Washington, October 17 (ANI): Researchers believe they have discovered stem cells that play a decisive role in new blood vessel growth.

If the researchers at the University of Helsinki, Finland, learn to isolate and efficiently produce these stem cells found in blood vessel walls, the cells offer new opportunities in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases, cancer and many other diseases.

The growth of new blood vessels, also known as angiogenesis, is needed in adults when repairing damaged tissue or organs.

Unfortunately, malignant tumours are also capable of growing new blood vessels to receive oxygen and nutrients. In other words, the treatment of diseases would benefit from two types of methods - ones that help launch the process of angiogenesis and ones that make it possible to prevent the process.

Medications that prevent the growth of new blood vessels have already been introduced, but their effectiveness and long-term efficacy leave much to be desired.

For more than a decade, Adjunct Professor Petri Salven from the University of Helsinki has studied the mechanisms of angiogenesis to discover how blood vessel growth could be prevented or accelerated effectively.

He has examined the birth and origin of endothelial cells, which form the thin layer that lines the interior surface of blood vessels. Endothelial cells are necessary for new blood vessel growth. Where do these highly diversified cells come from? Can their production be prevented or increased?

For a long time, it was assumed that new cells in the blood vessel walls of an adult originate in the bone marrow. In an article published in the PNAS journal in 2008, Salven's research team showed that such stem cells were not found in bone marrow.

Now Salven is ready to reveal where these mysterious stem cells originate.

"We succeeded in isolating endothelial cells with a high rate of division in the blood vessel walls of mice. We found these same cells in human blood vessels and blood vessels growing in malignant tumours in humans. These cells are known as vascular endothelial stem cells, abbreviated as VESC. In a cell culture, one such cell is able to produce tens of millions of new blood vessel wall cells," Salven said.

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New blood-vessel-generating cells with therapeutic potential discovered

ScienceDaily (Oct. 15, 2012) Georgia Health Sciences University researchers have developed a mouse that errs on the side of making bone rather than fat, which could eventually lead to better drugs to treat inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis.

Drugs commonly used to treat those types of conditions -- called glucocorticoids -- work by turning down the body's anti-inflammatory response, but simultaneously turn on other pathways that lead to bone loss. The result can lead to osteoporosis and an accumulation of marrow fat, says Dr. Xingming Shi, bone biologist at the GHSU Institute of Molecular Medicine and Genetics.

The key to the body developing bone instead of fat, a small protein called GILZ, was shown in cell cultures in 2008. Now, with work by GHSU Graduate Student Guodong Pan, the work has been replicated in an animal model. Pan received the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research's Young Investigator Award for his work at the society's annual meeting Oct. 12-15 in Minneapolis.

Bone and marrow fat come from the same biological precursor -- mesynchymal stem cells. "The pathways for bone and fat have a reciprocal relationship, so we needed to find the key that disrupts the fat production pathway, which would then instead encourage bone growth," Shi says.

GILZ, Shi and Pan say, was already a known mediator of the anti-inflammatory response of glucocorticoids, and the protein also mediates bone production. Shi's early research had shown that glucocorticoids enhance bone formation in the lab because of a short "burst" of GILZ.

The protein works by inhibiting the way cells regulate fat production and turn on fat-producing genes, Shi says. "When you permanently express GILZ, the fat pathway is suppressed, so the body chooses to produce bone instead."

"We found that when we overexpressed the protein in these mice, it increased bone formation," Pan added. "This supports our original hypothesis that GILZ mediates the body's response to glucocorticoids and encourages bone growth." In fact, the genetically modified mice showed a significant increase in bone mineral density and bone volume as well, he found.

"That means GILZ is a potential new anti-inflammatory drug candidate that could spare people from the harmful effects associated with glucocorticoid therapy," Pan said

Long-term goals, Shi said, are developing the GILZ-like pill that is anti-inflammatory and protects or even increases bone production.

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Protein could be key for drugs that promote bone growth

Miami, FL (PRWEB) October 15, 2012

Leveraging more than a decade of experience in the biotech industry and a founding member of GeneCell International, Jose Cirino, Director of Operations, is an industry expert for expanding awareness in the field of adult stem cells worldwide. Cirino plays a pivotal role in GeneCell Internationals success, managing all operational aspects of a company thats at the forefront of the biotech industry. While providing leadership and direction for the company, he is responsible for all strategic planning to help advance GeneCells mission and objectives, as well as the expansion of product, service and development at the national and international levels. Currently, Cirino is not only working on the expansion and awareness of cord blood services, but on the implementation of other adult stem cells sources, such as umbilical cord tissue, dental pulp, and adipose (fat) tissue into other countries. He has presentation talks in the advantage of adult cord blood banking to health and biotech industry organizations, conferences and small group meetings (both English and Spanish). Cirino was a key player in the expansion of GeneCell International into Miami, Florida, as the first and only stem cell laboratory of its kind in the South Floridian market and the gateway to international countries.

Through his field of work, Cirinos aspiration and passion is being able to assist individuals in potentially saving their life when a debilitating immune deficiency or disorder arises. Though, Cirino continuously asks himself, Why isn't everyone banking these cells?

His best assumption is that people are not informed about stem cell banking and what is most disheartening, some have never even heard of it. Most people are not aware they have stem cells in their body. Others believe that stem cells only come from only human embryos since this is whats mainly discussed in politics and the news today. May this be the reason they are choosing to have no part in it and ignore it? If so, this is not the case, these cells are found in adults and there are not controversial, moral, ethical or have any political issues surrounding them. The amazing thing about these cells, aside from their potential to treat a variety of different diseases, is that for the most part they can be harvested from the individual through relatively minimally invasive procedures and can be cryogenically frozen (at a temperature of -321 F (-196 C)) and stored for decades until a disease manifests itself or the needed for cell-based therapies arises," said Cirino.

Due to this lack of awareness, there is a massive shortage of stem cell units stored for future treatments. This shortage, or lack of availability, is mostly affecting patients of African, Asian, Hispanic and Native American Indian descent. I, being a minority member of this group, am very concerned by this shortage. Since patients who need a transplant are more likely to find a match within their own genetic background, Cirino adds it is important that the pool of donors reflects the overall community.

