Archive for the ‘Bone Marrow Stem Cells’ Category

Researchers have discovered that the lungs play a far more complex role in mammalian bodies than we thought, with new evidence revealing that they don't just facilitate respiration - they also play a key role in blood production.

In experiments involving mice, the team found that they produce more than 10 million platelets (tiny blood cells) per hour, equating to the majority of platelets in the animals' circulation. This goes against the decades-long assumption that bone marrow produces all of our blood components.

Researchers from the University of California, San Francisco also discovered a previously unknown pool of blood stem cells that makes this happen inside the lung tissue - cells that were incorrectly assumed to mainly reside in bone marrow.

"This finding definitely suggests a more sophisticated view of the lungs - that they're not just for respiration, but also a key partner in formation of crucial aspects of the blood," says one of the researchers, Mark R. Looney.

"What we've observed here in mice strongly suggests the lung may play a key role in blood formation in humans as well."

While the lungs have been known to produce a limited amount of platelets - platelet-forming cells called megakaryocytes have been identified in the lungs before - scientists have long assumed that most of the cells responsible for blood production are kept inside the bone marrow.

Here, aprocess called haematopoiesiswas thought tochurn out oxygen-laden red blood cells, infection-fighting white blood cells, and platelets - blood components required for the clotting that halts bleeding.

But scientists have now watched megakaryocytesfunctioning from within the lung tissue to produce not a few, but most of the body's platelets.

So how did we miss such a crucial biological process this whole time?

The discovery was made possible by a new type of technology based on two-photon intravital imaging - a similar technique to one used by a separate team this week to discover a previously unidentified function of the brain's cerebellum.

The process involves inserting a substance called green fluorescent protein (GFP) into the mouse genome - a protein that's naturally produced by bioluminescent animals such as jellyfish, and is harmless to living cells.

The mouse platelets started to emit bright green fluorescence as they circulated around the body in real time, allowing the team to trace their paths like never before.

They noticed a surprisingly large population of platelet-producing megakaryocytes inside the lung tissue, which initially didn't make much sense, seeing as they're usually associated with bone marrow.

"When we discovered this massive population of megakaryocytes that appeared to be living in the lung, we realised we had to follow this up," says one of the team, Emma Lefranais.

They found that this huge supply of megakaryocytes is actually producing more than 10 million platelets per hour in the lungs of mice, which means at least half of the body's total platelet production is occurring in the lungs.

Here's what it looks like:

Further experiments also revealed vast amounts of previously hidden blood stem cells and megakaryocyte progenitor cells (cells that give rise to megakaryocyte and red blood cells) sitting just outside the lung tissue - about 1 million per mouse lung.

When the researchers traced the entire 'life cycle' of the megakaryocytes, they found that they likely originate in the bone marrow, then make their way to the lungs, where they start platelet production.

"It's fascinating that megakaryocytes travel all the way from the bone marrow to the lungs to produce platelets," says one of the team, Guadalupe Ortiz-Muoz.

"It's possible that the lung is an ideal bioreactor for platelet production because of the mechanical force of the blood, or perhaps because of some molecular signalling we don't yet know about."

The researchers wanted to investigate if their discovery could have an effect on how we treat disorders such aslung inflammation, bleeding, and transplantation in the future, by transplanting lungs with fluorescent megakaryocyte progenitor cells into mice with low platelet counts.

The transplants produced a massive burst of platelets that quickly restored the depleted platelet counts to normal levels, and the effect lasted for several months.

Another experiment tested what would happen if the bone marrow wasn't playing a role in blood production.

The team implantedlungs with fluorescent megakaryocyte progenitor cellsinto mice that had been engineered to have no blood stem cells in their bone marrow.

As Michael Irving reports for New Atlas, they watched as the fluorescent cells from the transplanted lungs made their way to the bone marrow, where they not only helped to produce platelets, but also other key blood components, such as neutrophils, B cells and T cells.

The findings will need to be replicated in humans before we can know for sure that the same process is occurring within our own bodies, but the study makes a strong case for this hidden function in what could be one of our most underrated organs.

It will likely also prompt scientists to investigate further how the bone marrow and lungs work together to produce our blood supply.

"It has been known for decades that the lung can be a site of platelet production, but this study amplifies this idea by demonstrating that the [mouse] lung is a major participant in the process," Traci Mondoro from the US National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, who was not involved in the study, said in a press statement.

"Looney and his team have disrupted some traditional ideas about the pulmonary role in platelet-related hematopoiesis, paving the way for further scientific exploration of this integrated biology."

The research has been published in Nature.

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An unexpected new lung function has been found - they make blood ... - ScienceAlert

This week a very special delivery was made from space that will help further research that could eventually lead to a mind-blowing, futuristic way to cure diseases: shooting unmanned satellite wombs into orbit and then retrieving from them batches of stem cells that can be used to treat patients. Regardless of the outcome, the scientific experiment will still advance our knowledge of these unique cells.

On Thursday Dr. Abba Zubairat the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida, received frozen stem cells grown at the International Space Station. The package was part of the 5,400 pounds of scientific samples and equipment that splashed down on Sunday off the coast of California inside a SpaceX Dragon-10 capsule completing a historic round-trip mission.

Up there, one of the astronauts helped us to image the cells, harvest the cells and freeze them in a way that we can use them here on Earth and compare them to cells we grew here in the lab, Zubair, the principal investigator of the stem cell experiment, told Salon.

Zubairs team will look to see if the culture grown in the near-zero gravity of low-space orbit, about 250 miles above the Earths surface, results in healthier cells than onesgrownin aterrestrial lab. If so then it would helpconfirm the theory that microgravity, which resembles the weightless-likebuoyancyof female womb, is best environment for growing stemscells.

Stem cells, from which all other types of cells originate, are the bodys raw materials, and as such offer immense potential to cure many diseases. Doctors already use stem cells forbone-marrow transplants and treating blood-related diseases like leukemia, as well asfor some eye-related disorders. Researchers believe were only in the very early stages of developing revolutionary stem cell therapiesto combat cancer, Alzheimers disease, Parkinsons disease, Type 1 diabetes, heart disease and strokes. In the future, stems cellscience could even lead to growing organs in a lab that can be transplanted into humans.

But stem cells are finicky. As they replicate in a lab, many of them develop imperfections and have to be discarded. It can take a month to grow the roughly 200,000 cells needed to treat one patient, Zubair said. Gravity might be the culprit.

In nature, these cells start their life after an egg is fertilized. Humans, right from conception, develop almost in a microgravity environment, Zubair said. Fetuses develop in amniotic fluid. Theyre buoyant, which cancels the effect of gravity because theyre suspended in a liquid. Thats how three-dimensional growth in a fluid environment is possible. We think gravity does play a role in the shape and development of the cells and how organs develop.

In other words, if the cells are suspended in fluid, they can grow and move in any direction, producing more of them, compared withhow they grow on a flat surface, like in a petri dish.

This is why stem cells are typically grown in a bioreactor, a common bioengineering tool that gently stirswater containing the seed cells and certain nutrients that promote growth. But because of the way gravity affectsfluids, many of the cells become damaged and cant be used for treatment. (In the language of physics, the problem has to do with something called shearing force.) By placing a bioreactor in the microgravity of orbit, the effects of gravity on liquid mechanics is virtually eliminated.

If growing stem cells in spaceproves to be efficient, thats when things get interesting. Growing stem cells at the International Space Station is anexperimental endeavor, so its not really a viable place to begin manufacturing themin great quantities. But theoretically, Zubair says, bioreactor satellites could be put into orbit and left there to grow cells until theyre remotely called back to Earth or sent wherever future interplanetary pilgrims wind up. As the cost of sending small satellites into low orbit falls, this system could be commercially viable.

There are companies that are interested in developing a floating lab in space to grow not only stem cells but also tissues and organs down the road for human use or for use elsewhere as we hopefully colonize other planets, like Mars, Zubair said.

This might seem out of this world, but the technology for growing stem cells remotely already exists. If space is the place to grow human parts and this research will help to determine that then designing systems and deploying these bioreactor space wombs might not be that far off in the future.

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Space wombs for stem cells: Satellites could help accelerate the discovery of disease cures - Salon

Plasma and stem cells: The future of regenerative medicine

Blood platelet injections and stem cell treatments may sound like the future, but physicians at the Andrews Institute are already practicing these forms of regenerative medicine.

