Category Archives: Stem Cell Treatments

A bone marrow transplant is a medical treatment that replaces your bone marrow with healthy cells. The replacement cells can either come from your own body or from a donor.

A bone marrow transplant is also called a stem cell transplant or, more specifically, a hematopoietic stem cell transplant. Transplantation can be used to treat certain types of cancer, such as leukemia, myeloma, and lymphoma, and other blood and immune system diseases that affect the bone marrow.

Stem cells are special cells that can make copies of themselves and change into the many different kinds of cells that your body needs. There are several kinds of stem cells and they are found in different parts of the body at different times.

Cancer and cancer treatment can damage your hematopoietic stem cells. Hematopoietic stem cells are stem cells that turn into blood cells.

Bone marrow is soft, spongy tissue in the body that contains hematopoietic stem cells. It is found in the center of most bones. Hematopoietic stem cells are also found in the blood that is moving throughout your body.

When hematopoietic stem cells are damaged, they may not become red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. These blood cells are very important and each one has a different job:

Red blood cells carry oxygen throughout your body. They also take carbon dioxide to your lungs so that it can be exhaled.

White blood cells are a part of your immune system. They fight pathogens, which are the viruses and bacteria that can make you sick.

Platelets form clots to stop bleeding.

A bone marrow/stem cell transplant is a medical procedure by which healthy stem cells are transplanted into your bone marrow or your blood. This restores your body's ability to create the red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets it needs.

There are different types of bone marrow/stem cell transplants. The 2 main types are:

Autologous transplant. Stem cells for an autologous transplant come from your own body. Sometimes, cancer is treated with a high-dose, intensive chemotherapy or radiation therapy treatment. This type of treatment can damage your stem cells and your immune system. That's why doctors remove, or rescue, your stem cells from your blood or bone marrow before the cancer treatment begins.

After chemotherapy, the stem cells are returned to your body, restoring your immune system and your body's ability to produce blood cells and fight infection. This process is also called an AUTO transplant or stem cell rescue.

Allogenic transplant. Stem cells for an allogenic transplant come from another person, called a donor. The donor's stem cells are given to the patient after the patient has chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy. This is also called an ALLO transplant.

Many people have a graft-versus-cancer cell effect during an ALLO transplant. This is when the new stem cells recognize and destroy cancer cells that are still in the body. This is the main way ALLO transplants work to treat the cancer.

Finding a donor match is a necessary step for an ALLO transplant. A match is a healthy donor whose blood proteins, called human leukocyte antigens (HLA), closely match yours. This process is called HLA typing. Siblings from the same parents are often the best match, but another family member or an unrelated volunteer can be a match too. If your donors proteins closely match yours, you are less likely to get a serious side effect called graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). In this condition, the healthy transplant cells attack your cells.

If your health care team cannot find a donor match, there are other options.

Umbilical cord blood transplant. In this type of transplant, stem cells from umbilical cord blood are used. The umbilical cord connects a fetus to its mother before birth. After birth, the baby does not need it. Cancer centers around the world use cord blood. Learn more about cord blood transplants.

Parent-child transplant and haplotype mismatched transplant. Cells from a parent, child, brother, or sister are not always a perfect match for a patient's HLA type, but they are a 50% match. Doctors are using these types of transplants more often, to expand the use of transplantation as an effective cancer treatment.

The information below tells you the main steps of AUTO and ALLO transplants. In general, each process includes collecting the replacement stem cells, the patient receiving treatments to prepare their body for the transplant, the actual transplant day, and then the recovery period.

Often, a small tube may be placed in the patient's chest that remains through the transplant process. It is called a catheter. Your health care team can give you chemotherapy, other medications, and blood transfusions through a catheter. A catheter greatly reduces the amount of needles used in the skin, since patients will need regular blood tests and other treatments during a transplant.

Please note that transplants are complex medical procedures and sometimes certain steps may happen in a different order or on a different timetable, to personalize your specific care. Ask your health care whether you will need to be in the hospital for different steps, and if so, how long. Always talk with your health care team about what to expect before, during, and after your transplant.

Step 1: Collecting your stem cells. This step takes several days. First, you will get injections (shots) of a medication to increase your stem cells. Then your health care team collects the stem cells through a vein in your arm or your chest. The cells will be stored until they are needed.

Step 2: Pre-transplant treatment. This step takes 5 to 10 days. You will get a high dose of chemotherapy. Occasionally, patients also have radiation therapy.

Step 3: Getting your stem cells back. This step is your transplant day. It takes about 30 minutes for each dose of stem cells. This is called an infusion. Your health care team puts the stem cells back into your bloodstream through the catheter. You might have more than one infusion.

Step 4: Recovery. Your doctor will closely monitor your cells' recovery and growth and you will take antibiotics to reduce infection. Your health care team will also treat any side effects. Read more details below about recovering from a bone marrow transplant.

Step 1: Donor identification. A matched donor must be found before the ALLO transplant process can begin. Your HLA type will be found through blood testing. Then, your health care team will work with you to do HLA testing on potential donors in your family, and if needed, to search a volunteer registry of unrelated donors.

Step 2: Collecting stem cells from your donor. Your health care team will collect cells from either your donors blood or bone marrow. If the cells are coming from the bloodstream, your donor will get daily injections (shots) of a medication to increase white cells in their blood for a few days before the collection. Then, the stem cells are collected from their bloodstream. If the cells are coming from bone marrow, your donor has a procedure called a bone marrow harvest in a hospital's operating room.

Step 3: Pre-transplant treatment. This step takes 5 to 7 days. You will get chemotherapy, with or without radiation therapy, to prepare your body to receive the donor's cells.

