Researchers from UC Davis School of Medicine and Shriners Hospitals for Children -- Northern California have identified a group of cells in the brain that they say plays an important role in the abnormal neuron development in Down syndrome. After developing a new model for studying the syndrome using patient-derived stem cells, the scientists also found that applying an inexpensive antibiotic to the cells appears to correct many abnormalities in the interaction between the cells and developing neurons.

The findings, which focused on support cells in the brain called astroglial cells, appear online today in Nature Communications.

"We have developed a human cellular model for studying brain development in Down syndrome that allows us to carry out detailed physiological studies and screen possible new therapies," said Wenbin Deng, associate professor of biochemistry and molecular medicine and principal investigator of the study. "This model is more realistic than traditional animal models because it is derived from a patient's own cells."

Down syndrome is the most common chromosomal cause of mild to moderate intellectual disabilities in the United States, where it occurs in one in every 691 live births. It develops when a person has three copies of the 21st chromosome instead of the normal two. While mouse models have traditionally been used in studying the genetic disorder, Deng said the animal model is inadequate because the human brain is more complicated, and much of that complexity arises from astroglia cells, the star-shaped cells that play an important role in the physical structure of the brain as well as in the transmission of nerve impulses.

"Although neurons are regarded as our 'thinking cells,' the astroglia have an extremely important supportive role," said Deng. "Astroglial function is increasingly recognized as a critical factor in neuronal dysfunction in the brain, and this is the first study to show its importance in Down syndrome."

Creating a unique human cellular model

To investigate the role of astroglia in Down syndrome, the research team took skin cells from individuals with Down syndrome and transformed them into stem cells, which are known as induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC). The cells possess the same genetic make-up as the donor and an ability to grow into different cell types. Deng and his colleagues next induced the stem cells to develop into separate pure populations of astroglial cells and neurons. This allowed them to systematically analyze factors expressed by the astroglia and then study their effects on neuron development.

They found that a certain protein, known as S100B, is markedly increased in astroglial cells from patients with Down syndrome compared with those from healthy controls. S100B released by astroglial cells promotes harmful astroglial activation (astrogliosis) and adversely affects neurons, causing them to die at increased rates or develop in multiple dysfunctional ways.

The investigators obtained further evidence of the critical role of astroglial cells in Down syndrome by implanting the skin-cell derived astroglial cells from Down syndrome patients into mice. Those mice then developed the neuropathological phenotypes of Down syndrome, while mice implanted with Down syndrome neurons did not.

Neuroprotective effects of antibiotics

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'Support' cells in brain play important role in Down syndrome

PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:

17-Jul-2014

Contact: Tom Oswald tom.oswald@cabs.msu.edu 517-432-0920 Michigan State University

Not unlike looking for the proverbial needle in a haystack, a team of Michigan State University researchers have found a gene that could be key to the development of stem cells cells that can potentially save millions of lives by morphing into practically any cell in the body.

The gene, known as ASF1A, was not discovered by the team. However, it is at least one of the genes responsible for the mechanism of cellular reprogramming, a phenomenon that can turn one cell type into another, which is key to the making of stem cells.

In a paper published in the journal Science, the researchers describe how they analyzed more than 5,000 genes from a human egg, or oocyte, before determining that the ASF1A, along with another gene known as OCT4 and a helper soluble molecule, were the ones responsible for the reprogramming.

"This has the potential to be a major breakthrough in the way we look at how stem cells are developed," said Elena Gonzalez-Munoz, a former MSU post-doctoral researcher and first author of the paper. "Researchers are just now figuring out how adult somatic cells such as skin cells can be turned into embryonic stem cells. Hopefully this will be the way to understand more about how that mechanism works."

In 2006, an MSU team identified the thousands of genes that reside in the oocyte. It was from those, they concluded, that they could identify the genes responsible for cellular reprogramming.

In 2007, a team of Japanese researchers found that by introducing four other genes into cells, stem cells could be created without the use of a human egg. These cells are called induced pluripotent stem cells, or iPSCs.

"This is important because the iPSCs are derived directly from adult tissue and can be a perfect genetic match for a patient," said Jose Cibelli, an MSU professor of animal science and a member of the team.

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Discovery may make it easier to develop life-saving stem cells

I-DNA Phyto Stem Cell Therapy Miracle - Lily Khoo Testimonial
3 3 weeks, improving eye sight, skin tightening, solving triangular eyes...

