BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics of Petah Tikva is recruiting American patients for a Phase 3 clinical study of its NurOwn stem-cell treatment intended to halt progression of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

The announcement was made in a patient webinar last week.

The NurOwn platform grew out of a technique developed at Tel Aviv University for growing and enhancing stem cells harvested from patients own bone marrow. The enhanced cells, injected via lumbar puncture, secrete elevated levels of nerve-growth factors believed to protect existing motor neurons, promote motor neuron growth and reestablish nerve-muscle interaction.

A 24-week Phase 2 safety study was concluded in 2016 on 48 participants (36 treated, 12 placebo) with possible, probable and definite ALS. This study was done at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital and the Mayo Clinic.

The Phase 3 double-blind, placebo-controlled study, to begin enrollment in August, will look at efficacy and safety of repeated doses. The California Institute for Regenerative Medicine has awarded Brainstorm a $16 million grant to support the pivotal trial.

This study will accept 200 randomized study participants between the ages of 18 and 60 (half getting the treatment and half a placebo) at the three previous centers as well as California Pacific Medical Center in San Francisco, UC-Irvine near Los Angeles and another site not announced.

Potential participants must live within about 100 miles of one of the centers for ease of follow-up. They will receive three doses over a 16-week treatment phase and then undergo 28 weeks of follow-up.

BrainStorm President and CEO Chaim Lebovits said he hopes to get approval by the end of the year for a hospital exemption program in Israel an accelerated regulatory pathway that would clear the way for a first batch of 50 patients to receive NurOwn at Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center. However, there will be no compassionate treatment using NurOwn in Israel or elsewhere.

The NurOwn platform technology also has potential applications in any neurodegenerative disease, such as multiple sclerosis and Parkinsons.

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ALS treatment to begin Phase 3 clinical trials in US - ISRAEL21c

JoAnne Viviano The Columbus Dispatch @JoAnneViviano

Dennis Matko was headed for a knee replacement when he discovered a new therapy that would instead inject his own stem cells and plasma into the joint to help prevent degradation.

The 69-year-old Clintonville resident said he had been pretty active in his 50s, leading to problems with the right knee. He eventually had his meniscus removed. He had been through physical therapy, cortisone shots and gel injections, but the pain persisted.

The therapy, he said, was a no-brainer. He was sold because the procedure involved putting his own fluids into his body with no foreign objects and no drugs.

Dr. Joe Ruane, the orthopedic doctor who treated Matko, introduced the therapy at OhioHealth, but there are a number of places using the therapy around the state and country.

It's used to treat people with osteoarthritis, the type of arthritis caused by wear and tear.

Ruane said that the need for total knee replacements in the U.S. is expected to climb by 600 percent in the next 20 years, and there is concern that there might not be enough surgeons to perform the procedures.

We need an alternative, and patients are looking for alternatives, and given the choice between a knee replacement and an injection, many patients would choose an injection, he said.

The treatment involved removing Matkos bone marrow from the back of his pelvic bone, a process done in the office under general anesthesia. The marrow was then processed to form a concentrate of stem cells and other growth factors.

Matko also had blood drawn to create platelet-rich plasma, which acts as a signaling system to get the stem cells to respond.

Ruane injected both components into the knee, delivering more than 100 stimulating and growth factors to the joint.

Ruane said the process inhibits irritating chemicals that contribute to inflammation, decreases the activity of enzymes that break down cartilage, and helps the knee to make some of its own joint fluid again.

And, to a small degree, it does help regrow some of the tissue in the knee that has been destroyed by the arthritis, Ruane said.

The procedures are most effective in young patients with early arthritis, said Dr. Adolph Lombardi of Joint Implant Surgeons in New Albany, where stem-cell and platelet-rich plasma injections are offered as separate therapies. It won't help with bone-on-bone disease, he said.

While other injections might offer short-term pain relief, platelet-rich plasma has been shown to offer a full year of relief, said Lombardi, who works with the Mount Carmel Health System. The idea is that bone-marrow stem cells, when injected into a hip or knee, can differentiate into cartilage cells and help with regeneration.

"All of this is very new but it seems to be extremely promising," Lombardi said. "This is using their own bodies' healing potential to maintain cartilage and relieve pain."

Dr. Michael Baria performs the procedure at Wexner Medical Center at Ohio State University, where the bone-marrow and platelet-rich plasma injections also are offered as separate treatments. He agreed that the hope with the bone-marrow injections is that the stem cells turn into cartilage cells, improving or halting the osteoarthritis disease.

But in his experience, the treatment is helpful for patients with advanced disease.

"The most common patient we see for this is going to be in late-stage arthritis, so kind of at the end of their rope," Baria said. "Platelet-rich plasma is usually not as good for bone-on-bone arthritis. Bone marrow doesnt seem to be limited by bone on bone."

The body has trouble healing arthritis because cartilage doesnt get enough blood supply, Ruane said. Injecting the stem cells boosts the bodys own process.

While platelet-rich plasma has been shown to decrease inflammation, stem-cell use is newer and has yet to be proven effective, Baria noted.

OhioHealth andJoint Implant Surgeons are currently in the midst of controlled randomized trials, hoping to prove the effectiveness of the procedures and obtain approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Unless that happens, the procedure will be considered experimental, and insurance doesnt cover costs. Matko paid $2,800 for the injections at OhioHealth.

Before the treatment, Matko was having trouble with mundane things like going up and down stairs and with other activities, such as taking hikes or walks with his wife or working out. A retired police officer, he now works as a business consultant and spends a lot of time on his feet, so he was looking for better mobility there as well.

Matko said the injections have helped his knee, which is getting progressively better over time. He said hes been able to increase his activity, getting back to the gym and taking hikes and walks. He has minimal pain climbing stairs and hes more comfortable in his work.

Im not saying its all better but its much better, Matko said. Its headed in the right direction.

He realizes the treatment is not a cure.

Im not looking for a miracle, he said. I just want to forestall problems as long as possible.

.

.

jviviano@dispatch.com

@JoAnneViviano

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Patients' plasma, stem cells help knee problems - The Columbus Dispatch

Regenerative medicine is a revolutionary approach to treating many degenerative conditions and includes a variety of different techniques including stem cell therapy. This field joins nearly all disciplines of science and holds the realistic promise of repairing damaged tissue by harnessing the bodys ability to heal itself.

Adult stem cells are found in every part of the body and their primary role is to heal and maintain the tissue in which they reside. Stem cells are unspecialized cells capable of renewing themselves by cell division. In addition, they have the ability to differentiate into specialized cell types. Adult stem cells can be harvested from a patients own tissue, such as adipose (fat) tissue, muscle, teeth, skin or bone marrow.

One of the most plentiful sources of stem cells in the body is the fat tissue. In fact, approximately 500 times more stem cells can be obtained from fat than bone marrow. Stem cells derived from a patients own fat are referred to as adipose-derived stem cells. The mixed population of cells that can be obtained from fat is called a stromal vascular fraction (SVF). The SVF can easily be isolated from fat tissue in approximately 30-90 minutes in a clinic setting (under local anesthesia) using a mini-lipoaspirate technique. The SVF contains a mixture of cells including adipose-derived stem cells or ADSCs and growth factors and has been depleted of the adipocyte (fat cell) population.

ADSCs are multi-potential and can differentiate into a variety of different types of tissue including but not limited to bone, cartilage, muscle, ligament, tendon and fat. These cells have also been shown to express a variety of different growth factors and signaling molecules (cytokines), which recruit other stem cells to facilitate repair and healing of the affected tissue. ADSCs are very angiogenic in nature and can promote the growth of new blood vessels.

Based on research performed in our FDA registered facilities, stem cell quality and functionality can vary greatly depending on the methods utilized to obtain the cells. It is important to utilize a product that has undergone full characterization to include safety, identity, purity and potency. We have developed a method for harvesting and isolating stem cells from fat for therapeutic use. The use of a cell population that retains the ability to function in vivo will lead to more consistent patient results with long term success.

