Category Archives: Stem Cell Treatments

The treatment halved the extent of what would usually have been permanent scarring on the heart and led to the growth of new heart muscle.

However, it produced no significant change in ejection fraction – a measure of the heart's pumping capacity.

The Caduceus trial studied 25 patients, with an average age of 53, who had suffered a heart attack in the previous month. Seventeen received coronary artery infusions of 12 to 25million stem cells taken from healthy tissue in their own hearts. The remaining eight underwent standard care. A year later, the proportion of the heart scarred in patients who had the stem cell treatment had been reduced from 24 per cent to 12 per cent. No change was seen in patients who had the usual treatment.

Professor Eduardo Marbán, director of the Cedars–Sinai Heart Institute in Los Angeles, who led the US team, said: "This discovery challenges the conventional wisdom that, once established, scar is permanent and that, once lost, healthy heart muscle cannot be restored."

The study was published in an online edition of The Lancet medical journal.

Further studies will need to test for long–term improvement in patients.

Professor Jeremy Pearson, associate medical director at the British Heart Foundation, said: "It could be great news for heart attack patients who face the debilitating symptoms of heart failure."

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Scarred hearts can be restored to health with stem cell treatment, say researchers

Chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) is a cancer of the white blood cells for which tyrosine kinase inhibitors are currently the first line of therapy. These drugs prolong survival, but disease recurrence is often seen after drug treatment is stopped. "Tyrosine kinase inhibitors do not eliminate leukemia stem cells, which remain a potential source of cancer recurrence," explains senior coauthor Dr. Ravi Bhatia from the City of Hope National Medical Center in Duarte, California. "CML patients need to take tyrosine kinase inhibitor treatment indefinitely, which carries a significant risk of toxicity, lack of compliance, drug resistance, relapse, and associated expense."

Strategies targeting leukemia stem cells are necessary to achieve a cure. Previous work has implicated the enzyme sirtuin 1 (SIRT1) in protecting stem cells from stress and in playing a role in leukemia, as well as other types of cancer. In the current study, Dr. Bhatia, coauthor Dr. WenYong Chen, first author Ling Li, and their colleagues investigated whether SIRT1 was involved in the survival and growth of CML stem cells. The researchers discovered that SIRT1 was overexpressed in CML stem cells and that inhibition of SIRT1selectively reduced the survival and growth of CML stem cells. Importantly, SIRT1 inhibition was associated with activation of the p53 tumor suppressor.

Taken together, the results reveal a specific mechanism that supports the survival of leukemia stem cells. "Our findings are important because they show that SIRT1-mediated inactivation of p53 contributes to CML leukemia stem cell survival and resistance to treatment with tyrosine kinase inhibitors," concludes Dr. Chen. "We suggest that SIRT1 inhibition is an attractive approach to selectively target leukemia stem cells that resist elimination by current treatments."

Provided by Cell Press (news : web)

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Therapy targets leukemia stem cells

A new study in which patients had their hearts repaired with stem cells has brought regenerative treatments for heart attacks a step closer.

The therapy halved the extent of normally permanent scarring on the heart, and led to the growth of new heart muscle.

However, the treatment produced no significant change in "ejection fraction" - a measure of the heart's pumping capacity.

The Caduceus trial recruited a total of 25 patients with an average age of 53 who had all suffered a heart attack in the previous month.

Seventeen received coronary artery infusions of 12 to 25 million stem cells derived from healthy tissue taken from their own hearts. The remaining eight underwent standard post-heart attack care.

A year later, the proportion of the heart left scarred in the stem cell-treated patients had been reduced from 24% to 12%. No change was seen in patients who did not receive the treatment.

Professor Eduardo Marban, director of the Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute in Los Angeles, who led the US team, said: "The effects are substantial, and surprisingly larger in humans than they were in animal tests.

"This discovery challenges the conventional wisdom that, once established, scar is permanent and that, once lost, healthy heart muscle cannot be restored."

