Category Archives: Stem Cells

BEAUTY at the expense of babies.

With this, the Philippine Society for Stem Cell Medicine (PSSCM) gave another reason for Filipinos to stop patronizing the emerging stem cell therapy in the country revealing that some of them are actually sourced from human babies.

In a statement, PSSCM Spokesman Dr. Leo Olarte disclosed that it has come to their knowledge that there are a number of cases, where the stem cells used for several anti-aging procedures and other medical treatments are actually acquired from babies, with some even from elective abortion abroad.

With this in mind and realizing that we can consider this as exploitation of other human beings for personal benefit, we ask ourselves if this is an ethical and moral medical procedure, Olarte said.

We cannot stand by and merely watch how they exploit people in poverty just to profit while allowing others who are economically well off to benefit from this, he furthered.

He said the information came after they attended a scientific forum in the United States that tackled the issue of human commoditization for commercial and economic purposes.

The Philippine Medical Association (PMA) noted how human fetus harvesting for stem cell transplant, also known as allogenic sourced-out stem cells, has become prevalent in countries like the Ukraine, Switzerland, Russia, and Malaysia.

Last month, the PSSCM had already raised concerns over the risks of complications, and possibly death, from stem cell treatments.

The PSSCM had said that stem cell patients run the risk of graft-versus-host disease (allogeneic transplant only), stem cell (graft) failure, organ injury, infections, cataracts, infertility, new cancers, and death.

Stem cell therapy is a type of intervention strategy that introduces new adult stem cells into damaged tissue in order to treat disease or injury.

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Experts claim, babies source of stem cells

By: Jet Villa, InterAksyon.com February 24, 2013 9:10 AM

Stem cell tray. AFP/GETTY IMAGES FILE PHOTO

InterAksyon.com The online news portal of TV5

MANILA The stem cells used in some anti-aging medical procedures here were harvested not from recipients themselves or donors but from elective abortion of human babies abroad, the Philippine Society for Stem Cell Medicine (PSSCM) warned.

PSSCM spokesperson Dr. Leo Olarte said that in some procedures, the sources of the stem cells are babies and even the egg cells of women.

This practice poses ethical and moral questions, he said.

With this in mind and realizing that we can consider this as exploitation of other human beings for personal benefit, we ask ourselves if this is an ethical and moral medical procedure, he said.

Olarte said the entry of these stem cells in the country must be stopped.

We cannot stand by and merely watch how they exploit people in poverty just to profit while allowing others who are economically well off to benefit from this, he added.

In countries like the Ukraine, Switzerland, Russia, and even Malaysia, harvesting human fetuses for stem cell transplant has become so prevalent that even normal healthy babies are being used to generate the cells that are supposed to make older people look and feel younger, he said.

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PH stem cell society warns: Stem cells in some anti-aging procedures came from aborted babies abroad

MANILA, Philippines --- The Philippine Society for Stem Cell Medicine (PSSCM) yesterday warned against anti-aging procedures and medical treatments that use stem cell harvested from human fetuses and even from egg cells of women.

Dr. Leo Olarte, PSSCM spokesperson, released a statement over the weekend to address some "alarming number of cases" in which stem cells used for anti-aging and medical treatments were actually gathered from babies and egg cells.

Olarte said the local medical community was alarmed when he reported what he learned from a recent scientific forum in the United States that centered on the issue of exploitation of humans for "commercial and economic purposes."

The PSSCM official, who is also the vice president of the Philippine Medical Association (PMA), said that in countries like Ukraine, Switzerland, Russia and even Malaysia, harvesting stem cells from human fetuses has become quite common that even normal and healthy babies are being used for harvesting.

This practice is known as allogenic sourced-out stem cells or cells that come from a matched related or unrelated donor.

Olarte called on the Department of Health (DOH) to check whether or not this practice is already prevalent in the country especially hearing reports that a Malaysian pharmaceutical group has already begun offering human-derived allogenic stem cells to several local doctors, including dermatologists and cosmetologists.

The stem cells were said to be sourced from Ukraine and Russia.

