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Stem Cell Of America | Breakthrough Stem Cell Treatment

Posted: October 12, 2015 at 9:41 pm

Treatment

The Stem Cell treatment performed at our clinics is a painless medical procedure where Stem Cells (cellular building blocks) are usually administered intravenously and subcutaneously (under the skin). The whole procedure takes approximately one hour and has no known negative side effects.

Following the treatment, the Fetal Stem Cells will travel throughout the body, detecting damaged cells and tissue and attempts to restore them. The Fetal Stem Cells can also stimulate existing normal cells and tissues to operate at a higher level of function, boosting the bodys own repair mechanisms to aid in the healing process. These highly adaptive cells then remain in the body, continually locating and repairing any damage they encounter.

As with any medical treatment, safety should be of the highest priority. The Stem Cells used in our treatment undergo extensive screening for possible infection and impurities. Utilizing tests more sophisticated than those regularly used in the United States for Stem Cell research and transplant. Our testing process ensures we use only the healthiest cells to enable the safest and most effective Fetal Stem Cell treatment possible. And, unlike other types of Stem Cells, there is no danger of the bodys rejection of Fetal Stem Cells due to the fact they have no antigenicity (cellular fingerprint). This unique quality eliminates the need for drugs used to suppress the immune system, which can leave a patient exposed to serious infections.

With over 3000 patients treated, Stem Cell Of America has achieved positive results with a wide variety of illnesses, conditions and injuries. Often, in cases where the diseases continued to worsen, our patients have reported substantial improvements following the Stem Cell treatment.

Patients have experienced favorable developments such as reduction or elimination of pain, increased strength and mobility, improved cognitive function, higher tolerance for chemotherapy, and quicker healing and recovery.

To view follow up letters from patients, please visit the patient experiences page on our website.

All statements, opinions, and advice on this page is provided for educational information only. It is not a substitute for proper medical diagnosis and care. Like all medical treatments and procedures, results may significantly vary and positive results may not always be achieved. Please contact us so we may evaluate your specific case.

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Gene Therapy Successes – Learn Genetics

Posted: October 12, 2015 at 4:42 pm

Researchers have been working for decades to bring gene therapy to the clinic, yet very few patients have received any effective gene-therapy treatments. But that doesn't mean gene therapy is an impossible dream. Even though gene therapy has been slow to reach patients, its future is very encouraging. Decades of research have taught us a lot about designing safe and effective vectors, targeting different types of cells, and managing and minimizing immune responses in patients. We've also learned a lot about the disease genes themselves. Today, many clinical trials are underway, where researchers are carefully testing treatments to ensure that any gene therapy brought into the clinic is both safe and effective.

Below are some gene therapy success stories. Successes represent a variety of approachesdifferent vectors, different target cell populations, and both in vivo and ex vivo approachesto treating a variety of disorders.

Sebastian Misztal was a patient in a hemophilia gene therapy trial in 2011. Following the treatment, Misztal no longer had spontaneous bleeding episodes. Credit: UCLH/UCL NIHR Biomedical Research Centre

Several inherited immune deficiencies have been treated successfully with gene therapy. Most commonly, blood stem cells are removed from patients, and retroviruses are used to deliver working copies of the defective genes. After the genes have been delivered, the stem cells are returned to the patient. Because the cells are treated outside the patient's body, the virus will infect and transfer the gene to only the desired target cells.

Severe Combined Immune Deficiency (SCID) was one of the first genetic disorders to be treated successfully with gene therapy, proving that the approach could work. However, the first clinical trials ended when the viral vector triggered leukemia (a type of blood cancer) in some patients. Since then, researchers have begun trials with new, safer viral vectors that are much less likely to cause cancer.

Adenosine deaminase (ADA) deficiency is another inherited immune disorder that has been successfully treated with gene therapy. In multiple small trials, patients' blood stem cells were removed, treated with a retroviral vector to deliver a functional copy of the ADA gene, and then returned to the patients. For the majority of patients in these trials, immune function improved to the point that they no longer needed injections of ADA enzyme. Importantly, none of them developed leukemia.

