Archive for the ‘Bone Marrow Stem Cells’ Category

ScienceDaily (Oct. 17, 2012) One of the world's leading bone marrow transplant experts is recommending a significant change to current transplant practice for patients who need marrow or adult stem cells from an unrelated donor to treat hematologic malignancies. Fred Appelbaum, M.D., director of the Clinical Research Division at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, asserts that bone marrow -- not circulating, peripheral blood, which is the current norm -- should be the source for unrelated donor adult stem cells for most patients who require a transplant. The reason: because there is less incidence of chronic graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), which can be a debilitating side effect of transplantation.

Appelbaum called for the change in an Oct. 18 editorial in The New England Journal of Medicine in response to a new study, published in the same issue, which compared survival rates and side effects of treating patients with hematopoietic adult stem cells derived from bone marrow versus circulating peripheral blood. The study found a higher incidence of chronic GVHD -- 53 percent when peripheral blood was the source of stem cells for transplant -- versus 41 percent when bone marrow is the source.

"For the majority of unrelated transplants following a standard high-dose preparative regimen, bone marrow should be used since survival is equivalent with the two sources but the incidence of chronic graft-versus-host disease, which can be a debilitating complication, is significantly less with marrow," Appelbaum wrote.

GVHD is a common side effect in people who receive cells from an unrelated donor. It occurs when the transplanted cells recognize the recipient's tissues as foreign and attack the tissues. This can cause a variety of problems, including skin rashes, liver problems and diarrhea. Chronic GVHD can develop any time between three months and three years after the transplant and can range from mild to serious in intensity.

Appelbaum said that stem cells derived from peripheral blood should only be used for the minority of patients in whom the benefits outweigh the risks. These include patients in need of rapid engraftment, such as those with life-threatening infections, or patients at high risk for graft rejection, such as those who receive reduced-intensity conditioning that does not include intensive chemotherapy.

For the past 10 years peripheral blood has been the norm as a source of matched related and matched unrelated adult stem cells for transplant because, despite the higher risk of GVHD, they are easier to harvest from the donor, they can be stimulated to grow in large numbers prior to harvesting, and they engraft, or set up shop, quickly inside the recipient's body.

The potential impact if such a practice change were widely implemented is large. Currently, about 75 percent of unrelated donor transplants are done using stem cells that are collected from the peripheral blood of donors. About 70 percent of all patients who undergo a life-saving transplant to treat blood cancers such as leukemia require an unrelated donor. Collecting adult stem cells from bone marrow is a more invasive process than collecting them from the bloodstream.

According to Appelbaum, about 5,500 unrelated donor transplants were performed in the United States last year. More than 20 million potential unrelated donors are typed and listed in registries in the Americas, Europe and Asia.

The study that compared the two sources of adult stem cells was the first randomized trial of its kind to compare the two sources of cells. It was led by former Hutchinson Center transplant physician Claudio Anasetti, M.D., who is now at the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, Fla. It found no difference in two-year survival, faster engraftment and less graft failure, but a significant increase in chronic GVHD, when patients were transplanted with stem cells derived from peripheral blood.

"While this study should change practice, it will be interesting to see if it really does," Appelbaum wrote. "The benefits of peripheral blood are seen early, under the watchful eyes of the transplant physician, while the deleterious effects occur late, often after the patient has left the transplant center."

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Leading bone marrow transplant expert recommends significant change to current practice

Washington, October 17 (ANI): Researchers believe they have discovered stem cells that play a decisive role in new blood vessel growth.

If the researchers at the University of Helsinki, Finland, learn to isolate and efficiently produce these stem cells found in blood vessel walls, the cells offer new opportunities in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases, cancer and many other diseases.

The growth of new blood vessels, also known as angiogenesis, is needed in adults when repairing damaged tissue or organs.

Unfortunately, malignant tumours are also capable of growing new blood vessels to receive oxygen and nutrients. In other words, the treatment of diseases would benefit from two types of methods - ones that help launch the process of angiogenesis and ones that make it possible to prevent the process.

Medications that prevent the growth of new blood vessels have already been introduced, but their effectiveness and long-term efficacy leave much to be desired.

For more than a decade, Adjunct Professor Petri Salven from the University of Helsinki has studied the mechanisms of angiogenesis to discover how blood vessel growth could be prevented or accelerated effectively.

He has examined the birth and origin of endothelial cells, which form the thin layer that lines the interior surface of blood vessels. Endothelial cells are necessary for new blood vessel growth. Where do these highly diversified cells come from? Can their production be prevented or increased?

For a long time, it was assumed that new cells in the blood vessel walls of an adult originate in the bone marrow. In an article published in the PNAS journal in 2008, Salven's research team showed that such stem cells were not found in bone marrow.

Now Salven is ready to reveal where these mysterious stem cells originate.

"We succeeded in isolating endothelial cells with a high rate of division in the blood vessel walls of mice. We found these same cells in human blood vessels and blood vessels growing in malignant tumours in humans. These cells are known as vascular endothelial stem cells, abbreviated as VESC. In a cell culture, one such cell is able to produce tens of millions of new blood vessel wall cells," Salven said.

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New blood-vessel-generating cells with therapeutic potential discovered

ScienceDaily (Oct. 16, 2012) Researchers at the University of Helsinki, Finland, believe they have discovered stem cells that play a decisive role in new blood vessel growth. If researchers learn to isolate and efficiently produce these stem cells found in blood vessel walls, the cells offer new opportunities in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases, cancer and many other diseases.

The study will be published Oct. 16, 2012 in the online journal PLOS Biology.

The growth of new blood vessels, also known as angiogenesis, is needed in adults when repairing damaged tissue or organs. Unfortunately, malignant tumours are also capable of growing new blood vessels to receive oxygen and nutrients. In other words, the treatment of diseases would benefit from two types of methods: ones that help launch the process of angiogenesis and ones that make it possible to prevent the process. Medications that prevent the growth of new blood vessels have already been introduced, but their effectiveness and long-term efficacy leave much to be desired.

For more than a decade, Adjunct Professor Petri Salvn from the University of Helsinki has studied the mechanisms of angiogenesis to discover how blood vessel growth could be prevented or accelerated effectively. He has examined the birth and origin of endothelial cells, which form the thin layer that lines the interior surface of blood vessels. Endothelial cells are necessary for new blood vessel growth. Where do these highly diversified cells come from? Can their production be prevented or increased?

For a long time, it was assumed that new cells in the blood vessel walls of an adult originate in the bone marrow. In an article published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) in 2008, Salvn's research team showed that such stem cells were not found in bone marrow.

Now Salvn is ready to reveal where these mysterious stem cells originate. His team's new study will be published in the PLOS Biology journal on 16 October 2012.

"We succeeded in isolating endothelial cells with a high rate of division in the blood vessel walls of mice. We found these same cells in human blood vessels and blood vessels growing in malignant tumours in humans. These cells are known as vascular endothelial stem cells, abbreviated as VESC. In a cell culture, one such cell is able to produce tens of millions of new blood vessel wall cells," Salvn explains.

