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Why expensive, unproven stem cell treatments are a new …

Posted: April 11, 2019 at 1:42 am

The onlinevideoseems to promise everything an arthritis patient could want.

The six-minute segment mimics a morning talk show, using a polished TV host to interview guests around a coffee table. Dr. Adam Pourcho extols the benefits of stem cells and regenerative medicine for healing joints without surgery. Pourcho, a sports medicine specialist, says he has used platelet injections to treat his own knee pain, as well as a tendon injury in his elbow. Extending his arm, he says, Its completely healed.

Brendan Hyland, a gym teacher and track coach, describes withstanding intense heel pain for 18 months before seeing Pourcho. Four months after the injections, he says, he was pain-free and has since gone on a 40-mile hike.

I dont have any pain that stops me from doing anything I want, Hyland says.

Critics suggest the hospitals are exploiting desperate patients and profiting from trendy but unproven treatments.

The videos cheerleading tone mimics theinfomercialsused to promote stem cell clinics, several of which have recently gotten into hot water with federal regulators, saidDr. Paul Knoepfler, a professor of cell biology and human anatomy at the University of California-Davis School of Medicine. But the marketing video wasnt filmed by a little-known operator.

It was sponsored bySwedishMedical Center, the largest nonprofit health provider in the Seattle area.

Swedish is one of a growing number ofrespected hospitalsandhealth systems including theMayo Clinic, theCleveland Clinicand theUniversity of Miami that have entered the lucrative business ofstem cellsandrelated therapies, including platelet injections. Typical treatments involveinjecting patients joints with their own fatorbone marrowcells, or with extracts ofplatelets, the cell fragments known for their role in clotting blood. Many patients seek out regenerative medicine to stave off surgery, even though theevidencesupporting these experimental therapies isthin at best, Knoepfler said.

Hospitals say theyre providing options to patients who have exhausted standard treatments. But critics suggest the hospitals are exploiting desperate patients and profiting from trendybut unproventreatments.

TheFood and Drug Administrationis attempting to shut down clinics that hawk unapproved stem cell therapies, which have been linked toseveral cases of blindnessand atleast 12 serious infections. Although doctors usually need preapproval to treat patients with human cells, the FDA has carved out ahandful of exceptions,as long as the cells meet certain criteria, said Barbara Binzak Blumenfeld, an attorney who specializes in food and drug law at Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney in Washington.

Hospitals like Mayo are careful to follow these criteria, to avoid running afoul of the FDA, said Dr. Shane Shapiro, program director for the Regenerative Medicine Therapeutics Suites at Mayo Clinics campus in Florida.

While hospital-based stem cell treatments may be legal, theres nostrong evidencethey work, said Leigh Turner, an associate professor at the University of Minnesotas Center for Bioethics who has published a series of articles describing the size and dynamics of thestem cell market.

FDA approval isnt needed and physicians can claim they arent violating federal regulations, Turner said. But just because something is legal doesnt make it ethical.

For doctors and hospitals, stem cells are easy money, Turner said. Patients typically paymore than $700a treatment for platelets and up to$5,000for fat and bone marrow injections. As a bonus, doctors dont have to wrangle with insurance companies, which view the procedures asexperimentaland largelydont cover them.

For doctors and hospitals, stem cells are easy money.

Its an out-of-pocket, cash-on-the-barrel economy, Turner said. Across the country, clinicians at elite medical facilities are lining their pockets by providingexpensive placebos.

Some patient advocates worry that hospitals are more interested in capturing a slice of the stem-cell market than in proving their treatments actually work.

Its lucrative. Its easy to do. All these reputable institutions, they dont want to miss out on the business, said Dr. James Rickert, president of the Society for Patient Centered Orthopedics, which advocates for high-quality care. It preys on peoples desperation.

In a joint statement, Pourcho and Swedish defended the online video.

The terminology was kept simple and with analogies that the lay person would understand, according to the statement. As with any treatment that we provide, we encourage patients to research and consider all potential treatment options before deciding on what is best for them.

But Knoepfler said the guests on the video make several unbelievable claims.

At one point, Dr. Pourcho says thatplatelets release growth factorsthat tell the brain which types of stem cells to send to the site of an injury. According to Pourcho, these instructions make sure that tissues are repaired with the appropriate type of cell, and so you dont get, say, eyeball in your hand.

Knoepfler, who has studied stem cell biology for two decades, said he has never heard of any possibility of growing eyeball or other random tissues in your hand. Knoepfler, who wrote about the video in February on his blog,The Niche, said, Theres no way that the adult brain could send that kind of stem cells anywhere in the body.

The marketing video debuted in July on KING-TV, a Seattle station, as part of a local lifestyles show called New Day Northwest. Although much of the show is produced by the KING 5 news team, some segments like Pourchos interview are sponsored by local advertisers, said Jim Rose, president and general manager of KING 5 Media Group.

After being contacted by KHN, Rose asked Swedish to remove the video from YouTube because it wasnt labeled as sponsored content. Omitting that label could allow the video to be confused with news programming. The video now appears only on the KING-TV website, where Swedish is labeled as the sponsor.

The goal is to clearly inform viewers of paid content so they can distinguish editorial and news content from paid material, Rose said. We value the publics trust.

Federal authorities have recently begun cracking down on doctors who make unproven claims or sell unapproved stem cell products.

In October, theFederal Trade Commissionfined stem cell clinics millions of dollars for deceptive advertising, noting that the companies claimed to be able to treat or cure autism, Parkinsons disease and other serious diseases.

