The Don Margolis Blog
Featuring the most comprehensive collection of "disease specific" stem cell treatment articles in the world. We provide the most current, factual and comprehensive information on available stem cell treatments today for your specific medical condition.
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Recent research has shown once again that only adult stem cells are capable of treating humans. Embryonic stem cells generate cysts and tumors and Induced Pluripotent stem cells develop genetic abnormalities when they are used. (Induced Pluripotent stem cells are those stem cells created by scientist who take simple adult skin cells and then regress them to an embryonic like state – see article below) – dg
Genetic Abnormalities Discovered After Creation of (induced pluripotent) Stem Cells
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Discovery sheds new light on the process of stem cell generation, and will help promote safer stem-cell based studies and future clinical trials
Thursday, 10 March 2011
Dr. Andras Nagy’s laboratory at the Samuel Lunenfeld Research Institute of Mount Sinai Hospital and Dr. Timo Otonkoski’s laboratory at Biomedicum Stem Cell Center, University of Helsinki, as well as collaborators in Europe and Canada have identified genetic abnormalities associated with reprogramming adult cells to induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells. The findings give researchers new insights into the reprogramming process, and will help make future applications of stem cell creation and subsequent use safer.
The study was published in Nature.
The team showed that the reprogramming process for generating iPS cells (i.e., cells that can then be ‘coaxed’ to become a variety of cell types for use in regenerative medicine) is associated with inherent DNA damage.
This damage is detected in the form of genetic rearrangements and ‘copy number variations,’ which are alterations of DNA in which a region of the genome is either deleted or amplified on certain chromosomes. The variability may either be inherited, or caused by de novo mutation.
“Our analysis shows that these genetic changes are a result of the reprogramming process itself, which raises the concern that the resultant cell lines are mutant or defective,” said Dr. Nagy, a Senior Investigator at the Lunenfeld.
“These mutations could alter the properties of the stem cells, affecting their applications in studying degenerative conditions and screening for drugs to treat diseases. In the longer term, this discovery has important implications in the use of these cells for replacement therapies in regenerative medicine.”
“Our study also highlights the need for rigorous characterization of generated iPS lines, especially since several groups are currently trying to enhance reprogramming efficiency,” said Dr. Samer Hussein, a McEwen post-doctoral scientist who initiated these studies with Dr. Otonkoski, before completing them with Dr. Nagy.
“For example, increasing the efficiency of reprogramming may actually reduce the quality of the cells in the long run, if genomic integrity is not accurately assessed.”
The researchers used a molecular technique called single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) analysis to study stem cell lines, and specifically to compare the number of copy number variations in both early and intermediate-stage human iPS cells with their respective parental, originating cells.
Drs. Nagy and Otonkoski and their teams found that iPS cells had more genetic abnormalities than their originating cells and embryonic stem cells. Interestingly, however, the simple process of growing the freshly generated iPS cells for a few weeks selected against the highly mutant cell lines, and thus most of the genetic abnormalities were eventually ‘weeded out.’
“However, some of the mutations are beneficial for the cells and they may survive during continued growth,” said Dr. Otonkoski, Director and Senior Scientist at the Biomedicum Stem Cell Center.
Stem cells have been widely touted as a source of great hope for use in regenerative medicine, as well as in the development of new drugs to prevent and treat illnesses including Parkinson’s disease, spinal cord injury and macular degeneration. But techniques for generating these uniquely malleable cells have also opened a Pandora’s Box of concerns and ethical quandaries. Health Canada, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the European Union consider stem cells to be drugs under federal legislation, and as such, subject to the same regulations.
“Our results suggest that whole genome analysis should be included as part of quality control of iPS cell lines to ensure that these cells are genetically normal after the reprogramming process, and then use them for disease studies and/or clinical applications,” said Dr. Nagy.
“Rapid development of the technologies in genome-wide analyses will make this more feasible in the future,” said Dr. Otonkoski.
“In addition, there is a need to further explore if other methods might mitigate the amount of DNA damage generated during the generation of stem cells,” both investigators agreed.
Posted:
4/1/2011 9:48:46 AM by
Don Margolis | with
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Could Stem Cell Transplants Save Japan’s Nuclear Workers?
Scientists say Japan’s faceless heroes — the nuclear workers toiling inside the radioactive, quake-stricken Fukushima plant — could get a life-saving boost from a procedure normally used on cancer patients: stem cell transplants.
