Stem cell therapy gives dogs new pep in their step

Cookie hadn't been herself for awhile.

The 131/2-year-old Australian shepherd mix increasingly had trouble lying down and getting up. She saw stairs as her mortal enemy, and one of her legs had started giving out on walks, causing her to stumble or fall.
Ed Tani of Hayward was terrified the end was near for his old friend. Then he came across an article about a revolutionary new treatment for arthritic dogs -- stem cell therapy. The treatment had been used with great success in horses for years, but more and more veterinarians are adding the patented Vet-Stem Regenerative Cell therapy to their medical bag of tricks.
"This is an attempt to turn back time but without drugs," said Brian Maxwell, a veterinarian whose specialty is orthopedic surgery at Adobe Animal Hospital in Los Altos, where Cookie's joints were injected with her own stem cells this week.
Maxwell and others say the theory behind the treatment is that the stems cells can increase the body's ability to decrease inflammation, helping the injured tissues regenerate. If the treatment works as well as it has for some dogs, Cookie should be back on spirited squirrel patrols in four to eight weeks. About 70 percent of the dogs treated show dramatic improvement; another 20 percent show moderate improvement, according to Maxwell.
Of the 10 dogs Maxwell has treated so far, all but one of them improved, he said. The dogs' mobility was better and most of them were able to go off pain pills and anti-inflammatory medication, which can cause kidney and liver problems in many dogs.

"It was kind of this or nothing," Tani said. "This dog is like my only friend anymore. She goes everywhere with me."
The cost is steep: $3,500 to $4,000. But pet owners increasingly are willing to pay whatever it takes to keep their pets healthy and happy -- and alive.
"I'm just looking forward to a pain-free life for Cookie," Tani said.
The procedure involves surgery to remove fat cells from the animal -- from the shoulder in Cookie's case -- and then shipping the cells to Vet-Stem for removal of the stem cells. The cells are then sent back to the vet, ready to inject into the creaking joints of arthritic canines. Sixty grams of fat were cut from Cookie on Monday; her stem cells were injected into her joints on Wednesday, as well as given intravenously because of pain in her back.
Laura Hughes, a registered vet technician, helped maneuver Cookie from one side to the other and held her paw when she was given a sedative. The big, white dog with black spots also needed a little cuddling and ear scratching after the procedure.
"This kind of thing has really been exciting," Maxwell said. "The cells go into the joint and increase the body's ability to control pain and inflammation. They're doing this on people in other countries."
Susan Wyle of Menlo Park is anxious to have the treatment done a second time on her 6-year-old Newfoundland, Scout.
Since she was 2 years old, Scout, named after the little girl in "To Kill A Mockingbird" -- her full name is Salty Dog Scout's Honor -- has had major problems with her leg joints and was starting to limp a lot.
"When she was 4 years old, she tore her ACL and had to have surgery," said Wyle, a lecturer in Stanford University's program in writing and rhetoric. "I thought, at that point, it was time to do it."
Four of Scout's joints were injected with stem cells taken from fat elsewhere on her body.
"Within a few months, she didn't limp at all," Wyle said. "She was able to trot without limping, and she was able to get up and down and in and out of the car."
For some dogs, being re-treated after a couple of years seems to help, and the cost is only a fraction of the original charge -- about $700 -- because leftover cells can be stored until they're needed.
"I just think I'd like to do it again to make sure," Wyle said. "I'd like for her to be able to run more."

Source:http://www.mercurynews.com/

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Νέα θεραπεία υπόσχεται σωτηρία από τις µεταµοσχεύσεις συκωτιού

Ελπίδα σε εκατοµµύρια ανθρώπους σε όλο τον κόσµο που περιµένουν σε λίστα αναµονής για µια µεταµόσχευση συκωτιού, εκτιµάται ότι θα δώσει µια πρωτοποριακή θεραπεία µε βλαστοκύτταρα που ανέπτυξαν επιστήµονες του αµερικανικού πανεπιστηµίου Τζονς Χόπκινς.

Η τεχνική που εφάρµοσαν οι ερευνητές από το Κέντρο Κίµελ για τον Καρκίνο του πανεπιστηµίου, είναι σχετικά φθηνή και στηρίζεται στην αξιοποίηση βλαστικών κυττάρων από το δέρµα ή το αίµα του ασθενούς.

Ειδικότερα, οι ειδικοί αφού αποµονώσουν τα δύο είδη βλαστοκυττάρων, επιτυγχάνουν στο εργαστήριο να τους προσδώσουν την αρχική τους «ουδέτερη» µορφή και ακολούθως να τα µετατρέψουν σε κύτταρα συκωτιού. Στη συνέχεια, τα κύτταρα αυτά εισάγονται µε ενέσιµο τρόπο στο συκώτι και το βοηθούν να αναγεννηθεί.

Τα βλαστικάκύτταρα είναιη πιο βασική µορφή κυττάρων στονανθρώπινο οργανισµό και είναι εκείνα που – µέσαστο έµβρυο – µπορούν να µετατραπούν σε οποιαδήποτε άλλη οµάδα κυττάρων µε σκοπό να σχηµατίσουν τα διάφορα όργανα του σώµατος.

Οι επιστήµονες µε επικεφαλής τον καθηγητή Γιον Γιουνγκ Τσαγκ από το Τζονς Χόπκινς, στηρίχθηκαν σε µια τεχνική που αξιοποιεί τα επαγόµενα πολυδύναµα βλαστοκύτταρα (induced-pluripotent stem cells, iPSC). Ονοµάζονται έτσι γιατί κατά κανόνα οι ερευνητές τα δηµιουργούν αφού τα επάγουν µε γονίδια και τα µετατρέψουν σε πολυδύναµα βλαστικά κύτταρα τα οποία µπορούν να δηµιουργήσουν δυνητικά κάθε ιστό του ανθρωπίνου οργανισµού.

Στη συγκεκριµένη περίπτωση, επειδή αυτά τα βλαστοκύτταρα προέρχονται από τον ίδιο τον ασθενή, ελαχιστοποιείται ο κίνδυνος να αντιδράσει το συκώτι.