In a recent interview Scott Gottlieb, the FDA commissioner, said the agency will continue to go after what he called bad actors.

Withmore than 700stem cell clinics in operation, the FDA is first targeting those posing the biggest threat, such as doctors who inject stem cells directly into the eye or brain.

There are clearly bad actors who are well over the line and who are creating significant risks for patients, Gottlieb said.

Federal authorities have recently begun cracking down on doctors who make unproven claims or sell unapproved stem cell products.

Gottlieb, set to leave office April 5, said hes also concerned about the financial exploitation of patients in pain.

Theres economic harm here, where products are being promoted that arent providing any proven benefits and where patients are paying out-of-pocket, Gottlieb said.

Dr. Peter Marks, director of the FDAs Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, said there is a broad spectrum of stem cell providers, ranging from university scientists leading rigorous clinical trials to doctors who promise stem cells are for just about anything. Hospitals operate somewhere in the middle, Marks said.

The good news is that theyre somewhat closer to the most rigorous academics, he said.

The Mayo Clinics regenerative medicine program, for example, focuses conditions such asarthritis, where injections pose few serious risks, even if thats not yet the standard of care, Shapiro said.

Rickert said its easy to see why hospitals are eager to get in the game.

The market for arthritis treatment is huge and growing. At least30 million Americanshave the most common form of arthritis, with diagnoses expected to soar as the population ages. Platelet injections for arthritis generatedmore than $93 millionin revenue in 2015, according to an article last year in The Journal of Knee Surgery.

We have patients in our offices demanding these treatments, Shapiro said. If they dont get them from us, they will get them somewhere else.

Doctors at the Mayo Clinic try to provide stem cell treatments and similar therapies responsibly, Shapiro said. Ina paper published this year,Shapiro described the hospitals consultation service, in which doctors explain patients options and clear up misconceptions about what stem cells and other injections can do. Doctors can refer patients to treatment or clinical trials.

Most of the patients do not get a regenerative [stem cell] procedure, Shapiro said. They dont get it because after we have a frank conversation, they decide, Maybe its not for me.

Although some hospitals boast of high success rates for their stem cell procedures,published researchoften paints a different story.

TheMayo Clinic websitesays that 40 to 70% of patients find some level of pain relief. Atlanta-basedEmory Healthcareclaims that 75 to 80% of patients have had significant pain relief and improved function. In the Swedish video, Pourcho claims we can treat really any tendon or any joint with PRP.

The strongest evidence for PRP is in pain relief for arthritic knees and tennis elbow, where it appears to be safe and perhaps helpful, said Dr. Nicolas Piuzzi, an orthopedic surgeon at the Cleveland Clinic.

But PRP hasnt been proven to help every part of the body, he said.

PRP has been linked to serious complications when injected to treatpatellar tendinitis,an injury to the tendon connecting the kneecap to the shinbone. In a 2013 paper, researchers described the cases of three patients whose pain got dramatically worse after PRP injections. One patient lost bone and underwent surgery to repair the damage.

People will say, If you inject PRP, you will return to sports faster, said Dr. Freddie Fu, chairman of orthopedic surgery at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. But that hasnt been proven.

A2017 studyof PRP found it relieved knee pain slightly better than injections of hyaluronic acid. But thats nothing to brag about, Rickert said, given thathyaluronic acid therapy doesnt work, either. While some PRP studies have shown morepositive results, Rickert notes that most were so small orpoorly designedthat theirresults arent reliable.

In its 2013 guidelines for knee arthritis, theAmerican Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeonssaid it is unable to recommend for or against PRP.

PRP is sort of a buyer beware situation, said Dr. William Li, president and CEO of the Angiogenesis Foundation, whose research focuses on blood vessel formation. Its the poor mans approach to biotechnology.

Tests of other stem cell injections also have failed to live up to expectations.

Shapiro published a rigorously designed study last year inCartilage, a medical journal, that found bone marrow injections were no better at relieving knee pain than saltwater injections. Rickert noted that patients who are in pain often get relief from placebos. The more invasive the procedure, the stronger the placebo effect, he said, perhaps because patients become invested in the idea that an intervention will really help. Even saltwater injections help 70% of patients, Fu said.

A 2016 review in theJournal of Bone and JointSurgery concluded that the value and effective use of cell therapy in orthopaedics remain unclear. The following year, a review in theBritish Journal of Sports Medicineconcluded, We do not recommend stem cell therapy for knee arthritis.

Shapiro said hospitals and health plans are right to be cautious.

Many patients have trouble sorting through the hype.

The insurance companies dont pay for fat grafting or bone-marrow aspiration, and rightly so, Shapiro said. Thats because we dont have enough evidence.

Rickert, an orthopedist in Bedford, Ind., said fat, bone marrow and platelet injections should be offered only through clinical trials, which carefully evaluate experimental treatments. Patients shouldnt be charged for these services until theyve been tested and shown to work.

Orthopedists surgeons who specialize in bones and muscles have a history of performing unproven procedures, includingspinal fusion, surgery forrotator cuff diseaseandarthroscopyfor worn-out knees, Turner said. Recently, studies have shown them to be no more effective than placebos.

Some argue that joint injections shouldnt be marketed as stem cell treatments at all.

Piuzzi said he prefers to call the injections orthobiologics,noting that platelets are not even cells, let alone stem cells. The number of stem cells in fat and bone marrow injections is extremely small, he said. In fat tissue, only about 1 in 2,000 cells is a stem cell, according to a March paper inThe Bone & Joint Journal. Stem cells are even rarer in bone marrow, where 1 in 10,000 to 20,000 cells is a stem cell.

