''This gene, Piezo1, provides the instructions for sensors that tell the body that blood is flowing correctly and gives the signal to form new vessel structures.

''The gene gives instructions to a protein which forms channels that open in response to mechanical strain from blood flow, allowing tiny electrical charges to enter cells and trigger the changes needed for new vessels to be built.''

Prof Beech added: ''We need to do further research into how this gene can be manipulated to treat these diseases. We are in the early stages of this research, but these findings are promising.''

The research, co-funded by the British Heart Foundation, appears in the online edition of Nature journal.

Professor Jeremy Pearson, associate medical director of the British Heart Foundation, said: ''Blood flow has a major effect on the health of the arteries it passes through. Arteries are more likely to become diseased in areas where the flow is disturbed, for example.

''This is because the endothelial cells lining the arteries are exquisitely sensitive to this flow and their response to changes can lead to disease, where the artery becomes narrowed and can eventually cause a heart attack.

''Until now, very little has been known about the process by which blood flow affects endothelial cells. This exciting discovery, in mice, tells us that a protein in those cells could be critical in detecting and responding to changes in blood flow.

''Through further research, using this knowledge, we hope to see whether a treatment can be developed that targets this process to prevent the development of disease in healthy arteries.''

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Blood-vessel gene could fight cancer and heart disease

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Jeffrey Smith #39;s #39;challenge #39; to Neil deGrasse Tyson EVISCERATED (part 2)
On August 5th, Jeffrey Smith, the creator of the #39;Institute for Responsible Technology #39; issued a challenge to Neil deGrasse Tyson. In it, he displays a TITANIC lack of knowledge on the topic...

By: Jeff Holiday

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Jeffrey Smith's 'challenge' to Neil deGrasse Tyson EVISCERATED (part 2) - Video

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Even as the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC) decided to constitute a sub-committee to review the toxicology data generated by two applicants for genetically modified brinjal, biologist and Padma Bhushan award winner Dr. Pushpa M. Bhargava has questioned the guidelines of the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) on transgenic crops.

Dr. Bhargava and others had asked for the raw data on toxicity studies on rats using transgenic brinjal which were carried out by Dr. Sesikeran, former Director of National Institute of Nutrition at Hyderabad. He found statistically quite significant differences between rats fed on Bt Brinjal and those fed on a normal meal in respect of several important parameters, said Dr. Bhargava.

However, Dr. Sesikeran had said that as all the values (both of the control and of the experimental animals) fell within the normal range of variation, the differences were not significant, and that there was no need to repeat the experiment.

Our point was that if on repetition the same differences are found again, they are bound to be significant, Dr. Bhargava pointed out. Further, he used only 20 animals (10 female and 10 male) in both experimental and the control groups which is the minimum number for such tests. Dr. Sesikeran must explain why only a minimum number was used, he said.

In a letter to Dr. Ranjini Warrier, member secretary, GEAC, on July 23, Dr. Bhargava, who was responding to the two e-mails of July 20 from Dr. Sesikeran to all the members of GEAC, said, According to Dr. Sesikeran, DBT guidelines of 2008 say the following in regard to Interpretation of results of safety studies: The design and analysis of the study should be kept as simple as possible, avoiding unnecessarily complex, sophisticated statistical techniques. If the design is simple, the statistics are likely to give straightforward results. Non-statistical knowledge must be applied in study design and proper interpretation of the biological significance of the results. Just because two treatments are statistically significantly different does not mean that the difference is large enough to have any biological importance or any practical significance.

Dr. Bhargava said he would like to know which international body endorsed this, as scientifically it does not make any sense. He said he didnt understand what that meant and sought a clarification. The GEAC meets next in August.