Gene therapies are being developed to treat several different types of inherited blindnessespecially degenerative forms, where patients gradually lose the light-sensing cells in their eyes. Encouraging results from animal models (especially mouse, rat, and dog) show that gene therapy has the potential to slow or even reverse vision loss.

The eye turns out to be a convenient compartment for gene therapy. The retina, on the inside of the eye, is both easy to access and partially protected from the immune system. And viruses can't move from the eye to other places in the body. Most gene-therapy vectors used in the eye are based on AAV (adeno-associated virus).

In one small trial of patients with a form of degenerative blindness called LCA (Leber congenital amaurosis), gene therapy greatly improved vision for at least a few years. However, the treatment did not stop the retina from continuing to degenerate. In another trial, 6 out of 9 patients with the degenerative disease choroideremia had improved vision after a virus was used to deliver a functional REP1 gene.

Credit: Jean Bennett, MD, PhD, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania; Manzar Ashtari, Ph.D., of The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Science Translational Medicine.

People with hemophilia are missing proteins that help their blood form clots. Those with the most-severe forms of the disease can lose large amounts of blood through internal bleeding or even a minor cut.

In a small trial, researchers successfully used an adeno-associated viral vector to deliver a gene for Factor IX, the missing clotting protein, to liver cells. After treatment, most of the patients made at least some Factor IX, and they had fewer bleeding incidents.

Patients with beta-Thalassemia have a defect in the beta-globin gene, which codes for an oxygen-carrying protein in red blood cells. Because of the defective gene, patients don't have enough red blood cells to carry oxygen to all the body's tissues. Many who have this disorder depend on blood transfusions for survival.

In 2007, a patient received gene therapy for severe beta-Thalassemia. Blood stem cells were taken from his bone marrow and treated with a retrovirus to transfer a working copy of the beta-globin gene. The modified stem cells were returned to his body, where they gave rise to healthy red blood cells. Seven years after the procedure, he was still doing well without blood transfusions.

A similar approach could be used to treat patients with sickle cell disease.

In 2012, Glybera became the first viral gene-therapy treatment to be approved in Europe. The treatment uses an adeno-associated virus to deliver a working copy of the LPL (lipoprotein lipase) gene to muscle cells. The LPL gene codes for a protein that helps break down fats in the blood, preventing fat concentrations from rising to toxic levels.

Several promising gene-therapy treatments are under development for cancer. One, a modified version of the herpes simplex 1 virus (which normally causes cold sores) has been shown to be effective against melanoma (a skin cancer) that has spread throughout the body. The treatment, called T-VEC, uses a virus that has been modified so that it will (1) not cause cold sores; (2) kill only cancer cells, not healthy ones; and (3) make signals that attract the patient's own immune cells, helping them learn to recognize and fight cancer cells throughout the body. The virus is injected directly into the patient's tumors. It replicates (makes more of itself) inside the cancer cells until they burst, releasing more viruses that can infect additional cancer cells.

A completely different approach was used in a trial to treat 59 patients with leukemia, a type of blood cancer. The patients' own immune cells were removed and treated with a virus that genetically altered them to recognize a protein that sits on the surface of the cancer cells. After the immune cells were returned to the patients, 26 experienced complete remission.

Patients with Parkinson's disease gradually lose cells in the brain that produce the signaling molecule dopamine. As the disease advances, patients lose the ability to control their movements.

A small group of patients with advanced Parkinson's disease were treated with a retroviral vector to introduce three genes into cells in a small area of the brain. These genes gave cells that don't normally make dopamine the ability to do so. After treatment, all of the patients in the trial had improved muscle control.

