Another blind child travels to China and the same child returns to the United States with the gift of sight thanks to repair (adult) stem cells.  Stories like these are beginning to appear more often and that is a good thing.  I want to give these stories maximum exposure so more and more people will realize the value of repair (adult) stem cells.

Daegan Archie, 4, of Missouri, just returned from China where he received multiple repair stem cell injections to help him see for the first time.  As a result of this repair stem cell therapy in China, Daegan's mother, Paige, received an extra special birthday gift this year:

After several stem cell injections, Daegan's mom Paige says the hospital staff's reaction to Daegan's progress blew her away."It makes you feel good, you know they're happy for some reason, but you can't understand what they're saying.  They're smiling and clapping, and then all of a sudden the interpreter says 'He's responding to light.' That was on my birthday, so it was extra special,"  recalled Paige.

Click here to read the full story 

Yesterday, in my post about repair (adult) stem cells healing broken bones, the story I linked to also mentioned a man in Germany who had grown a new jawbone from his own repair stem cells about 4 years ago.  This is an old story in stem cell research, but it is one of my favorite stem cell research story and I wanted to post it here in case any of you missed it when it came out 4 years ago:

New jaw bone grown in man's back muscle

German doctors use novel procedure to create transplant

A German who had his lower jaw cut out because of cancer has enjoyed his first meal in nine years a bratwurst sandwich  (that sandwich must have tasted like heaven-DM) after surgeons grew a new jaw bone in his back muscle and transplanted it to his mouth in what experts call an “ambitious experiment.

Read that again- he grew a new jaw bone inside his back muscle (his back seems to have been used similar to an incubator) !!!  

Repair Stem Cells-- Read the whole article here

Another "works on mice" study using repair (adult) stem cell therapy and you all know I don't like to chronicle these stem cell research studies until they begin to work in humans, but this one sounds more promising than most and this study  surprises me not in the least:

Medical researchers at University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill announced recently that they have made strides in the technology to rebuild damaged bone tissue using stem cells.  The research team, led by Dr. Anna Spagnoli, an associate professor of pediatrics at the university, derived the stem cells from bone marrow samples to locate and repair broken bones in mice. Now the work is poised to move to humans.

It's a field that is generating possibilities. A recent case in Germany, in which a man lost his jaw to an aggressive tumor, was reported in the journal Lancet in 2004. In that instance, German scientists used a titanium jaw prosthesis as a scaffold in which they planted stem cells extracted from the patient's bone marrow. The scaffold served as a mold for a new jawbone to grow from the cells.   (This is one of my favorite repair stem cell stories ever!- DM)

But how do the stem cells know where to go when they are injected into the body? Spagnoli's team noticed that a certain molecule in the stem cells was the key to homing in on the fracture. The molecule, called CXR4, was responding to a chemical signal sent out by the damaged bone.

"Nobody knew if the stem cells would even go to the place where they were needed -- the fracture," Spagnoli said

"We put the mice in a dark box and we saw the light, and we could see it was going to the right place," Spagnoli said.

"It's like the fracture is sending out a message that says 'please come here, there is help needed here,'" Spagnoli said.  (And that is the precisely the reason why I call them repair stem cells! The body cries for help and the repair stem cells listen and respond-DM)

Click here to read the whole thing

We all hate those people who say "I told you so," - "I told you the Celtics were going to win!" "I told you not to invest in that bridge," etc. Well, I don't like to admit it, but I am one of those people. Earlier this month, I wrote about a young boy from Florida who was going to a repair stem cell treatment center in Costa Rica to treat his cerebral palsy and epilepsy with repair stem cells. Here is what I wrote about Aston Santos on June 2:

Ashton, I wish you the best and I expect you to be another adult stem cell victory soon. One day in the near future, I hope to help make this stem cell therapy available here in the United States so that you (and others like you) won't have to travel out of the country to get the treatment that you need.