Ο ΚΑΘΗΓΗΤΗΣ ΤΣΑΓΚ εξήγησε ότι «η έρευνά µας αποτελεί τον θεµέλιο λίθο γιατην παραγωγή λειτουργικών κυττάρων συκωτιού σε ασθενείς που πάσχουν από σοβαρές ασθένειες και χρειάζεται να υποβληθούν σε µεταµόσχευση».

Ο ίδιος πρόσθεσε ότι επαγόµενα πολυδύναµα βλαστοκύτταρα µπορούν ν’ αναπαραχθούν σε µεγάλες ποσότητες και να είναι «κοµµένα και ραµµένα» στα µέτρα τουκάθε ασθενή έτσι ώστε να ελαχιστοποιούνται οι πιθανότητες απόρριψης από το ανοσοποιητικό σύστηµα».

Στο πλαίσιο της έρευνάς τους, οι ειδικοί του Τζονς Χόπκινς δηµιούργησαν τα iPSC από µια ποικιλία κυττάρων – µεταξύ των οποίων κύτταρα δέρµατος, συκωτιού και βλαστικά κύτταρα µυελού των οστών – τα οποία στη συνέχεια µε χηµικό τρόπο τα µετέτρεψαν σε ώριµα κύτταρα συκωτιού.

Πηγή:http://www.tanea.gr

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Stem cell study brings new hope for premature babies

Researchers at the University of Alberta are working on what they say could be a "game changer" in the treatment of premature infants with lung disease -- and parents are doing what they can to speed up the process.
Researchers say they've seen promising results after injecting human stem cells into rats with lung disease. The cells repaired the lungs, returning them to almost normal, according to team leader Dr. Bernard Thebaud.
"The findings were so dramatic," says Dr. Thebaud. "The results were obvious from the first experiment."
"This has huge potential for babies with premature lung disease, but also adults with emphysema."
About half of all babies born before 28 weeks get chronic lung disease, a condition that can affect lung capacity as they grow up.
The research is still in an early phase. But after a chance meeting with Dr. Thebaud, Edmonton-area parents Julie Berardi and Luis Diaz are pushing for more research to be funded and fast-tracked -- in hope that it could help newborns like their Nathan and Gabrielle.
The children were born nearly four months premature, too early for their lungs to work on their own, and have been near death several times at the University of Alberta Hospital. Berardi met Dr. Thebaud en route to the hospital chapel and learned he hoped to have a treatment ready for children like hers in five years.
"Five years? Why not now?" says Berardi.
Berardi and Diaz are leading the push to fund a follow-up study, starting as quickly as possible.
"It's a matter of getting him the resources and the money," says Diaz. "A million dollars is a lot for me and Julie... but the money is out there."
Now seven months old, Nathan is still in hospital and is expected to remain there for another month. Gabriella is at home but still on oxygen. Both have trouble breathing.
Scientists caution that research cannot be rushed. But Dr. Duncan Stewart of the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute says that if the Alberta team can confirm that their treatment is safe, "you have a fairly strong argument to start considering testing this clinically."
"One needs to be responsible … (and) understand not only the potential benefits but also what are the risks that may ensue," says Dr. Stewart, whose own work looks at using stem cells to treat pulmonary hypertension.
An ambitious timeline would see a pilot study start in 18 months, with randomized trials in three years and results in five.
Thebaud's team injected stem cells into the rats' airways. He says the stem cells acted like tiny damage control factories and, two weeks later, the rodents were running twice as far on treadmills and had better survival rates.
"The fact is they work and they seem to be safe," says Dr. Thebaud.
The research will be published Dec. 1 in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. Researchers in the U.S. have reported similar effects with stem cells on lungs.

Source: http://www.ctv.ca/

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Findings of USA 112TH Congress for Regenerative Medicine Act of 2011 (HR 1862)

To launch a national strategy to support regenerative medicine through increased funding for research and commercial development of regenerative medicine products and development of a regulatory environment thatenables rapid approval of safe and effective products, and for other purposes.

Congress finds the following:

(1) Regenerative medicine has the potential to treat many chronic diseases, promote economic growth, and reduce health care spending in the United States.

(2) Regenerative medicine products have allready successfully treated numerous health conditions, and have the potential to provide cures, treatments, and diagnostics for a range of diseases and disabilities including diabetes, spinal cord injury,heart disease, stroke, and various forms of cancer.

(3) A United States national strategy on regenerative medicine is critical to ensure that this technology fulfills its potential to cure and treat diseases and disabilities, reduce overall health spending, and promote economic growth.

(4) The Department of Defense has stated thatregenerative medicine has the potential to treat many battlefield injuries such as burns, that it has the potential to heal wounds without scarring, and that it has the potential to be used for traumatic brain injury and other forms of trauma, craniofacial reconstruction, limb reconstruction, regeneration, and transplantation.

(5) The Department of Health and Human Services and the Multi-Agency Tissue Engineering Science Interagency Working Group have endorsed a national initiative to support research and product development in regenerative medicine.

(6) The Department of Health and Human Services has said the potential benefits of regenerative medicine in improved health care and economic savings are enormous. States that have invested in regenerative medicine have experienced economic growth and see future growth potential, including an increase in biotech employment, payroll increases,

Source - further reading: http://www.alliancerm.org/rm_act_2011.pdfand proportional impacts on tax receipts

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Regenerative Medicine Act of 2011 Introduced in House of Representatives, With Support From the Alliance for Regenerative Medicine

ARM Calls for National Strategy to Capitalize on Medical and Economic Potential of Regenerative Medicine