"Our study shows that these important stem cells can be found as single cells among ordinary endothelial cells in blood vessel walls. When the process of angiogenesis is launched, these cells begin to produce new blood vessel wall cells."

The effects of new endothelial stem cells have also been tested in mice. The results show that the growth of new blood vessels weakens and the growth of malignant tumours slows if the amount of these cells in the organism is below normal. Correspondingly, a high number of new blood vessels quickly emerge where new stem cells are implanted.

Identifying stem cells among other blood vessel wall cells is challenging and time-consuming. Salvn and his team managed to identify a few molecular surface structures that make it easier to trace these stem cells. However, the efficiency of the identification process needs to be enhanced.

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New blood-vessel-generating cell with therapeutic potential discovered

ScienceDaily (Oct. 15, 2012) Georgia Health Sciences University researchers have developed a mouse that errs on the side of making bone rather than fat, which could eventually lead to better drugs to treat inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis.

Drugs commonly used to treat those types of conditions -- called glucocorticoids -- work by turning down the body's anti-inflammatory response, but simultaneously turn on other pathways that lead to bone loss. The result can lead to osteoporosis and an accumulation of marrow fat, says Dr. Xingming Shi, bone biologist at the GHSU Institute of Molecular Medicine and Genetics.

The key to the body developing bone instead of fat, a small protein called GILZ, was shown in cell cultures in 2008. Now, with work by GHSU Graduate Student Guodong Pan, the work has been replicated in an animal model. Pan received the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research's Young Investigator Award for his work at the society's annual meeting Oct. 12-15 in Minneapolis.

Bone and marrow fat come from the same biological precursor -- mesynchymal stem cells. "The pathways for bone and fat have a reciprocal relationship, so we needed to find the key that disrupts the fat production pathway, which would then instead encourage bone growth," Shi says.

GILZ, Shi and Pan say, was already a known mediator of the anti-inflammatory response of glucocorticoids, and the protein also mediates bone production. Shi's early research had shown that glucocorticoids enhance bone formation in the lab because of a short "burst" of GILZ.

The protein works by inhibiting the way cells regulate fat production and turn on fat-producing genes, Shi says. "When you permanently express GILZ, the fat pathway is suppressed, so the body chooses to produce bone instead."

"We found that when we overexpressed the protein in these mice, it increased bone formation," Pan added. "This supports our original hypothesis that GILZ mediates the body's response to glucocorticoids and encourages bone growth." In fact, the genetically modified mice showed a significant increase in bone mineral density and bone volume as well, he found.

"That means GILZ is a potential new anti-inflammatory drug candidate that could spare people from the harmful effects associated with glucocorticoid therapy," Pan said

Long-term goals, Shi said, are developing the GILZ-like pill that is anti-inflammatory and protects or even increases bone production.

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Protein could be key for drugs that promote bone growth

Miami, FL (PRWEB) October 15, 2012

Leveraging more than a decade of experience in the biotech industry and a founding member of GeneCell International, Jose Cirino, Director of Operations, is an industry expert for expanding awareness in the field of adult stem cells worldwide. Cirino plays a pivotal role in GeneCell Internationals success, managing all operational aspects of a company thats at the forefront of the biotech industry. While providing leadership and direction for the company, he is responsible for all strategic planning to help advance GeneCells mission and objectives, as well as the expansion of product, service and development at the national and international levels. Currently, Cirino is not only working on the expansion and awareness of cord blood services, but on the implementation of other adult stem cells sources, such as umbilical cord tissue, dental pulp, and adipose (fat) tissue into other countries. He has presentation talks in the advantage of adult cord blood banking to health and biotech industry organizations, conferences and small group meetings (both English and Spanish). Cirino was a key player in the expansion of GeneCell International into Miami, Florida, as the first and only stem cell laboratory of its kind in the South Floridian market and the gateway to international countries.

Through his field of work, Cirinos aspiration and passion is being able to assist individuals in potentially saving their life when a debilitating immune deficiency or disorder arises. Though, Cirino continuously asks himself, Why isn't everyone banking these cells?

His best assumption is that people are not informed about stem cell banking and what is most disheartening, some have never even heard of it. Most people are not aware they have stem cells in their body. Others believe that stem cells only come from only human embryos since this is whats mainly discussed in politics and the news today. May this be the reason they are choosing to have no part in it and ignore it? If so, this is not the case, these cells are found in adults and there are not controversial, moral, ethical or have any political issues surrounding them. The amazing thing about these cells, aside from their potential to treat a variety of different diseases, is that for the most part they can be harvested from the individual through relatively minimally invasive procedures and can be cryogenically frozen (at a temperature of -321 F (-196 C)) and stored for decades until a disease manifests itself or the needed for cell-based therapies arises," said Cirino.

Due to this lack of awareness, there is a massive shortage of stem cell units stored for future treatments. This shortage, or lack of availability, is mostly affecting patients of African, Asian, Hispanic and Native American Indian descent. I, being a minority member of this group, am very concerned by this shortage. Since patients who need a transplant are more likely to find a match within their own genetic background, Cirino adds it is important that the pool of donors reflects the overall community.

A persons blood stem cell type is inherited, which means a patient is more likely to find a matched donor from within their own ethnic group, more than half of cord blood donations and privately banked cord blood in the United States are from Caucasians while minorities remain underrepresented, significantly. By increasing awareness of the advantages of cord blood among minorities, there is a potential for increased access to therapies for more people.

Umbilical cord blood preservation is a process by which blood is collected from the umbilical cord of a newborn baby and is stored cryogenically in a specially-designated bank. According to the National Marrow Donor Program, cord blood contains cells that can be transfused to a patient to treat various diseases, including lymphoma and leukemia. Currently, there are approximately 80 treatable diseases and the list of illnesses continues to grow. Cord blood is rich in stem cells and because certain immune cells found in the cord blood are not mature, there is less risk for the recipients immune system to reject these cells. Cord blood can be used to treat the child from whom the blood was collected as well as some first-degree relatives who are a close genetic match, such as immediate family members. Additionally, patients can get the treatment in about three weeks - as opposed to six to eight for bone marrow from an adult donor.

Prior to founding GeneCell, Cirino served as the President of the International Division to a cord blood laboratory in Boston, Massachusetts, where he was responsible for identifying, evaluating and selecting international representatives for affiliate programs to expand the services internationally. In doing so, he coordinated laboratory development protocol license agreements and implemented these programs throughout various international countries. After the expansion into other countries, Cirino would manage the company owned offices as well as provide support to the affiliate offices, from Mexico and South America, to the UK and the Middle East. He also represented the company at international health and biotech industry conferences, implemented new sales tools and processes for all international divisions of the company, and oversaw all accounting tasks as a method of monitoring its sales projections. Cirino joined the company as the Accounting Manager, where he was responsible for all aspects of U.S. and international accounting functions. He is a seasoned accounting professional, holding various accounting positions within large companies such as Sir Speedy Printing Centers of Boston and Harvard Institute for International Development. He has served as a member within various industry organizations including the International Cord Blood Society, and New England Fertility Society, as well as participated in the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO), The Mexican Federation of Ultrasounds, The World Cord Blood Congress, and Stem Cells USA-Regenerative Medicine conferences.