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Pushpa Bhargava questions DBT guidelines on transgenic crops

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:

10-Aug-2014

Contact: Gina Bericchia MediaRelations@nationwidechildrens.org 614-355-0495 Nationwide Children's Hospital

Scientists have discovered a new form of dystrophin, a protein critical to normal muscle function, and identified the genetic mechanism responsible for its production. Studies of the new protein isoform, published online Aug. 10 in Nature Medicine and led by a team in The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, suggest it may offer a novel therapeutic approach for some patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, a debilitating neuromuscular condition that usually leaves patients unable to walk on their own by age 12.

Duchenne muscular dystrophy, or DMD, is caused by mutations in the gene that encodes dystrophin, which plays a role in stabilizing the membrane of muscle fibers. Without sufficient quantities of the protein, muscle fibers are particularly susceptible to injury during contraction. Over time, the muscle degenerates and muscle fibers are slowly replaced by fat and scar tissue. Many different types of mutations can lead to DMD, some of which block dystrophin production altogether and others that result in a protein that doesn't function normally.

In 2009, a team led by Kevin Flanigan, MD, a principal investigator in the Center for Gene Therapy at Nationwide Children's, published two studies describing patients whose genetic mutation was located in a exon 1, at the beginning of the gene. This mutation should have made natural production of functioning dystrophin impossible, resulting in severe disease. However, the patients had only minimal symptoms and relatives carrying the same mutations were identified who were walking well into their 70s. Muscle biopsies revealed that, despite the genetic mutations, the patients were producing significant amounts of a slight smaller yet functioning dystrophin. In the 2009 studies, Dr. Flanigan's group demonstrated that translation of this dystrophin did not begin in exon 1, as usual, but instead began later in the gene in exon 6, although the mechanism controlling this alternate translation remained unknown.

In their latest study, Dr. Flanigan's team has found the explanation. In order to utilize the protein-building instructions they carry, exons are first transcribed into a final genetic blueprint called messenger RNA. Under normal conditions, the messenger RNA is marked at its very beginning by a special molecular cap that is critical for recruiting ribosomes, the cellular structures responsible for translation of the gene into a protein. Most cases of DMD are due to mutations that interrupt the translational activity of ribosomes.

In explaining the mild symptoms seen in many patients with mutations in the first exons of the dystrophin gene including the group of patients they first described in 2009 the researchers have now demonstrated that dystrophin can be produced by an alternate cellular mechanism in which capping of the messenger RNA is not required. This newly described mechanism makes use of an internal ribosome entry site, or IRES, found within exon 5 in the dystrophin gene, allowing initiation of protein translation within exon 6 that can then proceed in the normal fashion along the rest of the gene.

"This alternate translational control element is encoded within the dystrophin gene itself, in a region of the gene that evolution has highly conserved," Dr. Flanigan said. "This suggests that the dystrophin protein that results from its activation plays an important but as of yet unknown role in cell function perhaps when muscle is under cell stress, one of the conditions under which IRES elements are typically activated."

Although clinical trials are currently investigating drugs to treat the more common gene mutations found in the middle of the dystrophin gene, no current therapies are specifically directed toward the approximately 6 percent of patients with mutations affecting the first four exons. Although many of these patients have relatively mild disease, many others have much more severe symptoms. If scientists could figure out a way to activate IRES in those patients, they may be able to produce enough dystrophin to lessen muscle degeneration, Dr. Flanigan said.

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Discovery of new form of dystrophin protein could lead to therapy for some DMD patients

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Midsummer Nights #39; Science: Genetics and Diabetes
Copyright Broad Institute, 2013. All rights reserved. Designing new drugs would be easier if scientists understood the biology of the diseases they are trying to treat -- but for most common...

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Midsummer Nights' Science: Genetics and Diabetes - Video

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Lets Play The Sims 3 Perfect Genetics-100 Baby Challenge Live Stream Part 13
Perfect Genetics and 100 Baby Challenge all in 1 -- Watch live at http://www.twitch.tv/gbabychallenger.

By: GBabyChallenger

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Lets Play The Sims 3 Perfect Genetics-100 Baby Challenge Live Stream Part 13 - Video

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ANIMAL genetics could prove to be a game changer for the Australian wool industry.

