Category Archives: Indiana Stem Cells

Jason Meyer, Ph.D., assistant professor of Biology

Research led by a biology professor in the School of Science at IUPUI has uncovered a method to produce retinal cells from regenerative human stem cells without the use of animal products, proteins or other foreign substances, which historically have limited the application of stem cells to treat disease and other human developmental disorders.

The study of human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) has been pursued vigorously since they were first discovered in 2007 due to their ability to be manipulated into specific cell types. Scientists believe these cells hold considerable potential for cell replacement, disease modeling and pharmacological testing. However, clinical applications have been hindered by the fact that, to date, the cells have required animal products and proteins to grow and differentiate.

A research team led by Jason S. Meyer, Ph.D., assistant professor of biology, successfully differentiated hiPSCs in a lab environmentcompletely through chemical methodsto form neural retinal cell types (including photoreceptors and retinal ganglion cells). Tests have shown the cells function and grow just as efficiently as those cells produced through traditional methods.

Not only were we able to develop these (hiPSC) cells into retinal cells, but we were able to do so in a system devoid of any animal cells and proteins, Meyer said. Since these kinds of stem cells can be generated from a patients own cells, there will be nothing the body will recognize as foreign.

In addition, this research should allow scientists to better reproduce these cells because they know exactly what components were included to spur growth and minimize or eliminate any variations, Meyer said. Furthermore, the cells function in a very similar fashion to human embryonic stem cells, but without controversial or immune rejection issues because they are derived from individual patients.

This method could have a considerable impact on the treatment of retinal diseases such as age-related macular degeneration and forms of blindness with hereditary factors, Meyer said. We hope this will help us understand what goes wrong when diseases arise and that we can use this method as platform for the development of new treatments or drug therapies.

Retinal Pigment Epithelial (RPE) cells derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells possess numerous characteristics of native RPE cells when examined by immunocytochemistry.

Were talking about bringing stem cells a significant step closer to clinical use, Meyer added.

Meyer, along with two graduate students, have worked for two years on this research with the help of an Indiana University Collaborative Research Grant and funding from the School of Science at IUPUI and the American Health Assistance Foundation.

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Newswise INDIANAPOLIS -- Researchers have developed a technique to jump-start the body's systems for creating blood vessels, opening the door for potential new treatments for diseases whose impacts include amputation and blindness.

The international team, led by scientists at the Indiana University School of Medicine, is targeting new therapies for illnesses such as peripheral artery disease, a painful leg condition caused by poor blood circulation. The disease can lead to skin problems, gangrene and sometimes amputation.

While the body has cells that specialize in repairing blood vessels and creating new ones, called endothelial colony-forming cells, these cells can lose their ability to proliferate into new blood vessels as patients age or develop diseases like peripheral arterial disease, said Mervin C. Yoder Jr., M.D., Richard and Pauline Klingler Professor of Pediatrics at IU and leader of the research team.

Peripheral artery disease patients can be given medication to improve blood flow, but if the blood vessels to carry that improved flow are reduced in number or function, the benefits are minimal. If "younger," more "enthusiastic" endothelial colony forming cells could be injected into the affected tissues, they might jump-start the process of creating new blood vessels. Gathering those cells would not be easy however -- they are relatively difficult to find in adults, especially in those with peripheral arterial disease. However, they are present in large numbers in umbilical cord blood.

Reporting their work in the journal Nature Biotechnology, the researchers said they had developed a potential therapy through the use of patient-specific induced pluripotent stem cells, which are normal adult cells that have been "coaxed" via laboratory techniques into reverting into the more primitive stem cells that can produce most types of bodily tissue. So, in one of the significant discoveries reported in the Nature Biotechnology paper, the research team developed a novel methodology to mature the induced pluripotent stem cells into cells with the characteristics of the endothelial colony-forming cells that are found in umbilical cord blood. Those laboratory-created endothelial colony-forming cells were injected into mice, where they were able to proliferate into human blood vessels and restore blood flow to damaged tissues in mouse retinas and limbs.

Overcoming another hurdle that has been faced by scientists in the field, the research team found that the cord-blood-like endothelial colony-forming cells grown in laboratory tissue culture expanded dramatically, creating 100 million new cells for each original cell in a little less than three months.

