“Latest Stem Cells News”

Everyone knows about the potential of stem cells in the medical field, but until today, no one had found a way to recognize them in an organ or tissue. Thanks to a new study published in the ‘Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences’ by 2007 Nobel Prize winner for Medicine, Mario Capecchi and researcher at Cattolica University in Rome, Eugenio Sangiorgi, this obstacle has been overcome. Experts have found a new technique to find stem cells hidden in the pancreas.

“Although the journals talk a lot about this topic,” said Sangiorgi, who has collaborated with Capecchi for years, “in reality, we experts don’t understand them very well. For example, we don’t have a method to distinguish between a stem cell and another cell a priori in the same tissue. By observing the cell’s behavior we can then figure it out.”
In other words, when a researcher observes a particular tissue, it is not immediately possible to identify the cell with certainty and isolate it.
In some cases, like in the pancreas, until a few years ago, it was doubted if these cells were even present in the organ.

“Together with Professor Capecchi,” continued Sangiorgi, “some time ago we created a method to mark stem cells in tissues. A sort of little flag that could help us label the cells that we were looking for.” To arrive at this conclusion, they used a portion of DNA, which in an animal model, is activated with the use of a drug. Once the marker is ‘turned on’, a special fluorescent protein is produced (which won its discoverers, Osamui Shimomura, Martin Chalfie, and Roger Tsien, the Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 2008) and is able to illuminate the stem cells. “To understand if they were actually stem cells,” continued Sangiorgi, “we just had to wait: a normal cell will die sooner or later, while a stem cell maintains its capacity to divide and replicate.”
In the new article, Sangiorgi and Capecchi demonstrated with their new technique that certain cells located in the pancreas, called acinar cells, are stem cells in reality. These cells are responsible for the production of an important digestive enzyme.

This is an interesting discovery from another point of view: “In general,” said Sangiorgi, “it was thought that stem cells were cells without a precise function, and that they were undifferentiated and had no set objectives other than tissue regeneration. Instead we have learned that acinar cells, although they are stem cells, have a precise role in the pancreas. They are like soldiers who perform their job normally for the army, but if they are needed they are also available to work for the government too.”

This work has paved the way for new studies on stem cells including their potential risks: “Thanks to their extraordinary reproductive power, they can even become carcinogenic. But if we manage to discover a way to isolate and study them in other organs, we will be able to analyze their properties in-depth and provide many responses on how they function.”

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Stem Cell Research using the patient’s own Adult Stem Cells has brought us another great discovery- Stem Cell Contact Lens. In Australia, a group of doctors in a research study treated 3 patients who had some form of cornea problems and they all were able to see after the stem cell treatment in which their own stem cells healed damage to their cornea

The Process of Stem Cells for the Cornea

1. The doctors removed Adult Stem Cells from the patient’s good eye
2. The stem cells were grown on a contact lens for 10 days
3. The contact lens was placed on the damaged eye for 3 weeks
4. The stem cells “blend” into the eye and repair the damage in the cornea

From the stem cell article:

The researchers, led by Dr Nick di Girolamo, said each person’s sight improved significantly within weeks of the procedure, and that it was a simple inexpensive technique which required a minimal hospital stay

Stem Cell Research Abstract

Also, here is the  stem cell research abstract for the cornea study.  Here are some of the actual results:

Results. A stable transparent corneal epithelium was restored in each patient. There was no recurrence of conjunctivalization or corneal vascularization, and a significant improvement in symptom score occurred in all patients. Best-corrected visual acuity was increased in all eyes after the procedure.

This technique is simple, non invasive, and uses the patient’s own stem cells– so the patient has nothing to lose and everything to gain by trying something like this.  What can be easier than popping in a contact lens?

Covering Old Stem Cell Ground?

However, it seems like they have doing something similar in India for a number of years. Notice in the story, that the doctors removed stem cells from the good eye of the patient. What happens if the patient has two bad eyes? Well there are  doctors in India are getting the stem cells from under the lip of the patient. This stem cell story didn’t get any run when it came out in October of 2008- but it probably should have. Read more about what this group of stem cell doctors in India have for stem cells for the cornea here

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Canadian native, Arndt Roehlig is the latest Multiple Sclerosis patient to be helped by stem cell research. Arndt was injected with his own adult stem cells back on March 6, 2009 and since then has seen improvements in his quality of life.

Arndt, a Vancouver resident,  first became interested in stem cell therapy for his multiple sclerosis when he read a story about fellow Canadian Louis Zylstra, a professional golfer who was able to return to the golf course after her multiple sclerosis had forced her to give it up.

Adult Stem Cell Treatment in Israel

Zylstra was helped after seeking stem cell research in Israel where Dr. Shimon Slavin was treating patients with their own Adult Stem Cells.  Arndt saw the stem cell success story and was inspired to seek out the same stem cell treatment as his multiple sclerosis was getting worse.

Stem Cells for Multiple Sclerosis Experience

Here is the whole stem cell experience  in Arndt’s own words–

“I wouldn’t call it success just yet, as I am careful not to report a reversal when it is still early.

