Research Shows Adult Stem Cells Can Heal Heart Attack

In a stem cell research study at the University of Miami, Barry Brown has had his heart attack healed after receiving therapy using his own Adult Stem Cells. An unlikely candidate for heart disease, Barry was a 38 year old physical trainer in the Air Force when he had his heart attack.

Stem Cell Treatment in Addition to a Bypass Surgery

While receiving treatment at the VA hospital, Brown was approached by Dr. Juan Pablo Zambrano, a cardiologist at the University of Miami who have been conducting a clinical trial in which the heart disease patient is injected with their own Adult Stem Cells just after the completion of bypass surgery. In other words, while the chest is open, it is convenient for the heart surgeon to inject the stem cells into the heart muscle.

Process of Stem Cells for Heart Disease

Barry was accepted into the study and had some of his bone marrow extracted 4 weeks before his bypass surgery was scheduled. The Adult Stem Cells from his bone marrow were isolated and then cultivated so there was enough stem cells to help in the treatment. Then, after 4 weeks the stem cells were injected into the heart at the same time as Barry's bypass surgery.

And how did it turn out? From the stem cell article:

Things have slowed down for Brown since those hectic first weeks at the VA, but things are speeding up in a different way now. Each week, he has been able to add a quarter-mile to his daily workout walk.

By spring he was up to three miles a day. Now, at 39, he is training to compete in a mini-triathlon.

''And I'm feeling no discomfort,'' he said.

Although the initial case studies have been successful, the three doctors know they are facing an uphill battle. They have secured only 11 of the targeted 45 willing participants. Many who have heart damage are unwilling to wait a month for their stem cells to incubate without a guarantee that they will be in the treatment group.

''We are working with the FDA to try to guarantee that those who are in the placebo group do eventually get administered the treatment,'' Hare said.

Working With the FDA? Waiting for the Cubs to Win the World Series Too?

In other words, Dr. Hare, who is conducting the study and is playing by the FDA rules, wants to give stem cells to the patients who received the placebo in his study -AFTER the study is completed. Why it would take more than 1 phone call to the FDA to guarantee that those in the placebo group receive the stem cell treatment (after the research is completed!)  is beyond my comprehension.  Not many have accused the FDA of having common sense and compassion.

Sarcasm aside, I am very happy that Dr. Hare is conducting the research study and helping heart disease patients improve their lives with the use of their own stem cells as treatment. Keep on going my friend.

Drug Companies and FDA Trying to Slow Adult Stem Cell Progress

In a startling new interview on stem cell research and adult stem cells in the near future, Dr. Christopher Centeno warns that Big Pharma and the FDA are teaming to control the use of a person's own stem cells thus slowing innovation and the use of Adult Stem Cells to help patients now.

American Stem Cell Therapy Association

Dr. Centeno has formed the American Stem Cell Therapy Association to challenge the FDA's assertion that a person's own stem cells are a drug and thus should be regulated as such ie. subject to 7-10 years of clinical trials for each particular disease and condition.  That is 10 years for heart patients, 10 years of trials for stroke patients etc.

The FDA is Killing People By Slowing Down Use of a Person's Own Stem Cells

The article/interview in H+ magazine states:

If we're not careful, these therapies could become the exclusive domain of the pharmaceutical industry, as regulated by the Federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA). This could push the availability of this tool kit 15 to 20 years into the future. The opportunity-cost in terms of morbidity and mortality could be catastrophic.

"The Opportunity-cost in terms of morbidity and mortality could be catastrophic? This is just the author's nice PC way of saying that the FDA is killing people by trying to regulate the use of our own cells.  If the FDA slows down the use of Adult Stem Cells- each year millions will suffer and die needlessly.


More from the article:

To Dr. Centeno (a pioneer in Adult stem cell therapy), it is inconceivable that a person’s own cells could be classified as a drug —  but that's exactly what the FDA wants to do. “The FDA is working to protect the interests of Big Pharma,” he says. “If we wanted to insert some kind of new genes into these cells, we might all agree that could be a drug  — a new entity. But what we're doing is simply culturing a person’s own cells. Most of the cells are bone-marrow derived; you can get them from synovial fluid in the knee or from other locations.”

