This article is about the medical therapy. For the cell type, see Stem cell.

Stem cell therapy is an intervention strategy that introduces new adult stem cells into damaged tissue in order to treat disease or injury. Many medical researchers believe that stem cell treatments have the potential to change the face of human disease and alleviate suffering.[1] The ability of stem cells to self-renew and give rise to subsequent generations with variable degrees of differentiation capacities,[2] offers significant potential for generation of tissues that can potentially replace diseased and damaged areas in the body, with minimal risk of rejection and side effects.

A number of stem cell therapies exist, but most are at experimental stages, costly or controversial,[3] with the notable exception of bone-marrow transplantation.[citation needed] Medical researchers anticipate that adult and embryonic stem cells will soon be able to treat cancer, Type 1 diabetes mellitus, Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease, Celiac disease, cardiac failure, muscle damage and neurological disorders, and many others.[4] Nevertheless, before stem cell therapeutics can be applied in the clinical setting, more research is necessary to understand stem cell behavior upon transplantation as well as the mechanisms of stem cell interaction with the diseased/injured microenvironment.[4]

For over 30 years, bone-marrow, and more recently, umbilical-cord blood stem cells, have been used to treat cancer patients with conditions such as leukemia and lymphoma.[5][6] During chemotherapy, most growing cells are killed by the cytotoxic agents. These agents, however, cannot discriminate between the leukaemia or neoplastic cells, and the hematopoietic stem cells within the bone marrow. It is this side effect of conventional chemotherapy strategies that the stem cell transplant attempts to reverse; a donor's healthy bone marrow reintroduces functional stem cells to replace the cells lost in the host's body during treatment.

Stroke and traumatic brain injury lead to cell death, characterized by a loss of neurons and oligodendrocytes within the brain. Healthy adult brains contain neural stem cells which divide to maintain general stem cell numbers, or become progenitor cells. In healthy adult animals, progenitor cells migrate within the brain and function primarily to maintain neuron populations for olfaction (the sense of smell). In pregnancy and after injury, this system appears to be regulated by growth factors and can increase the rate at which new brain matter is formed.[citation needed] Although the reparative process appears to initiate following trauma to the brain, substantial recovery is rarely observed in adults, suggesting a lack of robustness.[7]

Stem cells may also be used to treat brain degeneration, such as in Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease.[8][9]

Pharmacological activation of an endogenous population of neural stem cells / neural precursor cells by soluble factors has been reported to induce powerful neuroprotection and behavioral recovery in adult rat models of neurological disorder through a signal transduction pathway involving the phosphorylation of STAT3 on the serine residue and subsequent Hes3 expression increase (STAT3-Ser/Hes3 Signaling Axis).[10][11][12]

Stem cell technology gives hope of effective treatment for a variety of malignant and non-malignant diseases through the rapid developing field that combines the efforts of cell biologists, geneticists and clinicians. Stem cells are defined as totipotent progenitor cells capable of self-renewal and multi-lineage differentiation. Stem cells survive well and show steady division in culture which then causes them the ideal targets for vitro manipulation. Research into solid tissue stem cells has not made the same progress as haematopoietic stem cells because of the difficulty of reproducing the necessary and precise 3D arrangements and tight cell-cell and cell-extracellular matrix interactions that exist in solid organs. Yet, the ability of tissue stem cells to assimilate into the tissue cytoarchitecture under the control of the host microenvironment and developmental cues, makes them ideal for cell replacement therapy. [3] [13]

The development of gene therapy strategies for treatment of intra-cranial tumours offers much promise, and has shown to be successful in the treatment of some dogs;[14] although research in this area is still at an early stage. Using conventional techniques, brain cancer is difficult to treat because it spreads so rapidly. Researchers at the Harvard Medical School transplanted human neural stem cells into the brain of rodents that received intracranial tumours. Within days, the cells migrated into the cancerous area and produced cytosine deaminase, an enzyme that converts a non-toxic pro-drug into a chemotheraputic agent. As a result, the injected substance was able to reduce the tumor mass by 81 percent. The stem cells neither differentiated nor turned tumorigenic.[15]

Some researchers believe that the key to finding a cure for cancer is to inhibit proliferation of cancer stem cells. Accordingly, current cancer treatments are designed to kill cancer cells. However, conventional chemotherapy treatments cannot discriminate between cancerous cells and others. Stem cell therapies may serve as potential treatments for cancer.[16] Research on treating lymphoma using adult stem cells is underway and has had human trials. Essentially, chemotherapy is used to completely destroy the patients own lymphocytes, and stem cells injected, eventually replacing the immune system of the patient with that of the healthy donor.