I had a bone marrow extraction performed on me in Tel Aviv in late December, 2008. This procedure was quick and I suffered no side effects at all after my butt healed. Dr. Slavin’s team then did their magic which took approx. 2.5 months to grow the needed stem cells from my bone marrow donation. The experience then really started in Istanbul, as non Israeli citizens are not allowed to receive stem cell treatment in Israel as of yet.

I arrived in Istanbul on Friday afternoon on March 6th 2009. As I was advised to stay an additional day after my planned procedure, which was booked for Saturday, I was booked to fly home on Monday morning, thinking this would leave me plenty of time to recover from the stem cell infusion. As it turned out, it is very common to feel nauseous, have headaches and be vomiting for several days after the infusion. I experienced all three symptoms, which felt like a really terrible case of food poisoning. As I arrived, the service that picked me up stated I will be receiving the stem cells that evening, so a day early. Sure enough, as soon as I checked in to the Florence Nightingale Hospital there, I was wheeled into the radio room where the Spinal surgeon quickly administered the anesthesia into my spine, about half way up my back. Within minutes following, I received the stem cells. The whole procedure was about 15 minutes long and involved no serious pain. I was wheeled back into my room and ate dinner. That was the last food for three days, as I felt very nauseous and vomited without sleep for three days. I did hear however, another patient that received the same treatment that day never vomited, just had a terrible headache for three days, so everyone reacts differently to the treatment in terms of side effects.

Monday morning came by and I was still feeling terrible, so after another visit across the street to the hospital, I received some more IV help so I could get on the plane. As I had a layover in London for 3.5 hours, I found a couch where I actually slept for two hours for the first time in three days. When I awoke, I felt a sensation I never have had before. It felt like the whole pressure from my MS dissipated and almost like a massive weight off my shoulders, wow. Then as I got home and slept in my bed, I noticed that my usual cramps that I have at night time also went away completely. Although, I must say that the cramps did come back since then, however not as strong as they once were. My experience since then has been quite good, to date (~2.5 months since infusion), I have recorded MS attacks, however, they are no where near as overwhelming as opposed to my continuous attack prior to infusion. My masseuse (once a week treatment) reports my back, which used to be riddled full of knots and tension is now normal and soft.

As for the progression of my disease, I think the disease is still affecting me, especially I notice symptoms on my left leg may have gotten a bit worse. However, I am just as of late feeling some potential improvement in my ability to walk a straight line without dragging my right leg behind me. Also, some parts have gotten better for example, I can get my right leg into my pants while standing again. This could just be a calm part before the disease progresses, or it could be the potential of nerves growing back and hence ability is better. It is obviously still too early to say for certain, but so far I am feeling very positive and according to the stem cell specialist Dr Slavin in Tel Aviv, I am not to feel much potential in the first three months anyway.

This experience so far has given me back my life as I was suffering a dramatic downward shift in mobility just before the infusion and thus can plan my life a little bit better as compared to before the infusion.

I would so far definitely endorse my treatment and advise people to try it. There is no downside risk except for lost money. There is no chemo therapy.

I hope I explained my experience well enough and will update my experiences again in the near future.”

Best regards,

Arndt Roehlig
Email: arndt@trivello.com

If you want more details on Arndt’s stem cell research experience with his own Adult Stem Cells, please email him at the above email address.

Arndt is just the latest Multiple Sclerosis patient to be helped by stem cell research using his own stem cells. See other stem cell success stories for Multiple Sclerosis here

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The Pentagon has made its first significant development with ‘induced’ stem cells (stem cells not obtained from embryos) to regenerate the limbs of amputees who fought in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Researchers were successful in transforming epithelial cells, which were manipulated to regress to their primordial state, into blastemas. A blastema is a mass of undifferentiated cells, which can develop into new body parts. In nature, blastemas are present in salamanders, and newts, animals, which are capable of restoring their own limbs with functionality after amputation.

The final goal, which is still far away, is to replicate this extraordinary capability in humans. Before the final objective, reports Wired, researchers are now targeting a second phase: transforming these cellular masses into molecular tissues. The researchers from Worcester Polytechnic Institute involved in the discovery received 570,000 dollars from DARPA, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. The objective is to effectively replace lost muscle,” explained Professor Raymond Page. The DARPA project, “Restorative Injury Repair”, aims to “fully recover the functionality of muscular and nervous tissue that has been damaged or amputated due to injuries suffered during combat”.

The program was launched on April 20th by the Pentagon, which invested 250 million dollars over a 5-year period. The researchers built a new facility, the Military Institute for Regenerative Medicine (AFIRM) to develop the new Japanese technique, which is not the subject ethical controversy, since stem cells are generated with the regression of adult epithelial cells obtained from the patients.
This technique of obtaining stem cells removes the risk of rejection and gives cells the possibility to change into 271 types of tissue in the human body.