The Phase I study, which was chiefly conducted to evaluate safety, was published in an online edition of The Lancet medical journal.

It follows a similar trial by US scientists at Harvard Medical School and the University of Louisville whose findings were reported last year, also in The Lancet. That study, which used a different kind of heart stem cell, produced a 12% average increase in ejection fraction.

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Regenerative heart therapy 'closer'

WALKER, Mich. (WOOD) - Dogs who received the first in-clinic stem cell therapy in West Michigan returned to the vets who treated them Monday morning.

Boris and Natasha returned to Kelley's Animal Clinic for their 60-day checkup after receiving stem cell treatment in December 2011.

Dr. James Kelley and his staff of vets removed fat tissue from the dogs and activated it with an enzyme before injecting it into their back legs.

This adult animal stem cell technology is different from the controversial embryonic stem cell therapy.

Kelley said both dogs are doing amazingly well and that the procedure has done more than just help their arthritis.

"We're finding that not only the joints are affected, the rest of the animal is affected as well," said Kelley. "The skin is better. The attitude in these dogs is much improved."

Kelley and his staff have done 16 stem cell treatments since the first on Boris and Natasha, and he said all the dogs are showing signs of improvement after a short period of time.

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Dogs who got stem cell therapy are well

23-11-2011 17:37 A 2-year-old in Loveland, Ohio was born with Optic Nerve Hyplasia (ONH). It is a condition where the optic nerve is under developed and can cause blindness. Now, the little girl named Emmalyn Latchford can see after traveling to China.

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Stem cell therapy helps girl gain sight - Video

08-02-2012 11:12 Stem Cell Treatment of Pro/Am dancer and orthodontist, Dr. Janet Vaughan. In attempt to get her dancing career back on track, Dr. Vaughan decided to undergo stem cell therapy at the Stem Cell Institute in Panama City, Panama. Dr. Jorge Paz, Medical Director at the Stem Cell Institute presents Dr. Vaughan's case discussing her injuries and subsequent recovery. After being unable to compete for 2 years, Dr. Vaughan is once again slated to compete on the professional dance circuit with her current professional partner, Mr. Eddie Stutts (Professional 10-Dance World Champion). From 2007-2009, Dr. Vaughan partnered with World Champion Tony Dovolani and competed extensively in the US, winning a National Reserve Pro/Am Rhythm title. Tony Dovolani is best known for his appearances on ABC's hit reality series, "Dancing with the Stars", and has teamed up with Chynna Phillips, Wendy Williams, Audrina Partridge, Kate Gosselin, Kathy Ireland, Susan Lucci, Jane Seymour and other celebrities on the show.

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Stem Cell Therapy for Osteoarthritis and Sports Injuries: A Case Study - Video

23-01-2012 21:41 WATCH THE LATEST UPDATED VIDEO HERE http://www.youtube.com Stem Cell Treatments FAIR USE NOTICE: These Videos may contain copyrighted (©) material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. Such material is made available to advance understanding...

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Stem Cell Treatments - Video

28-12-2011 17:25 This video looks at the possible stem cell treatment for Lyme Disease. For more information please visit http://www.progenacell.com

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Lyme Disease Stem Cell Treatment Video - Video

31-01-2012 21:38 http://www.StemCellTreatment.org Jaime Chiriboga was an active adult and ended up in a motorcycle accident and left a quadriplegic. Before receiving stem cell treatment he could not move his limbs. After his stem cell therapy he was able to move his limbs and got back almost 100% sensitivity in his body! We are very happy with the results and even more important Jaime is happy with his results! Please look at our website for more information!

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Stem Cell Treatment Paraplegic - Video

31-01-2012 15:24 MDA Vice President of Research Sanjay Bidichandani explains the promising research being done in neuromuscular disease research using adult stem cells.

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Stem Cell Therapy in Neuromuscular Disease Research - Video