Adipose stem cells can be obtained from the patient easily, abundantly, and with minimal patient discomfort. Clinical applications for patients can be performed in an office setting safely, legally, and ethically using autologous ADSCs. Current applications include orthopedic conditions (tendon/ligament injuries, osteoarthritis, etc.), degenerative conditions (COPD, diabetes), neurological (MS, Parkinsons, spinal cord injuries, TBI, etc.) and auto-immune (RA, Crohns, colitis, lupus).

Stem cells possess enormous regenerative potential. The potential applications are virtually limitless. Patients can receive cutting edge treatments that are safe, compliant, and effective. Our team has successfully treated over 7000 patients with very few safety concerns reported. One day, stem cell treatments will be the gold standard of care for the treatment of most degenerative diseases. We are extremely encouraged by the positive patient results we are seeing from our physician-based treatments. Our hope is that stem cell therapy will provide relief and an improved quality of life for many patients. The future of medicine is here!

For additional information on our South Miami clinic, visit http://www.stemcellcoe.com.

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Regenerative Medicine: The Future of Medicine is Here Miami's ... - Miami's Community Newspapers

When the Japanese researcher Shinya Yamanaka managed to reprogram adult cells into an embryonic-like state to yield induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), this was supposed to herald a revolution in regenerative medicine. But 10 years after their discovery, a therapeutic breakthrough is still outstanding.

The overall stem cell therapy field has failed today to show a very clear cut clinical benefit, told me Georges Rawadi, VP for Business Development at Celyad. The field now needs some significant success to attract attention.

Even though investors prefer placing their bets on the hot T cell therapies these days, some stem cell technologies such as iPSCs are starting to get traction as big industry players are exploring the territory. Last year, Bayer and Versant threw $225M into the pot to launch BlueRock Therapeutics, a regenerative medicine company that plans to develop iPSC-based therapies. A year before, Fujifilm spent $307M to acquire the iPSC company Cellular Dynamics.

Although a big success story is still lagging behind, recent advances in the field argue that stem cells indeed have the potential to translate into effective therapies for currently intractable diseases. Heres an overview of what biotechs stem cells are up to!

Stem cell treatment is not a new concept hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) were described as early as the 1960s and bone marrow transplants have been used to treat blood cancer for decades.

The reason that we get excited about stem cell therapies comes from our experience with the hematopoietic stem cells. If you want to see what a mature stem cell therapy is like, you only need to look at bone marrow transplantation explained James Peyer, Managing Partner at Apollo Ventures, who has a Ph.D. in stem cell biology.

According to Peyer, the hematopoietic stem cell field is one of the most active areas in the stem cell world right now, mainly fueled by our advances in the gene editing space. Tools like CRISPR and TALEN allow for the genetic modification of a patients own bone marrow stem cells, which can then be expanded and returned to the patient for the correction of a genetic defect.

Last year, regulators gave green light to one of the first therapies of this kind. Strimvelis, developed by GSK, consists of an ex vivo stem cell gene therapy to treat patients with the very rare type of Severe Combined Immunodeficiency (SCID). Using the patients own cells avoids the risk of graft versus host disease (GvHD), which still affects around 30% of people receiving a bone marrow transplant.

Small wonder that the CRISPR companies, CRISPR Therapeutics, Editas, and Intellia are all active in this field, with preclinical programs in a number hematological diseases.

To date, the most prominent stem cells in the clinic are mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), which are moving through more than 300 registered clinical trials for a wide array of diseases. These cells are able to form a variety of tissues including bone, cartilage, muscle or fat, and can be readily harvested from patients or donors for use in autologous or allogeneic therapies.

While MSCs have deluded the biotech scene with good safety profiles in clinical trials, their actual regenerative potential remains controversial, and there have been a great number of clinical failures, which many blame on a lack of demonstrated mechanisms of action.

As Peyer explained, The problem here is that, as opposed to other adult stem cells, the MSC has been unclearly defined. We know roughly what it does but we dont fully understand the molecular mechanisms driving these cells. On top of being unclearly defined, the regenerative powers of MSCs have been massively over-claimed in the past.

Another reason for the lack of clinical benefit has also been attributed to the use of undifferentiated MSCs, as Rawadi explained to me. The Belgian biotech Celyad, which has been pioneering cell therapy in the cardiovascular space, is using bone-marrow derived autologous MSCs and differentiates them into cardiomyocyte precursors to produce new heart muscle in patients with heart failure.

Although the company missed its primary endpoint in a phase III trial last year, Celyad has staked out a patient subpopulation that showed significant improvement. Its technology still has the confidence of the FDA, which just handed out a Fast Track designation and Celyad is now planning a refined Phase III trial.

One of Celyads major competitors, Australian Mesoblast, is forging ahead using allogeneic MSCs with Phase III programs in heart failure, chronic low back pain (CLBP) due to disc degeneration, as well as a range of inflammatory conditions including GvHD and rheumatoid arthritis.

Although the ability of MSCs to regenerate tissues remains questionable, the Mesoblasts approach hinges on a body of evidence showing that MSCs can suppress inflammation and mobilize endogenous repair mechanisms through indirect effects on immune cells.

Indeed, the first-ever approved stem cell therapy, Prochymal, also depends on this mechanism. Prochymal was developed by US-based Osiris Therapeutics and in 2012 received Canadian approval to treat acute GvHD. But after Sanofi opted to shelve its partnership with Osiris prior to FDA approval, the biotech sold out its off-the-shelf stem cell platform to Mesoblast in a $100M deal.

In Belgium, companies like TiGenix and Promethera are also banking on the immunomodulatory properties of MSCs. The companies are developing treatments for patients with Crohns disease and liver diseases, respectively.

The ultimate hope for stem cell therapies has been to regenerate damaged or diseased tissues as found in diabetes, heart failure or blindness. Holostem Terapie Avanzate, a spin-off from the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia was the first company to move towards this goal.

Building on 20 long years of research, the biotech has developed Holoclar, the first and only autologous stem cell therapy (apart from bone marrow transplants) to enter the European market. Holoclar is based on limbal stem cells, located in a part of the eye called the limbus, which can be used to restore eyesight in patients that have lost sight due to burn injuries.

Meanwhile, UK-based Reneuron is developing off-the-shelf therapies that aim to restore the cognitive function of patients following a stroke. Backed by no other than Neil Woodford, the company recently raised an impressive 100M to advance its lead therapy to the market.

The biotechs fetal-derived neural stem cell line CTX was able to significantly reduce the disability of post-stroke patients in a Phase II trial and ReNeuron is now planning to push its candidate into pivotal trials.

A major question in the space a decade ago was safety. Today, theres been a lot of trials done that show that safety is not an issue. I think safety is kind of off the table but efficacy is still a question mark. And thats what were trying to deliver now, Olav Helleb, CEO of ReNeuron, told me.

While neural stem cells and other tissue-specific stem cells are able to regenerate the cells of a particular tissue, Embryonic Stem Cells (ESCs) and their engineered counterparts, iPSCs, are capable of making every cell type in the body, a property known as pluripotency. Pluripotent stem cells can also expand indefinitely in culture and their identification unlocked massive expectations for these cells to transform the regenerative medicine field.

Yet, these cells come with significant challenges associated with the safety of the final preparation. Apart from ethical issues surrounding ESCs, today, a lot of companies have been cautious about using these cells for therapy, because undifferentiated pluripotent cells can drive tumor formation, explained Rawadi. Since ESCs can, in principle, form every cell type, they can lead to the formation of teratomas.

A major reason for the fairly slow progress in the field is based on the difficulties of directing a pluripotent cell to exactly the cell type that is needed for cell therapy. We can readily drive the cells from the undifferentiated state to the differentiated state. However, getting those cells to pause anywhere in the middle of this continuum to yield progenitor cells is incredibly challenging, Peyer explained. Another challenge, he says, is to engraft the cells in the right place to enable them to become fully integrated.

