Archive for the ‘Bone Marrow Stem Cells’ Category

London, Feb 29 (IANS) Children shot with their own stem cells, for the very first time in a rare immune disorder, have shown improvement.

The condition, known as X-CGD, is caused by faulty genes. Doctors were able to take a sample of the children's stem cells, manipulate them in the lab and reintroduce them. This gave the children a working copy of the faulty gene and their condition improved, enabling them to temporarily fight off infections.

It is the third immune disorder that doctors at Great Ormond Street Hospital have successfully tackled. The others were the life-threatening conditions, X-SCID and ada-SCID, and 90 percent of treated children have improved, with some showing signs that their immune system has been normalised for good.

Remy Helbawi, 16, from South London, was the first child with X-CGD to be treated. The condition only affects boys and means that while his body produces the white blood cells to fight viruses it does not have the correct cells to fight off bacterial or fungal infections, The Telegraph reports.

The resulting infections can be life-threatening. Up until now the only treatment has been a bone marrow transplant which would offer a permanent cure.

Remy's brother who also had the disease was found a bone marrow match and was successfully treated that way but no match has been found for Remy and a serious lung infection was threatening his life.

Remy said: "Until I was 10 I had the same life as anyone else, except I had eczema a lot of the time. I didn't have a fungal infection until about ten, but when I got my first fungal infection my life changed. I missed a lot of school, I had lots of tests and was in hospital. I would get exhausted after climbing stairs."

Before undergoing the gene therapy, Remy had to have chemotherapy which made his hair fall out and he was kept in isolation for a month.

Remy's nurse Helen Braggins said: "Remy had been unwell for last two years and began to miss school. He had significant fungal lung disease in January of last year, which was getting worse. Without some radical treatment intervention, Remy would not have survived and was becoming increasingly short of breath."

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Children improve in rare disorder with own stem cells

A long-held belief about women and fertility is that each woman has a set amount of eggs in her lifetime and that when those eggs are depleted at menopause, so are her chances at having a biological child. However, research out of Massachusetts General Hospital questioning that view. Using stem cells taken from human ovaries, scientists have produced early-stage eggs, which brings up all sorts of questions about possible new methods for treating infertility.Nicholas Wade, writing in the New York Times, adds, "The ability to isolate stem cells from which eggs could be cultivated would help not only with fertility but also with biologists understanding of how drugs and nutrition affect the egg cells."

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Jonathan Tilly, the director of Mass General's Vincent Center for Reproductive Biology and leader of the new research, had reported in 2004 that ovarian stem cells in mice could create new eggs "similar to how stem cells in male testes produce sperm throughout a mans life."His new study attempted to prove this with humans. Researchers took healthy ovaries from patients having sex reassignment surgery, and injected stem cells from the ovaries into human ovarian tissue grafted under the skin of mice: "Within two weeks, early stage human follicles with oocytes had formed."Ryan Flinnwrites in Bloomberg Businessweek that this could potentially point at "new ways to aid fertility by delaying when the ovaries stop functioning."

RELATED: The Super Discriminating Powers of Ovulating Women

Dr. Tilly has long been a proponent of the belief that women might be able to produce new eggs, and has said the 50-year belief otherwise is based on lack of evidence rather than on data proving that it's impossible. In 2005, he reported that women have a "hiddenreserve of cells in the bone marrow that constantly replenish the ovaries with new eggs," though other researchers have not been able to confirm his finding.

RELATED: Richard Dawkins Gets into a Comments War with Feminists

Along with opening new doors to understanding the incredibly complex human egg cell, this new research could eventually have very practical implications for the 10 percent of child-bearing age women in the U.S. who have fertility problems. More philosophically, it opens up a new way of thinking about the hard-stop in women's lives for having kids. While fertility technologies like in-vitro and egg freezing are happening to some extent, Tilly's team is exploring the way this new knowledge could improve in-vitro -- IVF involves a limited number of eggs -- and also looking into possibility of developing an ovarian stem-cell bank with eggs that could be "cryogenically frozen and thawed without damage, unlike human eggs."

The problem we face with IVF is we dont have many eggs to work with, said Tilly. These cells are renewable. If we are successful -- and its a big if -- in generating functioning eggs from these cells, we can generate as many eggs as we need to on a per patient basis.

Researchers warn that there's a ways to go before there are any real applications to this, if ever. Female reproduction expertDavid Albertini said it's still unclear whether the egg cells yielded actually could be used in human fertility. Cells grown in laboratories are more likely to develop abnormalities; even if they are proven viable,it's a given that there will be numerous social and political aspects that factor in down the road. Nonetheless, evidence that women's eggs may not be the finite commodity we all thought they were seems poised to make a huge impact across many aspects of contemporary life. What would if mean, for instance, if the old ticking "biological clock" no longer applied -- or applied to women and men more equivalently?

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New Stem Cell Research Could End the Hard Stop of Female Fertility

ScienceDaily (Feb. 26, 2012) Japanese scientists have found that the odorous compound responsible for halitosis -- otherwise known as bad breath -- is ideal for harvesting stem cells taken from human dental pulp.

In a study published 27 February, in IOP Publishing's Journal of Breath Research, researchers showed that hydrogen sulphide (H2S) increased the ability of adult stem cells to differentiate into hepatic (liver) cells, furthering their reputation as a reliable source for future liver-cell therapy.

This is the first time that liver cells have been produced from human dental pulp and, even more impressively, have been produced in high numbers of high purity. "High purity means there are less 'wrong cells' that are being differentiated to other tissues, or remaining as stem cells. Moreover, these facts suggest that patients undergoing transplantation with the hepatic cells may have almost no possibility of developing teratomas or cancers, as can be the case when using bone marrow stem cells," said lead author of the study Dr. Ken Yaegaki.

The remarkable transforming ability of stem cells has led to significant focus from research groups around the world and given rise to expectations of cures for numerable diseases, including Parkinson's and Alzheimer's.

In this study, Dr. Ken Yaegaki and his group, from Nippon Dental University, Japan, used stem cells from dental pulp -- the central part of the tooth made up of connective tissue and cells -- which were obtained from the teeth of dental patients who were undergoing routine tooth extractions.

Once the cells were sufficiently prepared, they were separated into two batches (a test and a control) and the test cells incubated in a H2S chamber. They were harvested and analysed after 3, 6 and 9 days to see if the cells had successfully transformed into liver cells. To test if the cells successfully differentiated under the influence of H2S, the researchers carried out a series of tests looking at features that were characteristic of liver cells.

In addition to physical observations under the microscope, the researchers investigated the cell's ability to store glycogen and then recorded the amount of urea contained in the cell. "Until now, nobody has produced the protocol to regenerate such a huge number of hepatic cells for human transplantation. Compared to the traditional method of using fetal bovine serum to produce the cells, our method is productive and, most importantly, safe" continued Dr. Yaegaki.

Hydrogen sulphide (H2S) has the characteristic smell of rotten eggs and is produced throughout the body in the tissues. Although its exact function is unknown, researchers have been led to believe that it plays a key role in many physiological processes and disease states.

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Dental pulp stem cells transformed by 'bad breath’ chemical

Source: ISNA, Tehran

The researches have studied mesenchymal stem cells or MSCs derived from mice bone marrow in cell culture period and succeeded to identify new division in cell latency period which can lead to chromosomal disorders in the cells.