By: I-DNA DEER PLACENTA SINGAPORE ORIGINAL

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I-DNA Phyto Stem Cell Therapy Miracle - Lily Khoo Testimonial - Video

Paul Laikind, CEO of ViaCyte, which is making a treatment for diabetes from human embryonic stem cells.

In an historic announcement for the stem cell field, San Diego's ViaCyte said Thursday it has applied to start human clinical trials of its treatment for Type 1 diabetes.

ViaCyte grows replacement insulin-producing cells from human embryonic stem cells. The cells are packaged while maturing in a semi-permeable device and implanted. In animal trials, the cells produce insulin, relieving diabetes.

Now the company proposes to take what could be a cure for diabetes into people. ViaCyte has asked to begin a Phase 1/2 clinical trial, which would assess both safety and efficacy of its product. ViaCyte is targeting Type 1 diabetes, in which the insulin-producing cells are destroyed. Patients require multiple injections of insulin daily to survive.

The announcement is good news for California's stem cell agency, the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine. The agency has awarded nearly $39 million to ViaCyte to ready its device for human use.

Paul Laikind, ViaCytes chief executive, said if all goes smoothly, the first patients will be treated in August or September. Based on animal studies, it will take a few months to see results, and just a few patients will be treated at first.

CIRM itself, funded with $3 billion in state bond funds, has come under pressure to show results from its work. The money is projected to run out in 2017. Some supporters of the agency have proposed launching a new initiative to continue funding.

"This is a great example of how the investment that the voters made in creating CIRM is beginning to move from labs to patients," said Joe Panetta, a member of CIRM's governing board and chief executive of Biocom, the San Diego-based life science trade group. ""There are at least a dozen other clinical trials in progress. This is good for CIRM and San Diego."

Jonathan Thomas, chairman of CIRM's governing board, called the filing "a big step in developing therapies for Type 1 diabetes."

"The project is one that has been front and center for us for six years," Thomas said. "As a principal funder of Viacyte since 2008, we are delighted that they have taken this major step towards getting a Type 1 Diabetes therapy to patients."

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Diabetes stem cell therapy readied

Paul Laikind, CEO of ViaCyte, which is making a treatment for diabetes from human embryonic stem cells.

In an historic announcement for the stem cell field, San Diego's ViaCyte said Thursday it has applied to start human clinical trials of its treatment for Type 1 diabetes.

ViaCyte grows replacement insulin-producing cells from human embryonic stem cells. The cells are packaged while maturing in a semi-permeable device and implanted. In animal trials, the cells produce insulin, relieving diabetes.

Now the company proposes to take what could be a cure for diabetes into people. ViaCyte has asked to begin a Phase 1/2 clinical trial, which would assess both safety and efficacy of its product. ViaCyte is targeting Type 1 diabetes, in which the insulin-producing cells are destroyed. Patients require multiple injections of insulin daily to survive.

The announcement is good news for California's stem cell agency, the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine. The agency has awarded nearly $39 million to ViaCyte to ready its device for human use.

Paul Laikind, ViaCytes chief executive, said if all goes smoothly, the first patients will be treated in August or September. Based on animal studies, it will take a few months to see results, and just a few patients will be treated at first.

CIRM itself, funded with $3 billion in state bond funds, has come under pressure to show results from its work. The money is projected to run out in 2017. Some supporters of the agency have proposed launching a new initiative to continue funding.

"This is a great example of how the investment that the voters made in creating CIRM is beginning to move from labs to patients," said Joe Panetta, a member of CIRM's governing board and chief executive of Biocom, the San Diego-based life science trade group. ""There are at least a dozen other clinical trials in progress. This is good for CIRM and San Diego."

Robert N. Klein, former chairman of CIRM's board, who has a 24-year-old son with Type 1 diabetes, praised the announcement.

"This is an exciting day for the father of any son or daughter who has Type 1 diabetes," Klein said. "This is a very critical trial that we're optimistic about. ViaCyte has a team that is extremely well-qualified to deal with complications and setbacks that often come up. They have extreme quality integration of their clinical and scientific groups, so they can respond well to modifications they may have to make along the way to accomplish all of their goals."

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ViaCyte asks to start diabetes stem cell therapy

Washington No batteries required: Scientists are creating a biological pacemaker by injecting a gene into the hearts of sick pigs that changed ordinary cardiac cells into a special kind that induces a steady heartbeat.

The study, published Wednesday, is one step toward developing an alternative to electronic pacemakers that are implanted into 300,000 Americans a year.

There are people who desperately need a pacemaker but cant get one safely, said Dr. Eduardo Marban, director of the Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute in Los Angeles, who led the work. This development heralds a new era of gene therapy that one day might offer them an option.