An infusion of blood stem cells can be used to boost bone marrow in cancer patients ravaged by radiation treatment. But experts say the procedure could also save the lives of Japan’s nuclear workers, who’ve been exposed to high levels of radioactive contamination while battling nuclear fallout at the country’s Fukushima Dai-ichi plant, 150 miles north of Tokyo.
About 400 workers have been staying at a building about half a mile from Fukushima’s blown-out Reactor No. 1, while residents within a surrounding 12-mile radius have evacuated altogether.
At least two workers were hospitalized last week after coming in contact with radioactive water as they tried to lay electricity cables. The exact level of radiation the workers are constantly exposed to hasn’t been made public.
Now, Japanese authorities are considering plans to collect and freeze cells from some of the workers, in case they’re in need of blood stem cell transplants later on, when the true amount of contamination is known, and if workers begin to fall ill.
Workers who’ve been exposed to high levels of contamination could develop acute radiation syndrome. “The survival rate of patients with this syndrome decreases with increasing [radiation] dose,” the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says on its website. “The primary cause of death is the destruction of the bone marrow.”
That’s where the stem cell transplants might come in…
Posted:
4/1/2011 9:47:39 AM by
Don Margolis | with
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How Cannabinoids Kill Cancer Cells
This clip is from the recently-aired PBS documentary, ‘Clearing the Smoke: The Science of Cannabis,’ which explores the scientifically proven fact that cannabinoids kill cancer cells in test tubes and in laboratory animals.
Cannabinoid receptors exist throughout organs of the human body, especially in the brain and in the immune system. These act like targets for cannabinoids. Once they bind to the receptors, peptides are released that tell the cancer cells to die, i.e., to commit suicide.
One doctor interviewed has been so encouraged by the laboratory results that he has begun cannabis trials with his own leukemia patients.
Posted:
3/31/2011 9:40:24 AM by
Don Margolis | with
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(Reuters) – Half of the experts involved in writing recent treatment guidelines for heart patients reported a conflict of interest, U.S. researchers said on Monday, raising worries about whose interests are being served.
Even though the experts are disclosing their ties to companies that produce heart drugs and devices, the phenomenon is important because the guidelines they produce are used to help train new doctors, thus can have long-lasting impact on the way patients are treated…
Of the nearly 500 people studied, 56 percent reported a conflict of interest. The most common conflicts included being a consultant or serving on a company advisory board, followed by getting a research grant, taking money for serving on a speakers’ bureau and owning stock…
Posted:
3/30/2011 9:37:29 AM by
Don Margolis | with
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Please support me as I take an amazing journey. The Out of the Darkness Overnight Experience is a 18-mile walk over the course of one night. Net proceeds benefit the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, funding research, education, and awareness programs – both to prevent suicide and to assist those affected by suicide.
CLICK THIS LINK TO MAKE A DONATION: http://bit.ly/suicide_awareness
FOR MORE DETAILED INFORMATION:
On the night of June 4-5, 2011, I will join thousands of other people on an 18-mile walk as part of the Out of the Darkness Overnight, an event that raises money for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. The goal of this journey, which will begin at dusk and finish at dawn, is to raise funds for suicide prevention, erase the stigma surrounding suicide and its causes, to encourage those suffering from mental illness to seek treatment, and to show support for the families and friends of the 30,000 Americans who die by suicide and the 20 million people that suffer from depression each year.
I am asking for your support of this effort.
I know from my own experience of losing my dear friend Steve Snyder to suicide that serious depression and other mental illnesses can be fatal. Steve struggled with depression and tried very hard to overcome his illnesses and move forward with his life. He was loved by many, many people who were devastated by his death and his suicide. I can say with confidence that had you known Steve, your life would have been enhanced by his friendship, intellect and character. Steve’s family and friends have been forever changed by his passing. They will continue to miss him deeply for the rest of their lives and they wrote a few words I’d like to share with you:
Mr. Rogers once said, “Anything that is human is mentionable. And if it is mentionable, it can be more manageable. When we talk about our feelings, they become less overwhelming, less upsetting, and less scary.” Too few people were willing to talk about Steve’s depression and his suicide. That’s why I’m walking in Out of the Darkness Overnight, to raise awareness and let people know it is ok to talk about suicide and mental illness. I want to do my part to prevent this tragedy from happening in other families.
By participating in this event, I hope to raise awareness of the serious threat that mental illness can pose and the treatment options that can help people overcome it. If one person can be saved from the illness that killed Steve, my efforts to walk 20 miles and to raise money for this cause will be worthwhile.