Step 4: Getting the donor cells. This step is your transplant day. Your health care team puts, or infuses, the donors stem cells into your bloodstream through the catheter. Getting the donor cells usually takes less than an hour.

Step 5: Recovery. During your initial recovery, you will get antibiotics to reduce your risk of infection and other drugs, including medications to prevent and/or manage GVHD. Your health care team will also treat any side effects from the transplant. Read more details below about bone marrow transplant recovery.

Recovery from a bone marrow/stem cell transplant takes a long time. Recovery often has stages, starting with intensive medical monitoring after your transplant day. As your long-term recovery moves forward, you will eventually transition to a schedule of regular medical checkups over the coming months and years.

During the initial recovery period, it's important to watch for signs of infection. The intensive chemotherapy treatments that you get before your transplant also damage your immune system. This is so your body can accept the transplant without attacking the stem cells. It takes time for your immune system to work again after the transplant. This means that you are more likely to get an infection right after your transplant.

To reduce your risk of infection, you will get antibiotics and other medications. If you had an ALLO transplant, your medications will include drugs to prevent and/or manage GVHD. Follow your health care team's recommendations for how to prevent infection immediately after your transplant.

It is common to develop an infection after a bone marrow transplant, even if you are very careful. Your doctor will monitor you closely for signs of an infection. You will have regular blood tests and other tests to see how your body and immune system are responding to the donor cells. You may also get blood transfusions through your catheter.

Your health care team will also develop a long-term recovery plan to monitor for late side effects, which can happen many months after your transplant. Learn more about the possible side effects from a bone marrow transplant.

Your doctor will recommend the best transplant option for you. Your options depend on the specific disease diagnosed, how healthy your bone marrow is, your age, and your general health. For example, if you have cancer or another disease in your bone marrow, you will probably have an ALLO transplant because the replacement stem cells need to come from a healthy donor.

Before your transplant, you might need to travel to a center that does many stem cell transplants. Your doctor may need to go, too. At the center, you will talk with a transplant specialist and have a medical examination and different tests.

A transplant will require a lot of time receiving medical care away from your daily life. It is best to have a family caregiver with you. And, a transplant is an expensive medical process. Talk about these questions with your health care team and your loved ones:

Can you describe the role of my family caregiver in taking care of me?

How long will I and my caregiver be away from work and family responsibilities?

Will I need to stay in the hospital? If so, when and how long?

Will my insurance pay for this transplant? What is my coverage for my follow-up care?

How long will I need medical tests during my recovery?

A successful transplant may mean different things to you, your family, and your health care team. Here are 2 ways to know if your transplant worked well.

Your blood counts are back to safe levels. A blood count measures the levels of red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets in your blood. At first, the transplant makes these numbers very low for 1 to 2 weeks. This affects your immune system and puts you at a risk for infections, bleeding, and tiredness. Your health care team will lower these risks by giving your blood and platelet transfusions. You will also take antibiotics to help prevent infections.

When the new stem cells multiply, they make more blood cells. Then your blood counts will go back up. This is one way to know if a transplant was a success.

Your cancer is controlled. Curing your cancer is often the goal of a bone marrow/stem cell transplant. A cure may be possible for certain cancers, such as some types of leukemia and lymphoma. For other diseases, remission of the cancer is the best possible result. Remission is having no signs or symptoms of cancer.

As discussed above, you need to see your doctor and have tests regularly after a transplant. This is to watch for any signs of cancer or complications from the transplant, as well as to provide care for any side effects you experience. This follow-up care is an important part of your recovery.

It is important to talk often with your health care team before, during, and after a transplant. You are encouraged to gather information, ask questions, and work closely with your health care team on decisions about your treatment and care. In addition to the list above, here are some possible questions to ask. Be sure to ask any question that is on your mind.

What type of transplant would you recommend? Why?

If I have an ALLO transplant, how will we find a donor? What is the chance of finding a good match?

What type of treatment will I have before the transplant?

How long will my pre-transplant treatment take? Where will this treatment be given?

Can you describe what my transplant day will be like?

How will a transplant affect my life? Can I work, exercise, and do regular activities?

What side effects could happen during treatment, or just after?

What side effects could happen years later?

What tests will I need after the transplant? How often?

Who can I talk to if I am worried about the cost?

How will we know if the transplant worked?

What if the transplant does not work? What if the cancer comes back?

Side Effects of a Bone Marrow Transplant (Stem Cell Transplant)

Bone Marrow Aspiration and Biopsy

Donating Bone Marrow is Easy and Important: Here's Why

Bone Marrow Transplants and Older Adults: 3 Important Questions

Why the Bone Marrow Registry Needs More Diverse Donors and How to Sign Up

Be the Match: About Transplant

Be the Match: National Marrow Donor Program

Blood & Marrow Transplant Information Network (BMT InfoNet)

National Bone Marrow Transplant Link (nbmtLINK)

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: Learn About Transplant as a Treatment Option

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What is a Bone Marrow Transplant (Stem Cell Transplant)? - Cancer.Net

Cameron Mathison Is Undergoing Stem Cell Treatments - Soaps In Depth

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Cameron Mathison Is Undergoing Stem Cell Treatments

A federal judge in Riverside declared a California stem cell treatment firm to be exempt from Food and Drug Administration regulations, opening the door to the further proliferation of clinics offering therapies the FDA says are scientifically unproven and potentially dangerous.

In the ruling issued late Tuesday, Judge Jesus G. Bernal of Riverside declined to block California Stem Cell Treatment Center from continuing to offer purported stem cell treatments to customers.