A persons blood stem cell type is inherited, which means a patient is more likely to find a matched donor from within their own ethnic group, more than half of cord blood donations and privately banked cord blood in the United States are from Caucasians while minorities remain underrepresented, significantly. By increasing awareness of the advantages of cord blood among minorities, there is a potential for increased access to therapies for more people.

Umbilical cord blood preservation is a process by which blood is collected from the umbilical cord of a newborn baby and is stored cryogenically in a specially-designated bank. According to the National Marrow Donor Program, cord blood contains cells that can be transfused to a patient to treat various diseases, including lymphoma and leukemia. Currently, there are approximately 80 treatable diseases and the list of illnesses continues to grow. Cord blood is rich in stem cells and because certain immune cells found in the cord blood are not mature, there is less risk for the recipients immune system to reject these cells. Cord blood can be used to treat the child from whom the blood was collected as well as some first-degree relatives who are a close genetic match, such as immediate family members. Additionally, patients can get the treatment in about three weeks - as opposed to six to eight for bone marrow from an adult donor.

Prior to founding GeneCell, Cirino served as the President of the International Division to a cord blood laboratory in Boston, Massachusetts, where he was responsible for identifying, evaluating and selecting international representatives for affiliate programs to expand the services internationally. In doing so, he coordinated laboratory development protocol license agreements and implemented these programs throughout various international countries. After the expansion into other countries, Cirino would manage the company owned offices as well as provide support to the affiliate offices, from Mexico and South America, to the UK and the Middle East. He also represented the company at international health and biotech industry conferences, implemented new sales tools and processes for all international divisions of the company, and oversaw all accounting tasks as a method of monitoring its sales projections. Cirino joined the company as the Accounting Manager, where he was responsible for all aspects of U.S. and international accounting functions. He is a seasoned accounting professional, holding various accounting positions within large companies such as Sir Speedy Printing Centers of Boston and Harvard Institute for International Development. He has served as a member within various industry organizations including the International Cord Blood Society, and New England Fertility Society, as well as participated in the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO), The Mexican Federation of Ultrasounds, The World Cord Blood Congress, and Stem Cells USA-Regenerative Medicine conferences.

In addition to cord blood, Cirinos implementation projects of other adult stem cells sources, in the U.S. and other countries, include Cord Tissue Segment, Dental Pulp and Adipose Tissue:

About Cord Tissue Segment - A gelatinous substance, which functions as the primary connective tissue of the umbilical cord and is referred to as Whartons Jelly. This segment contains an important amount of Mesenchymal stem cells. These cells are an excellent candidate for regenerative medicine and tissue engineering applications. Mesenchymal stem cells have shown great promise in the potential treatment of diseases such as heart attack, Parkinsons disease, Alzheimers disease, type I diabetes, assist in bone and dental regeneration and expedite wound healing. In the past, the umbilical cord has been viewed as medical waste and discarded, resulting in the loss of this potential life-saving resource. By storing the stem cells extracted from your umbilical cord tissue segment along with your babys cord blood, youll have access to a wider variety of stem cells as new scientific discoveries are made.

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Director of Operations for GeneCell International, Jose Cirino, Accentuates the Importance Surrounding the Minority ...

METRO VANCOUVER -- It started with a routine blood test after a bout of pneumonia.

But since finding two rare bone marrow conditions, the family of 11-year-old Jonathan Barnes has been campaigning to shore up the list of potential marrow donors, and to keep local blood banks stocked.

Without finding a bone marrow donor who will match Jonathan's criteria, the Anmore youngster will likely end up with leukemia. Despite the frightening prospect, Jonathan and his family are meeting the challenge with poise.

"He knows he has a condition called myelodysplasia. He knows that he needs to have a bone marrow transplant," said Mariam Barnes, Jonathan's mother.

"He knows he will get cancer if he doesn't have the transplant. But in the way that children are always so wonderfully unique, he's not fazed by that."

While finding an exact match is extremely difficult, getting on the donor list is easier than most people might think, Barnes said.

"A lot of people don't do it because they think it's involving needles but the beginning step is just a mouth swab. It comes to you in the post and you post it back, and they put you on the register," she said.

"What we didn't know and what I don't think many people know, is that they're desperately short of young male donors . There's 19 million people on the transplant register across the world, but only 10 per cent of those are the groups that they need - ethnically diverse young men."

It would be easier to find a match for the family if they could use donated stem cells from umbilical chords, but that procedure won't be available in Canada until next year and the Barnes don't have that much time, she said.

"We're just praying and hoping that someone, somewhere in the world, will put forward a match that will fit with Jonathan."

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Anmore boy needs bone marrow transplant

ScienceDaily (Oct. 11, 2012) Early results of a Phase II intra-arterial stem cell trial for ischemic stroke showed no adverse events associated with the first 10 patients, allowing investigators to expand the study to a targeted total of 100 patients.

The results were presented October 11 by Sean Savitz, M.D., professor of neurology and director of the Stroke Program at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth), at the 8th World Stroke Congress in Brasilia, Brazil.

The trial is the only randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled intra-arterial clinical trial in the world for ischemic stroke. It is studying the safety and efficacy of a regenerative therapy developed by Aldagen Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Cytomedix, Inc., that uses a patient's own bone marrow stem cells, which can be administered between 13 and 19 days post-stroke.

The therapy, called ALD-401, consists of stem cells that are identified using Aldagen's proprietary technology to isolate cells that express high levels of an enzyme that serves as a marker of stem cells. Pre-clinical studies found that these cells enhance recovery after stroke in mice. The cells are administered into the carotid artery. Patients are followed for 12 months to monitor safety and to assess mental and physical function.

"We have been approved by the Data Safety Monitoring Board (DSMB) to move the study into the next phase, which will allow us to expand the number of sites in order to complete enrollment," said Savitz, senior investigator for the multi-center study. As per the protocol for the trial, the Food and Drug Administration required a review by the DSMB prior to advancing to the next phase.