Phd student in Hematology at Tarbiat Modarres University in Tehran, Naser Ahmad Beigi told ISNA that mesenchymal stem cells are powerful tools in cell therapeutic and tissue engineering because of their special specifications. For the same reasons stem cells derived from them are used effectively in experiments.

He added during the procedure of separating mesenchymal stem cells from mice bone marrows, many researchers believe them to be dead and refuse to continue the procedure and this is because of changing form of the cells and a reduction in their propagation at the beginning level of the cell culture.

Beigi stressed these signs show latency period and that cells would be propagated without showing any signs for a long time if the culture continues. He noted an unknown division is the specification of the latency period which leads to chromosomal disorders.

He added the disorders can lead to the appearance of tumors inside the body and inefficiency of non-carcinogenic drugs and restraining mitosis is the only mechanism to prevent them.

"Identifying the mechanism of the new division can lead to producing new generation of non-carcinogenic medicines with high efficiency in the near future, "Beigi added.

... Payvand News - 02/28/12 ... --

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Iranian researcher discovers factor of stem cell disorder

Left-hander C.J. Nitkowski appeared in 336 games, mostly in a relief role, over parts of 10 seasons. (AP)

The last known whereabouts of C.J. Nitkowski, in regard to his Major League career, was Washington, some seven years ago. It's entirely possible -- maybe even probable -- that this career is 100 percent over and out.

Yet there was Nitkowski on a field in the Dominican Republic last month, working in setup situations for Gigantes del Cibao in the middle of the Dominican Winter League's round-robin playoffs. Hoping, perhaps against hope, that some scout would take note of his new sidearm delivery and effectiveness against lefties and upper-80s gun readings and determine that he's worth another look. Hoping, basically, for one more chance -- a chance, he believes, that would have been completely out of the question if not for the blood-and-stem-cell treatments he received last summer. "From a medical standpoint," Nitkowski says, "[the treatments have] been a success. I'm healthy." But the route he took to get to this point is, in many ways, misunderstood. Nitkowski received treatment identical to the one that picked Bartolo Colon's ailing arm and career off the scrap heap and made him a prominent member of the Yankees rotation last season. It's a treatment that, in Colon's case, caused a bit of an uproar in the headlines last summer, as such labels as "disputed" and "controversial" were used to describe it. In reality, though, the use of one's own stem cells to promote healing in an injured area is far from a new development. In fact, the microfracture procedure that is becoming more and more common in the treatment of knee injuries (it was performed on Victor Martinez last month) is, at its core, a stem-cell procedure. In microfracture, tiny holes are drilled in the bone to allow marrow to drip out and repair damaged tissue -- the mesenchymal stem cells inside the marrow provide the repairing power. In the cases of Nitkowski and Colon, the mesenchymal stem cells were extracted from bone marrow and from body fat and then injected into a blood-poor area -- Nitkowski's left shoulder and Colon's right shoulder and elbow -- to promote healing. Now, is this really a reliable way to treat an ailing athlete? That's a subject of scrutiny. Embryonic stem cells are the cause of controversy all their own, given the ethical and political debates over their use and concern by some members of the medical community that they have the potential to become cancerous tumors. With mesenchymal stem cells, on the other hand, the debate is not over morals or safety but, rather, efficacy. "There's very little evidence that bone marrow stem cells taken from one site and injected into another will do anything," Theodore Friedmann, a geneticist at the University of California at San Diego who heads the World Anti-Doping Agency's (WADA) gene doping panel, told ESPN The Magazine recently. "The most likely outcome is that if you put stem cells in places that are unfamiliar to them, like a knee or shoulder, most of them will just die." WADA initially banned all blood-spinning therapies before reversing its position in 2011 after studies failed to demonstrate that they enhance performance the way steroids do. So WADA currently has no position on the use of stem-cell treatments. In the face of skepticism, you have the case of Colon, who in the spring of 2010 was unsigned, unable to get any of his old velocity on his fastball and seemingly at the end of a once-dazzling career. Dr. James Purita, founder of the Institute of Regenerative and Molecular Orthopedics in Boca Raton, Fla., traveled to the Dominican Republic to perform platelet-rich plasma (PRP) and stem-cell treatments to help repair ligament damage in Colon's elbow and aid a torn rotator cuff. "There was a stigma that it was illegal, because we did it in the Dominican," Purita said. "But it was just because he lived there." And there was another stigma. Because Colon not only returned to the Majors but thrived in the first half of the 2011 season, some wondered if the procedure could be labeled a performance-enhancer. When Colon's story became public, Purita was questioned by Major League Baseball officials to ensure that he did not use human growth hormone in the procedure. Purita has admitted using HGH when treating non-athletes but said he knows better than to do so in these cases. MLB did a complete investigation, and no further action was taken. "We're not reinventing the wheel here," Purita said. "We've done a number of these procedures on people from all the major sports, with the exception of hockey. We've done some of the top players. But we keep it very discreet." The reason for the discretion, beyond the obvious HIPAA standards, is that some teams are leery of or reluctant to trust these stem-cell treatments. Purita said that he performed the procedure this winter on a Major League free agent who expressed an explicit desire that word not get out, because he didn't want it to affect his contract negotiations. However, the case of Colon, who signed a one-year, $2 million contract with the A's this winter, makes one wonder if biologic stem cells could be the next medical revolution, following arthroscopy and the ulnar collateral ligament replacement known as Tommy John surgery. Nitkowski, for one, hopes to find out. A member of eight Major League teams over parts of 10 seasons from 1995-2005, the left-handed Nitkowski appeared in 336 games, mostly in a relief role. In 2006 he began a five-year stint pitching for various teams in Asia -- first in the Japanese Pacific League, then in the Korean Baseball Organization. A year ago, hoping for another shot in the bigs, he began working on a sidearm delivery, only to injure his shoulder. It was around that time that Nitkowski heard about Colon. Intrigued, he made a call to Purita's office, and, within weeks he was in Boca Raton to undergo the procedure himself. Purita first drew fat from Nitkowski's waist, then drew bone marrow from the left side of Nitkowski's lower back. The liquids were spun in a centrifuge at 2,000 rotations per minute for about 15 minutes, isolating the platelets. They were then inserted into syringes and placed under an LED light for about 20 minutes -- a process that supposedly "kick starts" the cells inside. Once this process was complete, Purita injected the platelet-rich plasma and stem cells into Nitkowski's labrum and rotator cuff. This is an important distinction. Under U.S. Food and Drug Administration guidelines, mesenchymal stem cells must be "minimally manipulated," meaning they can't be harvested in a lab for days or weeks or transported elsewhere. "Everything," Purita said, "has to be used the same day, on the same patient, and everything has to be done at the point of care." In Nitkowski's case, the whole process took about four hours. Much to his amazement, he had full range of motion within 24 hours. "The rehab starts right away," he said. "You have to commit to it, like any injury. I never thought I had the mindset to do the tedious rehab work. But if you want it bad enough, you'll do it." Nitkowski's stem-cell treatment was performed in July of last year. And per the usual protocol in Purita's treatment plan, Nitkowski had a second PRP treatment four weeks later. By November he was throwing off a mound, and he was pleased with how his arm felt and how his sidearm-delivered stuff worked in the Dominican Republic last month. "I was sitting at 86, 87 [mph] and hitting 88-89," he said. "That's more than enough [velocity] from that arm angle." Though he hasn't pitched in the bigs in seven years, Nitkowski believes he could help a team, and he's hoping someone will give him a tryout in Spring Training. "I at least want to get in front of people and be told no," he said. "I can live with that. I would love the opportunity. This is either going to happen fast, or it's not going to happen at all." Nitkowski's about to turn 39. But he's left-handed, and he's healthy. And he firmly believes the latter would not have been possible without the treatment he received. "My arm feels really good," he said. "Every pitcher has little tears. It just comes with the territory. But this seems like it could be a good maintenance plan." There are skeptics, and there are critics. Nitkowski knows how some people feel when they hear about stem-cell treatments or about Alex Rodriguez flying to Germany for blood-spinning therapy to address his chronic knee and shoulder problems. They wonder if that precious line between therapy and enhancement is being straddled too closely. Having experienced it for himself, Nitkowski is a believer in the safety, the purity and the benefits of the treatment he had performed on his arm. And he thinks many other athletes will follow. "This," he said, "is going to be mainstream sooner rather than later."