Three weeks later, I am happy to say "I told you so." It is still early, but it looks like the repair stem cell therapy is already working! :

Teen improves after stem-cell treatments

By MARK I. JOHNSON
Staff Writer

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- Heel, toe. Heel, toe replaces heel, toe, slap. Heel, toe, slap.A left middle finger now touches its thumb and picking something up between that thumb and its adjacent index finger comes with ease, as does opening a door.

Little things to most of us, but for a 17-year-old who suffers with cerebral palsy and epilepsy -- triumphs -- all attributable to stem cell therapy.

"It's cool," Ashton Santos said.

Yes Ashton. I agree. Repair stem cell therapy is very cool indeed- DM

Click here to read more about Ashton's improvement after repair stem cell treatment

Recently I have been hearing more and more of repair stem cells helping lung patients- pulmonary hypertension, pulmonary fibrosis, and COPD are diseases I sometimes see in the news, diseases that repair stem cells can work their magic on thanks to new stem cell research

This story  is about a patient suffering from pulmonary hypertension, a disease said to have no cure.  Through the miracles of stem cell research- perhaps now there is a cure (or at least a good treatment):

Stem cells offer new hope

Lung therapy. Patient with rare disease taken off of transplant list

Ever since Lucie Moisan developed pulmonary hypertension more than a decade ago, she's often been short of breath. Unable to work, even simple household chores tired her out.

Yet last year, she underwent an experimental procedure that holds the promise of reversing her rare disease. Doctors at the Jewish General Hospital harvested stem cells from her blood, genetically re-engineered them in the lab and then infused them into her lungs.

The re-engineered cells entered the tiny arteries in her lungs, and helped repair(my favorite word- repair-DM) tissue. Even though the treatment lasted only three days, Moisan said she felt a difference almost immediately.

"I went out to play tennis for 10 minutes about a week afterward," she recounted yesterday with a smile. "I felt an improvement. It wasn't just psychological. During the three days of the treatment, I saw my (pulmonary blood) pressure go down."

Moisan, 45, had been waiting for a lung transplant, but she has responded so well to the stem-cell therapy and other drugs that's she's no longer on the transplant list.

No longer on the transplant list-  Thank you repair stem cells.  You did it again!

Click here to read the whole thing

A little more than a month ago, I wrote about Dr. Bertram Lubin's successful stem cell treatments of sickle cell anemia in Oakland .  Here is one of his success stories.  This story is unique because 99% of the time, the patient has to leave the United States and go abroad  to receive repair (adult) stem cell therapy (something I am desperately trying to change!), but in this case, the patient and his family moved to the United States seeking (and finding) a successful repair stem cell treatment for his sickle cell anemia:

Edna Chang-Vega and her husband left behind good jobs, a comfortable home and extended family in Panama in the hope of obtaining better treatment for Isaac, who suffered from debilitating sickle cell anemia. Worried about Isaac's bouts with pneumonia and frequent hospitalizations, the family moved in with a cousin in Antioch. They figured someone in the United States could help ease Isaac's symptoms

"Everybody knows that the United States is a big, big country and they are very advanced in medicine," Chang-Vega said.

Their sacrifice would succeed beyond anything they could have imagined.

Isaac's story highlights the international draw of Children's Hospital Oakland. It also shows what Dr. Bertram Lubin, president of the hospital's research institute, hopes to accomplish through its new "global health initiative."

"What we do here really has impact throughout the world," Lubin said. "We're one of a few programs in the United States that's demonstrated that you can cure children with sickle cell anemia with either a bone-marrow or cord-blood transplantation."

Click here to read the whole uplifting article 

Suzanne Penney's first battle was with breast cancer. Aggressive chemotherapy stopped the breast cancer in its tracks. Unfortunately, that same chemotherapy brought on another form of cancer- leukemia. Regular readers of this blog know that repair stem cells are usually a boon to leukemia patients and such was the case here:

When Suzanne Penney was diagnosed with leukemia after she battled breast cancer, she decided to undergo an injection of umbilical (repair) cord blood stem cells and the procedure saved her life.

But, today, as Penney recovers in the hospital, doctors tell her that her leukemia is in remission.


