Category Archives: Florida Stem Cells

University of South Florida researchers have suggested a new view of how stem cells may help repair the brain following trauma. In a series of preclinical experiments, they report that transplanted cells appear to build a biobridge that links an uninjured brain site where new neural stem cells are born with the damaged region of the brain.

Their findings were recently reported online in the peer-reviewed journal PLOS ONE.

The transplanted stem cells serve as migratory cues for the brains own neurogenic cells, guiding theexodus of these newly formed host cells from their neurogenic niche towards the injured brain tissue,said principal investigator Cesar Borlongan, PhD,professor and director of the USF Center for Aging and Brain Repair.

A team led by Cesar Borlongan, director of the University of South Florida Center for Aging and Brain Repair, offers a new concept for how transplanted stem cells help prod the brains own repair mechanism following traumatic brain injury.

Based in part on the data reported by the USF researchers in this preclinical study, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently approved a limited clinical trial to transplant SanBio Incs SB632 cells (an adult stem cell therapy) in patients with traumatic brain injury.

Stem cells are undifferentiated, or blank, cells with the potential to give rise to many different cell types that carry out different functions. While the stem cells in adult bone marrow or umbilical cord blood tend to develop into the cells that make up the organ system from which they originated, these multipotent stem cells can be manipulated to take on the characteristics of neural cells.

To date, there have been two widely-held views on how stem cells may work to provide potential treatments for brain damage caused by injury or neurodegenerative disorders. One school of thought is that stem cells implanted into the brain directly replace dead or dying cells. The other, more recent view is that transplanted stem cells secrete growth factors that indirectly rescue the injured tissue.

The USF study presents evidence for a third concept of stem-cell mediated brain repair.

The researchers randomly assigned rats with traumatic brain injury and confirmed neurological impairment to one of two groups. One group received transplants of bone marrow-derived stem cells (SB632 cells) into the region of the brain affected by traumatic injury. The other (control group) received a sham procedure in which solution alone was infused into the brain with no implantation of stem cells.

At one and three months post-TBI, the rats receiving stem cell transplants showed significantly better motor and neurological function and reduced brain tissue damage compared to rats receiving no stem cells. These robust improvements were observed even though survival of the transplanted cells was modest and diminished over time.

The researchers then conducted a series of experiments to examine the host brain tissue.

At three months post-traumatic brain injury, the brains of transplanted rats showed massive cell proliferation and differentiation of stem cells into neuron-like cells in the area of injury, the researchers found. This was accompanied by a solid stream of stem cells migrating from the brains uninjured subventricular zone a region where many new stem cells are formed to the brains site of injury.

In contrast, the rats receiving solution alone showed limited proliferation and neural-commitment of stem cells, with only scattered migration to the site of brain injury and virtually no expression of newly formed cells in the subventricular zone. Without the addition of transplanted stem cells, the brains self-repair process appeared insufficient to mount a defense against the cascade of traumatic brain injury-induced cell death.

The researchers conclude that the transplanted stem cells create a neurovascular matrix that bridges the long-distance gap between the region in the brain where host neural stem cells arise and the site of injury. This pathway, or biobridge, ferries the newly emerging host cells to the specific place in the brain in need of repair, helping promote functional recovery from traumatic brain injury.

Article citation:Stem Cell Recruitment of Newly Formed Host Cells via a Successful Seduction? Filling the Gap between Neurogenic Niche and Injured Brain Site; Naoki Tajiri, Yuji Kaneko, Kazutaka Shinozuka, Hiroto Ishikawa, Ernest Yankee, Michael McGrogan, Casey Case, and Cesar V. Borlongan; PLOS ONE 8(9): e74857. Published Sept. 4, 2013.

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USF Health News Stem cells help repair traumatic brain ...

Palm Beach Foot and Ankle is one of the few Foot and Ankle specialists in south Floridathat provides Stem Cell Therapy and regenerative medicine as an option to help healmultiple lower extremity conditions.

Some of the conditions that may require surgicalintervention or may take a long time to heal, can be significantly improved with stem celltherapy. (Contact our office today for consultation with one of our RegenerativeMedicine physicians.)

WHAT ARE STEM CELLS?

Stem Cells are found in different Adult tissues. Most commonly they are found in BoneMarrow, Fat cells, and Blood. They are Undifferentiated / Unspecialized cells, meaningthat they are blank and can be developed into another type of cell to repair or replacedamaged tissue.

Basically, they act as our bodys repair system. As we age, research hasshown that there is a decrease in the numbers and activity of these stem cells found in ourbody.