Patients are attracted to regenerative medicine because they assume it will regrow their lost cartilage, Piuzzi said. Theres no solid evidence that the commercial injections used today spur tissue growth, Piuzzi said. Although doctors hope that platelets will release anti-inflammatory substances, which could theoretically help calm an inflamed joint, they dont know why some patients who receive platelet injections feel better, but others dont.

So, it comes as no surprise that many patients have trouble sorting through the hype.

Florida resident Kathy Walsh, 61, said she wasted nearly $10,000 on stem cell and platelet injections at a Miami clinic, hoping to avoid knee replacement surgery.

When Walsh heard about a doctor in Miami claiming to regenerate knee cartilage with stem cells, it seemed like an answer to a prayer, said Walsh, of Stuart, Fla. Youre so much in pain and so frustrated that you cling to every bit of hope you can get, even if it does cost you a lot of money.

The injections eased her pain for only a few months. Eventually, she had both knees replaced. She has been nearly pain-free ever since. My only regret, she said, is that I wasted so much time and money.

KaiserHealthNewsis an editorially independent program of the Henry J.KaiserFamily Foundation, a nonprofit, nonpartisanhealthpolicy research and communication organization not affiliated withKaiserPermanente. You can view the original report on itswebsite.

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High School Summer STEM Research Programs Worldwide …

Posted: April 9, 2019 at 6:45 pm

For Rising 11th-12th Graders6-8 Weeks Beginning June 17, 2019

Application deadline extended to April 8, 2019.

Rising high school juniors and seniors (current 10th-11th grade) are invited to participate in an authentic STEM research experience at a world-class research university for 6 weeks during the summer. Participants will work full-time in the laboratories of established researchers, gaining hands-on experience in areas at the forefront of various STEM fields; cancer immunology, pharmacogenomics of anticancer agents, physics, biophysics, bioengineering, electrical engineering, computer engineering, experimental cancer therapeutics, cancer disparities, and more!

Additionally, students can plan to participate in weekly seminars on various topics including research projects, college readiness and scientific communication. The ultimate goal of this program is to make students feel comfortable in a university setting, form a science identity and build confidence.

In order to ensure our young scholars success in our program, our program consists of multiple layers of mentorship. Young scholars will have a chance to interact with faculty, post doctoral researchers, graduate students, undergraduate students and local high school teachers as they journey through their STEM research adventure at the U of I. At the end of their 6-week adventure, our young scholars will have the opportunity to present a poster and discuss the science research they learned. Students will also receive a (taxable) $2000 stipend for their work.

Program dates: June 17, 2019 July 26, 2019

This is a non-residential program forstudents who can travel to and from campus on a daily basis (Monday-Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.). City bus passes will be provided.

Application deadline extended to April 8, 2019.

PhYSics: Young Scholars doing physics research

POETS Young Scholars: Power Optimization of Electro-thermal Systems

SpHERES: Sparking High Schoolers Excitement for Research in Engineering & Science

researcHStart: Illinois Cancer Center (applications closed)June 17, 2019-August 9, 2019

New labs are joining this program from across Illinois Engineering departments, so even if you dont see the area of engineering you are most interested in listed here, be sure to apply anyway. We will use your personal statement to match you to a best-fit lab.

The Alleyne Research Group focuses on dynamic modeling of complex systems as well as development and implementation of advanced control algorithms on a number of different testbeds. As vehicle electrification increases, thermal management becomes increasingly important. To study the challenges imposed by increasing power and thermal demands, we developed a fluid-based experimental testbed that emulates features of vehicle thermal management systems. This hands-on project will modify a stock on/off solenoid valve so that it can be operated at intermediate positions between on and off and will allow the Young Scholar and teacher to explore multiple areas of study including; mechanical and circuit design, computer programming and mathematical modeling.

Nanostructures such as semiconductor quantum dots are collections of hundreds of atoms and can behave like an individual enlarged atom. These nanostructures exhibit electronic states that resemble the typical s and p atomic orbitals which can be imaged by a technique we use known as single-molecule absorption scanning tunneling microscopy (SMA-STM). At UIUC we use SMA-STM to observe the excited state structures and intra/inter-molecular dynamics of nanomaterials relevant to a wide variety of scientific subdisciplines. Our Young Scholar will assist with imaging and analysis of excited quantum dots and nanomaterials using SMA-STM. We will also modify our system by adding laser alignment automation using an Arduino microcontroller system.

Development of micro fluidic devices for analysis of cells and proteins from blood. The student will learn to make microfluidic PDMS devices and apply these devices for analysis of proteins and cells that are important for diagnosis and stratification of sepsis. Work performed under the guidance of Dr. Enrique Valera in the Rashid Bashir laboratory at Carle Hospital.

CISL uses chemical imaging and designed structures to understand molecular compositions and functions in a range of problems. The activities in the group are divided broadly into three categories: theory, modeling, and simulations; instrumentation and analysis algorithms; and applications of the first two to a range of problems, notably in cancer pathology, polymeric systems, and food grain analysis. In cancer pathology, we are interested in developing new imaging technology to use molecular changes in the tumor and its microenvironment for better diagnoses, using an integrated approach termed systems pathology. The YS will learn about disease diagnosis using pathology and will be involved in handling and analyzing infrared spectroscopic images.

Magnets come about through the combination of quantum mechanics and interactions between the electrons in materials. In this project, the Young Scholar will help perform and analyze many-body simulations of electrons in magnetic materials. By analyzing these simulations, we will understand better how magnets work and how to modify their properties at the atomic scale for new and interesting functionality.