Besides initial hurdles, companies like US-based Asterias or ViaCyte are now running the first Phase I/II trials with ESC-derived cells to treat patients with spinal cord injuries and to restore the beta cells in type I diabetes. So far, the eye has been the the dominant organ for many of the first human clinical trials with pluripotent stem cells, where the cells are assessed in diseases such as age-related macular degeneration (AMD) to restore the loss of the retinal epithelium.

Deriving retinal epithelium from pluripotent cells is relatively easy and in fact, researchers in Japan are now running the very first clinical trial using donor-derived iPSCs to treat patients with AMD. For reasons of safety and standardization, the trial is based on an allogeneic approach. However, since this doesnt offer an exact genetic match, allogeneic therapies raise the prospect of immune rejection, an issue that has been plaguing the use of ESCs.

But the scientists in Japan have contended that iPSC banks could potentially solve this problem. The team in Japan is currently establishing an iPSC bank, consisting of HLA-characterized cell lines from 5-10 different donors, which should match 3050% of Japans population.

Such haplobanks have the benefits of allogeneic cell therapy, namely cost-effectiveness and standardization, but you still have matching immune systems, Peyer agrees.

For now, this remains a vision for the future, but the potential seems enormous. As Julian Howell, CMO of ReNeuron, told me, iPSCs have still got an awful long way to go. For the iPSC program running in Japan, they recently acknowledged that it took about $1.5M and 6 months to treat each patient. Its a great idea but its still got some way to go before it reaches the scale that could get into the clinic.

Images via nobeastsofierce,Natali_ Mis,vchal/ Shutterstock

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Regenerating the Body With Stem Cells Hype or Hope? - Labiotech.eu (blog)

Fear becomes a constant companion when ones child is desperately ill.

Kim Lahti-Scranton knows this all too well as her daughter Jane is fighting for her life at BC Childrens Hospital.

As much as Janes journey is all-consuming, Kim is helping a desperate woman to get young people to donate bone marrow in order to find a better match for her son, Noah, who is in critical need of a bone marrow transplant soon.

The Scranton family is living in Vancouvers Ronald McDonald House and shares a kitchen with 17-year-old Noah Stoltes family.

Noah survived a first round of cancer when he was 10. In April, the family was given the terrifying news that he had relapsed.

His mom thought they were going to find a match within family; theyre 100 per cent Dutch, says Kim, noting family members are usually the best choice, but his three sisters are only a 50 per cent match.

Out of the worldwide pool of donors, there are two people who are a 75 per cent genetic match and are being considered, one of whom lives in Europe. The lower the match, the more chance there is for complications and a less than optimal outcome.

There is a time crunch as Noah needs to have a transplant sometime in September and it can take a couple of months from registration to donation.

One of Kims nephews is an NHL player, who used his connections to help Noahs aunt interest 85 people in becoming bone marrow donors in Edmonton.

Unable to get help from Canadian Blood Services to organize a similar drive in Vancouver because of staffing issues, Kim and Noahs mother, Stacey VanderLee Stolte, went to a Vancouver Canadians game to raise awareness and hopefully encourage people to sign up to be on the registry for stem cell or bone marrow donation.

We were met with a whole range of responses from people who were incredibly receptive, to people who completely ignored us and everything in between, says Kim. We got some interesting comments like no kid would want my bone marrow, Ive done too many drugs, to other people saying no because they thought if they were a match that donating bone marrow would be too painful.

Dr. Lucy Turnham, a clinical associate who oversees the outpatient oncology clinic at BC Childrens Hospital, has performed Janes procedures and says males between the ages of 17 and 35 are the best resource.

Its one of the most wonderful charitable donations you can do, Turnham says, noting many people never receive a call. It has a huge impact on a patient who has no other options.

Turnham explains that donors are educated before they do a swab. If they are told they are a match, they can still say no at any time. They then undergo further testing and maybe counselling at that point, and can still back out an any time.

If they had said yes and the patient begins treatment to get rid of the diseased cells prior to transplant, and then the donor backs out, the patients life is at serious risk, so it is important to know what you are getting into before saying yes, Kim stresses. If the donor says yes to the procedure, they are told beforehand when the treatment would start and told when the last chance to back out would be.

Stem cell donations can be made in two ways: the donor is hooked to a machine with IVs in each arm. Blood is taken from one arm, stem cells are removed, the blood is replaced through the IV in the other arm where the body grows more stem cells.

Or, the donor is anesthetized, a needle is placed into the hip bone from the back and part of the bone marrow is sucked out.

You might be a little bit sore afterwards, but for less than 24 hours, Turnham says, noting women can be donors but not if they have been pregnant. Young bone marrow is more robust and we regenerate marrow and blood all the time.

Becoming a donor is not a speedy process for people living in smaller communities, but would-be donors can receive a swab kit through the mail and return it postage-free.

Marc Plante, a representative with the national office of Canadian Blood Services, says people can go to http://www.blood.ca and proceed to the Stem Cells tab at the top of the page.

If you have an opportunity to save a life and just put up with a couple of days of discomfort, I would do it in a heartbeat, says Kim, who must also face the reality that Jane could one day be in the same dilemma. If most people had the opportunity to save a life, they would do it.

The Scrantons have been living at Ronald McDonald House for several months, while Jane receives treatment.

Shes as good as can be expected; shes very compromised and we need to make sure shes not exposed to anything, says Kim, noting the first, and this, the fourth phase of treatment, are considered to be the toughest. She has nothing to fight off infection.

There is another terrifying aspect to this disease.

As well as living with the fear of potential relapse, some of the chemo drugs being used to treat Jane increase the risk of heart disease and cause secondary cancer, neuro-cognitive issues and behavioural issues.

We dont know if its coming or what it will be, but we dont have a choice, we have to save her life now and deal with the consequences later, Kim says. Youre just kind of waiting for the other shoe to drop, for things to take a turn, its not fun. And while Jane will require a lot of follow-up assessment in the years to come, the tough little hero turns six on Aug. 12.

She has everything she needs; I just want people to sign up for the bone marrow registry or donate blood, Kim says, noting she is grateful for the communitys support throughout the ordeal.

If you cant donate but would like to help Jane celebrate, you can take birthday cards to the Salmar Grand Theatre where manager Daila Duford will make sure they get to their destination.

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Bone marrow transplant last chance - Revelstoke Review - Revelstoke Review

Yaser and Vicki Martini, who launched a worldwide campaign to find a bone marrow donor for their daughter Margot, today joined the huge public outpouring after the Nigerian international's blood cancer diagnosis was revealed.

Margot died aged just two after an unsuccessful bone marrow transplant but her story prompted thousands of people to join the stem cell register.

But it also exposed the difficulty in finding donor matches for people from ethnic minorities or mixed heritage.

Bone marrow stem cell transplants are one of the major treatment for leukaemia, as well as chemotherapy, radiation, biological and targeted therapy.

Mr Martini, whose wife Vicki hails from Essington, said: "We are shocked to hear about Carl's diagnosis and our hearts go out to him and his family. Its ironic, because everyone at Wolves have been so supportive of Team Margot and we want to send our best wishes and our support, as they fight his cancer together."

They set up the Team Margot Foundation with a string of friends, family and supporters which is aimed at getting more people to join the stem cell register particularly those from ethnic minorities and mixed backgrounds.

Mr Martini added: As yet, its unclear whether Carl will need to have a bone marrow transplant, but its a certainty that he will need blood and platelet donations to stay clinically well. Anyone reading this can help in two ways by signing up to become a blood donor and also registering as a potential bone marrow donor.

Regarding bone marrow donation, we know first hand from Margots experience that people with a mixed heritage and those from the black, Asian and minority ethnic communities have only a 21 per cent chance of finding a donor with a matching tissue type. For this reason, we urgently need more people from these communities to join the bone marrow registers.

