Category Archives: Stem Cell Therapy

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.

Continued here:
Professors Critique Stem Cell Medical Tourism

A group of researchers has found a safe, simple and effective way to deliver stem cells to treat brain tumors literally, through the nose. The results are published in the December issue of STEM CELLS Translational Medicine.

Durham, NC (PRWEB) November 27, 2012

Treatment options for gliomas, the most common type of primary brain tumors, are very limited due to their diffuse invasive nature and their ability to evade conventional chemotherapy and radiation treatments. Stem cells have shown great promise as a therapy, but how best to deliver them to the tumor site has proven a challenge.

The most frequently used method, surgical implantation, has a low survival rate for the stem cells plus the procedure itself can lead to complications such as inflammation. Injecting the cells into the blood stream is another way, but it carries an increased risk of the cells accumulating in peripheral organs, which could cause side effects and also means that not enough of the stem cells are getting to the targeted tumor.

We investigated the feasibility of intranasal administration of neural stem/progenitor cells [NSPC] as an alternative, said principal investigator Nils Ole Schmidt, M.D., of the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany. He and UMCHE colleague Matthias Reitz, M.D., oversaw the study, which also involved researchers from the University of British Columbia Hospital in Vancouver, Canada, and Chung-Ang University College of Medicine in Seoul, Korea.

The scientists tested their idea on three different glioma cell lines in mice. The results showed that not only did the stem cells make it to the targeted tumor, but that they did it quickly and without settling in any peripheral areas. Six hours after initial delivery, the stem cells had enriched within the tumor area. Twenty-four hours later, the number of cells in the tumor had increased even further with up to 24 percent of stem cells that had been applied as nose drops.

The study also revealed two major migration routes the olfactory nerve pathways and the tiny blood vessels that make up the bodys microvasculature system and a potential signal that attracted the cells to the malignant tumor. It is likely that guidance signals such as chemotactic factors released by the tumor itself and the adjacent reactive brain parenchyma drew in the stem cells, Dr. Reitz said.

Our study provides proof-of-concept that the non-invasive intranasal passage of NSPC is a highly attractive and efficient alternative method of cell administration for stem cell-based therapies in brain tumors. This offers the possibility of multiple treatments, potentially with different therapeutic payloads during the disease course, Dr. Schmidt added.

The study addresses an important aspect of any stem cell treatment identification of a safe and effective delivery method as the treatment advances toward clinical trials, said Dr. Anthony Atala, Editor of STEM CELLS Translational Medicine and director of the Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine. These results point to the potential of intranasal delivery as a convenient and non-invasive option for delivery.

###

Read more:
Nose Offers Safe, Effective Pathway for Delivering Stem Cell Therapy to Brain Tumors

PHILADELPHIA, Nov. 26, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --RRY Publications LLC today announced that the use of stem cell therapies in 2012 significantly exceeded forecasts which were originally presented at the February 2012 New York Stem Cell Summit. Said Robin Young, stem cell industry analyst and host of the New York meeting: "The range and scope of stem cell therapeutic use in the United States grew much faster than we'd forecasted earlier this year. Virtually all of the increases we're seeing are for adult stem cell therapies and, in particular, the use by physicians of both allograft and autologous stem cell products. It would not be an exaggeration to call this unexpected and remarkable growth."

Mr. Young's revised forecast of stem cell commercialization revenues for 2013-2020 will be presented at the February meeting in New York.

The companies, scientists and physicians that are at the forefront of this remarkable increase in stem cell therapeutic use will be presenting at the 8th Annual New York Stem Cell Summit. Listed below is the preliminary lineup of presenters for the 8th Annual Stem Cell Summit.

The Stem Cell Summit, an intensive one-day event, allows attendees to learn about the latest developments in the stem cell marketplace, evaluate the groundbreaking stem cell products physicians are using today, and discover the growing market potential in terms of revenues. For 2013, the Summit will feature 30+ presenters, a research review and debate session, and a special track on expanding the range of stem cell therapies.

The 8th Annual Stem Cell Summit will take place on Feb. 19, 2013, at Bridgewaters in the heart of New York City's historic South Street Seaport. The preliminary roster of companies featured will include representatives from 2012 presenters and new 2013 presenters.

Aastrom Biosciences, Inc.

Advanced Cell Technology

Aldagen, Inc.

AllCells, LLC.

Aruna Biomedical, Inc.

Read the rest here:
Dramatic Rise in Stem Cell Therapy Use in 2012

PHILADELPHIA, Nov. 26, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --RRY Publications LLC today announced that the use of stem cell therapies in 2012 significantly exceeded forecasts which were originally presented at the February 2012 New York Stem Cell Summit. Said Robin Young, stem cell industry analyst and host of the New York meeting: "The range and scope of stem cell therapeutic use in the United States grew much faster than we'd forecasted earlier this year. Virtually all of the increases we're seeing are for adult stem cell therapies and, in particular, the use by physicians of both allograft and autologous stem cell products. It would not be an exaggeration to call this unexpected and remarkable growth."

Mr. Young's revised forecast of stem cell commercialization revenues for 2013-2020 will be presented at the February meeting in New York.

The companies, scientists and physicians that are at the forefront of this remarkable increase in stem cell therapeutic use will be presenting at the 8th Annual New York Stem Cell Summit. Listed below is the preliminary lineup of presenters for the 8th Annual Stem Cell Summit.

The Stem Cell Summit, an intensive one-day event, allows attendees to learn about the latest developments in the stem cell marketplace, evaluate the groundbreaking stem cell products physicians are using today, and discover the growing market potential in terms of revenues. For 2013, the Summit will feature 30+ presenters, a research review and debate session, and a special track on expanding the range of stem cell therapies.

The 8th Annual Stem Cell Summit will take place on Feb. 19, 2013, at Bridgewaters in the heart of New York City's historic South Street Seaport. The preliminary roster of companies featured will include representatives from 2012 presenters and new 2013 presenters.

Aastrom Biosciences, Inc.

Advanced Cell Technology

Aldagen, Inc.

AllCells, LLC.

Aruna Biomedical, Inc.

Read more here:
Dramatic Rise in Stem Cell Therapy Use in 2012

Introducing Stem Cell Therapy Using Oral Placenta Stem Cells | Stem Cell Malaysia
stemcellmalaysia.com Stem cell therapy can take on various forms and choices. Due to the advent of technology, stem cell therapy using oral placenta stem cells is now available. For more information on stem cell therapy, please visit Stem Cell Malaysia at stemcellmalaysia.comFrom:stemcells2012Views:3 1ratingsTime:05:23More inScience Technology

Read more:
Introducing Stem Cell Therapy Using Oral Placenta Stem Cells | Stem Cell Malaysia - Video