Weight lifting mixed with normal wear and tear left Howie Webber in constant pain.

"I probably felt it about four months ago," said Howie. "I did some stretching, thinking I could make it go away, but it just continued to get worse."

That's when Howie went to the doctor and found out he had two options: surgery or regenerative medicine; he picked the latter.

"I just added up the amount of time I'd be out of work and the cost of surgery, plus the copay and this whole thing just seemed like it would be a little faster and a little easier, and it ended up being just that," said Howie.

Physicians at the Andrew's Institute currently offer two different types of regenerative medicine, platelet rich plasma, or PRP and bone marrow aspirate concentrate, or BMAC.

With PRP, physicians take the patient's blood, separate the platelets and inject those platelets back into the patient at the site of injury. The idea is that platelets carry growth factors and molecules to stimulate the healing process.

BMAC utilizes platelets too, but also the patient's bone marrow harvested from the pelvis.

Both regenerative medicine methods have benefits, perhaps the biggest according to Dr. Brett Kindle, is avoiding invasive surgeries.

"If we need surgery, we need surgery, and that's what it is, but if we can avoid it, that often times is very beneficial from a financial standpoint, missing less work, etc.," said Dr. Kindle. "Also from a quality of life, to be able to get back to doing activities in a more timely manner."

The main difference between the two is price and neither are covered by insurance. BMAC costs upwards of $3,000, while PRP costs anywhere from $600 to $800. Howie opted for PRP.

"It hurt for about three days, then within a week I was pain free," said Howie. "Maybe a little discomfort that you would expect, but it wasn't near as bad as it was before."

Howie's issue was with his hamstrings, but Dr. Kindle said both PRP and BMAC can be used to treat a variety of aches and pains.

"Anything in the limbs," said Dr. Kindle. "Shoulders, elbows, hands, wrists, hips, knees, foot, ankle, all of those areas."

Recovery for both PRP and BMAC procedures is typically one to two weeks. Full effects of the injections don't usually kick in until six to eight weeks later. For more information about regenerative medicine or to schedule a consultation with an Andrews Institute physician, call (850) 916-8700.

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Plasma and stem cells: The future of regenerative medicine | WEAR - WEAR

Jonathan Pitre readies for his second stem cell transplant, which will take place April 13th at the University of Minnesota Masonic Children's Hospital. Tina Boileau / -

Fully recovered from a series of infections, Jonathan Pitre has received medical clearance to undergo a second stem cell transplant.

Pitre, 16, will check into hospital on the last day of March to begin eight days of high-dose chemotherapy and one day of radiation. His stem cell transplant what doctors call Day Zero is scheduled forApril 13 at the University of Minnesota Masonic Childrens Hospital.

The night before he goes into hospital, Pitre will attend the Ottawa Senators game against the Minnesota Wild at the Xcel Energy Centre in Saint Paul. It will be a good night of fun before it all starts again, said Pitres mother, Tina Boileau.

She shared the latest news on her Facebook page on Wednesday.

After many weeks of tests, procedures and appointments at the hospital, Jonathan got the green light to proceed with the second transplant, she said. He has completely recovered from his infections and his body is as strong as can be This time it will work!

Last September, Pitre suffered nausea, hair loss, fevers and exhaustion in the aftermath of his first transplant, which ultimately failed when his own stem cells recolonized his bone marrow.His second transplant has been delayed because of lung and blood infections.

In an interview earlier this month, Pitre told the Citizen hes staying positive even though he understands the physical test that he faces in hospital.

Its mostly thinking about sticking together with the people you care about, your family, he said . You have to stick to them very, very tightly and tell each other that, Its going to be OK, and that Were stronger than this. Were going through this together, not just alone.

Pitre suffers from a rare, painful and deadly form of epidermolysis bullosa (EB), a blistering skin disease.

Hes the first Canadian to take part in a clinical trial operated by the University of Minnesotas Dr. Jakub Tolar, a pediatric transplant specialist who has adapted stem-cell therapy as a treatment for the most severe forms of EB.Although the procedure comes with the potential for life-threatening complications, it has produced dramatic improvements in two-thirds of those EB patients who have survived the transplant: tougher skin, reduced blistering and better wound healing.

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'Butterfly boy' Jonathan Pitre cleared for second stem cell transplant - Ottawa Citizen

Fresh young cells

Dennis Kunkle Microscopy/Science Photo Library

By Jessica Hamzelou

BLOOD from the young seems to have healing powers, but how can we harness them without relying on donors? The discovery of a protein that keeps blood stem cells youthful might help.

The rejuvenating properties of young blood came to light in macabre experiments that stitched young and old mice together to share a circulatory system. The health of the older mice improved, while that of the younger ones deteriorated. Other animal studies have since shown that injections of young or old blood have similar effects.

This may work in people too. Young blood is being trialled as a treatment for conditions like Alzheimers, and aged mice that received injections of blood from human teenagers showed improved cognition, memory and physical activity levels.

We think the drug will improve signs of ageing and boost the immune systems of older people

But these studies rely on young people donating their blood: if this became the go-to therapy for age-related disease it would be difficult to get enough donations to fulfil demand.

The stem cells in our blood could provide an alternative approach. Our red and white blood cells are made by stem cells that themselves come from mother stem cells in bone marrow. But as we age, the number of these mother stem cells declines. One of the worlds longest-lived women seemed to only have two left in her blood when she died at age 115.

The decline in mother stem cells causes people to have fewer red blood cells, and white blood cells called B and T lymphocytes. These declines can cause anaemia and weaken the immune system. Usually the immune system in the elderly is not prepared to fight infections very hard, says Hartmut Geiger at the University of Ulm in Germany.

When Geigers team examined the bone marrow in mice, they found that older animals have much lower levels of a protein called osteopontin. To see if this protein has an effect on blood stem cells, the team injected stem cells into mice that lacked osteopontin and found that the cells rapidly aged.

But when older stem cells were mixed in a dish with osteopontin and a protein that activates it, they began to produce white blood cells just as young stem cells do. This suggests osteopontin makes stem cells behave more youthfully (EMBO Journal, doi.org/b4jp). If we can translate this into a treatment, we can make old blood young again, Geiger says.

Its exciting, says Hanadie Yousef at Stanford University in California. But longer term studies are needed to see whether this approach can rejuvenate the whole blood system, she says.

Until now, most efforts to use blood as a rejuvenation agent have focused on plasma, the liquid component, as some believe it carries dissolved factors that help maintain youth. But Geiger thinks the cells in blood might play a key role, because they are better able to move into the bodys tissues.

Both soluble factors and blood cells are likely to be important, says Yousef. While injections of young plasma rejuvenate older animals, the treatment doesnt have as strong an effect as when young and old animals share a circulatory system, she says.

Geigers team is developing a drug containing osteopontin and the activating protein to encourage blood stem cells to behave more youthfully. It should boost the immune system of elderly people, he says.

Such a drug might have benefits beyond fighting infection and alleviating anaemia. The team also think the protein will boost levels of mother stem cells. Having only a small number of such cells has been linked to heart disease, so Geiger says there is a chance that boosting them may help prevent this.

Osteopontin might also be useful for treating age-linked blood disorders, such as myelodysplasias that involve dysfunctional cells, says Martin Pera of the Jackson Laboratory in Bar Harbor, Maine. It is possible that rejuvenating bone marrow stem cells could help with these conditions, he says.

This study provides more evidence that cells can be rejuvenated, says Ioakim Spyridopoulos at Newcastle University, UK. They have made old blood look young again, although whether it acts young or not will have to be shown in clinical trials.

This article appeared in print under the headline Old blood made young again

More on these topics:

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Old blood can be made young again and it might fight ageing | New ... - New Scientist

LOS ANGELESIn the course of March 3-4, the Armenian Bone Marrow Donor Registry (ABMDR) held unprecedented community-outreach and donor-recruitment events throughout Javakhk, in Western Georgia, led by an ABMDR team from Yerevan.

The historic recruitment campaign, which took place in Armenian communities in Akhaltskha, Akhalkalak, and Ninotsminda, was organized with the assistance of the Armenian Relief Society (ARS) of Javakhk, and the invaluable logistical support of Karine Tadevosyan, chairperson of the ARS Javakhk Region, and other local ARS members.