Through the adoption of genetics the modern day poultry, pig and dairy industries are no longer the same industries they were 40 years ago.

But according to UWA professor David Lindsay, the Australian wool industry has been reluctant to grasp the benefits of animal genetics, and therefore has not changed in over 100 years.

"Looking at the dairy (milk produced per cow) and the wool industry (wool produced per sheep), there is a huge disparity," he said.

"Between 1940 and 1960 neither industries made any progress in their performance, but by 1960 there was the introduction of wide-scale measurement in the dairy industry and an introduction of AI as a management tool and suddenly the lines start to part.

"The dairy industry has improved milk production per cow by 375 per cent.

"But in contract the wool industry has not managed to significantly improve the productivity of wool produced per sheep."

Mr Lindsay said there was no lack of potential for genetics to make game changing improvements in the wool industry

"Just think about if we were able to double the amount of wool produced per sheep, but inputs remained the same, it would be an entirely different industry," he said.

"But we will never see that unless the industry and genetic introduction is managed properly."

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Genetics a 'game-changer' for wool

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Miami (PRWEB) August 10, 2014

Regenestem, a division of the Global Stem Cells Group, Inc., has announced the launch of a new stem cell treatment center in Cozumel, Mexico, offering the most advanced protocols and techniques in cellular medicine to patients from around the world.

A team of stem cell medical professionals led by Rafael Moguel, M.D., an advocate and pioneer in the use of stem cell therapies to treat a range of medical conditions, will provide cutting edge therapies and follow-up treatment under the Regenestem brand.

In June, Global Stem Cells Group opened the Regenestem Asia Clinic in Manila, Philippines, adding a new state-of-the-art regenerative medicine facility to the company's growing global presence that includes clinics in Miami, New York, Los Angeles, and Dubai. Regenestem Asia facility marks the first Regenestem brand clinic in the Philippines.

Regenestem provides stem cell treatments for a variety of diseases and conditions, including arthritis, autism, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), diabetes, and multiple sclerosis at various facilities worldwide. Regenestem Mexico will have an international staff experienced in administering the leading cellular therapies available.

Regenestem Mexico is certified for the medical tourism market, and staff physicians are board-certified or board-eligible. Regenestem clinics provide services in more than 10 specialties, attracting patients from the United States and around the world.

The Global Stem Cells Group and Regenestem are committed to the highest of standards in service and technology, expert and compassionate care, and a philosophy of exceeding the expectations of their international patients.

For more information, visit the Regenestem website, email info(at)regenstem(dot)com, or call 305-224-1858.

About Regenestem:

Regenestem, a division of the Global Stem Cells Group, Inc., is an international medical practice association committed to researching and producing comprehensive stem cell treatments for patients worldwide. Having assembled a highly qualified staff of medical specialistsprofessionals trained in the latest cutting-edge techniques in cellular medicineRegenestem continues to be a leader in delivering the latest protocols in the adult stem cell arena.

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Global Stem Cells Group and Regenestem Announce Launch of Stem Cell Treatment Center in Cozumel, Mexico

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A new first-of-its kind pilot study has revealed that stem cell treatment can significantly improve recovery from stroke in humans.

The therapy uses a type of cell called CD34+ cells, a set of stem cells in the bone marrow that give rise to blood cells and blood vessel lining cells. Rather than developing into brain cells themselves, the cells are thought to release chemicals that trigger the growth of new brain tissue and new blood vessels in the area damaged by stroke.

The patients were treated within seven days of a severe stroke, in contrast to several other stem cell trials, most of which have treated patients after six months or later. The Imperial researchers believe early treatment might improve the chances of a better recovery.

Dr Soma Banerjee, Consultant in Stroke Medicine at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, said that the treatment appeared to be safe and that it's feasible to treat patients early when they might be more likely to benefit.

However, it's too early to draw definitive conclusions about the effectiveness of the therapy and more tests to work out the best dose and timescale for treatment before starting larger trials, she further added.