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common and malignant form of brain cancer in adults, with a median survival time of 12-15 months. GBM tumors present with chemo- and radio-resistance and diffusive invasiveness, making them impossible to completely resect and resulting in high rates of recurrence. Our student will work in the context of glioblastoma, particularly the crosstalk that exists between GBM cells and microglia, the innate immune cells of the brain. Image: GBM from recently published Biomaterials Science Article.

The research in Kalsotra laboratory brings together critical ideas in the fields of molecular and developmental biology and offers a robust framework to better understand how, when, and where particular mRNAs are translated into proteins. We are interested in screening for ESRP2 function and localization in human disease. The students project will be to conduct Immunofluorescent staining of liver sections and image them for different protein markers in disease. Image Description: LEGO model of a liver. Alternative splicing generates mRNA diversity to support liver development.

The adult skeletal muscle can regenerate robustly upon injury, but aging and pathological conditions impair this regenerative capacity. Our goal is to understand the molecular mechanisms by which muscle regeneration is regulated, so that potential therapeutic targets can be identified in the future. We use both cell culture (in vitro) and a mouse model (in vivo) to investigate the roles of muscle-secreted cytokines and their signaling pathways in modulating muscle formation.Work performed under the guidance of graduate student, Dongwook Kim in the laboratory of Dr. Jie Chen.

This project is inspired by natures ability of using lipid materials to guide the perfect organization of light harvesting proteins in plants. In this project we intend to extract energy conversion membranes from natural systems and combine them with artificial materials to generate new nature-inspired light harvesting and storage materials. Specifically, students will be developing strategies to extract light harvesting membranes from spinach and re-assemble them with synthetic lipid and polymer thin films.

ATLAS uses collisions of protons and Pb-ions to discover fundamental building blocks of matter and study their interactions. The Zero Degree Calorimeter (ZDC) observes the non-interacting nuclear fragments from Pb-Pb ion collisions. The current ZDC operates at radiation doses beyond the levels tolerable by existing detector technology and requires regular repair. The ATLAS group at UIUC is developing a new calorimeter that can be operated continuously under very high radiation exposure. We tested novel high purity fused silica materials in the LHC tunnel at CERN. The YS will help to characterize the modified optical properties of the quartz samples after irradiation at CERN.

The students learned about disease diagnosis using pathology and will beinvolved in handling and analyzing infrared spectroscopic images. Work performed under the guidance of graduate student, Saumya Tiwari in the laboratory of Dr. Rohit Bhargava.

The Standard Model of particle physics has been very successful in explaining the Universe we observe. This theory is not complete as it does not answer fundamental questions such as why there is more matter than anti-matter or where does dark mater come from. We can search for new physics through precision measurements other than using high energy colliders. The electric dipole moment of the neutron is an experiment that is sensitive to new physics at TeV energy scales. nEDM at Oakridge National Lab promises to improve the current sensitivity by two orders of magnitude. At UIUC, we will use modern simulation tools to understand the light collection process and use the simulation to optimize the detector design. We will also build a mock up experimental cell.

In the universe, the dominance of matter over anti-matter is thought to have originated at the time of the Big Bang. In the neutron Electric Dipole Moment (nEDM) experiment, we are looking for a tiny echo of the Big Bang in the properties of the neutron. We will begin learning how to make these precision measurements at the Institut Laue Langevin in Grenoble, France, the site of the worlds strongest source of slow neutrons. These measurements require extremely accurate magnetometers which we will work on developing in Urbana this summer.

We use computational and analytic techniques to study dynamical problems ranging from the origin of the Moon to the observational appearance of black holes. A key part of these studies is thoroughly understanding simple model fluid flow problems. The Scholar will study a model problem called the Orszag-Tang vortex. They will do this by running codes in C language on a linux system developed by the group. They will learn about the underlying physical model, learn how to operate the model, learn how to analyze the output and produce animations from the results.

Condensation is a phase change phenomenon encountered in nature and in industry applications including power generation, thermal management, desalination, and environmental control. Experimental setup consists of tube samples with cold water flowing through. The entire system is enclosed within a chamber where vapors of the working fluid are injected. The vapor condenses on the tube samples with the chamber pressure and cooling water temperatures continuously monitored and recorded. The team will be running the experiment cycle with condensation on different tube samples. Scholars will study their own variables/conditions and produce a set of data. They will learn about the two modes of condensation; filmwise and dropwise and will experience high speed imaging.

PhYSics:Nuclear Physics Lab

POETS: Power Optimization of Electro-thermal Systems

SPHERES: Sparking High Schoolers Excitement for Research in Engineering & Science

researcHStart: Illinois Cancer Center

First Young Scholar program

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What is biotechnology (biotech)? – Definition from WhatIs.com

Posted: April 7, 2019 at 2:48 pm

Biotechnology, often abbreviated to biotech, is the area of biology that uses living processes, organisms or systems to manufacture products or technology intended to improve the quality of human life. Depending on the technology, tools and applications involved, biotechnology can overlap with molecular biology, bionics, bioengineering, genetic engineering and nanotechnology.

By harnessing cellular and biomolecular processes, scientists can make advances and adaptations to technology in various fields. Traditional processes include using living organisms in their natural form, breeding new living organisms or modifying their genetic makeup. Successful applications of such processes have resulted in treatment of disease, environmental impact reduction and more efficient use of natural resources. Major biotech companies implement biotechnology as a practice to bring medical devices and products to the mainstream market.

Biotechnology, like other advanced technologies, has the potential for misuse. Concern about this has led to efforts by some groups to enact legislation restricting or banning certain processes or programs, such as human cloning and embryonic stem-cell research. There is also concern that if biotechnological processes are used by groups with nefarious intent, the end result could be biological warfare.