Your heartbeat depends on a natural pacemaker, a small cluster of cells its about the size of a peppercorn, Marban says that generates electrical activity. Called the sinoatrial node, it acts like a metronome to keep the heart pulsing at 60 to 100 beats a minute or so, more when youre active. If that node quits working correctly, hooking the heart to an electronic pacemaker works very well for most people.

But about 2 percent of recipients develop an infection that requires the pacemaker to be removed for weeks until antibiotics wipe out the germs, Marban said. And some fetuses are at risk of stillbirth when their heartbeat falters, a condition called congenital heart block.

For over a decade, teams of researchers have worked to create a biological alternative that might help those kinds of patients, trying such approaches as using stem cells to spur the growth of a new sinoatrial node.

Marbans newest attempt uses gene therapy to reprogram a small number of existing heart muscle cells so that they start looking and acting like natural pacemaker cells instead.

Because pigs hearts are so similar to human hearts, Marbans team studied the approach in 12 laboratory pigs with a defective heart rhythm.

They used a gene named TBX18 that plays a role in the embryonic development of the sinoatrial node. Working through a vein, they injected the gene into some of the pigs hearts in a spot that doesnt normally initiate heartbeats and tracked them for two weeks.

Two days later, treated pigs had faster heartbeats than control pigs who didnt receive the gene, the researchers reported in the journal Science Translational Medicine. That heart rate automatically fluctuated, faster during the day. The treated animals also became more active, without signs of side effects.

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Scientists use gene therapy to create biological pacemaker

WASHINGTON (AP) -- No batteries required: Scientists are creating a biological pacemaker by injecting a gene into the hearts of sick pigs that changed ordinary cardiac cells into a special kind that induces a steady heartbeat.

The study, published Wednesday, is one step toward developing an alternative to electronic pacemakers that are implanted into 300,000 Americans a year.

"There are people who desperately need a pacemaker but can't get one safely," said Dr. Eduardo Marban, director of the Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute in Los Angeles, who led the work. "This development heralds a new era of gene therapy" that one day might offer them an option.

Your heartbeat depends on a natural pacemaker, a small cluster of cells it's about the size of a peppercorn, Marban says that generates electrical activity. Called the sinoatrial node, it acts like a metronome to keep the heart pulsing at 60 to 100 beats a minute or so, more when you're active. If that node quits working correctly, hooking the heart to an electronic pacemaker works very well for most people.

But about 2 percent of recipients develop an infection that requires the pacemaker to be removed for weeks until antibiotics wipe out the germs, Marban said. And some fetuses are at risk of stillbirth when their heartbeat falters, a condition called congenital heart block.

For over a decade, teams of researchers have worked to create a biological alternative that might help those kinds of patients, trying such approaches as using stem cells to spur the growth of a new sinoatrial node.

Marban's newest attempt uses gene therapy to reprogram a small number of existing heart muscle cells so that they start looking and acting like natural pacemaker cells instead.

Because pigs' hearts are so similar to human hearts, Marban's team studied the approach in 12 laboratory pigs with a defective heart rhythm.

They used a gene named TBX18 that plays a role in the embryonic development of the sinoatrial node. Working through a vein, they injected the gene into some of the pigs' hearts in a spot that doesn't normally initiate heartbeats and tracked them for two weeks.

Two days later, treated pigs had faster heartbeats than control pigs who didn't receive the gene, the researchers reported in the journal Science Translational Medicine. That heart rate automatically fluctuated, faster during the day. The treated animals also became more active, without signs of side effects.

Continue reading here:
Scientists Try To Create Biological Pacemaker

........................................................................................................................................................................................

WASHINGTON No batteries required: Scientists are creating a biological pacemaker by injecting a gene into the hearts of sick pigs that changed ordinary cardiac cells into a special kind that induces a steady heartbeat.

The study, published Wednesday, is one step toward developing an alternative to electronic pacemakers that are implanted into 300,000 Americans a year.

There are people who desperately need a pacemaker but cant get one safely, said Dr. Eduardo Marban, director of the Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute in Los Angeles, who led the work. This development heralds a new era of gene therapy that one day might offer them an option.

Your heartbeat depends on a natural pacemaker, a small cluster of cells its about the size of a peppercorn, Marban says that generates electrical activity. Called the sinoatrial node, it acts like a metronome to keep the heart pulsing at 60 to 100 beats a minute or so, more when youre active. If that node quits working correctly, hooking the heart to an electronic pacemaker works very well for most people.