Preclinical research, including research at the UTHealth Medical School, has suggested that stem cells can promote the repair of the brain after an ischemic stroke, which is caused by a blood clot in the brain. Stroke is a leading cause of disability and the fourth-leading cause of death in the United States, according to 2008 statistics reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston.

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Safety results of intra-arterial stem cell clinical trial for stroke presented

ScienceDaily (Oct. 11, 2012) Researchers at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute have developed a novel method for determining how ready acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cells are to die, a discovery that may help cancer specialists to choose treatments option more effectively for their patients who have AML.

In a study published in the Oct. 12 issue of the journal Cell, the researchers report that their findings may lead to improved tests to predict which patients successfully treated for AML can continue in remission with standard chemotherapy alone, and which patients are likely to relapse despite additional treatment, but might benefit from a bone marrow transplant.

Anthony Letai, MD, PhD, senior author of the paper, said the study's results also help to explain the "therapeutic index" of AML chemo drugs: That is, how a patient's normal blood-forming stem cells can survive chemotherapy doses that kill the leukemia cells. Unlike current predictive tools, the new method determines the degree to which an individual patient's AML cells are "primed to die" by apoptosis, or programmed cell death. Chemotherapy is more effective when the cancer cells are well along the path to self-destruction, while patients with less-primed leukemia cells are more likely to suffer fatal relapse without a bone marrow transplant, said the researchers.

"Our data suggest that applying our assay in addition to conventional indicators yields a much better predictive tool," said Letai. "We plan to confirm this in independent experiments, and then test its performance prospectively in clinical trials to see if we can use it to do a better job of assigning individualized therapy in AML."

According to the American Cancer Society, an estimated 13,780 cases of AML will be diagnosed in the United States this year, and more than 10,000 people are expected to die from AML, making it the most lethal form of leukemia in the U.S.

Currently, clinicians try to predict an AML patient's outcome by assessing the cancer cells' pathological features and whether the cells contain certain mutations that suggest a poorer response. But these indicators do not provide a biological explanation for patients' differing responses to treatment, noted Letai.

The method described in the new study takes a different approach, first described by Letai in 2011 paper. It employs a technique called "BH3 profiling" to measure the readiness of mitochondria -- tiny organelles within the cell -- to unleash chemical compounds that cause the cell to destroy itself. The self-destruction process, called apoptosis, is triggered by "death molecules," whose mission is to eliminate unneeded or dangerously damaged cells from the body. The study's authors called this readiness for apoptotic self-destruction "mitochondrial priming."

BH3 profiling involves exposing cancer cells to BH3 molecules, which mimic the protein death signals in the body. If the cancer cells' mitochondria membrane is rapidly and easily disrupted, then the cells are considered to be highly primed for death. If the mitochondria strongly resist the disruption, the leukemia cells are further from self-destruction and less likely to respond to chemotherapy.

Applying the method to stored AML patient samples, "We found that mitochondrial priming measured by BH3 profiling was a determinant of initial response to induction [initial] chemotherapy, relapse following remission, and requirement for allogeneic bone marrow transplantation," the authors wrote.

Moreover, knowing whether a patient is likely to have a complete response to chemotherapy would be also very useful in personalizing chemotherapy decisions even when bone marrow transplant is not a consideration. "In elderly patients with AML, chemotherapy can be very toxic with an increased risk of fatal complications," said Letai. "You don't want to give chemotherapy unless you know whether it will benefit. Now we can predict who will benefit from it and who won't -- and should receive an alternative treatment."

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New tool determines leukemia cells' 'readiness to die,' may guide clinical care

Robin Roberts has returned home from the hospital, following a bone marrow transplant she received with stem cells from her sister last month.

"There's no place like home. After 30 days in the hospital I'm home," Roberts Tweeted on October 11. "Praise God from whom all blessings flow. Thank YOU and bless YOU."

The 51-year-old "Good Morning America" anchor was being treated for myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), a rare blood and bone marrow disorder. Roberts revealed her ailment in June, saying it was caused in part by treatments she had undergone for breast cancer five years ago. Her older sister, Sally-Ann, was her bone marrow donor.

Check out 9 facts about Robin Roberts, her MDS and bone marrow transplant.

Roberts went on medical leave a day early than she had initially planned in late August in order to visit her ailing mother, Lucimarian Tolliver Roberts. Lucimarian died on August 30 at the age of 88 and Robin Roberts made it back just in time to see her mother.

In the recent blog post, Roberts detailed her difficulties with chemotherapy and how her co-workers' visit helped lift her spirits.

"Today is what I like to call 'Thankful Thursday, aka Friday Eve,'" Roberts wrote in a post on October 4. "I have been in the hospital 25 days now. My bone marrow transplant took place exactly two weeks ago. The only numbers that matter are my blood counts and they are... GREAT! My sister Sally-Ann's stem cells apparently feel right at home in my body -- an answer to so many prayers."

"My doctors and rock star nurses are very pleased with my progress and I could not be more thankful for the excellent care I am receiving," she added. "I have had some extremely painful days and it's still difficult for me to eat because of all the chemo."

Roberts also mentioned a visit she had with fellow "Good Morning America" co-workers Josh Elliott and Sam Champion, which can be seen in the photo above, as well as an upcoming visit from a childhood pastor.

"I continue to learn so much on this journey, especially when it comes to true friendship and love. My friends near and far -- like Sam and Josh who came to visit yesterday -- have been lifting my spirits," Roberts wrote. "My childhood pastor (who delivered Momma's eulogy) is coming from down South to see me tomorrow. I am hopeful that I MAY be well enough to continue my recovery at home next week and my sisters plan to come back to NYC for that milestone in my journey."

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Robin Roberts returns home from hospital following bone marrow transplant

Joey Duffy of Springettsbury Township is looking for a match.

Two-year-old Joey Duffy yawns as his mother, Maura, vents his stomach via a feeding tube after he was fed at their Springettsbury Township home on Friday. Joey, who has previously had esophageal stricture, has been in and out of the hospital all summer and is in need of a bone marrow transplant. (DAILY RECORD/SUNDAY NEWS - CHRIS DUNN)

Two-year-old Joey Duffy played with his "Sesame Street" doll Ernie, watched the television show "Yo Gabba Gabba" and occasionally called out "mamma" while his parents talked about a bone marrow transplant he needs.