Bernal accepted the centers position that its treatments qualified for an exception from FDA regulations, in part because they were tantamount to surgical procedures.

Stem cells have been called everything from cure-alls to miracle treatments. But dont believe the hype.

Food and Drug Administration warns public against unproven stem cell treatments

Bernals ruling, which came more than a year after a seven-day trial in May 2021 and closing arguments last August, potentially undermines a years-long FDA crackdown on clinics claiming that stem cells can treat or cure conditions including orthopedic injuries, Alzheimers and Parkinsons diseases, multiple sclerosis, and erectile dysfunction.

The defendants are engaged in the practice of medicine, Bernal ruled, not the manufacture of pharmaceuticals.

The FDA regulations, however, define drugs much more broadly than the manufacture of pharmaceuticals rather, as any article that is intended for use in the diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of disease. Any such articles, the agency says, must have agency approval and the California centers treatments do not.

To me, the language of his ruling sounded almost like it was written by the defendants, Paul S. Knoepfler, a UC Davis stem cell biologist who has been tracking the proliferation of such clinics for years, observed in his laboratory blog.

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The Bernal ruling will not be a good thing for careful oversight of stem cell clinic practices, Knoepfler said. Its concerning to think about more people being put at risk.

Knoepfler suggested that the FDA would feel duty-bound to appeal Bernals ruling in order to protect its regulatory campaign, and because it conflicts with federal court rulings in a nearly identical case the FDA brought against Florida clinics in Miami federal court.

The agency told me by email that it is reviewing the courts decision and does not have further comment at this time.

Bioethicist Leigh Turner of UC Irvine, who has collaborated with Knoepfler on tracking the growth of the stem cell clinic industry, agreed that Bernals ruling is an enormous setback for the FDA in an area where theyve struggled for many years.... For people who work in this industry, its great news. But not for anyone concerned about patient safety, misinformation or disinformation.

As part of its crackdown, the FDA has written hundreds of letters warning stem cell clinics that theyre violating the law, and has pursued some in court.

After issuing regulations in 2017 declaring that treatments using unproven stem cell therapies were illegal, the FDA suspended its enforcement for more than three years to give clinic operators time to comply with FDA rules. The agencys forbearance, however, opened the door to a further proliferation of suspect clinics.

By March 2021, according to a survey by Turner, nearly 1,500 U.S. businesses were pitching the suspect treatments at more than 2,700 clinics, reflecting a torrent of openings since 2016, when Turner and Knoepfler jointly started tracking the field.

More than four times as many businesses than were identified five years ago are selling stem cell products that are not FDA-approved and lack convincing evidence of safety and efficacy, Turner wrote last year.

Some clinics have charged customers more than $10,000 for the unproven treatments, plying the customers with unsupported claims of medical success. The fees are seldom, if ever, covered by health insurance. Some treatments resulted in serious medical complications.

The FDA also has warned the public that some patients seeking cures and remedies are vulnerable to stem cell treatments that are illegal and potentially harmful.

The FDA has approved stem cell treatments only for disorders of the blood-producing, or hematopoietic, system. No other stem cell treatment claims have been scientifically validated, the agency says.

Stem cells have been called everything from cure-alls to miracle treatments, the agency says in its public warning. But dont believe the hype.

Bernals ruling conflicts with a 2019 decision by U.S. District Judge Ursula Ungaro of Miami, who ordered a Florida clinic shut down after the FDA asserted that its purported stem cell therapies were scientifically unproven and illegal.

Ungaros decision was upheld last year by the 11th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals, which found that the clinics claim of exemption from FDA regulation on grounds similar to those claimed by the California center, didnt apply. No reasonable fact-finder could disagree, the three-judge appellate panel ruled.

As it happens, in its finding the appellate panel specifically rejected an earlier ruling by Bernal, in which he denied the FDAs request for a preliminary injunction against the California center and set the case for trial. The appellate ruling isnt binding precedent for federal courts outside the 11th Circuit, which covers parts of the Southeast.

The FDAs lawsuits against the Florida clinic and the California center were almost identical and filed on the same day, May 9, 2018. In both cases, the agency asserted that the clinics were in effect purveying illegal drugs as defined by federal law.

The lawsuits were part of an agency effort to clamp down on the burgeoning trade in stem cell-related therapies. The California lawsuit named the centers founders, Elliott Lander and Mark Berman, as defendants. Berman died in April

The California Stem Cell Treatment Center has operated clinics in Beverly Hills and Rancho Mirage, and provides treatment protocols and other assistance to other clinics around the country.

In its Florida and California lawsuits, the FDA targeted a widespread practice utilized by both clinics in which fat cells are extracted from a customer by liposuction. The extraction is treated to produce a fluid purportedly rich in stem cells known as a stromal vascular fraction or SVF, which is injected back into the same subject.

Both sets of defendants asserted in their defense that their activities qualified for exceptions from FDA drug regulations afforded to surgical procedures involving the use of a patients own tissues as well as the use of minimally manipulated tissues. The agencys position is that the fat extractions are so heavily treated before the reinjections that the treatments fall outside those exceptions.

In his ruling, Bernal drew extensively and verbatim from California Stem Cell Treatment Centers proposed findings of facts and scarcely at all from the FDAs proposal. His ruling incorporated several scientific errors, according to Knoepfler.

For example, Bernal accepted the centers assertion that unlike manufactured drugs, the SVF Surgical Procedure does not create any cellular or tissue-based product that did not previously exist within the patient.

In fact, Knoepler says, there is no equivalent of SVF already in the body.