WASHINGTON, DC--(Marketwire - May 12, 2011) - The Alliance for Regenerative Medicine (ARM), the national voice for regenerative medicine, today announced the introduction of the Regenerative Medicine Act of 2011 (H.R. 1862) in the U.S. House of Representatives and expressed appreciation for the efforts of its lead sponsors, Reps. Brian P. Bilbray (R-CA) and Diana DeGette (D-CO).
"Regenerative medicine represents the single most promising new approach to mitigating the human and economic costs of disease and could change the course of human health," said Gil Van Bokkelen, PhD, Chairman of ARM. "Medical innovation and economic growth are important to all of us, regardless of our political affiliation, and we are grateful to our lead sponsors, Reps. Bilbray and DeGette, for making this bill a bipartisan effort."
The field of regenerative medicine is of national significance because of its acknowledged potential to cure or dramatically diminish the effects of many serious and economically burdensome conditions -- including diabetes, cardiovascular and neurodegenerative disease, cancer and traumatic injury -- by harnessing the restorative properties of living cells and tissues.
"Regenerative medicine offers hope for millions of Americans living with debilitating conditions or diseases," said Rep. Diana DeGette (D-CO). "By establishing national priorities and coordination of federal agencies around regenerative medicine, this Act paves the way for our families to benefit from breakthrough scientific developments, secures a leading role for the US in the global medical economy of the future, and creates possibilities for new solutions to the healthcare financing crisis."
Major provisions of the bill include creation of a multi-agency Regenerative Medicine Coordinating Council within the Department of Health & Human Services (HHS); establishing grant programs to accelerate the availability of life-saving regenerative medicine therapies and research tools; funding of critical regulatory research at the Food & Drug Administration (FDA); and a detailed assessment of federal activities in regenerative medicine as well as progress compared to national programs in other countries.
"Multiple federal agencies fund or conduct regenerative medicine research and recognize its promise to transform medical care," said Rep. Brian P. Bilbray (R-CA). "A coordinated effort, such as the one outlined in the bill introduced today, will allow us to advance toward innovative, life-saving therapies and create the regulatory infrastructure necessary to encourage private investment in promising regenerative medicine research," added Mr. Bilbray.
"Dovetailing with this bill, ARM has outlined a national strategy for regenerative medicine and is seeking rapid implementation of these programs," said Michael Werner, Esq., Executive Director of ARM. "To date, ARM has met with members of the Obama Administration, the Food & Drug Administration (FDA), National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Institute of Standards & Technology (NIST), and members of Congress to further define and promote adoption of this proposed strategy," added Mr. Werner.
Additional information on the legislation, including a summary, can be found here.
The Alliance for Regenerative Medicine (ARM) is a Washington, DC-based non-profit organization that promotes legislative, regulatory, reimbursement, and financing initiatives necessary to facilitate access to life-giving advances in regenerative medicine. ARM also works to increase public understanding of the field and its potential to transform human healthcare, and provides services to support the growth of its member companies and organizations. Prior to the formation of ARM, there was no advocacy organization operating in Washington, DC to specifically represent the interests of regenerative medicine companies, research institutions, investors, and patient groups supporting more rapid adoption of technologies in our field. To learn more about ARM or to become a member, visit http://www.alliancerm.org/.

Source: http://www.marketwire.com

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Art and science have united for stem cell awarnes.

Stem cell project needs 12,000 baby teeth.

The pearly whites are needed to decorate a "coral castle" which is designed to inspire debate about adult stem cells.
The idea came from a meeting between Professor Sara Rankin, a biologist at Imperial College London, and the artist Gina Czarnecki.
They say arguments about stem cells are focused mostly on the ethics of using embryos.
Professor Rankin said: "Ask a roomful of people where do stem cells come from and they will say embryos. What about fat? We can get a lot of stem cells in liposuction. There are different types of stem cell and people are not aware of that.
"We want to promote awareness about adult stem cells, such as those found in bone marrow or umbilical cord, which could be used to develop new treatments without any ethical issues."

 

Dental pulp
 The dental pulp in milk teeth is another, albeit small, source of adult stem cells. Some scientists are trying to grow new teeth using these cells.
Children are being asked to donate their teeth to the project, called Palaces, which will then create a magical sculpture out of them.
The project is making sure the children will not lose out financially by giving them an "IOU one milk tooth" token to give to the tooth fairy.
The finished artwork will be 2m high, made of crystal resin and then decorated with milk teeth.
Ms Czarnecki said: "The tooth is so connected to myth and legend and fairies. They also represent a rite of passage for children and a change of consciousness.
"Different cultures have different traditions about where these teeth go, and what they are used for.
"We're looking to explore the questions this raises about the value of waste matter and our attitudes to our own bodies as sources and beneficiaries of recyclable material."
The artwork will go on display at the Bluecoat in Liverpool in December and then move to the Science Museum in London next year

Source:  James Gallagher http://www.bbc.co.uk/

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Adult Stem Cells Treating Thousands of Patients Now

Stem cell research continues to move ahead. Not embryonic stem cell research, however, which relies on the destruction of young human life.
After over 30 years of embryonic stem cell research, first with mouse and then human embryonic stem cells, not a single patient has been helped.  And while over the past year, three experimental trials have been approved in the U.S., even many embryonic stem cell scientists believe the practical dangers of embryonic stem cells (tumors, incorrect tissue growth, immune problems) make such trials preliminary; simply using patients for experiments.  Embryonic stem cells fail on both ethical and practical aspects, and have contributed only hype to the debate and false hope to patients.
Adult stem cells are both successful and ethical.  They can be isolated and used without harming the stem cell donor.  They can be taken from a host of tissues—bone marrow, muscle, fat, umbilical cord blood—and already have proven success at saving lives and improving health on a daily basis.  Over 50,000 people around the globe are treated each year with adult stem cells.  The diseases and conditions successfully treated by adult stem cells, as shown by published scientific evidence, continue to expand, with published success for numerous cancers, spinal cord injury, heart damage, multiple sclerosis, sickle cell anemia, and many others.
Here are just a few examples of adult stem cell advances over the past year.

* Several studies now document that adult stem cells can stimulate repair of damaged heart tissue, including damage from heart attack as well as chronic heart failure.
For example, scientists at the University of Miami reported that they had reversed heart damage in a small group of patients with the patients’ own bone marrow adult stem cells, reducing scar tissue and improving function to injured heart areas, up to eleven years after initial heart damage.  And doctors in Germany published evidence from a large study showing that patients treated with adult stem cells for chronic heart failure showed a significant improvement in heart function and a significant decrease in long-term mortality, with no side effects.  In another example, doctors in Brazil and Florida found that adult stem cells injected directly into the heart could relieve angina.

* Italian doctors reported that they could successfully treat corneal blindness using the patient’s own adult stem cells.  They treated 112 patients who had been blinded by chemical burns.  Over 77% of patients recovered normal vision.  Patients with superficial damage were able to see within one to two months, while more extensive injuries took several months longer to recover.  One of the successful transplants was a man who had been blind for 50 years.  The doctors grafted adult stem cells from a small section of his left eye to both eyes.  His vision is now close to normal.