The toddler was diagnosed about five weeks ago with Myelodysplastic Syndromes, also known as MDS, a blood and bone marrow disorder. It's the same ailment that Robin Roberts of "Good Morning America" is receiving treatment for currently.

The disease can progress to leukemia, parents Tom and Maura Duffy said at their Springettsbury Township home. They are lucky that doctors at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore caught the condition when they did for their youngest son.

"We're ahead of the game," Maura Duffy said. "We caught this very early."

The only cure is a bone marrow transplant, and the parents as well as their two older sons, 5-year-old Tommy and 4-year-old Mick, have already submitted a cheek swab to see if they will be a match for Joey. His brothers are the best chance, Maura Duffy said.

Meanwhile, the family is organizing an Oct. 21 donor drive at their church, Saint Andrews Episcopal Church in Spring Garden Township. The idea came about as family and friends asked how they could get tested to see if they are a match, Tom Duffy said.

The process only takes about 15 minutes, said Sarah Brooks Horan, an account executive for the National Marrow Donor Program, also known as "Be The Match." A cotton swab is used to swab the cheek.

These days, donating stem cells can be as simple as giving blood, Horan said.

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Springettsbury toddler needs a bone marrow transplant

ST. LOUIS Local cancer patients who need bone marrow transplants could soon have the option of sleeping in their own beds instead of staying in the hospital for weeks or months.

The region's first outpatient bone marrow transplant center is set to open later this month at St. Louis University Hospital.

Bone marrow transplants are most commonly used for certain patients with cancers of the blood including leukemia and lymphoma. Stem cells from bone marrow harvested from the patient or a donor are transplanted into the patient's bloodstream to replace diseased cells. Patients require chemotherapy before the transplant to kill the cancer cells, and antibiotics, blood transfusions and daily monitoring afterward.

Historically, patients were hospitalized up to two months or longer because side effects from the transplant can be life-threatening. In an effort to reduce costs of the transplant, which can reach several hundred thousand dollars, several U.S. cancer centers in the last 20 years pursued an outpatient option.

Since then, research published in the journal Nature has shown that infection rates and outcomes do not vary significantly if they are treated as inpatients or outpatients.

"We have patients who really don't need to be (in the hospital), they're as bored as can be," said Fran Poglajen, administrative director of nursing for hematology/oncology at SLU.

Stronger patients at low risk of transplant rejection will now have the option of going home each night, as long as they have a caregiver available 24 hours a day. If they develop a fever or other complications, they need to be admitted to the hospital.

The outpatient treatments can last two to 10 hours and are given each day for about a month.

The $3 million center at SLU Hospital includes 16 rooms in about 10,000 square feet. It was built on the site of the operating rooms of the former Bethesda Hospital. About 10 new jobs were created with the opening, and within a few years about 100 patients a year are expected to receive transplants there.

"Bone marrow transplant really has revolutionized treatment of malignant blood diseases," said Dr. Friedrich Schuening, SLU's director of hematology and oncology. Schuening ran the inpatient/outpatient bone marrow transplant center at Vanderbilt University before coming to St. Louis last year.

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SLU to open outpatient bone marrow transplant center

ORLANDO, Fla., Oct. 9, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --Vanderson Rocha, M.D., Ph.D., recognizedthroughout the world as a respected leader in the field of cord blood stem cell transplantation, hasjoined the team at CORD:USE Cord Blood Bank. Dr. Rocha's extensive experience and knowledge in transplant medicine and stem cell biology will provide a significant contribution to CORD:USE. "We're excited and honored to have Dr. Rocha, an internationally acclaimed expert in cord blood stem cell transplantation, as a member of our highly esteemed team,"said Edward Guindi MD, President and CEO of CORD:USE.

Dr. Rocha is a professor of Hematology and the Director of the Bone Marrow Transplant Unit at the University of Oxford, UK. He also serves as the Director of the Bone Marrow Transplant Unit, Hospital Sirio Libanes and Children's Hospital of the University of Sao Paulo, Brazil. He is the Scientific Director of the Eurocord Project and is on the Editorial Board of Bone Marrow Transplantation. Dr. Rocha is an internationally renowned speaker regarding the use of unrelated and related hematopoietic stem cells in transplants. He has published more than 200 papers in the New England Journal of Medicine, Blood, Lancet, Journal of Clinical Oncology, British Journal of Hematology, and other peer reviewed publications.

Dr. Rocha continues to contribute significantly to the development and refinement of the therapeutic applications of cord blood stem cells. Due to his expertise, he was elected by the European Transplant Centers as Chairman of the Acute Leukemia Working Party of the European Group for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (EBMT) from 2004 to 2010.

"I am very honored to be a member of the distinguished team at CORD:USE which includes my colleagues who are pioneers in cord blood science, banking and transplantation. I look forward to continuing to work with them to advance the use of cord blood transplantation to treat many more patients in the future," said Dr. Rocha.

Dr. Rocha joins otherhighly respected leaders and pioneers in the field of cord blood stem cell transplantation on the CORD:USE team:

About CORD:USE Cord Blood Bank, Inc.

CORD:USE operates leading public and family cord blood banks. CORD:USE Public Cord Blood Bank is one of the high quality cord blood banks selected and funded by HRSA of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to help build the National Cord Blood Inventory (NCBI). CORD:USE Cord Blood Bank has entered into agreements with hospitalsacross the country to provide mothers the option to donate their babies' cord blood. CORD:USE cord blood units are listed in the NCBI through the National Marrow Donor Program's Registry and are distributed to transplanters, throughout the country and the world. CORD:USE Family Cord Blood Bank protects family banked cord blood units utilizing similar high-quality cord blood banking practices and technologies that are used in our leading public cord blood bank in its state-of-the-art laboratory. For more information, please visit our website http://www.corduse.com, or contact Michael Ernst at 407.667.3000.