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Stem cell treatments in India|StemRx BioScience Solutions

Posted: October 12, 2015 at 6:45 am

Bioscience Solutions Pvt. Ltd.,| Dr.Mahajan's Hospital

The StemRx BioScience Solutions Pvt. Ltd., is not offering stem cell therapy as a cure for any condition, disease or injury. No statements or treatments on this website have been evaluated or approved by the FDA. The StemRx BioScience Solutions Pvt. Ltd., is offering patient funded research to treat individual patients with their own autologous stem cells and is not involved in the use or manufacture of any investigational drugs.The StemRx BioScience Solutions Pvt. Ltd., does not claim that any applications or potential applications using these autologous stem cell treatments are approved by the FDA or are even effective. We do not claim that these treatments work for any listed nor unlisted condition, intended or implied. Any decision to participate in our patient funded experimental protocols is completely voluntary.

By applying the regenerative powers of stem cells, StemRx Bio Science Solutions Pvt. Ltd achieves the target of halting the aging degenerative process, improving the quality of life of people willing to maintain a young look and a real rejuvenation in the inside, with better functioning, re-energized and healthy organs as well as StemRx Therapies bring the benefits of bioscience to patients who have been diagnosed with chronic debilitating diseases offering viable and efficient therapeutic options. Many different conditions can be successfully treated using our special stem cell therapies with supportive treatments.The researches on stem cells bring hope of new ways to treat disease, it is important to store those cells. And the best source of stem cells to treat you is your own stem cells. StemRx Bio Science Solutions is right place to get treated and live healthy with help of your own stem cells. Though it is difficult to understand and looks critical but you can call it a miracle of science and for sure with anyone, miracles can happen.StemRx utilizes the most potent and safe adult stem cells in the world, today. Therapies are tailored for each individual, based upon their specific needs. Stem cells are sourced by the most modern technological method from your own body (autologous) as well in some particular condition , they are obtained from a source other than your (allogenic) i.e. umbilical cord/ cord blood/ amniotic fluid. Our transplant physicians and stem cell laboratory scientists have the most experienced and are at par best in the world. We assure that you will be receiving the most efficacious stem cell transplant in one of the world's most modern and well equipped facilities.

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Stem Cells | ICMS — Advancing Stem Cell Treatments, Stem …

Posted: October 12, 2015 at 6:45 am

T he International Cellular Medicine Society (ICMS) is an international non-profit dedicated to patient safety through strict evaluation of protocols and rigorous oversight of clinics and facilities engaged in the translation of point-of-care cell-based treatments.As a professional medical association, the ICMS represents Physiciansand Researchersfrom over 35 countries who share a mission to provide scientifically credible and medically appropriate treatments to informed patients.Join the ICMS.

The ICMS works tirelessly for the clincial translation of the field of cell-based point-of-care treatments through:

Comprehensive Medical Standards and Best Practice Guidelines for Cell Based Medicine,

Strict Evaluation and Rigorous Oversight of Stem Cell Clinics and Facilities through aGlobal Accreditation Process,

Physician Education through daily updates on the latest Research on Stem Cells, the monthly Currents In Stem Cell Medicine and the annual International Congress for Regenerative and Stem Cell Medicine.

Join the ICMSto receive the latest news and research from cell-based medicne, including the bi-monthly publication, Currents in Stem Cell Medicine.

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What is Wrong With Embryonic Stem Cell Research?

Posted: October 12, 2015 at 6:45 am

Introduction

Are conservatives more concerned about a tiny clump of cells than the suffering of their fellow human beings? Is embryonic stem cell research (ESCR) really the cure-all for countless diseases? If you haven't kept up with the science involved in ESCR, this paper will jump-start your knowledge of the issues.

Embryonic stem cell research is a hot topic that seems to pit anti-abortion conservatives against pro-abortion liberals. The conservatives claim that there are better alternatives to embryonic stem cells, while the liberals claim that conservatives are blocking research that will provide cures to many tragic diseases. Much of the rhetoric is designed to muddy the waters to invoke emotional responses of those within each camp. This paper is designed to break through sound-bites and go the heart of the matter - what are the scientific issues that impact the question of stem cell research.