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Stem cell therapy - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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Stem cell transplants -- from bone marrow or other sources -- can be an effective treatment for people with certain forms of cancer, such as leukemia and lymphoma. Stem cell transplants are also used for multiple myeloma and neuroblastoma, and theyre being studied as a treatment for other cancers, too.

Why do cancer patients consider these transplants? While high doses of chemotherapy and radiation can effectively kill cancer cells, they have an unwanted side effect: They can also destroy the bone marrow, where blood cells are made.

Overview

Approximately 1.5 million new cases of cancer were expected to be diagnosed in the United States in 2009,[1] and that number is expected to rise in 2010.[2] Many patients diagnosed with cancer will eventually require support from a family caregiver. In fact, family caregivers form the foundation of the health care system in the United States, supporting advances in treatment such as multimodality treatment protocols given in outpatient and home settings.[3] Definition: Who Is the Caregiver? Also...

Read the Overview article > >

The purpose of a stem cell transplant or a bone marrow transplant is to replenish the body with healthy cells and bone marrow when chemotherapy and radiation are finished. After a successful transplant, the bone marrow will start to produce new blood cells. In some cases, the transplant can have an added benefit; the new blood cells will also attack and destroy any cancer cells that survived the initial treatment.

While you may have heard about embryonic stem cells in the news, the stem cells used in cancer treatment are different. Theyre called hematopoietic stem cells.

Whats special about these cells? Unlike most cells, these stem cells have the ability to divide and form new and different kinds of blood cells. Specifically, they can create oxygen-carrying red blood cells, infection-fighting white blood cells, and clot-forming platelets.

Most stem cells are in the bone marrow, a spongy tissue inside bone. Other stem cells -- called peripheral blood stem cells -- circulate in the blood. Both types can be used in stem cell transplants for cancer treatment.

While stem cell transplants may be lifesaving, theyre not the right treatment for everyone. The process can be difficult and tedious. Since younger people often do better with these treatments, some doctors limit stem cell transplants to those under age 60 or 70.

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Bone Marrow Transplants and Stem Cell Transplants for Cancer Treatment

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05/15/13Portland, Ore.

The breakthrough marks the first time human stem cells have been produced via nuclear transfer and follows several unsuccessful attempts by research groups worldwide

Scientists at Oregon Health & Science University and the Oregon National Primate Research Center (ONPRC) have successfully reprogrammed human skin cells to become embryonic stem cells capable of transforming into any other cell type in the body. It is believed that stem cell therapies hold the promise of replacing cells damaged through injury or illness. Diseases or conditions that might be treated through stem cell therapy include Parkinsons disease, multiple sclerosis, cardiac disease and spinal cord injuries.

The research breakthrough, led by Shoukhrat Mitalipov, Ph.D., a senior scientist at ONPRC, follows previous success in transforming monkey skin cells into embryonic stem cells in 2007. This latest research will be published in the journal Cell online May 15 and in print June 6.

The technique used by Drs. Mitalipov, Paula Amato, M.D., and their colleagues in OHSUs Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, is a variation of a commonly used method called somatic cell nuclear transfer, or SCNT. It involves transplanting the nucleus of one cell, containing an individuals DNA, into an egg cell that has had its genetic material removed. The unfertilized egg cell then develops and eventually produces stem cells.

A thorough examination of the stem cells derived through this technique demonstrated their ability to convert just like normal embryonic stem cells, into several different cell types, including nerve cells, liver cells and heart cells. Furthermore, because these reprogrammed cells can be generated with nuclear genetic material from a patient, there is no concern of transplant rejection, explained Dr. Mitalipov. While there is much work to be done in developing safe and effective stem cell treatments, we believe this is a significant step forward in developing the cells that could be used in regenerative medicine.

Another noteworthy aspect of this research is that it does not involve the use of fertilized embryos, a topic that has been the source of a significant ethical debate.