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CORD:USE Cord Blood Bank is proud to announce the addition of Cord Blood Stem Cell Transplantation Expert, Dr ...

WEDNESDAY, Oct. 3 (HealthDay News) -- People who undergo the transplantation of stem cells taken from bone marrow, circulating blood or umbilical cord blood are more likely to develop risk factors for heart disease, such as high blood pressure, diabetes and high cholesterol, a new study contends.

Researchers from the American Society of Hematology noted that patients who were treated with chemotherapy or radiation before such a transplant -- called a "hematopoietic cell transplant," or HCT -- had a significantly higher risk for heart disease later in life.

"While we know that heart disease is a real concern for long-term HCT survivors, small sample sizes and a lack of long-term follow-up in previous studies have only allowed us to look at a small piece of the puzzle of how this chronic condition develops in these patients," the study's first author, Dr. Saro Armenian, medical director of the Pediatric Survivorship Clinic in the Childhood Cancer Survivorship Program at City of Hope in Duarte, Calif., said in a society news release.

"Our study sought to better determine the specific factors before and after transplant that can lead to heart disease in a large group of transplant recipients," Armenian explained.

In conducting the study, the researchers examined the medical records of nearly 1,900 hematopoietic cell transplant recipients to identify factors that could affect their development of risk factors for heart disease. The transplants occurred between 1995 and 2004, and the patients survived for at least one year after the treatment.

The investigators considered the patients' exposure to chemotherapy or radiation before the transplant, the type of hematopoietic cell transplant and whether they were treated for a serious transplant complication known as graft-versus-host disease.

Using the U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, the researchers also projected heart disease risk factor rates for the general population.

The study found that high blood pressure, diabetes and high cholesterol were more common among long-term survivors of the blood-forming stem cell transplants.

The risk for developing diabetes was 1.5 times higher for hematopoietic cell transplant survivors who underwent total body radiation. Their risk for high cholesterol was 1.4 times higher. The researchers noted this was true regardless of the type of blood-forming stem cell transplant the patient received.

Although it's unclear why total body radiation increased these patients' risk for diabetes and high cholesterol, previous studies have shown that abdominal radiation may contribute to insulin resistance and an increase in belly fat among cancer patients.

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Stem Cell Transplant May Spur Heart Disease Risk: Study

By Daily Mail Reporter

PUBLISHED: 14:58 EST, 4 October 2012 | UPDATED: 16:07 EST, 4 October 2012

Good Morning America co-anchor Robin Roberts has revealed that her bone marrow transplant, which she underwent two weeks ago, appears to have been successful.

The procedure, which saw donor stem cells from her sister Sally Ann injected into her body, took just five minutes, and according to the 51-year-old, who wrote fans an update from her hospital in New York City this morning, her sister's cells 'feel right at home' in her body.

'My blood counts are GREAT,' she wrote on herGMA blog, after being hospitalized or 25 days now. 'It's an answer to so many prayers'.

Scroll down for video

Pulling through: Robin Roberts, 51, said her friends near and far (pictured here with Sam and Josh yesterday) have been lifting her spirits, she says

Ms Roberts, who was diagnosed with myelodysplastic syndrome, or MDS, earlier this year - a disease which attacks blood cells and bone - added: 'My doctors and rock star nurses are very pleased with my progress and I could not be more thankful for the excellent care I am receiving.

'I have had some extremely painful days and its still difficult for me to eat because of all the chemo. [But] I continue to learn so much on this journey, especially when it comes to true friendship and love.

Originally posted here:
Robin Roberts says her prayers have been answered as she recovers from bone marrow transplant

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DURHAM -- With lives on the line, the need for bone marrow donations across the country is greater than ever.

The National Marrow Donor Program said just five out of 10 patients will receive the transplant they need survive.

Elon University student Donovan Rainey recently passed the exam of a lifetime. He's a donor match for a patient in need of a bone marrow transplant.

"To be able to give life and to be able to try to sustain someone else's is just the ultimate gift," said Rainey.

Giving that gift is easier than before.

Duke University Medical Center said many are under the false impression that the only way to donate is by surgericaly removing bone marrow from the hip.

Instead, donors can get blood removed through a machine. The stem cells found in donors blood will be used to create a new immune system for recipients.

"They don't need general anesthesia, they don't have to go to the operating room and I think there is less discomfort," said Susan Dago, a nurse at Duke's Blood and Marrow Transplant Clinic and Treatment Facility.

Rainey said the temporary discomfort is worth it because the life on the line was his dad's.

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College student answers growing need for bone marrow transplants

October 3, 2012

Alan McStravick for redOrbit.com Your Universe Online

Ask a handful of people about their thoughts and feelings on the use of stem cells for research and therapeutic means and you will find that they each have strong and varying positions on the topic. Outside the scientific community, however, little is known about this highly complex field of research.

The politicization of stem cell research accompanied the 1998 discovery that embryonic stem cells, the building blocks of organ, tissue, bone and brain cells, could be extracted for study and medical use. In 2001, with an order to limit the lines of stem cell research to those already in possession of the scientific community, President George W. Bush largely hampered the development of this field in the United States by limiting government funding for stem cell research. Adult stem cells, or somatic stem cells, were unaffected by this order, but the prevailing wisdom of the genetic community was that adult stem cells were not as dynamic and couldnt be used in the same way as their embryonic cousins.

With a report published Monday in the American Journal of Pathology, that truth no longer seems to be the case. A team led by Manel Esteller, director of the Cancer Epigenetics and Biology Program in the Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL), was able to identify epigenetic changes that occur in the somatic stem cells to generate different body tissues.

The use of somatic or adult stem cells had been a regular occurrence since their discovery in the 1950s. It was then that researchers found that bone marrow contains two different kinds of stem cells. The first, called hematopoietic stem cells, form all the types of blood cells in the body. The second, known as bone marrow stromal stem cells, were discovered only a few years later and are effective in the generation of bone, cartilage, fat and fibrous connective tissues.

One thing that has been understood is that the genome of each cell in the human body is identical. This is true regardless of their appearance and function. It is for this reason that certain anomalies, such as cancer, are seemingly incomprehensible as they are unable to be explained by the genome of the host. To better understand such complex genetic deviations, something more is required.