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Hiltzik: A judge undermines the FDA on stem cells - Los Angeles Times

NEW YORK, Oct. 02, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Mesoblast Limited (Nasdaq:MESO; ASX:MSB), global leader in allogeneic cellular medicines for inflammatory diseases, announced today that it has submitted to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) substantial new information on clinical and potency assay items identified in the Complete Response Letter (CRL) received from FDA in September 2020 to the Biologics License Application (BLA) for remestemcel-L in the treatment of children with steroid-refractory acute graft versus host disease (SR-aGVHD).

Mesoblast has maintained an active dialog with the FDA since receiving the CRL, and the substantial new information submitted to the Investigational New Drug (IND) file for remestemcel-L in the treatment of children with SR-aGVHD, as guided by FDA, represents a major milestone in the Companys complete response to the FDA. Remestemcel-L has been granted Fast Track Designation and BLA Priority Review from the FDA.

Survival outcomes have not improved over the past two decades for children or adults with the most severe forms of SR-aGVHD.1-3 The lack of any approved treatments for children under 12 means that there is an urgent need for a therapy that improves the dismal survival outcomes in children.

The submission summarizes controlled data providing further evidence of remestemcel-Ls ability to save lives, said Dr. Silviu Itescu, Chief Executive of Mesoblast. Additionally, the improved process controls we have put in place to assure robust and consistent commercial product, together with a potency assay that predicts consistent survival outcomes, makes remestemcel-L a compelling treatment for these children.

About Steroid-refractory Acute Graft Versus Host Disease Acute GVHD occurs in approximately 50% of patients who receive an allogeneic bone marrow transplant (BMT). Over 30,000 patients worldwide undergo an allogeneic BMT annually, primarily during treatment for blood cancers, including about 20% in pediatric patients.4,5 SR-aGVHD is associated with mortality as high as 90% and significant extended hospital stay costs.6,7 There are currently no FDA-approved treatments in the US for children under 12 with SR-aGVHD.

About Mesoblast Mesoblast is a world leader in developing allogeneic (off-the-shelf) cellular medicines for the treatment of severe and life-threatening inflammatory conditions. The Company has leveraged its proprietary mesenchymal lineage cell therapy technology platform to establish a broad portfolio of late-stage product candidates which respond to severe inflammation by releasing anti-inflammatory factors that counter and modulate multiple effector arms of the immune system, resulting in significant reduction of the damaging inflammatory process.

Mesoblast has a strong and extensive global intellectual property portfolio with protection extending through to at least 2041 in all major markets. The Companys proprietary manufacturing processes yield industrial-scale, cryopreserved, off-the-shelf, cellular medicines. These cell therapies, with defined pharmaceutical release criteria, are planned to be readily available to patients worldwide.

Mesoblast is developing product candidates for distinct indications based on its remestemcel-L and rexlemestrocel-L allogeneic stromal cell technology platforms. Remestemcel-L is being developed for inflammatory diseases in children and adults including steroid refractory acute graft versus host disease, biologic-resistant inflammatory bowel disease, and acute respiratory distress syndrome. Rexlemestrocel-L is in development for advanced chronic heart failure and chronic low back pain. Two products have been commercialized in Japan and Europe by Mesoblasts licensees, and the Company has established commercial partnerships in Europe and China for certain Phase 3 assets.

Mesoblast has locations in Australia, the United States and Singapore and is listed on the Australian Securities Exchange (MSB) and on the Nasdaq (MESO). For more information, please see http://www.mesoblast.com, LinkedIn: Mesoblast Limited and Twitter: @Mesoblast

References / Footnotes

Forward-Looking StatementsThis press release includes forward-looking statements that relate to future events or our future financial performance and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause our actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements to differ materially from any future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. We make such forward-looking statements pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and other federal securities laws. Forward-looking statements should not be read as a guarantee of future performance or results, and actual results may differ from the results anticipated in these forward-looking statements, and the differences may be material and adverse. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements about: the initiation, timing, progress and results of Mesoblasts preclinical and clinical studies, and Mesoblasts research and development programs; Mesoblasts ability to advance product candidates into, enroll and successfully complete, clinical studies, including multi-national clinical trials; Mesoblasts ability to advance its manufacturing capabilities; the timing or likelihood of regulatory filings and approvals (including BLA resubmission), manufacturing activities and product marketing activities, if any; the commercialization of Mesoblasts product candidates, if approved; regulatory or public perceptions and market acceptance surrounding the use of stem-cell based therapies; the potential for Mesoblasts product candidates, if any are approved, to be withdrawn from the market due to patient adverse events or deaths; the potential benefits of strategic collaboration agreements and Mesoblasts ability to enter into and maintain established strategic collaborations; Mesoblasts ability to establish and maintain intellectual property on its product candidates and Mesoblasts ability to successfully defend these in cases of alleged infringement; the scope of protection Mesoblast is able to establish and maintain for intellectual property rights covering its product candidates and technology; estimates of Mesoblasts expenses, future revenues, capital requirements and its needs for additional financing; Mesoblasts financial performance; developments relating to Mesoblasts competitors and industry; and the pricing and reimbursement of Mesoblasts product candidates, if approved. You should read this press release together with our risk factors, in our most recently filed reports with the SEC or on our website. Uncertainties and risks that may cause Mesoblasts actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from those which may be expressed or implied by such statements, and accordingly, you should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. We do not undertake any obligations to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise.

Release authorized by the Chief Executive.

