Category Archives: Missouri Stem Cells

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Researchers tested an implant containing human stem cells that had been engineered to produce a protein called secreted alkaline phosphatase.

A system that uses brain activity to switch on genes with light could give new meaning to the phrase 'mind over matter'. The set-up, which was tested in mice, might one day allow human patients to pre-empt pain or seizures by recognizing brain activity that signals the onset of these phenomena and intervening to stop them.

The findings, reported on 11 November in Nature Communications1, are another advance in the burgeoning field of optogenetics, which uses light to control the activity of genes. But whereas many experimental systems still require an outside power source, the team led by Martin Fussenegger, a bioengineer at ETH Zurich in Switzerland, used the brain's own electricity picked up by means of electroencephalography (EEG) to provide power through a daisy-chain of signals.

Fussenegger and his colleagues first created a small, implantable cartridge containing human stem cells that had been engineered to produce a protein, called secreted alkaline phosphatase (SEAP), when the cells were exposed to a beam of near-infrared light. The researchers then put this cartridge under the skin of a mouse, along with a near-infrared light-emitting diode (LED).

Next, the team programmed a computer to receive and recognize brain-activity patterns from volunteers wearing an EEG headset. When the computer recognized a particular predetermined pattern, such as that caused by meditation, it switched on an electrical-field generator. The electrical current passed into the mouse, which was sitting on the generator, and powered up its implanted LED. The light caused the implanted cells to begin producing SEAP, which passed through the cartridge and into the mouses bloodstream.

Fussenegger says that human trials of this system are a very long way off. For instance, the researchers would first need to show that the stem cells do not harm the brain and find a way to control the amount of protein that the cells produce in response to the light. But he has thought of numerous possible applications for a device that can respond so rapidly to brain signals. For instance, the device could be programmed to respond to the EEG patterns that predict a seizure and prevent it by delivering a drug to the brain.

This is super innovative and very exciting, says neuroscientist Michael Bruchas of Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri. You can go from biology to electronics back to biology; I think thats powerful. He agrees that human trials are far off, but suggests that the device could also be implanted in many areas of the body, such as the gut, and be controlled by EEG patterns.

Others question how useful the system is, given the limitations of current technology and scientific knowledge. Medical ethicist Joseph Fins at Weill Cornell Medical College in New York City calls the experiment a beautiful marriage of optogenetics and the conception of a braincomputer interface. But he says that there is so much work left to be done, mapping the circuits of the brain and developing computer programs to interpret EEG signals, that talking about potential therapies is premature.

Still, Fins says, a device that can recognize and respond to certain brain signatures would be useful for patients with locked-in syndrome who rely on others for their care. EEG patterns that indicate pain, for instance, could be linked to the delivery of a painkiller. If they had some measure of control, it would be a wonderful thing, he says.

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Human brainwaves light up mouse genes

Missouri Constitutional Amendment 2 (The Missouri Stem Cell Research and Cures Initiative) is a state constitutional amendment initiative that concerns stem cell research and human cloning in Missouri. It would allow any stem cell research and therapy in Missouri that is legal under federal law, including somatic cell nuclear transfer to produce human embryos for stem cell production; it prohibits cloning or attempting to clone a human being, which is defined to mean "to implant in a uterus or attempt to implant in a uterus anything other than the product of fertilization of an egg of a human female by a sperm of a human male for the purpose of initiating a pregnancy that could result in the creation of a human fetus, or the birth of a human being."[1] It appeared on the ballot for the November 2006 general election and passed with 51% of the votes. This issue became especially intertwined with the Senate election with the Republican and Democratic candidates on opposite sides of the issue.

The organization that led the movement to get the initiative on the ballot and later supported its adoption is called The Missouri Coalition for Lifesaving Cures. The measure was proposed to stop repeated attempts by the Missouri Legislature to ban certain types of stem cell research, namely SCNT. During the 2006 election, Claire McCaskill, the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate, supported the measure. McCaskill unseated Senator Jim Talent, who opposed the measure, the same night that the amendment passed.

During the 2006 World Series, which was partially held in St. Louis, a television ad featuring actor Michael J. Fox aired. While Fox was by name supporting McCaskill, and the ad was paid for by McCaskill's campaign, the primary reason Fox gave for his support was that McCaskill supported stem cell research. The advertisement was controversial because Fox was visibly suffering tremors, the most visible symptom of the side effects of the medications used to treat Parkinson's Syndrome. Rush Limbaugh, a conservative radio host, criticized Fox for allowing himself to have been used by special interests supporting the measure. Limbaugh criticized the uncontrollable movements that Fox made in the commercial, and claimed that it was Fox had either deliberately stopped taking his medication or was feigning his tremors.