Anthony Castrovince is a reporter for MLB.com. Read his columns and his blog, CastroTurf, and follow him on Twitter at @Castrovince. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

Go here to see the original:
Nitkowski hoping stem cells lead to comeback

February 27, 2012

Japanese scientists have recently discovered that hydrogen sulfide (H2S) – the chemical responsible for such malodorous phenomena as human flatulence, bad breath and rotten eggs – can be used to efficiently convert stem cells from human teeth into liver cells.

While the fetid chemical compound is produced in small quantities by the human body for use in a variety of biological signaling mechanisms, at high concentrations it is highly poisonous and extremely flammable.

A team of researchers at the Nippon Dental University in Tokyo collected stem cells from the teeth of patients undergoing extractions. The cells were harvested from the central part of the tooth known as the pulp which is made up predominantly of connective tissue and cells.

Stem cells recovered from the pulp were then divided into two groups and incubated in sealed chambers, one filled with hydrogen sulfide and the other a control group.

The cells from each chamber were then examined at three-day intervals to look for signs of transformation into liver cells. One such indicator is the ability to store glycogen, a compound that can be converted to glucose when the body needs energy.

According to a report of their findings that appeared this week in the Journal of Breath Research, the team was able to convert the stem cells to liver cells in relatively high numbers. And what’s more, said the team, H2S appears to help produce comparatively high quality, functional liver cells.

Lead researcher Ken Yaegaki explained that “[h]igh purity means there are less ‘wrong cells’ that are being differentiated to other tissues, or remaining as stem cells … These facts suggest that patients undergoing transplantation with the hepatic cells may have almost no possibility of developing teratomas (malignant tumors) or cancers.”

For the thousands of people around the world with chronic liver disease, this is a most welcome discovery, one that Yaegaki believes could potentially revolutionize this field of medicine.

“Until now, nobody has produced the protocol to regenerate such a huge number of hepatic cells for human transplantation,” added Yaegaki.

“Compared to the traditional method or suing fetal bovine serum to produce the cells, our method is productive and, most importantly, safe.”

Yaegaki’s hope is that his team’s discovery may eventually be fine-tuned to allow scientists to produce ample liver cells in a lab for use in repairing liver damage in human patients.

Moreover, this and similar studies in recent years have also gotten researchers in other fields questioning the possibilities for using hydrogen sulfide with other types of stem cells.

A team of researchers in China, for instance, recently reported using H2S to increase the survival rate of mesenchymal stem cells extracted from the bone marrow of rats.

—

On the Net:

Source: RedOrbit Staff & Wire Reports

See the rest here:
Researchers Use Noxious Gas To Convert Stem Cells To Liver Cells

NEW YORK & PETACH TIKVAH--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics Inc. (OTCBB: BCLI.OB - News), a leading developer of adult stem cell technologies and therapeutics, announced today that the prestigious Nature Reviews Neurology, a Nature Publishing Group Journal, highlighted recently published preclinical research results indicating that stem cells, generated with Brainstorm’s NurOwn™ technology, provide hope for Huntington disease's patients.

In the preclinical studies conducted by leading scientists including Professors Melamed and Offen of Tel Aviv University and originally reported in Experimental Neurology, patients' bone marrow derived mesenchymal stem cells secreting neurotrophic factors (MSC-NTF) that were transplanted into an animal model of Huntington disease showed therapeutic benefits.

Addressing the role of these MSC-NTF cells in Huntington disease, Professor Daniel Offen explains, "the premise is that such cells can be transplanted safely into affected areas of the brain, and thereby serve as vehicles for delivering neurotrophic factors." Offen expressed his hope that this cell-based therapy may eventually progress to the clinic.

BrainStorm is currently conducting a Phase I/II Human Clinical Trial for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease at the Hadassah Medical center. Initial results have shown that Brainstorm’s NurOwn™ therapy is safe, does not show any significant treatment-related adverse events, and have also shown certain signs of beneficial clinical effects.

Follow this link for the Research Highlights page in Nature Reviews Neurology (starts Feb. 28th ): http://www.nature.com/nrneurol/journal/vaop/ncurrent/index.html

To read the Original Article entitled ‘Mesenchymal stem cells induced to secrete neurotrophic factors attenuate quinolinic acid toxicity: A potential therapy for Huntington's disease’ by Sadan et al. follow this link: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0014488612000295

About BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics, Inc.

BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics Inc. is a biotech company developing adult stem cell therapeutic products, derived from autologous (self) bone marrow cells, for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases. The company, through its wholly owned subsidiary Brainstorm Cell Therapeutics Ltd., holds rights to develop and commercialize the technology through an exclusive, worldwide licensing agreement with Ramot (www.ramot.org) at Tel Aviv University Ltd., the technology transfer company of Tel-Aviv University. The technology is currently in a Phase I/II clinical trials for ALS in Israel.

Safe Harbor Statement

Statements in this announcement other than historical data and information constitute "forward-looking statements" and involve risks and uncertainties that could cause BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics Inc.'s actual results to differ materially from those stated or implied by such forward-looking statements, including, inter alia, regarding safety and efficacy in its human clinical trials and thereafter; the Company's ability to progress any product candidates in pre-clinical or clinical trials; the scope, rate and progress of its pre-clinical trials and other research and development activities; the scope, rate and progress of clinical trials we commence; clinical trial results; safety and efficacy of the product even if the data from pre-clinical or clinical trials is positive; uncertainties relating to clinical trials; risks relating to the commercialization, if any, of our proposed product candidates; dependence on the efforts of third parties; failure by us to secure and maintain relationships with collaborators; dependence on intellectual property; competition for clinical resources and patient enrollment from drug candidates in development by other companies with greater resources and visibility, and risks that we may lack the financial resources and access to capital to fund our operations. The potential risks and uncertainties include risks associated with BrainStorm's limited operating history, history of losses; minimal working capital, dependence on its license to Ramot's technology; ability to adequately protect its technology; dependence on key executives and on its scientific consultants; ability to obtain required regulatory approvals; and other factors detailed in BrainStorm's annual report on Form 10-K and quarterly reports on Form 10-Q available at http://www.sec.gov. The Company does not undertake any obligation to update forward-looking statements made by us.