The study is published in the journal Stem Cells Translational Medicine.

(Posted on 09-08-2014)

Original post:
Stem cell treatment holds hope for better stroke recovery

Recommendation and review posted by simmons

Stem Cell Therapy - Am I A Candidate
Farhan Saddiqi, MD discusses the process of determining whether you are a candidate for Stem Cell Therapy at the Trinity Stem Cell Institute.

By: SMU Productions - Tampa Video Production

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Stem Cell Therapy - Am I A Candidate - Video

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(PRWEB UK) 9 August 2014

Stem cell therapy and treatments continue to move on in finding cures for diseases that in the past were thought to be incurable. The success of stem cell treatment and therapy relies to a great extent on the ability for the patient to have a stem cell match. Although stem cell banking has been available for a number of years, the cost for many has been a barrier.

Specialist stem cell bank BioEden who operate in 21 countries have come up with a solution that brings this potentially life saving opportunity within an affordable range for the majority.

Their aim is to make stem cell therapy an affordable reality and hope that their new approach which includes a low monthly membership option will do just that.

As more and more people bank their children's stem cells for their future use, the problem of finding a stem cell match could become a thing of the past.

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Due to a radical new approach by stem cell bank BioEden future generations could be guaranteed a stem cell match

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Nihilum Genetic Monstrosity Wildstar Genetics Archive Esper Healer POV
Our second raid group taking down the genetic monstrosity miniboss with 16 raid members. Nihilum August 7th. Esper Healer POV -- Watch live at http://www.twitch.tv/bigglet1990.

By: Bigglettt

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Nihilum Genetic Monstrosity Wildstar Genetics Archive Esper Healer POV - Video

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A gene-therapy experiment at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center only involved a handful of brain-tumor patients, and on average, extended their lives by months, not years.

Even so, it was the first real progress in 30 years for patients with glioblastoma, the most common and most aggressive type of primary brain tumor the type that killed U.S. Sen. Edward Kennedy within 15 months of diagnosis.

I think this is actually one of those proof-of-concept milestones, said Dr. Stanton Gerson, director of the Case Comprehensive Cancer Center at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, who was not involved in the study. This is the very first clinical validation that all that science made sense.

The new approach, led by Dr. Hans-Peter Kiem and Dr. Jennifer Adair at Fred Hutch in Seattle, was published Friday in The Journal of Clinical Investigation.

It began with the usual therapy for such tumors powerful chemotherapy combined with a drug that disables a protein that makes some of these tumors particularly resistant to chemotherapy. More than half the patients with glioblastomas, including all seven patients enrolled in the study, have such a protein, Kiem said.

The protein-disabling drug, benzylguanine, is critically important because it allows chemotherapy to attack the tumor. But the drug also damages bone marrow, killing blood cells so people are left vulnerable to infection and bleeding, he said. For that reason, patients typically can receive only one or two cycles of chemotherapy.

The gene-therapy approach involved taking the patients stem cells and engineering them to become resistant to benzylguanine, so their blood cells werent damaged by the drug. When the stem cells were returned to the patients, their blood was protected but their tumors were left vulnerable to the chemotherapy.

Better protected against infection and bleeding, the seven patients in the study were able to receive more cycles of chemotherapy.

We can sensitize the tumor, while the blood cells are resistant, Kiem said. That is the trick.

Typical median survival for glioblastoma patients with the tumor-protecting protein is less than 13 months. The patients in this study, on average, survived 20 months, and all survived beyond one year. This is quite remarkable, he said.

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Experiment at Fred Hutch raises hopes in battling brain tumors

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Rick Kittles Personalized Medicine

By: State of The Cancer Union

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Rick Kittles Personalized Medicine - Video

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Cancer trials at LSU Health Sciences Center will expand after receiving $5.6 million in grant money
The National Cancer Institute awarded 53 new 5-year grants, which included $5.6 million in funding to LSU Health Sciences Center. The funding will help improve cancer prevention and treatment...