Please take a moment to read the enclosed fact sheet about suicide and the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention is at the forefront of many research, education, prevention and survivor initiatives. I hope you will consider supporting my participation in this event. Any contribution will help the work of AFSP. Checks should be made payable to AFSP and are 100% tax-deductible. Donations can also be made online at www.TheOvernight.org (select “Support a Participant” and search for my name). Your employer may augment your donation through a matching gift program – please check your company’s policy.
Please think about how much you can give to this cause and complete the enclosed donation form today.
Thank you for taking the time to read this letter and for being a part of my life. You have been a source of strength and support for me both when Steve was alive and in the long months since he died. It is only through the love and support of family and friends that we all survive.
Posted:
3/29/2011 9:40:19 AM by
Don Margolis | with
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Stem cells now capable of making sperm. – dg
Sperm Grown in a Dish
Researchers make sperm that successfully produces offspring in mice—a development that could one day help infertile men.
Savior sperm: Scientists in Japan have grown functional mouse sperm (shown here in green) in a dish by mimicking the chemical environment of the testes. The sperm is capable of producing fertile offspring. - Credit: Takehiko Ogawa, Yokohama City University
In a significant step toward combating male infertility, researchers at Yokohama City University have grown mouse sperm in a dish and used the sperm to produce pups that were themselves fertile in adulthood.
Researchers started with small fragments of tissue containing sperm stem cells, called spermagonia, collected from the testes of baby mice. They then grew those cells into functional sperm, using various chemicals to simulate the natural environment of the testes. The results of the study, published in this week’s issue of Nature, may eventually benefit infertile men and boys undergoing chemotherapy.
Sperm Grown in a Dish – Technology Review.
Posted:
3/28/2011 9:42:42 AM by
Don Margolis | with
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Three years ago, Vlada Kravchenko attended a party as a strong and healthy teenager but left in an ambulance, paralyzed after a lighting structure collapsed on her.
Today, the 19-year-old is organizing her own party to show everyone how stem cell treatment has begun changing her life, and pleading with the Maltese to help her “finish the job”.
After three trips to receive, which cost more than €30,000, Ms Kravchenko – who is of Ukrainian origin – is already showing huge signs of improvement.
Standing up with the help of a walking frame – something she could not do before the treatment – the former gymnast and aspiring model addressed a press conference yesterday to thank all those who helped her in her quest to dance again.
“When I decided to make my story public and launch the campaign, I wanted to create awareness about how stem cell treatment can help spinal cord injuries. Now my research has been backed up by my own experience,” she said, pointing out that the treatment must be supplemented with determination and motivation. Ms Kravchenko said the experimental treatment, which uses her own stem-cells, had enabled her to stand up and she was slowly regaining strength around her body, even though she still needs a wheelchair to get around comfortably.
Though she is still fighting for compensation in court (one of the companies responsible for the lighting structure has since liquidated, making this more difficult), all her expenses have had to be covered through donations.
Posted:
3/28/2011 6:31:10 AM by
CJ Simpson | with
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Are you or a loved one interested in receiving stem cell treatment? For free information, please fill out our
treatment form or email me
don@repairstemcells.org and just put TREATMENT in the subject box and the MEDICAL CONDITION in the message.
The first non-family bone marrow transplant took place in Bulgaria this Tuesday showing that the world is moving forward with stem cells even if the US is not. Bone Marrow transplants have been carried out for about 40 years for leukemia and other cancers to replace bone marrow destroyed by chemotherapy. -dg
Bulgaria: Unique Stem Cell Transplantation Carried Out in Bulgaria
The first transplantation of stem cells from a non-family member donor in Bulgaria was carried out Tuesday night at the National Specialized Hospital for Active Treatment of Hematological Diseases in Sofia.
The stem cells arrived from Frankfurt at the Sofia International Airport on Tuesday night and were taken to the hospital by the director, Georgi Mihaylov, the Bulgarian private TV channel bTV reported.
They were used for the life-saving transplantation of a 28-year-old woman with acute leukemia.
Posted:
3/26/2011 9:48:24 AM by
Don Margolis | with
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Are you or a loved one interested in receiving stem cell treatment? For free information, please fill out our
treatment form or email me
don@repairstemcells.org and just put TREATMENT in the subject box and the MEDICAL CONDITION in the message.
USA DOCTORS: “You are irreversibly blind with no chance of recovering your vision.”
