“Latest Stem Cells News”

For the first time in the United States, stem cells have been directly injected into the spinal cord of a patient, researchers announced Thursday.

Doctors injected stem cells from 8-week-old fetal tissue into the spine of a man in his early 60s who has advanced ALS, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. It was part of a clinical trial designed to determine whether it is safe to inject stem cells into the spinal cord and whether the cells themselves are safe (…)

What is a neural stem cell? How can they help treat neurological disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, spinal cord injury, stroke, ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease)? Evan Snyder of the Burnham Institute helps define neural stem cells (NSC), explaining that they are relatively inaccessible in the adult patient, but that they seem to benefit from some immunotolerance.

It follows that we may be able to use readily available lines of embryonic stem cells for therapy in neurodegenerative disease. Evan reviews current clinical applications for neural stem cells (including as a vehicle for small molecule delivery), and gives his future outlook for neural stem cells. Evan forsees NSCs being used in anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective functions, to deliver tumor killing genes, and to build iPS drug discovery models.

Neuralstem Inc. has received the green light to begin the first human stem cell trial to treat Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), often referred to as Lou Gehrig’s disease. The company’s stock soared on the news.

Neuralstem has only received approval for the first stage of the trial that would consist of 12 patients who will receive stem cell injections in the lumbar area of the spinal cord.

Neuralstem said the trial will be under the direction of principal investigator Dr. Eva L. Feldman, Director of the University of Michigan Health System ALS Clinic and the Program for Neurology Research & Discovery. Feldman called the trial a major step forward in the treatment of ALS. “In work with animals, these spinal cord stem cells both protected at-risk motor neurons and made connections to the neurons controlling muscles. We don’t want to raise expectations unduly, but we believe these stem cells could produce similar results in patients with ALS,” Dr. Feldman said.

from

http://washington.bizjournals.com/washington/stories/2009/09/21/daily7.html

http://www.reuters.com/article/americasRegulatoryNews/idUSBNG36053620090921

In a recent published clinical stem cell research study, adult stem cells were shown to help delay Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) progression and improve an ALS patient’s quality of life. This research study was believed to be the first published study comparing ALS patients who had their own stem cells injected into their brain vs a control group.

Thank you very much to ALS Worldwide for providing us with this exciting stem cell research breakthrough in humans- not mice! Any clinical studies like this in the United States? I can’t hear you….

Without further ado- here is the published stem cell research study on ALS: Stem-cell transplantation into the frontal motor cortex in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patients

Summary of Adult Stem Cell Therapy for ALS Study

This summary is provided by the good people at ALS Worldwide as well as they went to observe this tremendous stem cell treatment using Adult Stem Cells!

HOSPITAL SAN JOSE TECNOLOGICO DE MONTERREY STEM CELL PROCEDURE

The initial two year clinical test study results of the stem cell procedure instituted by Hospital San Jose Tecnologico de Monterrey, was published in Cytotherapy, February, 2009. Positive results were confirmed through both clinical observation and MRI tractography. It is considered by many within the international neurological community to be the foremost procedure available for minimizing or abrogating ALS symptoms and extending the lifespan of ALS patients. The procedure is a state of the art use of autologous CD-133 (+) stem cells injected into the frontal cortices for the effective replacement of motor neurons.

Representing the ALS WORLDWIDE patient community, we were at Hospital San Jose Tecnologico de Monterrey in Mexico from June 6-14 to observe the hospitalization and procedures for the first two international patients being provided this stem cell therapy. In a sentence, the official message delivered is clear: “This stem cell procedure is not a cure. We offer nothing more than the promise of stability and extended life expectancy. The opportunity, however, exists for improvement. “

Process of Stem Cells for Lou Gehrig’s Disease

The stem cell preparation procedure is sophisticated and complicated but in the simplest terms, the patient’s blood is purified, extracted and cleansed. Stem cells are extracted and then the one kind of stem cell that can be best coaxed into becoming a neuron is injected into two places in the brain. The patient experiences no pain and very little discomfort during the procedure. A mild sedative is provided and within hours, the patient is back in his or her room, enjoying dinner.

The team effort at Hospital San Jose Tecnologico de Monterrey embraces a cooperative spirit that pervades every aspect of their efforts. Patients and their families are treated with the highest level of concern, respect and support. The hospital itself resembles the finest hotel and provides exemplary care. A more detailed, scientific explanation of the Monterrey experience is currently being prepared and will be posted to ALS WORLDWIDE within the next week.

I hope to post these updates on this breakthrough in stem cell research as well.

original post by Don Margolis

A recent scientific follow-up study of patients who underwent autologous stem cell therapy for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or Lou Gehrig’s disease, has proved the effectiveness of the therapy. Returning Hope, in Thailand, is one of the first Asian health care providers to arrange for this type of stem cell treatment.
The follow up study was conducted by a team from Akay Hospital, GATA, the University of Marmara, and the Sila Neurorehabilitation Center. It followed 13 patients for one year after stem cell treatment for ALS.

Participants in the study had the following outcomes:

• Nine of thirteen participants had significant improvement, proven by electroneuromyography.
• Three patients died from conditions unrelated to ALS, including lung infection and myocardial infarction
• One patient’s condition was stable, with no improvement or decline

Previous treatments for ALS included growth hormone therapy, which was recently proven ineffective.

Brian Dardzinski, Returning Hope’s CEO, believes the study’s results were inevitable. “We have been partnering with treatment facilities to provide stem cell therapy for ALS for some time now. Our patients have had substantial improvement”.

“It was only a matter of time before a widely publicized study proving our results became available. But we are very pleased that more patients may have the opportunity to undergo stem cell therapy for ALS, due to the new study”, Mr Dardzinski continued.

ALS is one of the most common neuromuscular diseases world wide. Prominent sufferers like Stephen Hawking, guitarist Jason Becker and baseballer Lou Gehrig brought the disease to prominence.

About Returning Hope
Returning Hope is an online portal and facilitator, providing information and assistance to patients looking for adult stem cell treatment. Most of the procedures that Returning Hope facilitates involve autologous transplants – stem cells are harvested from a patient’s own fat in a quick, simple bedside procedure and re-implanted. Autologous adult stem cell therapy can give hope to patients who were previously told their conditions were untreatable, including stroke, autism, ALS, diabetes, cerebral palsy, Parkinson’s and multiple sclerosis.

British scientists have reportedly perfected the technique for curing macular-degeneration related blindness with adult stem cells. Returning Hope, a pioneering Asian adult stem cell treatment portal, expects to be one of the first in the world to offer the treatment.

Researchers from the Institute of Ophthalmology at London’s University College used embryonic eye stem cells to replace the layer of damaged eye cells. While Pfizer is backing the British push to bring the therapy to patients, Brian Dardzinski, CEO of Returning Hope, expects that Adult Stem Cell treatments will be available both much sooner and much cheaper in Thailand.

“We have been helping patients with Multiple Sclerosis, autism, brain injury, stroke, ALS and Parkinson’s find treatment in Thailand for some time now. Overseas health care providers have been saying that there are years needed to bring these treatments to patients – we are already helping them get back to a normal life”, said Mr. Dardzinski. “We can already help patients with some eye diseases, and macular degeneration patients will join them very shortly”.