The coalition organization that led the opposition to the initiative was called Missourians Against Human Cloning. It was supported by Life Communications Fund that created a series of "vote no" ads for television, radio and print after conducting research to determine high targeted messaging. Earlier in the campaign the Vitae Foundation,known for their non-confrontational,research based pro-life media, ran a series of educational ads to cause a greater understanding of the differences between adult and embryonic stem cell research. The very effective research based ads brought about a 40% shift to their favor. That shift helped pave the way for the coalition organizations to move the Missouri electorate to voting against the embryonic stem cell measure. Jim Talent, an incumbent Republican US Senator facing re-election, was one of several candidates opposed to Amendment 2.

Those opposed to the Amendment also include many who disagreed with wording in the amendment. They argued that the measure does not actually ban human cloning, but merely the attempt to implant cloned embryos into a human uterus. This has caused some people who are opposed to human cloning to be opposed to the Amendment. Some believe that the Amendment actually redefines human cloning from the commonly accepted scientific definition. Some opponents also believe that the Amendment includes vague language that could be interpreted by courts to make government funding of embryonic stem cell research a constitutional right (particularly the language in major sections 5 and 7 of the full-text of the Amendment link listed in "External Links"). Other opponents felt that this type of legislation is best handled through the legislative process carried out by the elected officials rather than by amending the state Constitution. Finally, stem cell research was legal in Missouri prior to the passing of the amendment.

In rebuttal to the Michael J. Fox advertisement (which never directly mentioned Amendment 2), a Life Communications television ad with several celebrities appeared in opposition to the measure. At least three of the celebrities opposed the measure for religious reasons: Kurt Warner, former St. Louis Rams quarterback; Kansas City Royals baseball player Mike Sweeney, and James Caviezel, who played Jesus in The Passion of the Christ speaking apparently Aramaic in the spot. Patricia Heaton from Everybody Loves Raymond appeared on grounds that low-income women would be exploited for their eggs. Jeff Suppan, a pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals also appeared in opposition to the amendment.[2]

As election day drew near, public support seemed to be shifting away from Amendment 2. Polls had shown support as high as 68% in favor of the Amendment in December 2005.[3] As of October 29, 2006. Support had fallen to just 51% with 35% opposed.[4] Life Communications Fund was responsible for nearly all of broadcast media opposing Amendment 2. Post election polling by John McLaughlin and Associates, showed that a majority of those who voted "No" got their information from television.

On November 7, 2006, Amendment 2 passed with a margin of 2.4% (50,800 votes). The final tally of votes ended in 51.2% for yes and 48.8% for no.[5] The measure failed in 97 of the 114 counties in the state but picked up enough votes in St. Louis, Kansas City, and Columbia (and their surrounding counties) to pass statewide. Due to the very close vote that made it virtually impossible to recruit researchers to come to Missoui, Stowers Institute for Medical Research canceled plans for a major expansion in Kansas City [which was the motivation for the ballot initiative on their part], calling the political climate in Missouri too hostile for investment.[6]

The very expensive effort broke every record on political spending for statewide races in Missouri.[7]

Read more:
Missouri Constitutional Amendment 2 (2006) - Wikipedia ...

Increased healing potential Decreased pain Increased function Quicker recovery time Decreased time away from sport or daily activities

Most individuals can return to their normal activities after 72 hours. The length of time it takes to return to sports is dependent on the patient and site of injury, but averages 2 weeks.

For active adults, the goal is to get you back to your normal daily activities without pain. Some of the most common conditions faced by the active adult can be treated with biologic grafting:

Even if you have been told you have "bone-on-bone" arthritis, our treatments often help to prevent you from having to undergo total joint replacement surgery or joint fusion! We cannot "cure" arthritis but we can improve pain and function tremendously - the success depends upon the site and severity. The doctor will discuss your potential at your initial visit.

For competitive athletes, regenerative therapy can get you back to your sport more rapidly than traditional treatments. Some of the most common sports injuries that can be treated with biologic grafting include:

The benefits of regenerative therapy for adolescents are to correct the effects of rapid growth and repair sports-related injuries. Children start organized sports much earlier today than in previous generations. Many injuries that children experience can be due to over-stressing growing or immature tissue. Stresses put on the body at a young age can cause many soft tissue injuries to manifest, such as:

These common injuries in adolescents can successfully be treated with biologic grafting.

At Blue Tail Medical Group, we perform three types of regenerative therapies, including:

These biologic grafts are utilized to improve pain and function from various acute and chronic injuries to muscles, tendons, ligaments, bones, cartilage and nerve tissue. Regenerative therapies can treat pain that occurs in the spine, shoulders, elbows, wrist, hand, hip, knee, lower leg, ankle, feet and toes.