By: NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune

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Cancer trials at LSU Health Sciences Center will expand after receiving $5.6 million in grant money - Video

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Kasi kaka-quit ko lang ng smoking, Lorna Tolentino proudly announces.

The 52-year-old actress also adds, Mag-wa-one month na sa August 14.

Asked whether shes having a hard time adjusting her lifestyle, she says, Ay no, hindi naman talaga ako ganun Im not really talaga sobrang sobrang smoker.

Right now, Lorna is taking supplements such as vitamin B1, B complex, glutathione, and mangosteen and malunggay capsules.

Siyempre nung nag-50 ako, mas iniisip ko na mas tumagal pa.

Kasi siyempre, 'di ba, gone too soon si Rudy [Fernandez], kaya siyempre kailangan mas mahaba pa, lalo na because of my apo, yun ang nag-i-inspire sa akin, she confesses.

When asked whether shes ok with Lyla Victoria, Raphael's (Lorna's eldest son) daughter, entering showbiz, Lorna answers, Commercial kung meron, oo tatangapin ko.

Lorna enthusiastically talks about her two-year-old apo, whom she refers to as still being in her makulit stage, Shes ok, actually yung kanya intellectual [maturity] ano, something na pinapaano sa mga doctor, for four years old na.

She also complements Leana, Lylas mother, for teaching her grandchild, Talagang kinu-congratulate ko si Leana, because shes a teacher, talagang mas kaya niya i-guide.

STEM CELL THERAPY.Lorna Tolentino, who has undergone stem cell therapy, narrates how the procedure helped her health concerns.

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Lorna Tolentino reveals the secret to her youthful looks

Recommendation and review posted by simmons

A stroke therapy using stem cells extracted from patients' bone marrow has shown promising results in the first trial of its kind in humans.

Five patients received the treatment in a pilot study conducted by doctors at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust and scientists at Imperial College London.

The therapy was found to be safe, and all the patients showed improvements in clinical measures of disability.

The findings are published in the journal Stem Cells Translational Medicine. It is the first UK human trial of a stem cell treatment for acute stroke to be published.

The therapy uses a type of cell called CD34+ cells, a set of stem cells in the bone marrow that give rise to blood cells and blood vessel lining cells. Previous research has shown that treatment using these cells can significantly improve recovery from stroke in animals. Rather than developing into brain cells themselves, the cells are thought to release chemicals that trigger the growth of new brain tissue and new blood vessels in the area damaged by stroke.

The patients were treated within seven days of a severe stroke, in contrast to several other stem cell trials, most of which have treated patients after six months or later. The Imperial researchers believe early treatment may improve the chances of a better recovery.

A bone marrow sample was taken from each patient. The CD34+ cells were isolated from the sample and then infused into an artery that supplies the brain. No previous trial has selectively used CD34+ cells, so early after the stroke, until now.

Although the trial was mainly designed to assess the safety and tolerability of the treatment, the patients all showed improvements in their condition in clinical tests over a six-month follow-up period.

Four out of five patients had the most severe type of stroke: only four per cent of people who experience this kind of stroke are expected to be alive and independent six months later. In the trial, all four of these patients were alive and three were independent after six months.

Dr Soma Banerjee, a lead author and Consultant in Stroke Medicine at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, said: "This study showed that the treatment appears to be safe and that it's feasible to treat patients early when they might be more likely to benefit. The improvements we saw in these patients are very encouraging, but it's too early to draw definitive conclusions about the effectiveness of the therapy. We need to do more tests to work out the best dose and timescale for treatment before starting larger trials."

Continue reading here:
Stem cells show promise for stroke in pilot study

Recommendation and review posted by simmons

A pilot study undertaken by researchers from Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust and Imperial College London has shown promise in rapid treatment of serious strokes. The study, the first of its kind published in the UK, treated patients using stem cells from bone marrow.

