2009 Inspiring Stem Cell Success Stories

Another year is over and I want to thank you all for visiting this adult stem cell research blog.  Your enthusiastic emails and inspiring comments give me the energy to keep writing.  However, even more inspiring are stem cell success stories such as this one.  2 best friends, both with cerebral palsy, embarked on a journey in which a community came together to help raise money for a stem cell treatment that is now changing their lives.

Dominic King and Harrison Spiers, both 10 years old, from Englewood, Colorado went to Germany in August 2009, to receive stem cell therapy using adult stem cells taken from their own bodies. 

From the stem cell news story:


Harrison's father said the procedure is not related to the use of embryonic stem cells.

"There's been a lot of debate on health care, and stem cells. This is not controversial. They are taking it from (Harrison's) own body and putting it back in his own body. It's here and now, not maybe 30 years from now," he said.

But the procedure is not done in the United States, so the boys would have to raise thousands of dollars and travel to Germany. Fortunately, their school and their community stepped up and made it possible.

"It's amazing. I know we keep saying that word, but truly is," Alicia Spears. "(We) hear it everyday on the news…people are being laid off, unemployment numbers are up, money is tight. And yet, people in this neighborhood and this community found a way to write checks."

"It hit me, I started crying in the car and thought this is just unbelievable what people will do," Christina King said.

Stem Cell Video For Cerebral Palsy

 

Tide Is Changing In The Media Regarding Stem Cell Research?

I hope you watched the whole stem cell video.  I was near tears by the end.  Whoever put this video together deserves a gold medal.  This wasn't just a usual 2 minute snippet.  This was a full 6 minute video about a tremendous adult stem cell story.  Hopefully, this is a turning point in which the media now focuses on stem cell research that is NOW helping people daily- adult stem cell therapy to be exact.  I think the tide is turning and no longer are the media infatuated with these scientists who give good quotes about the potential of embryonic stem cells, but never "show us the money".   The only people helped by embryonic stem cell research are the scientists who get paid with our tax dollars. 

A very happy new year to all of you and let's get the word out about adult stem cells- maybe  we can get it here in the USA some day soon (perhaps I am too caught up in the New Year excitement :). 


We have plenty of other success stories about children and adults with cerebral palsy helped by adult stem cells.  Please feel free to explore our website for more inspiring stories. 

Tre Porfirio, US Hero And Stem Cell Pioneer

A US soldier with multiple gun shot wounds in his pancreas was saved from Diabetes using new stem cell research.  Tre Porfirio, a 21 year old US airman, was shot while serving our country in Afghanistan.  Bullets almost destroyed his pancreas, the place in the body where insulin is produced. 

In an amazing development for stem cell research, doctors at the University of Miami removed some remaining insulin producing islet cells from his pancreas and transplanted these cells into his liver.  Now, these islet cells are producing insulin for his body from his liver! 

Tre Porfirio (above) - A Stem Cell Pioneer

Stem Cell Process To Save Tre Porfirio

1. Doctors at Walter Reed removed what was left of Porfirio's pancreas, packed it into a special container that held it at 32.3 degrees Fahrenheit and couriered it to the University of Miami. Ricordi and his team received it at 11 p.m. and spent the next six hours removing the insulin-producing islet cells.
2. Using enzymes and gentle heat, they extracted thousands of the cells, which range from .002 inches to .02 inches across, put them in a plastic bag similar to those used in blood donations, put them back in the container, this time at 46 degrees -- and, by 6:30 Thanksgiving morning -- couriered it back to Walter Reed.
3. There, doctors hoisted the bag on a pole and, by gravity, fed the islet cells into a duct in the airman's liver, with Dr. Ricordi and his team coordinating the procedure via an Internet connection with surgeons at Walter Reed. By Monday, the new cells in his liver were producing insulin, although doctors also were giving him extra insulin to avoid stressing the new cells.

Dr. Camillo Ricordi, Stem Cell Genius

Credit for this miracle goes to Dr. Camillo Ricordi, chief of the University of Miami Medical School's Diabetes Research Institute, and a stem cell research pioneer who has been trying similar methods on patients since 1990. 

