Category Archives: Stem Cell Therapy

Dr. Paul A. Dreschnack Offers New Options for Those With Hair Loss.

New York City, NY (PRWEB) November 29, 2012

Baldness can cause social anxiety, depression and many other emotional and psychological conditions. The solutions currently being offered such as transplants and pharmaceuticals can be uncomfortable or may compromise other aspects of the patients health, explains Dr. Dreschnack. In my work around the world, I strive to find ways for people to look good and feel well so that they are able to enjoy their lives fully. Stem Cell Therapy seems to be a new frontier that may be a way for patients to improve their quality of life.

Dr. Dreschnack is a four-time Nobel Prize Nominee for his work with The India Project. He has traveled internationally, helping patients who need plastic, cosmetic and reconstructive surgery. He is now working with Dr. Kamau Kokayi, Medical Director of the New York Stem Cell Treatment Center (NYSCTC) at Patients Medical.

We are excited that Dr. Dreschnack is joining our Stem Cell Research Team, says Dr. Kokayi.

Dr. Dreschnack has been the recipient of numerous awards including the Distinguished Surgeon Award from the Association of Operating Room Nurses, a 2002 Rose Model Award from the Young Leadership Council. He has been nominated for the The Raoul Wallenberg Medal, celebrating people who embody humanitarian ideals. He has also established himself as an academician, reviewing articles for the American Journal of Cosmetic Surgery, serving as Clinical Instructor at LSU School of Medicine/Department of Surgery and SUNY Health Science Center in Brooklyn. Dr. Dreschnack has also given presentations for the American Society for Surgery of the Hand and has been published in Medforum.com, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery and the Proceedings of the American Association for Hand Surgery.

People interested in receiving plastic, cosmetic and reconstructive surgery at Patients Medical with Dr. Paul A. Dreschnack can inquire directly with Patients Medical for rates, a complete list of services and fees. Those interested in participating in the Stem Cell Therapy Clinical Trial may apply online at http://www.patientsmedical.com/stem-cell-therapy/registration-form.aspx

About Patients Medical

Patients Medical (http://www.patientsmedical.com) is a unique integrative medicine center in Manhattan that combines the best of traditional and holistic medicine with modern technology to provide comprehensive care. Established in 1974, the center employs a multi-specialty staff using leading-edge treatment protocols such as Stem Cell Therapy, Ultraviolet Blood Irradiation, Nutrient IV Therapy, Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy and more. The practice specializes in diagnosing the root cause of an ailment, then healing the whole person with personalized protocols that draw upon both Eastern and Western medicine.

Megan Franzen Patients Medical 212-679-9667 111 Email Information

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Nobel Prize Nominee Plastic Surgeon Joins Patients Medical’s Stem Cell Research Team

Released: 11/28/2012 3:45 PM EST Source: Mayo Clinic Expert Available

Newswise ROCHESTER, Minn. -- Next week, more than 1,200 people from 25 countries are expected to attend the 8th Annual World Stem Cell Summit in West Palm Beach, Fla., a gathering co-sponsored by Mayo Clinic. As those close to the science explore potential stem cell applications, many patients have questions about what stem cells are and how they are being used. Timothy Nelson, M.D., Ph.D., director of Mayo Clinics Regenerative Medicine Consult Service, answers some of the most commonly asked questions about stem cells:

MULTIMEDIA ALERT: Multimedia resources, including a Medical Edge package, are available for journalists to download on the Mayo Clinic News Network.

What are stem cells? Stem cells are the bodys raw materials. These cells have the ability to renew themselves or change to become specialized cells with a more specific function, such as blood cells, brain cells, heart muscle or bone.

Where do stem cells come from? Adult stem cells are found in tissues of the body, such as bone marrow. Emerging evidence suggests that adult stem cells may be more versatile than previously thought and have the ability to create other types of cells. Amniotic fluid stem cells come from the liquid that surrounds a developing fetus in the amniotic sac. More study of amniotic fluid stem cells is needed to understand their potential. Embryonic stem cells are a general stem cell found in embryos. Use of this type of stem cell has significantly declined due to the discovery of induced pluripotent stem cells. Induced pluripotent stem cells, commonly known as iPS cells, are derived from an adult stem cell that behaves like an embryonic stem cell. This new technique may help researchers avoid the controversy that comes with embryonic stem cells and prevent immune system rejection of the new stem cells. Mesenchymal stem cells are adult stem cells found in tissues such as bone marrow, blood and the fallopian tube. They can become bone, cartilage, fat and possibly other cells.

How are stem cells being used to treat diseases? Stem cell transplants, also known as bone marrow transplants, have been performed in the United States since the late 1960s. These transplants use adult stem cells.