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Nature: BrainStorm's NurOwn™ Stem Cell Technology Offers Hope for Treating Huntington Disease

08-03-2011 18:28 Bone marrow/ stem cell donor recruitment drive for Zoha Butt held at St Hilda's College, University of Oxford by Oxford University Pakistan Society and Oxford Marrow on Friday, 4th February 2011. Hoping more Pakistanis [and other ethnic minorities] will join bone marrow/ stem cell registries like Anthony Nolan to save the lives of individuals like Zoha. To join the Anthony Nolan register, sign-up at http://www.anthonynolan.org/register. Credits for this video: Mo Baig Zayna Butt Ushma Mistry Vinod Motiani and the BBC Asian Network

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Bone Marrow Donor Recruitment Drive for Zoha Butt at the University of Oxford - Video

February 27, 2012

Japanese scientists have recently discovered that hydrogen sulfide (H2S) – the chemical responsible for such malodorous phenomena as human flatulence, bad breath and rotten eggs – can be used to efficiently convert stem cells from human teeth into liver cells.

While the fetid chemical compound is produced in small quantities by the human body for use in a variety of biological signaling mechanisms, at high concentrations it is highly poisonous and extremely flammable.

A team of researchers at the Nippon Dental University in Tokyo collected stem cells from the teeth of patients undergoing extractions. The cells were harvested from the central part of the tooth known as the pulp which is made up predominantly of connective tissue and cells.

Stem cells recovered from the pulp were then divided into two groups and incubated in sealed chambers, one filled with hydrogen sulfide and the other a control group.

The cells from each chamber were then examined at three-day intervals to look for signs of transformation into liver cells. One such indicator is the ability to store glycogen, a compound that can be converted to glucose when the body needs energy.

According to a report of their findings that appeared this week in the Journal of Breath Research, the team was able to convert the stem cells to liver cells in relatively high numbers. And what’s more, said the team, H2S appears to help produce comparatively high quality, functional liver cells.

Lead researcher Ken Yaegaki explained that “[h]igh purity means there are less ‘wrong cells’ that are being differentiated to other tissues, or remaining as stem cells … These facts suggest that patients undergoing transplantation with the hepatic cells may have almost no possibility of developing teratomas (malignant tumors) or cancers.”

For the thousands of people around the world with chronic liver disease, this is a most welcome discovery, one that Yaegaki believes could potentially revolutionize this field of medicine.

“Until now, nobody has produced the protocol to regenerate such a huge number of hepatic cells for human transplantation,” added Yaegaki.

“Compared to the traditional method or suing fetal bovine serum to produce the cells, our method is productive and, most importantly, safe.”

Yaegaki’s hope is that his team’s discovery may eventually be fine-tuned to allow scientists to produce ample liver cells in a lab for use in repairing liver damage in human patients.

Moreover, this and similar studies in recent years have also gotten researchers in other fields questioning the possibilities for using hydrogen sulfide with other types of stem cells.

A team of researchers in China, for instance, recently reported using H2S to increase the survival rate of mesenchymal stem cells extracted from the bone marrow of rats.

—

On the Net:

Source: RedOrbit Staff & Wire Reports

View post:
Researchers Use Noxious Gas To Convert Stem Cells To Liver Cells

NEW YORK & PETACH TIKVAH--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics Inc. (OTCBB: BCLI.OB - News), a leading developer of adult stem cell technologies and therapeutics, announced today that the prestigious Nature Reviews Neurology, a Nature Publishing Group Journal, highlighted recently published preclinical research results indicating that stem cells, generated with Brainstorm’s NurOwn™ technology, provide hope for Huntington disease's patients.

In the preclinical studies conducted by leading scientists including Professors Melamed and Offen of Tel Aviv University and originally reported in Experimental Neurology, patients' bone marrow derived mesenchymal stem cells secreting neurotrophic factors (MSC-NTF) that were transplanted into an animal model of Huntington disease showed therapeutic benefits.

Addressing the role of these MSC-NTF cells in Huntington disease, Professor Daniel Offen explains, "the premise is that such cells can be transplanted safely into affected areas of the brain, and thereby serve as vehicles for delivering neurotrophic factors." Offen expressed his hope that this cell-based therapy may eventually progress to the clinic.

BrainStorm is currently conducting a Phase I/II Human Clinical Trial for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease at the Hadassah Medical center. Initial results have shown that Brainstorm’s NurOwn™ therapy is safe, does not show any significant treatment-related adverse events, and have also shown certain signs of beneficial clinical effects.

Follow this link for the Research Highlights page in Nature Reviews Neurology (starts Feb. 28th ): http://www.nature.com/nrneurol/journal/vaop/ncurrent/index.html

To read the Original Article entitled ‘Mesenchymal stem cells induced to secrete neurotrophic factors attenuate quinolinic acid toxicity: A potential therapy for Huntington's disease’ by Sadan et al. follow this link: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0014488612000295

About BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics, Inc.

BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics Inc. is a biotech company developing adult stem cell therapeutic products, derived from autologous (self) bone marrow cells, for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases. The company, through its wholly owned subsidiary Brainstorm Cell Therapeutics Ltd., holds rights to develop and commercialize the technology through an exclusive, worldwide licensing agreement with Ramot (www.ramot.org) at Tel Aviv University Ltd., the technology transfer company of Tel-Aviv University. The technology is currently in a Phase I/II clinical trials for ALS in Israel.

Safe Harbor Statement

Statements in this announcement other than historical data and information constitute "forward-looking statements" and involve risks and uncertainties that could cause BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics Inc.'s actual results to differ materially from those stated or implied by such forward-looking statements, including, inter alia, regarding safety and efficacy in its human clinical trials and thereafter; the Company's ability to progress any product candidates in pre-clinical or clinical trials; the scope, rate and progress of its pre-clinical trials and other research and development activities; the scope, rate and progress of clinical trials we commence; clinical trial results; safety and efficacy of the product even if the data from pre-clinical or clinical trials is positive; uncertainties relating to clinical trials; risks relating to the commercialization, if any, of our proposed product candidates; dependence on the efforts of third parties; failure by us to secure and maintain relationships with collaborators; dependence on intellectual property; competition for clinical resources and patient enrollment from drug candidates in development by other companies with greater resources and visibility, and risks that we may lack the financial resources and access to capital to fund our operations. The potential risks and uncertainties include risks associated with BrainStorm's limited operating history, history of losses; minimal working capital, dependence on its license to Ramot's technology; ability to adequately protect its technology; dependence on key executives and on its scientific consultants; ability to obtain required regulatory approvals; and other factors detailed in BrainStorm's annual report on Form 10-K and quarterly reports on Form 10-Q available at http://www.sec.gov. The Company does not undertake any obligation to update forward-looking statements made by us.

Continue reading here:
Nature: BrainStorm's NurOwn™ Stem Cell Technology Offers Hope for Treating Huntington Disease

Washington, Feb 27 (ANI): The odorous compound responsible for halitosis - otherwise known as bad breath - may play a key role in harvesting stem cells taken from human dental pulp, a new study has suggested.