The Mitalipov teams success in reprogramming human skin cells came through a series of studies in both human and monkey cells. Previous unsuccessful attempts by several labs showed that human egg cells appear to be more fragile than eggs from other species. Therefore, known reprogramming methods stalled before stem cells were produced.

To solve this problem, the OHSU group studied various alternative approaches first developed in monkey cells and then applied to human cells. Through moving findings between monkey cells and human cells, the researchers were able to develop a successful method.

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In November 2007 scientists announced they had developed a new way to cause mature human cells to resemble pluripotent stem cells - similar in many ways to human embryonic stem cells. By simply altering the expression of just four genes using genetic modification, the mature cells were 'induced' to become more primitive, stem cells and were referred to as 'induced' pluripotent stem (iPS) cells.

Initially iPS cells were generated using viruses to change gene expression, however since the initial discovery, technologies for reprogramming cells are moving very quickly and researchers are now investigating the use of new methods that do not use viruses which can cause permanent and potentially harmful changes in the cells. If they are able to be made safely, and on a large scale, iPS cells could possibly be used to provide a source of cells to replace cells damaged following illness or disease. It may even be possible to make stem cells for therapy from a patient's own cells and thereby avoid the use of anti-rejection medications.

However, right now scientists are using this method to create disease specific cells for research by taking a cells - maybe from a skin biopsy - from a patient with a genetic disorder, such as Huntingtons disease, and then using the iPS cells to study the disease in the laboratory. Scientist hope that such an approach will help them understand the development and progression of certain diseases, and assist in the development and testing of new drugs to treat disease.

While the discovery of iPS cells was a very important development, more research needs to be done to discover if they will offer the same research value as embryonic stem cells and if they will be as useful for therapy.

To learn more about iPS cells watch What are induced pluripotent stem cells? in our video library.

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What are induced pluripotent stem cells or iPS cells? - Stem Cells ...

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En Espaol

The term stem cell by itself can be misleading. There are many different types of stem cells, each with very different potential to treat disease. The so-called adult stem cells come from any organ, from the fetus through the adult. These are also called tissue stem cells. The so-called pluripotent cells, which have the ability to form all cells in the body, can be either embryonic or induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells.

All stem cells, whether they are tissue stem cells or pluripotent cells, have the ability to divide and create an identical copy of themselves. This process is called self-renewal. The cells can also divide to form cells that go on to develop into mature tissue types such as liver, lungs, brain, or skin.

Embryonic stem cells exist only at the earliest stages of embryonic development and go on to form all the cells of the adult body. In humans, these cells no longer exist after about five days of development.

When removed and grown in a lab dish these stem cells can continue dividing indefinitely, retaining the ability to form the more than 200 adult cell types. Because the cells have the potential to form so many different adult tissues they are also called pluripotent ("pluri" = many, "potent" = potentials) stem cells.

James Thomson, a professor of Anatomy at the University of Wisconsin, isolated the first human embryonic stem cells in 1998. He now shares a joint appointment at the University of California, Santa Barbara.

Irv Weissman talks about the difference between adult and embryonic stem cells (3:29)

Pluripotent means many (pluri) potentials (potent). In other words, these cells have the potential of taking on many fates in the body, including all of the more than 200 different cell types. Embryonic stem cells are pluripotent, as are iPS cells that are reprogrammed from adult tissues. When scientists talk about pluripotent stem cells they mostly mean either embryonic or iPS cells.

What people commonly call adult stem cells are more accurately called tissue-specific stem cells. These are specialized cells found in tissues of adults, children and fetuses. They are thought to exist in most of the bodys tissues such as the blood, brain, liver, intestine or skin. These cells are committed to becoming a cell from their tissue of origin, but they still have the broad ability to become any one of these cells. Stem cells of the bone marrow, for example, can give rise to any of the red or white cells of the blood system. Stem cells in the brain can form all the neurons and support cells of the brain, but cant form non-brain tissues. Unlike embryonic stem cells, researchers have not been able to grow adult stem cells indefinitely in the lab.

In recent years, scientists have found stem cells in the placenta and in the umbilical cord of newborn infants. Although these cells come from a newborn they are like adult stem cells in that they are already committed to becoming a particular type of cell and cant go on to form all tissues of the body. The cord blood cells that some people bank after the birth of a child are a form of adult blood-forming stem cells.