In addition to cord blood, Cirinos implementation projects of other adult stem cells sources, in the U.S. and other countries, include Cord Tissue Segment, Dental Pulp and Adipose Tissue:

About Cord Tissue Segment - A gelatinous substance, which functions as the primary connective tissue of the umbilical cord and is referred to as Whartons Jelly. This segment contains an important amount of Mesenchymal stem cells. These cells are an excellent candidate for regenerative medicine and tissue engineering applications. Mesenchymal stem cells have shown great promise in the potential treatment of diseases such as heart attack, Parkinsons disease, Alzheimers disease, type I diabetes, assist in bone and dental regeneration and expedite wound healing. In the past, the umbilical cord has been viewed as medical waste and discarded, resulting in the loss of this potential life-saving resource. By storing the stem cells extracted from your umbilical cord tissue segment along with your babys cord blood, youll have access to a wider variety of stem cells as new scientific discoveries are made.

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Director of Operations for GeneCell International, Jose Cirino, Accentuates the Importance Surrounding the Minority ...

ScienceDaily (Oct. 15, 2012) Georgia Health Sciences University researchers have developed a mouse that errs on the side of making bone rather than fat, which could eventually lead to better drugs to treat inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis.

Drugs commonly used to treat those types of conditions -- called glucocorticoids -- work by turning down the body's anti-inflammatory response, but simultaneously turn on other pathways that lead to bone loss. The result can lead to osteoporosis and an accumulation of marrow fat, says Dr. Xingming Shi, bone biologist at the GHSU Institute of Molecular Medicine and Genetics.

The key to the body developing bone instead of fat, a small protein called GILZ, was shown in cell cultures in 2008. Now, with work by GHSU Graduate Student Guodong Pan, the work has been replicated in an animal model. Pan received the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research's Young Investigator Award for his work at the society's annual meeting Oct. 12-15 in Minneapolis.

Bone and marrow fat come from the same biological precursor -- mesynchymal stem cells. "The pathways for bone and fat have a reciprocal relationship, so we needed to find the key that disrupts the fat production pathway, which would then instead encourage bone growth," Shi says.

GILZ, Shi and Pan say, was already a known mediator of the anti-inflammatory response of glucocorticoids, and the protein also mediates bone production. Shi's early research had shown that glucocorticoids enhance bone formation in the lab because of a short "burst" of GILZ.

The protein works by inhibiting the way cells regulate fat production and turn on fat-producing genes, Shi says. "When you permanently express GILZ, the fat pathway is suppressed, so the body chooses to produce bone instead."

"We found that when we overexpressed the protein in these mice, it increased bone formation," Pan added. "This supports our original hypothesis that GILZ mediates the body's response to glucocorticoids and encourages bone growth." In fact, the genetically modified mice showed a significant increase in bone mineral density and bone volume as well, he found.

"That means GILZ is a potential new anti-inflammatory drug candidate that could spare people from the harmful effects associated with glucocorticoid therapy," Pan said

Long-term goals, Shi said, are developing the GILZ-like pill that is anti-inflammatory and protects or even increases bone production.

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Protein could be key for drugs that promote bone growth

METRO VANCOUVER -- It started with a routine blood test after a bout of pneumonia.

But since finding two rare bone marrow conditions, the family of 11-year-old Jonathan Barnes has been campaigning to shore up the list of potential marrow donors, and to keep local blood banks stocked.

Without finding a bone marrow donor who will match Jonathan's criteria, the Anmore youngster will likely end up with leukemia. Despite the frightening prospect, Jonathan and his family are meeting the challenge with poise.

"He knows he has a condition called myelodysplasia. He knows that he needs to have a bone marrow transplant," said Mariam Barnes, Jonathan's mother.

"He knows he will get cancer if he doesn't have the transplant. But in the way that children are always so wonderfully unique, he's not fazed by that."

While finding an exact match is extremely difficult, getting on the donor list is easier than most people might think, Barnes said.

"A lot of people don't do it because they think it's involving needles but the beginning step is just a mouth swab. It comes to you in the post and you post it back, and they put you on the register," she said.

"What we didn't know and what I don't think many people know, is that they're desperately short of young male donors . There's 19 million people on the transplant register across the world, but only 10 per cent of those are the groups that they need - ethnically diverse young men."

It would be easier to find a match for the family if they could use donated stem cells from umbilical chords, but that procedure won't be available in Canada until next year and the Barnes don't have that much time, she said.

"We're just praying and hoping that someone, somewhere in the world, will put forward a match that will fit with Jonathan."

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Anmore boy needs bone marrow transplant

ScienceDaily (Oct. 11, 2012) Early results of a Phase II intra-arterial stem cell trial for ischemic stroke showed no adverse events associated with the first 10 patients, allowing investigators to expand the study to a targeted total of 100 patients.

The results were presented October 11 by Sean Savitz, M.D., professor of neurology and director of the Stroke Program at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth), at the 8th World Stroke Congress in Brasilia, Brazil.

The trial is the only randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled intra-arterial clinical trial in the world for ischemic stroke. It is studying the safety and efficacy of a regenerative therapy developed by Aldagen Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Cytomedix, Inc., that uses a patient's own bone marrow stem cells, which can be administered between 13 and 19 days post-stroke.

The therapy, called ALD-401, consists of stem cells that are identified using Aldagen's proprietary technology to isolate cells that express high levels of an enzyme that serves as a marker of stem cells. Pre-clinical studies found that these cells enhance recovery after stroke in mice. The cells are administered into the carotid artery. Patients are followed for 12 months to monitor safety and to assess mental and physical function.

"We have been approved by the Data Safety Monitoring Board (DSMB) to move the study into the next phase, which will allow us to expand the number of sites in order to complete enrollment," said Savitz, senior investigator for the multi-center study. As per the protocol for the trial, the Food and Drug Administration required a review by the DSMB prior to advancing to the next phase.

Preclinical research, including research at the UTHealth Medical School, has suggested that stem cells can promote the repair of the brain after an ischemic stroke, which is caused by a blood clot in the brain. Stroke is a leading cause of disability and the fourth-leading cause of death in the United States, according to 2008 statistics reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston.

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Safety results of intra-arterial stem cell clinical trial for stroke presented

ScienceDaily (Oct. 11, 2012) Early results of a Phase II intra-arterial stem cell trial for ischemic stroke showed no adverse events associated with the first 10 patients, allowing investigators to expand the study to a targeted total of 100 patients.

The results were presented October 11 by Sean Savitz, M.D., professor of neurology and director of the Stroke Program at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth), at the 8th World Stroke Congress in Brasilia, Brazil.

The trial is the only randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled intra-arterial clinical trial in the world for ischemic stroke. It is studying the safety and efficacy of a regenerative therapy developed by Aldagen Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Cytomedix, Inc., that uses a patient's own bone marrow stem cells, which can be administered between 13 and 19 days post-stroke.