* Multiple sclerosis (MS) treatment with adult stem cells also showed multiple positive results over the past year.  A team of scientists from Thessaloniki, Greece, showed that chemotherapy followed by adult stem cell transplant can stop progression of aggressive MS.  The team observed a group of 35 patients who received transplants of their own bone marrow adult stem cells after being treated with chemotherapy to wipe out the rogue immune cells that were attacking their nervous system and causing their MS.  An average of 11 years after their transplants, 25% of the patients in Greece have not seen their disease progress.  And a U.K. team led by Dr. Neil Scolding showed that a simple intravenous infusion of the patient’s adult stem cells, without using chemotherapy, could work to improve MS patient symptoms.
The groundbreaking report of the first six patients found  that the simple treatment stabilized the patients’ conditions and improved their nervous systems.  The whole procedure, from extracting the bone  marrow adult stem cells to re-infusing them into the bloodstream, was accomplished in a few hours at the hospital, and the patients were then followed for one year to observe the positive benefits.

* Scientists used donor adult stem cells from bone marrow and umbilical cord blood to successfully treat children with a fatal genetic skin
disease called epidermolysis bullosa (EB), that causes skin to blister and scrape off with the slightest friction and chronic pain; the slightest touch or hug hurts them.  All 10 children treated so far have responded positively, easing their conditions.  According to the doctors who treated the children, “Bone marrow [adult stem cell] transplantation is one of the riskiest procedures in medicine, yet it is also one of the most successful.  Patients who otherwise would have died from their disease can often now be cured.  It’s a serious treatment for a serious disease.”

* Scientists at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston published preliminary results of a Phase I clinical trial showing the safety of bone marrow adult stem cells in treating traumatic brain injury in children.  A total of ten children from 5-14 years old were treated within 48 hours of their injury with their own adult stem cells; the cells were collected from their bone marrow, processed and returned to them intravenously.  Six months after their adult stem cell treatment, all of the children showed significant improvement.  The team is also testing use of umbilical cord blood, another type of adult stem cell, for these treatments.

While many adult stem cell treatments are still experimental, the results continue to flow for thousands of patients a year, and many new applications are being developed. This makes it all the more important that we direct our health care resources toward the proven, ethical, and successful solution—adult stem cells.

Source:  David A. Prentice, Ph.D.,http://www.nationalrighttolifenews.org

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Βλαστοκύτταρα στο μητρικό γάλα ανίχνευσαν Αυστραλοί επιστήμονες. Ανεκτίμητη η αξία του θηλασμού

Επιστήμονες του Πανεπιστημίου της Δυτικής Αυστραλίας, στο Περθ, χρησιμοποιώντας εξειδικευμένες μεθόδους, ανίχνευσαν αρχέγονα κύτταρα σε δείγματα φρέσκου μητρικού γάλακτος, τα οποία έλαβαν σε διάφορα στάδια γαλουχίας.

Συγκεκριμένα, ανακάλυψαν ότι όλα τα δείγματα περιείχαν από 10 χιλιάδες έως 13,5 εκατομμύρια ζωντανά βλαστοκύτταρα σε κάθε ml μητρικού γάλακτος. Κατά μέσο όρο, υπήρχαν περίπου 4 εκατομμύρια αρχέγονα κύτταρα σε κάθε ml από πρωτόγαλα, περίπου 2 εκατομμύρια αρχέγονα, κύτταρα σε κάθε ml μητρικού γάλακτος στους 6 μήνες από τη γέννηση, περίπου ένα εκατομμύριο αρχέγονα κύτταρα σε κάθε ml μητρικού γάλακτος στους 12 μήνες από τη γέννηση, ενώ δεν έλειπαν και σε δείγματα μητέρων που μελετήθηκαν στους 15 μήνες.

Αυτά τα κύτταρα μπορούσαν να πολλαπλασιαστούν σε καλλιέργειες στο εργαστήριο και να μετατραπούν σε διαφορετικούς πληθυσμούς κυττάρων, όπως επιθηλιακά, συνδετικού ιστού ή ακόμα και οστών.

«Οι ερευνητές δεν γνωρίζουν ακόμα κατά πόσο αυτά τα αδιαφοροποίητα κύτταρα προέρχονται από τον μαστό της μητέρας ή από το αίμα της. Επιπλέον, είναι άγνωστο ακόμα κατά πόσο αυτά τα κύτταρα μπορούν να ανιχνευθούν στην κυκλοφορία αίματος του παιδιού.

Πρώιμες μελέτες δείχνουν να υπάρχουν κύτταρα μέσα στο τοίχωμα των πόρων και κυψελών του αδένα του μαστού, τα οποία εκφράζουν αυτά τα κυτταρικά χαρακτηριστικά και ίσως ‘βγαίνουν’ στο μητρικό γάλα», εξηγεί ο παιδίατρος-σύμβουλος γαλουχίας, Στέλιος Παπαβέντσης, επικαλούμενος τα στοιχεία της μελέτης των Αυστραλών επιστημόνων, την οποία ο ίδιος μετέφρασε στα ελληνικά.

«Οι έρευνες σ’ αυτόν τον τομέα μόλις ξεκίνησαν. Δεν αποκλείεται, σε μερικά χρόνια να διαπιστώσουμε έναν ζωτικό μηχανισμό προστασίας, αύξησης και ανάπτυξης μέσα από τα αρχέγονα κύτταρα του μητρικού γάλακτος, μια βοήθεια προς τον οργανισμό του παιδιού στη δυνατότητα αναγέννησης ιστών, ύστερα από προσβολές του, όπως λοιμώξεις και φλεγμονές. Δεν αποκλείεται ακόμα να μπορέσουμε να χρησιμοποιήσουμε αυτή την εύκολη πηγή τέτοιων πολύτιμων κυττάρων για μεταμοσχεύσεις και θεραπείες ασθενειών άλλων ανθρώπων», προσθέτει ο κ.Παπαβέντσης.

Σύμφωνα με στοιχεία της ίδιας μελέτης, η συγκέντρωση τόσο του λίπους όσο και των αρχέγονων κυττάρων έφτανε στο μέγιστο επίπεδο μισή ώρα μετά το τέλος ενός γεύματος του παιδιού στο στήθος.