But about 2 percent of recipients develop an infection that requires the pacemaker to be removed for weeks until antibiotics wipe out the germs, Marban said. And some fetuses are at risk of stillbirth when their heartbeat falters, a condition called congenital heart block.

For over a decade, teams of researchers have worked to create a biological alternative that might help those kinds of patients, trying such approaches as using stem cells to spur the growth of a new sinoatrial node.

Marbans newest attempt uses gene therapy to reprogram a small number of existing heart muscle cells so that they start looking and acting like natural pacemaker cells instead.

Because pigs hearts are so similar to human hearts, Marbans team studied the approach in 12 laboratory pigs with a defective heart rhythm.

They used a gene named TBX18 that plays a role in the embryonic development of the sinoatrial node. Working through a vein, they injected the gene into some of the pigs hearts in a spot that doesnt normally initiate heartbeats and tracked them for two weeks.

Read more:
Scientists creating a biological pacemaker

More than 100 people from Tayside have signed up for the bone marrow register since the Tele published the story of tragic tot Faith Cushnie.

The nine-month-old from Menzieshill needed a bone marrow donation to beat leukaemia, but the donor backed out and doctors have told Faiths parents that there is now nothing they can do for her.

But 109 of you were so touched by Faiths story you immediately registered to be donors at the bone marrow and stem cell charity Anthony Nolan.

Over the same period last year the charity did not have a single registration from Tayside.

Incredibly, Dundee is currently sending the second highest number of visitors to the charitys website, after London, with 658 sessions on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Charities like Anthony Nolan typically struggle for donors, in comparison to campaigns like Give Blood.

Blood was donated in Tayside 21,000 times in the last year but only 4,000 people in the region are on the list of bone marrow donors.

Thats despite an average of around 600 people being diagnosed with leukaemia in Scotland during that time.

Dr David Meiklejohn, a consultant in the department of haematology in Ninewells Hospital, said nearly all donors were volunteers.

He said: Its important to raise awareness as we cant get donors otherwise.

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Tele readers rush to save lives: Faith Cushnies plight highlights importance of bone marrow donors

PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:

15-Jul-2014

Contact: Meng Zhao eic@nrren.org 86-138-049-98773 Neural Regeneration Research

The brain has a low renewable capacity for self-repair and generation of new functional neurons in the treatment of trauma, inflammation and cerebral diseases. Cytotherapy is one option to regenerate central nervous system that aim at replacing the functional depleted cells due to traumatic brain injury (TBI). Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) are also considered a candidate for cytotherapy because they can differentiate into neurons/nerve cells, pass across blood-brain barrier, migrate into the injured region, secrete neurotrophic factor, and provide microenvironment for neural regeneration. Prof. Mohammad Ali Khalili, Research and Clinical Center for Infertility, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Iran and his team administered TBI rats 3106 BMSCs via the tail vein and found that the BMSCs transplanted via the tail vein promoted nerve cell regeneration in injured cerebral cortex, which supplement the lost nerve cells. Related results were published in Neural Regeneration Research (Vol. 9, No. 9, 2014).

Article: " Intravenous transplantation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells promotes neural regeneration after traumatic brain injury" by Fatemeh Anbari1, Mohammad Ali Khalili1, Ahmad Reza Bahrami2, Arezoo Khoradmehr1, Fatemeh Sadeghian1, Farzaneh Fesahat1, Ali Nabi1 (1 Research and Clinical Center for Infertility, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran; 2 Institute of Biotechnology, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran)

Anbari F, Khalili MA, Bahrami AR, Khoradmehr A, Sadeghian F, Fesahat F, Nabi A. Intravenous transplantation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells promotes neural regeneration after traumatic brain injury. Neural Regen Res. 2014;9(9):919-923.

Contact: Meng Zhao eic@nrren.org 86-138-049-98773 Neural Regeneration Research http://www.nrronline.org/

###

AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

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Does intravenous transplantation of BMSCs promote neural regeneration after TBI?

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Newswise Buffalo, NY BlueCross BlueShield of Western New York today has redesignated Roswell Park Cancer Institute (RPCI) as a Blue Distinction Center for delivering quality transplant care as part of the Blue Distinction Centers for Specialty Care program. Approximately 100 Blue Distinction Centers for Transplants have been designated in the United States, with only four located in New York State.

Blue Distinction Centers are medical facilities shown to deliver quality specialty care based on objective, transparent measures for patient safety and health outcomes that were developed with input from the medical community. To receive a Blue Distinction Centers for Transplants designation, medical facilities must demonstrate success in meeting patient safety criteria as well as transplant-specific quality measures (including survival metrics). RPCI received the same Blue Distinction Center designation in 2011.