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Mesoblast Submits New Information to FDA IND File in Response to Items in the CRL to the Remestemcel-L BLA for SR-aGVHD - GlobeNewswire

Newswise LOS ANGELES (Oct. 3, 2022) --Pioneering heart care is a tradition at Cedars-Sinai. Its a tradition that took root in 1924, when Cedars-Sinai became home to the first electrocardiogram machine in Los Angeles.

The roots grew stronger in the 1970s, when two Cedars-Sinai cardiologists invented the game-changing Swan-Ganz catheter. And stronger still in 2007, when Cedars-Sinai founded what is today theSmidt Heart Institute.

On the occasion of the institutes 15thanniversary, the Cedars-Sinai Newsroom sat down withEduardo Marbn, MD, PhD, executivedirector of theSmidt Heart Institute and the Mark Siegel Family Foundation Distinguished Professor, to get his views on the state of cardiac medicine.

Newsroom: What are the advances youve seen in heart medicine over the past 15 years?Marbn:We've been able to really address programs from the point of view of the need of the patient. One thing we've excelled at, for example, is helping our patients with advanced heart diseaseheart failure so severe that they're facing either highly experimental stem cell treatments or heart transplantation. And these are two areas in which we've excelled, become the world leader in the number and also in the outcomes of heart transplants for those patients who need them. And we've also made quite a lot of progress in the area of regenerative medicine.

When the Heart Institute was established 15 years ago, almost all valvular problems in the heart or major structural problems required opening the chest surgically. Putting a patient on cardiopulmonary bypass. Fixing the problem in an operating room. And then keeping the patient in the hospital for about a week. In the past 15 years, the management of valvular heart disease has been completely transformed so that things that used to take that long and were that complicated can now be done as overnight therapy, using just a catheter inside the heart, and no opening of the chest.

We've led the way in the development of these technologies. We've done more such procedures than any other center in the United States.

Newsroom: How much has the Smidt Heart Institute grown?Marbn:Over the last 15 years, the Heart Institute has seen an incredible increase in volume. We have gone from doing 25 thoracic transplants a year, meaning either lung or heart or both, to doing over 200 now, with outstanding outcomes. We have gone from doing about 3,000 catheter-based procedures a year, to 13,000 a year.

We have gone up in our U.S. News and World Report (Best Hospitals) ranking nationally, from #17 Heart Program and #5 in the western U.S. to now being #1 in the western U.S. for the past 10 years and to being the third-ranked program nationally for the last four years.

Newsroom: Also during that time, theBarbra Streisand Womens Heart Centerin the Smidt Heart Institute has pioneered a lot of work on sex differences in heart disease.Marbn:The Smidt Heart Institute has come to be known as the world leader in a number of areas. One of those is in women's heart disease. In the last 15 years, we've really become recognized as a go-to destination for teaching, research and training. We've trained generations of researchers and physicians who are going into this field, and we've discovered that women are not the same as men and the way they manifest their heart disease. Nor are the treatments necessarily likely to work equally in men and in women.

Newsroom: What lessons were learned from the COVID-19 pandemic?Marbn:When the pandemic of COVID-19 started early in 2020, we were among the first to codify the cardiac complications that are associated with the disease. For example, myocarditis and other forms of acute manifestations and the long-running complications that have to do with long COVID. We were among the first to describe these situations. And since then, we've been at the forefront of studying the cardiac complications of COVID-19 in communities.

For example, we have a large ongoing study looking at a large number of community-based participants that then develop COVID-19 and some of whom go on to develop heart disease. We're asking questions like, how does the heart disease manifest itself? Who's at highest risk? What can we do about it? And of course, we're in the data collection stage more than in the answer formulation stage, but we've really tried to get ahead of it rather than just being observers.

Newsroom: What kind of progress do you expect in the next 15 years?Marbn:It's mind boggling to imagine what might happen over the next 15. But for sure, among the trends that we've seen there will continue miniaturization. We believe that it's very likely that major equipment that is now required, for example, to sustain the heart artificiallyluggage sized pumps that need to be plugged in periodically to batteriesfor example, as an external pump for the heart. These things will be miniaturized and implanted.

We're going to see an enormous rise in the maturation and ability of biological therapies, gene-based and cell-based therapies, to address heart disease in a very fundamental way that actually changes the disease rather than just reacts to it. And of course, we're getting better at prevention and also the understanding of how disease is manifested differently in men and in women, as well as in various socioeconomic groups.

Newsroom: Is there a single achievement of which you are most proud?Marbn:The signature accomplishment of the Smidt Heart Institute has been proof of principle that by bringing together diverse specialists from different backgrounds into one setting, that we can improve patient care and our understanding of disease. What we've done here is created a model for how cardiology and cardiac surgery should work together to transform the care and the knowledge about illness as we move forward.

Read more on the Cedars-Sinai Blog:Matters of the Heart: C. Noel Bairey Merz, MD

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15 Years of Heart - Newswise

Houston, TX - (NewMediaWire) - October 03, 2022 - Joint pain is one of the leading causes of discomfort among the American populace. It is estimated that more than 65 million American adults suffer from low back pain, while over 16 million deal with acute or chronic joint pain due to arthritis. The number seems to be growing at an alarming rate annually, with the problem spreading to more young adults due to their lifestyle choices, occupation, accidents, and other reasons. QC Kinetix (The Heights) estimates that a whopping number of Americans will be battling chronic joint pain in years to come if no real step is taken.

As a pain control clinic focusing on health and wellness, QC Kinetix (The Heights) understands the health problems associated with heavy medication use to combat joint pain. The lead treatment provider at the clinic noted that more people who depend on medication for pain relief are growing tired and abandoning it because of its negative side effects on their bodies and organs. Others are too scared to consider surgical interventions which offer no real promises of long-term health benefits.