TYPES OF STEM CELL THERAPY:

Stem Cells can be obtained from different sources:

1. Bone Marrow This requires a surgical procedure which involves drilling into thebone (typically the femur or iliac crest).

2. Adipose Tissue (Fat Cells) Requires extraction by a surgical procedure/ liposuction.

3. Amniotic Derived from the amniotic fluid surrounding the fetus and it is the mostadaptable. It does not require the patient to undergo surgical procedure for harvesting.

These Stem Cells are very active and expand extensively. (Contact our office to schedule.)

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF STEM CELL THERAPY

Stem Cells can differentiate into and repair bone, cartilage, muscle, tendon, ligaments andskin.

ARE YOU A CANDIDATE FOR STEM CELL THERAPY?

At Palm Beach Foot and Ankle, our expert physicians will carefully evaluate patients todetermine whether advanced stem cell therapy is a good option for relieving their pain

and restoring damaged tissue. A good candidate for stem cell therapy is a patient whohas mild to moderate osteoarthritis, plantar fasciitis, tendon inflammation, a partial tear of

the Achilles tendon, or muscle strain or sprain. (Contact our office to schedule anappointment)

PREPARING FOR STEM CELL THERAPY

Do not take over-the-counter medications that can thin your blood (aspirin, Motrin, AleveAdvil, Naproxen, etc.). Drink as much water as possible on the day of your injection.Arrange for someone to drive you home after treatment.

FOLLOWING STEM CELL THERAPY

You will be numb for an hour or two at the injection site, and may experience much moresoreness than usual for the first few days after treatment. After the numbness wears off,refrain from any activities that increase your discomfort, and refrain from taking anti-inflammatory medications for at least four weeks after treatment.

Control your pain withacetaminophen (Tylenol) or medications that your doctor prescribes. Use ice sparingly,for up to 20 minutes at a time every two to three hours. Resume any physical therapyregimen about a week after treatment.Your recovery time will depend on the specific condition that is being treated.In allcases, the stem cell injections at the site of your injury will need time to grow your newcells. As the regeneration of new cells proceeds, you should notice a gradualimprovement in your level of discomfort, and in your range of motion.

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Stem Cell Therapy in Palm Beach County

Regenerative Injection Therapy Offers an Alternative to and Enhances Outcome of Surgical Procedures

Of all the treatments I offer, I am most excited about Regenerative Injection Therapy with stem cells.Over the past several years, I have studied alongside the countrys leading experts in the use of platelet rich plasma (PRP), stem cells, and fat injections to treat orthopedic injuries and arthritic joints. This is a treatment option for orthopedic injuries and conditions that have traditionally required surgery or other extensive treatments.

The procedure involves extracting a minimal amount of a patients own blood, stem cells, and fat.I then inject the combined fluid into an injured area or an arthritic joint, which releases bioactive tissue growth factors. These growth factors lead to improved natural tissue healing. When platelets are injected into an arthritic joint with cartilage damage, the new collagen stimulates the growth of cartilage.Depending on the condition or treatment plan, I may also recommend using a patients stem cells. Stem cells are extracted from the patients own bone marrow or fat from the belly.The stem cells are filtered, cleansed, and then injected into an arthritic joint.

Here is an excellent article, reprinted with permission from the author, that details PRP procedures and the benefits to patients with musculoskeletal injuries.

Istudied with America's leading experts in the use of Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP), stem cells, and fat injections to treat torn tendons, ligaments, and osteoarthritis.

To find out if you are a candidate for PRP or stem cell therapy, call 954-476-9494 or request an appointment online withDr. Alan M. Lazar, MD, FACS in Broward County, Plantation, Fort Lauderdale, Florida area.

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Platelet Rich Plasma PRP Therapy, Stem Cell Treatment ...

Provided by Liam Mitchel, University of Toronto

The Fountain of Youth has been discovered and its not in Florida as Ponce de Leon claimed. Instead, it was found in the mammary glands of genetically modified mice.

A research team led by Professor Rama Khokha has found that when two factors that control tissue development are removed, you can avoid the impact of aging.

Think of tissue as a building that is constantly under renovation. The contractors would be metalloproteinases, which are constantly working to demolish and reconstruct the tissue. The architects in this case, who are trying to reign in and direct the contractors, are known as tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases or TIMPs. When the architect and the contractors dont communicate well, a building can fall down. In the case of tissue, the result can be cancer.