Imagine a perfectly ordinary beginning to your day, say burned toast, no matching pair of socks and the usual damp commute to work. Except at some point through the usual minutiae you suffer a massive stroke. If you dont die outright, you may soon afterwards. Even supposing you survive those first days or weeks, the chance of your life resuming its comforting tedium is impossibly remote. You may need assistance for the rest of your shortened life.

According to the Stroke Association, about 152,000 people suffer a stroke in the UK alone each year. However, the five patients treated in the recent Imperial College pilot study all showed improvements. According to doctors, four of those had suffered the most severe kind of stroke, which leaves only four percent of people alive or able to live independently six months after the event. All four of the patients were alive after six months.

A particular set of CD34+ stem cells was used, as they help with the production of blood cells and blood vessels lining cells. These same cells have been found to improve the effects of stroke in animals, and they assist in brain tissue and blood growth in the affected areas of the brain. The CD34+ cells were isolated from samples taken from patients bone marrow and then infused into the affected area via an artery that leads to the brain, using keyhole surgery.

The innovative stem cell treatment differs from others in one important way: patients are treated within seven days of their stroke, rather than six months hence. The stroke sufferers all recorded improvements in terms of clinical measures of disability, despite four of the five having suffered the most severe kind of stroke.

It's still early days for the research, and much more will need to be done to expand clinical trials, but eventually it is hoped that a drug may be developed that can be administered to stroke sufferers as soon as they are admitted to hospital. This could ameliorate longer term effects and allow for speedier recovery and a faster entry into therapy.

A paper detailing the research was published in journal Stem Cells Translational Medicine.

Source: Imperial College London

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Stem cell stroke therapy shows promise after first human trial

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

5 stroke victims were treated with stem cells extracted from bone marrow Treatment triggers rapid regeneration of damaged brain cells Patients regained power of speech and use of their arms and legs More than 150,000 people have a stroke in England every year Treatment is at early stage and needs years of testing Imperial College London scientists says it shows 'great potential'

By Ben Spencer

Published: 09:25 EST, 8 August 2014 | Updated: 19:30 EST, 8 August 2014

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Five people who had suffered severe strokes (illustrated) regained the power of speech and mobility thanks to a radical new treatment

Stroke patients have shown remarkable signs of recovery after they were given a radical new treatment.

Five people who had suffered severe strokes regained the power of speech, use of their arms and legs and improved cognition after just six months, according to British research published today.

The three men and two women, aged between 45 and 75, were treated with stem cells extracted from their own bone marrow in the first experiment of its kind.

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Hope for stroke victims after radical stem cell treatment enables patients to move and talk again

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Brain damage caused by strokes could be repaired through the use of stem cells in a discovery that may revolutionise treatment, a study has suggested.

Researchers at Imperial College London found that injecting a patient's stem cells into their brain may be able to change the lives of the tens of thousands of people who suffer strokes each year.

Their results have been called "one of the most exciting recent developments in stroke research".

Doctors said the procedure could become routine in 10 years after larger trials are conducted to examine its effectiveness.

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Researcher Dr Paul Bentley, from the college's Department of Medicine, said: "Currently, the main form of treatment is an unblocking of the blood vessel, and that only helps one-third of the patients who are treated and only 10 per cent are eligible anyway. So we said, 'What about the other 90 per cent?' "

The team targeted patients who had suffered severe strokes involving a clot in a blood vessel in the middle of the brain. Typically, there is a high mortality rate in these patients and those who survive are often severely disabled, unable to walk, talk, feed or dress themselves. The experimental procedure was carried out on five such patients, aged 40 to 70, all of whom showed improvement over the following six months, and three were living independently.

Dr Madina Kara, a neuroscientist at the Stroke Association, said: "This is one of the most exciting recent developments in stroke research. However, it's still early days in stem cell research, but the findings could lead to new treatments for stroke patients in the future.

"In the UK, someone has a stroke every three and a half minutes, and around 58 per cent of stroke survivors are left with a disability."