"With this in mind and realizing that we can consider this as exploitation of other human beings for personal benefit, we ask ourselves if this is an ethical and moral medical procedure," Olarte said.

"I am also calling on the Catholic Church to unite with us. We must put an end to this once and for all before it overwhelms us. We should prevent the entry of human-derived allogenic stem cells from aborted fetuses which are being exported to the Philippines today," he added.

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Authorities Warn Against Anti-Aging Procedures Using Human Stem Cells

By: Jet Villa, InterAksyon.com February 24, 2013 9:10 AM

Stem cell tray. AFP/GETTY IMAGES FILE PHOTO

InterAksyon.com The online news portal of TV5

MANILA The stem cells used in some anti-aging medical procedures here were harvested not from recipients themselves or donors but from elective abortion of human babies abroad, the Philippine Society for Stem Cell Medicine (PSSCM) warned.

PSSCM spokesperson Dr. Leo Olarte said that in some procedures, the sources of the stem cells are babies and even the egg cells of women.

This practice poses ethical and moral questions, he said.

With this in mind and realizing that we can consider this as exploitation of other human beings for personal benefit, we ask ourselves if this is an ethical and moral medical procedure, he said.

Olarte said the entry of these stem cells in the country must be stopped.

We cannot stand by and merely watch how they exploit people in poverty just to profit while allowing others who are economically well off to benefit from this, he added.

In countries like the Ukraine, Switzerland, Russia, and even Malaysia, harvesting human fetuses for stem cell transplant has become so prevalent that even normal healthy babies are being used to generate the cells that are supposed to make older people look and feel younger, he said.

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Stem cells used in some anti-aging procedures here from aborted babies abroad - PSSCM

Public release date: 22-Feb-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Jillian Hurst press_releases@the-jci.org Journal of Clinical Investigation

Parthenogenesis is a form of asexual reproduction during which unfertilized eggs begin to develop as if they had been fertilized. It occurs naturally in many plants and a few invertebrate (some bees, scorpions, parasitic wasps) and vertebrate animals (some fish, reptiles, and amphibians), but does not occur naturally in mammals. In 2007, researchers were able to chemically induce human egg cells to undergo parthenogenesis. The resulting parthenogenote has properties similar to an embryo, but cannot develop further. In this issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation, Wolfram Zimmerman and colleagues at Georg-August-Universitt Gttingen in Gttingen, Germany, demonstrated that cells from the parthenogenote function as embryonic stem cells and maintain the capacity to develop into different types of tissue. Further, they used parthenogenic stem cells to make cardiomyocytes and engineered heart muscle (myocardium) that exhibited the structural and functional properties of normal myocardium. The engineered myocardium could then be used to engraft the mice that had contributed the eggs for parthenogenesis. These studies demonstrate that parthenogenic stem cells can be used for tissue engineering. In a companion commentary, Michael Schneider of the Imperial College of London discusses how these findings could impact the development of cell replacement therapies.

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TITLE: Parthenogenetic stem cells for tissue engineered heart repair

AUTHOR CONTACT: Wolfram Zimmermann Georg-August-Universitt Gttingen, Gttingen, DEU Phone: +49 (0) 551 39-57 81; E-mail: w.zimmermann@med.uni-goettingen.de

View this article at: http://www.jci.org/articles/view/66854?key=31d6143cd2894a5b80d5

ACCOMPANYING COMMENTARY

TITLE: Virgin birth: engineered heart muscle from parthenogenic stem cells

AUTHOR CONTACT: Michael D. Schneider Imperial College London, London, UNK, GBR Phone: 011 44 20 7594 3027; Fax: 011 44 20 7594 3190; E-mail: m.d.schneider@imperial.ac.uk

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How to mend a broken heart: Advances in parthenogenic stem cells

A recent study from the University of Edinburgh revealed the ability of 3D printers to produce embryonic stem cells. Dr. Simon Ourian of Epione Beverly Hills believes this discovery may have a significant impact on the field of aesthetic medicine.