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Stem Cell Definitions | California's Stem Cell Agency

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Educational Apps QVprep Lite Learn genetics and genetic engineering app video part 1 introduction
QVprep Lite Genetic Engineering is FREE and has limited content. The app gives you the option to buy the paid QVprep Genetic Engineering app which has exhaus...

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While scientific progress on molecular biology has a great potential to increase our understanding of nature and provide new medical tools, it should not be used as justification to turn the environment into a giant genetic experiment by commercial interests. The biodiversity and environmental integrity of the world's food supply is too important to our survival to be put at risk. What's wrong with genetic engineering (GE)?

Genetic engineering enables scientists to create plants, animals and micro-organisms by manipulating genes in a way that does not occur naturally.

These genetically modified organisms (GMOs) can spread through nature and interbreed with natural organisms, thereby contaminating non 'GE' environments and future generations in an unforeseeable and uncontrollable way.

Their release is 'genetic pollution' and is a major threat because GMOs cannot be recalled once released into the environment.

Because of commercial interests, the public is being denied the right to know about GE ingredients in the food chain, and therefore losing the right to avoid them despite the presence of labelling laws in certain countries.

Biological diversity must be protected and respected as the global heritage of humankind, and one of our world's fundamental keys to survival. Governments are attempting to address the threat of GE with international regulations such as the Biosafety Protocol.

April 2010: Farmers, environmentalists and consumers from all over Spain demonstrate in Madrid under the slogan "GMO-free agriculture." They demand the Government to follow the example of countries like France, Germany or Austria, and ban the cultivation of GM maize in Spain.

GMOs should not be released into the environment since there is not an adequate scientific understanding of their impact on the environment and human health.

We advocate immediate interim measures such as labelling of GE ingredients, and the segregation of genetically engineered crops and seeds from conventional ones.

We also oppose all patents on plants, animals and humans, as well as patents on their genes. Life is not an industrial commodity. When we force life forms and our world's food supply to conform to human economic models rather than their natural ones, we do so at our own peril.

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Genetic Engineering | Greenpeace International

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Obesity, Depression, Alcoholism, is genetics an excuse?
We often look at conditions like obesity, addiction, depression as a result of genetics. But, are we actually using genetics as the scapegoat? Watch this cru...

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Stanford Hospital #39;s Breast Cancer Experts on Genetics, Risk, and Screening Technologies
Stanford #39;s breast cancer experts share the latest information about: •Breast density and breast cancer risk •Screening recommendations •New breast imaging te...

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ASA Student Stories - Joseph (Queen Mary University of London, Genetics)
Joseph pursued his undergraduate degree in Queen Mary University of London, UK, reading Genetics.

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pL Genetics - Black Ops II Game Clip
Game Clip.

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Let #39;s Play The Sims - Perfect Genetics Challenge - Episode 31
My Sims 3 Page: http://mypage.thesims3.com/mypage/Llandros2012 My Blog: http://Llandros09.blogspot.com My Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Llandros09?ref=t...

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Reactomix approach to personalized medicine
Disruptive technology for mapping molecular pathways through enzymolome arrays. Personalized medicine approach to child sarcoma.

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My Spinal Cord Injury Story
First off... I DO NOT OWN ANY OF THIS MUSIC!!! Second off... Lots of you awesome Gems have asked me to tell my story so here is it. I hope you guys like it a...

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The Journal of Stem cells and Regenerative Medicine (JSRM) is a fully free access exclusive Online Journal covering areas of Basic Research, Translational work and Clinical studies in the specialty of Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine including allied specialities such as Biomaterials and Nano technology relevant to the core subject. This has also been endorsed by the German Society for Stem Cell Research(GSZ).

The JSRM issues are published regularly and articles pertaining to Stem cells and Regenerative Medicine as well as related fields of research are considered for publication

This Online Journal conceived and run by Clinicians and Scientists, originally started for the student community with reputed members in the advisory/editorial boards, has now been accepted to be the official organ of GSZ is reaching millions of Researchers, Cliniciansand Students all over the world, as it is a FREE Journal

Current activities of JSRM

1. Journal issues: will be published online and to subscribers (FREE) extracts will be sent by email 2. Weekly updates on happenings in the Stem Cell World with email updates to subscribers.