Researchers in this current study offer an explanation via analogy. Epigenetics is defined as the inheritance of DNA activity that does not depend on the strict sequence of it. According to the team, if genetics is the alphabet, spelling would be the epigenetics, referring to chemical changes in our genetic material as well as the proteins that regulate and control their activity.

We now know that somatic stem cells have enormous potential to regenerate damaged organs. By investigating how to use them more effectively in different types of therapies, the research team postulates that it will become easier to steer clear of any sticky ethical complications that might arise from working with embryonic stem cells.

In this study, the team was able to isolate somatic stem cells from body fat, allowing them to transform them into muscle and bone cells. Through their study, they observed the resemblance of the cells created in the laboratory to those of the host individual. They were also able to determine that the cells were biologically secure enough that they might be implanted into waiting patients. Overall, the study was able to show that the epigenome of the cells obtained and maintained in culture closely resembled skeletal and muscle cells that are spontaneously present in nature, though not completely identical.

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Study Shows Epigenetics Of Adult Stem Cells Influences Organ Creation

Company seeks to enter $18 billion market for bone marrow stimulating growth factors

San Diego, CA (PRWEB) October 03, 2012

As part of the development process, on May 18, 2012, Regen submitted a provisional patent application covering the use of placentally-derived endothelial cells for treatment of bone marrow failure. Regen has also been granted an exclusive option to enter into an agreement to be granted an exclusive, worldwide, royalty bearing license to US patent No. 6,821,513, covering a proprietary method for enhancing hematopoiesis (formation of blood cells).

Current approaches to treating bone marrow disorders involve administration of pharmaceuticals which target stem cells to produce more blood. This approach is not effective on everyone with bone marrow failure and some forms of this disease are completely resistant said J. Christopher Mizer, President of Regen BioPharma. Our strategy is to heal the bone marrow by administering cells that provide the optimum mix of growth factors to stimulate the bone marrow into producing blood cells naturally.

Data from a peer reviewed publication (Lei et al. Stem Cell Res. 2010 January; 4(1): 1724) by the inventor of the patent demonstrated that the administration of endothelial cells restores blood production and extends survival after bone marrow damage.

The HemaXellerate product aims to address the unmet medical need of patients who are non-responsive to existing growth factor therapies such as Neupogen and Leukine. These patients include those suffering from: aplastic anemia, a condition where the bone marrow produces an insufficient number of new cells to replace lost blood cells; chemotherapy/radiotherapy induced bone marrow failures; and low blood cell production after bone marrow or cord blood transplants, stated Thomas Ichim, Chief Scientific Officer of Regen BioPharma.

According to David Koos, Chairman & CEO of Bio-Matrix, HemaXellerate may provide an ideal therapeutic for bone marrow failure based upon: (1) regulating secretion of cytokines as biologically needed; (2) producing long-term, localized growth factors that alleviate the need for drugs; and (3) actively repairing the blood producing stem cell environment.

A spokesperson for the Company said Regen intends to file an Investigational New Drug (IND) Application in the fourth quarter of 2012 and conduct Phase I/II clinical trials during 2013 and 2014.

About Bio-Matrix Scientific Group Inc. and Regen BioPharma, Inc.:

Bio-Matrix Scientific Group, Inc. (OTCQB: BMSN) (PINKSHEETS: BMSN) is a biotechnology company developing regenerative medicine therapies and tools. The Company is focused on human therapies that address unmet medical needs. Specifically, Bio-Matrix Scientific Group Inc. is looking to increase the quality of life through therapies involving stem cell treatments. These treatments are focused in areas relating to cardiovascular, hematology, oncology and other indications.

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Bio-Matrix Scientific Group's Regen BioPharma Subsidiary Announces HemaXellerate™ As First Product in Development

Newswise LOS ANGELES (Oct. 2, 2012) Researchers at Cedars-Sinais Maxine Dunitz Neurosurgical Institute have found that a blood vessel-building gene boosts the ability of human bone marrow stem cells to sustain pancreatic recovery in a laboratory mouse model of insulin-dependent diabetes.

The findings, published in a PLoS ONE article of the Public Library of Science, offer new insights on mechanisms involved in regeneration of insulin-producing cells and provide new evidence that a diabetics own bone marrow one day may be a source of treatment.

Scientists began studying bone marrow-derived stem cells for pancreatic regeneration a decade ago. Recent studies involving several pancreas-related genes and delivery methods transplantation into the organ or injection into the blood have shown that bone marrow stem cell therapy could reverse or improve diabetes in some laboratory mice. But little has been known about how stem cells affect beta cells pancreas cells that produce insulin or how scientists could promote sustained beta cell renewal and insulin production.

When the Cedars-Sinai researchers modified bone marrow stem cells to express a certain gene (vascular endothelial growth factor, or VEGF), pancreatic recovery was sustained as mouse pancreases were able to generate new beta cells. The VEGF-modified stem cells promoted growth of needed blood vessels and supported activation of genes involved in insulin production. Bone marrow stem cells modified with a different gene, PDX1, which is important in the development and maintenance of beta cells, resulted in temporary but not sustained beta cell recovery.

Our study is the first to show that VEGF contributes to revascularization and recovery after pancreatic injury. It demonstrates the possible clinical benefits of using bone marrow-derived stem cells, modified to express that gene, for the treatment of insulin-dependent diabetes, said John S. Yu, MD, professor and vice chair of the Department of Neurosurgery at Cedars-Sinai, senior author of the journal article.

Diabetes was reversed in five of nine mice treated with the injection of VEGF-modified cells, and near-normal blood sugar levels were maintained through the remainder of the six-week study period. The other four mice survived and gained weight, suggesting treatment was beneficial even when it did not prompt complete reversal. Lab studies later confirmed that genetically-modified cells survived and grew in the pancreas and supported the repopulation of blood vessels and beta cells.

Anna Milanesi, MD, PhD, working in Yus lab as an endocrinology fellow, is the articles first author. The researchers cautioned that although this and other related studies help scientists gain a better understanding of the processes and pathways involved in pancreatic regeneration, more research is needed before human clinical trials can begin.