The therapy, called ALD-401, consists of stem cells that are identified using Aldagen's proprietary technology to isolate cells that express high levels of an enzyme that serves as a marker of stem cells. Pre-clinical studies found that these cells enhance recovery after stroke in mice. The cells are administered into the carotid artery. Patients are followed for 12 months to monitor safety and to assess mental and physical function.

"We have been approved by the Data Safety Monitoring Board (DSMB) to move the study into the next phase, which will allow us to expand the number of sites in order to complete enrollment," said Savitz, senior investigator for the multi-center study. As per the protocol for the trial, the Food and Drug Administration required a review by the DSMB prior to advancing to the next phase.

Preclinical research, including research at the UTHealth Medical School, has suggested that stem cells can promote the repair of the brain after an ischemic stroke, which is caused by a blood clot in the brain. Stroke is a leading cause of disability and the fourth-leading cause of death in the United States, according to 2008 statistics reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston.

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Safety results of intra-arterial stem cell clinical trial for stroke presented

ScienceDaily (Oct. 11, 2012) Researchers at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute have developed a novel method for determining how ready acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cells are to die, a discovery that may help cancer specialists to choose treatments option more effectively for their patients who have AML.

In a study published in the Oct. 12 issue of the journal Cell, the researchers report that their findings may lead to improved tests to predict which patients successfully treated for AML can continue in remission with standard chemotherapy alone, and which patients are likely to relapse despite additional treatment, but might benefit from a bone marrow transplant.

Anthony Letai, MD, PhD, senior author of the paper, said the study's results also help to explain the "therapeutic index" of AML chemo drugs: That is, how a patient's normal blood-forming stem cells can survive chemotherapy doses that kill the leukemia cells. Unlike current predictive tools, the new method determines the degree to which an individual patient's AML cells are "primed to die" by apoptosis, or programmed cell death. Chemotherapy is more effective when the cancer cells are well along the path to self-destruction, while patients with less-primed leukemia cells are more likely to suffer fatal relapse without a bone marrow transplant, said the researchers.

"Our data suggest that applying our assay in addition to conventional indicators yields a much better predictive tool," said Letai. "We plan to confirm this in independent experiments, and then test its performance prospectively in clinical trials to see if we can use it to do a better job of assigning individualized therapy in AML."

According to the American Cancer Society, an estimated 13,780 cases of AML will be diagnosed in the United States this year, and more than 10,000 people are expected to die from AML, making it the most lethal form of leukemia in the U.S.

Currently, clinicians try to predict an AML patient's outcome by assessing the cancer cells' pathological features and whether the cells contain certain mutations that suggest a poorer response. But these indicators do not provide a biological explanation for patients' differing responses to treatment, noted Letai.

The method described in the new study takes a different approach, first described by Letai in 2011 paper. It employs a technique called "BH3 profiling" to measure the readiness of mitochondria -- tiny organelles within the cell -- to unleash chemical compounds that cause the cell to destroy itself. The self-destruction process, called apoptosis, is triggered by "death molecules," whose mission is to eliminate unneeded or dangerously damaged cells from the body. The study's authors called this readiness for apoptotic self-destruction "mitochondrial priming."

BH3 profiling involves exposing cancer cells to BH3 molecules, which mimic the protein death signals in the body. If the cancer cells' mitochondria membrane is rapidly and easily disrupted, then the cells are considered to be highly primed for death. If the mitochondria strongly resist the disruption, the leukemia cells are further from self-destruction and less likely to respond to chemotherapy.

Applying the method to stored AML patient samples, "We found that mitochondrial priming measured by BH3 profiling was a determinant of initial response to induction [initial] chemotherapy, relapse following remission, and requirement for allogeneic bone marrow transplantation," the authors wrote.

Moreover, knowing whether a patient is likely to have a complete response to chemotherapy would be also very useful in personalizing chemotherapy decisions even when bone marrow transplant is not a consideration. "In elderly patients with AML, chemotherapy can be very toxic with an increased risk of fatal complications," said Letai. "You don't want to give chemotherapy unless you know whether it will benefit. Now we can predict who will benefit from it and who won't -- and should receive an alternative treatment."

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New tool determines leukemia cells' 'readiness to die,' may guide clinical care

Robin Roberts has returned home from the hospital, following a bone marrow transplant she received with stem cells from her sister last month.

"There's no place like home. After 30 days in the hospital I'm home," Roberts Tweeted on October 11. "Praise God from whom all blessings flow. Thank YOU and bless YOU."

The 51-year-old "Good Morning America" anchor was being treated for myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), a rare blood and bone marrow disorder. Roberts revealed her ailment in June, saying it was caused in part by treatments she had undergone for breast cancer five years ago. Her older sister, Sally-Ann, was her bone marrow donor.

Check out 9 facts about Robin Roberts, her MDS and bone marrow transplant.

Roberts went on medical leave a day early than she had initially planned in late August in order to visit her ailing mother, Lucimarian Tolliver Roberts. Lucimarian died on August 30 at the age of 88 and Robin Roberts made it back just in time to see her mother.

In the recent blog post, Roberts detailed her difficulties with chemotherapy and how her co-workers' visit helped lift her spirits.

"Today is what I like to call 'Thankful Thursday, aka Friday Eve,'" Roberts wrote in a post on October 4. "I have been in the hospital 25 days now. My bone marrow transplant took place exactly two weeks ago. The only numbers that matter are my blood counts and they are... GREAT! My sister Sally-Ann's stem cells apparently feel right at home in my body -- an answer to so many prayers."

"My doctors and rock star nurses are very pleased with my progress and I could not be more thankful for the excellent care I am receiving," she added. "I have had some extremely painful days and it's still difficult for me to eat because of all the chemo."

Roberts also mentioned a visit she had with fellow "Good Morning America" co-workers Josh Elliott and Sam Champion, which can be seen in the photo above, as well as an upcoming visit from a childhood pastor.

"I continue to learn so much on this journey, especially when it comes to true friendship and love. My friends near and far -- like Sam and Josh who came to visit yesterday -- have been lifting my spirits," Roberts wrote. "My childhood pastor (who delivered Momma's eulogy) is coming from down South to see me tomorrow. I am hopeful that I MAY be well enough to continue my recovery at home next week and my sisters plan to come back to NYC for that milestone in my journey."

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Robin Roberts returns home from hospital following bone marrow transplant

Public release date: 11-Oct-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Teresa Herbert teresa_herbert@dfci.harvard.edu 617-632-4090 Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

Researchers at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute have developed a novel method for determining how ready acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cells are to die, a discovery that may help cancer specialists to choose treatments option more effectively for their patients who have AML. In a study published in the Oct. 12 issue of the journal Cell, the researchers report that their findings may lead to improved tests to predict which patients successfully treated for AML can continue in remission with standard chemotherapy alone, and which patients are likely to relapse despite additional treatment, but might benefit from a bone marrow transplant.