NEWS

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PURTIER Placenta Live Stem Cell Therapy (CHINESE)
??? PURTIER Placenta ???????? If you have other enquiries, please contact us at +65 8200 8227 Email: TrueStemCell@gmail.com PURTIER Placenta Live Stem Cell Therapy has...

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Our Cell Therapy Center offers advanced patented methods of stem cell treatment for different diseases and conditions. The fetal stem cells we use are nonspecialized cells able to differentiate (turn) into any other cell types forming different tissues and organs. Fetal stem cells have huge potential for differentiation and proliferation and are not rejected by the recipients body more...

Stem cell therapy has proven to be effective for organs and tissues restoration, and for fight against the incurable and obstinate diseases. We treat patients with various diseases, such as diabetes mellitus, multiple sclerosis, Parkinsons disease, Duchenne muscular dystrophy, cancer, blood diseases and many others, including rare genetic and hereditary diseases. Among our patients there are also people willing to undergo anti-aging treatment. Stem cell treatment allows for achieving effects that are far beyond the capacity of any other modern method more...

For over 19 years, we have performed more than 7,500 transplantations of fetal stem cells to people from many countries, such as the USA, China, Italy, Germany, Denmark, UAE, Egypt, Russian Federation, Greece and Cyprus, etc. Our stem cell treatments helped to prolong life and improve life quality to thousands of patients including those suffering from the incurable diseases who lost any hope for recovery.

With Cell Therapy Center EmCell located in Kiev, Ukraine, we have numerous partners in various countries devoted to provide medical advice on EmCell stem cell treatment locally.

We are always open for medical, businessandscientificcooperation.

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Stem Cell Therapy & Stem Cell Treatment - Cell Therapy Center Emcell

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EJN Best Publication Award: Treatment to improve functional recovery after spinal cord injury
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Superman The Movie Full Movie Trailer HD 1978 Updated Man of steel (2013)
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Results from a ground-breaking Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute clinical trial show that an infusion of cardiac stem cells helps damaged hearts regrow healthy muscle.

The first-in-man clinical trial, based on technologies and discoveries made by Eduardo Marbn, MD, PhD, and led by Raj Makkar, MD, explored the safety of harvesting, growing and giving patients their own cardiac stem cells to repair heart tissue injured by heart attack.

The studys findings, published in The Lancet, show that heart attack patients who received stem cell treatment demonstrated a significant reduction in the size of the scar left on the heart muscle; this is a pioneering stem cell result, says Marban, who notes the study shows actual regeneration of tissues. With support from the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine, the Heart Institute team is now planning future clinical trials to treat advanced heart disease patients with stem cells.

The process to grow cardiac-derived stem cells involved in the study was developed earlier by Marbn when he was on the faculty of Johns Hopkins University. The university has filed for a patent on that intellectual property, and has licensed it to a company in which Marbn has a financial interest. No funds from that company were used to support the clinical study. All funding was derived from the National Institutes of Health and Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.

Since the Cedars-Sinai team completed the worlds first cardiac stem cell infusion in 2009, additional insights have emerged from this and related work, including the discovery in animals that iron-infused cardiac stem cells can be guided with a magnet to damaged areas of the heart, dramatically increasing their retention and healing potential.

Another finding to emerge from Marbns cardiac stem cell lab may have implications for many peoples health: Stem cells exposed to high doses of supplemental antioxidants can develop genetic abnormalities that predispose them to cancer formation.

Click here to watch a CBS Evening News story about the clinical trials results.

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Cardiac Stem Cell Research - Cedars-Sinai

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Heart attacks and congestive heart failure remain among the Nation's most prominent health challenges despite many breakthroughs in cardiovascular medicine. In fact, despite successful approaches to prevent or limit cardiovascular disease, the restoration of function to the damaged heart remains a formidable challenge. Recent research is providing early evidence that adult and embryonic stem cells may be able to replace damaged heart muscle cells and establish new blood vessels to supply them. Discussed here are some of the recent discoveries that feature stem cell replacement and muscle regeneration strategies for repairing the damaged heart.