Throughout the recruitment and outreach events, ABMDR Executive Director Dr. Sevak Avagyan and Medical Director Mihran Nazaretyan delivered lectures and made presentations with regard to ABMDRs life-saving mission, to the great enthusiasm of hundreds of local Armenian-community members. Also addressing the community gatherings were Tadevosyan and other executive members of ARS Javakhk. By the conclusion of the recruitment campaign, 76 local Armenians had joined the ranks of ABMDR as potential bone marrow donors.

Words cannot describe our joy as we marvel at the support, excitement, and spirit of activism which our recruitment campaign was met with, in every single Javakhk community where we held events, said Dr. Frieda Jordan, President of ABMDR, and added, We convey our heartfelt gratitude to Karine Tadevosyan, all of her gracious ARS colleagues, other local community leaders, and the Armenian people of Javakhk as a whole, for joining our global family of bone marrow donors, toward our shared quest of saving lives.

About the Armenian Bone Marrow Donor Registry

Established in 1999, ABMDR, a nonprofit organization, helps Armenians and non-Armenians worldwide survive life-threatening blood-related illnesses by recruiting and matching donors to those requiring bone marrow stem cell transplants. To date, the registry has recruited over 28,000 donors in 42 countries across four continents, identified over 4,200 patients, and facilitated 27 bone marrow transplants. For more information, call (323) 663-3609 or visit abmdr.am.

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76 Javakhk Armenians Join ABMDR as Bone Marrow Donors ... - Asbarez Armenian News

Growing significant numbers of human stem cells in a short time could lead to new treatments for stroke and other health issues. Scientists are sending stem cells to the International Space Station to test whether these cells proliferate faster in microgravity without suffering any side effects.

Therapeutic uses require hundreds of millions of stem cells and currently no efficient way exists to produce such quantities. Previous research suggests that microgravity could help, and the space station is home to the nation's only national lab in microgravity.

Some types of stem cells grow faster in simulated microgravity, according to Abba Zubair, a researcher at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida. Zubair is principal investigator for the Microgravity Expanded Stem Cells investigation, which is cultivating human stem cells aboard the space station for use in clinical trials back on Earth. He holds a doctor of medicine degree in transfusion medicine and cell therapy and a doctorate of philosophy in tumor immunology.

Human stem cells are cells that have not yet specialized in function and can divide into a spectrum of cell types, rejuvenating and repairing tissue throughout a person's lifetime. Stem cells in every organ of the body, including skin and bones, maintain those organs and repair tissue by dividing and differentiating into specialized cells.

Harvesting a person's stem cells and growing enough of them for use in therapies has proven difficult, though. Researchers have successfully grown mesenchymal stem cells, found in bone marrow, but growing sufficient quantities takes weeks. That could be too late for treatment of some conditions.

"Stem cells are inherently designed to remain at a constant number," Zubair explains. "We need to grow them faster, but without changing their characteristics."

The first phase of the investigation, he adds, is answering the question: "Do stem cells grow faster in space and can we grow them in such a manner that they are safe to use in patients?"

Investigators will examine the space-grown cells in an effort to understand the mechanism behind microgravity's effects on them. The long-term goal is to learn how to mimic those effects and develop a safe and reliable way to produce stem cells in the quantities needed.

The second phase will involve testing clinical application of the cells in patients. Zubair has been studying treatment of stroke patients with lab-grown stem cells and plans to compare those results with use of the space-grown stem cells.

"What is unique about this investigation is that we are not only looking at the biology of the cells and how they grow, but focusing on application, how we can use them to treat patients," he says.

The investigation expands existing knowledge of how microgravity affects stem cell growth and differentiation as well as advances future studies on how to produce large numbers of stem cells for treating stroke and other conditions.

The faster that happens, the better for those who could benefit from stem cell therapies.

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Stem Cells Seem Speedier in Space - Space Daily

Science Daily

First patient cured of rare blood disorder Science Daily The transplant technique is unique, because it allows a donor's cells to gradually take over a patient's bone marrow without using toxic agents to eliminate a patient's cells prior to the transplant. ... treatment options have been limited because they ... Doctors cure first patient with rare blood disorderIANS all 3 news articles »

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First patient cured of rare blood disorder - Science Daily

Palm Beach Post (blog)

Blinded by science: Women go blind after stem-cell treatment at Florida clinic Palm Beach Post (blog) In 2010, for example, a woman with the autoimmune disease lupus died after her own bone marrow cells were injected into her kidneys at a clinic in Thailand. In 2013, the Florida Department of Health revoked the medical license of Zannos Grekos over the ... Borrowing from nature: UW-Madison scientists use plants to grow stem cellsMadison.com Study shows stem cell therapy is safe for stroke patients; may aid ...Medical Xpress The Worst 'Healthcare': 'Stem Cell' Clinics Wrought with Red Flags, Insincerity and BlindnessAmerican Council on Science and Health Medgadget (blog) -The Republic of East Vancouver all 34 news articles »

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Blinded by science: Women go blind after stem-cell treatment at Florida clinic - Palm Beach Post (blog)

THE story of Alice Pyne, the Ulverston teenager whose life-threatening blood cancer prompted a search for a bone marrow donor back in 2011, touched the lives of many people in Furness.

One such person was Josh Cain. Then a 17-year-old, he was one of thousands of people who signed up to the register run by the charity Anthony Nolan in the hope that he would be the match which might save her life.

Even when Alice was told that her Hodgkins lymphoma had become terminal, meaning no further treatment would help her, she continued to campaign to get more people to sign up to be bone marrow, or stem cell, donors.

And it is a testament to her inspiring spirit that, four years after Alices death, Josh, of Meadowlands Avenue, Barrow, has potentially saved the life of another person.

I saw on Facebook that Alice was looking for a donor, and then it was on her bucket list. I wanted to help, so I went and did it online, says Josh, 25, a BAE Systems worker.

When his "spit kit" arrived, Josh completed it, popped the prepaid envelope in the postbox and didnt hear anything until an email from Anthony Nolan landed in his inbox around one year ago.

It said that I was a potential match for someone and asked me to do a blood test, he adds.

When a total of 10 vials arrived, Josh might have been forgiven for feeling a little daunted. Far from it, says the modest young lad, who maintains that his overriding emotion has been "excited" since day one.

After sending off his blood, however, Anthony Nolan informed him that the procedure had been put off because his match was not healthy enough. Theyd be back in touch if he was needed. Josh carried on, waiting and wondering about the fate of the patient.

Three weeks ago, everything changed. Josh received a call to say the procedure was going ahead, triggering a rapid sequence of events.

Anthony Nolan sent me everything I needed to know, and all my expenses were covered by the charity, he explains.

As Josh learned, there are two procedures which donors can complete - a bone marrow donation, which involves an operation, or through peripheral blood stem cell donation. In around 90 per cent of cases, including Josh, its the latter.

Before a person can receive a donation of blood stem cells from a suitable donor, they will be given high dosages of chemotherapy, and possibly radiation therapy in order to completely destroy all the diseased cells in their body. They can often be an hour away from death; the reason that, once the go-ahead is given, everything is done at an accelerated pace.

First came a medical in London. A few days later, Josh was put on a course of four growth hormones which involved a nurse visiting his house and administering injections designed to create an excess of stem cells which multiply into the bloodstream.

Days later he was in the London Clinic hospital where the stem cells were extracted from one arm, and his blood returned to the other.

He spent four hours in a bed with his proud girlfriend Claudia Little, 20, at his side. An overnight stay to ensure the hospital had enough cells followed.

They warn you about all the side effects and they are always asking if youre OK, they want to prepare you as much as possible, said Josh.

I wasnt really fazed by any of it, Im not squeamish at all and I was just excited that I could be helping someone. I feel proud to have done it.

As for side effects, he says, they have been few and far between.

Ive felt a bit of fatigue but not a lot other than that, says Josh, who has been supported by BAE Systems throughout the process.

All the charity will say at this stage is that the recipient is an adult male and he can send a card anonymously through the charity. In two years' time, he can find out whether the procedure worked - and the recipient can choose to get in touch.

You only know a rough age and gender. I decided I wanted to know if it is a success, but I want to send a card either way, said Josh.