Anthony Letai, MD, PhD, senior author of the paper, said the study's results also help to explain the "therapeutic index" of AML chemo drugs: That is, how a patient's normal blood-forming stem cells can survive chemotherapy doses that kill the leukemia cells.

Unlike current predictive tools, the new method determines the degree to which an individual patient's AML cells are "primed to die" by apoptosis, or programmed cell death. Chemotherapy is more effective when the cancer cells are well along the path to self-destruction, while patients with less-primed leukemia cells are more likely to suffer fatal relapse without a bone marrow transplant, said the researchers.

"Our data suggest that applying our assay in addition to conventional indicators yields a much better predictive tool," said Letai. "We plan to confirm this in independent experiments, and then test its performance prospectively in clinical trials to see if we can use it to do a better job of assigning individualized therapy in AML."

According to the American Cancer Society, an estimated 13,780 cases of AML will be diagnosed in the United States this year, and more than 10,000 people are expected to die from AML, making it the most lethal form of leukemia in the U.S.

Currently, clinicians try to predict an AML patient's outcome by assessing the cancer cells' pathological features and whether the cells contain certain mutations that suggest a poorer response. But these indicators do not provide a biological explanation for patients' differing responses to treatment, noted Letai.

The method described in the new study takes a different approach, first described by Letai in 2011 paper. It employs a technique called "BH3 profiling" to measure the readiness of mitochondria tiny organelles within the cell to unleash chemical compounds that cause the cell to destroy itself. The self-destruction process, called apoptosis, is triggered by "death molecules," whose mission is to eliminate unneeded or dangerously damaged cells from the body. The study's authors called this readiness for apoptotic self-destruction "mitochondrial priming."

BH3 profiling involves exposing cancer cells to BH3 molecules, which mimic the protein death signals in the body. If the cancer cells' mitochondria membrane is rapidly and easily disrupted, then the cells are considered to be highly primed for death. If the mitochondria strongly resist the disruption, the leukemia cells are further from self-destruction and less likely to respond to chemotherapy.

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New tool determines leukemia cells' 'readiness to die,' may guide clinical care

Joey Duffy of Springettsbury Township is looking for a match.

Two-year-old Joey Duffy yawns as his mother, Maura, vents his stomach via a feeding tube after he was fed at their Springettsbury Township home on Friday. Joey, who has previously had esophageal stricture, has been in and out of the hospital all summer and is in need of a bone marrow transplant. (DAILY RECORD/SUNDAY NEWS - CHRIS DUNN)

Two-year-old Joey Duffy played with his "Sesame Street" doll Ernie, watched the television show "Yo Gabba Gabba" and occasionally called out "mamma" while his parents talked about a bone marrow transplant he needs.

The toddler was diagnosed about five weeks ago with Myelodysplastic Syndromes, also known as MDS, a blood and bone marrow disorder. It's the same ailment that Robin Roberts of "Good Morning America" is receiving treatment for currently.

The disease can progress to leukemia, parents Tom and Maura Duffy said at their Springettsbury Township home. They are lucky that doctors at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore caught the condition when they did for their youngest son.

"We're ahead of the game," Maura Duffy said. "We caught this very early."

The only cure is a bone marrow transplant, and the parents as well as their two older sons, 5-year-old Tommy and 4-year-old Mick, have already submitted a cheek swab to see if they will be a match for Joey. His brothers are the best chance, Maura Duffy said.

Meanwhile, the family is organizing an Oct. 21 donor drive at their church, Saint Andrews Episcopal Church in Spring Garden Township. The idea came about as family and friends asked how they could get tested to see if they are a match, Tom Duffy said.

The process only takes about 15 minutes, said Sarah Brooks Horan, an account executive for the National Marrow Donor Program, also known as "Be The Match." A cotton swab is used to swab the cheek.

These days, donating stem cells can be as simple as giving blood, Horan said.

More here:
Springettsbury toddler needs a bone marrow transplant

ST. LOUIS Local cancer patients who need bone marrow transplants could soon have the option of sleeping in their own beds instead of staying in the hospital for weeks or months.

The region's first outpatient bone marrow transplant center is set to open later this month at St. Louis University Hospital.

Bone marrow transplants are most commonly used for certain patients with cancers of the blood including leukemia and lymphoma. Stem cells from bone marrow harvested from the patient or a donor are transplanted into the patient's bloodstream to replace diseased cells. Patients require chemotherapy before the transplant to kill the cancer cells, and antibiotics, blood transfusions and daily monitoring afterward.

Historically, patients were hospitalized up to two months or longer because side effects from the transplant can be life-threatening. In an effort to reduce costs of the transplant, which can reach several hundred thousand dollars, several U.S. cancer centers in the last 20 years pursued an outpatient option.

Since then, research published in the journal Nature has shown that infection rates and outcomes do not vary significantly if they are treated as inpatients or outpatients.

"We have patients who really don't need to be (in the hospital), they're as bored as can be," said Fran Poglajen, administrative director of nursing for hematology/oncology at SLU.

Stronger patients at low risk of transplant rejection will now have the option of going home each night, as long as they have a caregiver available 24 hours a day. If they develop a fever or other complications, they need to be admitted to the hospital.

The outpatient treatments can last two to 10 hours and are given each day for about a month.

The $3 million center at SLU Hospital includes 16 rooms in about 10,000 square feet. It was built on the site of the operating rooms of the former Bethesda Hospital. About 10 new jobs were created with the opening, and within a few years about 100 patients a year are expected to receive transplants there.

"Bone marrow transplant really has revolutionized treatment of malignant blood diseases," said Dr. Friedrich Schuening, SLU's director of hematology and oncology. Schuening ran the inpatient/outpatient bone marrow transplant center at Vanderbilt University before coming to St. Louis last year.

Read more here:
SLU to open outpatient bone marrow transplant center

Joey Duffy of Springettsbury Township is looking for a match.

Two-year-old Joey Duffy yawns as his mother, Maura, vents his stomach via a feeding tube after he was fed at their Springettsbury Township home on Friday. Joey, who has previously had esophageal stricture, has been in and out of the hospital all summer and is in need of a bone marrow transplant. (DAILY RECORD/SUNDAY NEWS - CHRIS DUNN)

Two-year-old Joey Duffy played with his "Sesame Street" doll Ernie, watched the television show "Yo Gabba Gabba" and occasionally called out "mamma" while his parents talked about a bone marrow transplant he needs.

The toddler was diagnosed about five weeks ago with Myelodysplastic Syndromes, also known as MDS, a blood and bone marrow disorder. It's the same ailment that Robin Roberts of "Good Morning America" is receiving treatment for currently.

The disease can progress to leukemia, parents Tom and Maura Duffy said at their Springettsbury Township home. They are lucky that doctors at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore caught the condition when they did for their youngest son.

"We're ahead of the game," Maura Duffy said. "We caught this very early."

The only cure is a bone marrow transplant, and the parents as well as their two older sons, 5-year-old Tommy and 4-year-old Mick, have already submitted a cheek swab to see if they will be a match for Joey. His brothers are the best chance, Maura Duffy said.