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In a surprisingly balanced article on stem cell research from the mainstream media, Adult Stem Cells have helped at least two more patients- one for congestive heart failure and the other for Parkinson’s disease.

In an article by Forbes Magazine, they took a fair look at stem cell treatments abroad. Yes, there is the obligatory quote from Irving “they won’t work now- more research more research” Weismann. However, the author tries to show it from a patient’s perspective.

Parkinson’s Disease Treated With Adult Stem Cells

The first Parkinson’s patient she featured was Carlene Victor, who traveled to the Xcell Center in Germany. Carlene suffering from Parkinson’s for 7 years says ” I am not waiting for the FDA to rule to get treatments,” She went to Germany 5 months ago to get stem cell treatment for her Parkinsons. The results???

Victor is underwhelmed by her improvement. While she says she has more control over her feet, and the pain in her stomach that made it hard to sit has abated, her walking has not improved, her right arm still shakes, her wrist hurts continuously and her right foot still tends to numb up.

What if Adult Stem Cell Treatment was Available in the USA

So in this case, all of you can’t accuse Don Margolis of only focusing on the success stories. However, let’s take a closer look at this. What if the FDA wasn’t slowing down progress and made adult stem cell treatment available in the United States. Victor did improve a little bit. Therefore, if the treatment center wasn’t half way across world and cost prohibitive, and her own Adult Stem Cells were available for use in the United States- she could get another treatment here and then probably get a little more improvement with a second treatment and then even more with a third– why not? They are her own cells, her own repair kit- there is no downside to putting them in, just some discomfort. And the FDA isn’t allowing you to use your own stem cells thus making people like her suffer and “wait until the 10 years of clinical trials are done” which haven’t started for Parkinson’s by the way.

Parkinson’s Patient Improved With Adult Stem Cells- Michael J Fox Pay Attention

There was another Parkinson’s patient who went to the same stem cell treatment center as Victor and at the same time. His name was Aubra Phillips, 50, who had suffered from Parkinson’s for 22 years. The Adult Stem Cells worked for him!

From the stem cell article: he’s “60% to 70% better” than he was. He used to drag his legs and have trouble mustering the strength to sign credit card bills; post stem-cell treatment, he can jog and take notes. His stutter is gone too. Says Phillips, “If I can improve the quality of my life for what I have left to live, that is all I am after.”

Stem Cell Research for Congestive Heart Failure

Lastly, the article takes a look at Andy Jordan, who was in congestive heart failure. He came to Bangkok for stem cell treatment with Vescell. Before the “Vescell stem cell treatment“, Andy had an ejection fraction of 19%. After– his ejection fraction was 30-35%– even his doctor was impressed!

All of that included in just one mainstream media article on stem cell research. Maybe things are changing? I sincerely hope so. There are a lot of patients who can be helped right now with Adult Stem Cells!

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Austria

In the debate on embryonic stem cell research, or its regulations, it seems that the wind is changing both in the US, where President Obama has just changed the rigid guidelines laid out by his predecessor George W. Bush, and in Austria. “There was no pre-arranged organization, however, we were not against it,” said Christiane Druml, the president of the Bioethical Commission, presenting their new recommendations on March 23. A large majority, “including 17 out of 25 women”, believe that embryonic stem cell research is “scientifically relevant, morally legitimate, and worthy of support” and recommended a substantial easing of the laws. Five members of the commission proposed the laws to be stricter (these five supporters were not present at the meeting and one of their supporters, philosopher Guenther Poeltner, criticized their absence from the audience). The previous majority was overturned. In 2002 the Austrian government almost completely blocked the entire EU research program because it called for financing for embryonic stem cells. Now they are moving in the opposite direction.
The Commission suggested: a) the use of excess embryos from in vitro fertilization procedures; b) “therapeutic cloning”; c) hybrid human and animal embryos.

Legislative uncertainty halts research.

The commission does not only want liberal laws, but also clearer laws: “Current legislative uncertainty has been an obstacle to the development of research” explained Ulrich Koertner (Evangelical Theology, University of Vienna). Although part of the legal uncertainty has been overcome, molecular biologist Erwin Wagner (IMP) two years ago was the first and only scientist to perform experiments with embryonic stem cells in Austria. This was possible under past laws by importing embryonic stem cells from the US because it was not clear if they could be produced in Austria (the minority party voted to ban production and importation).

Now their production could be authorized. Their source would be “excess embryos”, which go not lead to great ethical problems. Reserve embryos not used by medically assisted fertilization programs are frozen for ten years and then destroyed. The explicit liberalization of “therapeutic cloning” is a more delicate issue (the current law is controversial). In this case embryos would be produced for the sole purpose of creating stem cells (and then the embryos would be destroyed). Finally, “hybrid” embryos, which are currently legal only in Great Britain, could become legal (the Commission is only an advisory body). This would constitute a small revolution, which would then give the final call to researchers. Until now, no one has followed Wagner’s example, and not just for legislative reasons, but more because embryonic stem cell research requires training, and lots of funding.

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