Είναι γνωστό ότι ένα ποσοστό 20%-25% των βρεφών, που θηλάζουν αποκλειστικά, κάνουν κάποια στιγμή της ημέρας ή για κάποιες ημέρες το λεγόμενο cluster feeding-μαραθώνιους θηλασμούς, δηλαδή θηλάζουν συνεχόμενα για 2 ή περισσότερες φορές ή για ώρες.

Αυτό, για τις περισσότερες μητέρες είναι αγχωτικό και θεωρούν ότι το παιδί δεν χορταίνει ή ότι δεν έχουν γάλα. Κι όμως, φαίνεται ότι μ’ αυτόν τον τρόπο τα βρέφη αυτά μπορεί να κερδίζουν πολλά, σε θρέψη και θερμίδες, αλλά και σε άμυνα.

Τα συμπεράσματα που εξάγει ο κ.Παπαβέντσης από τα στοιχεία αυτής της μελέτης είναι ότι:

• Ίσως πρόκειται για την αρχή μιας διαπίστωσης ότι το μητρικό γάλα προσφέρει στο παιδί μια συνεχιζόμενη επί μήνες και χρόνια, καθημερινή «μεταμόσχευση» μαζικής κλίμακας σε εκατομμύρια παιδιά.
• Το σίγουρο είναι ότι τα παιδιά που δεν θήλασαν ποτέ δεν λαμβάνουν περίπου 2-4 εκατομμύρια αρχέγονων πολυδύναμων κυττάρων ανά ml γάλακτος, δηλαδή περίπου 2-3 δισεκατομμύρια τέτοια κύτταρα την ημέρα, ή περίπου 2 τρισεκατομμύρια τέτοια κύτταρα για τα δύο πρώτα χρόνια της ζωής τους.
• Κανένας παρασκευαστής επεξεργασμένου βρεφικού γάλακτος αγελάδας δεν θα μπορέσει ποτέ να προσθέσει κατάλληλα για το παιδί ζωντανά κύτταρα. Το μητρικό γάλα είναι ένα ζωντανό υγρό, σε συνεχή δυναμική αλληλεπίδραση με τον οργανισμό, που θρέφει, το βρέφος, ειδικά διηθημένο από τον οργανισμό της μητέρας στην κάθε χωροχρονική στιγμή, ώστε να προσαρμόζεται στις εκάστοτε ανάγκες του μωρού της. Αντίθετα, το επεξεργασμένο γάλα αγελάδας για βρέφη δεν θα είναι ποτέ κάτι περισσότερο από ένα στατικό, νεκρό υγρό.
• Το μητρικό γάλα δεν είναι πολύ «νερουλό», «μολυσμένο» ή «άχρηστο», όπως, πολλές φορές, θηλάζουσες μητέρες έχουν ακούσει από το στόμα επαγγελματιών υγείας. Το πρωτόγαλα δεν το πετάμε στο νεροχύτη γιατί «είναι πράσινο» ή γιατί «έχει μικρόβια».
• Η σίτιση με ξένο γάλα δεν είναι «σχεδόν ίδια» ή «σχεδόν το ίδιο καλή» ή «ασφαλές υποκατάστατο» του μητρικού θηλασμού ή «απαραίτητη και ανώτερη» του θηλασμού μετά τους έξι μήνες της ζωής.
• Γονείς και επαγγελματίες υγείας απασχολούνται πολύ με το θέμα της φύλαξης βλαστοκυττάρων από το αίμα του πλακούντα κατά τη γέννα, ενώ μόλις γεννηθεί το μωρό πίνει τσάι. Ας θυμηθούμε ότι για μερικές χιλιάδες ευρώ, οι γονείς συλλέγουν μονάδες πλακουντιακού αίματος, από το οποίο ικανοποιητικός αριθμός βλαστοκυττάρων θεωρείται πάνω από 20 χιλιάδες ανά ml. Ας θυμηθούμε, επίσης, ότι το 60%-70% των μονάδων που συλλέγονται κρίνονται ως ακατάλληλες, δηλαδή περιέχουν λιγότερα από 20 χιλιάδες αρχέγονα κύτταρα ανά ml αίματος. 

Μήπως είναι εξίσου ή και περισσότερο σημαντικό το παιδί να πάρει όσο γίνεται περισσότερο και αποκλειστικά μητρικό γάλα στα αρχικά στάδια της ζωής του;

Πηγή: http://health.in.gr/

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Stem Cells of 10-Year-Old Help Create Blood Vessel in Life-Saving Surgery

A 10-year-old girl with a deadly blood clot underwent a life-saving surgery that showed the power of using stem cells to regenerate healthy organs.
The girl developed a clot in the blood vessel between her intestine and liver during her first year of life, creating the risk of potentially fatal bleeding. Michael Olausson, a surgeon at Sahlgrenska University Hospital  at the University of Gothenburg took a blood vessel from a donor, chemically removed tissue and DNA from it, then seeded stem cells from the girl’s bone marrow to create a healthy, living blood vessel.
“We carried out the surgery over three months ago now, and the result was very good, with no serious complications,” Olausson, of the hospital in Gothenburg, Sweden, said today in a statement. “The girl is in good health, and we believe that her prognosis is very good. Since the vessel was created with the girl’s own stem cells, she does not need to take drugs to prevent rejection.”
A similar procedure was used in 2008 by surgeons in Barcelona to create a new windpipe for a 30-year-old woman whose airway collapsed from a tuberculosis infection.
More research may lead to the ability to remake other organs and arteries, Olausson said. This might help patients who need kidney dialysis  or surgery on arteries leading to their heart, Olausson said.
While blood vessels from other parts of a patient’s body are sometimes used to repair such defects, liver failure can result if the vessels are inadequate, according to the hospital’s statement

Source: http://www.bloomberg.com/

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Εντοπίστηκαν βλαστικά κύτταρα ανθρώπινων πνευμόνων

Νέες ελπίδες για τις πνευμονοπάθειες

Βλαστικά κύτταρα πνευμόνων ανθρώπων, τα οποία έχουν τη δυνατότητα να αυτο-ανανεώνονται και μπορούν έτσι να ανοίξουν νέους δρόμους στη θεραπεία των χρόνιων πνευμονικών παθήσεων, εντόπισαν για πρώτη φορά αμερικανοί επιστήμονες.