The science of biotechnology can be broken down into sub-disciplines based on common uses and applications.

Modern biotechnology can be used for a variety of applications, including:

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Biotechnology Careers – Career Path Information | Monster.com

Posted: April 7, 2019 at 2:48 pm

Biotechnology Career Overview

If biology is your bag, you may be interested in biotech careers. Biological technicians often work at universities or in commercial labs assisting with experiments and tests. Biochemists, biophysicists and microbiologists are biotech jobs worked in universities or commercial or private offices and labs studying organisms, microorganisms, biological development and growth.

If you're looking at biotechnology careers, be prepared to get an education. Technicians and microbiologists need at least a bachelor's degree in biology, microbiology or a related field. Biochemists and biophysicists need a doctoral degree to find employment doing independent research and even development. Occasionally, you may find an entry-level biotech job that only requires a bachelor's or master's degree, but you'll want to go on to complete your Ph.D. if you aspire to move up the biotechnology ladder.

Overall, biotech careers are expected to increase in demand over the next 10 years. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) projects a 10 percent growth for biological techs, biochemists and biophysicists between 2012 and 2022, and a seven percent increase in microbiologists' jobs. Increased demand for research in the biotechnology field and the aging baby boomer population are the key issues that the BLS names for the positive job market outlook in these fields. That's good news for biochemists, biophysicists and microbiologists, as they held roughly only 49,300 jobs in 2012. The biotech techs, however, were almost double the other three biotech careers combined, expected to be around 88,300 by 2022, up from 80,200 jobs in 2012.

As with any job that requires a degree, biotech positions command higher salaries. Techs are the low men on the totem pole with an average annual salary of $38,750. If you put the time and effort into earning a master's degree or a Ph.D. for one of the other biotech jobs, however, the pay increases. Microbiologists earn an annual median wage of $66,260 and biochemists and biophysicists bring in even more with average annual pay at $81,480.

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Stem Cells from Fat vs. Bone Marrow Best Sources for …

Posted: April 7, 2019 at 2:46 pm

Stromal vascular fraction was dramatically better than bone marrow concentrate in its ability to differentiate into cartilage.Two other important features were also well documented in this study. SVF created significantly more colony forming units than BMC, another significant predictor of healing response. Perhaps most importantly, SVF was dramatically better than BMC in its ability to differentiate into cartilage.

Second, a study by Han Chao et al has also demonstrated that fat derived stem cells also have a higher proliferation potential for neural tissue and are a better source for not only cartilage regeneration but also for nervous system regeneration.

The studies gave a very comprehensive look at comparing BMC and SVF in the ability to repair cartilage damage in a same procedure protocol. Every significant measurement comparing bone marrow to adipose tissue for stem cell harvesting demonstrated that adipose derived stem cells provided better cell content and superior ability to differentiate into cartilage than bone marrow. Our extensive clinical experience with the procedure for Colorado patients suffering from pain in the knees, other joints, soft tissue, and a wide range of back problems clearly demonstrates the same.

Using the most effective combination of autologous stem cell sources is one of several criteria to identify a legitimate stem cell clinic. Other important characteristics we recommend paying attention to when choosing a stem cell clinic, include the presence of a physician who owns and operates the clinic, X-ray guided injections administered by a trained injection specialist, and a clinic that takes time to discuss your questions. A review of your imaging and clinical data is needed in order to determine if stem cell therapy is right for you.

*Individual patient results may vary. Contact us today to find out if stem cell therapy may be able to help you.

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Grow Stem Cells with Fasting – The Healing Miracle

Posted: April 6, 2019 at 10:44 pm

New research from the University of Southern California has come to light that fasting as little as eight (8) days a year could deliver significant health benefits, especially when it comes to stem cells.

Believe it or not, fasting two to four days at a time (every six months) causes stem cells to awaken from their normal dormant state, and start regenerating.

Essentially, researchers discovered that fasting helped eliminate damaged and older cells, allowing new healthier cells to replace them completely, effectively renewing the immune system.

This is one of the first times any natural intervention has ever been shown to trigger this self-renewal.

Going a bit deeper In mice and humans, white blood cell counts were significantly lowered after long periods without food. These bodies are vital to the human immune system.

But, when their numbers decline to a critical point, pathways for hematopoietic stem cells were switched on. These cells manage the immune system and generate new blood.

When you starve, the system tries to save energy, and one of the things it can do to save energy is to recycle a lot of the immune cells that are not needed, especially those that may be damaged, Valter Longo of the USC Davis School of Gerontology, said.

Fasting for an extended period of time (up to 48 to 96 hours) changes the human body to consume fat reserves, glucose (sugar), and ketones. Unhealthy white blood cells are also broken down, so that in part, their components can be reused for new, thriving cells.

This is considered to be a cell recycling of sorts.

After a period of fasting, the bodys immune system will generate new blood cells when nutrients begin flowing back into the body.

The main point of interest in this study at USC, they were committed to knowing what drives body systems to rebuild the cells.

To go further into the science a bit

The study found that Protein kinase A, an enzyme known to inhibit cell regeneration, was reduced in the systems of people who are fasting. Concentrations of a growth-factor hormone called IGF-1 were also lowered in those who have not eaten in days.

Important note: you will want to be careful if you decide to fast on only water for extended periods of time. To protect yourself, fasting for two to four days at a time should be done under medical supervision.