INDIA DOCTORS: “Come home and try our stem cells.”
PATIENT: “I CAN READ. I am sure “they” will be surprised.”
CHENNAI: In February, Shailesh (name changed), a 22-year-old medical student in the US lost his eyesight after swallowing methanol, a toxic alcohol. Doctors there told him that blindness was irreversible. After stem cell therapy in India, Shailesh will soon fly back to the US to literally see his doctors.
He is today able to read and recognise colours. Once back in the US, doctors there would monitor his progress. "I am sure they are going to be surprised," he said. In his medical reports, doctors had said that he had no chances of regaining vision with or without treatment as his optic nerve had suffered irreversible damage.
Stem cell therapy is still part of clinical trials for ocular diseases in the US, but is not yet recommended as a treatment. In India, therapeutic experiments are less restrictive.
On February 24, Shailesh came to Chennai for treatment. He met stem cell therapist Dr Himanshu Basnal of the Institute of Spinal Injury and Stem Cell Research, Rudrapur and Laksha Hospital in Chennai. The Indian Council of Medical Research has allowed some hospitals to go ahead with stem cell research.
Doctors injected 120 ml of stem cells near the patient's optic nerve. These cells were drawn from his bone marrow. Stem cells have the ability to grow into specialized cells. After the first shot, Shailesh showed improvement, and procedure was repeated. "These stem cells have managed to regenerate the cells in the optic nerve. He is able to read with glasses now," said Dr Basnal, who will soon present the case for peer review in a medical journal.
Senior opthalmologists in the city said if proven, the therapy would be a boon for patients who suffer optic nerve damage due to trauma or diabetes. "But, before being adopted as a therapy, a clinical trial on larger groups of patients should be done," said a senior opthalmologist.
Posted:
3/19/2011 9:33:38 AM by
Don Margolis | with
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treatment form or email me
don@repairstemcells.org and just put TREATMENT in the subject box and the MEDICAL CONDITION in the message.
(Not possible in CorpAmerika where profits overrule saving lives)
Seville, Spain, Mar 8, 2011 / 02:04 pm (CNA/Europa Press).- A four-year-old girl has become the first patient in Spain to recover from brain cancer after being treated with stem cells from her own umbilical cord blood.
The announcement of the girl's recovery came March 7 from the company Crio-Cord, a stem cell bank in Spain.
Alba was born healthy in 2007, but at age two she was diagnosed with a rare form of brain cancer. Her treatment consisted of extracting the majority of the tumor from her brain. She was then given chemotherapy to reduce and eventually eliminate the remainder of the tumor.
Alba's blood system was destroyed during the final round of chemo, thus requiring a transplant of cord blood stem cells.
The procedure was carried out in 2009 by Dr. Luis Madero of the Department of Oncology and Hematology at the Nino Jesus Hospital in Madrid.
Today, four year-old Alba is a healthy girl.
Periodic Reviews
Sixty days after the transplant, Alba was given new stem cells taken from her peripheral blood in order to accelerate the production of platelets. Fourteen months after the transplant, her blood system was completely restored, and she has since enjoyed a normal life.
Dr. Madero called her case unique in Spain. “The use of stem cells to regenerate the blood system is an extended treatment for this form of cancer,” he said. What makes her case unique, he added, “is that for the first time in our country, the stem cells came from a patient’s own umbilical cord, preserved from birth.”
“In recent years, transplants of cord blood stem cells have become increasingly common. In the case of siblings, these stem cells are the best therapeutic option that exists,” he said.
“Our best investment”
Alba’s father, Santiago, who is a computer engineer, and her mother, Teresa, a literature professor, agreed that keeping the blood from Alba’s umbilical cord was the “best investment” they ever made.
Santiago said he had previously seen a report “on the treatment for Parkinson’s using stem cells … and was sympathetic to the idea of using stem cells to treat degenerative diseases.”
“Keeping the umbilical cord is a wager for the future, a life insurance policy that you don’t know if you will need but that could save a life,” Teresa added.
The head of Crio-Cord, Guillermo Munoz, also said he was pleased at the results of the therapy. He noted that the organization was “proud to have participated in Alba’s healing process.”
Cases like these confirm “that umbilical cord blood is an excellent source of stem cells. Being the youngest cells of their kind in the human body, they have great potential to cure,” Munoz explained.
Posted:
3/18/2011 9:48:00 AM by
Don Margolis | with
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