In the study, Japanese scientists showed that hydrogen sulphide (H2S) increased the ability of adult stem cells to differentiate into hepatic (liver) cells, furthering their reputation as a reliable source for future liver-cell therapy.

This is the first time that liver cells have been produced from human dental pulp and, even more impressively, have been produced in high numbers of high purity.

"High purity means there are less 'wrong cells' that are being differentiated to other tissues, or remaining as stem cells. Moreover, these facts suggest that patients undergoing transplantation with the hepatic cells may have almost no possibility of developing teratomas or cancers, as can be the case when using bone marrow stem cells," said lead author of the study Dr. Ken Yaegaki.

The remarkable transforming ability of stem cells has led to significant focus from research groups around the world and given rise to expectations of cures for numerable diseases, including Parkinson's and Alzheimer's.

In this study, Dr. Yaegaki and his group, from Nippon Dental University, Japan, used stem cells from dental pulp - the central part of the tooth made up of connective tissue and cells - which were obtained from the teeth of dental patients who were undergoing routine tooth extractions.

Once the cells were sufficiently prepared, they were separated into two batches (a test and a control) and the test cells incubated in a H2S chamber.

They were harvested and analysed after 3, 6 and 9 days to see if the cells had successfully transformed into liver cells.

To test if the cells successfully differentiated under the influence of H2S, the researchers carried out a series of tests looking at features that were characteristic of liver cells.

In addition to physical observations under the microscope, the researchers investigated the cell's ability to store glycogen and then recorded the amount of urea contained in the cell.

"Until now, nobody has produced the protocol to regenerate such a huge number of hepatic cells for human transplantation. Compared to the traditional method of using fetal bovine serum to produce the cells, our method is productive and, most importantly, safe," Dr. Yaegaki added.

Hydrogen sulphide (H2S) has the characteristic smell of rotten eggs and is produced throughout the body in the tissues.

Although its exact function is unknown, researchers have been led to believe that it plays a key role in many physiological processes and disease states.

The study has been published in IOP Publishing's Journal of Breath Research. (ANI)

Excerpt from:
'Bad breath' chemical may fuel development of dental pulp stem cells

27 February 2012 Last updated at 00:06 ET

Hydrogen sulphide, the gas famed for generating the stench in stink bombs, flatulence and bad breath, has been harnessed by stem cell researchers in Japan.

Their study, in the Journal of Breath Research, investigated using it to help convert stem cells from human teeth into liver cells.

The scientists claimed the gas increased the purity of the stem cells.

Small amounts of hydrogen sulphide are made by the body.

It is also produced by bacteria and is toxic in large quantities.

Therapy

A group in China has already reported using the gas to enhance the survival of mesenchymal stem cells taken from the bone marrow of rats.

Researchers at the Nippon Dental University were investigating stem cells from dental pulp - the bit in the middle of the tooth.

They said using the gas increased the proportion of stem cells which were converted to liver cells when used alongside other chemicals. The idea is that liver cells produced from stem cells could be used to repair the organ if it was damaged.

Dr Ken Yaegaki, from Nippon Dental University in Japan, said: "High purity means there are less 'wrong cells' that are being differentiated to other tissues, or remaining as stem cells."

One of the concerns with dental pulp as a source of stem cells is the number that can be harvested.

However, the study did not say how many cells were actually produced.

Prof Chris Mason, a specialist in regenerative medicine at University College London, said: "It would be interesting to see how hydrogen sulphide works with other cells types."

Read more from the original source:
Bad breath used as stem cell tool

Washington, Feb 27 (ANI): The odorous compound responsible for halitosis - otherwise known as bad breath - may play a key role in harvesting stem cells taken from human dental pulp, a new study has suggested.

In the study, Japanese scientists showed that hydrogen sulphide (H2S) increased the ability of adult stem cells to differentiate into hepatic (liver) cells, furthering their reputation as a reliable source for future liver-cell therapy.

This is the first time that liver cells have been produced from human dental pulp and, even more impressively, have been produced in high numbers of high purity.

"High purity means there are less 'wrong cells' that are being differentiated to other tissues, or remaining as stem cells. Moreover, these facts suggest that patients undergoing transplantation with the hepatic cells may have almost no possibility of developing teratomas or cancers, as can be the case when using bone marrow stem cells," said lead author of the study Dr. Ken Yaegaki.

The remarkable transforming ability of stem cells has led to significant focus from research groups around the world and given rise to expectations of cures for numerable diseases, including Parkinson's and Alzheimer's.

In this study, Dr. Yaegaki and his group, from Nippon Dental University, Japan, used stem cells from dental pulp - the central part of the tooth made up of connective tissue and cells - which were obtained from the teeth of dental patients who were undergoing routine tooth extractions.

Once the cells were sufficiently prepared, they were separated into two batches (a test and a control) and the test cells incubated in a H2S chamber.

They were harvested and analysed after 3, 6 and 9 days to see if the cells had successfully transformed into liver cells.

To test if the cells successfully differentiated under the influence of H2S, the researchers carried out a series of tests looking at features that were characteristic of liver cells.

In addition to physical observations under the microscope, the researchers investigated the cell's ability to store glycogen and then recorded the amount of urea contained in the cell.

"Until now, nobody has produced the protocol to regenerate such a huge number of hepatic cells for human transplantation. Compared to the traditional method of using fetal bovine serum to produce the cells, our method is productive and, most importantly, safe," Dr. Yaegaki added.

Hydrogen sulphide (H2S) has the characteristic smell of rotten eggs and is produced throughout the body in the tissues.

Although its exact function is unknown, researchers have been led to believe that it plays a key role in many physiological processes and disease states.

The study has been published in IOP Publishing's Journal of Breath Research. (ANI)

See the original post here:
'Bad breath' chemical may fuel development of dental pulp stem cells

22-02-2012 04:19 Osamu Honmou, Sapporo Medical University, Sapporo, "Transplantation of bone marrow stem cells" at the International Conference of Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine for Neurodegenerative Diseases to be held at the Tzu-Chi Hospital in Hualien, Taiwan on April 22-24, 2010.

Read the original:
Osamu Honmou, "Transplantation of bone marrow stem cells" - Video

Public release date: 26-Feb-2012
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Joe Winters
joseph.winters@iop.org
44-794-632-1473
Institute of Physics

Japanese scientists have found that the odorous compound responsible for halitosis ? otherwise known as bad breath ? is ideal for harvesting stem cells taken from human dental pulp.

In a study published today, Monday 27 February, in IOP Publishing's Journal of Breath Research, researchers showed that hydrogen sulphide (H2S) increased the ability of adult stem cells to differentiate into hepatic (liver) cells, furthering their reputation as a reliable source for future liver-cell therapy.

This is the first time that liver cells have been produced from human dental pulp and, even more impressively, have been produced in high numbers of high purity.

"High purity means there are less 'wrong cells' that are being differentiated to other tissues, or remaining as stem cells. Moreover, these facts suggest that patients undergoing transplantation with the hepatic cells may have almost no possibility of developing teratomas or cancers, as can be the case when using bone marrow stem cells," said lead author of the study Dr. Ken Yaegaki.

The remarkable transforming ability of stem cells has led to significant focus from research groups around the world and given rise to expectations of cures for numerable diseases, including Parkinson's and Alzheimer's.