I recommend you read the whole article carefully and see how the FDA is not helping and protecting and serving us-  but in reality, is hurting us.

Here is the link to the Adult Stem Cell article

If you are a doctor and interested in joining forces with Dr. Centeno in taking on the FDA- go to the http://www.stemcelldocs.org

If you are a patient or just interested in fighting the FDA for the use of our own stem cells- go to http://www.safestemcells.org

Prochymal Adult Stem Cell Therapy Available For Graft Vs Host Disease

Lost amidst the Adult stem cell company Osiris' latest press release announcing their 1rst quarter results for 2009, was a revelation that revealed that their "off the shelf" stem cell product, Prochymal, was given approval by the FDA to be used as a stem cell treatment and therapy for Graft Vs Host Disease (GVHD) in children.

Adult Stem Cells for GVHD

In May 2008, Osiris announced that Prochymal could be used under the FDA's expanded access treatment program (EATP) which would make the Adult Stem Cell treatment available to children between the ages of 2 months and 17 years old to receive the stem cell therapy for severe cases of GVHD.  This expanded access treatment program enables Osiris to sell their Prochymal 'at cost" to children with life threatening GVHD.

From the stem cell article:

Most of the patients have failed two to three prior treatment options and are using Prochymal as a last resort. But so far the results are extremely encouraging, with 100 day survival at approximately 60%. In early December 2008, Osiris received approval from Health Canada to allow the expanded access for Prochymal use in children in Canada.

Osiris is currently expanding its resources to be able to offer Prochymal through the EATP to adults in the U.S.

Expanding its resources to offer Prochymal?  Why do you have to "expand resources" for a product that is already made?   Is that code for "begging the FDA"?  But I digress.  This is really good news for children who may very well need stem cell treatment now and can't afford to wait for the clinical data to come in.  Of course that begs the question, why not make it available to adults too?  To not be able to offer an 18 year old suffering from Graft Vs Host Disease an Adult Stem Cell therapy (with no side effects) that may save his life seems ludicrous to me.

Adult Stem Cell Treatment for GVHD Contact Information

A reader sent me this article and he told me that the person to contact for information if you or someone you love has Graft Vs Host disease and are interested in Prochymal as an Adult Stem Cell treatment is :

Special Note: I have been kindly asked by Osiris to remove the contact information, if you are interested in this stem cell treatment for GVHD, please work through your oncologist who should contact Osiris on your behalf.

A special thank you to the reader who sent this in, you know who you are.  If you are reading this and have any special events or success stories you would like to share, please send me an email:  don@repairstemcells.org

Adult Stem Cell Treatment Heals Heart Attack

Eddie Floyd, a pet store owner had a heart attack a couple of years ago. When he was brought to the hospital, he was asked if he wanted to participate in a stem cell research clinical trial using Adult Stem Cells to help heal his heart muscle. Eddie said yes and he is happy he did. The stem cell therapy healed his heart muscle completely so there is now no sign of damage or any complications from his heart attack.

Stem Cell Video of Heart Attack Victim

The video describes a clinical trial at Austin Heart Hospital and while it doesn't mention the company, it is obviously Osiris and their "off the shelf" Adult Stem Cell product  Prochymal. This stem cell video is the future of stem cell medicine. Adult Stem Cell treatment being used right away to treat a heart attack- not waiting for 2 years and a decrease in ejection fraction by 50%.

Below, see the excellent stem cell video which tells Eddie's story. The video was created by  The Texas Alliance for Life where they are supporting the creation of an Adult Stem Cell consortium that will "put patients first" (Hallelujah!- maybe someone finally gets it) Below the video, you will find the transcription.

Heart Attack Healed by Adult Stem Cells

There are almost 1 million heart attacks per year in the United States.  Almost half are fatal.

Eddie Floyd had a heart attack a couple of years ago. He is the owner of the Bark and Pur Pet Center in Austin.