The body heals naturally through inflammation. When an injury occurs, platelets are the bodys first responders and they set off a healing cascade. If all goes well, this cascade leads to the regeneration of normal functioning, non-painful tissue.

Originally posted here:
PRP Therapy, Adult Stem Cell Therapy, Regenerative ...

Dec. 01, 2011

Story Contact(s): MU News Bureau, munewsbureau@missouri.edu, 573-882-6211

VIDEO: Adult Stem Cells Use Special Pathways To Repair Damaged Muscle, MU Researchers Find

This video is available for broadcast quality download and re-use. For more information, contact Nathan Hurst: hurstn@missouri.edu

COLUMBIA, Mo. When a muscle is damaged, dormant adult stem cells called satellite cells are signaled to wake up and contribute to repairing the muscle. University of Missouri researchers recently found how even distant satellite cells could help with the repair, and are now learning how the stem cells travel within the tissue. This knowledge could ultimately help doctors more effectively treat muscle disorders such as muscular dystrophy, in which the muscle is easily damaged and the patients satellite cells have lost the ability to repair.

When your muscles are injured, they send out a mayday for satellite cells to come and fix them, and those cells know where to go to make more muscle cells, and eventually new muscle tissue, said D Cornelison, an associate professor of biological sciences in the College of Arts and Science and a researcher in the Bond Life Sciences Center. There is currently no effective satellite cell-based therapy for muscular dystrophy in humans. One problem with current treatments is that it requires 100 stem cell injections per square centimeter, and up to 4,000 injections in a single muscle for the patient, because the stem cells dont seem to be able to spread out very far. If we can learn how normal, healthy satellite cells are able to travel around in the muscles, clinical researchers might use that information to change how injected cells act and improve the efficiency of the treatment.

In a new study, researchers in Cornelisons lab used time-lapse microscopy to follow the movement of the satellite cells over narrow stripes of different proteins painted onto the glass slide. The researchers found that several versions of a protein called ephrin had the same effect on satellite cells: the cells that touch stripes made of ephrin immediately turn around and travel in a new direction.

The stem cell movement is similar to the way a person would act if asked to walk blindfolded down a hallway. They would feel for the walls, Cornelison said. Because the long, parallel muscle fibers carry these ephrin proteins on their surface, ephrin might be helping satellite cells move in a straighter line towards a distant mayday signal.

If researchers gave the satellite cells the signals to differentiate and form muscle fibers in culture, the group also found that they could use stripes of ephrins to get them to arrange themselves in parallel, the way muscle fibers always do in living beings, but have never been persuaded to do in a culture dish. This leads researchers to think that ephrins might actually be regulating several of the different steps that are needed to get from a population of stem cells spread out all over the muscle, to an organized and patterned new muscle fiber.

We are really excited about the potential of these findings to explain a lot of things that were puzzling about the way satellite cells behave in healthy muscle, compared to a muscular dystrophy patients own cells, or cells that have been injected therapeutically, Cornelison said. If were really lucky, we could find something that could make a difference in these kids lives, and thats what we want the most.

Originally posted here:
MU News Bureau | MU News Bureau - University of Missouri

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Getting Started With Your Stem Cell Therapy and Treatments Here at World Stem Cells LLC we try to make the process of receiving stem cell transplants as easy as possible. We will help you figure out what your needs are and help you reach your goals as fast as possible. Follow the steps below on what to do.

Option 1 1.) Go to any page on our website and fill out the contact form. 2.) Fill in the required information and select the condition you would like to treat with stem cell therapy. 3.) Be sure to include any special information in the comments section. 4.) Click the submit button and we will contact you in a timely manner. 5.) Thats it, youre done!!!

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Option 2

Call 800-234-1693 and speak with a representative regarding your stem cell therapy needs and requirements.

Follow this link:

Missouri Stem Cell Treatments | Stem Cell Treatments

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PRE-EMINENT RIGHT ISSUE

Steven Rogers JD Conception Seminary College Conception Abbey, MO May 2006

Issue Stated: The Missouri Embryonic Stem Cell Research Initiative seeks to create a pre-eminent constitutional right. This right shall operate above and apart from the normal checks and balances of power. The right-to-be-created shall operate apart from any law, rule or regulation, court review or act by any law enforcement authority. That is, above the power of the legislature, the judiciary and the executive branch at any level of state government.

Prefatory Note: To avoid any confusion, documents are quoted in black. The quoted language is as exactly written on the cited document. Editorial commentary and explanation of the cited documents are cited in blue ink. Excerpts are complete and accurate. All emphasis is added.