The experimental procedure involved harvesting the patient's own bone marrow, which was then sent to a specialist laboratory so specific stem cells, called CD34+, could be selected. The patient then has a wire inserted into the area of the brain damage. Once there, the stem cells are released and the wire retracted. During the trials the whole process took half a day, but it is hoped that with refinement it could be reduced.

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Stem cell hope for stroke victims

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"So we said what about the other 90 per cent?"

The team targeted patients who had suffered massive strokes involving a blood clot in the blood vessel in the middle of the brain. Typically there is a high mortality rate in these patients and those who survive are often severely disabled, are unable to walk, talk, feed or dress themselves.

The experimental procedure was carried out on five patients aged between 40 and 70, all of whom showed improvement over the following six months and three were living independently.

More than 152,000 people suffer a stroke in England per year and the research team said that the new procedure could eventually help most of them.

Dr Madina Kara, a neuroscientist at The Stroke Association, said: Previous studies have shown that a type of stem cell, called CD34+ cells, shows promise to aid stroke recovery. These latest results suggest that this type of treatment could be administered safely and were looking forward to seeing the outcomes of further studies to see exactly how they are aiding recovery.

This is one of the most exciting recent developments in stroke research; however, its still early days in stem cell research but the findings could lead to new treatments for stroke patients in the future.

"In the UK, someone has a stroke every three and half minutes, and around 58 per cenrt of stroke survivors are left with a disability.

"One of the few existing treatments which can limit brain damage caused by stroke is thrombolysis. However, this drug can only be used to treat strokes caused by blood clots and must be administered within the first 4.5 hours after a stroke. There is an urgent need for alternative treatments to help prevent the debilitating impact of stroke."

The experimental procedure involves several stages, first the patient's own bone marrow is harvested, which was then sent to a specialist laboratory so the specific stem cells, called CD34+ can be selected.

Then the patient undergoes a procedure in which a wire is inserted into a vein in the neck and up into the area of brain damage. Once there the stem cells are released and the wire retracted.

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Hope for future treatment of thousands of stroke sufferers from stem cells

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By Amy Norton HealthDay Reporter

THURSDAY, Aug. 7, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- In a step toward using stem cells to treat paralysis, scientists were able to use cells from an elderly man's skin to regrow nerve connections in rats with damaged spinal cords.

Reporting in the Aug. 7 online issue of Neuron, researchers say the human stem cells triggered the growth of numerous axons -- the fibers that extend from the body of a neuron (nerve cell) to send electrical impulses to other cells.

Some axons even reached the animals' brains, according to the team led by Dr. Mark Tuszynski, a professor of neurosciences at the University of California, San Diego.

"This degree of growth in axons has not been appreciated before," Tuszynski said. But he cautioned that there is still much to be learned about how the new nerve fibers behave in laboratory animals.

Tuszynski likened the potential for stem-cell-induced axon growth to nuclear fusion. If it's contained, you get energy; if it's not contained, you get an explosion.

"Too much axon growth into the wrong places would be a bad thing," Tuszynski said.

For years, researchers have studied the potential for stem cells to restore functioning nerve connections in people with spinal cord injuries. Stem cells are primitive cells that have the capacity to develop into various types of body tissue. Stem cells can come from embryos or be generated from cells taken from a person.

For their study, Tuszynski's team used so-called induced pluripotent stem cells. They took skin cells from a healthy 86-year-old man and genetically reprogrammed them to become similar to embryonic stem cells.

Those stem cells were then used to create primitive neurons, which the researchers embedded into a special scaffold created with the help of proteins called growth factors. From there, the human neurons were grafted into lab rats with spinal cord injuries.

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Scientists Inch Closer Toward Using Stem Cells for Spinal Injuries

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For the first time, scientists have uncovered new information on how stem cells in the human bowel behave, revealing vital clues about the earliest stages in bowel cancer development and how we may begin to prevent it.