In this study, Dr. Ken Yaegaki and his group, from Nippon Dental University, Japan, used stem cells from dental pulp ? the central part of the tooth made up of connective tissue and cells ? which were obtained from the teeth of dental patients who were undergoing routine tooth extractions.

Once the cells were sufficiently prepared, they were separated into two batches (a test and a control) and the test cells incubated in a H2S chamber. They were harvested and analysed after 3, 6 and 9 days to see if the cells had successfully transformed into liver cells.

To test if the cells successfully differentiated under the influence of H2S, the researchers carried out a series of tests looking at features that were characteristic of liver cells. In addition to physical observations under the microscope, the researchers investigated the cell's ability to store glycogen and then recorded the amount of urea contained in the cell.

"Until now, nobody has produced the protocol to regenerate such a huge number of hepatic cells for human transplantation. Compared to the traditional method of using fetal bovine serum to produce the cells, our method is productive and, most importantly, safe" continued Dr. Yaegaki.

Hydrogen sulphide (H2S) has the characteristic smell of rotten eggs and is produced throughout the body in the tissues. Although its exact function is unknown, researchers have been led to believe that it plays a key role in many physiological processes and disease states.

###

From Monday 27 February, this paper can be downloaded from http://iopscience.org/1752-7163/6/1/017103

[ | E-mail | Share ]

AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Read more here:
Dental pulp stem cells transformed by 'bad breath' chemical

Public release date: 26-Feb-2012
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Joe Winters
joseph.winters@iop.org
44-794-632-1473
Institute of Physics

Japanese scientists have found that the odorous compound responsible for halitosis ? otherwise known as bad breath ? is ideal for harvesting stem cells taken from human dental pulp.

In a study published today, Monday 27 February, in IOP Publishing's Journal of Breath Research, researchers showed that hydrogen sulphide (H2S) increased the ability of adult stem cells to differentiate into hepatic (liver) cells, furthering their reputation as a reliable source for future liver-cell therapy.

This is the first time that liver cells have been produced from human dental pulp and, even more impressively, have been produced in high numbers of high purity.

"High purity means there are less 'wrong cells' that are being differentiated to other tissues, or remaining as stem cells. Moreover, these facts suggest that patients undergoing transplantation with the hepatic cells may have almost no possibility of developing teratomas or cancers, as can be the case when using bone marrow stem cells," said lead author of the study Dr. Ken Yaegaki.

The remarkable transforming ability of stem cells has led to significant focus from research groups around the world and given rise to expectations of cures for numerable diseases, including Parkinson's and Alzheimer's.

In this study, Dr. Ken Yaegaki and his group, from Nippon Dental University, Japan, used stem cells from dental pulp ? the central part of the tooth made up of connective tissue and cells ? which were obtained from the teeth of dental patients who were undergoing routine tooth extractions.

Once the cells were sufficiently prepared, they were separated into two batches (a test and a control) and the test cells incubated in a H2S chamber. They were harvested and analysed after 3, 6 and 9 days to see if the cells had successfully transformed into liver cells.

To test if the cells successfully differentiated under the influence of H2S, the researchers carried out a series of tests looking at features that were characteristic of liver cells. In addition to physical observations under the microscope, the researchers investigated the cell's ability to store glycogen and then recorded the amount of urea contained in the cell.

"Until now, nobody has produced the protocol to regenerate such a huge number of hepatic cells for human transplantation. Compared to the traditional method of using fetal bovine serum to produce the cells, our method is productive and, most importantly, safe" continued Dr. Yaegaki.

Hydrogen sulphide (H2S) has the characteristic smell of rotten eggs and is produced throughout the body in the tissues. Although its exact function is unknown, researchers have been led to believe that it plays a key role in many physiological processes and disease states.

###

From Monday 27 February, this paper can be downloaded from http://iopscience.org/1752-7163/6/1/017103

[ | E-mail | Share ]

AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Go here to see the original:
Dental pulp stem cells transformed by 'bad breath' chemical

Friday, Feb. 24, 2012

Japan has made great strides in the fight against leukemia in the last two decades that have seen bone marrow transplants increase, while the implementation of a nationwide donor program also has contributed significantly.

But the donor pool still needs to be expanded further to give more patients on the waiting list a chance of finding a marrow match, and a better shot at undergoing the life-saving surgery.

As of the end of 2011, about 400,000 potential donors were registered with the Japan Marrow Donor Program and around 13,700 patients in total had received bone marrow transplants since its inception in 1991. Approximately 34,600 patients have sought transplants since the program started.

But many patients still die before a suitable donor match is found, and the program is looking to expand the donor pool through raising public awareness about bone marrow donations. Undergoing a transplant in time can eradicate the cancer, which attacks the body's blood-forming tissues, including bone marrow and the lymphatic system.

"I wish more people would join the program and that all patients could be given the chance to survive," said former leukemia patient Chikako Kimura, 39, who had one of the early bone marrow transplants during the program's first years.

Kimura was diagnosed with acute myelogenous leukemia in 1991, a year after graduating from high school and starting to work. That spring, she felt constantly tired but shrugged it off as resulting from the rigors of her job.

That December, however, Kimura saw a doctor about swelling in her legs. She was immediately hospitalized and started to receive treatment, but didn't learn she had leukemia until several years later.

Kimura was not informed she had leukemia until spring 1993, when her doctor told her a donor with bone marrow matching her type had been found and encouraged to her to undergo a transplant. A year earlier, the doctor had put her on the waiting list of the fledgling bone marrow donor program.

Initially, she balked at the proposal as her condition had been stabilized through chemotherapy. But she eventually decided to take a chance.

"I was really lucky to find a matching donor so soon, given the small pool of donors at the time," Kimura recalled.

According to the foundation that set up the program, more than 527,000 people have registered as potential bone marrow donors since January 1992.

The donor pool swelled after a TV campaign was launched in July 2005 featuring Masami Ihara, a former captain of Japan's national soccer team, who appealed for more people to register. The high-profile campaign helped raise public awareness over the issue and led to a flood of inquiries to the four toll-free numbers the foundation set up.

"From the first day (of the TV ads), we had our hands full answering phone calls" from the public asking how to become donors, said Hidehiko Okubo of the foundation.

The TV campaign was later amended to use the images of actress Masako Natsume, who died of leukemia in 1985, and singer Minako Honda, who died in 2005.

The easing of criteria that must be met before being allowed to register as a donor and an increase in locations nationwide where people can register also helped to boost donor numbers.

The donor pool has now expanded to a level where more than 90 percent of leukemia patients on the waiting list can expect to find at least one suitable match.

But even if they find a potential donor, logistical or other reasons currently prevent about 40 percent of leukemia patients from actually receiving transplants. And it remains extremely difficult to find donors for some patients with rare white blood cell types.

The foundation's Okubo said trying to cure leukemia only by bone marrow transplants has its limits, and noted another kind of transplant was granted the green light in October 2010.

The procedure, which uses hematopoietic stem cells extracted from the blood of healthy people, had until 2010 only been allowed in Japan for transplants involving family members.

While 33 medical facilities are capable of performing such transplants, only two leukemia patients have been operated on so far.

The new procedure is expected to increase the number of people willing to become donors, as it involves fewer health risks than bone marrow transplants.

More than 18 years on from her transplant, Kimura now works as a nurse. "Many people have supported me. I wanted to be of some help to other people," she explained.