Witnessing the work of Anthony Nolan first hand has inspired Josh to raise awareness and funds for the charity. The only criteria for donors is that theyre healthy, and aged between 16 and 30.

It is particularly keen to get healthy young men like Josh on the list. At the moment, they only make up 15 per cent of those signed up, and last year a YouGov survey found that 34 per cent of young men who wouldnt sign up as a stem cell donor were just too scared that the experience would be painful.

Which is why Josh is starting by sharing his own experience. And his message to those who arent on the register?

He said: Definitely do it, even if youre a bit scared of needles.

Whatever you have to do when youre donating, its absolutely nothing compared to what people with blood cancer are going through.

Continued here:
Barrow man inspired by Ulverston teen potentially saves a life - NW Evening Mail

The right bone marrow donor match has been hard to find for one 2-year-old.

Shern-Min Chow, KHOU 6:49 PM. CDT March 20, 2017

The right bone marrow donor match for this 2-year-old has been hard to find. (Photo: KHOU)

HOUSTON - Roman Shen is a happy 2-year-old. You wouldn't know it, but he suffers from Shwachman Diamond Syndrome, or SDS. That means his bone marrow doesn't work properly and doesnt make its own white blood cells.

The right bone marrow donor match has been hard to find.

Mostly because he is mixed race, Chinese-Italian, and they are underrepresented in the bone marrow registry," said Nicole Shen, his mother.

Mixed race people are 4 percent of the bone marrow registry. So for the past 2 years, Romans parents have been actively involved with the registry, launching and participating in Be the Match registration drives.

It takes about 10 minutes. You swab the inside of your cheek. You could save my son's life or someone else's life," Nicole Shen said.

Why is race so important to marrow donation?

You're matching antigens that are produced by your stem cells and those are in many cases matched to ethnicity," saidBe The Match spokeswoman FeliciaGann.

One in 540 registrants will end up being a match. Donors give either with platelets, which are given much like a blood donation or with actual bone marrow, removed from the hip bone via needle. Bone marrow transplants are used to treat over 70 diseases.

The Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center houses the Gulf Coast Marrow Donor Program (GCMDP) and is an accredited donor center for the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP) which operates the Be The Match Registry. For more information, contact the GCMDP at (713)-791-6697.

To register as a potential marrow donor, you must be 18 to 44 years old and in general good health. Registration takes 10 minutes and involves completing a form and a cheek swab with a Q-tip.

You may register at any of the Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center Locations onlineor arrange for representatives come to you by emailing fgann@giveblood.org.

2017 KHOU-TV

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Family of 2-year-old hopes to find bone marrow donor - KHOU.com

March 20, 2017 by Melissa Gaskill Cultured stem cells. Credit: BioServe Inc., University of Colorado

Growing significant numbers of human stem cells in a short time could lead to new treatments for stroke and other diseases. Scientists are sending stem cells to the International Space Station to test whether these cells proliferate faster in microgravity without suffering any side effects.

Therapeutic uses require hundreds of millions of stem cells and currently no efficient way exists to produce such quantities. Previous research suggests that microgravity could help, and the space station is home to the nation's only national lab in microgravity.

Some types of stem cells grow faster in simulated microgravity, according to Abba Zubair, a researcher at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida. Zubair is principal investigator for the Microgravity Expanded Stem Cells investigation, which is cultivating human stem cells aboard the space station for use in clinical trials back on Earth. He holds a doctor of medicine degree in transfusion medicine and cell therapy and a doctorate of philosophy in tumor immunology.

Human stem cells are cells that have not yet specialized in function and can divide into a spectrum of cell types, rejuvenating and repairing tissue throughout a person's lifetime. Stem cells in every organ of the body, including skin and bones, maintain those organs and repair tissue by dividing and differentiating into specialized cells.

Harvesting a person's stem cells and growing enough of them for use in therapies has proven difficult, though. Researchers have successfully grown mesenchymal stem cells, found in bone marrow, but growing sufficient quantities takes weeks. That could be too late for treatment of some conditions.

"Stem cells are inherently designed to remain at a constant number," Zubair explains. "We need to grow them faster, but without changing their characteristics."

The first phase of the investigation, he adds, is answering the question: "Do stem cells grow faster in space and can we grow them in such a manner that they are safe to use in patients?"

Investigators will examine the space-grown cells in an effort to understand the mechanism behind microgravity's effects on them. The long-term goal is to learn how to mimic those effects and develop a safe and reliable way to produce stem cells in the quantities needed.

The second phase will involve testing clinical application of the cells in patients. Zubair has been studying treatment of stroke patients with lab-grown stem cells and plans to compare those results with use of the space-grown stem cells.

"What is unique about this investigation is that we are not only looking at the biology of the cells and how they grow, but focusing on application, how we can use them to treat patients," he says.

The investigation expands existing knowledge of how microgravity affects stem cell growth and differentiation as well as advances future studies on how to produce large numbers of stem cells for treating stroke and other conditions.

The faster that happens, the better for those who could benefit from stem cell therapies.

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An international team of researchers, funded by Morris Animal Foundation, has shown that adipose (fat) stem cells might be the preferred stem cell type for use in canine therapeutic applications, including orthopedic diseases ...

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Stem cells seem speedier in space - Phys.Org

The study consists of donor and patient pairs for allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation. The first part of the study, which is nearing completion, is intended to enroll an initial cohort of 10 donor and recipient pairs, consisting of patients with advanced hematological malignancies and their HLA-matched sibling donors. Interim results show that a single injection of BL-8040 mobilized sufficient amounts of cells required for transplantation at a level of efficacy similar to that achieved by using 4-6 injections of G-CSF, the current standard of care. Furthermore, all recipients transplanted so far have experienced a successful neutrophil engraftment. The recipients will be followed for one year to assess acute and chronic GVHD events. As for the donors, BL-8040 treatment was safe and well tolerated.

Philip Serlin, Chief Executive Officer of BioLineRx, stated, "We are very encouraged by these initial results of the Phase 2 clinical trial for assessing BL-8040, our lead oncology and hematology platform, as a single agent for hematopoietic stem cell mobilization for allogeneic transplantation. Hematopoietic stem cells are increasingly used as part of the treatment regimen for certain types of hematological cancers, as well as for severe anemia and immune deficiency disorders. These results, supporting BL-8040 as a one-day dosing and up-to-two-day collection regimen, for rapid mobilization of substantial amounts of stem cells, represent a significant improvement over the current standard of care, which requires four-to-six daily injections of G-CSF and one-to-four apheresis sessions.If there are no safety concerns regarding graft failure or rejection after the interim safety review of donor-recipient pairs participating in Part 1 of the study, we will continue with Part 2 of the study, which will permit enrollment of recipients with either matched sibling or haploidentical donors, up to a total enrollment in the study of 24 donor-recipient pairs. We are looking forward to the topline results expected by the end of 2017."

"We continue our efforts to maximize the potential of our unique BL-8040 oncology platform, with multiple clinical studies for additional indications up and running or expected to start in 2017, including several combination studies with immune checkpoint inhibitors and a registration study in stem-cell mobilization for autologous transplantation," added Mr. Serlin.

The Phase 2 open-label study is conducted in collaboration with the Washington University School of Medicine, Division of Oncology, and will enroll up to 24 donor/recipient pairs, aged 18-70. The trial is designed to evaluate the ability of BL-8040, as a single agent, to promote stem cell mobilization for allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation. On the donor side, the primary endpoint of the study is the ability of a single injection of BL-8040 to mobilize sufficient amounts of cells for transplantation following up to two apheresis procedures. On the recipient side, the study aims to evaluate the time to engraftment rate following transplantation of the BL-8040 collected graft.

The study will also evaluate the safety and tolerability of BL-8040 in healthy donors, as well as graft durability, the incidence of grade 2-4 acute and chronic GVHD, and other recipient related parameters in patients who have undergone transplantation of hematopoietic cells mobilized with BL-8040.