Much of what is promoted as being news is actually an oversimplification of the issues. Many news articles about stem cell research never distinguish between the kind of stem cell research that is being promoted. For example, the media often reports of breakthrough treatment for patients without mentioning that, in all cases, the source of stem cells is adult tissues. We know this to be true, because embryonic stem cells have never been used in human patients, and won't likely be used in the near future (see reasons, below).

Stem cells are classified as being pluripotent or multipotent. Stem cells that are pluripotent are capable of forming virtually all of the possible tissue types found in human beings. These stem cells can only be found in a certain stage (a blastocyst) in human embryos. Multipotent stem cells are partially differentiated, so that they can form a limited number of tissue types. Multipotent stem cells can be found in the fetus, in umbilical cord blood, and numerous adult tissues. A summary of this information can be found in the Table 1.

A list of the sources of stem cells, along with their advantages and disadvantages can be found in Table 2.

Although the controversy of stem cell research is only recent, research first began in the 1960's. The primary source of early human stem cells was adult bone marrow, the tissue that makes red and white blood cells. Since scientists realized that bone marrow was a good source of stem cells, early transplants were initiated in the early 1970's to treat diseases that involved the immune system (genetic immunodeficiencies and cancers of the immune system). Bone marrow-derived stem cell therapy has been extremely successful, with dozens of diseases being treated and cured through the use of these adult stem cells. However, because the donor tissue type must be closely matched to the patient, finding a compatible donor can be problematic. If you haven't already done so, you should become part of the Bone Marrow Registry.

With the advent of animal cloning, scientists had thought that patient-specific human cloning might provide cures without the tissue incompatibility problems usually associated with transplants. Specific stem cells, developed using clones genetically identical to the patient, would integrate optimally into the patient's body. Although ideal in theory, problems associated with human cloning have been quite formidable. After many years of trying to produce human clones, a South Korean group claimed to have done so in 2004,2 followed by a claim that they had produced patient-specific clones. However, subsequent questions revealed that all the research was fraudulent. Contrary to the original claims, the researchers failed to produce even one clone after over 2,000 attempts. Although a number of labs are working on producing human clones, none have succeeded - even after several years of additional attempts. At a cost of $1,000-$2,000 just to produce each human egg,3 therapeutic cloning would easily cost hundreds of thousands of dollars, if not more, for each patient. Therefore, these kinds of therapies would only be available to the wealthy, assuming the technical difficulties will eventually be eliminated.

Three separate groups of researchers showed recently that normal skin cells can be reprogrammed to an embryonic state in mice.4 The fact that these iPS cells were pluripotent was proved by producing fetuses derived entirely from these transformed skin cells. Just five months after the mouse study was published, the feat was repeated by two separate laboratories using human skin cells.5 The ability to produce embryonic stem cell-like lines from individual patients removes the possibility of tissues rejection and avoids the high costs and moral problems associated with cloned embryos. Dr. Shinya Yamanaka, one of the study leaders later commented, "When I saw the embryo, I suddenly realized there was such a small difference between it and my daughters... I thought, we cant keep destroying embryos for our research. There must be another way." The moral problem of destroying a human embryo encouraged Dr. Yamanaka to pursue a more ethical way to generate human stem cell lines. See the full report.