Meanwhile, the family is organizing an Oct. 21 donor drive at their church, Saint Andrews Episcopal Church in Spring Garden Township. The idea came about as family and friends asked how they could get tested to see if they are a match, Tom Duffy said.

The process only takes about 15 minutes, said Sarah Brooks Horan, an account executive for the National Marrow Donor Program, also known as "Be The Match." A cotton swab is used to swab the cheek.

These days, donating stem cells can be as simple as giving blood, Horan said.

Read the original:
Springettsbury toddler needs a bone marrow transplant

ORLANDO, Fla., Oct. 9, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --Vanderson Rocha, M.D., Ph.D., recognizedthroughout the world as a respected leader in the field of cord blood stem cell transplantation, hasjoined the team at CORD:USE Cord Blood Bank. Dr. Rocha's extensive experience and knowledge in transplant medicine and stem cell biology will provide a significant contribution to CORD:USE. "We're excited and honored to have Dr. Rocha, an internationally acclaimed expert in cord blood stem cell transplantation, as a member of our highly esteemed team,"said Edward Guindi MD, President and CEO of CORD:USE.

Dr. Rocha is a professor of Hematology and the Director of the Bone Marrow Transplant Unit at the University of Oxford, UK. He also serves as the Director of the Bone Marrow Transplant Unit, Hospital Sirio Libanes and Children's Hospital of the University of Sao Paulo, Brazil. He is the Scientific Director of the Eurocord Project and is on the Editorial Board of Bone Marrow Transplantation. Dr. Rocha is an internationally renowned speaker regarding the use of unrelated and related hematopoietic stem cells in transplants. He has published more than 200 papers in the New England Journal of Medicine, Blood, Lancet, Journal of Clinical Oncology, British Journal of Hematology, and other peer reviewed publications.

Dr. Rocha continues to contribute significantly to the development and refinement of the therapeutic applications of cord blood stem cells. Due to his expertise, he was elected by the European Transplant Centers as Chairman of the Acute Leukemia Working Party of the European Group for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (EBMT) from 2004 to 2010.

"I am very honored to be a member of the distinguished team at CORD:USE which includes my colleagues who are pioneers in cord blood science, banking and transplantation. I look forward to continuing to work with them to advance the use of cord blood transplantation to treat many more patients in the future," said Dr. Rocha.

Dr. Rocha joins otherhighly respected leaders and pioneers in the field of cord blood stem cell transplantation on the CORD:USE team:

About CORD:USE Cord Blood Bank, Inc.

CORD:USE operates leading public and family cord blood banks. CORD:USE Public Cord Blood Bank is one of the high quality cord blood banks selected and funded by HRSA of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to help build the National Cord Blood Inventory (NCBI). CORD:USE Cord Blood Bank has entered into agreements with hospitalsacross the country to provide mothers the option to donate their babies' cord blood. CORD:USE cord blood units are listed in the NCBI through the National Marrow Donor Program's Registry and are distributed to transplanters, throughout the country and the world. CORD:USE Family Cord Blood Bank protects family banked cord blood units utilizing similar high-quality cord blood banking practices and technologies that are used in our leading public cord blood bank in its state-of-the-art laboratory. For more information, please visit our website http://www.corduse.com, or contact Michael Ernst at 407.667.3000.

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CORD:USE Cord Blood Bank is proud to announce the addition of Cord Blood Stem Cell Transplantation Expert, Dr ...

SAN DIEGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Medistem Inc. (PINKSHEETS:MEDS) announced today a peer-reviewed publication led by NIH scientists demonstrating that the companys Endometrial Regenerative Cells (ERC) possess a unique genetic signature associated with production of new blood vessels (angiogenesis).

The demonstration by an independent group that ERC possess a unique gene signature compared to other stem cells, and that the gene signature is associated with production of new blood vessels, is a strong validation for our programs, said Dr. Thomas Ichim, President and CSO of Medistem. These data support original publications by our group and others that have demonstrated ERC appear to be nature's regenerative powerhouse for production of new blood vessels.

According to the publication, the gene encoding aldehyde dehydrogenase, a marker of stem cell potency, was expressed 39.5-fold higher in ERC as compared to bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (MSC). Additionally, genes associated with production of new blood vessels such as MMP-3, angiopoietin, and PDGF, were expressed 29-fold, 13-fold, and 26-fold higher in ERC as compared to bone marrow MSC, respectively.

Currently the majority of scientific effort in development of stem cell therapeutics is associated with bone marrow stem cells. While bone marrow stem cells have many excellent properties, the stem cells we are clinically developing are derived from the endometrium. This is the only part of the body that renews itself every month by producing new blood vessels. The findings today that the ERC stem cell appears to have a gene signature that is different than bone marrow, further supports our hypothesis that the ERC is a unique cell that acts as the natural angiogenic 'repair cell' of the body, said Dr. Amit Patel, Directorof Clinical Regenerative Medicine and Tissue Engineering at the University ofUtah.

Currently Dr. Patel is the International Investigator for the RECOVER-ERC Phase II clinical trial which involves administration of ERC into patients with heart failure via a novel 30 minute delivery process. Heart failure and critical limb ischemia, which are Medistems 2 clinical programs, have both been demonstrated to benefit from stimulation of new blood vessel production. Medistem has received clearance from the FDA to perform clinical trials in critical limb ischemia.

The publication may be found at http://www.translational-medicine.com/content/pdf/1479-5876-10-207.pdf

About Medistem Inc.

Medistem Inc. is a biotechnology company developing technologies related to adult stem cell extraction, manipulation, and use for treating inflammatory and degenerative diseases. The company's lead product, the endometrial regenerative cell (ERC), is a "universal donor" stem cell being developed for critical limb ischemia and congestive heart failure. A publication describing the support for use of ERC for this condition may be found athttp://www.translational-medicine.com/content/pdf/1479-5876-6-45.pdf. ERC can be purchased for scientific use through Medistem's collaborator, General Biotechnologyhttp://www.gnrlbiotech.com/?page=catalog_endometrial_regenerative_cells.

Cautionary Statement

Continued here:
NIH Data Suggests Medistem’s Stem Cell is Unique from Competitor Stem Cells

ORLANDO, Fla., Oct. 9, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --Vanderson Rocha, M.D., Ph.D., recognizedthroughout the world as a respected leader in the field of cord blood stem cell transplantation, hasjoined the team at CORD:USE Cord Blood Bank. Dr. Rocha's extensive experience and knowledge in transplant medicine and stem cell biology will provide a significant contribution to CORD:USE. "We're excited and honored to have Dr. Rocha, an internationally acclaimed expert in cord blood stem cell transplantation, as a member of our highly esteemed team,"said Edward Guindi MD, President and CEO of CORD:USE.

Dr. Rocha is a professor of Hematology and the Director of the Bone Marrow Transplant Unit at the University of Oxford, UK. He also serves as the Director of the Bone Marrow Transplant Unit, Hospital Sirio Libanes and Children's Hospital of the University of Sao Paulo, Brazil. He is the Scientific Director of the Eurocord Project and is on the Editorial Board of Bone Marrow Transplantation. Dr. Rocha is an internationally renowned speaker regarding the use of unrelated and related hematopoietic stem cells in transplants. He has published more than 200 papers in the New England Journal of Medicine, Blood, Lancet, Journal of Clinical Oncology, British Journal of Hematology, and other peer reviewed publications.