Eddie: I had a very strong pain from arm pit to arm pit so I knew what it was.  There was no doubt as to what it was.  It was extremely painful.

Dr. Roger Gammon: He developed the typical chest pain, came in, was treated in the typical way which was to open the artery and put a stent in and use all the medications we typically do.

Eddie: The doctor came in and asked if I wanted to participate in a study which uses Adult Stem Cells that came from the people's bone marrow.

Dr. Gammon: Within 10 days of that phase of the trial, he received either the stem cells or the placebo.  We know now in his case, he got the stem cells.

Eddie: I went home from the hospital and went back to living my life.  Except for going in frequently for check ups (laughter).

Narrator:  The typical heart attack occurs when an artery to the heart gets blocked.  Without blood, that part of the heart dies leaving it scarred and weaker reducing its pumping power.

Dr. Gammon: When we look at the overall function, we would talk about the ejection fraction which is the percentage of blood that pumps out each time the heart squeezes and that ejection fraction increases in people that respond.  So 3 parameters really- the size of the scar, the activity of the muscle and the overall strength of the heart.

Eddie: I didn't have to take any rejection or any rejection medicine or anything like that.  Just generic stem cells that became heart.

Dr. Gammon:  In the first 7 days after a heart attack, the heart cells that are dying are emitting homing signals, a beacon that says I need help and the stem cells are able to respond to that. We do that to a small amount anyway when we try to heal ourselves after a heart attack, but in this case we are giving the patient millions of stem cells that can recognize that homing signals and travel through the veins and travel through the lungs and make it to the heart.  And they  become myoblasts and then myocytes and then they have become truly functioning heart muscle at that point.

Eddie: And it has apparently regenerated the muscle that died during the heart attack.

Dr. Gammon: He was one of them who had complete resolution of the heart attack.  You couldn't see any evidence of damage.  He had normal heart function so he had a pretty dramatic response.

Eddie: There really isn't anything I can't do because of my heart that I am aware of.  There are a few things I can't do because of my belly (laughter), but nothing I can't do because of my heart.

Narrator:  In this study, the stem cells are harvested from healthy adults between 18-30.  All the donors can be universal donors because the cells are processed to remove elements that cause rejection.  A heart attack victim just gets the next cartridge given in an IV.  This is an incredible breakthrough.

Over 1000 patients have received these allogenic mesenchymal stem cells taken from healthy volunteers.  There were studies done for Crohn's disease, Graft Vs. Host Disease and a number  of other diseases.  In the heart study that was done there was 53 heart patients.  In the Phase 2 stem cell study, there will be 220 patients and we are dosing the second patient today.

Bills on Stem Cell Research in Texas

The Texas Legislature is considering Pro Life bills Senate Bill 73 and House Bill 2379 to promote ethical, life saving Adult Stem Cell research and treatments.  As Texans we have a choice, we can support  Adult Stem Cell research which has proven to help many like Eddie and successfully treated 1000's more with over 70 other diseases and conditions.

Or we can support Embryonic stem cell research which requires the destruction of human embryos and has yet to cure any disease.  Embryonic stem cell research is the choice of California spending $3 billion.  Their first goal is to restore function for one disease in the next 10 years.  Research has been going on for 10 years for embryonic stem cell research frequently causing tumors in lab animals.

Contrast that with adult stem cell research where doctors continue to find positive effects on even more diseases.

The Stem Cell Treatment Helped the Lungs Too

Dr. Gammon:  A lot of the patients were smokers and had chronic bronchitis and emphysema and the stem cells actually improved some of that process so over time the lungs improved in the people who got cells while it didn't improve in the patients who got the placebo. So now the company is starting a whole round of studies to treat Emphysema and the lungs with stem cells

Multiple Sclerosis Patients Improve After Stem Cell Research and Therapy

Preston Walker and Richard Humphries are shining examples of how stem cell research using Adult Stem Cells are improving lives right now. Preston and Richard were the first two Multiple Sclerosis patients to receive stem cell treatment with their own cells derived from their fat.

Stem Cell Treatment in the USA? Of Course Not

The treatment and therapy took place in May 2008 in Costa Rica and since then the duo have generously donated their time to other Multiple Sclerosis patients who were in the same boat Richard and Preston were in approximately 1 year ago.    They are also spreading the word that Adult Stem Cells can help Multiple Sclerosis now with a treatment that is simple with no side effects.

A Note From Richard Humphries -Multiple Sclerosis Adult Stem Cell Treatment

Recently Richard wrote this regarding his own stem cell therapy:

Myself and Preston Walker were the first to receive the fat cell derived stem cell treatment in hopes of leveling off our immune system which has successfully happened without the severe side effects of chemo which has shown not as successful as the adipose treatment much less the unneccessary expense.

I’m case study #1 in the paper (Multiple Sclerosis Study) just released and have had two stem cell treatments in Costa Rica where they promise nothing but deliver wonderful results. Secondary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis patients can’t wait on historical data. Time is not on our side but stem cells improved my quality of life and the follow up MRI looks excellent.

Richard Humphries

Stem Cell Treatment Enables Police Sergeant to Patrol Again

And then Preston Walker wrote this email to another Multiple Sclerosis patient who was considering using the stem cell research and therapy that changed his life:

I received the treatment in Costa Rica in May 2008. My symptoms included fatigue, depression, a cognitive cloud, foot drop and heat intolerance. At the time I went, I was taking features , Wellbutrin XL, Provigil and Razadyne.

The only thing I am taking now is Avonex as a maintenance drug. I am free of the fatigue and depression. I still have a cognitive cloud but it is nothing like it was before the treatment!

I am a police Sergeant in Fort Worth, TX. I am assigned to patrol and wear a dark blue uniform. If it wasn't for the treatment, I don't think I would make it to retirement in a few years. I feel absolutely certain that I will continue my active lifestyle and my career.

You can read the full story on the Fort Worth Star-Telegram's website (www.startelegram.com). Once you get to the homepage, click on the BLOGS link. Once the next page loads, click on My Fight with MS in the bottom right hand corner. If you will go from the beginning by looking at the May 2008 folder in the archives (left hand side of the page), you will get a better idea of my journey while in Costa Rica. I underwent the treatment with Richard Humphries who posted while we were there also.

I will not tell you I am cured, but I am virtually symptom free!! My quality of life improved exponentially after the treatment.

If I can be of any further help, don't hesitate to ask.

Preston Walker

The Debate on Stem Cell Research - Why So Much Emphasis On Cures?

Are people getting so caught up on the stem cell research issue that we are ignoring the patients who are in need of help right now? When the issue of stem cell research comes up, we always hear about promised cures. Are we so intent on 100% “cures” that we ignore stem cell treatments that are not “cures”, but do indeed help improve the quality of lives of the majority of patients right NOW. I’m sure Richard and Preston above are very happy with their results. Is their Multiple Sclerosis cured? No, it wasn’t a “cure”. Does that mean it isn’t good enough?

Why do we have to go for the homerun on every at bat, when a patient would be grateful for a single or double? Would Michael J Fox be happy if his Parkinson’s symptoms subsided for 5 years like this gentleman?

I see endless articles and letters to the editor that support state or federal taxes for Adult Stem Cell research or Embryonic Stem Cell research, but rarely do I see an article or letter promoting USING the only treatment that works now- Adult Stem Cells.  In the end, with all this hoopla, we are forgetting about what should be the reasons for the debates and research in the first place- the patients.

Remember, there are no side effects from using your own stem cells, either they help (most of the time) or they don’t (no harm done).

Perhaps we should take aim at the FDA as they are responsible for classifying a patient's own stem cells as a drug thus forcing decades of clinical trials and sentencing millions of patients to unnecessary suffering and deaths by withholding the use of something that could help improve patients'  lives with very little risks.  Preston and Richard were lucky in that they had the resources and the courage to travel outside the box that is the FDA's jurisdiction.  Millions others are not so lucky.