From the stem cell news article:

``The cells are lodged in his liver now, and they will develop their own new blood vessels there within weeks,'' Ricordi says.

Ricordi is optimistic about Porfirio's prognosis, even long-term.

``There's no reason to think they [the cells] will fail at any time. He has a very good chance for long-term health.''

Ricordi says that, since only about half of Porfirio's pancreas was left from which to remove islet cells, the remaining cells in the liver might not be able to produce as much insulin as he needs -- and might need to be supplemented.

``We've never done this before. We don't want to be over-optimistic.''

Optimistic, But Not Over-optimistic???

Look at those last 4 paragraphs-- "Ricordi is optimistic.... There's no reason to think they will fail.".. and then the last sentence we get "we don't want to be over-optimistic." 

What's wrong with being optimistic or even over optimistic?  Positive thinking can help one's health too- numerous studies have shown this.  And if it fails, that would be disappointing, but the alternative would have been to do nothing at all and just let Tre become a full blown diabetic.    Again, I wish these doctors would be more proud of their research and achievements rather than the standard "much is still unknown, but it is promising"  vanilla statements we always get. 

Nevertheless, brave to Dr. Ricordi at the University of Miami for his achievements in stem cell research. 

Research Study Shows Adult Stem Cells Effective For Heart Disease

A new double blind study just released this month proves that adult stem cells are effective for heart disease patients.  The Reinfusion of Enriched Progenitor Cells And Infarct Remodeling in Acute Myocardial Infarction (REPAIR-AMI) research trial shows that patients who received their own stem cells after a heart attack did significantly better than patients who didn't receive adult stem cells after a heart attack.

From the stem cell research study: 

The statistics that shouldn't give anyone a heart attack if you know even a little bit about adult stem cells are as follows:

• 101 heart attack patients were given their own adult stem cells,  103 heart attack patients received a placebo.
• 2 years after their heart attack,  0 patients who had been given stem cells had suffered a 2nd heart attack, while 7 heart attack patients from the placebo group did have a second heart attack.  This is a statistically significant difference.
• 3 out of 101 heart attack patients given stem cells died,  8 heart attack patients given the placebo died.
• Only 1 out of 101 patients given stem cells had to return to the hospital for congestive heart failure, while 5 of the 103 heart attack patients given the placebo were rehospitalized for heart failure.

When We Be Able To Get Stem Cells?

All stats favor the the heart attack patients who received their own adult stem cells.  This shouldn't surprise anyone and is just further proof that adult stem cells should be given to every heart attack patient as a standard medical intervention.  The fact that stem cell therapy is still not available to the millions of heart attack patients around the world every year is practically a crime against humanity.  I can't think of a reason NOT to give these patients stem cells.

More Research Is Needed? Why?

Of course, Dr. Birgit Assmus, the leader of the study, and assistant professor of cardiology at J.W. Goethe University in Frankfurt, Germany, plays down his impressive results and says " "More research is needed, but this gives us a hint of what might be possible with this new treatment — prevention of another heart attack and of rehospitalization for heart failure, both life-threatening complications."  Assmus also says "Large, randomized trials are urgently needed to assess the effects of progenitor-cell therapy in patients with heart attacks."

Just once, I want to hear one of these doctors who complete these stem cell research trials with tremendous results say "YES, I just proved that adult stem cells are effective.  Let's start using them!!"  That would be better than these "medical establishment" correct statements that just say "we need more money for more research studies." 

But bravo anyhow to Dr. Assmus.  Well done. 

Blinded Eye Given Gift of Sight Back After Stem Cell Treatment

A man blinded after having ammonia squirted in his eye is now able to see again thanks to adult stem cells taken from his own body.  Russell Turnbull, 38, from England had therapy using stem cells taken from his other eye in a research study in London. 

The treatment has enabled Russell to regain the use of his right eye after the ammonia attack.  It was a very simple procedure in which cells were taken from his left eye (his good eye) and then grown in a lab and implanted into his right eye- as simple as that. 

What Does Russell Have To Say? 