Another approach to fasting which has produced beneficial results is time restricted eating or intermittent fasting. This form of fasting involves eating in an 8 hour window and not eating during the remaining 16 hours.

This could be during a span from noon to 8:00 pm or 9:00 am to 5:00 pm. This time period will be completely up to you, just as long as you limit your intake to a single eight hour duration.

Youre not limited to the amount of water, and intermittent fasting is growing in popularity but is still considered a secret in the stem cell community.

Fasting has been a widely used approach for generations going back to early civilization, but either as a survival, ritualistic, or weight loss tactic.

But now, we have the research to support that fasting is an incredibly powerful stem cell boosting secret that can return powerful results.

After this study (and others) surfaced, we became inspired to see what other natural alternative secrets are out there.

In the end, we were able to gather and expand on 7 Secrets PROVEN to Grow More Stem Cells.

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5 Stem Cell Therapy Benefits for Joint Pain, Heart …

Posted: April 6, 2019 at 10:41 pm

Clinical research regarding stem cell therapy benefits has grown dramatically in recent decades. The most promising thing about stem cell therapy and similar prolotherapy treatments including PRP is that they offer relief for patients with chronic pain and difficult-to-heal injuries, all without medications or risky reconstructive surgeries. Today researchers are also uncovering ways to apply stem cell treatments for common chronic conditions such as heart disease,neurodegenerative diseases and diabetes.

The most common use of stem cell treatments in prolotherapy is managing pain. Most consider stem cell therapy to be a form of interventional pain-management, meaning its a minimally invasive technique. Treatment involves injecting stem cells (along with an anesthetic and sometimes other substances) around painful and damaged nerves, tendons, joints or muscle tissue.

What specific types of conditions can stem cell therapy help treat? Some of the most common include osteoarthritis knee pain, tennis elbow, shoulder pains or rotator cuff injuries, tendonitis, Achilles tendon injuries, ACL injuries and now cardiovascular diseases likeatherosclerosis.

There are now more options available to patients than ever before for various types of prolotherapy treatments, but the type of prolotherapyI recommend the most is the unique approach to stem cell therapy offered by the Regenexxclinic. I have personally visited the Regenexx clinic in the Cayman Islands to receive treatments performed by Dr. Chris Centeno, Dr. John Schultz and Dr. John Pitt for back and tendon injuries. The form of stem cell therapy offered by these doctors is considered to be one of themost thoroughly researched and effective in the world.

Stem cell therapy is a type of treatment option that uses a patients own stem cells to help repair damaged tissue and repair injuries. Its usually performed relatively quickly through injections, and is a simple outpatient or in office procedure.

This type of treatment has also been found to help:

According to the National Institute of Health,

Stem cells are important for living organisms for many reasons. In the 3- to 5-day-old embryo, called a blastocyst, the inner cells give rise to the entire body of the organism, including all of the many specialized cell types and organs such as the heart, lungs, skin, sperm, eggs and other tissues. In some adult tissues, such as bone marrow, muscle, and brain, discrete populations of adult stem cells generate replacements for other cells that are lost through normal wear and tear, injury, or disease.

The California Stem Cell Agency reports that there is no limit to the types of diseases that could be treated with stem cell research. Because of their amazing abilities to help with regrowth, stem cell therapy treatments are now being used (or continuously researched) in regards to treating:

Stem cells are usually taken from one of two areas in the patients body: bone marrow or adipose (fat) tissue in their upper thigh/abdomen. Because its common to remove stem cells from areas of stored body fat, some refer to stem cell therapy as Adipose Stem Cell Therapy in some cases. (1)

Once stem cells from removed from one of these locations, they are placed in a centrifuge machine that spins them very, very quickly and concentrates the substances that are most valuable (including up to seven different types of natural growth factors). The sample of concentrated stem cells is then injected directly into the patients affected, painful area allowing the cells growth factors to go to work immediately, building new skin cells, connective tissue and so on.

What exactly makes stem cells so beneficial and gives stem cell injections the power to do this healing? Stem cells have the following unique characteristics, uses and healing abilities:

The type of stem cells being used in the most cutting-edge orthopedic practices including those offered at the Regenexx clinic mentioned above are called Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). A growing body of research shows that MSCs have the capability of differentiating and forming new orthopedic tissues that make up muscle, bones, cartilage and tendons, ligaments and adipose tissue. (3)

Research suggests that in treating orthopedic problems,fat-derived MSCs tend to under-perform bone marrow derived stem cells, therefore bone derived is the preferred method. (4) This is especially true when bone marrow cells are dramatically concentrated using advanced centrifuge equipment. Certain studies have found that these advanced samples can contain up to 25 different growth factors and other beneficial rebuilding substances.

In studies regarding orthopedic care such as those used for cartilage replacement,bone repairand soft-tissue repair bone marrow stem cells injections have been found to: reduce chronic pain, heal stubborn injuries, improve functionality and return patients to their normal routine sometimes within just one week.

Wondering if MSCs for orthopedic injuries are safe? There is no evidence of overgrowth of MSCs in damaged tissue or reason to believe theres risk for tumor growth. Advanced clinics such as Regenexx actually count cells before injecting them and carefully monitor progress. According to research used by Regenexx, MSCs safely stop proliferating once they physically contact each other, because this signals to them that the affected area has reached its full potential in growth. (5)

Cardiovascular diseases can deprive heart tissue of oxygen and cause scar tissue to form which changes blood flow/blood pressure. Research suggests that stem cells taken from adult bone marrow have the ability to differentiate into those needed to repair the heart and blood vessels, thanks to the secretion of multiple growth factors. Several ways in which stem cell therapy is now being used and further researched in regards to improving recovery of heart disease are:

Although more research is needed to assess the safety and efficacy of this approach, stem cell types used in heart disease treatment include: embryonic stem (ES) cells, cardiac stem cells,myoblasts (muscle stem cells), adult bone marrow-derived cells, umbilical cord blood cells, mesenchymal cells (bone marrow-derived cells) and endothelial progenitor cells (these form the interior lining of blood vessels).