For those suffering from common, but deadly, heart diseases, stem cell biology represents a new medical frontier. Researchers are working toward using stem cells to replace damaged heart cells and literally restore cardiac function.

Today in the United States, congestive heart failurethe ineffective pumping of the heart caused by the loss or dysfunction of heart muscle cellsafflicts 4.8 million people, with 400,000 new cases each year. One of the major contributors to the development of this condition is a heart attack, known medically as a myocardial infarction, which occurs in nearly 1.1 million Americans each year. It is easy to recognize that impairments of the heart and circulatory system represent a major cause of death and disability in the United States [5].

What leads to these devastating effects? The destruction of heart muscle cells, known as cardiomyocytes, can be the result of hypertension, chronic insufficiency in the blood supply to the heart muscle caused by coronary artery disease, or a heart attack, the sudden closing of a blood vessel supplying oxygen to the heart. Despite advances in surgical procedures, mechanical assistance devices, drug therapy, and organ transplantation, more than half of patients with congestive heart failure die within five years of initial diagnosis. Research has shown that therapies such as clot-busting medications can reestablish blood flow to the damaged regions of the heart and limit the death of cardiomyocytes. Researchers are now exploring ways to save additional lives by using replacement cells for dead or impaired cells so that the weakened heart muscle can regain its pumping power.

How might stem cells play a part in repairing the heart? To answer this question, researchers are building their knowledge base about how stem cells are directed to become specialized cells. One important type of cell that can be developed is the cardiomyocyte, the heart muscle cell that contracts to eject the blood out of the heart's main pumping chamber (the ventricle). Two other cell types are important to a properly functioning heart are the vascular endothelial cell, which forms the inner lining of new blood vessels, and the smooth muscle cell, which forms the wall of blood vessels. The heart has a large demand for blood flow, and these specialized cells are important for developing a new network of arteries to bring nutrients and oxygen to the cardiomyocytes after a heart has been damaged. The potential capability of both embryonic and adult stem cells to develop into these cells types in the damaged heart is now being explored as part of a strategy to restore heart function to people who have had heart attacks or have congestive heart failure. It is important that work with stem cells is not confused with recent reports that human cardiac myocytes may undergo cell division after myocardial infarction [1]. This work suggests that injured heart cells can shift from a quiescent state into active cell division. This is not different from the ability of a host of other cells in the body that begin to divide after injury. There is still no evidence that there are true stem cells in the heart which can proliferate and differentiate.

Researchers now know that under highly specific growth conditions in laboratory culture dishes, stem cells can be coaxed into developing as new cardiomyocytes and vascular endothelial cells. Scientists are interested in exploiting this ability to provide replacement tissue for the damaged heart. This approach has immense advantages over heart transplant, particularly in light of the paucity of donor hearts available to meet current transplantation needs.

What is the evidence that such an approach to restoring cardiac function might work? In the research laboratory, investigators often use a mouse or rat model of a heart attack to study new therapies (see Figure 9.1. Rodent Model of Myocardial Infarction). To create a heart attack in a mouse or rat, a ligature is placed around a major blood vessel serving the heart muscle, thereby depriving the cardiomyocytes of their oxygen and nutrient supplies. During the past year, researchers using such models have made several key discoveries that kindled interest in the application of adult stem cells to heart muscle repair in animal models of heart disease.

Figure 9.1. Rodent Model of Myocardial Infarction.

( 2001 Terese Winslow, Lydia Kibiuk)

Recently, Orlic and colleagues [9] reported on an experimental application of hematopoietic stem cells for the regeneration of the tissues in the heart. In this study, a heart attack was induced in mice by tying off a major blood vessel, the left main coronary artery. Through the identification of unique cellular surface markers, the investigators then isolated a select group of adult primitive bone marrow cells with a high capacity to develop into cells of multiple types. When injected into the damaged wall of the ventricle, these cells led to the formation of new cardiomyocytes, vascular endothelium, and smooth muscle cells, thus generating de novo myocardium, including coronary arteries, arterioles, and capillaries. The newly formed myocardium occupied 68 percent of the damaged portion of the ventricle nine days after the bone marrow cells were transplanted, in effect replacing the dead myocardium with living, functioning tissue. The researchers found that mice that received the transplanted cells survived in greater numbers than mice with heart attacks that did not receive the mouse stem cells. Follow-up experiments are now being conducted to extend the posttransplantation analysis time to determine the longer-range effects of such therapy [8]. The partial repair of the damaged heart muscle suggests that the transplanted mouse hematopoietic stem cells responded to signals in the environment near the injured myocardium. The cells migrated to the damaged region of the ventricle, where they multiplied and became "specialized" cells that appeared to be cardiomyocytes.