Insulin-dependent diabetes occurs when beta cells of the pancreas fail to produce insulin, a hormone that regulates sugar in the blood. Patients must take insulin injections or consider transplantation of a whole pancreas or parts of the pancreas that make insulin, but transplantation carries the risk of cell rejection.

# # #

PLoS ONE: Beta-cell Regeneration Mediated by Human Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cells.

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Study Sheds Light on Bone Marrow Stem Cell Therapy for Pancreatic Recovery

Public release date: 2-Oct-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Sandy Van sandy@prpacific.com 808-526-1708 Cedars-Sinai Medical Center

LOS ANGELES (Oct. 2, 2012) Researchers at Cedars-Sinai's Maxine Dunitz Neurosurgical Institute have found that a blood vessel-building gene boosts the ability of human bone marrow stem cells to sustain pancreatic recovery in a laboratory mouse model of insulin-dependent diabetes.

The findings, published in a PLOS ONE article of the Public Library of Science, offer new insights on mechanisms involved in regeneration of insulin-producing cells and provide new evidence that a diabetic's own bone marrow one day may be a source of treatment.

Scientists began studying bone marrow-derived stem cells for pancreatic regeneration a decade ago. Recent studies involving several pancreas-related genes and delivery methods transplantation into the organ or injection into the blood have shown that bone marrow stem cell therapy could reverse or improve diabetes in some laboratory mice. But little has been known about how stem cells affect beta cells pancreas cells that produce insulin or how scientists could promote sustained beta cell renewal and insulin production.

When the Cedars-Sinai researchers modified bone marrow stem cells to express a certain gene (vascular endothelial growth factor, or VEGF), pancreatic recovery was sustained as mouse pancreases were able to generate new beta cells. The VEGF-modified stem cells promoted growth of needed blood vessels and supported activation of genes involved in insulin production. Bone marrow stem cells modified with a different gene, PDX1, which is important in the development and maintenance of beta cells, resulted in temporary but not sustained beta cell recovery.

"Our study is the first to show that VEGF contributes to revascularization and recovery after pancreatic injury. It demonstrates the possible clinical benefits of using bone marrow-derived stem cells, modified to express that gene, for the treatment of insulin-dependent diabetes," said John S. Yu, MD, professor and vice chair of the Department of Neurosurgery at Cedars-Sinai, senior author of the journal article.

Diabetes was reversed in five of nine mice treated with the injection of VEGF-modified cells, and near-normal blood sugar levels were maintained through the remainder of the six-week study period. The other four mice survived and gained weight, suggesting treatment was beneficial even when it did not prompt complete reversal. Lab studies later confirmed that genetically-modified cells survived and grew in the pancreas and supported the repopulation of blood vessels and beta cells.

Anna Milanesi, MD, PhD, working in Yu's lab as an endocrinology fellow, is the article's first author. The researchers cautioned that although this and other related studies help scientists gain a better understanding of the processes and pathways involved in pancreatic regeneration, more research is needed before human clinical trials can begin.

Insulin-dependent diabetes occurs when beta cells of the pancreas fail to produce insulin, a hormone that regulates sugar in the blood. Patients must take insulin injections or consider transplantation of a whole pancreas or parts of the pancreas that make insulin, but transplantation carries the risk of cell rejection.

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Cedars-Sinai study sheds light on bone marrow stem cell therapy for pancreatic recovery

ScienceDaily (Oct. 2, 2012) Researchers at Cedars-Sinai's Maxine Dunitz Neurosurgical Institute have found that a blood vessel-building gene boosts the ability of human bone marrow stem cells to sustain pancreatic recovery in a laboratory mouse model of insulin-dependent diabetes.

The findings, published in a PLoS ONE article of the Public Library of Science, offer new insights on mechanisms involved in regeneration of insulin-producing cells and provide new evidence that a diabetic's own bone marrow one day may be a source of treatment.

Scientists began studying bone marrow-derived stem cells for pancreatic regeneration a decade ago. Recent studies involving several pancreas-related genes and delivery methods -- transplantation into the organ or injection into the blood -- have shown that bone marrow stem cell therapy could reverse or improve diabetes in some laboratory mice. But little has been known about how stem cells affect beta cells -- pancreas cells that produce insulin -- or how scientists could promote sustained beta cell renewal and insulin production.

When the Cedars-Sinai researchers modified bone marrow stem cells to express a certain gene (vascular endothelial growth factor, or VEGF), pancreatic recovery was sustained as mouse pancreases were able to generate new beta cells. The VEGF-modified stem cells promoted growth of needed blood vessels and supported activation of genes involved in insulin production. Bone marrow stem cells modified with a different gene, PDX1, which is important in the development and maintenance of beta cells, resulted in temporary but not sustained beta cell recovery.

"Our study is the first to show that VEGF contributes to revascularization and recovery after pancreatic injury. It demonstrates the possible clinical benefits of using bone marrow-derived stem cells, modified to express that gene, for the treatment of insulin-dependent diabetes," said John S. Yu, MD, professor and vice chair of the Department of Neurosurgery at Cedars-Sinai, senior author of the journal article.

Diabetes was reversed in five of nine mice treated with the injection of VEGF-modified cells, and near-normal blood sugar levels were maintained through the remainder of the six-week study period. The other four mice survived and gained weight, suggesting treatment was beneficial even when it did not prompt complete reversal. Lab studies later confirmed that genetically-modified cells survived and grew in the pancreas and supported the repopulation of blood vessels and beta cells.

Anna Milanesi, MD, PhD, working in Yu's lab as an endocrinology fellow, is the article's first author. The researchers cautioned that although this and other related studies help scientists gain a better understanding of the processes and pathways involved in pancreatic regeneration, more research is needed before human clinical trials can begin.

Insulin-dependent diabetes occurs when beta cells of the pancreas fail to produce insulin, a hormone that regulates sugar in the blood. Patients must take insulin injections or consider transplantation of a whole pancreas or parts of the pancreas that make insulin, but transplantation carries the risk of cell rejection.