"This is one of the first studies using induced pluripotent stem cells that has been able to produce new cells in clinically relevant numbers -- enough to enable a clinical trial," Dr. Yoder said. The next steps, he said, include reaching an agreement with a facility approved to produce cells for use in human testing. In addition to peripheral artery disease, the researchers are evaluating the potential uses of the derived cells to treat diseases of the eye and lungs that involve blood flow problems.

A short video explaining the research is available here: http://youtu.be/nyPk_5bLdzs

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Researchers Develop New Cells Meant to Form Blood Vessels, Treat Peripheral Artery Disease

Bone marrow and stem cell transplants are treatments for relatively rare cancers of the blood that generally require aggressive treatment. These transplants give you new marrow in a process similar to a blood transfusion.

Bone marrow is a liquid tissue, found inside bones, that produces blood cells. Stem cells are immature blood-producing cells found mostly in marrow. The blood cells they produce include oxygen-carrying red blood cells, infection-fighting white blood cells, and platelets, which enable blood to clot.

Bone marrow transplantation has been used as therapy for several potentially fatal blood disorders since 1968. Physicians at Indiana University Health Melvin and Bren Simon Cancer Center use bone marrow transplant to treat patients with:

Autologous transplant uses your own stem cells. We use this method for:

Allogeneic transplant uses stem cells from a donor. We use this method for:

The bone marrow and stem cell transplant team provides care for both adults and children. Over the past ten years, we have treated more than 1400 cases of multiple myeloma (a cancer of the marrow that also attacks the surrounding bone). We are experts in diagnosis of bone marrow-related cancers and in the use of bone marrow and stem cell transplants.

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In preparation for bone marrow transplant, we use chemotherapy alone, or a combination of chemotherapy with high doses of radiation, to destroy cancerous cells. Unfortunately, these methods also destroy healthy cells, including those in the bone marrow, which may cause side effects. Side effects often get better or go away after chemotherapy is over.

Once it is determined that this preparatory treatment is complete, new stem cells are transplanted in the bones. These stem cells mature into healthy marrow, which again produces healthy blood cells.

Stem cells used in the bone marrow transplant procedure typically come from one of two sources: your own marrow (autologous) and a donors marrow (allogeneic).

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Bone Marrow and Stem Cell Transplant Treatment | Simon ...

What is a Stem Cell? What are autologous adult stem cells? How do adult stem cells work? What conditions are most helped by Stem Cell Therapy? Are there any known side effects to Adult Stem Cell Therapy? How long is the procedure? How long will it be before I see results? Is the procedure FDA approved? Are there any moral issues associated with Adult Stem Cell Therapy? Where is the best source of stem cells for therapy and treatment? Do you offer Bone Marrow Harvesting? What is Regenerative Medicine? Can Stem Cells Cause Cancer? Can Stem Cells Be Used in Patients that have or have had Cancer? How are Stem Cells Administered to the Patient? What claims are you currently making about what stem cell therapy can do for you? Is anything added to the stem cells? Does a patient have to participate in an IRB study and does a patient have to qualify for the IRB study to get treatment? What is a Stem Cell?

Stem cells are unspecialized cells but can give rise to almost any type of specialized cell in the human body. The environment in which the stem cell finds itself determines what kind of specialized cell the stem cell will become. In the example of placing the stem cells inside of a disc, they turn into cells that will rebuild the disc. PM&R Associates uses adult stem cells that only have the ability to turn into tissues such as cartilage and connective tissue as is found in spinal discs and joints, tendons, muscle, and ligaments. All of these tissues can be repaired with stem cells and to a lesser extent platelets. The cells are taken from your own body and used for treatment the same day, so there is no risk of rejection or disease transmission. These procedures are performed in our clinic, under conscious sedation and local anesthesia. This procedure is not currently covered by any insurance company. Most patients are helped by injecting a chondroitin and glucosamine mixture into the disc. This procedure is covered if an insurance company covers a discogram procedure. The results are dependent on there being live disc cells inside the disc

Autologous adult stem cells are derived from the same individuals body. Adult stem cells are undifferentiated cells, found throughout the body after development and do not have many of the properties of embryonic stem cells that, as the name implies, come from the embryo. Although adult stem cells can form other cells, they cannot form a new person and are not associated with the kind of cancers associated with embryonic stem cells. Stem cells are the fundamental elements of life that can be found in all tissues of the body: connective tissues, muscle tissues, nervous tissues, and epithelial tissues. In living tissue, adipose (fat) tissue has the highest concentration of stem cells and can produce billions of cells that will repair, replenish, and rejuvenate ones body immediately.

