Friday, August 31, 2012
Giving Birth after Stem Cell Treatments for Spinal Cord Injury || Video
Trish Stressman and her husband Scott discuss how stem cell therapy at the Stem Cell Institute in Panama allowed her to recover to the point at which she could safely give birth and care for her newborn daughter, Savannah Hope.
Prior to stem cell treatment, Trish had no core muscles and would not have been able to even safely hold a baby, let alone care for one. Since stem cells, that's all changed. Congratulations Trish, Scott and Savannah Hope!
See more of Trish's uplifting story here: http://youtu.be/zgSB1PtbiZg
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Blood Stem Cells Permanently Damaged by Alcohol
Bone marrow stem cells are extremely sensitive to the primary by-product of alcohol, which causes permanent damage to their DNA claims researchers from the Medical Research Council (MRC) Lab of Molecular Biology.
The research, which was conducted on mice, uncovers two mechanisms that normally control this type of damage; a protein group that recognizes and repairs DNA damage and an enzyme that eliminates acetaldehyde, alcohol's toxic breakdown product.
Mice lacking both protective mechanisms developed bone marrow failure stemming from blood stem cell damage.
These results mark the first time that scientists have been able to explain why bone marrow fails in Fanconi anemia (FA) patients. FA is a rare genetic disorder.
The report concludes that FA turns off the bone marrow's "repair kit" via FA gene mutation which causers DNA damage from acetaldehyde to continue unchecked. This damage is responsible for bone marrow failure and developmental defects in FA patients and makes them especially vulnerable to blood and other types of cancer.
These findings may have particular significance for the world's Asian population, many of whom suffer from "Asian flush syndrome". People with AFS lack the enzyme ALDH2 and therefore could be particularly susceptible to DNA damage. The authors warned that this subset of the Asian population could suffer permanent DNA damage with alcohol consumption and be more highly prone to blood cancer, bone marrow failure and premature aging than the Asian population at-large.
"Blood stem cells are responsible for providing a continuous supply of healthy blood cells throughout our lifespan. With age, these vital stem cells become less effective because of the build up of damaged DNA. Our study identifies a key source of this DNA damage and defines two protective mechanisms that stem cells use to counteract this threat. Last year we published a paper showing that without this two-tier protection, alcohol breakdown products are extremely toxic to the blood. We now identify exactly where this DNA damage is occurring, which is important because it means that alcohol doesn't just kill off healthy circulating cells, it gradually destroys the blood cell factory. Once these blood stem cells are damaged they may give rise to leukaemias and when they are gone they cannot be replaced, resulting in bone marrow failure," Dr KJ Patel, who is the primary investigator.
"The findings may be particularly significant for a vast number of people from Asian countries such as China, where up to a third of the population are deficient in the ALDH2 enzyme. Alcohol consumption in these individuals could overload their FA DNA repair kit causing irreversible damage to their blood stem cells. The long-term consequences of this could be bone marrow dysfunction and the emergence of blood cancers," Patel added.
"This study provides much sought-after explanation of the biology underpinning the devastating childhood disease Fanconi anemia. In future this work may underpin new treatments for this genetic disease, which currently is associated with a very poor prognosis. It also helps to inform large numbers of the global population, who are deficient in the ALDH2 enzyme, that drinking alcohol may be inflicting invisible damage on their DNA," commented Sir Hugh Pelham, director of the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology.
The research, which was conducted on mice, uncovers two mechanisms that normally control this type of damage; a protein group that recognizes and repairs DNA damage and an enzyme that eliminates acetaldehyde, alcohol's toxic breakdown product.
Mice lacking both protective mechanisms developed bone marrow failure stemming from blood stem cell damage.
These results mark the first time that scientists have been able to explain why bone marrow fails in Fanconi anemia (FA) patients. FA is a rare genetic disorder.
The report concludes that FA turns off the bone marrow's "repair kit" via FA gene mutation which causers DNA damage from acetaldehyde to continue unchecked. This damage is responsible for bone marrow failure and developmental defects in FA patients and makes them especially vulnerable to blood and other types of cancer.
These findings may have particular significance for the world's Asian population, many of whom suffer from "Asian flush syndrome". People with AFS lack the enzyme ALDH2 and therefore could be particularly susceptible to DNA damage. The authors warned that this subset of the Asian population could suffer permanent DNA damage with alcohol consumption and be more highly prone to blood cancer, bone marrow failure and premature aging than the Asian population at-large.
