most important steps in the process; the one that I should have started with. It was time to get a scalp analysis.

I went to see scalp therapist, stylist and certified trichologist Bridgette Hill at Paul Labrecque Salon and Skincare Spa in Midtown Manhattan. Trichologists specialize in the science of the structure and function of the hair and scalp. They look at elements like fibers, possible scalp disease, and diagnose the cause of hair loss (note: dermatologists can be trichologists but not all trichologists are dermatologists).

My visit was eye opening for a number of reasons, but mainly because Hill did a scope to take a closer look at my scalp in order to better understand the condition of it, my follicles and my hair fibers.

Hair care is really scalp care, she said as she moved the scope around my scalp. Its not sexy. And the beauty industry wants sexy. They didnt make money dealing with the hair care part or the scalp care. So there were many different levels that forced the industry to ignore it because there was really no benefit. That has changed because [hair loss] is becoming more of an epidemic across race, gender, economic [background] and lifestyle.

Seeing my hair fibers and scalp through a scope brought some perspective to my treatment process. For one, I found out that my hairline was inflamed, which is bad for blood flow and can affect your scalp analysis. When I went to see Hill I was wearing a headband wig combination that was creating pressure along the hairline.

Hill was able to show me what the scalp looks like when its inflamed from pressure versus when its allowed to breathe and let blood flow. My constant wig wearing is not helping with growth. I also found out that I have wispy little hairs trying to push through follicles that I couldnt see with my naked eye. Its called miniaturization. The bad news is that miniaturization is a negative and typically means future hair loss. The good news is that my follicles are still active, and if I treat them right, we can reverse the damage and further loss.

Miniaturization is when we know that that follicle is being compromised. It can be compromised because of inflammation. It could be compromised if youre ill. It could be compromised because of genetics, whatever that is, Hill told me.

But the good thing is, they exist. Meaning that thats a hair follicle, nothings coming out of it, but I still see that little speck. I probably can get a hair or something out of it. Every time you see these little brown specks, those are follicles that just may need to be revved up.

Most people have anywhere from two to five hair fibers coming from each follicle, depending on how thick or thin the hair is. I had on average two; my hair being on the thinner side. But my fears that my edges wouldnt grow back at all were quelled. I was worried about keratinization, which happens when the hair is completely gone and it does not come back after miniaturization. It turns into scaly, baby soft skin just like Whitney Eaddy, the growth guru, told me months ago. I was relieved.

As someone who has suffered severe blood loss from fibroids, Hill also advised that I get my ferritin levels checked. Ferritin is a blood protein that contains iron, so low ferritin levels may mean iron deficiency. She noticed that my hair was very brittle even in areas of the scalp that were very healthy, which indicated to her that there was in internal issue causing hair damage. It could also be a catalyst for the hairline loss (in addition to my traction alopecia).

I didnt need to get a ferritin check to tell her that my iron levels were low (my Gyne had put me on iron supplements almost a year ago because of my abnormally low blood levels). But just mentioning this opened my eyes to the fact that my fibroids could essentially be affecting my hair health in ways that I never considered.

As a beauty editor Im exploring topicslike this all of the time. And I have access to experts that the average womanmight not. So I asked Hill, what should a woman do when she starts noticinghair loss and shes unsure of the cause or shes started treatment and itsgoing slowly. These are her three tips:

At the end of the day, seeing my scalp close up and having a professional explain what I was seeing was a big part of understanding how to treat my particular hair loss. Hill was able to show me things I was never able to see at home in my bathroom mirror. I found out things I didnt know, and corrected misconceptions that I had about my own hair.

But the biggest thing I took away from the scalp analysis was that theres hope. Im one step closer to treating my particular hair loss properly because I now know what Im working with. Whether you have follicles that can be reenergized, or your follicles are completely closed, it will help inform how you proceed with your treatment process.

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Losing Your Hair? This Is Why You Need A Scalp Analysis - Essence

Michael Schumacher health: Neurosurgeon contradicted Jean Todt statements that F1 legend is ‘still fighting,’ says Schumi is different now -…

By adminMarch 24, 2020Stem Cell Doctors

Michael Schumacher has been out in the car racing world since he sustained a grave injury to the head in 2013. Nearly a year after he announced his official retirement from the F1 league, he was badly hurt while skiing with his family in the Alps.

Keeping it a secret

The racing champ almost lost his life in the accident but he was revived after doctors put him in a coma that lasted for months. It is not clear how long it was before he returned to consciousness because, at that time, his family already decided to keep his health condition and recovery progress a secret.

There was a total media blackout where journalists could not even gather information about Michael Schumachers condition and his family managed to keep it this way up to now. It has been over seven years since the accident and yet, only those who are close to Shumi and his family know how he is today.

Who shares info with the public?

Despite the strict secrecy, there are few details that still able to make its way to the papers and online publications. The info provided came from some of Schumachers friends or colleagues and sometimes from medical professionals who treated him once.

Through them, it was leaked that Michael Schumacher still seeks treatment from hospitals as his family tries everything to make him healthy again. Recently, it was reported that he was brought to a hospital in Paris for a stem cell procedure, one of the newest treatments available today and a doctor who did the procedure on him reportedly confirmed it.

Moreover, the racing champ continues with his road to recovery, the selected people who are allowed to see him include his former manager at Ferrari, Jean Todt. Last year, this friend revealed to the public that Michael Schumacher is still fighting.

Michael is in the best hands and is well looked after in his house, Express quoted Todt as saying. He does not give up and continues to fight and his family is fighting just as much.

The publication also mentioned another one of his friends, F1 chief Bernie Ecclestone, also said something optimistic with regards to Schumis health. He said that he is looking forward to the day when Michael himself will be the one to answer all of the peoples questions on his health condition.

Michaels true health condition

But then, one doctor seemed to have dismissed Michael Schumachers friends claims that he will be back after full recovery one day and come back normal. According to The Independent, a neurosurgeon shared what is really going on and it is far from what was claimed.

Nicola Acciari, a leading surgeon in Bologna, seems to allege that the truth is - Michael Schumacher is a different person now who is far from everyone remembers him to be. He said that since Schumi suffered from a serious head injury and has been on treatment for more than six years now, he is likely to have been altered at this point.

We must imagine a person very different from the one we remember on the track, with a very altered and deteriorated organic, muscular and skeletal structure, he told Contro Copertina via The Independent. All as a result of the brain trauma he suffered.

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Michael Schumacher health: Neurosurgeon contradicted Jean Todt statements that F1 legend is 'still fighting,' says Schumi is different now -...