Los Angeles, California (PRWEB) February 22, 2013

With this printing method, a number of possibilities are presented. This new technology might be utilized for a number of cosmetic procedures including removing wrinkles, improving skin tone, rejuvenating tired, aged skin and even re-growing hair.

Dr. Simon Ourian, Medical Director of Epione Beverly Hills, believes this study shows promise for the future of aesthetic medicine. He says, Although this project is in its early stages, it has tremendous upside. After repeated testing, improvements, and approvals, I can see this technology becoming well integrated into what we do."

The printer might also be used to produce three-dimensional human tissues to grow vital organs for transplants, study, and for testing the effects of new drugs. In the future, the printer might even be used to print human cells directly into the body.

Stem cells are technically called hESCs or human Embryonic Stem Cells, which are extracted from a human embryo. From there, the cells can be grown into virtually any type of cell found in a living adult individual - from muscle, skin and bone to brain tissue.

Using stem cells for aesthetic medicine may eliminate many of the potential risks and complications that currently accompany cosmetic procedures. This new treatment would be sourced from the patient's own blood in order to extract the PRP or Autologous Platelet Rich Plasma. Since the material is sourced from the patient's own blood, there is no risk of rejection. One merely uses ones own tissue in order to heal, renew and regenerate damaged tissue.

It truly is an exciting time to be practicing aesthetic medicine, says Dr. Ourian. The idea that we can use the body to heal and improve itself seems like the stuff of science fiction. I eagerly await the results of future studies.

Dr. Ourian has been a pioneer in laser technology and non-invasive aesthetic procedures including Restylane, Juvderm, Radiesse and Sculptra. These treatments are used for the correction or reversal of a variety of conditions such as acne, acne scars, skin discoloration, wrinkles, stretch marks, varicose veins, cellulite, and others. More information about 3D printing of stem cells can be found on Epiones website.

Grace Russell Epione Medical Corporation (888) 951-3377 Email Information

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First Printer for Human Stem Cells – What it Means for Aesthetic Medicine

BACKGROUND: In 2012, there were 23,540 deaths from leukemia and 47,150 new cases in the United States. Leukemia is cancer that starts in blood-forming tissue such as bone marrow and causes large numbers of blood cells to be produced and enter the bloodstream. Most normal blood cells develop from cells in the bone marrow, called stem cells. Bone marrow is the soft material in the center of most bones. Stem cells will develop into different kinds of blood cells each with a specific job. White blood cells fight infection. Red blood cells carry oxygen to tissue throughout the body. Platelets help form blood clots that control bleeding. These cells are made from stem cells as the body needs them. Most blood cells mature in the bone marrow. Then they will move into the blood vessels. When someone has leukemia, their bone marrow makes abnormal white blood cells, called leukemia cells. (Source: http://www.cancer.gov)

RISK FACTORS: The exact cause of leukemia is unknown. Researchers do know that there are certain risk factors that increase the likelihood of developing the disease. They include:

TREATMENT: Treatment will depend on the type of leukemia, the patients age, and whether leukemia cells were found in the cerebrospinal fluid. Treatment options can include: watchful waiting, chemotherapy, targeted therapy, biological therapy, radiation therapy, and stem cell transplant. Many leukemia patients use chemotherapy. It uses drugs to destroy leukemia cells. Patients with chronic myeloid leukemia may receive drugs called targeted therapy. Imatinib tablets were the first targeted therapy approved for chronic myeloid leukemia, but there are now others. Biological therapy is the treatment that improves the bodys natural defenses against the disease. Radiation therapy uses high-energy rays to kill leukemia cells. Stem cell transplant allows the patient to be treated with high doses of drugs, radiation, or both. After the patient receives the high dose of medications, the leukemia cells and normal blood cells in the bone marrow are destroyed. Then the patient receives healthy stem cells through a large vein, similar to a blood transfusion. New blood cells will develop from the transplanted stem cells. (Source: http://www.cancer.gov)