Dr. Rocha continues to contribute significantly to the development and refinement of the therapeutic applications of cord blood stem cells. Due to his expertise, he was elected by the European Transplant Centers as Chairman of the Acute Leukemia Working Party of the European Group for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (EBMT) from 2004 to 2010.

"I am very honored to be a member of the distinguished team at CORD:USE which includes my colleagues who are pioneers in cord blood science, banking and transplantation. I look forward to continuing to work with them to advance the use of cord blood transplantation to treat many more patients in the future," said Dr. Rocha.

Dr. Rocha joins otherhighly respected leaders and pioneers in the field of cord blood stem cell transplantation on the CORD:USE team:

About CORD:USE Cord Blood Bank, Inc.

CORD:USE operates leading public and family cord blood banks. CORD:USE Public Cord Blood Bank is one of the high quality cord blood banks selected and funded by HRSA of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to help build the National Cord Blood Inventory (NCBI). CORD:USE Cord Blood Bank has entered into agreements with hospitalsacross the country to provide mothers the option to donate their babies' cord blood. CORD:USE cord blood units are listed in the NCBI through the National Marrow Donor Program's Registry and are distributed to transplanters, throughout the country and the world. CORD:USE Family Cord Blood Bank protects family banked cord blood units utilizing similar high-quality cord blood banking practices and technologies that are used in our leading public cord blood bank in its state-of-the-art laboratory. For more information, please visit our website http://www.corduse.com, or contact Michael Ernst at 407.667.3000.

See the rest here:
CORD:USE Cord Blood Bank is proud to announce the addition of Cord Blood Stem Cell Transplantation Expert, Dr ...

The techniques pioneered by the winners of this years Nobel Prize in medicine, John B. Gurdon and Shinya Yamanaka, have already allowed scientists to generate stem cells and clone animals.

But it is the potential these discoveries hold that truly boggles the mind. If stem cells the primitive cells that develop into tissue like skin, blood, nerves, muscle and bone can be harnessed, the belief is they can be used as a repair kit for the body.

In theory, a few skin cells could be harvested to rebuild a spinal cord damaged by trauma, to replace brain cells destroyed by dementia, to rebuild heart muscle damaged by a heart attack or to grow a new limb ravaged by diabetes. It is the stuff of science fiction, so close we can taste it.

But these dreams of miracle cures must be tempered with a strong dose of realism.

Despite billions of dollars in investment in research, from government agencies and biotech companies, there is little evidence that stem cell therapies work.

Yes, some hearing has been restored in gerbils and there have been modest improvements in paralyzed lab rats using stem cell treatments, but these are baby steps. In humans, the gains have been far more modest.

We can treat some forms of cancer, like leukemia and multiple myeloma, with stem cell transplants. But this is simply a refinement of an earlier technique, bone marrow transplant. And to perform such a transplant, the immune system must, for all intents and purposes, be destroyed a punishing regime with a significant mortality rate.

It is a far cry from the notion of an injection of magic stem cells that allow people to walk again or restore their memories.

The International Society for Stem Cell Research says that while there are hundreds of conditions that can purportedly be treated with stem cells, the treatments that have actually been shown to be beneficial are extremely limited. Aside from the cancer treatments mentioned above, some bone, skin and corneal conditions have been treated by grafting stem cells, growing them in the lab and transplanting them.

But in all these cases, the stem cells are tissue-specific, meaning the cells are carrying out a function they were designed to do. This is very different from the notion that undifferentiated stem cells can be used to treat a broad range of conditions.(And we wont delve into potential problems, such as rejection and the concern that stem cells could grow out of control and cause cancerous tumours.)

Continued here:
Stem cell therapy a miracle cure? Not quite yet

By Daily Mail Reporter

PUBLISHED: 14:58 EST, 4 October 2012 | UPDATED: 16:07 EST, 4 October 2012

Good Morning America co-anchor Robin Roberts has revealed that her bone marrow transplant, which she underwent two weeks ago, appears to have been successful.

The procedure, which saw donor stem cells from her sister Sally Ann injected into her body, took just five minutes, and according to the 51-year-old, who wrote fans an update from her hospital in New York City this morning, her sister's cells 'feel right at home' in her body.

'My blood counts are GREAT,' she wrote on herGMA blog, after being hospitalized or 25 days now. 'It's an answer to so many prayers'.

Scroll down for video

Pulling through: Robin Roberts, 51, said her friends near and far (pictured here with Sam and Josh yesterday) have been lifting her spirits, she says

Ms Roberts, who was diagnosed with myelodysplastic syndrome, or MDS, earlier this year - a disease which attacks blood cells and bone - added: 'My doctors and rock star nurses are very pleased with my progress and I could not be more thankful for the excellent care I am receiving.

'I have had some extremely painful days and its still difficult for me to eat because of all the chemo. [But] I continue to learn so much on this journey, especially when it comes to true friendship and love.

Read this article:
Robin Roberts says her prayers have been answered as she recovers from bone marrow transplant

WEDNESDAY, Oct. 3 (HealthDay News) -- People who undergo the transplantation of stem cells taken from bone marrow, circulating blood or umbilical cord blood are more likely to develop risk factors for heart disease, such as high blood pressure, diabetes and high cholesterol, a new study contends.

Researchers from the American Society of Hematology noted that patients who were treated with chemotherapy or radiation before such a transplant -- called a "hematopoietic cell transplant," or HCT -- had a significantly higher risk for heart disease later in life.

"While we know that heart disease is a real concern for long-term HCT survivors, small sample sizes and a lack of long-term follow-up in previous studies have only allowed us to look at a small piece of the puzzle of how this chronic condition develops in these patients," the study's first author, Dr. Saro Armenian, medical director of the Pediatric Survivorship Clinic in the Childhood Cancer Survivorship Program at City of Hope in Duarte, Calif., said in a society news release.

"Our study sought to better determine the specific factors before and after transplant that can lead to heart disease in a large group of transplant recipients," Armenian explained.

In conducting the study, the researchers examined the medical records of nearly 1,900 hematopoietic cell transplant recipients to identify factors that could affect their development of risk factors for heart disease. The transplants occurred between 1995 and 2004, and the patients survived for at least one year after the treatment.

The investigators considered the patients' exposure to chemotherapy or radiation before the transplant, the type of hematopoietic cell transplant and whether they were treated for a serious transplant complication known as graft-versus-host disease.

Using the U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, the researchers also projected heart disease risk factor rates for the general population.

The study found that high blood pressure, diabetes and high cholesterol were more common among long-term survivors of the blood-forming stem cell transplants.

The risk for developing diabetes was 1.5 times higher for hematopoietic cell transplant survivors who underwent total body radiation. Their risk for high cholesterol was 1.4 times higher. The researchers noted this was true regardless of the type of blood-forming stem cell transplant the patient received.