Blood and marrow hematopoietic stem-cell transplants, also known as bone-marrow transplants, are a common approach for treating many types of hematologic cancers, including forms of leukemia, lymphoma and multiple myeloma. They involve the transplant of blood or bone marrow stem cells from a donor or from the patients themselves as a way of sparing the patient the toxic effects of intensive chemotherapy and/or radiation.

Because blood and marrow transplant is such a highly complex procedure, a patients medical needs before, during and after a transplant procedure are extensive and labor-intensive, said Philip McCarthy, MD, Director of RPCIs Blood & Marrow Transplant Program. Given that context, were especially proud to once again earn Blue Distinction for our transplant program from BlueCross BlueShield.

More Research shows that Blue Distinction Centers demonstrate better quality and improved outcomes for patients with higher survival rates compared with their peers.

We are pleased that RPCI has been recognized for their quality transplant care, said Dr. Thomas Schenk, Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer, BlueCross BlueShield of Western New York. As part of the BCBS network they are a valued and once again nationally recognized provider of quality care.

Although rare, the number of transplants including heart, lung, liver, pancreas and bone marrow/blood stem cell in the nation have increased in recent years. There were 28,954 transplant procedures performed in 2013 compared to 28,052 in 2012. Today, more than 123,000 people are awaiting organ donations for transplants, according to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services.

In 2006, the Blue Distinction Centers for Specialty Care program was developed to help patients find quality providers for their specialty care needs while encouraging healthcare professionals to improve the care they deliver.

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Roswell Park Recognized for Quality in Bone Marrow Transplant Care

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Newswise Researchers at the National Institutes of Health have developed a technique that will speed up the production of stem-cell derived tissues. The method simultaneously measures the expression of multiple genes, allowing scientists to quickly characterize cells according to their function and stage of development. The technique will help the researchers in their efforts to use patients skin cells to regenerate retinal pigment epithelium (RPE)a tissue in the back of the eye that is affected in several blinding eye diseases. It will also help the scientists search for drugs for personalized treatments.

Progress in stem cell-based therapies has been limited by our capacity to authenticate cells and tissues, said Kapil Bharti, Ph.D., a Stadtman Investigator in the Unit on Ocular and Stem Cell Translational Research at the National Eye Institute (NEI), a part of NIH. This assay expands that capacity and streamlines the process.

The assay was described in a recent issue of Stem Cells Translational Medicine.

The RPE is a single layer of cells that lies adjacent to the retina, where the light-sensitive photoreceptors commonly called rods and cones are located. The RPE supports photoreceptor function. Several diseases cause the RPE to break down, which in turn leads to the loss of photoreceptors and vision.

The stem cells Dr. Bharti is using to make RPE are induced pluripotent (iPS) stem cells, which are produced by reverting mature cells to an immature state, akin to embryonic stem cells. iPS cells can be derived from a patients skin or blood cells, coaxed into other cell types (such as neurons or muscle), and in theory, re-implanted without causing immune rejection.

To verify the identity of RPE made from iPS cells, scientists use microscopy to ensure the tissue looks like RPE and physiological assays to ensure the tissue behaves like RPE. They also use a technique called quantitative RT-PCR to measure the expression of genes that indicate ongoing cell development and function. For example, expression of the gene SOX2 is much higher in iPS cells than mature RPE.

But quantitative RT-PCR only permits the simultaneous measurement of a few genes per sample. Dr. Bharti teamed up with Marc Ferrer, Ph.D., of NIHs National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS) to develop a multiplex assaya method for simultaneously measuring multiple genes per RPE sample in a highly automated fashion. The assay is based on a commercially available platform from the biotech company Affymetrix. In the assay, tiny snippets of DNA tethered to beads are used to capture RNA moleculescreated when genes are expressed by cells in the RPE sample. Once captured, the RNA from distinct genes is labeled with a fluorescent tag.

Starting with cells from a skin biopsy, the researchers generated iPS-derived RPE and then measured the expression of eight genes that are markers of development, function, and disease. They measured RNA levels of each gene one at a time using quantitative RT-PCR and then all genes simultaneously using the multiplex assay. When compared, the results correlated.