“It turns out that in the umbilical cord blood there are a large number of potent stem cells that give rise to bone marrow, Dr. Edward Ball told the television station.

“Some people are shocked that I haven't blamed God and chewed him out, Penney said. “But so many good things came out of having breast cancer, so something better must be ready to come out of this. . . . And attitude is so important when you're fighting a disease like cancer.

This is the second day in a row (see below) where a repair stem cell recipient credits "attitude" for some of their improvement- and I believe them. I think a good positive attitude enhances the power of repair stem cells and helps the body heal itself.  This is a good lesson for all of us- whether we are sick or fortunate enough to be healthy, we should strive to be positive in our lives.  

Click here to read the full story and watch Suzanne on video

Steve Foster, of Bend, Oregon, a man partially paralyzed for more than 30 years recently returned from Mexico after receiving adult (repair) stem cell therapy. Foster lives by the motto "attitude is everything" and he took that attitude along with him to Mexico to receive stem cell treatment. Now, back in Oregon, Foster is in great spirits and his long-time friend is already noticing changes:

"I saw his arm relax the very next day down his side, which it has always been across his stomach and his voice was better three days after his procedure,"said Johnston.

Foster said, "Before I had to push the air out and now it feels a little more easier and a little less raspy."

Johnston says he can even walk up stairs with less of a struggle.

"He took his first step with his right leg instead of his left, which he hasn't done in 30-plus years," Johnston said.

And Foster said, "I feel more energetic, after I stretch. I have more movement and flexibility."

I'm much happier," Foster said. "I have hope, I have a vision...angels are with me."

Repair stem cells- giving another person hope and happiness. I love these stories!

This story is also on video- click on the link and go watch Mr. Foster and his "attitude."

Today, I bring to you a heart warming article chronicling the story of a 6 year old girl who went to China to receive repair stem cells to treat her septo-optic dysplasia which is related to Optic Nerve Hypoplasia.  This condition is a rare birth defect in which the optic nerve doesn't develop so it is unable to transfer information from the retina to the brain.  Sounds like a job for stem cell research:

Blue Springs, Mo.

Doug Black found out his daughter Lydia was blind when she was just 3 months old. Doctors told him there was no cure and no hope that she would someday see.

“They were very adamant about it, said Black, wrestling coach and special education teacher at Missouri's Blue Springs South High School. “They told us, There is just nothing you can do.(But that didn't stop Black and Lydia! Kudos to them for not giving up - DM)

And a good thing they didn't take no for an answer:
Since returning from China, Lydia's vision has gradually improved. The doctors who treated Lydia said they expect her vision to improve for up to 18 months after treatment. Black said the treatment is already having a huge effect on her life, and he is glad that she was able to receive stem cell treatment in China.  “(Before the stem cell treatment) Sometimes she would get in a big hurry and she would run into a wall, Black said. “She'd say, I hate that wall. I hate that. It hurts.You know that's sad. Now when you see her start to run around again, she stops and you can see that it's working. When it's hard on us, who knows how hard it is on her? I know I'd do anything for her, and I know her mom is the same way. 

Click here to read the full article 

I just came across this blog written by a mother of a child with autism.  Using a combination of mild hyperbaric oxygen and stem cell research in the form of adult (repair) stem cells, it seems the boy, Matthew, is making amazing progress.

Matthew's mother writes proudly of how her son has improved since going to Costa Rica to receive repair stem cell treatment for autism.  Here is an excerpt from her blog:

Since doing Adult Stem Cells....

1. Sleeping better
2. Much more social
3. Raising hand to ask & answer questions in class
4. Was able to remove mattress cover as he is no longer wetting bed
5. Less frustration
6. Did not have melt down during dentist appointment
7. Interested in more age appropriate activities (instead of toddler games/rides)
8. Beginning to understand stories and movies

We are very pleased!!!

Matthew's parents were so pleased that they are in Costa Rica once again so Matthew can receive a second helping of repair stem cells and are hoping for even more improvement.

Go visit the blog and read the whole touching story!