About BL-8040

BL-8040 is a short peptide for the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia, solid tumors, and certain hematological indications. It functions as a high-affinity antagonist for CXCR4, a chemokine receptor that is directly involved in tumor progression, angiogenesis, metastasis and cell survival. CXCR4 is over-expressed in more than 70% of human cancers and its expression often correlates with disease severity. In a number of clinical and pre-clinical studies, BL-8040 has shown robust mobilization of cancer cells from the bone marrow, thereby sensitizing these cells to chemo- and bio-based anti-cancer therapy, as well as a direct anti-cancer effect by inducing apoptosis. In addition, BL-8040 has also demonstrated robust stem-cell mobilization, including the mobilization of colony-forming cells, and T, B and NK cells. BL-8040 was licensed by BioLineRx from Biokine Therapeutics and was previously developed under the name BKT-140.

About Stem Cell Mobilization

High-dose chemotherapy followed by hematopoietic cell transplantation has become an established treatment modality for a variety of hematologic malignancies, including multiple myeloma, as well as various forms of lymphoma and leukemia. Modern peripheral stem-cell harvesting often replaces the use of traditional surgical bone marrow stem-cell harvesting. In the modern method, stem cells are mobilized from the bone marrow using granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF), often with the addition of a mobilizing agent such as Plerixafor (Mozobil), harvested from the donor's peripheral blood by apheresis, and infused to the patient after chemotherapy ablation treatment.

An allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplant involves matching a patient's tissue type, specifically their human leukocyte antigen (HLA) tissue type, with that of a related or unrelated donor. HLA proteins are found on all cells of our body and are the main way the immune system tells the difference between our own cells and foreign cells. The closer the HLA match between a donor and recipient, the greater the chance a transplant will be successful. If the HLA match is not close enough, the donor's immune system, which accompanies the donated stem cells, recognizes the HLA mismatch, and will attack the recipient's tissues. This process is known as graft versus host disease (GVHD).

Approximately 70% of people with a hematological malignancy or bone marrow failure syndrome who need an allogeneic transplant have an HLA-identical sibling or unrelated donor available. For patients who need a stem cell transplant but do not have an HLA-matched related or unrelated donor, recent medical advances have made possible the use of a partially matched or haploidentical related donor. A haploidentical related donor is usually a 50% match to the recipient and may be the recipient's parent, sibling or child.

The advantage of having a haploidentical transplant is thatit increases the chance offinding a donoras almost everyone has at least one haploidentical relative. Relatives can usually be asked to donate stem cells much more quickly than unrelated volunteer donors, particularly when the volunteer donors live in other countries, thereby allowing transplants to be done in a more timely manner.

With improvements in medical treatment, complications of a haploidentical transplant, such as GVHD, rejection of the graft and slow recovery of the immune system appear not to be increased compared to transplants using HLA-matched related or unrelated donors. Since this is a relatively new approach to stem cell transplantation, a haploidentical transplant is a treatment option that is not offered at all treatment centers, but is becoming more common.

About BioLineRx

BioLineRx is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on oncology and immunology. The Company in-licenses novel compounds, primarily from academic institutions and biotech companies based in Israel, develops them through pre-clinical and/or clinical stages, and then partners with pharmaceutical companies for advanced clinical development and/or commercialization.

BioLineRx's leading therapeutic candidates are: BL-8040, a cancer therapy platform, which has successfully completed a Phase 2a study for relapsed/refractory AML and is in the midst of a Phase 2b study as an AML consolidation treatment and a Phase 2 study in stem cell mobilization for allogeneic transplantation; and BL-7010 for celiac disease and gluten sensitivity, which has successfully completed a Phase 1/2 study. In addition, BioLineRx has a strategic collaboration with Novartis for the co-development of selected Israeli-sourced novel drug candidates; a collaboration agreement with MSD (known as Merck in the US and Canada), on the basis of which the Company has initiated a Phase 2a study in pancreatic cancer using the combination of BL-8040 and Merck's KEYTRUDA; and a collaboration agreement with Genentech, a member of the Roche Group, to investigate the combination of BL-8040 and Genentech's Atezolizumab in several Phase 1b studies for multiple solid tumor indications and AML.

For additional information on BioLineRx, please visit the Company's website athttp://www.biolinerx.com, where you can review the Company's SEC filings, press releases, announcements and events. BioLineRx industry updates are also regularly updated onFacebook,Twitter, andLinkedIn.

Various statements in this release concerning BioLineRx's future expectations constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements include words such as "may," "expects," "anticipates," "believes," and "intends," and describe opinions about future events. These forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of BioLineRx to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Some of these risks are: changes in relationships with collaborators; the impact of competitive products and technological changes; risks relating to the development of new products; and the ability to implement technological improvements. These and other factors are more fully discussed in the "Risk Factors" section of BioLineRx's most recent annual report on Form 20-F filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 10, 2016. In addition, any forward-looking statements represent BioLineRx's views only as of the date of this release and should not be relied upon as representing its views as of any subsequent date. BioLineRx does not assume any obligation to update any forward-looking statements unless required by law.

Contacts: PCG Advisory Vivian Cervantes Investor Relations +1-212-554-5482 vivian@pcgadvisory.com

or

Tsipi Haitovsky Public Relations +972-52-989892 tsipihai5@gmail.com

SOURCE BioLineRx Ltd.

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BioLineRx Provides Update on Phase 2 Open-Label Study for BL-8040 as Novel Stem Cell Mobilization Treatment - PR Newswire (press release)

Tri-City Herald

Retired Richland sergeant battling rare blood disease, awaiting marrow transplant Tri-City Herald People who are healthy, between 18 and 44, and want to register as a bone marrow/stem cell donor can do it at join.bethematch.org/hope4sarge or join.bethematch.org/hopeforsarge. A swab kit will be mailed to their home with instructions and a confirmation.

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Retired Richland sergeant battling rare blood disease, awaiting marrow transplant - Tri-City Herald

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Cesca Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ: KOOL), a market leader in automated cell processing and point-of-care, autologous cell-based therapies, today announced the publication in a peer reviewed journal of data from its Critical Limb Ischemia (CLI) feasibility study utilizing the Companys innovative point-of-care technology. The report was published in the Stem Cells International and is available online at https://www.hindawi.com/journals/sci/2017/4137626/ref/.

Results from the seventeen patient clinical study titled, Safety and Effectiveness of Bone Marrow Cell Concentrate in the Treatment of Chronic Critical Limb Ischemia Utilizing a Rapid Point-of-Care System, (the Study) were obtained using Cescas automated point-of-care technology. The single treatment procedure was performed at the patients bedside and took less than 60 minutes. The Study results showed significant improvement in wound healing, rest pain and six-minute walking distance, along with significant reduction in intermittent claudication pain following the treatment.

Dr. Venkatesh Ponemone, Study Director and Executive Director of TotipotentRX, a Cesca subsidiary and the corresponding author of the article commented, We are targeting difficult to treat or life threatening conditions such as CLI with our autologous, cell-based therapies. We believe our innovative point-of-care cell processing systems, such as those used in the Study, can play an important role in optimizing the quality and quantity of target cells used to improve patient outcomes.

Dr. Xiaochun "Chris" Xu, Cesca's Interim CEO added, We are pleased that the Study was recognized and published in a peer reviewed journal. The encouraging data highlights Cescas capability to develop effective automated cellular processing systems. We welcome strategic partners to help us further refine their use in larger clinical settings.

About Cesca Therapeutics Inc.Cesca Therapeutics Inc. (www.cescatherapeutics.com) is engaged in the research, development, and commercialization of cellular therapies and delivery systems for use in regenerative medicine. The Company is a leader in the development and manufacture of automated blood and bone marrow processing systems that enable the separation, processing and preservation of cell and tissue therapeutics. These include:

Forward-Looking StatementThe statements contained herein may include statements of future expectations and other forward-looking statements that are based on managements current views and assumptions and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results, performance or events to differ materially from those expressed or implied in such statements. A more complete description of risks that could cause actual events to differ from the outcomes predicted by Cesca Therapeutics' forward-looking statements is set forth under the caption "Risk Factors" in Cesca Therapeutics annual report on Form 10-K and other reports it files with the Securities and Exchange Commission from time to time, and you should consider each of those factors when evaluating the forward-looking statements.