Adult stem cells are undifferentiated cells, found throughout the human body, that form after growth & development. The main purpose of adult stem cells is to use cell division to repair and replace dying cells in order to regenerate damaged tissue. Once adult stem cells are administered to the body, they respond to inflammatory signals secreted by damaged cells.

Although many clinics use stem cells to treat a wide variety of systemic conditions, at PM&R Associates we only treat musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions. These are primarily degenerative disc disease and osteoarthritis. Other MSK conditions would also respond, but usually less costly alternatives exist.

Side effects from stem cell therapy are related to the harvesting of the tissues that provide the stem cells and the procedure itself, not the stem cells. This is true as long as all of the blood cells are removed from the stem cells because the blood cells produce the pain associated with stem cell therapy. All of the cells can be removed from adipose derived stem cells but not from bone marrow derived stem cells.

Both the liposuction and bone marrow aspiration take about 30 minutes. Processing the adipose tissue takes about 40 minutes and the disc injection procedure takes between 30 and 45 minutes. A joint injection takes only a few minutes. You will be in the clinic about 2 hours, but we ask you to plan 3 hours in case there are unforeseen problems.

Stem cells are a biologic treatment. It takes time for the biologic response to take effect, so the longer you wait, the better the result. We do not expect to see significant results before two months.

No stem cell therapy is FDA approved, even the use of stem cells to treat certain forms of cancer. The FDA has decided that they will not interfere as long as the stem cells are not altered and are used the same day. Not altered means the stem cells cannot be cultured to increase their numbers. By using adipose (fat) tissue as the source, enough stem cells are obtained so that culturing is not necessary.

The controversies associated with stem cell therapy are associated with embryonic stem cells. Stem Cells used during treatment come from your own body. PM&R Associates does not harvest embryonic stem cells and is therefore not related to any controversial debates.

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Spinal Stem Cell Treatment IN | Spinal Pain Treatment IN ...

The Indiana university system consists of eight regional campuses offering undergraduate, graduate, and professional programs in a variety of academic disciplines including medicine, biology, engineering, math, and physical sciences. Although the flagship undergraduate university campus is located in Bloomington, the medical school and medical research is located in Indianapolis. In agreement with Indianas law regarding stem cell research, Indiana Universitys stem cell research focuses on adult-source stem cells.

In 2007 the Indiana legislature approved the establishment of, and appropriated $50,000 for, an Adult Stem Cell Research Center at Indiana University. The legislature gave the Indiana University School of Medicine approval to administer the center, including appointing a director and accepting income from donations, gifts, and so on, to be used to support the centers activities. The center will be tasked with providing an assessment of the status and future of adult stem cell research and with devising a strategy for Indiana University to attract and retain adult stem cell research scientists.

The Indiana University School of Medicine was established in 1903 and has established itself as a research center for both basic and clinical research. A highlight in its adult stem cell research includes an early clinical trial using stem cell injections for treating peripheral artery disease (clogging atherosclerosis and hardening of arteries) to demonstrate the safety of using stem cells for blood vessel growth and wound healing, as the stem cells/progenitor cells targeted the lining of the blood vessel. With additional research, the team hopes to find a therapy to restore adequate stem cells in patients with heart disease or at risk for heart disease so that the body will be able to repair or replace damaged blood vessels and prevent the progression of heart disease.

Using a patients own stem cells from bone marrow could reduce the complications associated with such a transplant. Research is currently focused on the regeneration of limbs/digits, cardiovascular system, musculoskeletal system, neural/endocrine system, biomaterials and chemical biology, bioinfor-matics and systems biology, and cancer.

The Melvin and Bren Simon Cancer Center, founded in 1992 and renamed in 2006, part of the School of Medicine. The center provides patient care, education, and research opportunities. Research is focused on improving cancer care with gene therapy trials for testicular cancer, brain tumors, genetic diseases, and other disorders.