Stem cells have been promoted as a cure for numerous diseases in the popular press, although the reality of the science suggests otherwise. For example, claims that stem cells might cure Alzheimers disease are certainly untrue. According to Michael Shelanski, Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain (Columbia University Medical Center), I think the chance of doing repairs to Alzheimer's brains by putting in stem cells is small. Ronald D.G. McKay, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke says, To start with, people need a fairy tale.6 Stem cell research is widely promoted as a possible cure for type I and type II diabetes. However, these diseases involve the destruction of islet pancreatic cells by the patient's immune system. Even if tissue-compatible islet cells can be produced, transplanting them into a patient will be a very temporary cure, since the patient's immune system will attack the transplant in short order. So, a total cure for diabetes might have to involve a total immune compartment replacement (with its risks), in addition to an islet cell transplant. Parkinsons disease is another disease that is often mentioned as potentially curable through stem cell research. Proponents of ESCR cite studies in which embryonic stem cells produce dopamine in the brain of rats. However, only 50% of the rats had improvement of function and 25% developed brain tumors and died!7 A main problem for ESCR is that these stem cells spontaneously form tumors in virtually all studies that have been conducted to date. In addition, it seems that the number of dopamine-producing neurons declined over time, suggesting that the cure might be just temporary.8

According to many stem cell researchers, embryonic stem cells are the preferred stem cells for cell-based therapies. Although they tend be be more versatile than adult stem cells, other sources (including umbilical cord stem cells) have proven to be just as versatile.1 The same properties that make embryonic stem cells so versatile are also the properties that make them unusable for therapy. Unless completely differentiated prior to use in patients, these cells will migrate throughout the body to produce tumors. Experiments performed in mice and rats have shown that spontaneous tumor formation is a persistent problem.7-9 Maintaining and growing embryonic stem cell lines has also been problematic. Some of these lines have mutated, making them unusable in patients.10 The main problem with embryonic stem cell research is the problem is tissue incompatibility.11 Millions of lines must be established in order to serve a significant percentage of potential patients. The use of autologous adult stem cells (cells from the patient) eliminates the problems with tumorogenesis, mutation, and tissue incompatibility. However, since such individualized therapies could not be patented, the pharmaceutical companies have no financial incentives to pursue such therapies. In contrast, embryonic stem cell lines could be patented. Since millions of lines would be required to serve all the different tissue types of patients, pharmaceutical companies could charge a fortune for each patented line they produced. Scientists and research facilities that produced such lines would also reap large financial benefits. The highly favorable financial aspect of embryonic stem cell research is one of the main driving forces behind the push to fund this research.

The problems involved with embryonic stem cell therapies are so formidable that renowned neurosurgeon Dr. Keith Black remarked in 2004 (during California's Proposition 71 stem cell campaign) that his lab would pursue only adult stem cell research. In fact, his group (the Maxine Dunitz Neurosurgical Institute at Cedars-Sinai) recently announced that they had converted adult stem cells into neural stem cells.12

Human embryonic stem cell research has been promoted as being the best way to pursue cell-based therapies for a number of diseases. Although embryonic stem cells are the most versatile type of stem cells, they are unacceptable for therapy because they spontaneously form tumors when transplanted into a compatible host. Embryonic stem cells also suffer from the usual tissue compatibility problems associated with donor transplants. The proposed solution to tissue compatibility problems, therapeutic cloning, is technically challenging (i.e., it hasn't been accomplished yet) and fiscally prohibitive (costs on the order of hundreds of thousands of dollars per patient). In contrast to embryonic stem cell technologies, adult stem cells have been used to treat dozens of diseases, with the list growing every year. Pursuing this technology would eliminate the tissue rejection problems associated with embryonic stem cells, and the high cost associated with therapeutic cloning. A new technique involving reprogramming of adult skin cells (iPS) has proved feasible, producing pluripotent ESC-like stem cells, potentially from individual patients. However, because individualized adult stem cell therapies cannot be patented, this research does not appeal to biotech companies and scientists and research centers seeking royalty payments for patents. With the announcement that embryonic stem cell-like lines can be produced by reprogramming adult human skin cells, the potential usefulness of embryonic stem cell research has been lost for many stem cell researchers, as they are now pursuing the new technology, which will be cheaper and provide fewer problems for use in patient-directed therapies.

http://www.godandscience.org/doctrine/stem_cell_research.html Last Modified March 31, 2009

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Lymphoid Cells, Lymphoid Stem Cells – AllCells.com

Posted: October 11, 2015 at 12:46 pm

AllCells features B cells, T cells, Natural Killer (NK) cells, and Dendritic cells from the Lymphoid Progenitor family. Subsets of the above listed cell types are available upon request. These products are sourced from both healthy and diseased donors. Tissue types include normal peripheral blood, mobilized peripheral blood, cord blood, and bone marrow.