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Cesca Therapeutics (KOOL) Announces CLI Feasibility Study Published in Stem Cells International - StreetInsider.com

By FPJ Bureau|Mar 19, 2017 12:05 am

Mumbai : A Bone Marrow Transplant (BMT) and Birthing Centre was launched by actor Shah Rukh Khan on Friday at Nanavati Super Speciality Hospital (NSSH) at Vile Parle. On the occasion, Khan told the people present to take their medicines on timeand do regular check ups and get rid of ailments.

BMT is a procedure to replace damaged or destroyed bone marrow with healthy bone marrow stem cells. Bone marrow is the soft, fatty tissue inside our bones which produces blood cells. Stem cells are immature cells in the bone marrow that give rise to different blood cells.

Dr Nimish Kulkarni, Associate Consultant of BMT, said, BMT are considered the last-mile treatment solutions for patients with blood and cancer disorders. We specialise in providing transplant services for benign hematological disorders like Thalassemia, Sickle cell disease, Aplastic anemia, bleeding disorders and coagulation disorders. Shah Rukh said, I have been associated with Nanavati Hospital before 25 years ago as a patient. Every year more than 10,000 people are dying of cancer in India, even my parents succumbed to cancer. I am glad now we have a world class treatment.

Dr. Ali has looked after me and my various injuries. He has looked after my sister and wife too. Few people know that when my third son, Abram, was born, he was in a very critical condition. He was rushed to the Paediatric centre here and looked after even before we could meet him. Its a strange cycle that my child was saved in the same hospital which has a ward named after my mother. I am thankful to them, Khan added. Kulkarni added, The specialisation also extends to providing advanced transplant treatments for malignant hematological disorders like acute and chronic leukemia, Hodgkins and Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma, Multiple Myeloma, Myelodysplasia,

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Windsor Star

Prayers, hopes for Madalayna, as brother donates life-saving stem cells Windsor Star When Tamara was interviewed on Friday, she and husband Charles were waiting while Henrik was donating his bone marrow a 3-hour procedure called harvesting. Madalayna was on Tamara's lap, waiting for the ... bone marrow registrations in Madalayna's ... Transplant day arrives for Windsor babyCTV News all 3 news articles »

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Prayers, hopes for Madalayna, as brother donates life-saving stem cells - Windsor Star

I just read a concerning paper about an experimental stem cell treatment for children with autism.

The authors are Himanshu Bansal and colleagues of India. The senior author, Prasad S Koka, is the Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Stem Cells where the paper appeared, which raises questions about whether the manuscript received a thorough peer review. Koka is actually an author on all five of the research papers published in that issue of the journal. But thats a minor issue compared to the content of the paper.

Bansal et al. describe a procedure in which they extracted fluid from the bone marrow of each child. This fluid (bone marrow aspirate) was treated in the laboratory to purify the stem cells within, and then injected into the childs spinal canal. The whole operation took place under general anaesthesia. 10 autistic children aged 4-12 were treated.

I found this pretty shocking. An invasive procedure involving general anaesthesia should only be performed if its medically justified especially in children as young as 4! Bansal et al. provide no scientific explanation for why they thought this treatment was suitable for these patients. They vaguely name immunological and neural dysregulation believed to underlie autism as the target of the cells.

For what its worth, the results showed a slight improvement in autism symptoms after the treatment. However, there was no control group, so placebo effects are likely, and were told that the patients were also given speech therapy, occupational therapy and psychological intervention which might account for the benefits.

So who gave the green light to this project? Well, remarkably, Bansal et al.s paper contains no information about which ethics committee reviewed and approved the study. I dont know about the laws in India, but in the UK or the USA, conducting even the most benign research without the proper ethical approval is serious misconduct. Most journals absolutely wont publish medical research without an ethics statement.

The paper also contains no mention of conflicts of interest another thing that most medical journals require. I believe that financial conflicts of interest are likely to exist in this case because Bansal gives his affiliations as Mother Cell, his own private venture, and RegennMed, who sell various stem cell treatments.

Overall, to say that this paper is ethically questionable is an understatement, and it would have been rejected by any real journal.

This isnt Dr Himanshu Bansals first foray into the amazing world of dodgy stem-cells. He briefly made headlines around the globe last year when he announced his ReAnima project to bring a brain dead woman back to life (with stem cells). Indian authorities eventually blocked his resurrection attempt. Theres some more interesting dirt on Bansal on this forum.

This is also not the worlds first stem cells for autism trial. For example, Duke University launched a $40 million trial in 2014. The treatment in that trial was a blood infusion, so it was pretty non-invasive: no bone marrow, spinal needles, or general anaesthesia. However, critics argue that its pure speculation to think that stem cells would help in autism. Then again, the same could be said about a great many stem cell therapies.

Bansal H, Verma P, Agrawal A, Leon J, Sundell IB, Koka PS. (2016). A Short Study Report on Bone Marrow Aspirate Concentrate Cell Therapy in Ten South Asian Indian Patients with Autism Journal of Stem Cells, 11 (1)

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Unethical Stem Cell Therapy for Autism In India? - Discover Magazine (blog)

A non-surgical treatment that uses a patients own bone marrow stem cells to treat chest pain or angina improved both symptoms and the length of time treated patients could be physically active, according to recent research.

Angina is chest pain or discomfort caused when the heart does not get enough oxygen-rich blood due to narrowing or blockages in the arteries leading to the heart.

Most studies that have explored stem-cell therapies for angina required surgery to directly inject stem cells into the heart muscle or the heart blood vessels.

We injected a catalyst molecule that caused bone marrow stem cells to enter the patients blood, then harvested them to re-inject into the patient.

This is not considered a surgical procedure, is easy to implement, and allows for repeated administrations, said Hadyanto Lim, Ph.D., study senior author.

Fifteen patients were first injected with a molecule called granulocyte colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) once a day for four days.

G-CSF stimulates stem cells to migrate into the bloodstream from the bone marrow where they reside. Stem cells have the ability to transform into different types of cells.

On the fourth day, three hours after the last G-CSF injection, blood was drawn and stem cells were separated from the blood.

Stem cells were identified by the presence of a protein called CD34 on the cells surface.

Thirty minutes after the cell separation procedure finished, the collected stem cells were injected back into the patient through an IV.

Four weeks after receiving the treatment, patients experienced significantly fewer angina-related symptoms, and they were able to exercise at a higher intensity and for a longer period of time.

Most patients also reported mild muscle pains in their backs or legs, but the pain could be managed with acetaminophen.

When lifestyle changes and drug therapies do not control chest pains and discomfort, patients are often recommended for surgical procedures.

This includes coronary angioplasty in which a small mesh tube is inserted in the narrow heart artery to open it up and coronary artery bypass grafting in which healthy blood vessels are used to shunt blood around the narrowed heart arteries.

However, 20 percent to 30 percent of patients with severe coronary atherosclerosis are not suitable for these interventions.

The studys limitations are the small number of patients and absence of a control group. Because no control group was used, the placebo effect cannot be ruled out, Lim noted.

Although this treatment is currently used to treat some cancers multiple myeloma and lymphoma it will need more investigation before it can be made available to the general public to treat angina, according to Lim.

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Having chest pain? Your own stem cells may help with the treatment - Knowridge Science Report

Clinical Pain Advisor (registration)

Stem Cell Therapies for Degenerative Disc Disease Clinical Pain Advisor (registration) MSCs derived from bone marrow have been successfully differentiated into cardiopoietic cells and used in treatment of heart failure. Fourth- and fifth-generation techniques use genetically modified MSCs and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), ...

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Stem Cell Therapies for Degenerative Disc Disease - Clinical Pain Advisor (registration)

Gizmodo

3 Women Blinded After Stem Cell Therapy Newser CORRECTS FROM MD ANDERSON HOSPITAL TO MD ANDERSON CANCER CENTER -Senior Clinical Cell Therapy Specialist Megan Raggio prepares stem cells from bone marrow before they are transplanted into sportscaster... (AP Photo/David J. Phillip). Florida Clinic Blinds Three Patients in Botched 'Clinical Trial'Gizmodo Stem Cell Therapy Market To Grow At A CAGR of 36.52% From 2017 To 2021 : Radiant Insights,IncMedgadget (blog) From Hope To Despair: Three Women Blinded By Unproven Stem Cell Therapy [VIDEO]Counsel & Heal The New England Journal of Medicine -National Eye Institute - NIH -ClinicalTrials.gov all 95 news articles »

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3 Women Blinded After Stem Cell Therapy - Newser

I recently donated peripheral blood stem cells (PBSC) to a middle-aged man with myelodysplastic syndrome. This is similar medically to a bone marrow donation (though less painful) and much more involved than a blood donation (which I have done regularly since I was seventeen). I found the whole process fascinating and a testament to the glory of mans mind and modern civilization.