To understand how metalloproteinases and TIMPs interact, medical researchers breed mice that have one or more of the four different types of TIMPs removed. Khokhas team examined the different combinations and found that when TIMP1 and TIMP3 were removed, breast tissue remained youthful in aged mice. The results are presented inNature Cell Biology.

In the normal course of aging, your tissue losses its ability to develop and repair as fast as it did when you were young. Thats because stem cells, which are abundant in your youth, decline with the passing of time. The U of T team found that with the TIMP1 and TIMP3 architects missing, the pool of stem cells expanded and remained functional throughout the lifetime of these mice.

Normally you would see these pools of stem cells, which reach their peak at six months in the mice, start to decline. As a result, the mammary glands start to degenerate, which increases the risk of breast cancer occurring, explains Khokha. However, we found that in these particular mice, the stem cells remained consistently high when we measured them at every stage of life.

The team also found that despite large number of stem cells, there was no increased risk of cancer.

Its generally assumed that the presence of a large number of stem cells can lead to an increased cancer risk, says Khokha. However, we found these mice had no greater predisposition to cancer.

The next step in this research is to understand why this is happening. Khokha is also working with her colleagues at Princess Margaret to see how altered tissue remodeling might prevent cancer development or lead to a new therapeutic treatment for patients.

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'Fountain of Youth' discovered in mammary glands

IMAGE:These are images of Professor Rama Khokha and Dr. Hartland Jackson. view more

Credit: Courtesy of University Health Network

The Fountain of Youth has been discovered and it's not in Florida as Ponce de Leon claimed. Instead, it was found in the mammary glands of genetically modified mice.

A research team led by Professor Rama Khokha has found that when two factors that control tissue development are removed, you can avoid the impact of aging.

Think of tissue as a building that is constantly under renovation. The contractors would be "metalloproteinases," which are constantly working to demolish and reconstruct the tissue. The architects in this case, who are trying to reign in and direct the contractors, are known as "tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases" -- or TIMPs. When the architect and the contractors don't communicate well, a building can fall down. In the case of tissue, the result can be cancer.

To understand how metalloproteinases and TIMPs interact, medical researchers breed mice that have one or more of the four different types of TIMPs removed. Khokha's team examined the different combinations and found that when TIMP1 and TIMP3 were removed, breast tissue remained youthful in aged mice. The results are presented in Nature Cell Biology.

In the normal course of aging, your tissue losses its ability to develop and repair as fast as it did when you were young. That's because stem cells, which are abundant in your youth, decline with the passing of time. The U of T team found that with the TIMP1 and TIMP3 architects missing, the pool of stem cells expanded and remained functional throughout the lifetime of these mice.

"Normally you would see these pools of stem cells, which reach their peak at six months in the mice, start to decline. As a result, the mammary glands start to degenerate, which increases the risk of breast cancer occurring," explains Khokha. "However, we found that in these particular mice, the stem cells remained consistently high when we measured them at every stage of life."

The team also found that despite large number of stem cells, there was no increased risk of cancer.

"It's generally assumed that the presence of a large number of stem cells can lead to an increased cancer risk," says Khokha. "However, we found these mice had no greater predisposition to cancer."

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Breast cancer research uncovers the fountain of youth

The Fountain of Youth has been discovered and it's not in Florida as Ponce de Leon claimed. Instead, it was found in the mammary glands of genetically modified mice.

A research team led by Professor Rama Khokha has found that when two factors that control tissue development are removed, you can avoid the impact of aging.

Think of tissue as a building that is constantly under renovation. The contractors would be "metalloproteinases," which are constantly working to demolish and reconstruct the tissue. The architects in this case, who are trying to reign in and direct the contractors, are known as "tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases" -- or TIMPs. When the architect and the contractors don't communicate well, a building can fall down. In the case of tissue, the result can be cancer.

To understand how metalloproteinases and TIMPs interact, medical researchers breed mice that have one or more of the four different types of TIMPs removed. Khokha's team examined the different combinations and found that when TIMP1 and TIMP3 were removed, breast tissue remained youthful in aged mice. The results are presented in Nature Cell Biology.

In the normal course of aging, your tissue losses its ability to develop and repair as fast as it did when you were young. That's because stem cells, which are abundant in your youth, decline with the passing of time. The U of T team found that with the TIMP1 and TIMP3 architects missing, the pool of stem cells expanded and remained functional throughout the lifetime of these mice.

"Normally you would see these pools of stem cells, which reach their peak at six months in the mice, start to decline. As a result, the mammary glands start to degenerate, which increases the risk of breast cancer occurring," explains Khokha. "However, we found that in these particular mice, the stem cells remained consistently high when we measured them at every stage of life."