"In that sense, we each have a unique contribution that we can make and Im not exaggerating when I say that you could be the only one who can save a life.

Wolves players, including club legend Steve Bull, have backed Team Margot's campaign.

Margot's uncle Durand Bailey, who lives in Tettenhall and runs Diffusion designer clothing store in Lichfield Street, knows Ikeme. He said: Carl is such a lovely man, a real gentleman. He has done so much to help others. We all wish him and his family well."

Wolves announced the 31-year-old had returned 'abnormal blood tests' as he returned for pre-season and further checks confirmed the diagnosis.

He is to start a lengthy treatment programme.

To sign up as a blood donor visit: blood.co.uk. To find out how you can become a potential stem cell donor, go to teammargot.com

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Carl Ikeme: Family of toddler Margot Martini support Wolves star after leukaemia diagnosis - expressandstar.com

SINGAPORE The use of stem cell treatment to repair liver cirrhosis, or hardening of the liver, will be tested in a clinical trial here involving 46 patients and costing S$2.6 million.

The four-year study, which was launched yesterday, came amid a growing waiting list in Singapore for a liver transplant, which is currently the only cure for patients with end-stage liver cirrhosis.

Conducted by a multi-centre team from several restructured hospitals here, the study is led by the National University Hospital (NUH).

Liver failure is one of the top 20 causes of death in Singapore, but many patients are not suitable for a transplant due to factors such as age and surgical fitness.

Out of every five patients doctors see with end-stage liver disease, only one qualifies for a liver transplant, said Dr Dan Yock Young, principal investigator of the clinical trial and senior consultant at NUHs division of gastroenterology and hepatology.

(A liver transplant) is curative, but it is a complex procedure, and many patients are not suitable for it. For these patients, treatment is limited, but morbidity and mortality rates are high as high as 50 per cent in one year and this is probably worse than many (of the) other terminal illnesses we talk about today, he said.

Animal studies conducted over the last five years have shown that stem cells can reconstruct the micro-environment of a normal liver.

Like how branches are of critical importance in supporting the leaves and fruits of a tree, the endothelial (stem) cells contribute to supporting a nutritious environment for the hepatocyte (liver) cells, Dr Dan explained.

While similar stem-cell studies have been conducted in other centres in Asia, there has been no definitive evidence of the benefits of the treatment for liver patients.

The study will recruit 46 patients aged between 40 and 70 years old, and who are at the terminal stages of chronic liver disease, over three years. It is funded by the National Medical Research Council.

During the clinical trial, patients will be divided into a therapeutic group and a control group.

All patients will receive an injection to stimulate their bone marrow cells as part of the supportive treatment for their liver cirrhosis. However, only patients in the study group will have the stem cells from the bone marrow extracted and deposited directly into their liver for more targeted repair.

Using ones own stem cells will avoid the problem of cell rejection.

The liver tissue will be examined three months later, and an investigation to compare pre- and post-transplant results will be conducted after a year.

Since invasive surgery is not required for stem-cell therapy, the fatality risk is significantly lowered for the patient. However, other risks such as severe bleeding and infections still remain, given the patients weakened condition.

NUH also noted that the stem-cell therapy does not replace liver transplants, and the latter remains the best available treatment for liver cirrhosis.

It is very painful to turn patients away when we cannot offer them a liver transplant, said Dr Dan, adding that this stem cell therapy will serve as an alternative option.

We hope that this is a stepping stone to trials for stem cell candidates, he added.

MORE WAITING FOR A LIVER

The number of people on the waiting list for a liver transplant has been growing in recent years. In June last year, it was reported that there were 54 people on the list, more than double the 24 patients in 2011.

Chronic Hepatitis B remains the primary cause of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, which refers to a range of liver conditions affecting people who drink little to no alcohol. However, obesity has become a contributing factor to the illness as well.

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New NUH study to test stem cells as treatment for liver disease - TODAYonline

A few small scars on Ashli Stempels lower back are the only evidence that a drill burrowed into her hipbone last year at Brigham and Womens Hospital in Boston. The surgery was to harvest the stem cells in her bone marrow to save her older brother Andrew Stempels life.

At age 27, Andrew was diagnosed with cancer of the white blood cells called Hodgkins lymphoma. Donating her bone marrow so that Andrews body could manufacture healthy blood cells, was a small price to pay to give him a shot at survival, Ashli says.

Since the transplant last August after years of treatment and testing Andrew has been cancer-free and Ashli now volunteers periodically in their hometown of Greenfield to spread awareness about this life-saving treatment.

Our bodies are a cure for some cancers, says Ashli Stempel on a recent Saturday as she handsout sign-up forms atGreenfields Energy Park for the Be A Matchnational donor registry. If even one person joins the registry that is awesome.

Its a sunnyday and Stempel, 30,wearing a black and white spaghetti-strap dress stands behind a booth smiling and talking to passersby.

Everybody wants to cure cancer, but I think not everybody understands that we, ourselves, can be the cure for some types of cancers, she says. I can say that I killed cancer and I am pretty excited about that.

In the hollow spaces in a bodys bones, stem cells inside the bone marrow tissue work to create red blood cells, which feed oxygen to the organs, and make white blood cells to fight infections. The bone marrow also produces blood platelets to help form clots but when a cancer of the blood like, leukemia or lymphoma strikes, these life-supporting systems are thrown out of whack, leaving the bodys immune system unable to fight diseases, infection or the cancer.

Chemotherapy and radiation also can kill off bone marrow tissue, leaving patients with more damage to their immune systems, says physician assistant Susanne Smith, donor services clinician at Dana-Farber/Brigham and Womens Hospitals Cancer Center in Boston.

When transplanted into a cancer patients bloodstream, stem cells, a precursor to all the immune system cells in the body, colonize the bones and help fight any remaining cancer, says Smith.

In many cases (a transplant) is the only cure for a leukemia or lymphoma diagnosis chemotherapy can only get a patient so far, says Mary Halet, director of community engagement at the Be The Match Registry, the Minneapolis organization that manages the largest bone marrow registry in the world. But first, a patient must find a tissue match, that is, a donor who has a similar protein marker called the human leukocyte antigen, which is found on most cells in the body.

There are up to 14,000 patients every year who could benefit from a bone marrow transplant, but many of these people will not receive a donation, says Halet. In most cases, the patient will not finda tissue match in his or her own family andmust seek help from a stranger, she says. A patients likelihood of finding a matching bone marrow donor ranges from 66 percent to 97 percentdepending on ethnic background. White patients have a 97 percent chance of finding a match, while black patients only find a match 66 percent of the time.The difference reflects the complexity of the tissues makeup and the number of donors.

Thats why Halets organization promotes recruitment events like the one Ashli Stempel held in Greenfield.

Stempel says she was ecstatic when she found out that she was a match for her brother. She was in her late 20s at the time, a bubbly woman working in communications at Smith College in Northampton, who grew up in a close-knit family.

Her brother, who was working as a retail manager in the Boston area, had discovered a bump on his collarbone.

I woke up one morning and there was a non-painful lump, Andrew Stempel says.

He ignored it for as long as he could before seeing a doctor who diagnosed it as a swollen lymph node caused by Hodgkins lymphoma.

Cancer is a very scary word. I think what you learn going through it is that it is not such a scary word, you can survive, says Ashli Stempel.

The Stempel family had seen that firsthand years earlier when Andrew and Ashlis mother, Deborah, recovered from breast cancer.

Still, that didnt lessen the anxiety for Andrew. As soon as the doctor said the word cancer, he says, his life started to unravel with a battery of experimental drugs, chemotherapy and radiation.

In the begining there was a lot of uncertainty, he says.

Even through his cancer went into remission after a year, doctors did not expect it to remain that way without high doses of chemo or radiation. The plan was to do a bone marrow transplant for long-term survival.