"Blood stem cells are responsible for providing a continuous supply of healthy blood cells throughout our lifespan. With age, these vital stem cells become less effective because of the build up of damaged DNA. Our study identifies a key source of this DNA damage and defines two protective mechanisms that stem cells use to counteract this threat. Last year we published a paper showing that without this two-tier protection, alcohol breakdown products are extremely toxic to the blood. We now identify exactly where this DNA damage is occurring, which is important because it means that alcohol doesn't just kill off healthy circulating cells, it gradually destroys the blood cell factory. Once these blood stem cells are damaged they may give rise to leukaemias and when they are gone they cannot be replaced, resulting in bone marrow failure," Dr KJ Patel, who is the primary investigator.
"The findings may be particularly significant for a vast number of people from Asian countries such as China, where up to a third of the population are deficient in the ALDH2 enzyme. Alcohol consumption in these individuals could overload their FA DNA repair kit causing irreversible damage to their blood stem cells. The long-term consequences of this could be bone marrow dysfunction and the emergence of blood cancers," Patel added.
"This study provides much sought-after explanation of the biology underpinning the devastating childhood disease Fanconi anemia. In future this work may underpin new treatments for this genetic disease, which currently is associated with a very poor prognosis. It also helps to inform large numbers of the global population, who are deficient in the ALDH2 enzyme, that drinking alcohol may be inflicting invisible damage on their DNA," commented Sir Hugh Pelham, director of the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology.
Monday, August 27, 2012
Meek Mill Donates $20,000 to Injured Motocross Rider for Stem Cell Therapy in Panama
The acclaimed recording artist, who is an avid four-wheel and motorcycle trickster, is leading the charge to raise money for another motorcycle enthusiast, Brad Frace. Brad suffered a spinal cord injury during a race in 2011. After the crash, Brad was confined to a wheelchair. However, through hard work and determination, he is now able to stand on his own. Brad still lacks sensation in his feet, and hopes to improve his walking by undergoing stem cell therapy in Panama.
Brad will receive 16 stem cell injections and 19 physical therapy sessions during his stay. He'll be receiving 2 IV and 2 intrathecal injection of his own bone marrow-derived stem cells along with 8 intrathecal expanded and non-expanded umbilical cord-derived stem cells, and 4 IV injections of umbilical cord-derived stem cells.
The procedure Brad's seeking costs about $30,000. Including airfares, food and hotel for the one-month stay, the Frace's estimate the total cost of the trip to be about $40,000. Meek Mill has promised to chip in half of that cash or $20,000. "I was surprised nobody else ain't help him with it," Meek says in his video clip. "When we somebody workin' or whatever they tryin' to do, we help 'em out."
Mill is now appealing to his fans to help Brad raise the other $20,000. To learn more about Brad's story, or to donate, check out Brad's recovery project website:
http://bradfrace519.blogspot.com/p/the-crash_15.html
Thursday, August 16, 2012
Stem Cell Treatment for Multiple Sclerosis in Panama - "After 1 year, I don't need my cane..."
One year after stem cell therapy for multiple sclerosis (MS) at the Stem Cell Institute in Panama City, Panama, Shirley Wigfall shares her success story. Shirley was diagnosed in 2003 after having trouble walking. After MS drugs were unsuccessful and she was rejected for clinical trials, Shirley found the Stem Cell Institute. Shirley no longer needs a cane to walk and credits stem cells for "truly changing her life".
For more information on stem cell treatments for MS: http://www.cellmedicine.com/treatment/multiple-sclerosis/
Friday, August 10, 2012
Mesenchymal Stem Cells Stop Arthritis in its Tracks - Duke University
Researchers at Duke University announced a promising new stem cell therapy aimed at osteoarthritis prevention after a joint injury.
The probability of developing arthritis after injury (post-traumatic arthritis - PTA) greatly increases after injury. Currently, the US FDA has not approved any drugs that slow or eliminate the progression of PTA.
However, at Duke researchers are beginning to confirm mesenchmal stem cell (MSCs) therapy in arthritis treatment. The treatment is similar to that which professional athletes and others have been seeking abroad in places like Panama and Germany for the past few years.
Ref: Pro/Am Dancer is "Dancing with the Stars" Again After Stem Cell Therapy in Panama
In the study, mice sustaining fractures that commonly lead to arthritis were treated with MSCs. "The stem cells were able to prevent post-traumatic arthritis," said Farshid Guilak, Ph.D., director of orthopaedic research at Duke and senior author of the study.
The study was published on August 10 in Cell Transplantation.