The patient with myelodysplastic syndrome lives in central Europe. His bodys bone marrow was no longer producing healthy functioning blood cellsthat is, red blood cells, white blood cells, and plateletsa deficiency that could have resulted in his bodys loss of ability to fight infections or control bleeding, and possibly leukemia. The cure for his disease involved destroying his defective natural bone marrow and replacing it with someone elsesmine.

Bone marrow compatibility between donor and recipient is more complicated than blood types. He needed a donor whose human leukocyte antigen (HLA) proteins most closely matched his own in order to minimize the chance of graft-versus-host disease. His doctors found my data in the Be the Match Registry, where Im registered as a potential donor, and they judged my HLA proteins to be his best hope.

Eight weeks before the operation would take place, I was notified by phone about the match and the donation process. I was then asked whether I was willing to donate. I said yes (and was given several opportunities later to change my mind). In the following weeks, I provided two sets of blood samples to verify that I was healthy enough to donate and still a good match. I was flown out to the donation facility in Michigan to be examined physically, preview the process, and speak with the doctors and nurses who would collect the donation. My donor representative called me periodically to keep me informed and to verify my continuing consent. She also made the arrangements for collecting the samples, managed my travels, and ensured that my expenses were covered.

Here I am holdingthe final product just prior to its transportation to the recipientin central Europe.

As the donation date drew closer, I received ten shots of Filgrastim, a drug designed to stimulate additional blood stem cell formation, one shot in each arm for five days. This increased my white blood cell count far above normal and forced extra blood stem cells into my bloodstream, thus enabling the technicians to run my blood through an apheresis machine, which separated the phases of blood by density using centripetal acceleration. On the donation day, I sat in a comfy chair with an IV in each arm for four hours as a machine took blood from one arm, separated out the stem cells, and returned the rest of my blood via my other arm. While the process continued throughout the morning, the nurses took a few notes here and there, and, as my arms couldnt bend, fed me lunch (chicken wings from Jets Pizza). Once the machine had collected enough stem cells for the recipient (Im fifteen pounds heavier than he is, so it was easier on my body than it could have been), the IVs were removed, my blood was tested one final time to make sure I was OK to drive home, and I left.

My blood stem cells were then transported by private courier to the patient in central Europe. In preparation for the donation, his entire immune system and blood-producing machinery (bone marrow) had been destroyed using myeloablative chemotherapy in order to eliminate any remaining diseased cells and to suppress any immune response from his body to my replacement tissue. My blood stem cells were injected into his bloodstream by IV and then migrated to his bones to replace his destroyed bone marrow and eventually start producing new red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. Essentially, my blood and my immune system are regrowing in his body. With these, he inherits my allergies and infectious disease history, and, if all goes well, my life force for another few decades.

Although the organization through which I donated does not pay for stem cells (because payment is against international registry standards), I was treated well and fully reimbursed for expenses. They paid for flights, a half dozen meals, a private driver at one point, hundreds of miles of my own driving, and my stays at nice hotels.

It is worth noting that the Institute for Justice (IJ) recently sued the U.S. attorney general to legalize bone marrow and stem cell donor compensation.1 As the IJ reports, the Ninth Circuit ruled in our favor, holding that the National Organ Transplant Acts ban on donor compensation does not apply to the most common method for donating marrow. This victory is especially helpful for certain minorities and people with multiracial ancestries who face significantly reduced odds of finding unrelated marrow donors. But direct compensation has been met with strong resistance by the major national and international marrow registry organizations, which also lobbied against IJs efforts in court.2 Currently, compensation for donations is being offered only by smaller organizations.

My motivation for donating cannot be reduced to just one reason, but it certainly was not a sacrifice. My reasons varied in depth and weight, but all were self-interested. I thought the process itself was fascinating. I was able to ask the doctors and nurses unlimited questions and to experience firsthand a medical procedure about which I had no previous knowledge. I enjoyed business-class travel, which, as a college student was a significant treat. Most broadly, I participated in an important aspect of the kind of civil society in which I want to live. I want someone to be willing to donate lifesaving tissue to me or my loved ones, should we need it in the future, and I was happy to donate first. The costs were trivialabout twenty-five hours of volunteered time and some minor discomfort. Overall, the experience was positive and spiritually rewarding.

The option to make a donation of this kind did not even exist a few decades ago. It is a function of many interrelated parts of todays modern, relatively free-market, science-oriented cultures. The establishment and maintenance of an international donor registry requires stable, relatively rights-protecting legal systems that enable long-range and large-scale planning among cooperative strangers. To find matches in a timely manner requires the speed and integrating capacities of computers and the Internet. The medical procedure itself requires the kinds of scientific knowledge and expensive technologies made possible by todays relatively free markets. The ability to pay for such a procedure requires substantial personal wealth, which more people have today than ever before. I am exceedingly grateful to live in our rich, science-oriented, relatively capitalist civilization at the time that I do. And I hope the recipient of my donation is able to enjoy many years more of living and loving life as I do.

Related:

Endnotes

1. Bone MarrowNOTA Challenge, Institute for Justice, http://ij.org/case/bonemarrow/.

2. Coalition Says PBSC Donor Compensation Poses Health Risks to Patients and Donors, Be the Match, February 2, 2012, https://bethematch.org/news/news-releases/coalition-says-pbsc-donor-compensation-poses-health-risks-to-patients-and-donors/.

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My Non-Sacrificial Donation of Stem Cells to Save a Life - The Objective Standard

There is a fine line between falling for the delusion of the next magic pill and getting excited about the promise of the newest medical technologies. There is a risk in thinking too optimistically about the idea that whatever is wrong now, will be fixed later by technology or medical advancement. Taken to its logical conclusion, this way of thinking can lead to shirking responsibility in the present and even sacrificing quality of life in the here and now for the, sometimes false, promises of there being better things to come.

Yet, at the same time, without the hope or aspirations that come with the promise of medical advancement and that future therapies may be more effective than what our current technologies allow, progress may never be realized. So, it is with this word of caution in mind, that we will be reviewing some of the newest and most exciting medical technologies that are headed our way. The following three developments are well researched and have the potential to make huge improvements in many of our lives.

Nasal cartilage used to repair the knee: A type of stem cell therapy in which nasal chondrocytes are harvested, replicated, then grafted onto damaged joint surfaces is showing tremendous potential to restore the health and integrity of joints. Joint degeneration of knees, hips or even facet joints of the spine which can cause debilitating joint and/or back pain may all be treated by this new technology that would allow doctors to re-surface worn out joints. This approach is being tested in Sweden and in admittedly small sample sizes, is showing incredible results. If this technology continues to prove its reliability and value, it may be the end of joint replacement surgeries around the world.

Bone marrow stem cells to repair meniscal tears: If conditions involving the degeneration of joint surfaces are some of the most common orthopedic issues we collectively experience as we age, damage to soft tissue structures, like the meniscus in the knee or the labrum in the shoulder, are runners up. Another stem cell technology this time using stem cells harvested from ones own bone marrow is showing the potential to non-surgically repair these soft tissues. Researchers in Great Britain have demonstrated the potential of stem cells to be turned into a cell bandage that was able to heal meniscal tears that would otherwise require surgical intervention to simply remove or repair in order to treat.

CRISPR: Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats, otherwise known as CRISPR, is the common name for a gene editing technology based on a loophole found in our DNA which allows scientists to very precisely and very specifically cut and edit gene sequences. This technology literally allows us to re-write our genetic codes in a safe, relatively cheap, and extremely effective way. The promise of this technology is difficult not to overstate, but it has already demonstrated the potential to cure otherwise incurable genetic diseases like muscular dystrophy and sickle cell anemia. Other potential applications are basically unlimited as are the ethical implications of having this much power.

Regardless of what new technology is being developed in the wings, it is critical to remember that whether you are currently experiencing pain from arthritic knees or suffering from an autoimmune disease, there are libraries of research to support the benefits of currently available therapies. Physical therapy, specifically, has something to offer anyone looking to move or feel better - and is available right now!