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Gene Profiling Technique to Accelerate Stem Cell Therapies for Eye Diseases

DR ANDREW J ROCHMAN: ON STEM CELL THERAPY

By: Len Promoter

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DR ANDREW J ROCHMAN: ON STEM CELL THERAPY - Video

Phoenix, AZ (PRWEB) July 17, 2014

Arizona Pet Vet Family of Animal Hospitals is hosting San Diego, California based Regenerative Veterinary Medicine company, Vet-Stem, Inc., for a summer session of RACE approved Credentialing Courses and wet-labs on stem cell therapy. AZ Pet Vets Family of 17 Animal Hospitals has been offering Vet-Stems Regenerative Cell Therapy to its small animal patients since 2010, and continuously strives to educate their team members on cutting-edge services like stem cell therapy.

Since Vet-Stems last training session with AZ Pet Vet in the summer of 2013 the number of pets diagnosed with arthritis has increased as much as an estimated 13% say industry sources. As many as 65% of dogs between the ages of 7 and 11 years old will be inflicted with some degree of arthritis. For certain specific breeds the percentage is as high as 70%, with an additional estimated 7% remaining undiagnosed. AZ Pet Vets Family of Animal Hospitals equips their veterinarians with a complete package of services to help diagnose and treat dogs that are suffering pain or inflammation from osteoarthritis or polyarthritis. Stem cell therapy is one of these services, most commonly used to help decrease inflammation, help with the pain of osteo or polyarthritis, as well as other joint or ligament issues, and muscle injuries.

Vet-Stems Corey Orava, DVM will be leading a series of daily training sessions which include a RACE (Registry of Approved Continuing Education from the American Association of Veterinary State Boards) approved credentialing course, and the ability to consult on potential stem cell therapy cases with current patients of AZ Pet Vets Family of Animal Hospitals. Each of these sessions will help veterinarians and their staff to learn the ins and outs of stem cell therapy, as well as benefit from a hands-on experience to bring the best care to their patients and pet owners. Under the mentorship of Dr. Orava all of the 17 AZ Pet Vet Animal Hospitals will have the potential to collect fat and inject stem cells on qualifying pet patients.

AZ Pet Vet is a family of 17 animal hospitals with one vision: to provide the best comprehensive care for their highly valued patients. Whether it be routine wellness, or other type of medical care, AZ Pet Vet provides loving care and treatment for pets. As animal lovers and pet owners, they understand the connection owners have with your pet. The doctors and staff at each hospital strive to build a long term relationship with their client families and their pets, always making recommendations in the pets best health interest. The AZ Pet Vet Family of Animal Hospitals offer complete veterinary care from wellness, to vaccines, spays and neuters, dental, surgical and now regenerative medicine. Their animal hospital locations can be easily found at http://www.arizonapetvet.com/.

Since its formation in 2002, Vet-Stem, Inc. has endeavored to improve the lives of animals through regenerative medicine. As the first company in the United States to provide an adipose-derived stem cell service to veterinarians for their patients, Vet-Stem pioneered the use of regenerative stem cells for horses, dogs, cats, and some exotics. In 2004 the first horse was treated with Vet-Stem Regenerative Cell Therapy for a tendon injury that would normally have been career ending. Ten years later Vet-Stem celebrated its 10,000th animal treated, and the success of establishing stem cell therapy as a proven regenerative medicine for certain inflammatory, degenerative, and arthritic diseases. As animal advocates, veterinarians, veterinary technicians, and cell biologists, the team at Vet-Stem tasks themselves with the responsibility of discovering, refining, and bringing to market innovative medical therapies that utilize the bodys own healing and regenerative cells. For more information about Vet-Stem and Regenerative Veterinary Medicine, visit http://www.vet-stem.com or call 858-748-2004.

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Arizona Pet Vet, a Family of Animal Hospitals in Central Arizona, is Hosting Vet-Stem, Inc. for Continued Education ...

Experts say a $15 million trial to explore stem cells from cord blood for treating autism is premature.

Cold comfort: Researchers are trying to find out whether stem cells taken from frozen cord blood can improve autism symptoms. Credit:Tbsdy lives via Wikimedia Commons

A team at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, is set to launch a $40 million clinical trial to explore stem cells from umbilical cord blood as a treatment for autism. But experts caution that the trial is premature.

A $15 million grant from the Marcus Foundation, a philanthropic funding organization based in Atlanta, will bankroll the first two years of the five-year trial, which also plans to test stem cell therapy for stroke and cerebral palsy. The autism arm of the trial aims to enroll 390 children and adults.

Joanne Kurtzberg, the trials lead investigator, has extensive experience studying the effectiveness of cord blood transplants for treating various disorders, such as leukemia and sickle cell anemia. Most recently, she showed that cord blood transplants can improve the odds of survival for babies deprived of oxygen at birth. A randomized trial of the approach for this condition is underway.