Lead author Brian Diekman, Ph.D said the scientists observed markers of inflammation and noted that the stem cells affected the joint's inflammatory environment following injury.
"The stem cells changed the levels of certain immune factors, called cytokines, and altered the bone healing response," stated Diekman.
The Duke team used mesenchymal stem cells isolated from bone marrow. Bone marrow stem cells are very rare; making isolation difficult and requiring that the isolated cells be cultured in the lab under low-oxygen conditions.
"We found that by placing the stem cells into low-oxygen conditions, they would grow more rapidly in culture so that we could deliver enough of them to make a difference therapeutically," Diekman said.
A richer source of mesenchymal cells is adipose (fat) tissue. Therapeutic doses of MSCs are routinely harvested from fat tissue and do not require culturing in the lab. However, it does takes 5 five days to thoroughly test the adipose cell samples for aerobic bacteria, anaerobic bacteria and endotoxins.
Ref: Stem Cell Therapy for Osteoarthritis
The probability of developing arthritis after injury (post-traumatic arthritis - PTA) greatly increases after injury. Currently, the US FDA has not approved any drugs that slow or eliminate the progression of PTA.
However, at Duke researchers are beginning to confirm mesenchmal stem cell (MSCs) therapy in arthritis treatment. The treatment is similar to that which professional athletes and others have been seeking abroad in places like Panama and Germany for the past few years.
Ref: Pro/Am Dancer is "Dancing with the Stars" Again After Stem Cell Therapy in Panama
In the study, mice sustaining fractures that commonly lead to arthritis were treated with MSCs. "The stem cells were able to prevent post-traumatic arthritis," said Farshid Guilak, Ph.D., director of orthopaedic research at Duke and senior author of the study.
The study was published on August 10 in Cell Transplantation.
Lead author Brian Diekman, Ph.D said the scientists observed markers of inflammation and noted that the stem cells affected the joint's inflammatory environment following injury.
"The stem cells changed the levels of certain immune factors, called cytokines, and altered the bone healing response," stated Diekman.
The Duke team used mesenchymal stem cells isolated from bone marrow. Bone marrow stem cells are very rare; making isolation difficult and requiring that the isolated cells be cultured in the lab under low-oxygen conditions.
"We found that by placing the stem cells into low-oxygen conditions, they would grow more rapidly in culture so that we could deliver enough of them to make a difference therapeutically," Diekman said.
A richer source of mesenchymal cells is adipose (fat) tissue. Therapeutic doses of MSCs are routinely harvested from fat tissue and do not require culturing in the lab. However, it does takes 5 five days to thoroughly test the adipose cell samples for aerobic bacteria, anaerobic bacteria and endotoxins.
Ref: Stem Cell Therapy for Osteoarthritis
Wednesday, August 8, 2012
Jorge Paz MD – Adult Stem Cell Therapy for Arthritis, Sports Injury, and Autoimmune Diseases (Part 2 of 3) || Video
Stem Cell Institute Spring Seminar 2012
Gilbert, AZ
Gilbert, AZ
Stem cell Treatment protocol for autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis. Why stem cells must be administered systemically for autoimmune diseases. Dr. Paz elaborates on the disadvantages of same-day fat-derived stem cell treatments. He presents the scientific rationale for treating rheumatoid arthritis (RA) with fat-derived stem cells along with a published case report including patient video. Presentation of similarities between MS and RA and how MS is treated with a combination of human umbilical cord-derived stem cells and adiopose stem cells. Dr. Paz discusses why MS treatment includes umbilical cord-derived stem cells.
Jorge Paz, MD is the Medical Director at the Stem Cell Institute in Panama City, Panama
More information at www.cellmedicine.com
Thursday, August 2, 2012
Jorge Paz, MD - Adult Stem Cell Therapy for Arthritis, Sports Injury, and Autoimmune Diseases || Part 1 of 3
Stem Cell Institute Spring Seminar 2012
Gilbert, AZ
Gilbert, AZ
Dr. Paz discusses his internal medicine background in New York and Texas, and how he got involved with stem cell treatments in Panama. Dr. Paz highlights why licensing, technology and quality control make the Stem Cell Institute in Panama different from other clinics around the world. He touches on why same-day fat-derived stem cell treatments in the US are less than ideal. Dr. Paz concludes part 1 by discussing several US universities with which the Stem Cell Institute has collaborated on research.
Jorge Paz, MD is the Medical Director at the Stem Cell Institute in Panama City, Panama
More information at www.cellmedicine.com
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