Still, using donated bone marrow meant taking the risk that Andrews body would reject it, which could be fatal.

So, doctors first wanted to try using Andrews own tissue. That would require removing some of his bone marrow, treating it and then injecting it back into his bloodstream.

Within months of the procedure, however, Andrews cancer returned, indicating to doctors that his body wasnt strong enough to fight it on its own.

Ashli was tested via a mouth swab and Andrew was relieved to learn that she was a tissue match.

I was just overwhelmed with happiness, he says.

Ashli went through a month-long screening process to ensure that she was healthy enough to be a donor. People who have infectious diseases like HIV or hepatitis cannot be donors, nor can those with immune systems weakened by autoimmune diseases. Doctors also prefer to use bone marrow from young donors under the age of 44, says Halet. The registry wont accept donors over 60.

When we are young, our immune systems are at their healthiest and the older we get the less robust they are, she says.

It took two years from the time Ashli first learned she was a match for her brother for the transplant to take place.

Not long aftershe woke up from the surgery, Ashli saw the bone marrow that had been taken from her, a two-literjug ofmilky, red liquid. It was whisked away to another partof the hospital where it ended up in a drip bag connected to a vein in Andrews arm.

Doctors saw hisred and white blood cell counts go up immediately after the transplant.

My sisters cells were working, he says. It was amazing.

Even though the transplant was a success, Andrew had to stay in the hospital for a month. Chemotherapy had caused sores in his mouth, he lost his ability to taste food along withhis appetiteand he droppednearly 30 pounds.

It was tough, day to day, but progressively got better, he says.

Since he was essentially receiving a new immune system, like a newborn baby he also had to be shielded from germs, says Ashli.

When his wife, Meghan Stempel, came to visit him, she needed to wear a facemask and gloves. Even when he returned home, he had to be careful. Hetook a year off from his job to recover, spending many afternoons resting on the couch watching TV. After spending months working to building hisstrength back up,he says, most of his weakness has subsided.

I feel a thousand times better, he says.

He is now cancer free and is returning to hisjob as a retail managerat Sherwin Williams this week.

Following her operation, Ashli took off a few weeks from her job in communications at Smith College, but was back on her feet within a couple days. Her hips were sore which meant limping around the house for a short time.

I was in pain, of course, she says. But its a quick recovery.

A few weeks ago Ashli decided to signup for the national bone marrow donor registry through Be A Matchto donate for a second time.

Her name will stay in the system for the foreseeable future. A match could come up or it might never.

Maybe I will be called on to do it again, who knows?

To learn more about becoming a bone marrow donor or to sign up for the registry, go tobethematch.org.

Potential donors can fill out an online form and the registry will mail a mouth swab kit, which can be returned by mail.

If called, a potential donor will undergo a series of blood tests which will evaluate the suitabililty and safety of the match. Though doctors say risks are low for donors, possible complications include infection and bleeding.

Once a donor is cleared, the transplant procedure could occur within a few weeks or a few months, depending on a recommendation from the patients doctor.

The bone marrow transplant is an outpatient procedure for the donor.Recovery time is only a few days anddonors are typically back to their normal routine in two to seven days.

Donors are told their commitment means being willing to devote up to 30 hours spread over four to six weeks to attend appointments and give the donation.

All medical costs for the donation procedure are covered by the National Marrow Donor Program, which operates the Be The Match Registry, or by the cancer patients medical insurance.

Sometime travel is required. Most travel expenses are covered by Be The Match.

Excerpt from:
Ashli Stempel helped save her brother's life. She hopes to inspire others. - GazetteNET

All of our blood vessels are lined with a type of cell called endothelial cells. To form vessels, individual endothelial cells begin to create empty holes in themselves, called vacuoles. They then connect with other endothelial cells that have done the same thing and the linked vacuoles form tubes, which ultimately become capillaries. Here, the researchers took endothelial cells and mixed them with either fibrin -- a protein involved in blood clotting -- or a semi-synthetic material called gelatin methacrylate (GelMA), which can be easily 3D-printed. When mixed with fibrin, the endothelial cells formed tubes fairly easily, but that wasn't the case with the GelMA. However, when the researchers added in another type of cell, a stem cell found in bone marrow, the endothelial cells were then able to form tubes in the GelMA.

"We've confirmed that these cells have the capacity to form capillary-like structures, both in a natural material called fibrin and in a semi-synthetic material called gelatin methacrylate, or GelMA," Gisele Calderon, the lead author of the study, said in a statement, "The GelMA finding is particularly interesting because it is something we can readily 3D print for future tissue-engineering applications."

The benefits of this method over others include cells that can be patient-specific, reducing the risk of immune system complications, and growth environments that are well suited for organ and vasculature growth -- they're reproducible, not likely to induce immune responses and help boost cell growth and vessel development. Along with making 3D-printed organs more viable, this method will also allow for the development of tissue that could make for more effective and efficient drug testing. In a statement, Jordan Miller, whose lab the work was done in, said, "Preclinical human testing of new drugs today is done with flat two-dimensional human tissue cultures. But it is well-known that cells often behave differently in three-dimensional tissues than they do in two-dimensional cultures. There's hope that testing drugs in more realistic three-dimensional cultures will lower overall drug development costs."

You can watch a video of the cells beginning to form tubes here and Calderon explaining her work in the video below.

Excerpt from:
Researchers are closer to working capillaries in 3D-printed organs - Engadget

SINGAPORE - The use of stem cells to reverse liver cirrhosis - or the hardening of the liver - is being explored in a clinical trial.

Conducted by a multi-centre team led by the National University Hospital (NUH), doctors aim to determine if stem cell therapy can improve liver function.

Previously, liver cirrhosis, caused by various diseases such as chronic hepatitis B and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, was thought to be irreversible.

A liver transplant provides a definitive cure to end-stage cirrhosis.

However, in Singapore, less than 5 per cent of end-stage liver cirrhosis patients receive a liver transplant.

The number of people on the waiting list for a liver transplant has been increasing over the years, according to statistics from the Ministry of Health.

In 2007, there were nine on the waiting list, compared with 57 last year. There are around 50 waiting for a liver transplant this year.

Also, many patients do not fulfil the eligibility criteria to receive a liver transplant due to other health complications or being above the age limit of 70 years.

The $2.6 million study, which was launched on Tuesday (July 11),is funded by the National Medical Research Counciland 46 patients will be recruited for it. It will run for four years and patients will not need to bear the costs of the stem cell treatment.

Stem cells will be taken from a patient's own bone marrow and will be isolated and injected directly into the patient's liver to initiate the repair.

Similar therapy treatments have been conducted overseas in countries such asEgypt and India, although they have not been fully evaluated for efficacy.

Associate Professor Dan Yock Young, a senior consultant in the division of gastroenterology and hepatology at NUH, said: "We are conducting the study in a systematic and scientific mannerto get definitive evidence of the effects of the treatment."

He also notes that the stem cell therapy is not a substitute for a liver transplant. "This treatment is not intended to pull patients off the waiting list, but provide an option for those who are not eligible for a transplant."

Here is the original post:
Clinical trial for stem-cell therapy to reverse liver cirrhosis - The Straits Times

JOEL INESON

Last updated14:01, July 9 2017

IAIN MCGREGOR/Stuff.co.nz

Andrea Cameron-Hill has lived with multiple sclerosis for about 10 years. She wants to receive treatment in Russia that could stop the disease.

Andrea Cameron-Hill thought having to lift her leg to get in the carwhile pregnant was part of carrying twins.

About 10 weeks after they were born she learned she had multiple sclerosis (MS).

"To start with, you wouldn't know I had MS at all. But now it's 10 years on and I'm having to walk with a crutch," she said.

IAIN MCGREGOR/STUFF

MS sufferer Cameron-Hill wants to receive treatment that could stop the disease in its tracks but, despite it being offered here to treat some cancer, must travel to Russia to get it.