See below for the AllCells lymphoid cells inventory.

The following healthy Lymphoid cell types are available from AllCells:

Lymphoid cells from diseased patients are available from the following disease types:

By their appearance under the light microscope, there are two broad categories of lymphocytes, namely the large granular lymphocytes and the small lymphocytes. Functionally distinct subsets of lymphocytes correlate with their appearance. Most, but not all, large granular lymphocytes are more commonly known as the natural killer cells (NK cells). The small lymphocytes are the T cells and B cells. Lymphocytes play an important and integral role in the body's defenses.

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Diabetes Research: Stem Cells

Posted: October 11, 2015 at 12:46 pm

Stem cells hold tremendous potential as a source of insulin-producing cells that could be placed in a BioHub. Thats because stem cells have the potential to become virtually any kind of cell.

Our challenge is to push stem cells down the path we want them to go to emerge as cells that sense glucose and secrete insulin. To accomplish that, DRI scientists are working with a variety of adult stem cells.

A novel source of insulin-producing cells

An area that has sparked greatinterest is the discovery ofstem cells in the "biliary (BILL-ee-air-ee)tree" a network of drainageducts that connect the liverandpancreas to the intestine.

DRI researchers are collaborating with Dr. Lola Reid from the University of North Carolina, a recognized expert in liver development who discoveredthis line of stem cells.

A key benefit is that these are pancreatic "precursor" cells - that is, cells that already have started down the path to become pancreatic cells. This could make it easier for scientists to produce a higher, more efficient yield of beta cells.

In the lab, scientists have instructed the biliary cells to mature into islets. These islet structures produced insulin and c-peptide (a component of natural insulin production) in response to glucose. Transplanting these structures into diabetic mice dramatically improved blood sugar control.

Ongoing studies are aimed at establishing that these cellls can be used to reverse diabetes in pre-clinical models.

Read more about this research in the prestigious journal Stem Cells.

Have questions about stem cells? Learn more from our Stem Cell FAQ.

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What Are Stem Cells: FAQs

Posted: October 11, 2015 at 12:46 pm

What are stem cells? Are there different types of stem cells? Where do stem cells come from? What are embryonic stem cells? What is a cell line? If stem cells are immortal, why do we need more cell lines? What are adult stem cells? Are adult stem cells any better than embryonic stem cells? Can scientists turn non-insulin producing cells into islets? What about umbilical cord cells? Why are Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSCs) a valuable resource?

What are stem cells? Stem cells are immature cells that have not yet determined their developmental direction. These cells have the remarkable potential to develop into many different cell types in the body. Serving as an internal repair system, these cells can theoretically divide without limit to replenish native or damaged cells for as long as the person or animal is still alive. When a stem cell divides, each resulting cell has the potential to either remain a stem cell or become another type of cell with a more specialized function, such as a muscle cell, a red blood cell, a brain cell, or even an islet cell.

Are there different types of stem cells? There are three types, or classes, of stem cells: totipotent, multipotent, and pluripotent. Totipotent -- cells produced from the fusion between an egg and a sperm that can develop into a living embryo Multipotent -- cells that can give rise to a small number of different cell types. Example: adult stem cells. Pluripotent stem -- cells that can give rise to any type of cell in the body, but cannot develop into an embryo. Example: embryonic stem cells.

