“Latest Stem Cells News”

Though the world’s attention has focused on Iran‘s advancing nuclear program, Iranian scientists have moved to the forefront in embryonic stem cell research, according to a recent joint study by Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Controversial in the United States, embryonic stem cell research was embraced in 2002 by Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s conservative religious leader. President Obama has recently adopted a similar policy, reversing restrictions that George W. Bush’s administration imposed because of the implications for destroying potential human lives.

Stem cells have been shown to have significant capability to develop into a plethora of different cell types and work as a repair system to replenish cells with specialized functions.

“Islam is very compatible with the modern sciences,” said Hassan Ashktorab of the Howard University Cancer Center. “Policies that may be classified as liberal in the American political system seem to be common sense to Iranian politicians.”

Incoming search terms:

A particular type of stem cell transplantation using the patient’s own cells led to short-term freedom from insulin injections in 20 of 23 patients newly diagnosed with type 1 diabetes participating in an experimental protocol in Brazil.

One patient even managed to go four years without needing outside sources of insulin, although the average was 31 months, said the authors of a report in the April 15 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, a themed issue on diabetes.

The patients also kept their blood sugar under control, which is key to preventing complications from diabetes. And, the authors stated, increased C-peptide levels indicated that the pancreas’ beta cells were alive and well.

“We were trying to preserve islet beta cell mass, that is, the cells that produce insulin, by stopping the immune system attack on these cells,” said senior study author Dr. Richard Burt, of Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago. “Why new onset? Because we wanted to make sure there were still some islets there. We don’t believe stem cells form islet cells, but if the islet cells are still there, there might be regeneration if we stop the attack soon enough.”

Incoming search terms:

VIPs and stars like Federica Panicucci, Ambra Angiolini, Federica Fontana, Justine Mattera, and many others are increasingly choosing to store their umbilical cord stem cells storage banks outside of the country for a possible future autologous (self) use. This has been dubbed as a sort of ‘biological insurance’ on the life of their children, allowed by Italian law only for infants that could help their brothers and sister struck by genetic diseases. These famous moms unknowingly risk spreading a false message, that the storage of umbilical cord stem cells for ‘private use’ is based on definite scientific research. “This is not true,” said ex-Health Minister Girolamo Sirchia, yesterday in Milan for the launch of a campaign to donate umbilical cord blood to be used by patients that need a life saving transplant for sicknesses like leukemia and lymphomas.

Incoming search terms:

No longer is surgery required for anti-aging or making one look younger because Adult Stem Cells are now being used as an alternative to a facelift- no surgery required!

The stem cells being used are taken from the patient’s fat- so they are autologous adult stem cells ie. the patient’s own stem cells so there are no rejection issues.  Here is how it works:

Process of Stem Cells

1. Patients  have fat cells removed from their stomach using a needle and local anesthetic
2. Stem Cells are extracted from the fat cells and multiplied
3. Two weeks later, patient returns to hospital.
4. Doctors inject the stem cells into the face in a series of shots that plump out skin, erase wrinkles and give the patient a youthful appearance
5. No surgery required!

Stem Cell Facelift Only Available in China

Alas,  since the United States always seems to be the last ones on the bus for these adult stem cell treatments, it is China that is taking the lead.  This process is taking place at  Beijing Tian Tan Puhua Hospital in Beijing, China.

Before you scoff at this stem cell treatment, this is the same hospital where Penny Thomas, the famous American woman who was the first to be treated with Adult Stem Cells for her Parkinson’s Disease.  Countless other Americans have followed in her footsteps as the US FDA drags its feet.

Also, this same company, RNL Bio, is the same one that has helped John Cullison with his arthritis as we saw previously on this blog in this stem cell video.

This stem cell facelift is very popular with South Koreans after they had one of their aging stars, Kyung-gyu Lee go there to give it a try. Apparently it must have been a success.

Adult Stem Cells As Alternative to Plastic Surgery- A Possible Billion Dollar Industry

With the plastic surgery industry in the United States in the billions of dollars annually, we are looking at the near future of this industry.  Right now, this face lift alternative to surgery costs about $4,000 + the cost of a trip to China.
Bruce Jenner? You want to be the US pioneer?

But seriously, at first glance, this seems to be an industry with untapped potential. Some of you entrepreneurs out there may want to check this out.

See the whole story on the stem cell facelift here

from Don Margolis

Incoming search terms:

Stem Cell Research Brings About Another Miracle

Korean doctors have apparently regrown a patient’s jawbone using the patient’s own Adult Stem Cells in yet another amazing miracle that Adult Stem Cell research has brought us.

An 18 year old Korean boy who had to have most of his jawbone and his teeth removed due to a tumor was the lucky recipient of this fantastic stem cell research victory.

The young man, who had been suffering confidence problems due to his appearance (missing his jawbone and teeth) is very happy now after the Adult Stem Cells worked their magic and regrew his jawbone so he looks normal in appearance now.

Process of Stem Cells

1. Adult Stem Cells were taken from the man’s bone marrow
2. They were then multiplied and “coached” into becoming an osteoblast- a cell responsible for bone formation
3. The new Adult Stem Cells were injected into the “damaged” area around the man’s jaw
4. 6 months-1 year the stem cells grow new bone to fill in the gap left when the jawbone and teeth were removed
5. Man’s looks better, has more confidence, happier

Stem Cell Case Study Presented at Conference

The results of the trial were published in the British medical journal BMC Medicine and it was also presented at the Korean Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons annual meeting (Those silly Maxillofacial surgeons must have forgotten my invitation)

Another Case of Adult Stem Cell Research Working Magic

This is just another instance in which the patient’s own stem cells were used to help. The patient had nothing to lose (no side effects because they were his own stem cells), and everything to gain. And gain he did with this miracle.

This reminds me of an amazing story in Germany a few years back in which they actually used a man’s back as an incubator and grew him a new jawbone

Click here to read the whole stem cell article

from Don Margolis

Incoming search terms:

Researchers believe that they can produce new eggs in infertile women even if the ovaries are damaged or the woman has passed the usual age of conception.

The technique involves transplanting stem cells into the ovaries and could work on the one in 10 women who suffer from infertility as well as those who want children late in life.

Until recently it was assumed that a woman was born with a finite lifetime store of around two million egg-producing follicles and no more could be produced.
By puberty this number has already fallen to about 400,000, and at the menopause too few eggs remain to permit fertility.

But four years ago scientists in the USA showed it was possible to obtain stem cells from the ovaries of adult women that could be grown into mature egg cells.

Incoming search terms: