La Jolla, CA (PRWEB) June 17, 2014

StemGenex, the leading resource for adult adipose stem cell therapy in the US aimed at improving the lives of patients dealing with degenerative diseases, today announced their newest clinical study for Multiple Sclerosis. StemGenex believes that a commitment to the safety and efficacy of stem cell therapy are paramount when providing care to patients with life threatening diseases.

This clinical study is bringing to the field a new, unique type of stem cell therapy that has the possibility of being more effective than other stem cell treatments currently available. Patients who receive stem cell treatment through StemGenex for Multiple Sclerosis will receive StemGenex multiple administration protocol. This consists of four targeted administration methods of the stem cells to deliver the necessary amount of stem cells past the blood brain barrier.

Principal Investigator Dr. Jeremiah McDole, Ph.D. stated, "Currently available drugs for multiple sclerosis do not halt disease progression or aid in the repair of established damage. We strive to provide regenerative medicine applications that address this critical, underlying issue. While patients experience positive clinical outcomes as a result of stem cell treatment, large, rigorously performed studies are desired in order to guide our best efforts for future development. The study we are conducting is designed to provide us with this essential data."

This study is registered through The National Institutes of Health which can be found at http://www.clinicaltrials.gov and is being conducted under IRB approval. According to StemGenex Director of Patient Advocacy, Joe Perricone, It is important patients have access to top-tier stem cell treatment. By providing access to registered clinical studies through The National Institutes of Health, we are providing patients with the ability to choose a stem cell treatment center with the highest standard of care.

Rita Alexander, founder and president of StemGenex, stated, This is the first of many stem cell clinical studies to come and a positive step for the more than 2 million people around the world suffering with Multiple Sclerosis. The average lifetime cost of current standard of care treatment per MS patient is $1.2 million. The human cost of the disease including pain and suffering endured by MS patients, the profound impact on families and the loss of their ability to contribute to society is without question immeasurable. Dr. McDoles research background in neuroimmunology is certainly an asset in our effort to change the course of neurological diseases.

Stem cell treatment studies are currently being offered by StemGenex to patients diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis and other degenerative neurological diseases. StemGenex takes a unique approach of compassion and empowerment while providing access to the latest stem cell therapies for degenerative neurological diseases including Parkinsons and Alzheimers disease, stroke recovery and others.

To find out more about stem cell therapy, contact StemGenex either by phone at (800) 609-7795 or email Contact(at)stemgenex(dot)com

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StemGenex Announces New Stem Cell Clinical Study for Multiple Sclerosis

June 17, 2014

Image Caption: ImStem Biotechnologys Xiaofang Wang, seated, and Ren-He Xu. Credit: Tina Encarnacion/UConn

University of Connecticut

Scientists in the University of Connecticuts Technology Incubation Program have identified a novel approach to treating multiple sclerosis (MS) using human embryonic stem cells, offering a promising new therapy for more than 2.3 million people suffering from the debilitating disease.

The researchers demonstrated that the embryonic stem cell therapy significantly reduced MS disease severity in animal models, and offered better treatment results than stem cells derived from human adult bone marrow.

The study was led by ImStem Biotechnology Inc. of Farmington, Conn., in conjunction with UConn Health Professor Joel Pachter, Assistant Professor Stephen Crocker, and Advanced Cell Technology (ACT) Inc. of Massachusetts. ImStem was founded in 2012 by UConn doctors Xiaofang Wang and Ren-He Xu, along with Yale University doctor Xinghua Pan and investor Michael Men.

The cutting-edge work by ImStem, our first spinoff company, demonstrates the success of Connecticuts Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine funding program in moving stem cells from bench to bedside, says Professor Marc Lalande, director of the UConns Stem Cell Institute.

The research was supported by a $1.13 million group grant from the state of Connecticuts Stem Cell Research Program that was awarded to ImStem and Professor Pachters lab.

Connecticuts investment in stem cells, especially human embryonic stem cells, continues to position our state as a leader in biomedical research, says Gov. Dannel P. Malloy. This new study moves us one step closer to a stem cell-based clinical product that could improve peoples lives.

The researchers compared eight lines of adult bone marrow stem cells to four lines of human embryonic stem cells. All of the bone marrow-related stem cells expressed high levels of a protein molecule called a cytokine that stimulates autoimmunity and can worsen the disease. All of the human embryonic stem cell-related lines expressed little of the inflammatory cytokine.

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Embryonic Stem Cells Offer Promising Treatment For Multiple Sclerosis

Stem cell therapy for cardiovascular disease isn't a medical pipe dream -- it's a reality today, although patients need to better understand the complex science behind these experimental treatments, according to the chief of Cardiology for the Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute.

In a 17-minute TEDxGrandForks talk, Timothy D. Henry, MD, known for his innovative work in developing stem cell treatments for advanced heart disease patients, said he understands why so many are confused about the latest scientific findings. This video can be found at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tD0HSFe3mrY

Most people today "get our information from sound bites," and the issues surrounding stem cells are too complex to be fully explained in a single catchy phrase, Henry said, adding, "We have far too much controversy about stem cells and far too much hype."

Stem cell science has become "a political dividing line" with many opposing research into stem cells derived from human embryos, Henry said. However, he said, today's leading-edge clinical research focuses on stem cells derived from adults that can be scientifically programmed to become a specialized cell, such as a heart cell or a brain cell, thereby avoiding the ethical questions involved in embryonic research.

"Very few of the cells we give actually become muscle or actually become blood vessels," Henry said. "What they do is increase growth factors" and encourage natural cells in the body to generate new, healthy tissue."

The Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute, directed by Eduardo Marbn, MD, PhD, is a world leader in studying the use of stem cells to regenerate heart muscle in patients who have had heart attacks. In 2009, Cedars-Sinai physicians conducted the first infusion of stem cells into heart attack patients, using stem cells grown from the patients' own heart tissue. The resulting study, published in February 2012 in The Lancet, showed that patients who underwent the stem cell procedure experienced a significant reduction in the size of the scar left behind by a heart attack. Patients also experienced a sizable increase in healthy heart muscle following the experimental stem cell treatments.

Currently, Henry is co-directing a new stem cell study with Raj Makkar, MD, director of Interventional Cardiology. The national trial, called ALLSTAR, uses heart cells from unrelated donors in an effort to reverse lasting tissue damage after a heart attack.

During his talk, Henry also expressed concern for patients who might be taken advantage of by unscrupulous clinics outside of the United States that offer stem cell "cures" for everything from neurological diseases to baldness. Patients also need to understand that stem cell science has a long way to go before regenerative medicine treatments are widely available.

"We have made major progress in the past 20 years but we still have needs," Henry said, particularly for advanced heart disease patients whose only hope is a transplant or a mechanical pumping device. "What we need to do is very well-designed studies that actually teach us something and take us to the next step. There are significant challenges, but we can meet them."

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How experimental regenerative medicine therapies can regrow damaged heart muscle