Repair stem cells (aka adult stem cells) are now being used to treat Crohn's Disease- in Topeka, Kansas.  They have just begun a double blind study to determine the effects of adult stem cells on Crohn's Disease-  and the Margolis fearless prediction is "Of course, it will work!":

 The trial is using stem cells harvested from healthy adult donors. Dr. Robert Braun of Cotton-O'Neil Digestive Health Center says the adult stem cells are able to modulate the inflammatory response. He says the cells can go to the site of active inflammation and turn down the inflammatory response, giving patients relief. (The stem cells are doing what they are supposed to do- repair!- DM)

Look how repair stem cells can help change someone's life:

37-year old Veronica Sherer is among those taking part in the trial. Diagnosed with Crohn's disease three years ago, she says it's had a dramatic impact on her life. She says she's had a lot of pain and must make frequent trips to the restroom. She also has no energy to keep up with her year-old daughter.

Veronica's husband found out about the trial. Veronica says getting accepted was "a big shining hope."

 While Veronica can't be sure she's getting the real thing, she believes it's making a difference. She says she's full of energy and happy and feels like she has a whole new lease on life-  (I wish I had one dollar for every repair stem cell recipient who has uttered similar words-DM)


Click here for more on how repair stem cells are helping Crohn's Disease

A couple of days ago, I wrote about how joining the bone marrow registry can save someone's life.  Again, I urge you to register so if someone has a disease that can be helped with a bone marrow (stem cell) transplant, and if your bone marrow matches that of the patient, you will have the opportunity to save that person's life.  And I can imagine that is a wonderful feeling.  Look at the faces of these parents who received the news that their child has found a matching donor:

Larrow, an English teacher at Mulberry High School, was grading final exams Tuesday when she was told that two bone marrow matches had been found for her son Liam.

Nine-month-old Liam was recently diagnosed with Hurler syndrome, a rare genetic disorder that affects only one or two people in 100,000.

The disorder causes the buildup of mucopolysaccharides, or long chains of sugar molecules, that are in the body's mucus and joint fluids.

Liam and others with Hurler syndrome do not have the necessary enzyme needed to break down the molecules.

The only way to keep the disorder from causing mental retardation is a successful bone marrow transplant.

When she heard the good news, Larrow couldn't contain herself. She called her husband, James Larrow, as well as other family members and friends. She left messages for those she couldn't reach. "Everyone got this really high-pitched, chattery message. I was so thrilled," Larrow said.

Click here to see their happy smiles 

More good news for people with bad backs and who may require surgery:

Dr. Christopher Centeno, medical director of Westminster-based Regenerative Sciences, the company that grew the cells, said the surgery could change the way future back operations are handled.

"I think this is the beginning of a new era of surgery," Centeno said Tuesday. "We usually take out the offending piece but do nothing to repair the small damage we just created. This allows you to do both." (I like that word "repair" because that is what adult stem cells are- repair stem cells)


Adult stem cells have been injected into patients' backs and joints to promote tissue growth, but it's the first time stem cells have been injected during a spinal surgery, he said.

Just another use for adult (repair) stem cells.

Click here to read the full article

Regular readers of this blog know that stem cells are helping and have been helping leukemia patients for more than 20 years.  So why do we still read about deaths due to leukemia?  There are obviously multiple answers to that question.  However, one problem is a lack of bone marrow donors.  You see, to cure a leukemia patient, he/she will need a perfect match of bone marrow (stem cells) from a donor so the patient's body will not reject the stem cell transplant.  This perfect match sometimes comes from the patient's family, but often this is not the case.  Therefore, in most countries, there is a bone marrow donor registry program in which an organization tries to match up donors with people suffering from leukemia or lymphoma or other life threatening diseases that can be treated by stem cells.  In America, you can find more information on how to become a possible donor at http://www.marrow.org

Here is a little more information from that website:

Bone marrow transplant is a life-saving treatment for people with leukemia, lymphoma and many other diseases. First, patients undergo chemotherapy and sometimes radiation to destroy their diseased marrow. Then a donor's healthy blood-forming cells are given directly into the patient's bloodstream, where they can begin to function and multiply.

In order for a patient's body to accept these healthy cells, the donor's tissue type needs to match the patient's type as closely as possible. Patients who do not have a suitably matched donor in their family may search the NMDP Registry for an unrelated bone marrow donor or cord blood unit.

Here is a wonderful example of how by joining the bone marrow registry, you can save someone's life and make a life long friend:

Wicker, 33, discovered symptoms of leukemia in August 2002 when he felt fatigued trying to climb Mount St. Helens in Washington with some friends.

From there, it got worse.

"I went from what I thought was totally normal to not being able to walk up a set of stairs without my heart popping out of my chest," he said.

After his diagnosis the next month, Wicker traveled to Columbus, Ohio, for chemotherapy while waiting for a bone marrow match, thinking one would not prove too difficult to find. Instead, he received treatment every other month and found himself waiting.

Friends and co-workers participated in bone marrow blood drives but yielded no matches.

"It felt like a long time -- it was getting to the point where we were talking about the quality of life," Wicker said. "Without the transplant, I wasn't going to live."

Wicker received good news in March 2003 -- he had a match, and the transplant would take place April 3.

Click here to read the happy ending to this story


 And then click here to find out how you can join the registry and be a life long hero

I can't say I am very surprised by this.  I know the magic of adult stem cells.  Let me take you back 3 months- you may remember I reported a story about two brothers with a rare skin condition called epidermolysis bullosa.  The youngest boy, Nate Liao, was believed to be the first person in the world to be treated with stem cells (cord blood stem cells) for this condition.

Well, the results are in.  It is now being reported that the stem cells are helping- immensely!:

At 2 years old, bright-eyed Nate Liao can finally wear a T-shirt.

It may not sound like much, but eight months ago, the fabric would have caused his fragile skin to blister and rub off entirely.

Nate was a world first in October when he received an experimental transplant at the University of Minnesota to treat a hereditary and fatal skin disease known as recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa, or EB. At the time, the treatment had been demonstrated only in laboratory mice, but the youngest of four Liao boys has made stunning progress.

Click here to read about another condition helped by cord blood stem cells!