Μέχρι τώρα, οι ερευνητές είχαν καταφέρει να δημιουργήσουν πνευμονικά κύτταρα μόνο μέσω της χρήσης εμβρυικών βλαστικών κυττάρων, αλλά αυτή τη φορά απομόνωσαν απευθείας πνευμονικά βλαστικά κύτταρα, χρησιμοποιώντας χειρουργικά δείγματα ανθρώπινου πνευμονικού ιστού.

Μετά τα πρώτα πετυχημένα επιστημονικά πειράματα, περαιτέρω έρευνες σχεδιάζονται για τη βελτίωση της μεθόδου και την αξιοποίησή της με ασφάλεια στο μέλλον. Μέχρι σήμερα η θεραπεία των πνευμόνων με βλαστικά κύτταρα ήταν αδύνατη, επειδή ο πνεύμονας είναι ένα ιδιαίτερα πολύπλοκο όργανο, που διαθέτει μια μεγάλη ποικιλία κυττάρων, τα οποία ανανεώνονται με διαφορετικούς ρυθμούς.

 

Πηγή: http://www.newsbeast.gr/
  

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Cord blood proof for anxious couples

For couples who have banked the umbilical cord blood stem cells of their newborns as a future shield against deadly diseases, there is now a litmus test to verify if the cells are alive and working.

The ‘explant’ differentiation and culture technology, a processing method that guarantees the viability of the stored stem cells, is now available in Calcutta, a “first in the country”. The technology is expected to lift the veil of scepticism that has been shrouding this nascent field since the very start.

“We are delighted to introduce this patented technology of isolating, differentiating and expanding two cell lines from the umbilical cord. This technology assures our clients that their babies’ stem cells have the ability to be used for therapies in future,” said Prosanto Chowdhury, the medical director of CordLife Sciences India.

CordLife Sciences India, in 2008, had set up eastern India’s first full umbilical cord blood tissue processing and storage facility on Diamond Harbour Road, about 7km from the IIM-C campus in Joka.

The process was launched on February 15, and even existing clients can opt for it.

According to Chowdhury, the explant method can isolate two types of cell lines — mesenchymal and epithelial stem cells — from the umbilical cord, with proof that the two cell lines are alive and functioning.

“A small amount — less than one million cells — are expanded to prove it can further differentiate and develop into liver cells capable of producing albumin and skin cells producing mucin from the differentiated cell lines, which is ultimate proof of the functional capacity of the cells,” Chowdhury added.

Upon explant differentiation culture or expansion, the cord details will be stored with the Global Cord Registry, an international databank maintained in Singapore. It authenticates the processing origin and quality of the stem cells.

“This will give the clients automatic access to all evolving therapies in India and abroad, using international resources coordinated by our company’s R&D partners and the Global Cord Registry,” explained Meghnath Roy Chowdhury, the managing director, CordLife Sciences India.

So what happens if the test reveals that a stem cell sample cannot be used for therapy? “In case there is a reduction or depletion in the viability of stored stem cells, we guarantee through a legal clause to either provide the client with an equivalent viable sample, or pay compensation of $25,000,” said Meghnath Roy Chowdhury.

Source: Subhro Saha, http://www.telegraphindia.com

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Researchers From UTHealth and Athersys Present Preclinical Data Illustrating Potential Benefits of MultiStem(R) for Treating Stroke

Results Show How Adult Stem Cell Therapy Reduces Inflammatory Damage and Improves Functional Recovery in Preclinical Models of Ischemic Stroke

Medical researchers from The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) presented new research results at the American Heart Association International Stroke Conference that demonstrated how MultiStem®, a novel stem cell therapy being developed by Athersys, Inc. (Nasdaq:ATHX), provided multiple benefits when administered in preclinical models of ischemic stroke. The study, conducted by leading researchers from the Department of Neurology at the UTHealth Medical School working in collaboration with scientists at Athersys, illustrated the potential benefits of MultiStem therapy for treating stroke. Researchers observed that intravenous administration of MultiStem one day after a stroke reduced inflammatory damage in the brain and resulted in a significant improvement in motor skills.
"We are seeing a paradigm shift in the way some types of stem cells may enhance recovery from stroke," said Sean I. Savitz, M.D., principal investigator and associate professor of neurology at UTHealth. "The stem cells may actually exert some of their effects on other organs such as the spleen. The spleen seems to play an important role in some neurological disorders by contributing, for example, to ongoing inflammation and brain injury after stroke. We're finding these stem cells are working on dampening inflammation involving the spleen."
According to the American Heart Association, approximately 800,000 individuals suffer a stroke each year in the United States, and an estimated 2 million individuals suffer a stroke each year in the U.S., Japan, and major European countries combined.  Approximately 85% of strokes are ischemic, meaning they are caused by a blockage of blood flow in the brain, which occurs as a result of a clot or "thrombus". Currently there is only one FDA-approved drug therapy for the treatment of ischemic stroke, the thrombolytic tPA, which helps to dissolve the flow-impeding blood clot. However, tPA must be administered within several hours from when the stroke has occurred in order to be effective.   Due to its limited window, only about 5% of all patients who could potentially benefit from therapy with tPA actually receive treatment. Given the lack of effective therapies, many patients who suffer a stroke require extensive physical therapy or experience significant or permanent disability, and as a result, must receive long-term institutional care or be cared for by a family member. As a consequence of an aging population, recent forecasts from the American Heart Association project that the prevalence of stroke will increase by 25% in the next 20 years, and the total estimated annual cost for treating and caring for stroke survivors will skyrocket from $64 billion in 2010 to $140 billion in 2030, representing a substantial increase in cost to the national healthcare system. 
In the rat model of stroke used in the study, animals that received treatment with MultiStem showed statistically significant improvement in motor skills relative to animals that received placebo, and also showed reduced cell death, reduction of inflammatory cytokines and an increase in anti-inflammatory cytokines. Interestingly, researchers found that animals treated with placebo showed a reduction in spleen size and an increase in inflammatory cytokines in the blood, whereas animals that were treated with MultiStem showed normal spleen size and increased levels of anti-inflammatory cytokines in the blood. The spleen is believed to play a significant role in promoting and sustaining the inflammation that can result in substantial long-term damage following brain injury.
"Ischemic stroke represents an enormous clinical, economic and social burden that is expected to increase dramatically in the years ahead as a result of an aging population, and the corresponding increase in the number of individuals that are susceptible to all forms of cardiovascular disease," said Gil Van Bokkelen, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Athersys. "MultiStem appears to have profound effects in multiple neurological injury models, by reducing inflammation, protecting at-risk brain tissue, and promoting tissue repair. If we can develop new, more effective therapies that meaningfully extend the treatment window for stroke victims, we can improve clinical care, reduce long-term health care costs, and improve the quality of life for millions of people."
UTHealth is a national leader in translational stem cell research for the treatment of stroke and other neurological injuries, and recently initiated a first-of-its-kind clinical trial using bone marrow stem cells for acute stroke, which is being led by Dr. Savitz and funded by the National Institutes of Health. Recent preclinical data published by researchers in the Department of Pediatric Surgery at UTHealth working in collaboration with Athersys showed that administration of MultiStem following traumatic brain injury also had a profound effect on reducing the inflammatory response emanating from the spleen, accelerated repair of the blood-brain barrier and limited the neurological damage following injury. Both studies were done in conjunction with UTHealth's major teaching hospitals Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center and Children's Memorial Hermann. Preclinical studies involving administration of MultiStem for stroke and traumatic brain injury were funded by Athersys, Inc.