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New study sheds light on bone marrow stem cell therapy for pancreatic recovery

Stemedica Cell Technologies, Inc., a leader in adult allogeneic stem cell manufacturing, research and development, announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved its application for an Investigational New Drug (IND) to assess the clinical effects of Stemedyne-MSC (Stemedicas human bone marrow-derived ischemia tolerant mesenchymal cells) in subjects with a myocardial infarct.

San Diego, CA (PRWEB) October 02, 2012

The clinical trial will address the prevalence of cardiovascular disease estimated to carry a global disease burden in excess of $400 billion each year. More than one million patients undergo PTCA and stenting in the Untied States annually; another 800,000 have the procedures each year in Europe.

Nabil Dib, M.D., MSc., F.A.C.C., Director of Cardiovascular Research at Mercy Gilbert and Chandler Regional Medical Centers, and an Associate Professor of Medicine and Director of Clinical Cardiovascular Cell Therapy at the University of California, San Diego, will serve as the principal investigator of the FDA-approved study. Dr. Nib commented, We've learned from bench top research that not all stem cells are created equally. We believe that the ischemic tolerance of Stemedica's MSCs and the robustness of their protein array will translate into significant patient benefits post myocardial infarction.

Stemedicas interest in this indication was triggered by a successful randomized study in acute myocardial infarction conducted by the National Scientific Medical Center (NSMC) in Astana, Kazakhstan using Stemedyne-MSCs. The study was conducted under clinical protocol and in compliance with the ICH-E6 (Good Clinical Practice) guidelines and local laws. All patients signed an informed consent. Nineteen (19) patients in this study received Stemedyne-MSCs after PTCA and stenting. Administration of Stemedyne-MSC resulted in a statistically-significant decrease in inflammation as judged by the level of C-reactive protein, significant decrease in end-systolic and end-diastolic volume of left ventricle, as well as significant increase in the left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) from 38.4% to 54.7% at 6 months post administration, bringing this parameter to a normal range for healthy individuals (50-65%).

Professor Daniyar Jumaniyazov, M.D. Ph.D., principal investigator of the NSMC study commented, The stem cell transplantation was safe and the procedure was well tolerated. No product-related adverse events were reported. Treatment of patients in this study resulted in improvement of overall and local contractive myocardium functions and also normalization of systolic and diastolic filling of the left ventricle as compared to the control group. Based upon the safety and efficacy results, we will soon conduct a Phase III myocardial infarct clinical trial at the NSMC with Stemedicas ischemia tolerant mesenchymal stem cells.

Lev Verkh, Ph.D., Stemedica Chief Regulatory and Clinical Development Officer commented, Stemedicas FDA submission included data from the NSMC clinical trial, the results of which were also reported at the annual American College of Cardiology meeting in April, 2012. These results contrasted with reports, at the same conference, of minimal improvement in studies with autologous stem cells. In addition to the United States sites, the study will be duplicated at leading hospitals in Europe, Asia and the Middle East. With regard to the spectrum of stem cell treatment for cardiovascular disease, Dr. Verkh noted that, Stemedyne-MSC has been approved for the treatment of chronic heart failure at Hospital Angeles, Tijuana, Mexico by COFEPRIS (the Mexican equivalent of the FDA).

Jackie See, M.D., F.A.C.C., founder of interventional cardiology at the University of California, Irvine, noted, "In the days and weeks following a myocardial infarction we may have the ability to intervene with stem cells to minimize scarring, enhance the amount of functional heart tissue, and restore the microcirculation. Stemedica's ischemia tolerant mesenchymal stem cells are ideal for this purpose. I can foresee the day when all coronary stenting is accompanied by stem cell injection. It is not unreasonable to postulate that the anti-inflammatory and anti-fibrotic effects of the mesenchymal stem cells may have an impact on the incidence of restenosis, a common condition caused by blockage of the stents.

The Stemedyne-MSC product is uniquely manufactured to contain increased amounts of the important growth factors that combat ischemic damage. According to Nikolai Tankovich, M.D., Ph.D., President and Chief Medical Officer of Stemedica, Our ischemia tolerant MSCs secrete increased amounts of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), which is necessary for new blood vessel development and stromal cell-derived factor (SDF), which is responsible for rescuing dying cells. Stemedyne-MSCs also demonstrate significantly higher migratory abilities. As a company we are unique in our unparalleled scalability, with our master bank at two passages and the cells that go into patients having only been expanded four times. We have the ability to treat more than 500,000 patients with cells created from a single organ donation.

Stemedyne-MSC is one of the three adult allogeneic stem cell products developed by the Company. Other products include Stemedyne-NSC neural human stem cells and Stemedyne-RPE, retinal progenitor epithelial cells available in early 2013. All Stemedica products are unique in their ability to tolerate ischemic conditions.

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FDA Approves Stemedica Phase II Clinical Trial For Acute Myocardial Infarction With Ischemia Tolerant Mesenchymal Stem ...

DENVER - Can you imagine having a family member who's diagnosed with a disease and no one in your family, including yourself, is a match to donate.

That's the reality for 70 percent of patients needing bone marrow or stem cells. They have no other choice but to go through the bone marrow registry.

Those families rely on complete strangers who are willing to donate whatever they can in hope of saving someone's life.

One of those donors is Aurora resident Denise Camacho. She joined the bone marrow registry never thinking that anything would ever come of it.

"I have a family friend that works with Bonfils," Camacho said. "She emailed me and my family and said there's a huge need for minorities to join the registry. So we went down not knowing anyone of us would ever be called."

But just two years later, she was called to make a donation.

"I got a phone call that I'm a match, but I need to go in for further testing. All they told me was that there was a 13-year-old boy in Cleveland who has leukemia." Camacho said. "How do you say 'no' when there's a family out there that you can help and possibly save a life. I was going to do what I could."

That 13-year-old boy was Enrique Linares. He was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

His entire family, 38 people in all, were tested to be a donor but none of them were a match.

After nearly two years, spent mostly in the hospital, there was a match. It was a match no one expected. Camacho is unrelated and has a different blood type.

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Bone marrow donor meets recipient