"If I have to go down to the floor to load the fire with wood, the difficulty for me now is getting off the floor."

READ MORE: *Multiple sclerosis sufferer Royce Brewer cleared after experimental treatment in Russia *Multiple sclerosis patient to receive 'experimental' treatment in Russia *Friends rallying to help Upper Hutt woman reach Mexico for stem cell treatment *Marlborough woman's search for cure *Plea to help fund stem-cell treatment for Andrea Campbell *Hunt after cure for MS disease

Cameron-Hill has injured her shoulder fromfalls and reliedon her husband, Paul, and sons Lachlanand Oliverto help with household chores.

IAIN MCGREGOR/STUFF

Normal household chores like washing are a challenge because of the debilitating condition.

She wanted to do things like go onto the rugby field while her childrenplayed, but MS meant she had to watch from the car.

"We've got a basketball hoop [at home], which they quite like playing, but they normally play with Grandma because I can't."

"I feel like a spectator in their lives. I hate it. I hate it with a passion."

IAIN MCGREGOR/STUFF

Cameron-Hill's sons, Lachlan and Oliver, pictured, help her complete tasks many do effortlessly.

Cameron-Hill's condition drove herto look at a treatmentused in New Zealand for some forms of cancer, but not available for MS.

She plans to head to Russia for undergohematopoieticstem cell transplantation (HSCT).

HSCT would remove, purifyand concentrate her stem cells.Chemotherapy would wipeher immune system before the stem cells were returned. An extended period of recovery would follow.

IAIN MCGREGOR/STUFF

Cameron-Hill wants to take part in her children's lives, rather than watch from the sidelines.

Cameron-Hill mustraise about $80,000 to get the treatment.So far about $10,000 has been raised through fundraising events and aGivealittlepage.

Leading New Zealand neurologist Dr Deborah Mason said HSCT wasunlikely to be trialledin New Zealand because it wouldnot make drug companies money.

Treatment for MSin New Zealandreliesonimmunosuppressantdrugs.HSCTwaslikened more to a surgical procedure than drug treatment.

"It's incredibly expensive ... We're very keen to participate in [trials and research] and I'd certainly enroll patients, but it's just finding somebody who would fund that, and nobody will because there's no drug involved," Mason said.

Mason saidHSCT might help young patients in the early stages of MS.

She said the treatment was "unproven" and came with risks.

"It's really hard to imagine why I get all these calls about bone marrow transplants ... all bone marrow transplant allows us to [do is] give industrial doses of chemotherapy."

"People talk aboutrebootingthe immune system and all of that. There isn't a lot of proof of that."

Mason knew of about six or seven people who had travelled forHSCT, but did not have a lot of follow-updata.

Studies and clinical trials New Zealanders took part in primarily focussed on medication.

Her "big beef" was with the government not allowing the use of some drugs, "which we absolutely know will benefit the patients".

The Multiple Sclerosis Society of New Zealand recently changed its standpoint on HSCTafter a report indicated the treatment workedfor some with MS in Australia and the UK.

Vice president Neil Woodhams said the group asked the Ministry of Health to start a process to lead to eligible people havingHSCTin New Zealand.

Cameron-Hill's MS had not progressed since 2013and she had not been on medication for it since.

She recently met Christchurch manRoyce Brewer who lived with MS for about 20 years. After undergoing HSCT in Russia in early 2016, hereturned to work as a landscaper at the end of the year.

"I'd just really love to be able to do ... normal stuff that parents do with their kids," Cameron-Hill said.

The Health Research Council of New Zealandhad not funded any research regarding MS andHSCT, a spokeswoman said.

-Stuff

Read the original:
Christchurch MS patient Andrea Cameron-Hill plans Russia trip for stem cell treatment - The Press

A father of two has taken the decision to undergo chemotherapy, despite not having cancer.

Roy Palmer lost the use of his legs 12 years ago as a result of his multiple sclerosis and has been seeking successful treatment ever since.

But it was while watching Panorama that the 48-year-old realised a combination of stem cell treatment and chemotherapy could be the answer he was looking for, GloucestershireLive reports.

The latter is strongly associated with cancer treatment , but its properties in rendering the body's immune system almost useless are a key part of the stem cell programme Roy hopes will see him up and about again.

He and his wife Helen decided they needed to make some calls and get appointments organised to be able to try and get this pioneering treatment going.

The onset of MS in Roy's case had been swift. In less than a week what began as pins and needles ended with him having no use of his legs.

Even with intense physiotherapy and a combination of steroids and drugs Roy relapsed several times and has been off his feet for 12 years. However when he saw the treatment that is out there, in a Panorama documentary, he and his wife cried.

Roy, 48, said: I just couldnt believe what I was seeing, the stories that I saw on the programme about how well people have been doing and the stem cell treatment actually worked.

I am really pleased that I am going to be able to start the treatment. I lost the use of my legs in 2005. I was encouraged by another woman that has been through it and she was in a wheelchair and now walking.

In the process to have treatment Ive had so many knockbacks being told that I did not fit the criteria but now I am finally getting the treatment.

His treatment will see him travel to the Imperial College Hospital in Hammersmith where a course of drugs will be administered to draw stem cells from Roy's bones into his bloodstream. Over a course of time, those stem cells will then transfer to a pack similar to a blood transfusion bag and be frozen.

It is then that Roy will undergo an intensive course of chemotherapy to render his immune system virtually useless - so much so he will live in isolation for four to six weeks to minimise risk of infection.

The treatment is called HSCT. The MS Society website states that: HSCT aims to 'reset' the immune system to stop it attacking the central nervous system. It uses chemotherapy to remove the harmful immune cells and then rebuild the immune system using a type of stem cell found in your bone marrow.

Roy's wife Helen, 45, said: After the chemo they will reintroduce the stem cells, and because his body will be at zero, it will be rebooted and the MS stopped in its tracks.

Roy has been on lots of different drugs over the years and his body has gradually got used to them and they stop working.

Roy has suffered with his hands not working properly and blurred vision which they call a brain fog. His legs ceasing to work has been a huge set-back for Roy as he used to work as a courier.

Roy said: I want to be able to get out the door without having to use the ramp, it is not a huge deal to anyone else but it is to me.

My goal now is to be able to reach the end point and be able to walk again.

Roy and Helen have two children Jack, 21 and Abigail, 12, and they are fully supportive of their fathers treatment.

Helen said: I am really pleased that we went to see the GP to get this going. Roy was desperate for this treatment.

It is difficult and my father is travelling from Wales to come and look after the children and I am really grateful to that.

The children are really supportive of their dads treatment and look forward to him coming out the other side.

Go here to read the rest:
Dad set to undergo gruelling chemotherapy to kill his immune system despite not having cancer in bid walk again - Mirror.co.uk

SAN DIEGO, July 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- BioTech Holdings announced today clinical safety data on 3 patients suffering from critical limb ischemia treated with the Company's Procell microbiome-optimized personalized stem cell product.

In the investigator initiated pilot study, patients with diabetes associated circulation deficit in the legs (critical limb ischemia), who failed previous treatments were administered their own bone marrow derived stem cells that were treated with the Company's proprietary microbiome-derived compounds.

No treatment associated adverse reactions were observed and patients were followed-up for 3 months. Furthermore, 2 of the 3 patients had documented improvement in leg circulation and healing of previously unhealing ulcers.

"It is well known that the microbiome controls many aspects of human health and disease ranging from obesity, to autoimmunity, to even neurological function," said Thomas E Ichim, Ph.D, President and CEO of Biotech Holdings. "We are fortunate to have filed intellectual property on application of probiotics and microbiome manipulation to stem cells more than a year ago1. The current study supports our forward movement of our ProCell product to formal clinical trials."