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9. Can Stem Cells Repair a Damaged Heart? [Stem Cell Information]

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Adult Stem Cell Enhancer by Dr. Riordan, Chinese subtitle.
Consistently Increase of 50-100% Bone Marrow stem cells. Dr. Riordan Introduces Adult Stem cell Enhancer From RBC Life #39;s Stem-Kine with Dr. Clinton Howard an...

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Bone marrow is the spongy tissue inside some of your bones, such as your hip and thigh bones. It contains immature cells, called stem cells. The stem cells can develop into the red blood cells that carry oxygen through your body, the white blood cells that fight infections, and the platelets that help with blood clotting.

If you have a bone marrow disease, there are problems with the stem cells or how they develop. Leukemia is a cancer in which the bone marrow produces abnormal white blood cells. With aplastic anemia, the bone marrow doesn't make red blood cells. Other diseases, such as lymphoma, can spread into the bone marrow and affect the production of blood cells. Other causes of bone marrow disorders include your genetic makeup and environmental factors.

Symptoms of bone marrow diseases vary. Treatments depend on the disorder and how severe it is. They might involve medicines, blood transfusions or a bone marrow transplant.

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Bone Marrow Diseases: MedlinePlus - U.S. National Library of Medicine

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Skip Navigation Henry, transplant recipient

Marrow transplant patients are at the heart of our mission.

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Your little miracle could be someone elses cure. Your babys umbilical cord is a lifeline. After your baby is born, that lifeline can give hope to patients with blood cancers. Learn more about donating cord blood and how cord blood saves lives.

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Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is the transplantation of multipotent hematopoietic stem cells, usually derived from bone marrow, peripheral blood, or umbilical cord blood. It is a medical procedure in the fields of hematology and oncology, most often performed for patients with certain cancers of the blood or bone marrow, such as multiple myeloma or leukemia. In these cases, the recipient's immune system is usually destroyed with radiation or chemotherapy before the transplantation. Infection and graft-versus-host disease is a major complication of allogenic HSCT.

Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation remains a dangerous procedure with many possible complications; it is reserved for patients with life-threatening diseases. As the survival of the procedure increases, its use has expanded beyond cancer, such as autoimmune diseases.[1][2]

Many recipients of HSCTs are multiple myeloma[3] or leukemia patients[4] who would not benefit from prolonged treatment with, or are already resistant to, chemotherapy. Candidates for HSCTs include pediatric cases where the patient has an inborn defect such as severe combined immunodeficiency or congenital neutropenia with defective stem cells, and also children or adults with aplastic anemia[5] who have lost their stem cells after birth. Other conditions[6] treated with stem cell transplants include sickle-cell disease, myelodysplastic syndrome, neuroblastoma, lymphoma, Ewing's sarcoma, desmoplastic small round cell tumor, chronic granulomatous disease and Hodgkin's disease. More recently non-myeloablative, or so-called "mini transplant," procedures have been developed that require smaller doses of preparative chemo and radiation. This has allowed HSCT to be conducted in the elderly and other patients who would otherwise be considered too weak to withstand a conventional treatment regimen.

A total of 50,417 first hematopoietic stem cell transplants were reported as taking place worldwide in 2006, according to a global survey of 1327 centers in 71 countries conducted by the Worldwide Network for Blood and Marrow Transplantation. Of these, 28,901 (57%) were autologous and 21,516 (43%) were allogenetic (11,928 from family donors and 9,588 from unrelated donors). The main indications for transplant were lymphoproliferative disorders (54.5%) and leukemias (33.8%), and the majority took place in either Europe (48%) or the Americas (36%).[7] In 2009, according to the world marrow donor association, stem cell products provided for unrelated transplantation worldwide had increased to 15,399 (3,445 bone marrow donations, 8,162 peripheral blood stem cell donations, and 3,792 cord blood units).[8]