Studies have found that stem cell treatments can help improve the growth of healthy new skin tissue, improve collagen production, stimulate hair growth after loss or incisions, and help replace scar tissue with newly formed healthy tissue.

One of the ways stem cells help facilitate wound healing is by increasingcollagen concentrations in the skin, which shrinks as it matures and thereby strengthens and tightens the damaged area. This same mechanism also applies to treating connective tissue injuries related to collagen/cartilage loss, such as those caused by osteoarthritis or overuses that affect ligaments or tendons.

Recent progress in the treatment of diseases like Parkinsons, Huntingtons, Alzheimers and stroke recovery show that transplanted adult stem cells can be used to form new brain cells, neurons and synapses following cognitive degeneration or brain injuries. (6) Research conducted by the Research Center for Stem Cell Biology and Cell Therapy in Sweden is still underway, but current findings show that stem cells can improve synaptic circuits, optimize functional recovery, offer relief from degeneration symptoms, slow down disease progression and potentially even more.

Some of the ways that stem cell injections/grafts work in neurodegeneration treatment are: normalizing striatal dopamine release, impairing akensia (loss of voluntary movement), replacing neurons destroyed by the ischemic lesions following strokes and halting destruction of nigrostriatal dopaminergic neurons.

Immune rejection is the term used to describe damage to healthy tissue and cells in patients with autoimmune disorders and other inflammatory conditions. In people who suffer from type1 diabetes, for example, the cells of the pancreas that normally produce insulin are destroyed by the patients own immune system; in people with thyroid disorders, the thyroid gland is attacked and damaged.

Research continues to show us that certain adult stem cells are capable of differentiating and producing needed cells, such as insulin-producing cells that eventually could be used in with people diabetes. This strategy is still being researched extensively and is not yet widely available, as scientists continue to experiment with reliable strategies for generating new cells/tissues that will not be rejected or harm the patient once implanted.

Meanwhile, a promising clinical trial led by Dr. Richard Burt of Northwestern University that explores the potential benefits of stem cell therapy for multiple sclerosis is underway as of March 2018. The 110 patients participating either received a drug treatment or hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT).The clinical trial looks promising given that after one year of treatment only one relapse occurred among patients in the stem cell group compared with 39 relapses in the drug treatment. And, after about three years, the stem cell transplants had a 6 percent failure rate compared with a failure rate of 60 percent in the control (drug treatment) group.

The researchers note that stem cell therapy doesnt work for all cases of MS and its not an easy process. First patients must undergo chemotherapy to destroy their faulty immune system. Then stem cells that help make blood through a process called hematopoiesis are removed from the patients bone marrow and reinfused into the patients bloodstream. These fresh stem cells, which are not affected by MS, rebuild the patients immune system. Despite this challenging process, preliminary results demonstrate that this could be an effective treatment in the future. (7, 8)

For decades researchers and doctors primarily used two kinds of stem cells taken from animals and humans, especially when they were still embryos (not yet born). These are calledembryonic stem cells and non-embryonic (somatic or adult) stem cells. In the late 1990s, it was discovered that stem cells could be taken from human embryos and grown inside of laboratoriesfor reproductive purposes, including for in vitro fertilization.

Then in 2006 a breakthrough discovery was made that some specialized adult stem cells could be reprogrammed and used in many other ways to help repair damaged tissue. These are referred to as induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) and are the type used in many of the treatments described above.There remains a lot to learn about the potential uses of stem cell therapies, and how scientists can continue to explore transforming unspecialized adult stem cells into the types of specialized cells needed.

The NIH reports that in future years some of the primary goals of stem cell therapy research are to: identify howundifferentiated stem cells become the differentiated cells that form the tissues and organs, determine how stem cells can turn humangenes on and off, learn to predictably control cell proliferation and differentiation, and investigate more uses for stem cells in serious medical conditions such as cancerand birth defects.

The hope going forward is that stem cells can also be used as a renewable source of replacement cells and tissues to treat common and serious diseases without the need for organ transplants or surgeries, including: maculardegeneration, spinal cord injury, stroke, burns, heart disease, diabetes, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and cancer.

Cancer treatment is a particular important area under investigation, as early studies are showing that stem cells are safe and well-tolerated in patients with acute and chronic leukemia, lymphoma, multiple myeloma and other cancers. (9)

Stem cell treatments are offered by various doctors who practice pain-management and other techniques, including orthopedics and anesthesiologists.Depending on the type of treatment needed, its also possible to visit a neurologist, cardiologist, etc.Commonly these treatments are offered at clinics with ateam of doctors who work together to specialize in diagnosing, preventing and/or correcting a range of musculoskeletal, neurological or connective tissue disorders/injuries.

If youre planning on visiting a doctor for pain management, look for a physician who has board certification through an organization like the American Board of Anesthesiology orAmerican Board of Pain Medicine. I recommend viewing this Physician Finder tool to locate a practitioner who performs the advanced type of stem cell applications described above.

Personally, I most suggest checking out Regenexx, one of the only organizations to run large-scale analysis of patient stem cell procedure outcome data. It has published numerous findings from tracking their own patients on their website. Much more detailed information on improvements that can be expected following PRP procedures including those for knee meniscus, arthritis, hip dysfunction, knee pain, wrist/hand injuries, ankle/foot pain and shoulder/rotator injuries can be accessed through Regenexx directly.