Thanks to new technology, researchers are exploring the use of stem cells to treat a range of conditions. For example, teams at Mayo Clinic are investigating the use of adult stem cells to delay or eliminate the need for some hip replacements.

Adult stem cells are being tested to treat degenerative diseases such as heart failure. Stem cells from umbilical cord blood have been successfully used in clinical trials to treat cancer and blood-related diseases.

What does the future hold for stem cell therapy? The use of adult stem cells continues to be refined and improved. Researchers are discovering that these cells may be more versatile than originally thought, which means they may be able to treat a wider variety of diseases, such as diabetes; heart, liver and lung diseases; neurological and bone disorders; hand, face and other injuries; and congenital anomalies.

Dr. Nelson and other Mayo Clinic experts are available to discuss current research and the development of new stem cell therapies.

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Stem Cell 101: Mayo Clinic Expert Answers Commonly Asked Questions

A panel at the Harvard Law School Wednesday discussed the ethical debate over the use of embryonic stem cells in the United States, focusing on the burgeoning controversy surrounding the role of stem cell therapy in medical tourism.

Medical tourism, in which patients travel internationally to gain access to specific health care services, has become increasingly common, panelists said. They said that reasons for medical tourism range from basic hip replacement surgery to black market organ sales. As most stem cell therapies are not approved in the United States, numerous patients are going abroad to countries like China and Russia where treatment is legal.

Panelist I. Glenn Cohen, an assistant professor at the Law School, said that it was probable that a Chinese stem cell facility performs several hundred thousand of these treatments yearly. He said that numerous celebrities, including football quarterback Peyton Manning, have reportedly traveled abroad to receive stem cell treatment not approved by the FDA.

A number of facilities claim to use stem cells to cure a wide array of diseases. University of Alberta law professor Timothy Caulfield, another panelist, pointed out that a simple Google search leads potential patients to a plethora of websites which claim that diseases such as autism and cancer can be cured through stem cell therapy.

Its being offered as routine, its being offered as safe, its being offered as effective, Caulfield said, citing his own 2008 study on the subject, Of course, none of them being offered matched what the scientific literature said.

According to American history professor Jill Lepore, the hyper-acceleration of enthusiasm for stem cell therapy is reminiscent of a century ago when science journalism and government funding for science research began to blossom. Lepore pointed out how public excitement over scientific procedures has affected society in the past, popularizing cryonics research and the work of Eugene Steinach, who claimed his vasectomy operation reversed the aging process.

Panelists said that one issue with stem cell tourism is the number of health risks associated with such procedures, citing a number of instances where stem cell therapy caused serious harm.

They also noted that public discussion about stem cell therapy has been markedly positive, lending an air of legitimacy to stem cell therapy that hasnt been validated by research.

Articles criticizing stem cell tourism, on the other hand, have generally received a less favorable response. Caulfield told the audience that when he co-wrote an article in The Atlantic criticizing stem cell therapy, he was accused as being a nutball Canadian socialist bioethicist.

The panelists emphasized that more accurate information should be provided to the public regarding stem cell treatments.

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Professors Critique Stem Cell Medical Tourism

CARLSBAD, CA--(Marketwire - Nov 29, 2012) - International Stem Cell Corporation ( OTCQB : ISCO ) (www.internationalstemcell.com) ("ISCO" or "the Company"), a California-based biotechnology company focused on the development of therapeutic products, today announced the achievement of a critical milestone towards the clinical development of its stem cell therapy.

The Company's research and development team has created the world's first human clinical-grade stem cell lines with the ability to immune-match millions of individuals. ISCO's existing research-grade parthenogenetic stem cell lines, one of which contains the most common immune type in the Caucasian population and may be an immune-match to approximately 70 million people, are used in pre-clinical development. These new clinical-grade stem cell lines position ISCO to be able to conduct clinical trials in the United States.

Dr. Semechkin, CEO and Co-Chairman of the Board, comments, "We've been working diligently for three years to perfect this technology, which was first developed by our scientific founder, Dr. Elena Revazova in Moscow, and I'm excited to report that we have been able to derive new stem cell lines in the United States under the US and California regulatory frameworks. I'm optimistic that the new parthenogenetic stem cell lines, by providing a potentially unlimited supply of cells and tissue for transplantation, will be of great benefit to the medical community and patients world-wide."

The new stem cell lines, created using ISCO's proprietary technology, are the first of a new generation of clinical-grade human parthenogenetic stem cell (hpSC) lines created in the United States under US regulatory oversight and designed to meet FDA regulations. The US Food and Drug Administration developed Good Tissue Practice (GTP) and Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) standards to ensure the safety of products developed for clinical use. Conforming to GMP is extremely important as it means that the cells can be used in clinical development programs.