Autologous HSCT requires the extraction (apheresis) of haematopoietic stem cells (HSC) from the patient and storage of the harvested cells in a freezer. The patient is then treated with high-dose chemotherapy with or without radiotherapy with the intention of eradicating the patient's malignant cell population at the cost of partial or complete bone marrow ablation (destruction of patient's bone marrow function to grow new blood cells). The patient's own stored stem cells are then transfused into his/her bloodstream, where they replace destroyed tissue and resume the patient's normal blood cell production. Autologous transplants have the advantage of lower risk of infection during the immune-compromised portion of the treatment since the recovery of immune function is rapid. Also, the incidence of patients experiencing rejection (graft-versus-host disease) is very rare due to the donor and recipient being the same individual. These advantages have established autologous HSCT as one of the standard second-line treatments for such diseases as lymphoma.[9] However, for others such as Acute Myeloid Leukemia, the reduced mortality of the autogenous relative to allogeneic HSCT may be outweighed by an increased likelihood of cancer relapse and related mortality, and therefore the allogeneic treatment may be preferred for those conditions.[10] Researchers have conducted small studies using non-myeloablative hematopoietic stem cell transplantation as a possible treatment for type I (insulin dependent) diabetes in children and adults. Results have been promising; however, as of 2009[update] it was premature to speculate whether these experiments will lead to effective treatments for diabetes.[11]

Allogeneic HSCT involves two people: the (healthy) donor and the (patient) recipient. Allogeneic HSC donors must have a tissue (HLA) type that matches the recipient. Matching is performed on the basis of variability at three or more loci of the HLA gene, and a perfect match at these loci is preferred. Even if there is a good match at these critical alleles, the recipient will require immunosuppressive medications to mitigate graft-versus-host disease. Allogeneic transplant donors may be related (usually a closely HLA matched sibling), syngeneic (a monozygotic or 'identical' twin of the patient - necessarily extremely rare since few patients have an identical twin, but offering a source of perfectly HLA matched stem cells) or unrelated (donor who is not related and found to have very close degree of HLA matching). Unrelated donors may be found through a registry of bone marrow donors such as the National Marrow Donor Program. People who would like to be tested for a specific family member or friend without joining any of the bone marrow registry data banks may contact a private HLA testing laboratory and be tested with a mouth swab to see if they are a potential match.[12] A "savior sibling" may be intentionally selected by preimplantation genetic diagnosis in order to match a child both regarding HLA type and being free of any obvious inheritable disorder. Allogeneic transplants are also performed using umbilical cord blood as the source of stem cells. In general, by transfusing healthy stem cells to the recipient's bloodstream to reform a healthy immune system, allogeneic HSCTs appear to improve chances for cure or long-term remission once the immediate transplant-related complications are resolved.[13][14][15]

A compatible donor is found by doing additional HLA-testing from the blood of potential donors. The HLA genes fall in two categories (Type I and Type II). In general, mismatches of the Type-I genes (i.e. HLA-A, HLA-B, or HLA-C) increase the risk of graft rejection. A mismatch of an HLA Type II gene (i.e. HLA-DR, or HLA-DQB1) increases the risk of graft-versus-host disease. In addition a genetic mismatch as small as a single DNA base pair is significant so perfect matches require knowledge of the exact DNA sequence of these genes for both donor and recipient. Leading transplant centers currently perform testing for all five of these HLA genes before declaring that a donor and recipient are HLA-identical.

Race and ethnicity are known to play a major role in donor recruitment drives, as members of the same ethnic group are more likely to have matching genes, including the genes for HLA.[1]

To limit the risks of transplanted stem cell rejection or of severe graft-versus-host disease in allogeneic HSCT, the donor should preferably have the same human leukocyte antigens (HLA) as the recipient. About 25 to 30 percent of allogeneic HSCT recipients have an HLA-identical sibling. Even so-called "perfect matches" may have mismatched minor alleles that contribute to graft-versus-host disease.

In the case of a bone marrow transplant, the HSC are removed from a large bone of the donor, typically the pelvis, through a large needle that reaches the center of the bone. The technique is referred to as a bone marrow harvest and is performed under general anesthesia.

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