Where do stem cells come from? Pluripotent stem cells are taken from blastocysts, which are embryos at the earliest stage of development only a few days old. Cells from these embryos can be used to create pluripotent stem cell "lines" cell cultures that can be grown indefinitely in the laboratory. Pluripotent stem cell lines have also been obtained from more developmentally advanced stages (for example, embryonic germ cells), but have received only limited attention.

In the last five years, we have witnessed the development of a third type of pluripotent cell: induced pluripotent cells (IPCs). These are the result of man-made reprogramming of adult cells and could potentially be derived from any individual.

What are embryonic stem cells? Embryonic stem (ES) cells are the most powerful and best studied stem cells available. Once in culture, ES cells proliferate at a remarkable speed. In just a little longer than three weeks, a thousand of these cells will have generated more than a billion more, enough to transplant two type 1 diabetic patients, provided that we could efficiently differentiate them into beta cells.

What is a cell line? A "line" is a culture of stem cells that arises from a unique and defined source. When scientists take a blastocyst and culture embryonic stem cells from it, that culture becomes a cell line. Each one of the cells, and the subsequent cells it gives rise to, shares the same genetic information. Each one of the human ES cells available today comes from a different blastocyst. They are, therefore, unique.

If stem cells are immortal, why do we need more cell lines? While it is true that ES cells are immortal, there are several reasons why scientists believe that research should not be restricted to the cell lines originally approved in 2001 for federal funding.

Not all human ES cells are similar. Only a handful has been extensively characterized. The rest are largely useless due to poor manageability, limited undifferentiated proliferation, genetic abnormalities or lack of extensive differentiation potential. In fact, the majority of the scientific reports on human ES cells over the last few years have focused on fewer than ten lines. The need for more ES cell lines is clear even for research purposes only.

What are adult stem cells? Adult stem (AS) cells are "mature" stem cells that reside in the body throughout adulthood and can be obtained from umbilical cord blood, the placenta, amniotic fluid surrounding the fetus inside the womb and the endometrium, among many other tissues. Because of their capacity to differentiate towards several tissues, adult stem cells are known to be multipotent.

Despite their limited growth potential, adult stem cells generally do not have the potential for malignancy, are harvested with relative ease, and are available in greater supply.

Are adult stem cells any better than embryonic stem cells? Over the last few years, many reports have shown that stem cells isolated from several adult tissues show unexpected pluripotency. Traditionally, the interest of such observations has been somewhat diminished by the fact that these cells rarely proliferate in culture for extended periods. This property (proliferation potential) is critical for the scalability of any research protocol onto therapeutic applications.

Recent studies have suggested that adult stem cells derived from bone marrow have the capacity to differentiate in much the same way as that of ES cells, and can also expand indefinitely in culture. The potential to obtain these cells from a patient, then expand or "grow" them and selectively induce their differentiation into the required cell type (for instance, islets), would be the treatment of choice for the replacement of damaged tissues. However, these studies could not be replicated by other laboratories. More recently, amniotic fluid stem cells have been shown to share some ES cell properties (see section ahead). Additional studies, however, are necessary to ascertain these claims.

Can scientists turn non-insulin producing cells into islets? When ES cells develop, they go through a natural process of maturation by which they differentiate into any particular, specialized cell type, such as beta cells. In addition to research aimed at reproducing these steps and encourage their development into islets, scientists are also looking at ways to circumvent this complex natural developmental process by converting mature cells, like liver or pancreatic exocrine cells, into insulin-producing cells.

During this process, called trans-differentiation, no maturation occurs. Trans-differentiation takes place very rarely in nature, but can be achieved in the lab under defined culture conditions and/or by genetic, RNA or protein manipulation. Some theorize that bona fide trans-differentiation requires the de-differentiation of an adult cell type so that it can now mature in another direction.

The best example of de-differentiation is "reprogramming." In this case, an adult cell type is reprogrammed by forcing the expression of key master genes that will make the cell "go back in time."