The team also found that despite large number of stem cells, there was no increased risk of cancer.

"It's generally assumed that the presence of a large number of stem cells can lead to an increased cancer risk," says Khokha. "However, we found these mice had no greater predisposition to cancer."

The next step in this research is to understand why this is happening. Khokha is also working with her colleagues at Princess Margaret to see how altered tissue remodeling might prevent cancer development or lead to a new therapeutic treatment for patients.

Khokha is a Professor in the departments of Medical Biophysics and Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, as well as a Senior Scientist at the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre. Her work is supported by the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation and the Canadian Cancer Society Research Institute.

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Fountain of youth uncovered in mammary glands of mice, by breast cancer researchers

11 hours ago We and other mammals have two copies of each gene, and each copy, or 'allele,' was thought to remain physically apart from the other in the cell nucleus. David Spector's team now finds that the alleles of a specific gene, Oct4, can and do pair up in mammalian cells. (Oct4 gene alleles are labeled in green; other DNA is stained blue; cell nuclei are outlined in red). The Oct4 alleles were observed to pair up just as embryonic stem cells differentiated into specific cell types. Credit: Spector Lab, CSHL

Imagine a pair of twins that everyone believed to be estranged, who turn out to be closer than anyone knew. A genetic version of this heartwarming tale might be taking place in our cells. We and other mammals have two copies of each gene, one from each parent. Each copy, or "allele," was thought to remain physically apart from the other in the cell nucleus, but a new study finds that alleles can and do pair up in mammalian cells.

Intriguingly, the pairing of at least one set of alleles has been observed to coincide with a critical time in the life of a stem cell: the moment when it commits to develop into a specific cell type. This process is called differentiation.

In work published today in Cell Stem Cell a team of researchers led by Professor David L. Spector at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) showed that the two alleles of Oct4, a gene important in embryonic stem cells, did not come together randomly, at any time or place, but did so at the developmental point at which stem cells begin their maturation into specific cell types.

Spector, along with Megan Hogan, Ph.D., lead author on the new paper, and colleagues, began by observing the location within the cell nucleus of various genes known to be important in stem cells. "We examined hundreds of cells, and we made the interesting and unexpected finding that the two alleles of the Oct4 gene tended to co-localize together in about 25% of the cells," Spector says. "This was really unexpected, but it's the sort of image that's worth a thousand words."

Examining enough single cells to make sure the team was observing a widespread phenomenon was no easy task. "It was a lot of work, but I think in the end the pictures that come out of it, the stories that we have gotten out if it, makes it worth it," says Hogan, a recent doctoral student in the Spector Lab and now a postdoctoral investigator at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.

To figure out if what they were seeing was physiologically important, the team studied whether they could manipulate the timing of the Oct4 pairing during differentiation. They used different methods to cause the stem cells to differentiate, and found that the more rapidly the cells differentiated, the earlier Oct4 pairing occurred. "This supported the notion that this was a potentially very exciting finding," Spector says.

To confirm that the Oct4 pairing wasn't something that only occurred in tissue culture, the team then looked in mouse embryos. "The pairing was equal to or even a little bit more frequent than in culture, and that was really comforting and extremely convincing to us that there is physiological relevance to this," Spector says.

The team then wanted to figure out whether the Oct4 allelic pairing might play a role in regulating the gene's expression, a process that eventually results in the production of the OCT4 protein. As the Oct4 alleles are not expressed after stem cell differentiation is initiated, their data suggests that Oct4 pairing occurs during the gene's transition from an "on" to an "off" state.

One of the key questions to be answered in future research is why the Oct4 alleles come together. Spector hypothesizes that Oct4, being a key regulator of stem cell differentiation, may have to go through a special step while changing from the "on" to the "off" state.

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Twin copies of gene pair up in embryonic stem cells at critical moment in differentiation

A 17-year old student from Roseville is fighting to stay alive and preparing for a possible double lung transplant but an experimental and very expensive procedure, which is not covered by his insurance, shows more promise for saving his life.

Tina Castillo says her son Myles has been fighting to survive his entire life. As she explains, it started when he was a baby.

"When he was one, he caught virus and it attacked his white blood cells which led to another virus and his blood wasn't holding oxygen," Tina explains.

As Myles' illness progressed, breathing became harder. The family says his lungs are so badly damaged that doctors want to give 17-year-old Myles, who is currently at Children's Hospital, a double lung transplant. That brings the risk of rejection and infection. So Castillo says she found a better way.