The Company's product, Procell, comprises of bone marrow stem cells from the same patient, that are treated with factors generated by the microbiome of healthy patients. The key ingredient that the company has identified as secreted by the microbiome which augments stem cell activity is already approved by the FDA for other indications. Accordingly, the company believes it is eligible for accelerated FDA registration pathways, including the 505b2 pathway.

The Company intends to develop the indication of critical limb ischemia as its first condition. Patients with this conditions have a major amputation rate as high as 40% at 6 months and a mortality rate of 20% to 25% in the first year after presentation. Critical limb ischemia represents a market of approximately 10 billion dollar per year2.

Contacts

Thomas E Ichim, Ph.D President and Chief Executive Officer BioTech Holdings 9255 Towne Centre Drive, #450 San Diego, CA 92121 167146@email4pr.com 858 353 4303 Twitter: @biotechholdings

1http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/biotech-holdings-announces-positive-preclinical-results-on-procell-probiotic-cell-therapy-for-critical-limb-ischemia-300278136.html

2http://www.pluristem.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Pluristem-January-2017.pdf

To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/biotech-holdings-announces-first-clinical-use-of-microbiome-optimized-autologous-stem-cells-300484814.html

SOURCE Biotech Holdings

Go here to read the rest:
BioTech Holdings Announces First Clinical Use of Microbiome Optimized Autologous Stem Cells - PR Newswire (press release)

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View original post here:
WVU researchers study leukemia, bone marrow treatments - The Dominion Post

Firefighter Dustin Luebke puts his life on the line everyday protecting and serving the community. Never did he think his life would be threatened in a different way.

So now in 2017, Im going through it for the third time. So now its again recurring Hodgkins, said Luebke.

It all started in March of 2014. After 12 rounds of chemotherapy and six months in remission, it came back. He needed a stem cell transplant and was able to use his own stem cells.

Shortly after completing a year of chemotherapy after the transplant, it came back for the third time.

Its tough to swallow the first time and the second time. And then with the third time, its frustrating, said Luebke.

This father to three little girls will eventually need a bone marrow transplant.

But with this time, right now Im just doing an immunotherapy and were hoping that brings it back down to a cellular level and I can be on that for as long as until it stops working. So then it would require a stem cell transplant with a donor this time, said Luebke.

Thats where you and I can do our part and become part of the bone marrow registry and potentially be the match and save a life like Luebke's.

You fill out a short questionnaire. It talks about your health history and some personal questions, like how willing would you be to become a donor and then the swabbing process is really simple. We just swab each of your cheeks for a couple of minutes and then youre done, said Jalisa Spittler, transplant coordinator.

Spittler says 70% of patients who need a donor dont have a match in their family making the bone marrow registry their only hope.

We do have a lot of patients here that are waiting for matches that we just cant find for them. So its really helpful if we can create a diverse list with tons of people from here in South Dakota, said Spittler.

I got three little girls to raise and beautiful wife at home so I gotta stick around for a few more years, said Luebke.

Its pretty tough to realize that now youre relying on someone else where before it was all the medicine and just chemotherapy and now youre relying on somebody else with healthy stem cells to keep you going, said Luebke.

Sometimes it takes months to find a match.

Its taxing on them because they have to take more chemotherapy the longer it takes us to find a match for them. And the more chemotherapy they take, the harder it is on their body to get through the transplant. So its really important that we have a huge number of people to look at first, said Spittler.

Theres many ways that you can help out with people lives. And whether its in a fire, on a medical call and even helping somebody with life itself and furthering their life and making it better so they dont have to do chemotherapy anymore, said Luebke.

Luebke is a hero to this family and the community.

The first step to being someones cure is to join Be the Match Registry.

This Tuesday at the Oyate Community Center in Sioux Falls, there will be a bone marrow registry drive from noon to 7PM. It is put on by Avera, the city of Sioux Falls, and Be the Match. Registering takes less than 15 minutes.

For more information, just call 877-AT-AVERA.

More here:
Avera Medical Minute AMcK: Firefighter with recurrent Hodgkin Lymphoma will need bone marrow transplant in future ... - KSFY

Professional medical organisations have raised concerns about these expensive cell therapies

Stem cell science is an area of medical research that continues to offer great promise. But as this weeks paper in Science Translational Medicine highlights, a growing number of clinics around the globe, including in Australia, are exploiting regulatory gaps to sell so-called stem cell treatments without evidence that what they offer is effective or even safe.

Such unregulated direct-to-consumer advertising typically of cells obtained using liposuction-like methods not only places the health of individuals at risk but could also undermine the legitimate development of stem cell-based therapies.

Many academic societies and professional medical organisations have raised concerns about these futile and often expensive cell therapies. Despite this, national regulators have typically been slow or ineffective in curtailing them.

As well as tighter regulations here, international regulators such as the World Health Organisation and the International Council on Harmonisation need to move on ensuring patients desperate for cures arent sold treatments with limited efficacy and unknown safety.

So whats on offer?

Hundreds of stem cell clinics post online claims that they have been able to treat patients suffering from a wide range of conditions. These include osteoarthritis, pain, spinal cord injury, multiple sclerosis, diabetes and infertility. The websites are high on the rhetoric of science often using various accreditation, awards and other tokens to imply legitimacy but low on proof that they work.

Rather than producing independently verified results, these clinics rely on patient testimonials or unsubstantiated claims of improvement. In so doing these shonky clinics understate the risks to patient health associated with these unproven stem cell-based interventions.

Properly administered informed consent is often overlooked or ignored, so patients can be misled about the likelihood of success. In addition to heavy financial burdens imposed on patients and their families, there is often an opportunity cost because the time wasted in receiving futile stem cells diverts patients away from proven medicines.

The many recent reports of adverse outcomes demonstrate the risks of receiving unproven cell therapies are not trivial. In the USA three women were blinded following experimental stem cell treatment for macular degeneration (a degenerative eye disease that can cause blindness). One man was rendered a quadriplegic following a stem cell intervention for stroke. And a woman whose family sought treatment for her dementia died in Australia.

Other notorious cases involving the deaths of patients include the German government shutting down the X-Cell Centre and the Italian government closing the Stamina Foundation it had previously supported.

Whats approved?

At present, the only recognised stem cell treatments are those utilising blood stem cells isolated from bone marrow, peripheral blood (the cellular components of blood such as red and white blood cells and platelets) or umbilical cord blood.

Hundreds of thousand of lives have been saved over the last half-century in patients with cancers such as leukaemia, lymphoma and multiple myeloma, as well as rare inherited immune and metabolic disorders.

A few types of cancer and autoimmune diseases may also benefit from blood stem cells in the context of chemotherapy. Different stem cells are also successfully used for corneal and skin grafting.

All other applications remain in the preclinical research phase or are just starting to be evaluated in clinical trials.

Often dismissed by for-profit clinics as red tape hampering progress, the rigour of clinical trials allows for the collection of impartial evidence. Such information is usually required before a new drug or medical device is released into the marketplace. Unfortunately, in the case of for-profit stem cell clinics, their marketing has gazumped the scientific evidence.

The action is required on many fronts. Regulators at both an international and national level need to tackle regulatory loopholes and challenge unfounded marketing claims of businesses selling unproven stem cell interventions.

Researchers need to more clearly communicate their findings and the necessary next steps to responsibly take their science from the laboratory to the clinic. And they should acknowledge that this will take time.

Patients and their loved ones must be encouraged to seek advice from a trained reputable health care professional, someone who knows their medical history. They should think twice if someone is offering a treatment outside standards of practice.

The stakes are too high not to have these difficult conversations. If a stem cell treatment sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

For more information on recognised stem cell treatments visit the National Stem Cell Foundation of Australia and Stem Cells Australia, Choice Australia, EuroStemCell, International Society for Stem Cell Research, and International Society for Cellular Therapy.