Although it's unclear why total body radiation increased these patients' risk for diabetes and high cholesterol, previous studies have shown that abdominal radiation may contribute to insulin resistance and an increase in belly fat among cancer patients.

See more here:
Stem Cell Transplant May Spur Heart Disease Risk: Study

WEDNESDAY, Oct. 3 (HealthDay News) -- People who undergo the transplantation of stem cells taken from bone marrow, circulating blood or umbilical cord blood are more likely to develop risk factors for heart disease, such as high blood pressure, diabetes and high cholesterol, a new study contends.

Researchers from the American Society of Hematology noted that patients who were treated with chemotherapy or radiation before such a transplant -- called a "hematopoietic cell transplant," or HCT -- had a significantly higher risk for heart disease later in life.

"While we know that heart disease is a real concern for long-term HCT survivors, small sample sizes and a lack of long-term follow-up in previous studies have only allowed us to look at a small piece of the puzzle of how this chronic condition develops in these patients," the study's first author, Dr. Saro Armenian, medical director of the Pediatric Survivorship Clinic in the Childhood Cancer Survivorship Program at City of Hope in Duarte, Calif., said in a society news release.

"Our study sought to better determine the specific factors before and after transplant that can lead to heart disease in a large group of transplant recipients," Armenian explained.

In conducting the study, the researchers examined the medical records of nearly 1,900 hematopoietic cell transplant recipients to identify factors that could affect their development of risk factors for heart disease. The transplants occurred between 1995 and 2004, and the patients survived for at least one year after the treatment.

The investigators considered the patients' exposure to chemotherapy or radiation before the transplant, the type of hematopoietic cell transplant and whether they were treated for a serious transplant complication known as graft-versus-host disease.

Using the U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, the researchers also projected heart disease risk factor rates for the general population.

The study found that high blood pressure, diabetes and high cholesterol were more common among long-term survivors of the blood-forming stem cell transplants.

The risk for developing diabetes was 1.5 times higher for hematopoietic cell transplant survivors who underwent total body radiation. Their risk for high cholesterol was 1.4 times higher. The researchers noted this was true regardless of the type of blood-forming stem cell transplant the patient received.

Although it's unclear why total body radiation increased these patients' risk for diabetes and high cholesterol, previous studies have shown that abdominal radiation may contribute to insulin resistance and an increase in belly fat among cancer patients.

See original here:
Stem Cell Transplant May Spur Heart Disease Risk: Study

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DURHAM -- With lives on the line, the need for bone marrow donations across the country is greater than ever.

The National Marrow Donor Program said just five out of 10 patients will receive the transplant they need survive.

Elon University student Donovan Rainey recently passed the exam of a lifetime. He's a donor match for a patient in need of a bone marrow transplant.

"To be able to give life and to be able to try to sustain someone else's is just the ultimate gift," said Rainey.

Giving that gift is easier than before.

Duke University Medical Center said many are under the false impression that the only way to donate is by surgerically removing bone marrow from the hip.

Instead, donors can get blood removed through a machine. The stem cells found in donors blood will be used to create a new immune system for recipients.

"They don't need general anesthesia, they don't have to go to the operating room and I think there is less discomfort," said Susan Drago, a nurse at Duke's Blood and Marrow Transplant Clinic and Treatment Facility.

Rainey said the temporary discomfort is worth it because the life on the line was his dad's.

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College student answers growing need for bone marrow transplants

Company seeks to enter $18 billion market for bone marrow stimulating growth factors

San Diego, CA (PRWEB) October 03, 2012

As part of the development process, on May 18, 2012, Regen submitted a provisional patent application covering the use of placentally-derived endothelial cells for treatment of bone marrow failure. Regen has also been granted an exclusive option to enter into an agreement to be granted an exclusive, worldwide, royalty bearing license to US patent No. 6,821,513, covering a proprietary method for enhancing hematopoiesis (formation of blood cells).

Current approaches to treating bone marrow disorders involve administration of pharmaceuticals which target stem cells to produce more blood. This approach is not effective on everyone with bone marrow failure and some forms of this disease are completely resistant said J. Christopher Mizer, President of Regen BioPharma. Our strategy is to heal the bone marrow by administering cells that provide the optimum mix of growth factors to stimulate the bone marrow into producing blood cells naturally.

Data from a peer reviewed publication (Lei et al. Stem Cell Res. 2010 January; 4(1): 1724) by the inventor of the patent demonstrated that the administration of endothelial cells restores blood production and extends survival after bone marrow damage.

The HemaXellerate product aims to address the unmet medical need of patients who are non-responsive to existing growth factor therapies such as Neupogen and Leukine. These patients include those suffering from: aplastic anemia, a condition where the bone marrow produces an insufficient number of new cells to replace lost blood cells; chemotherapy/radiotherapy induced bone marrow failures; and low blood cell production after bone marrow or cord blood transplants, stated Thomas Ichim, Chief Scientific Officer of Regen BioPharma.

According to David Koos, Chairman & CEO of Bio-Matrix, HemaXellerate may provide an ideal therapeutic for bone marrow failure based upon: (1) regulating secretion of cytokines as biologically needed; (2) producing long-term, localized growth factors that alleviate the need for drugs; and (3) actively repairing the blood producing stem cell environment.

A spokesperson for the Company said Regen intends to file an Investigational New Drug (IND) Application in the fourth quarter of 2012 and conduct Phase I/II clinical trials during 2013 and 2014.

About Bio-Matrix Scientific Group Inc. and Regen BioPharma, Inc.:

Bio-Matrix Scientific Group, Inc. (OTCQB: BMSN) (PINKSHEETS: BMSN) is a biotechnology company developing regenerative medicine therapies and tools. The Company is focused on human therapies that address unmet medical needs. Specifically, Bio-Matrix Scientific Group Inc. is looking to increase the quality of life through therapies involving stem cell treatments. These treatments are focused in areas relating to cardiovascular, hematology, oncology and other indications.

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Bio-Matrix Scientific Group's Regen BioPharma Subsidiary Announces HemaXellerate™ As First Product in Development

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DURHAM -- With lives on the line, the need for bone marrow donations across the country is greater than ever.

The National Marrow Donor Program said just five out of 10 patients will receive the transplant they need survive.

Elon University student Donovan Rainey recently passed the exam of a lifetime. He's a donor match for a patient in need of a bone marrow transplant.

"To be able to give life and to be able to try to sustain someone else's is just the ultimate gift," said Rainey.

Giving that gift is easier than before.

Duke University Medical Center said many are under the false impression that the only way to donate is by surgerically removing bone marrow from the hip.

Instead, donors can get blood removed through a machine. The stem cells found in donors blood will be used to create a new immune system for recipients.

"They don't need general anesthesia, they don't have to go to the operating room and I think there is less discomfort," said Susan Drago, a nurse at Duke's Blood and Marrow Transplant Clinic and Treatment Facility.

Rainey said the temporary discomfort is worth it because the life on the line was his dad's.

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College student answers growing need for bone marrow transplants