The answer is an experimental procedure provided by a Florida medical facility. She says it involves stem cell treatments that help repair damaged lung tissue helping the patient to breath easier.

But it's not FDA approved and that means insurance won't cover it.

"This doctor in Florida is saying he can save my son. What am I supposed to to do?" Tina said. "But it's not FDA approved and insurance doesn't touch it. It's all cash."

So the family started a Fight for Myles GoFundMe Account to help with the $12,000 per treatment medical bill

"I took him for his first one in October due back in April.

The family says the money raised will not only go to finance the medical procedure but medicine that costs hundreds per month.

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Roseville teen fights for life, needs donations for stem cell treatment

With our revolutionary regenerative treatments in Tampa, stem cells have become imperative in many life-changing procedures that provide relief from chronic pain. Stem cell treatments are designed to repair and renew joints, tendons and ligaments by promoting natural regenerative growth factors that aid in the healing process. Conditions that can be treated may be a result of sports injuries, osteoarthritis and other degenerative diseases that can affect mobility and joint strength.

Stem cell treatments in Tampa are not only revolutionary, but they are minimally invasive and non-surgical so you can avoid lengthy and painful rehab that might follow surgical procedures. There is little to no downtime so you waste no time getting back into your daily routine.

To ensure that you are a qualified candidate for regenerative treatments, each patient will undergo a consultation and become informed on the benefits of the procedures and possible risks. Our experienced doctors will inform you on what to expect before, during and after every procedure. The benefits of Tampa stem cell treatments include:

Our Tampa stem cell treatment center provides patients with revolutionary regenerative treatments to help improve their quality of life using innovative procedures. Schedule your consultation by calling us today at 407-771-0404 and learn how stem cell treatments can make a difference in your life.

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Tampa Stem Cells - Stem Cell Therapy | Florida Stem Cell ...

EphA2 protein activity increases aggressive behavior of melanoma cells treated with B-Raf inhibitor drugs

H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute

Moffitt Cancer Center researchers have discovered a mechanism that leads to resistance to targeted therapy in melanoma patients and are investigating strategies to counteract it. Targeted biological therapy can reduce toxicity and improve outcomes for many cancer patients, when compared to the adverse effects of standard chemotherapeutic drugs. However, patients often develop resistance to these targeted therapies, resulting in more aggressive cells that can spread to other sites or cause regrowth of primary tumors.

B-Raf is a protein that is frequently mutated in human cancers, leading to increased tumor cell growth, survival and migration. Drugs that target B-Raf or another protein in the same network called MEK have proved effective in clinical trials. Several B-Raf and MEK inhibitors have been approved with the combination of a B-Raf and a MEK inhibitor being the current standard of care for patients with B-Raf mutant melanoma. However over time many patients become resistant to B-Raf and B-Raf/MEK inhibitor therapy.

Moffitt researchers found that patients who are on B-Raf inhibitor drugs develop more new metastases than patients who are on standard chemotherapy. The researchers wanted to determine how this acquired resistance develops in order to devise better treatment options for patients. They found that melanoma cells that are resistant to B-Raf inhibitors tend to be more aggressive and invasive, thereby allowing the tumor to spread to a new organ site. They used a large screening approach and discovered that this resistance and aggressive behavior was due to high activity of a cell surface protein called EphA2, which is also found on glioblastoma stem cells.

Their study found that simply withdrawing the B-Raf or MEK inhibitor drugs reversed the cells' aggressive behavior. "This suggests that alternate dose scheduling where B-Raf and MEK inhibitors are given to patients intermittently may reduce the aggressiveness of the disease... meaning patients could stay on therapy for more time," said Keiran S. Smalley, Ph.D., scientific director of the Donald A. Adam Comprehensive Melanoma Research Center of Excellence at Moffitt.

The research also showed that targeting EphA2 reduced the aggressive behavior of the melanoma cells. This suggests that drugs that target EphA2 may prevent the development of new disease in patients who receive B-Raf and B-Raf /MEK inhibitor therapy.

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The study was published in the online edition of Cancer Discovery on Dec. 26. It was funded by grants from the National Institutes of Health (R01 CA161107-01 and P50 CA168536-01A1), Melanoma and Sarcoma Groningen Foundation and the Joanna M. Nicolay Melanoma Foundation.

About Moffitt Cancer Center

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Moffitt researchers discover mechanism leading to drug resistance, metastasis in melanoma