The Center for Regenerative Biology and Medicine was established in 2001 through a grant from the state of Indianas 21st Century Research and Technology Fund. It is a multidisciplinary collaboration between the universitys School of Science and the School of Medicine. The centers research is coordinated through multiple academic disciplines, including the basic science behind the development of cells/tissue/organs and the regeneration capabilities of plants and animals for translation into human clinical therapies to repair damaged or diseased tissue.

The center has nine organized research programs: regeneration of appendages, blood, heart, musculoskeletal, neural, endocrine, plant, and cancer, as well as the basic science of biomaterials and chemical biology and of bioinformatics and systems biology, and a focus on bioethical issues associated with the field of regenerative science and medicine.

In addition to research, the center offers graduate-level education leading to masters and doctoral degrees in regenerative biology and medicine with a cross-discipline approach.

The Emerging Technology Center helps researchers translate basic science innovations into clinical/commercial applications by assisting with new business development, including developing business plans and arranging financing.

One example of the centers success is EndGeni-tor Technologies, founded by two physicians at the Indiana University School of Medicine, who discovered endothelial stem cells/progenitor cells by comparing adult blood cells with infant umbilical cords to create cell therapy products for treating extremities circulation problems/heart disease and problems with blood vessels and circulation, as well as for treating chronic problems associated with aging. The physicians are owners in the company and continued to teach at the university after hiring a chief executive officer and support staff.

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Indiana University (Stem Cell) - what-when-how

At the Indiana Stem Cell Treatment Center, we provide care for people suffering from diseases that may be alleviated by access to adult stem cell based regenerative treatment. The Center utilizes a fat transfer surgical technology to isolate and implant the patients own stem cells from a small quantity of fat harvested by liposuction on the same day. Patients are evaluated by a respective member of our multi-specialty expert panel of Board Certified physicians representing many medical fields. The Indiana Stem Cell Treatment Center emphasizes quality and is highly committed to clinical research and the advancement of regenerative medicine.

Founded in 2010 for the investigational use of stem cells deployments for degenerative conditions, the source of the cells is actually stromal vascular fraction, which is a protein rich segment of processed adipose tissue. Stromal vascular fraction contains a mononuclear cell line (predominantly autologous mesenchymal stem cells), macrophage cells, endothelial cells, red blood cells, and important growth factors that turn on the stem cells and promote their activity. We have high numbers of viable cells and we are trying to learn which diseases respond best and which deployment methods are most effective. We are growing and continue to use our surgical methods to deploy SVF for various degenerative conditions. We employ a clinical research coordinator to protect our valuable data and our vision is to perfect our treatments and ultimately teach them to other physicians around the world.

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Indiana Stem Cell Treatment Center

PM&R Associates is a clinic dedicated to the treatment of the spine, joints, muscles, ligaments and tendons. Our Medical Director, R. K. Silbert, M.D., has been in practice since 1974 and among other positions has been the Director of the Spinal Injury Program at Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis and has been the Medical Director of the Rehabilitation Hospital of Indianapolis. All procedures are done on site which avoids the excessive fees charged by hospitals and ambulatory surgery centers (ASC).

PM&R Associates provides both traditional and cutting-edge medical treatment for a wide variety of spine, muscle, tendon, ligament and joint conditions. Cutting edge treatments include the use of platelets (PRP) and both fat and bone marrow derived stem cells, taken from your body, to facilitate your body to heal itself.

Our specialty is the difficult to treat patient. We use the most up-to-date treatments not often seen in similar clinics including stem cell treatment, platelet rich plasma (PRP) injections, and prolotherapy.

We are located on the westside of Indianapolis at: 6640 Parkdale Place, Suite R Indianapolis, In 46254 Phone: 317-290-2000

Normal office hours are between 8:00 am and 5:00 pm Monday through Thursday. The office is closed daily between noon and 1:00 pm and Friday through Sunday. We are closed New Years Day, Memorial Day, Fourth of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, and two days at Christmas.

Phone Hours are between 8:30 am to 4:30 pm Monday through Thursday. The phones are not answered between noon and 1:00 pm.

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