NEW ADVANCES: A different treatment option that is still in clinical trials is the use of cord blood stem cells from the placentas of newborn babies. Umbilical cord blood, like bone marrow, is a rich source of stem cells for transplantation. The cord blood for transplantation is collected from the umbilical cord and placenta after a baby is born. The cells used in transplants can come from marrow, peripheral blood, and the umbilical cord blood. The first successful cord blood stem cell transplant was done in 1988 in Paris, France on a boy with Fanconi anemia, a fatal and genetic type of anemia. It has also been given successfully to patients with over 70 diseases, including acute lymphocytic leukemia, acute myelogenous leukemia, myelodysplastic syndromes, chronic myelogenous leukemia, juvenile chronic myelogenous leukemia, chronic lymphocytic leukemia, Hodgkin and non-Hodgkin lymphoma, thalassemia, neuroblastoma, severe combined immune deficiency, Aldrich syndrome, and severe aplastic anemia. The umbilical cord is routinely discarded after a baby is delivered unless the parents choose to do otherwise. For certain patients, there are advantages to using donor cord blood stem cells instead of donor peripheral blood or donor marrow stem cells, including: availability (cord blood is stored in a public bank, tested, and frozen); Human Leukocyte Antigen Matching does not have to be as close a match as a bone marrow or peripheral blood transplants; fewer patients get Graft-Versus-Host Disease; diversity; and less risk of obtaining an infectious disease. (Source: http://www.lls.org)

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Stem Cells For Leukemia: New Hope From Newborns

Feb. 22, 2013 The parasites that cause schistosomiasis, one of the most common parasitic infections in the world, are notoriously long-lived. Researchers have now found stem cells inside the parasite that can regenerate worn-down organs, which may help explain how they can live for years or even decades inside their host.

Schistosomiasis is acquired when people come into contact with water infested with the larval form of the parasitic worm Schistosoma, known as schistosomes. Schistosomes mature in the body and lay eggs that cause inflammation and chronic illness. Schistosomes typically live for five to six years, but there have been reports of patients who still harbor parasites decades after infection.

According to new research from Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) investigator Phillip Newmark, collections of stem cells that can help repair the worms bodies as they age could explain how the worms survive for so many years. The new findings were published online on February 20, 2013, in the journal Nature.

The stem cells that Newmarks team found closely resemble stem cells in planaria, free-living relatives of the parasitic worms. Planaria rely on these cells, called neoblasts, to regenerate lost body parts. Whereas most adult stem cells in mammals have a limited set of possible fatesblood stem cells can give rise only to various types of blood cells, for example planarian neoblasts can turn into any cell in the worms body under the right circumstances.

Newmarks lab at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign has spent years focused on planaria, so they knew many details about planarian neoblasts what they look like, what genes they express, and how they proliferate. They also knew that in uninjured planarians, neoblasts maintain tissues that undergo normal wear and tear over the worms lifetime.

We began to wonder whether schistosomes have equivalent cells and whether such cells could be partially responsible for their longevity, says Newmark.

Following this hunch, and using what they knew about planarian neoblasts, post-doctoral fellow Jim Collins, Newmark, and their colleagues hunted for similar cells in Schistosoma mansoni, the most widespread species of human-infecting schistosomes.

Their first step was to look for actively dividing cells in the parasites. To do this, they grew worms in culture and added tags that would label newly replicated DNA as cells prepare to divide; this label could later be visualized by fluorescence. Following this fluorescent tag, they saw a collection of proliferating cells inside the worms body, separate from any organs.

The researchers isolated those cells from the schistosomes and studied them individually. They looked like typical stem cells, filled with a large nucleus and a small amount of cytoplasm that left little room for any cell-type-specific functionality. Newmarks lab observed the cells and found that they often divided to give rise to two different cells: one cell that continued dividing, and another cell that did not.

One feature of stem cells, says Newmark, is that they make more stem cells; furthermore, many stem cells undergo asymmetric division. The schistosomes cells were behaving like stem cells in these respects. The other characteristic of stem cells is that they can differentiate into other cell types.

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Stash of stem cells found in a human parasite