To really sort out if [stem] cells can treat these children, we need to do randomized, controlled trials that are well designed and well controlled, and thats what we intend to do, says Kurtzberg, professor of pediatrics and pathology at Duke. We firmly believe we should be moving ahead in the clinic.

Early animal studies have shown that stem cells isolated from umbilical cord blood can stimulate cells in the spinal cord to regrow their myelin layers, and in doing so help restore connections with surrounding cells. Autism is thought to result from impaired connectivity in the brain. Because of this, some groups of children with the disorder may benefit from a stem cell transplant, Kurtzberg says.

But others are skeptical of the approach. Autism is a complex disorder with many possible causes. Also, its unclear how stem cells derived from cord blood can improve connections in the brain. Given these important caveats, its too soon to conduct a test of this scale and investment, some experts say.

Its probably premature to run large trials without evidence that they have a therapeutic effect that [we] understand, cautions Arnold Kriegstein, director of the Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research at the University of California, San Francisco.

Pilot trials In June, Kurtzberg launched the first phase of the trial, with 20 children between 2 and 5 years of age. Her team plans to infuse the children with a single dose of their own cord blood cells, banked at birth and preserved by freezing.

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Large Study of Stem Cells for Autism Draws Criticism

A study led by Humboldt University of Berlin claims that a a group of embryonic stem cells called the neural crest, link traits in tame animals Charles Darwin first noted that domesticated mammals share a strange mixture of characteristics such as floppier ears and white patches of fur The modern scientists' hypothesis hasn't been tested, but is the first to connect several components of the domestication syndrome They think that humans inadvertently selected animals to breed that had mild neural crest deficits, resulting in smaller adrenal glands

By Sarah Griffiths

Published: 10:50 EST, 15 July 2014 | Updated: 11:18 EST, 15 July 2014

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It is a mystery that has gone unsolved for more than 140 years since Charles Darwin noticed something peculiar about domesticated mammals.

But now scientists think they know why domestic species tend to have certain characteristics that accompany their tameness, such as floppier ears, patches of white fur, and more juvenile faces with smaller jaws.

Geneticists believe that a group of embryonic stem cells called the neural crest, link all these traits, which are seen in many peoples pet cats and dogs.

Domestic science: Scientists think they know why domestic species tend to have certain characteristics that accompany their tameness, such as floppier ears, patches of white fur, and more juvenile faces with smaller jaws (illustrated by this spaniel) - and it's because of a group of embryonic stem cells called the neural crest

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Does your dog have 'domestication syndrome'? Scientists reveal why pets tend to have baby faces and white patches of fur

Freeport, Bahamas (PRWEB) July 15, 2014

Okyanos Heart Institute, a leader in cardiac adult stem cell therapy, has selected Perkins Healthcare Technologies to provide video integration solutions for its new state-of-the-art cardiac catheterization lab. The video integration system is paired with Phillips equipment, creating a top-grade comprehensive solution for the cath lab by providing the ability to view high definition clinical cardiac procedures video information on a large screen collaged layout 8-megapixel display. Built to US surgical standards, the lab equipment is being installed over the next few weeks, bringing the highest standard of care and most advanced technology to cardiac care.

Okyanos Heart Institute utilizes adult stem cells derived from ones own adipose (fat) tissue, placing them in the heart to help it repair damaged or diseased tissue. This is done using a minimally invasive catheterization procedure, as demonstrated in multiple rigorous clinical trials from around the world.

Okyanos Chief Medical Officer Howard T. Walpole, Jr., M.D., M.B.A., F.A.C.C., F.A.C.A.I. noted, The most important functions of the video integration system are to provide high quality images with the right projections of the image. When you visualize a heart, you need to be able to get a complex angle to see the back side of the heart. This enables the cardiologist to deliver the stem cells where they are most needed. The size of the image detector is smaller and the more flexible positioner makes it easier to pivot around the patients body to obtain those difficult views.

Perkins Healthcare Technologies has been providing clinical video integration solutions for over 25 years and looks forward to bringing its expertise to Okyanos Heart Institute. We are very excited to have our state-of-the-art video integration system included as a part of this innovative solution for cardiac care. Our video integration system provides Okyanos a flexible solution to meet its staff needs, said Steve Plaugher, COO of Perkins Healthcare Technologies. Instead of having to assimilate patient data from multiple sources and locations, the staff can now access and view this information in their respective work area in an instant.

The combination of Okyanos adult stem cell treatments and Perkins state-of-the-art video integration solutions are designed to enhance patient care, improve the quality of life and deliver an exceptional patient experience.