If you have any questions about this article, or want to find out more about scheduling a nutritional consultation, contact Dr. Chris Telesmanic, PT, DPT, OCS at chris@alliancehealthfresno.com. Learn more about movement, fitness and health in this space each week or by visitingwww.alliancehealthfresno.com, or calling 478-5833.

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New medical technologies verses the 'magic pill' - Hanford Sentinel

A retina with macular degeneration. (Image: University of Iowa)

An unproven stem cell therapy conducted by a Florida clinic has blinded three patients in an apparent clinical trial gone horribly wrong. The incident showcases the extent to which unscrupulous clinics will take advantage of desperate patientsand how the lack of government oversight contributes to the problem.

As reported in the New England Journal of Medicine, the clinical trialif it can be called thatinvolved three women between the ages of 72 and 88 who were suffering from macular degeneration, a common progressive disease of the retina that leads to loss of vision. The women, all of whom were experiencing various degrees of vision loss, sought the help of a Florida clinic, which claimed to be testing a stem cell procedure designed to treat macular degeneration. Sometime in 2015, a week after stem cells were injected into their eyes, the women became blind. Two years later, doctors say theres virtually no chance the womens vision will be restored.

The authors of the new report, ophthalmologists Jeffrey Goldberg from Stanford University School of Medicine and Thomas Albini from the University of Miami, said the unfortunate incident serves as a call to awareness for patients, physicians and regulatory agencies of the risks of this kind of minimally regulated, patient-funded research.

Stem cells are undifferentiated cells that havent quite decided what they want to be when they grow up. Under the right conditions, these immature cells can be transformed into virtually any kind of cell found in the body, which is why theyve proven useful in regenerative medicine.

Eventually, scientists hope to be able to use stem cells to regenerate damaged tissue and organsand possibly even repair the effects of macular degenerationbut were not there yet. The only truly effective clinical application of stem cells to date has been in bone marrow transplants, in which stem cells extracted from a donors bone marrow are used to produce a fresh blood system for patients suffering from blood disorders such as leukemia. A recent study showed that there are nearly 600 clinics peddling unproven stem-cell procedures in the United States for a wide range of conditions, including arthritis, autism, cerebral palsy, stroke, muscular dystrophy, and cancer.

As noted in the NEJM report, two of the three patients learned about the stem cell trial for macular degeneration on ClinicalTrials.gov, a registry run by the US National Library of Medicine. The listings on this site arent fully scrutinized for scientific efficacy. The patients were reportedly under the assumption that they were participating in a bonafide clinical trial, but the consent form and other materials made no mention of a trial. Tellingly, each patient had to pay $5,000 for the procedure. This is highly unorthodox for a clinical trial, and it should have been cause for alarm. Im not aware of any legitimate research, at least in ophthalmology, that is patient-funded, Albini said in a statement.

The NEJM study didnt identify the Florida clinic responsible, but (conveniently) the authors provided the name of the trial: Study to assess the safety and effects of cells injected intravitreal in dry macular. A quick Google search calls the trial up, along with the name of the company responsible: Bioheart Inc., otherwise known as US Stem Cell. As the ClinicalTrials.gov page indicates, the study has been withdrawn prior to enrollment. According to Goldberg and Albini, the company is no longer performing the procedure, but it is still seeing patients.

The trial itself was a joke, lacking in all the components of a properly designed test. It wasnt based on prior laboratory experiments, no control group was assigned, no data was collected, and no plans were made for follow-ups.

During the procedure, the patients had some of their fat cells (i.e. adipose tissue) removed, along with a standard blood withdrawal. The fat tissues were then processed with an enzyme to draw out stem cells. Once plasma was isolated from the blood and added to the stem cells, the mixture was injected into both eyes of each patientyes, both eyes. Again, another serious clinical no-no; normally, only one eye would be injected for an experimental procedure like this in the event that something should go wrong. The entire procedure lasted less than an hour.

A week later, all three women were blind. As noted in the NEJM report, the blindness was accompanied by detached retinas and hemorrhaging.

The patients severe visual loss after the injection was associated with ocular hypertension, hemorrhagic retinopathy, vitreous hemorrhage, combined traction and rhegmatogenous retinal detachment, and lens dislocation. After one year, the patients visual acuity ranged from 20/200 to no light perception.

Goldberg and Albini say the preparation of the stem cells was likely shoddy, and the injections may have been contaminated. Once in the eye, the stem cells could have changed into myofibroblasts, a type of cell associated with scarring.

The Florida clinic, it would appear, was appealing to the desperation of their patients, while taking advantage of a regulatory loophole. As the authors write in their report:

Adipose tissuederived stem cells have been increasingly used by stem-cell clinics because of the relative ease of obtaining and preparing these cells. Many of the clinics that provide these stem-cell therapies have done so under the auspices of patient-funded, institutional review boardapproved research, and the research is listed on ClinicalTrials.gov without an investigational new drug filing with the FDA.

At the time, the procedure was not subject to FDA approval because the cells werent transferred between patients, and because the cells were considered minimally processed. The FDA has since revised its requirements, and it now needs approval for these types of procedures. In addition to updating its regulations, the FDA is also clamping down on stem cell clinics.

Thats obviously a good thing, but its a little too late for the women involved. This incident shows what happens when regulations and oversight are weak, and how shady companies will take risks with their patients health. Certainly food for thought as Trump and his cronies start to recreate the FDA in their own image.

Update: We reached out to US Stem Cell Clinic for comment and they responded with this statement:

Founded in 1999, U.S Stem Cell, Inc. has been committed to the research and development of effective cell technologies to treat patients with a variety of diseases and injuries. Since 2001, our clinics have successfully conducted more than 7,000 stem cell procedures with less than 0.01% adverse reactions reported. We are unable to comment further on specific cases due to patient confidentiality or legal confidentiality obligations. Neither US Stem Cell nor US Stem Cell Clinic currently treats eye patients.

[New England Journal of Medicine]

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Florida Clinic Blinds Three Patients in Botched 'Clinical Trial' - Gizmodo

"The impact of Alzheimer's disease is vast, far exceeding the medical community's current ability to treat it," said Joshua M. Hare, M.D., Longeveron's Co-Founder and Chief Science Officer. "Regenerative medicine and cell-based therapies offer a promising new approach to close this gap and address the urgent need for effective therapies to combat the condition."

An important component in the progression of Alzheimer's disease is neuroinflammation. Longeveron was recently awarded a $1 million Part the Cloud Challenge on Neuroinflammation grant from the Alzheimer's Association to help support this research.

"Adult stem cells are very potent anti-inflammatories. The characteristic amyloid plaques found in the brains of Alzheimer's disease patients produce inflammation, and stem cells can reduce inflammation," explained Bernard S. Baumel, M.D., Principal Investigator for the trial. "Alzheimer's also impairs the brain's ability to adequately produce new brain cells in the memory area known as the hippocampus. Stem cells can stimulate the brain to produce these new cells needed to form memory. We believe that an infusion of LMSCs may improve the condition or at least halt the progression of the disease."

Prior research shows that adult MSCs target and reduce inflammation, promote tissue repair and improve brain function in mouse models of Alzheimer's disease. Longeveron's trial is the first U.S. clinical study of exogenously administered mesenchymal stem cells derived from the bone marrow of healthy adult donors for treating Alzheimer's disease.

To learn about participating in the clinical trial, visit: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02600130

About Longeveron

Longeveron is a regenerative medicine therapy company founded in 2014. Longeveron's goal is to provide the first of its kind biological solution for aging-related diseases, and is dedicated to developing safe cell-based therapeutics to revolutionize the aging process and improve quality of life. The company's research focus areas include Alzheimer's disease, Aging Frailty and the Metabolic Syndrome. Longeveron produces LMSCs in its own state-of-the-art cGMP cell processing facility. http://www.longeveron.com

Contact: Suzanne Liv Page spage@longeveron.com 305.342.9590

To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/longeveron-achieves-milestone-in-groundbreaking-stem-cell-trial-for-alzheimers-disease-300424206.html

SOURCE Longeveron

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Longeveron Achieves Milestone in Groundbreaking Stem Cell Trial for Alzheimer's Disease - PR Newswire (press release)