Source: http://ir.athersys.com/

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The survey on cellular and engineered tissue therapies in Europe in 2009

Thanks to the coordinated efforts of four major scientific organizations, the report describes the “novel cellular therapy” activity in Europe for the year 2009. 50 teams from 22 countries reported data on 814 patients using a dedicated survey, which were combined to additional 328 records reported by 55 teams to the standard European group for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (EBMT) database. Indications were cardiovascular (37%; 64% autologous), graft-vs-host-disease (27%; 7% autologous), musculoskeletal (17%; 98% autologous), epithelial/parenchymal (8%; 73% autologous), autoimmune (9%; 84% autologous) or neurological diseases (3%; 50% autologous). Autologous cells were used predominantly for cardiovascular (42%) and musculoskeletal (30%) disorders, whereas allogeneic cells were used mainly for graft-vs-host-disease (58%) and cardiovascular (30%) indications. Reported cell types were mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSC) (46%), hematopoietic stem cells (27%), chondrocytes (7%), keratinocytes (5%), dermal fibroblast (13%) and others (2%). In 59% of the grafts, cells were delivered following expansion, in 2% of the cases cells were transduced. Cells were delivered intraorgan (46%), on a membrane or gel (29%), intravenously (16%) or using 3D scaffolds (8%). As compared to last year, the number of teams adopting the dedicated survey was 1.7-fold higher and, with few exceptions, the collected data confirmed the captured trends. This year’s edition specifically describes and discusses the use of MSC for the treatment of autoimmune diseases, due to the scientific, clinical and economical implications of this topic.

Source:  Ivan Martin, Helen Baldomero, Chiara Bocelli-Tyndall, Ineke Slaper-Cortenbach, Jakob Passweg, Alan Tyndall. Tissue Engineering Part A. -Not available-, ahead of print. doi:10.1089/ten.TEA.2011.0131.

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Θεραπεία με βλαστοκύτταρα

Τι είναι τα βλαστοκύτταρα;
Τα βλαστοκύτταρα είναι ένα νέο θεραπευτικό εργαλείο στην Ιατρική διαφορετικό από τα φάρμακα που μέχρι σήμερα είχαμε συνηθίσει. Η φύση διαθέτει τις δικές της δυνάμεις για να αυτοθεραπεύεται, αλλά όσο οι οργανισμοί γίνονται πολυπλοκότεροι τόσο η δυνατότητα αυτή εξασθενεί. Παραμένουν στο σώμα μας μετά την γέννηση και αποθηκεύονται στα όργανά μας συμβάλλοντας έτσι στην ολοκλήρωση της διάπλασής τους και στη διατήρηση της λειτουργίας τους μετέπειτα.

Πώς αποκαθιστούν τη βλάβη στον οργανισμό;
Για να μπορέσουν να δράσουν αποτελεσματικά πρέπει να κινητοποιηθούν από τις θέσεις της αποθήκευσης τους και να φθάσουν στο σημείο της βλάβης. Μετά την ανακάλυψη των ιδιοτήτων τους χρησιμοποιούνται ειδικές μέθοδοι απομόνωσης και χορήγησης για τη θεραπεία διαφόρων τύπων ασθενειών.

Πώς γίνεται η συλλογή τους;
Βλαστοκύτταρα με αποδεδειγμένα ασφαλείς χρήσεις λαμβάνονται σήμερα από το αίμα του πλακούντα κατά τον τοκετό, τα νεογιλά δόντια, τον μυελό των οστών και το λίπος.

Σε ποιες παθήσεις χρησιμοποιούνται;
Το αίμα και ο μυελός των οστών χρησιμοποιούνται κυρίως για τη θεραπεία ασθενειών του αίματος, κακοήθων και μη, όγκων της παιδικής ηλικίας, ασθενειών του ανοσοποιητικού, όπως σκλήρυνση κατά πλάκας, νεανική ρευματοειδή αρθρίτιδα και σακχαρώδη διαβήτη.

Υπάρχει πεδίο εφαρμογής τους και στα καρδιαγγειακά νοσήματα;
Σε μεγαλύτερες ηλικίες χρησιμοποιούνται για τη θεραπεία της ισχαιμικής καρδιοπάθειας, της οστεοαρθρίτιδας, των καταγμάτων και της αποκατάστασης των χόνδρων και των τενόντων. Τα βλαστοκύτταρα που απομονώνονται από τα δόντια και το λίπος ανήκουν στο είδος των μεσεγχυματικών κυττάρων, τα οποία αποτελούν ένα μέρος των βλαστοκυττάρων του αίματος του πλακούντα.

Το είδος αυτό των βλαστοκυττάρων είναι χρήσιμο για τη θεραπεία οργάνων αλλά και για τις ασθένειες του ανοσοποιητικού. Τα μεσεγχυματικά βλαστοκύτταρα προορίζονται μόνο για αυτόλογη χρήση, δηλαδή μόνο από τον ασθενή που του ανήκουν.