What about umbilical cord cells? Umbilical cord blood cells are showing promise as a new source of insulin-producing cells and as a potential donor-specific tolerance technique that thwarts immune attacks by re-educating the immune system to accept donor and recipient bone marrow cells as "self".

Cord blood stem cells, as the name implies, are derived from newborn umbilical cord blood. The umbilical cord harbors two types of stem cells: mesenchymal and hematopoietic. Mesenchymal cells potentially could be used as immunomodulators and "helper" cells in the process of endogenous regeneration. Hematopoietic cells are similar to those obtained from the bone marrow, and their primary purpose is to generate the entire array of blood-forming and immune cells. Both cell types are being actively investigated for their potential to reeducate th
e immune system in Type 1 diabetes.

Why are Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSCs) a valuable resource? Mesenchymal Stem Cells are multipotent self-repairing stem cells typically found in the bone marrow, but also in other tissues like the fat. MSCs can transform into a variety of connective tissue types and are easily cultured, making them good candidates for tissue repair. Their anti-inflammatory and tissue regeneration properties are currently being studied.

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Boy Without Cheekbones: Experimental Stem Cell Surgery for …

Posted: October 11, 2015 at 12:46 pm

Brad Guilkey, 15, was born without cheekbones and, for him, a typical sporting activity such as basketball carries tremendous risks.

Brad suffers from Treacher Collins syndrome, a rare genetic disorder in which the bones and other tissues in the face don't develop.

So, for Brad, a shot to the face during a game of basketball could crush his eyeball. His mother, Christine Guilkey, said the lack of bone meant the lack of vital protection.

But the Cincinnati teen has undergone groundbreaking experimental surgery that is allowing him to grow new cheekbones, a procedure that could help others who have lost bone as a result of similar genetic conditions or traumatic injuries.

From a medical standpoint, the results were miraculous.

"Lo and behold, the bone has come back to life," said Dr. Jesse Taylor of the Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center. "I've been really pleasantly surprised by the results of this."

Brad now has solid bone in his cheeks, and said on "Good Morning America" today that he's happy with the results.

Taylor said the surgery could have significant implications for millions of people.

"Certainly, as we're engaged in conflicts abroad, more and more young men and women come back with really severe facial disfigurement from a lack of bone," he said.

People with Treacher Collins syndrome typically have eyes that slant downward, as well as absent, small or unusually formed ears, according to the National Institutes of Health. They have sparse eyelashes and some even have eye abnormalities that can lead to vision loss.

The disorder affects about 1 in 50,000 people, according to the National Institutes of Health.

Many reconstructive surgeries that use implanted material often have high failure rates because the recipients' bodies reject the donor material. In Brad's case, though, there is no rejection risk because the his own cell's are growing in the cadaver bone.

CLICK HERE to return to the "Good Morning America" Web site.

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Biotechnology – Ivy Tech Community College of Indiana

Posted: October 11, 2015 at 9:45 am

The biotechnology program at Ivy Tech is taught by instructors with real-world experience. Students will use state-of-the-art laboratories that are equipped with instrumentation, supplies and equipment for an effective hands-on laboratory experience.

Classes focus on teaching a variety of procedures necessary to execute laboratory projects assigned in the students chosen field. Students will spend a significant amount of class time working hands-on doing laboratory activities either by themselves or in small groups with the ability to have one-on-one time with the instructor.

The Biotechnology Program prepares students for careers in a variety of life science and manufacturing settings including research, quality control, pharmaceuticals, and medical devise manufacturing.

Graduates will have the foundation needed to transfer to earn a bachelors degree or move right in to local, high-paying jobs in the community, including with some of our industry partners like Dow Agroscience, Eli Lilly, Cook Pharmica, Midwest Compliance Laboratories, and more. These great partnerships lead to our graduates high job placement rate.

*According to a Battelle/Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) Report State Biosciences Jobs, Investments and Innovation 2014.

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Biotechnology - Ivy Tech Community College of Indiana

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