Once you find a qualified physician, heres a brief overview of what you can expect from stem cell therapy treatments:

Although stem cell treatment is considered to be very safe, there are also side effects that are possible. Make sure to find a qualified practitioner and let them know if your experience following a treatment does not sound like the typical one described above.Like other types of non-invasive treatments and prolotherapy techniques, some mild side effects after injections are normal. Side effects of stem cell treatments can sometimes include:

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Our Doctors – MD Stem Cells

Posted: April 6, 2019 at 9:44 am

Dr. Levy is the Study Director for the listed studies and should be contacted for more information.

Dr. Levy's interest in leading edge medical technology and advancing medical care is long standing. He developed the first robotic approach to refractive eye surgery in mid 1980s and was actively involved in exploring areas of translational research including nanotechnology for ophthalmic applications. He has lead clinical advances in small incision and topical anesthetic cataract surgery from their inception.

Following a career in the practice of ophthalmology, Dr. Levy transitioned into life science and healthcare business development. Located in Connecticut, he serves as CEO of MD Stem Cells, a leading provider of adult stem cell patient facilitation services and is Study Director for ongoing clinical studies include SCOTS 2, NEST and SciExVR. He is also President of the Acoma Group which provides business development services for biopharmaceutical, medical and healthcare companies globally. Dr. Levy is an Advisory Board member consultant with a leading provider of advice within the clinical and life sciences. He is a reviewer for a molecular science journal with listings on Publon, and serves on the editorial boards of journals in degenerative diseases and ophthalmology.

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Our Doctors - MD Stem Cells

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Stem Cell Winston Salem North Carolina 27150

Posted: April 5, 2019 at 5:43 pm

Stem cell treatment has ended up being a popular argument in the worldwide medical scene. This extremely questionable treatment has actually gotten blended viewpoints from various stakeholders in the health care market and has actually likewise drawn in the attention of politicians, religious leaders and the basic population at large. Stem cell treatment is thought about a revolutionary treatment for individuals experiencing a large range of degenerative conditions. Some common questions concerning this therapy are answered below.

Are you a stem cell therapy provider close to Winston Salem NC 27150? Contact us for more information about joining our website.

Stem cells can be referred to as blank state or non-specialized cells that have the ability to become specialized cells in the body such as bone, muscle, nerve or organ cells. This means that these special cells can be used to regenerate or establish a large range of broken cells and tissues in the body. Stem cell therapy is therefore a treatment that focuses on achieving tissue regeneration and can be used to treat health conditions and health problems such as osteoarthritis, degenerative disc illness, spine injury, muscular degeneration, motor nerve cell illness, ALS, Parkinsons, cardiovascular disease and many more.

Being a treatment that is still under research, stem cell therapy has actually not been totally accepted as a sensible treatment alternative for the above discussed health conditions and diseases. A great deal of research is currently being carried out by scientists and medical professionals in various parts of the world to make this treatment feasible and effective. There are nevertheless different limitations imposed by governments on research study including embryonic stem cells.

Presently, there have not been numerous case studies carried out for this kind of treatment. However, with the few case studies that have actually been conducted, one of the significant issues that has been raised is the boost in a clients risk of establishing cancer. Cancer is brought on by the rapid multiplication of cells that have a tendency not to pass away so easily. Stem cells have actually been associated with comparable development factors that might result in development of tumors and other cancerous cells in clients.

Contact us for more information about stem cell doctor close to Winston Salem NC 27150

Stem cells can be drawn out from a young embryo after conception. These stem cells are typically referred to as embryonic stem cells. After the stem cells are drawn out from the embryo, the embryo is ended. This is generally one of the major causes of debate in the field of stem cell research. Many people argue that termination of an embryo is dishonest and undesirable.

Stem cells can still be obtained through other methods as they can be discovered in the blood, bone marrow and umbilical cords of adult human beings. Typical body cells can likewise be reverse-engineered to become stem cells that have limited abilities.

New studio has however revealed guarantee as researchers focus on developing stem cells that do not form into growths in later treatment phases. These stem cells can for that reason efficiently change into other kinds of specialized cells. This therapy is therefore worth researching into as many patients can take advantage of this innovative treatment.

stem cell provider in Winston Salem NC 27150

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Main address:Winston Salem, North Carolina, 27150

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Integrative medicine – Mayo Clinic

Posted: April 5, 2019 at 5:43 pm

Overview

Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is the popular name for health care practices that traditionally have not been part of conventional medicine. In many cases, as evidence of efficacy and safety grows, these therapies are being combined with conventional medicine.

Thus, the term alternative has been dropped and replaced with newer terms, such as complementary and integrative medicine, integrative medicine and health, or just integrative medicine.

Integrative medicine can help people with cancer, persistent pain, chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia and many other conditions better manage their symptoms and improve their quality of life by reducing fatigue, pain and anxiety. Examples of common practices include:

The treatments promoted in integrative medicine are not substitutes for conventional medical care. They should be used in concert with standard medical treatment.

Certain therapies and products are not recommended at all or not recommended for certain conditions or people. The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health is a good tool for researching a therapy you're considering. It's also important to talk with your health care provider before trying something new.

Explore Mayo Clinic studies testing new treatments, interventions and tests as a means to prevent, detect, treat or manage this disease.

Integrative medicine care at Mayo Clinic

June 29, 2018

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Integrative medicine - Mayo Clinic

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