Category Archives: Cell Therapy

Sheryl Ubelacker, The Canadian Press Published Thursday, January 29, 2015 6:49AM EST

TORONTO -- Gordie Howe's son says the hockey legend's stroke symptoms have improved since his treatment with stem cells at a Mexican clinic in early December and he wants him to repeat the procedure.

But regenerative medicine experts say there's no scientific evidence such therapies work, and in some cases they can be seriously harmful or even deadly.

The 86-year-old Howe suffered two disabling strokes late last year. In December, the family took him to a Tijuana clinic where he received stem cell injections as part of a clinical trial being run under a licensing agreement with Stemedica Cell Technologies of San Diego, Calif.

The experimental treatment involved injecting neural stem cells into Howe's spinal canal, along with intravenous infusions of mesenchymal stem cells, which are found in bone marrow, fat and umbilical cord blood.

Marty Howe said his father can walk again, his speech is improving and he is regaining some of the weight he lost following the strokes.

"After his stem cell treatment, the doctor told us it was kind of an awakening of the body, and it was all that," he told The Canadian Press while in Calgary for a hockey promotion event Tuesday. "They call it the miracle of stem cells and it was nothing less than a miracle."

However, experts in the field question whether stem cells are responsible for Howe's improvement and caution that most so-called stem cell therapies have not gone through rigorous scientific trials, nor have they been approved as treatments by Health Canada or the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Mick Bhatia, director of McMaster University's Stem Cell and Cancer Research Institute, said there are many unknowns in Howe's case, such as how many stem cells were administered, were tests done to see whether they migrated to the targeted area of the body, and did they take up residence where they might have some effect or simply disappear?

"Is this a transient effect, or is it really a perceived or somewhat of a placebo effect and is there something really happening? Scientifically and biologically that is important," Bhatia said Wednesday from Hamilton.

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Gordie Howe's stem cell therapy raises concerns among medical experts

Stem Cell Therapy Treatment for Limb Girdle Muscular Dystrophy by Dr.PV Mahajan
Patient testimonial of Limb Girdle Muscular Dystrophy treated by StemRx Bioscience Solutions Pvt. Ltd.

By: StemRx BioScience

Originally posted here:
Stem Cell Therapy Treatment for Limb Girdle Muscular Dystrophy by Dr.PV Mahajan - Video

Beverly Hills, California (PRWEB) January 28, 2015

The top orthopedic doctor in Los Angeles and Beverly Hills, Dr. Raj is now offering stem cell procedures for over twenty painful conditions, with new ones including spinal arthritis and degenerative disc disease. The procedures are performed at Beverly Hills Orthopedic Institute and are excellent for offering pain relief and helping patients avoid potentially risky surgery. Call (310) 247-0466 for more information and scheduling.

Stem Cell Therapy is now mainstream and Dr. Raj has been a pioneer with it for all types of musculoskeletal indications. This includes procedures for degenerative and rheumatoid arthritis, tendonitis, ligament injury, fractures, soft tissue injuries, wound healing and more.

He has performed the procedure on patients who have sports injuries to assist with faster healing and a quicker return to the field, along with those trying to avoid surgery such as a joint replacement or rotator cuff repair. The procedures are outpatient and involve minimal risk to patients.

New indications at Beverly Hills Orthopedic Institute include stem cell therapy for spinal arthritis and degenerative disc disease. These are usually very frustrating conditions, as surgery for them can be a roll of the dice. Dr. George Graf, a Double Board Certified pain management doctor in Los Angeles, offers the procedures of the spine.

The procedures are performed either with bone marrow derived stem cells or amniotic derived. The amniotic derived stem cells are processed at an FDA regulated lab and do not involve any fetal or embryonic cells.

For more information and scheduling, call (310) 247-0466.

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Dr. Raj at Beverly Hills Orthopedic Institute Now Offering Stem Cell Procedures for Over Twenty Painful Conditions

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Newswise UCLA has received grant funding from the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS) to lead a research mission that will send rodents to the International Space Station (ISS). The mission will allow astronauts on the space station and scientists on Earth to test a potential new therapy for accelerating bone growth in humans.

The research will be led by Dr. Chia Soo, a UCLA professor of plastic and reconstructive surgery and orthopaedic surgery, who is member of the Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research. Soo is also research director for UCLA Operation Mend, which provides medical care for wounded warriors. The study will test the ability of a bone-forming molecule called NELL-1 to direct stem cells to induce bone formation and prevent bone degeneration.

Other members of the UCLA research team are Dr. Kang Ting, a professor in dentistry who discovered NELL-1 and is leading efforts to translate NELL-1 therapy to humans, Dr. Ben Wu, a professor of bioengineering who modified the NELL-1 molecule to make useful for treating osteoporosis, and Dr. Jin Hee Kwak, an assistant professor of dentistry who will manage daily operations.

Based on results of previous studies supported by the NIH, the UCLA-ISS team will begin ground operations in early 2015. They hope that the study will provide new insights into the prevention of bone loss or osteoporosis as well as the regeneration of massive bone defects that can occur in wounded military personnel. Osteoporosis is a significant public health problem commonly associated with skeletal disuse conditions such as immobilization, stroke, cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, spinal cord injury and jaw resorption after tooth loss.

NELL-1 holds tremendous hope, not only for preventing bone loss but one day even restoring healthy bone, Ting said. For patients who are bed-bound and suffering from bone loss, it could be life-changing.

The UCLA team will oversee the ground operations of the mission in tandem with a flight operation coordinated by CASIS and NASA.

A group of 40 rodents will be sent to the International Space Station U.S. National Laboratory onboard the SpaceX Dragon capsule, where they will live for two months in a microgravity environment during the first ever test of NELL-1 in space, said Dr. Julie Robinson, NASAs chief scientist for the International Space Station program at the Johnson Space Center.

CASIS is proud to work alongside UCLA in an effort to promote the station as a viable platform for bone loss inquiry, said Warren Bates, director of portfolio management for CASIS. Through investigations like this, we hope to make profound discoveries and enable the development of therapies to counteract bone loss ailments common in humans.

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Growing Bone in Space: UCLA and CASIS Announce Pioneering Collaborative Study to Test Therapy for Bone Loss on the ...