To learn more about Okyanos and cardiac stem cell therapy, take a few minutes to view this video or visit http://www.Okyanos.com.

To learn more about Perkins and its clinical video integration and control technology, visit http://www.PerkinsHealthcareTechnologies.com for information on Perkins Solutions.

About Okyanos Heart Institute: (Oh key AH nos) Based in Freeport, Grand Bahama, Okyanos Heart Institutes mission is to bring a new standard of care and a better quality of life to patients with coronary artery disease using cardiac stem cell therapy. Okyanos adheres to U.S. surgical center standards and is led by CEO Matt Feshbach and Chief Medical Officer Howard T. Walpole Jr., M.D., M.B.A., F.A.C.C., F.A.C.A.I. Okyanos Treatment utilizes a unique blend of stem and regenerative cells derived from ones own adipose (fat) tissue. The cells, when placed into the heart via a minimally-invasive catheterization, stimulate the growth of new blood vessels, a process known as angiogenesis. Angiogenesis facilitates blood flow in the heart and supports intake and use of oxygen (as demonstrated in rigorous clinical trials such as the PRECISE trial). The literary name Okyanos, the Greek god of rivers, symbolizes restoration of blood flow.

About Perkins Healthcare Technologies: Perkins Healthcare Technologies has designed, developed, manufactured and distributed clinical video integration solutions for more than 25 years. Perkins vendor neutral video integration solutions work seamlessly with new or existing imaging, surgical, or hybrid procedure suites; complementing the functionality, improving workflow, and providing critical patient information to the stakeholder where and when they need it.

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Okyanos & Perkins Partner for Cardiac Stem Cell Therapy Innovation

Nicola Cockx with her baby sadly died just eight months after giving birth[Cavendish Press]

Nicola Cockx, 35, was so intent on having a child that she postponed having chemotherapy and a stem cell transplant for fear it would risk the health of her future child.

Instead she fought Multiple Myeloma - a form of bone marrow cancer which affects plasma cells- by using holistic methods of treatment and even completed a one year nutrition course to help with a healthy diet.

But, tragically, Mrs Cockx, from Little Bollington, Cheshire, passed away in February 2013, eight months after giving birth to her daughter Harriet.

She had began limping in July 2008 and three months later as she was about to see an orthopaedic specialist she slipped and broke her femur whilst on business trip in Germany with her father John Flowers, who runs a glazing company.

Mrs Cockx's husband Rudy, 39, an IT consultant, told a Manchester inquest: "Following the leg break in the hip area the multiple myeloma was diagnosed. It was extremely stressful."

The condition affects places in the body where there is bone marrow such as the spine, hips, skull and pelvis.

Nicola Cockx with her husband, Rudy [THE COCKX FAMILY]

Mr Cockx said his wife was initially treated with radiotherapy in the area of her hip where the cancer had struck but despite this she sought alternative medication and therapy.

She even considered an autologous stem cell transplant - where your own stem cells are removed and blasted with chemotherapy- but she backed out last minute for fear the chemo toxins would affect her fertility.

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Woman who delayed cancer treatment to give birth died eight months after becoming a mother

Karen Mitchell, 39, was inspired after reading plight of Alice Pyne Teenager lost battle with rare form of cancer in January 2013, aged 17 Before she died she urged people to join the bone marrow register Ms Mitchell tweeted Alice to promise she would - and teenager was delighted Butat 25st and with a BMI of 60, Ms Mitchell was rejected for being too fat Has now lost 11st 7lb and next week will donate bone marrow stem cells

By Anna Hodgekiss

Published: 05:19 EST, 15 July 2014 | Updated: 05:47 EST, 15 July 2014

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A woman so inspired by the plight of a young girl dying from cancer shed 11st in order to help other people battling the disease.

Encouraged by a tweet from terminally ill Alice Pyne, Karen Mitchell created her own 'bucket list', which included losing weight and saving lives.

Pride Of Britain winner Alice, who had fought Hodgkin's lymphoma from the age of 12, took to social media to urge people to join the bone marrow register.

Karen Mitchell shed 11st 7lb after promising a dying teenager she would join the bone marrow register

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Woman loses 11st after promise to join bone marrow register

Insight: Stem Cells -- Perry and Matt
Perry Cross and Matt Battista share their experiences trying highly experimental stem cell therapy to treat a spinal cord injury. Catch the full episode on Tuesday, July 15 at 8:30pm AEST on...

By: Insight SBS

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Insight: Stem Cells -- Perry and Matt - Video