In the face of these health challenges, QC Kinetix (The Heights) is offering a better solution with better healing potential to patients suffering from joint pain and related problems. Speaking on their natural treatment therapies, the clinic's spokesperson maintained that they offer a minimally invasive and natural treatment solution that helps patients avoid the costs, risks, and complications associated with surgeries. He added that their treatment plan is also devoid of medication use, which means patients can significantly dump the unhealthy habit of medication consumption while improving their health and wellness through other natural means.

The clinic's spokesperson noted that their sports and regenerative medicine treatment focuses on each patient's challenges and finds a way to improve their body's natural healing abilities. Speaking on the treatment modality's effectiveness for Houston Heights back pain treatment, Scott Hoots said: "In our QC Kinetix The Heights regenerative medicine clinics, we serve our patients by providing leading regenerative therapies that reduce joint pain associated with direct trauma, a sports-related injury, or a degenerative medical condition. These techniques target the impacted area to reduce inflammation and repair damaged tissue. Our team of medical professionals receives the highest quality training and research to provide our clients with the latest therapies to alleviate their ailments. In addition, we pride ourselves on providing the highest level of respect and care for our clients, as returning their ability to live with pain relief is our primary goal."

Each patient coming into the clinic will have access to a personalized health and wellness service centered around their needs. The treatment providers offer an initial consultation service where they get to learn more about the patient's health, symptoms, past treatments, allergies, and other information. Patients will also have access to a comprehensive examination and physical assessment for diagnostic purposes. Once diagnosed, the team will determine the patient's suitability for the treatment and develop a personalized treatment plan to alleviate their pain and discomfort while equipping the body with the needed building blocks for long-term health and wellness.

Welcoming Houston residents to schedule an appointment, the lead treatment provider at the clinic noted that regenerative medicine offers a wide range of benefits to patients. He maintained that several of their patients have been able to save money and avoid the complications of surgical intervention through their natural treatment plans. He further noted that their minimally invasive treatments are low risks and require a shorter recovery time compared to surgeries. Using stem cell therapy, platelet-rich plasma therapy, Class IV laser therapy, and others, patients will also enjoy positive health benefits like reduced inflammation, pain relief, improved healing, and a better range of motion from the affected joints.

QC Kinetix (The Heights) is currently taking new patients as its appointment slots are filling up fast. The pain control clinic can be reached via phone at (713) 913-5285 or via its website. The clinic is located at 1900 North Loop West, Suite 300, Houston, TX, 77018, US.

Media Contact:

Company Name: QC Kinetix (The Heights)

Contact Person: Scott Hoots

Phone: (713) 913-5285

Address: 1900 North Loop West, Suite 300

City: Houston

State: TX

Postal Code: 77018

Country: USA

Website: https://qckinetix.com/houston/the-heights/

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QC Kinetix (The Heights) Helping Patients Heal Better from Joint Pain Through Houston Heights Sports Medicine - Yahoo Finance

Minnesota Timberwolves star Karl-Anthony Towns was hospitalized last week with a throat infection that caused him trouble breathing and forced him to be on bed rest for days, sources told ESPN.

Towns spoke to the media Monday for the first time since falling ill and said his weight was down to 231 pounds (he's listed at 248), but he didn't reveal the nature of the non-COVID-19 illness.

Towns, who missed all of the Timberwolves' training camp, said he didn't get clearance to walk again until Saturday, when he attended a team event.

ESPN's countdown of the league's best players returns for its 12th season. See which stars made the cut, which vaulted to the top and which are sliding down the list.

NBArank 1-5: International stars on the rise NBArank 6-10: How far LeBron and KD fell NBArank 11-25: L.A. duo and rising Wolves NBArank 26-100: Russ, Ben and a host of Qs Debate! LeBron's ranking and top-10 tweaks

"I'm still recovering. I'm still getting better," Towns told reporters in Minneapolis before the team left on a 10-day preseason road trip. "There was more drastic things to worry about than basketball [during the illness]."

Timberwolves coach Chris Finch said Monday that Towns wouldn't play in Tuesday's preseason opener against the Heat in Miami as he works on ramping up his conditioning. During the offseason, Towns had stem-cell treatments and platelet-rich plasma injections in both knees, his left ankle, left wrist and right finger. He also signed a four-year, $224 million contract extension, tying him to the team for the next five seasons.

Towns averaged 24.6 points, 9.8 rebounds and shot 41% on 3-pointers last season, when he was named to the All-NBA team.

ESPN Reporter Ramona Shelburne contributed to this story

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Sources - Minnesota Timberwolves' Karl-Anthony Towns was on bed rest for days due to throat infection - ESPN

Editor's Note

This article is brought to you by Children's Hospital New Orleans.

While Childrens Hospital New Orleans has long been home to a nationally-known pediatric hematology/oncology program, it now has the state-of-the-art facilities to match those services.

The hospitals $300 million campus transformation included an expansion of its Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders. The center treats more than 1,100 children each year with leukemia, lymphoma, sickle cell anemia, hemophilia and other childhood cancers and blood disorders. That is more pediatric patients that all other Louisiana facilities combined. The expanded unit encompasses 10,880 square feet, 16 spacious exam rooms and a cohesive space that combines all specialty clinics in one area.

There is plenty of evidence architecture and interior design make a difference for people, said Dr. Charles Hemenway, who helps lead Childrens Hospital New Orleans pediatric hematology and oncology services. An open and sunny space is more conducive to making someones attitude bright and sunny. The medical care doesnt change, but I think peoples overall outlooks are shaped in part by their surroundings not just for children and families, but also for the health care providers. It's a space where people can feel good about themselves and the work they are doing.

The Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders is home to a care team comprised of the Gulf Souths largest group of hematology and oncology physicians and nurses dedicated exclusively to pediatrics. Most patients are from Louisiana, although they have treated children from Mississippi and Alabama, as well as international countries.

Lynn Winfield, MBA, BSN, RN, CPHON, NEA-BC, Childrens Hospital New Orleans senior director of patient care services, said that when a new patient arrives for cancer or blood disorder treatment, the staff meets with the family to outline the care plan and answer questions.

Its a multidisciplinary team that includes physicians, residents and nurse practitioners. We have nurse navigators who help educate the family. We have great social workers, and one of them is usually in that conference, Winfield said. Families are overwhelmed and they dont retain every piece of information right away. Thats why we continue to meet with them as time goes on. Its a team that provides not only medical support, but financial and psychological support as well.

That makes a big difference to patients like Ashlynn and her family. After being diagnosed with cancer, Ashlynn underwent several rounds of radiation, chemotherapy and stem cell treatments. But, today she can live like a kid again.

I am grateful for our Childrens Hospital family who, every day, give us something extraordinary to celebrate," Ashlynns mom Kim wrote in a letter to the staff. When I became a mother, I never imagined that this would be my story to share. But I am grateful Ashlynns story is one of hope and promise, thanks to the extraordinary caregivers at Childrens Hospital and friends in our community.

Dr. Hemenway said a child may remain at Childrens Hospital New Orleans anywhere from a few days to several weeks, depending on their condition and associated complications. Regardless of the length of their stay, patients also enjoy support from the community. For example, as a patient named Cam recovered from a transplant at Childrens Hospital New Orleans, his room overlooked the Audubon Park baseball fields where the Isidore Newman School team plays. After inspiration from Cams dad and a few phone calls, the team decided to turn around and wave at Cam before a game. Later, team moms installed an All In For Cam sign behind the Newman dugout.

The Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders also allows physicians to conduct cutting edge research and house a dedicated clinical trials team. Last year, this team worked on more than 90 cancer and blood disorder studies.

There are all kinds of ways to conduct research, starting with understanding cancer at its molecular origins all the way to finding the best medicines and dosages to achieve a good outcome, Dr. Hemenway said. With childhood cancer, we have made tremendous progress using medications that were developed many years ago. Because of clinical research, we are able to conclude every few years that some combination of therapies works better than what we were using in the past.

Winfield has seen the impact of this research firsthand. When she first started working at Childrens Hospital New Orleans 30 years ago, Winfield said the staff always knew they would lose more than a dozen children each year to disease. Today, that figure is greatly reduced and often is in the single digits.

However, because three out of five children who survive pediatric cancer experience late-developing side effects, Childrens Hospital New Orleans created Louisianas first and only dedicated pediatric cancer survivorship clinic, The Treatment After Cancer and Late Effects Clinic. Services include promoting follow-up appointments and routine tests and education on the long-term effects of cancer treatment. There are also emotional, psychological and social support services to help patients cope with the aftermath of a cancer diagnosis.

This job has allowed me to meet and be inspired by people that I never would have encountered, Winfield said. Its not an atmosphere of sad children sitting around and crying. Theres a lot of joy in it and people are so appreciative no matter the outcome. The beauty of this work lies in the relationships we form.

For more information, visit https://www.chnola.org/our-services/hematology-oncology/.

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Innovative spaces and an expert team help Childrens Hospital New Orleans set the standard in cancer care - NOLA.com

OverviewWhat is a stem cell transplant?

Healthcare providers use stem cell transplants to treat people who have life-threatening cancer or blood diseases caused by abnormal blood cells. A stem cell transplant helps your body replace those blood cells with healthy or normal blood cells. If you receive a stem cell transplant, your provider may use your own healthy stem cells or donor stem cells.

Your blood cells come from stem cells in your bone marrow. Your bone marrow constantly creates new stem cells that become blood cells. Stem cell transplants can involve stem cells taken from bone marrow or from blood. Providers sometimes refer to stem cell and bone marrow transplants as haematopoietic stem cell transplants (HSCT). This article focuses on stem cells taken from blood.

Healthcare providers use stem cells to replace unhealthy blood cells that cause conditions such as several types of leukemia, lymphoma and testicular cancer. They also use transplanted stem cells to treat several types of anemia. Some people who have multiple sclerosis may benefit by receiving healthy stem cells. Researchers are investigating ways to treat other autoimmune diseases with stem cell transplants.

Healthcare providers typically use stem cell transplants to treat life-threatening cancer or blood diseases. Unfortunately, not everyone who has those conditions can have the procedure. Here are factors providers take into consideration:

Recently data reported nearly 23,000 people had stem cell transplants in 2018.

To understand how stem cell transplants work, it may help to know more about stem cells and their role in your body:

Healthcare providers obtain stem cells from several sources:

If youre a candidate for a stem cell transplant, your healthcare provider will perform the following tests to confirm youre physically able to manage transplantation processes, including pre-treatment chemotherapy called conditioning and transplantation side effects:

Before your blood tests, your provider may place a central venous catheter (CVC) in one of the large veins in your upper chest. CVCs are tubes that serve as central lines that providers use to take blood and provide medication and fluids. CVCs eliminate repeated needle sticks to draw blood or insert intravenous tubes throughout the transplantation process.

Transplant conditioning is intensive chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy that kills cancer cells in your bone marrow. Conditioning also kills existing blood cells.