Είναι αποτελεσματικά και σε παθήσεις του κεντρικού νευρικού συστήματος;
Η θεραπεία της εγκεφαλικής παράλυσης των παιδιών αποτελεί αντικείμενο μεγάλης διεθνούς κλινικής μελέτης στην οποία συμμετέχουν παιδιά ηλικίας μέχρι 3 ετών τα οποία έχουν φυλάξει τα βλαστοκύτταρά τους κατά τον τοκετό. Η εγκεφαλική παράλυση δημιουργείται λόγω επιπλοκών κατά τον τοκετό και οφείλεται σε παρατεταμένη κακή οξυγόνωση του εγκεφάλου.

Επειδή ο εγκέφαλος δεν έχει αναγεννητική ικανότητα η όποια βλάβη συμβεί μετά τη διάπλασή του δεν είναι αναστρέψιμη. Η χορήγηση αυτόλογων βλαστοκυττάρων στα πρώτα έτη της ζωής σύμφωνα με τα αποτελέσματα της έρευνας βελτιώνει σε σημαντικό βαθμό την ομιλία, την επικοινωνία και την κινητικότητα αυτών των παιδιών. Η σπαστικότητα υποχωρεί σε μεγάλο βαθμό και η εκτέλεση λεπτών κινήσεων βελτιώνεται σημαντικά.

Μπορούν να χορηγηθούν για τη θεραπεία του διαβήτη;
Τα βλαστοκύτταρα στη θεραπεία του νεανικού διαβήτη τα τελευταία χρόνια αποτελούν αντικείμενο εντατικών ερευνών. Ο διαβήτης αυξάνεται με ραγδαίους ρυθμούς στον πολιτισμένο κόσμο και μία μερίδα παραγωγικών ανθρώπων υφίστανται τις συνέπειες των επιπλοκών του.

Μεγάλες μελέτες που εξελίχτηκαν σε πολλές χώρες έδειξαν αρκετές περιπτώσεις παιδιών με διαβήτη τα οποία χρησιμοποιώντας τα δικά τους βλαστοκύτταρα του πλακούντα σταμάτησαν κάθε ένεση ινσουλίνης, αλλά και άλλα στα οποία η ημερήσια δόση ελαττώθηκε κάτω του μισού. Απαραίτητη προϋπόθεση είναι τα παιδιά να έχουν τα δικά τους βλαστοκύτταρα του αίματος του πλακούντα, που προληπτικά η οικογένειά τους φύλαξε κατά τη γέννησή τους.

Υπάρχουν ελπίδες για τα αυτοάνοσα νοσήματα;
Πολλοί ασθενείς με σκλήρυνση κατά πλάκας χρησιμοποιώντας βλαστοκύτταρα του μυελού των οστών παρουσίασαν σημαντική βελτίωση της κλινικής τους εικόνας και ελάττωση της συχνότητας των ώσεων. Νεότερες μελέτες χρησιμοποιώντας βλαστοκύτταρα από το λίπος έδειξαν τα ίδια αποτελέσματα.

Είναι αποτελεσματικά τα βλαστοκύτταρα από το λίπος;
Σήμερα, ο μυελός των οστών σε πολλές περιπτώσεις αντικαταστάθηκε από τα βλαστοκύτταρα του λίπους και ίσως αυτή η πηγή στο μέλλον να είναι η πιο σημαντική. Τα βλαστοκύτταρα από το λίπος παίρνονται με λιποαναρρόφηση, είναι πολλά σε αριθμό και δεν χρειάζονται πολλαπλασιασμό. Λόγω της μεγάλης ποσότητας μπορούν να κρυοσυντηρηθούν τμηματικά και να χρησιμοποιηθούν περισσότερες της μιας φοράς, χωρίς να είναι απαραίτητο να γίνει εκ νέου λιποαναρρόφηση.

Ποιο είναι το πλεονέκτημα με τις θεραπείες με βλαστοκύτταρα;
Το σημαντικό πλεονέκτημα των αυτόλογων κυτταρικών θεραπειών είναι η ασφάλεια και η έλλειψη παρενεργειών. Δεν πρόκειται για φάρμακα, αλλά για αξιοποίηση των ίδιων των δυνάμεων του οργανισμού

Πηγή: http://www.real.gr/

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Extracting stem cells from fat for tissue regeneration

Stem cells extracted from body fat may pave the way for the development of new regenerative therapies including soft tissue reconstruction following tumor removal or breast mastectomy surgery, the development of tissue-engineered cartilage or bone, and the treatment of cardiovascular disease.
An interdisciplinary team of Queen’s University researchers led by Dr. Lauren Flynn, a professor in the Departments of Chemical Engineering and Anatomy and Cell Biology, has been working with stem cells extracted from samples of human fat and is developing new methods in the lab to develop these cells into mature tissue substitutes.
While stem cells extracted from fat cannot be grown into as many different types of cells as embryonic stem cells, they do have a number of advantages.
“The advantages include less ethical controversy, abundant cell availability from discarded tissues from elective surgeries like breast reductions and tummy tucks, and a much reduced possibility for immune rejection when re-implanting cells extracted from a person’s own fat,” explains Dr. Juares Bianco, a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Chemical Engineering and the Human Mobility Research Centre (HMRC) who is working in the Flynn lab group.
Sarah Fleming, a Master’s candidate in the group, is also working to establish a new method for growing the fat stem cells in the lab using a system that mimics the natural tissue environment found within the body. This work is based on Dr. Flynn’s development of a technique for washing away all traces of cells from a sample of body fat, leaving behind a three-dimensional tissue scaffold that she calls “decellularized adipose tissue”, or “DAT” for short.
This empty scaffold can then be used for soft tissue reconstruction or as a growing environment for the extracted stem cells. Dr. Flynn’s preliminary studies have shown that when the stem cells are grown on the DAT scaffold, they naturally begin to mature into fat cells, suggesting that the engineered growth environment influences the type of cell that the basic stem cells will turn into during the tissue regeneration process.
This research was funded in part by NSERC’s Collaborative Research and Training Experience Program (CREATE) and was conducted by researchers in the Human Mobility Research Centre (HMRC). The HMRC is a partnership between Queen’s University and Kingston General Hospital and serves as a point of collaboration between the disciplines of medicine, engineering, health sciences, and information technology.


Source: Queens University , http://www.queensu.ca/news/

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