Megan Munsie, Deputy Director - Centre for Stem Cell Systems and Head of Education, Ethics, Law & Community Awareness Unit, Stem Cells Australia, University of Melbourne and John Rasko, Clinical Haematologist and President-Elect, International Society for Cellular Therapy., University of Sydney

This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.

Link:
Private clinics' unproven stem cell treatment is unsafe and unethical - Business Standard

TheHorse.com

Take-Homes From the 2017 Equine Ophthalmology Symposium TheHorse.com In her second presentation Schnabel described current progress on ophthalmologic applications of stem cell therapy in horses. She shared recent results of in-vitro (in the lab) studies on bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSC), including their use ...

Read more from the original source:
Take-Homes From the 2017 Equine Ophthalmology Symposium - TheHorse.com

Asbarez The Armenian Bone Marrow Donor Registry (ABMDR) announced that it has facilitated its 30th bone marrow stem cell transplant, thanks to stem cells harvested from a young ABMDR matched donor. The stem cells of the donor, Sergey, who is a 23 year-old army officer serving on the frontline in Artsakh, were utilized to save the life of a cancer patient in Iran.

On July 3, 2017, Sergey became the 30th ABMDR donor to experience the joy of saving the life of someone he had never met, said ABMDR President Dr. Frieda Jordan.

In 2012, Sergey had joined the ranks of ABMDRs donor registry during a recruitment drive at the Vazken Sagsyan Military Institute, in Yerevan. Five years later, he was found to be a perfect match for a patient in Iran who was suffering from leukemia and whose only hope for survival was to receive a bone marrow stem cell transplant from a compatible donor. Sergey turned out to be a perfect match for the patient. He was given a day off to leave the frontline to come to ABMDRs Stem Cell Harvesting Center in Yerevan to donate his stem cells and save a patients life.

Accompanied by his young wife and six-month old son, Sergey was greeted by ABMDR staff at the Stem Cell Harvesting Center. The painless, non-invasive harvesting procedure, performed by Dr. Andranik Mshetsyan, lasted approximately four hours. Also present at the procedure were ABMDR Executive Director Dr. Sevak Avagyan and Medical Director Dr. Mihran Nazaretyan.

At the conclusion of the harvesting, as staff members performed quality-control analyses of the harvested cells and packed them for the special courier who was waiting to transport the precious gift of life to the patient in Iran, Sergey, a hero in the eyes of all, on the frontlines as well as far away from them, joined his young family while someone in Iran was about to get a second chance at life.

View post:
Artsakh soldier saves life of cancer patient in Iran - Public Radio of Armenia

Heres an interesting project: somebody has been growing a human hand in a lab and displaying it for the world to see.

We live in a time where the meaning of impossible needs to be updated.

As we make new discoveries, new possibilities open up to us. And if you want a good example of that, just look at how advanced prosthetics have become in the last decade. Soon, you might be able to grow a humanhand like a Chia pet.

Or take a look at Dr. Sergio Canavero, who plans to perform a full-on head transplant later this year.

But that example may be a little extreme.

See, theres something miraculous about giving something vital like a limb or an organ to someone to needs it. In the past, it couldnt be done, but with the future in sight, were slowly changing our minds on that.

So, the future can be full of hope. And when one of us loses a hand, possibly due to someone we have only just learned is our father, we wont have to worry too hard.

Ok, heres a better example of the kind of future Im talking about.

Artist Amy Karle has an interesting new project that combines 3D printing with stem cell research. The idea is to grow a functional human hand, and if it works she wants to make the design free and open source.

And trust me, that will be one weird-yet-cool day for the people who frequent Instructables.com.

Karle may be an artist, but shes no amateur. She works with nonprofit groups that design 3D printed prosthetic arms, and she has help from a team of scientists.

The project is called Regenerative Reliquary, and it is being displayed in San Franciscos Pier 9 space while it grows. Or, to be more accurate, while part of it grows.

Karle has designed a 3D printed trellis in CAD which was printed using a cellular growth medium called pegda. Over several weeks, the pegda trellis was grown in a bioreactor on display. The next step will be to grow a cell line on the trellis, something Karle is culturing stem cells for now.

The team is using stem cells extracted from bone marrow, and with any luck, the idea will bear fruit and be released to the public.

I like the sound of an open source prosthetic design, especially considering how much more of an option 3D printing is these days. Lose a limb, and you may one day be able to make a replacement within the comfort of your own garage.

For now, though, were still waiting to see if Karles project will work. According to the artist, Well see if the cells have a mind of their own. I like to step back and let the artwork take over.

Now you know how Karle plans to grow a human hand. Lets rewind a bit, back to where I mentioned Dr. Canavero and his upcoming head transplant.

As crazy as it sounds, if Canaveros plan works science will have taken a big step toward manipulating the central nervous system. And thats really, really important. If scientists can connect a head to a spine, and they can grow a limb in a tank, it follows that they may one day be able to attach that limb as a replacement.

And that doesnt just apply to limbs, either. Scientists have been looking into growing replacement organs for years, just look at this article from way back in 2014.

We may be on the verge of the ability to reproduce and replace parts of the human body. And at this rate, who knows what kind of effect this can have on the survivability rate of human beings in the future.

Im sure well never resurrect the dead or anything, but I think the fictional Dr. Frankenstein would be proud.

Creating replacement body parts is something that has been a mainstay of science fiction, and it isnt crazy any longer to think that it may become a reality. So, like I said earlier, we may need to push the goal posts back on the word impossible.

View post:
How to Grow a Human Hand - Edgy Labs (blog)

Sergey with his wife and son

ABMDR salutes young officer and celebrates its 30th life saved through a transplant

LOS ANGELESThe Armenian Bone Marrow Donor Registry (ABMDR) announced that it has facilitated its 30th bone marrow stem cell transplant, thanks to stem cells harvested from a young ABMDR matched donor. The stem cells of the donor, Sergey, who is a 23 year-old army officer serving on the frontline in Artsakh, were utilized to save the life of a cancer patient in Iran.

On July 3, 2017, Sergey became the 30th ABMDR donor to experience the joy of saving the life of someone he had never met, said ABMDR President Dr. Frieda Jordan.

Dr. Sevak Avagyan, Sergey, Dr. Andranik Mshetsyan

In 2012, Sergey had joined the ranks of ABMDRs donor registry during a recruitment drive at the Vazken Sagsyan Military Institute, in Yerevan. Five years later, he was found to be a perfect match for a patient in Iran who was suffering from leukemia and whose only hope for survival was to receive a bone marrow stem cell transplant from a compatible donor. Sergey turned out to be a perfect match for the patient. He was given a day off to leave the frontline to come to ABMDRs Stem Cell Harvesting Center in Yerevan to donate his stem cells and save a patients life.

Accompanied by his young wife and six-month old son, Sergey was greeted by ABMDR staff at the Stem Cell Harvesting Center. The painless, non-invasive harvesting procedure, performed by Dr. Andranik Mshetsyan, lasted approximately four hours. Also present at the procedure were ABMDR Executive Director Dr. Sevak Avagyan and Medical Director Dr. Mihran Nazaretyan.

Sergey, Dr. Mihran Nazaretyan, and Lab Staff Member

At the conclusion of the harvesting, as staff members performed quality-control analyses of the harvested cells and packed them for the special courier who was waiting to transport the precious gift of life to the patient in Iran, Sergey, a hero in the eyes of all, on the frontlines as well as far away from them, joined his young family while someone in Iran was about to get a second chance at life.

Established in 1999, ABMDR, a nonprofit organization, helps Armenians and non-Armenians worldwide survive life-threatening blood-related illnesses by recruiting and matching donors to those requiring bone marrow stem cell transplants. To date, the registry has recruited over 29,000 donors in 42 countries across four continents, identified over 4,190 patients, and facilitated 30 bone marrow transplants. For more information, call (323) 663-3609 or visit abmdr.am.

Original post:
Artsakh Soldier Saves Life Of Cancer Patient In Iran - Asbarez Armenian News