The study, led by Queen May University of London (QMUL) and published today in the journal Cell Reports, discovered how many stem cells exist within the human bowel and how they behave and evolve over time. It was revealed that within a healthy bowel, stem cells are in constant competition with each other for survival and only a certain number of stem cells can exist within one area at a time (referred to as the 'stem cell niche'). However, when investigating stem cells in early tumours, the researchers saw increased numbers of stem cells within each area as well as intensified competition for survival, suggesting a link between stem cell activity and bowel cancer development.

The study involved studying stem cells directly within the human body using a specially developed 'toolkit'. The toolkit worked by measuring random mutations that naturally accrue in aging stem cells. The random mutations recorded how the stem cells had behaved, similarly to how the rings on a tree trunk record how a tree grew over time. The techniques used were unique in that scientists were able to study the human stem cells within their natural environment, giving a much more accurate picture of their behaviour.

Until this research, the stem cell biology of the human bowel has remained largely a mystery. This is because most stem cell research is carried out in mice, and it was uncertain how research findings in mice could be applied to humans. However, the scientists in fact found the stem cell biology of human bowels to have significant similarities to mice bowels. This means researchers can continue investigating stem cell activity within mice with the knowledge it is representative of humans -- hopefully speeding up bowel cancer research.

Importantly, these new research methods can also now be applied to investigate stem cells in other parts of the human body such as skin, prostate, lung and breast, with the aim of accelerating cancer research in these areas too.

Dr Trevor Graham, Lecturer in Tumour Biology and Study Author at Queen Mary University of London, comments: "Unearthing how stem cells behave within the human bowel is a big step forward for stem cell research. Until now, stem cell research was mostly conducted in mice or involved taking the stem cells out of their natural environment, thus distorting their usual behaviour. We now want to use the methods developed in this study to understand how stem cells behave inside bowel cancer, so we can increase our understanding of how bowel cancer grows. This will hopefully shed more light on how we can prevent bowel cancer -- the fourth most common cancer in the UK. We are positive this research lays important foundations for future bowel cancer prevention work, as well as prevention work in other cancers."

Dr Marnix Jansen, Histopathologist and Study Author at Queen Mary University of London, comments: "This study was made possible through the involvement of patients either diagnosed with bowel cancer or born with a tendency to develop bowel cancer. Only by investigating tissues taken directly from patients could we study how bowel cancers develop. Our work underlines the importance of patient involvement in scientific research if we are to tackle bowel cancer and help the greatest number of people."

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The above story is based on materials provided by Queen Mary, University of London. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.

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Stem cell behavior of human bowel discovered for first time

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Gene and cell therapy

By: teresa adell

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Gene and cell therapy - Video

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By Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter

WEDNESDAY, Aug. 6, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Mutated versions of a gene called PALB2 can dramatically increase a woman's risk of breast cancer, a new study has found.

Women carrying the PALB2 mutation have a one in three chance of developing breast cancer by the age of 70, British researchers report in the Aug. 7 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

The risk is even higher for women with a family history of breast cancer, the investigators found.

"If a mutation carrier has a strong family history, the risk would go up to about six in 10 by age 70," said senior study author Marc Tischkowitz, a researcher with the department of medical genetics at the University of Cambridge.

Those odds place PALB2 just behind the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes as a top genetic risk factor for breast cancer, Tischkowitz said.

Women who carry a mutated form of either of the BRCA genes have a 45 percent to 65 percent risk of breast cancer by age 70, according to the U.S. National Cancer Institute.

Researchers first identified the PALB2 gene in 2006, and it was further associated with breast cancer in a study published in 2007, Tischkowitz said.

This new study provides the first solid evidence regarding the breast cancer risk associated with PALB2, said Dr. Roger Greenberg, an associate professor of cancer biology with the Abramson Family Cancer Research Institute at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine in Philadelphia.

Armed with this knowledge, women with a PALB2 mutation can talk with their doctor about whether they should undergo a mastectomy to reduce their breast cancer risk. Such surgery has been shown to reduce cancer risk by 90 percent, Greenberg noted.

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Sharp Rise in Risk With New Breast Cancer Gene, Scientists Say

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