No court has addressed these issues. They were not raised in the prior litigation. For the reasons shown below, if the amendment passes, such matters will never be contestable. The proposed language, if enacted as a constitutional amendment, will deny any attack on the amendment but for a subsequent constitutional amendment.

Document 1: LANGUAGE FROM THE PROPOSED INITIATIVE:

2.(7) All stem cell research and all stem cell therapies and cures must be conducted and provided in accordance with state and local laws of general applicability, including but not limited to laws concerning scientific and medical practices and patient safety and privacy, to the extent that any such laws do not (i) prevent, restrict, obstruct, or discourage any stem cell research or stem cell therapies and cures that are permitted by the provisions of this section other than this subdivision (7) to be conducted or provided, or (ii) create disincentives for any person to engage in or otherwise associate with such research or therapies and cures.

7. The provisions of this section and of all state and local laws, regulations, rules, charters, ordinances, and other governmental actions shall be construed in favor of the conduct of stem cell research and the provision of stem cell therapies and cures. No state or local law, regulation, rule, charter, ordinance, or other governmental action shall (i) prevent, restrict, obstruct, or discourage any stem cell research or stem cell therapies and cures that are permitted by this section to be conducted or provided, or (ii) create disincentives for any person to engage in or otherwise associate with such research or therapies and cures.

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The Missouri Embryonic Stem Cell Research Initiative

President Bushs Embryonic Stem Cell Policy

In August of 2001, President Bush established a federal policy on embryonic stem cell research. You are probably confused and believed, as many did, that President Bush cut off federal funding for embryonic stem cell research.

The facts are that the Bush policy allowed federal funds to be used for research on existing stem cell lines derived from embryos that had already been destroyed before August of 2001. The policy did not allow federal funds to be used to destroy more living human embryos.

President Bush and the previous Congress committed hundreds of millions of dollars to ethical adult stem cell research and to establish cord blood banks.

President Obama's Embryonic Stem Cell Policy

By Executive Order, President Obama overturned the Bush policy in 2009, allowing federal tax dollars to be used to destroy living human embryos. It remains to be seen if the Obama administration will commit dollars to ethical research using adult stem cells and iPS cells.

Missouri Stem Cell Policy

The Missouri constitution now prevents the Legislature and local officials from regulating or preventing unethical research on human beings at the embryonic stage that is related to embryonic stem cell research. Amendment 2, adopted in 2006, even overrides some elementary protections that were already in the law, such as the one against using the unborn for research after abortion, if the research is related to embryonic stem cell experiments.

Proponents of cloning and destroying embryonic human beings to obtain their stem cells have also persuaded the Legislature to provide your tax money, through certain appropriations and economic development legislation, for broad categories of research that can include cloning and embryonic stem cell research. Under current law, it is going to be a yearly battle to keep taxpayer money from funding cloning and unethical stem cell research. Not one effective treatment for any disease or condition has resulted from these expenses or from similar privately-funded efforts.

On the other hand, Missouri also supports cord-blood banks at St. Louis University and other locations that can be used for ethical and effective research using adult stem cells. Missouri Right to Life strongly supports ethical research like this that harms no one, young or old.

Read more:

Laws Governing Stem Cell Research - Missouri Right to Life

The superintendent of Catholic Schools and Elder High Schools principal took part in the 'ice bucket challenge' on Thursday, but the money is going to a different organization that's fighting Lou Gehrig's disease.

Officials said the Archdiocese sent out a statement discouraging Catholics from participating because the challenge benefits the ALS Association, which uses embryonic stem cell research.

Watch this story

The association has raised $41.8 million in donations since videos of the ice-bucket stunt began appearing on the Internet July 29, up from $2.1 million over the same period last year.

Archdiocese of Cincinnati spokesman Dan Andriacco said the challenge itself is fine, but money sent to the association funds at least one study using embryonic stem cells. An embryo must be destroyed to harvest its stem cells, and many Catholics relate that to abortion.

"We certainly appreciate the compassion that has caused people all over the country, certainly including many Catholics, to be interacting and engaging in a fun way to support ALS research,"Andriacco said Thursday. "But it's a well-established moral principle that not only the ends be good, but the means must be good, too."

Instead, the money raised from Thursdays challenge will go toward the John Paul the Second Medical Research Institute, which only conducts research on adult stem cells.

We stand here in support of and to raise awareness for those whos lives have been touched by this devastating condition, ALS, Catholic school superintendent Jim Riggs said before being doused with ice water.

AP: Diplomats banned from challenge due to ethics issues

Don Clemmer, a spokesman for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, said that the group views the Cincinnati diocese's actions as "a local matter" and that his organization has not issued any directives to its bishops discouraging donations to the ALS Association.

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Catholic school officials partake in ALS challenge despite warning