Here is the original post:
More bone marrow donors sought

The method, developed over several years in the lab of Prof. Ehud Shapiro of the Institute's Biological Chemistry, and Computer Science and Applied Mathematics Departments, uses mutations in specific genetic markers to determine which cells are most closely related and how far back they share a common parent cell, to create a sort of family tree for cells. Shapiro and members of his lab, including Drs. Shalev Itzkovitz and Rivka Adar, together with Prof. Nava Dekel and research student Yitzhak Reizel of the Biological Regulation Department, used their method to see if ova could be descended from bone-marrow stem cells. Their findings indicated that any relationship between the two types was too distant for one to be an ancestor of the other.

These scientists also found, surprisingly, that the ova of older mice had undergone more cell divisions than those of younger mice. This could be the result of replenishment during adulthood, but an alternate theory holds that all eggs are created before birth, and those that undergo fewer divisions are simply selected earlier on for ovulation. Further experimentation, says Shapiro, will resolve the issue.

Cell lineage trees are similar to modern evolutionary and taxonomic trees based on genome comparisons between organisms. Shapiro and his team used mutations in cells that are passed on to daughter cells over an organism's lifetime (though not on to the next generation). By comparing a number of genetic sequences called microsatellites – areas where mutations occur like clockwork – they can place cells on trees to reveal their developmental history.

A number of papers published by Shapiro, his team and collaborators in recent months have demonstrated the power and versatility of this method. One study, for instance, lent support to the notion that the adult stem cells residing in tiny crypts in the lining of the colon do not harbor, as thought, "immortal DNA strands." Immortal strands may be retained by dividing stem cells if they always relegate the newly-synthesized DNA to the differentiating daughter cell and keep the original stand in the one that remains a stem cell.

A second study addressed an open question about developing muscle cells. Here they found that two kinds of progenitor cell - myogenic cells, which eventually give rise to muscle fiber, and non-myogenic cells – found within the same muscle are more closely related than similar cells in different muscles.

One immediate advantage of the cell lineage analysis method developed by Shapiro's team is that it is non-invasive and retrospective, and as such can be applied to the study of human cell lineages. Most other studies of development rely on genetically engineered lab animals in which the stem cells are tagged with fluorescent markers. In addition to providing a powerful new research method that does not rely on such markers, Shapiro believes that it could one day be adapted as a diagnostic tool that might, for instance, reveal the history of an individual's cancer and help doctors determine the best course of treatment.

Provided by Weizmann Institute of Science (news : web)

View post:
Lineage trees reveal cells' histories

Friday, Feb. 24, 2012

Japan has made great strides in the fight against leukemia in the last two decades that have seen bone marrow transplants increase, while the implementation of a nationwide donor program also has contributed significantly.

But the donor pool still needs to be expanded further to give more patients on the waiting list a chance of finding a marrow match, and a better shot at undergoing the life-saving surgery.

As of the end of 2011, about 400,000 potential donors were registered with the Japan Marrow Donor Program and around 13,700 patients in total had received bone marrow transplants since its inception in 1991. Approximately 34,600 patients have sought transplants since the program started.

But many patients still die before a suitable donor match is found, and the program is looking to expand the donor pool through raising public awareness about bone marrow donations. Undergoing a transplant in time can eradicate the cancer, which attacks the body's blood-forming tissues, including bone marrow and the lymphatic system.

"I wish more people would join the program and that all patients could be given the chance to survive," said former leukemia patient Chikako Kimura, 39, who had one of the early bone marrow transplants during the program's first years.

Kimura was diagnosed with acute myelogenous leukemia in 1991, a year after graduating from high school and starting to work. That spring, she felt constantly tired but shrugged it off as resulting from the rigors of her job.

That December, however, Kimura saw a doctor about swelling in her legs. She was immediately hospitalized and started to receive treatment, but didn't learn she had leukemia until several years later.

Kimura was not informed she had leukemia until spring 1993, when her doctor told her a donor with bone marrow matching her type had been found and encouraged to her to undergo a transplant. A year earlier, the doctor had put her on the waiting list of the fledgling bone marrow donor program.

Initially, she balked at the proposal as her condition had been stabilized through chemotherapy. But she eventually decided to take a chance.

"I was really lucky to find a matching donor so soon, given the small pool of donors at the time," Kimura recalled.

According to the foundation that set up the program, more than 527,000 people have registered as potential bone marrow donors since January 1992.

The donor pool swelled after a TV campaign was launched in July 2005 featuring Masami Ihara, a former captain of Japan's national soccer team, who appealed for more people to register. The high-profile campaign helped raise public awareness over the issue and led to a flood of inquiries to the four toll-free numbers the foundation set up.

"From the first day (of the TV ads), we had our hands full answering phone calls" from the public asking how to become donors, said Hidehiko Okubo of the foundation.

The TV campaign was later amended to use the images of actress Masako Natsume, who died of leukemia in 1985, and singer Minako Honda, who died in 2005.

The easing of criteria that must be met before being allowed to register as a donor and an increase in locations nationwide where people can register also helped to boost donor numbers.

The donor pool has now expanded to a level where more than 90 percent of leukemia patients on the waiting list can expect to find at least one suitable match.

But even if they find a potential donor, logistical or other reasons currently prevent about 40 percent of leukemia patients from actually receiving transplants. And it remains extremely difficult to find donors for some patients with rare white blood cell types.

The foundation's Okubo said trying to cure leukemia only by bone marrow transplants has its limits, and noted another kind of transplant was granted the green light in October 2010.

The procedure, which uses hematopoietic stem cells extracted from the blood of healthy people, had until 2010 only been allowed in Japan for transplants involving family members.

While 33 medical facilities are capable of performing such transplants, only two leukemia patients have been operated on so far.

The new procedure is expected to increase the number of people willing to become donors, as it involves fewer health risks than bone marrow transplants.

More than 18 years on from her transplant, Kimura now works as a nurse. "Many people have supported me. I wanted to be of some help to other people," she explained.

Follow this link:
More bone marrow donors sought

Published Wednesday, February 22, 2012 12:12 AM By MAGGIE KIELY
maggie.kiely@theeagle.com

Two Texas A&M cancer awareness organizations are encouraging people to participate in an event that could save lives.

From 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on March 1 and March 2 at the Recreation Center, residents will have an opportunity to register their bone marrow into a global data base used to help patients waiting for a donor match.

Spearheading the drive are Christina Ruiz, president of the Texas A&M Cancer Society, and Courtney Hawes, president of Texas A&M American Childhood Cancer Organization.

The two campus groups have teamed up with DKMS, a global bone marrow donor center, for the event.

Registering bone marrow involves swabbing the inside of the person's cheek to gather tissue used to determine the DNA type.

Amy Roseman, donor recruitment coordinator for DKNS Texas region, said finding a match is a challenge for many patients.

"What we're looking for is a genetic twin, so it's really hard to find a match," she said. "Within a family, a patient only has a 30 percent chance of matching a relative."

Each year, there are about 20,000 patients seeking a match, but only four out of 10 are successful, she said.

That's why it's so important to increase the size of the bone marrow data base: "The more the marrower," said Roseman.