From the stem cell news article:

Russell of Consett, Co Durham, had endured 12 years of painful treatments - which all failed - until he was asked to take part in the North East England Stem Cell Institute trial in 2006.

He said: "It has restored my sight. The results really are amazing and I cannot thank the doctors enough. It has given me my life back."

Stem Cell Process For Eyes

• A slice of stem cells one millimetre square is removed from the cornea of the patient's good eye
• It is placed on a sheet of amniotic membrane and immersed in blood from the patient and a solution of glucose, insulin and hydrocortisone
• The stem cells grow until they cover the surface of the membrane
•  The surface layers of the bad cornea are then removed ready for the transplant of the new stem cells
• The membrane and stems cells are stitched to the damaged cornea.
• After eight weeks they graft to the cornea restoring the patient's sight

Move Along, Nothing To See Here Folks

While much is made of this stem cell research study, this isn't really so new.  If you look at these stem cell treatment for cornea success stories, you will see that adult stem cells have been helping cornea injuries for quite some time.  Also, for other eye conditions helped by stem cell therapy- you can click for optic nerve helped by adult stem cells stories.  

Macular Degeneration seems to be difficult for adult stem cells at the moment, but there is no doubt in my mind that adult stem cell research will come up with something shortly thus benefitting millions.

Stem Cell Research Benefits Optic Nerve Hypoplasia Patient

Another young girl with optic nerve hypoplasia is reporting improvements in her vision after receiving stem cell treatment.  Lilli Mann, 8, from North Dakota is now seeing things she has never seen before after getting stem cell research in China using cord blood stem cells.

The Only Viable Treatment For ONH

Lilli is the latest child to show improvements in her vision following the therapy and research Optic nerve hypoplasia or ONH is a genetic condition in which the optic nerve fails to develop leaving the patient blind or with very limited vision.  Until adult stem cells, there was no way to help these patients.   Adult Stem Cell treatment is the first viable therapy for this condition as many children have proved.

Before Receiving Adult Stem Cells

1. Could Only See Large Letters From 15 cm away on Eye Exam
2. Could Only Listen To TV
3. Never Saw Snow

After The Stem Cell Treatment

1. Now Can See Large Letters From 60 cm away on Eye Exam -  Quadruple Improvement!
2. Can Now Watch TV
3. Saw snow for the first time as well as countless other things she never had the opportunity to see

From the stem cell news story:

Lilli, born with optic nerve hypoplasia, an incurable disease which occurs while in the womb, traveled to Qingdao, China, with her mother in September to receive stem cell injections said to repair damaged nerve tissue. Although the 25-day visit was difficult and full of treatments and therapies brand new to Lilli, for the Manns the results are thrilling.

Lilli was particularly thrilled to be able to read large print. During an eye test, Christi indicated doctors determined Lilli was seeing large letters from 60 centimeters away, when at home, prior to the treatment, she was seeing them at 15 centimeters away.

Now that she has returned to Wahpeton, Lilli's improved range of vision continues at home and in the classroom. She's pointed out to her parents' cars parked an average of two parking lots away. Christi said she's even been able to identify the car's color.

In school, Lilli is able to participate in games of kickball in gym class, where they use a purple ball she's able to identify.

Stem cells are meant to work as an "internal repair system" that mature between six and nine months of being injected. While the Manns hope for improvement beyond what Lilli has gone through to date, she'll always maintain what advances she's made because of her visit to China.

Christi first began to see a change in Lilli during outings to the mall being built across the street from the hospital in Qingdao.

"We went there everyday to get out and do something," Christi said. "She'd find things on the wall and ask what they were."

Quality of Life Improvements From Adult Stem Cells

Another quality of life improvement thanks to adult stem cells.  Since the therapy was made available, many youngsters like Macie Morse, the young girl from Colorado with ONH who can now drive after the stem cell research and treatment and Lawrence Brown, a young man from Texas who also has improved greatly.

If you are interested in stem cell treatment for ONH or some other disease or condition, please go to Adult Stem Cell Research  and fill out the form and we will be happy to assist you.