If youre receiving your own stem cells, your provider may give you medication to boost your stem cell production. Theyll do follow-up blood tests to check on stem cell production.

If youre receiving your own stem cells, your providers will take blood so they can remove healthy stem cells for transplant. . To do that, they connect veins in both of your arms to a cell separator machine. The machine pulls your blood from one arm, filters the blood and then returns it to through your other arm. This process doesnt hurt. Providers may need to take blood more than once to ensure they have enough stem cells to transplant. The actual transplantation involves receiving your stem cells via your CVC.

Just like someone receiving their own cells, youll receive healthy stem cells via your CVC.

Your new stem cells will need time to produce new blood cells. If you received donor stem cells, your transplanted stem cells will replace unhealthy stem cells and begin to build a new immune system. This process is engraftment.

Either way, you may need to stay in or close to the hospital for several months so your healthcare providers can support your recovery and monitor your progress. Heres what you can expect after your stem cell transplant:

Successful stem cell transplants may help people when previous treatments dont slow or eliminate certain cancers.

The greatest risk is that youll go through the procedure and your transplanted stem cells cant slow or eliminate your illness.

Allogenic and autologous stem cell transplants have different complications. Allogenic stem cell transplants can result in graft versus host disease. This happens when your immune system attacks new stem cells. Potential complications will vary based on your overall health, age and previous treatment. If youre considering a stem cell transplant, your healthcare provider will outline potential complications so you can weigh those risks against potential benefits.

It can take several weeks to several months to recover from a stem cell transplant. Your healthcare provider may recommend you stay in or near the hospital or transplant center for the first 100 days after your procedure.

Its difficult to calculate an overall success rate. That said, the most recent data show the highest number of stem cell transplants involved people with multiple myeloma or Hodgkin and non-Hodgkin lymphoma who received autologous stem cell transplants. Here is information on three-year survival rates:

A successful stem cell transplant can change your life, curing your condition or slowing its growth. But its not an overnight transformation. It can take a year or more for you to recover. Here are some challenges and ways to overcome them:

You may have days when you feel exhausted and days when you feel fine. A hard day doesnt mean youre not doing well. It means you need to give yourself a break and take it easy.

Youll have regular follow-up appointments with your provider. But its important to remember your immune system likely will be weak for a year or so after your transplantation. Contact your provider right away if you develop any of the following symptoms:

A note from Cleveland Clinic

If youve been coping with cancer or a blood disease, a stem cell transplant can be a new lease on life. It can mean hope for a cure or remission when other treatments havent worked. But stem cell transplants come with demanding physical challenges and significant risks. Not everyone who has cancer or blood conditions is a candidate for a stem cell transplant. Unfortunately, not everyone who is a candidate but needs donor stem cells finds a donor. If youre considering a stem cell transplant, talk to your healthcare provider about potential risks and benefits. Theyll evaluate your situation, your options and potential outcomes.

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Stem Cell Transplantation: What it Is, Process & Procedure

LOS ANGELES Cedars-Sinai researchers say a new stem cell therapy procedure allows them to protect patients with ALS, or Lou Gehrigs disease, and helps block muscle deterioration which normally occurs as a result of the fatal neurological disorder.

The Cedars-Sinai team successfully engineered and embedded protective proteins through the blood-brain barrier of patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The procedure increases hope that similar one-time treatments will greatly slow the diseases degenerative effects, including limb paralysis and the loss of ones ability to move, speak, or breathe. Researchers did not encounter any negative side-effects, while patients avoided leg paralysis following the transplant and replication of protein-producing stem cells from patients central nervous systems.

This breakthrough investigational therapy promotes the survival of motor neurons which typically degenerate in the spinal cord of patients with ALS. The researchers highlighted that none of the 18 people who underwent the stem cell gene therapy endured any serious side-effects after the transplantation.

Using stem cells is a powerful way to deliver important proteins to the brain or spinal cord that cant otherwise get through the blood-brain barrier, says corresponding author Clive Svendsen, PhD, professor of Biomedical Sciences and Medicine and executive director of the Cedars-Sinai Board of Governors Regenerative Medicine Institute, in a media release.

The safety of the trial and a lack of side-effects among patients is receiving praise from numerous scientists in the ALS and neurological research community.

We were able to show that the engineered stem cell product can be safely transplanted in the human spinal cord. And after a one-time treatment, these cells can survive and produce an important protein for over three years that is known to protect motor neurons that die in ALS, Svendsen says.

The researchers had several primary goals in this trial, which sought to show that stem cells engineered in Svendsens laboratory could produce the glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF), which help motor neurons pass signals between the brain and spinal cord. This process ultimately allows ALS patients to continue muscle movement which the disease typically destroys.

Prior to this recent study, neurological researchers feared there could be dire side effects or an inability to successfully bypass ALS patients blood-brain barrier using this therapeutic procedure. The blood-brain barrier, or BBB, serves as a structural and functional roadblock to potentially harmful microorganisms including parasites, viruses or bacteria in a persons bloodstream.

Because they are engineered to release GDNF, we get a double whammy approach where both the new cells and the protein could help dying motor neurons survive better in this disease, Svendsen added.

Researchers say they will soon build on the findings, published in the peer-reviewed journal Nature Medicine, including tests which target lower areas on the spinal cord and enrolling ALS patients in the study much earlier in their diagnosis.

We are very grateful to all the participants in the study, Svendsen concludes. ALS is a very tough disease to treat and this research gives us hope we are getting closer to finding ways to slow down this disease.

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New stem cell therapy provides long-term brain protection against ALS - Study Finds