The new lines have been confirmed by independent third-party testing to be "homozygous" in the HLA coding regions meaning that they have a simple genetic profile in the critical areas of the DNA that code for immune rejection. This feature is one of the most important differences of hpSC when compared with embryonic stem cells and a distinct clinical advantage because of their ability to be immune-matched to the patient. We expect the new lines to immune-match millions of individuals, and will be added to ISCO's existing bank providing a platform from which to develop cells and tissue for clinical use.

"The importance of this breakthrough cannot be overstated," commented Dr. Craw, Executive Vice President of ISCO. "Expanding our collection is not only important for our therapeutic programs, but also further establishes our leadership position in human stem cell technology. Achieving this critical milestone moves us along the path to make the transition into a clinical stage company."

About International Stem Cell Corporation

International Stem Cell Corporation is focused on the therapeutic applications of human parthenogenetic stem cells (hpSCs) and the development and commercialization of cell-based research and cosmetic products. ISCO's core technology, parthenogenesis, results in the creation of pluripotent human stem cells from unfertilized oocytes (eggs) hence avoiding ethical issues associated with the use or destruction of viable human embryos. ISCO scientists have created the first parthenogenetic, homozygous stem cell line that can be a source of therapeutic cells for hundreds of millions of individuals of differing genders, ages and racial background with minimal immune rejection after transplantation. hpSCs offer the potential to create the first true stem cell bank, UniStemCell. ISCO also produces and markets specialized cells and growth media for therapeutic research worldwide through its subsidiary Lifeline Cell Technology (www.lifelinecelltech.com), and stem cell-based skin care products through its subsidiary Lifeline Skin Care (www.lifelineskincare.com). More information is available at http://www.internationalstemcell.com.

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International Stem Cell Corporation Announces Significant Progress Towards Clinical Development

Released: 11/28/2012 3:45 PM EST Source: Mayo Clinic Expert Available

Newswise ROCHESTER, Minn. -- Next week, more than 1,200 people from 25 countries are expected to attend the 8th Annual World Stem Cell Summit in West Palm Beach, Fla., a gathering co-sponsored by Mayo Clinic. As those close to the science explore potential stem cell applications, many patients have questions about what stem cells are and how they are being used. Timothy Nelson, M.D., Ph.D., director of Mayo Clinics Regenerative Medicine Consult Service, answers some of the most commonly asked questions about stem cells:

MULTIMEDIA ALERT: Multimedia resources, including a Medical Edge package, are available for journalists to download on the Mayo Clinic News Network.

What are stem cells? Stem cells are the bodys raw materials. These cells have the ability to renew themselves or change to become specialized cells with a more specific function, such as blood cells, brain cells, heart muscle or bone.

Where do stem cells come from? Adult stem cells are found in tissues of the body, such as bone marrow. Emerging evidence suggests that adult stem cells may be more versatile than previously thought and have the ability to create other types of cells. Amniotic fluid stem cells come from the liquid that surrounds a developing fetus in the amniotic sac. More study of amniotic fluid stem cells is needed to understand their potential. Embryonic stem cells are a general stem cell found in embryos. Use of this type of stem cell has significantly declined due to the discovery of induced pluripotent stem cells. Induced pluripotent stem cells, commonly known as iPS cells, are derived from an adult stem cell that behaves like an embryonic stem cell. This new technique may help researchers avoid the controversy that comes with embryonic stem cells and prevent immune system rejection of the new stem cells. Mesenchymal stem cells are adult stem cells found in tissues such as bone marrow, blood and the fallopian tube. They can become bone, cartilage, fat and possibly other cells.

How are stem cells being used to treat diseases? Stem cell transplants, also known as bone marrow transplants, have been performed in the United States since the late 1960s. These transplants use adult stem cells.

Thanks to new technology, researchers are exploring the use of stem cells to treat a range of conditions. For example, teams at Mayo Clinic are investigating the use of adult stem cells to delay or eliminate the need for some hip replacements.

Adult stem cells are being tested to treat degenerative diseases such as heart failure. Stem cells from umbilical cord blood have been successfully used in clinical trials to treat cancer and blood-related diseases.

What does the future hold for stem cell therapy? The use of adult stem cells continues to be refined and improved. Researchers are discovering that these cells may be more versatile than originally thought, which means they may be able to treat a wider variety of diseases, such as diabetes; heart, liver and lung diseases; neurological and bone disorders; hand, face and other injuries; and congenital anomalies.

Dr. Nelson and other Mayo Clinic experts are available to discuss current research and the development of new stem cell therapies.

See the article here:
Stem Cell 101: Mayo Clinic Expert Answers Commonly Asked Questions