Roseman said that 80 percent of patients in need of bone marrow donations are looking for blood stem cells, while only 20 percent -- mainly children -- require a full transplant.

Giving the stem cells involves a process similar to donating blood, she said.

To donate bone marrow, the donor is put under anesthesia while doctors draw tissue from the pelvic bone.

All of the procedures are paid for by DKNS, she said.

Ruiz, a junior molecular and cell biology major, said her plan is to become an oncologist.

Cancer entered her world in middle school when her best friend's mother was diagnosed with lymphoma.

The friend's mom, who had been her after-school caretaker, died her freshman year, but because of two bone marrow transplants, she was able to live longer than expected.

Hawes said several of her family members have been diagnosed with a rare form of cancer since her middle school years, which is what prompted her to join the campus cancer society as a freshman.

She founded ACCO last summer and has recruited about 30 members since, she said.

The cancer society has about 40 members, Ruiz said, adding that most of their work centers around raising awareness about cancer prevention and ways people can contribute to research or treatments.

Josh Lemon, a freshman visualization major from Waco, said he was diagnosed with Ewing sarcoma -- a rare form of bone cancer -- two years ago as a senior in high school.

Even though he didn't receive a bone marrow transplant, he did require a platelet transfusion, which wouldn't have been possible without a donor.

"For me, it was very beneficial that someone had donated," he said. "You never know, you may know someone who will be affected by cancer."

For more information about what it takes to register or become a bone marrow donor, visit getswabbed.org.

Read more:
A&M to host bone marrow donor drive

TYLER, TX (KLTV) -

Over the last 3 months, life has changed drastically for Cody Chandler, a Tyler doctor diagnosed with leukemia just after Thanksgiving.

A bone marrow drive will be hosted Wednesday afternoon in his honor, and one of the main things Chandler stresses now is his new-found passion to get people who need bone marrow transplants the help they need.

"To be very honest, I didn't realize the severity of it. I was like, leukemia, what do you mean leukemia? And he said, you have cancer, and we need to start chemo tomorrow," Chandler recalls.

Chandler is a young father, husband, and doctor. He describes himself as being "pretty healthy" before he was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia in November.

"The severity of the diagnosis doesn't really hit you until you unfortunately start looking at statistics, and what it's going to take for me to get treated and get healthy and to live past 5 years," he said. "And I don't think I can explain that feeling. I think the real definition of being humbled, I've really learned what humility means."

Chandler's cancer is currently in remission and he continues to have chemo treatments. But if he relapses, he'll have to have a bone marrow transplant. Heart to Heart Hospice in Tyler is hosting a bone marrow drive Wednesday afternoon to get people on the national registry.

"They wanted to reach out and help and let people know how simple the process is to get into the registry and how simple the process is now to donate," said April Brown, the host of Wednesday's blood drive.

To join the registry, it only takes someone 15 seconds to swab their cheek and a few minutes to fill out some paperwork. And Brown says the bone marrow donation process is much easier than people think.

"They put an IV in both arms. They take the blood out and it goes into a machine that separates the stem cells and they'll collect the stem cells and the blood goes back into the arm," she said.

A process chandler says he now realizes the importance of -- he wishes he could help Leslie Harris, a young Arkansas mother given 6 months to live without a bone marrow transplant.

"I would give her my bone marrow if I could, and I can't, but there's a million people in the upper East Texas region that could. There's 100,000 people in Tyler that could, with a 15-second swab, can maybe save somebody's life, and the reality is it could actually save someone exactly like me," Chandler said.

If you'd like to attend today's bone marrow drive, it's being held at Heart to Heart Hospice here in Tyler from 1 to 6 pm.

If you'd like to help but can't make it, there are a few ways you can do so.

You can donate to the Chandler family at http://www.comfortforcody.com.

And you can find out more about becoming a bone marrow donor at http://www.getswabbed.org.

Copyright 2012 KLTV. All rights reserved.

Link:
Bone marrow drive held Wednesday for Tyler doctor

Published Wednesday, February 22, 2012 12:12 AM By MAGGIE KIELY
maggie.kiely@theeagle.com

Two Texas A&M cancer awareness organizations are encouraging people to participate in an event that could save lives.

From 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on March 1 and March 2 at the Recreation Center, residents will have an opportunity to register their bone marrow into a global data base used to help patients waiting for a donor match.

Spearheading the drive are Christina Ruiz, president of the Texas A&M Cancer Society, and Courtney Hawes, president of Texas A&M American Childhood Cancer Organization.

The two campus groups have teamed up with DKMS, a global bone marrow donor center, for the event.

Registering bone marrow involves swabbing the inside of the person's cheek to gather tissue used to determine the DNA type.

Amy Roseman, donor recruitment coordinator for DKNS Texas region, said finding a match is a challenge for many patients.

"What we're looking for is a genetic twin, so it's really hard to find a match," she said. "Within a family, a patient only has a 30 percent chance of matching a relative."

Each year, there are about 20,000 patients seeking a match, but only four out of 10 are successful, she said.

That's why it's so important to increase the size of the bone marrow data base: "The more the marrower," said Roseman.

Roseman said that 80 percent of patients in need of bone marrow donations are looking for blood stem cells, while only 20 percent -- mainly children -- require a full transplant.

Giving the stem cells involves a process similar to donating blood, she said.

To donate bone marrow, the donor is put under anesthesia while doctors draw tissue from the pelvic bone.

All of the procedures are paid for by DKNS, she said.

Ruiz, a junior molecular and cell biology major, said her plan is to become an oncologist.

Cancer entered her world in middle school when her best friend's mother was diagnosed with lymphoma.

The friend's mom, who had been her after-school caretaker, died her freshman year, but because of two bone marrow transplants, she was able to live longer than expected.

Hawes said several of her family members have been diagnosed with a rare form of cancer since her middle school years, which is what prompted her to join the campus cancer society as a freshman.

She founded ACCO last summer and has recruited about 30 members since, she said.

The cancer society has about 40 members, Ruiz said, adding that most of their work centers around raising awareness about cancer prevention and ways people can contribute to research or treatments.

Josh Lemon, a freshman visualization major from Waco, said he was diagnosed with Ewing sarcoma -- a rare form of bone cancer -- two years ago as a senior in high school.

Even though he didn't receive a bone marrow transplant, he did require a platelet transfusion, which wouldn't have been possible without a donor.

"For me, it was very beneficial that someone had donated," he said. "You never know, you may know someone who will be affected by cancer."

For more information about what it takes to register or become a bone marrow donor, visit getswabbed.org.

Read the original here:
A&M to host bone marrow donor drive

04-01-2012 22:37 If I told you that you could cure blood cancer, would you believe me? Well it's true. Watch this video to find out how easy it is to save a life, then go to GetSwabbed.org to register as a lifesaving bone marrow donor today.

Go here to read the rest:
HOW TO BECOME A DKMS BONE MARROW DONOR - Video

09-01-2012 06:07 Bone marrow stem cells versus cord blood stem cells : Prof.Dr. Virginia

Read the original here:
Bone marrow stem cells versus cord blood stem cells : Prof.Dr. Virginia - Video

10-01-2012 19:46 If you match a patient you will be asked to donate stem cells from either your bloodstream or bone marrow. Learn how it's done by watching this video.

Visit link:
PBSC vs. BONE MARROW DONATION - Video