“Latest Stem Cells News”

A breakthrough was achieved recently in the case of an 18 year old boy, a case of advanced stage of Aplastic anemia where stem cells of not one but three donors were used to treat him. This spectacular feat was achieved by the doctors at The Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Cancer Research Institute (NSCBCRI) Kolkata.

18 year old Aman, student of class 12, fainted in school. He was diagnosed for Aplastic Anemia, a disorder where the bone marrow stops producing red blood cells and platelets. He was treated in many hospitals, but no amount of blood transfusions or ‘immuno-suppressant’ medication could help.

Dejected and depressed, Aman’s parents had almost lost their son when they happened to read a news report by chance. The doctors at NSCBCRI had successfully conducted an SCT to treat Aplastic anemia. . “I wanted to live on, and my parents saw a ray of hope, ”said Aman.
With recent advances in medicine the use of stem cells have been very effective in treating Diabetes milletus, Parkinson’s diseases, cancer, leukemia and Aplastic anemia .

They have been very effective in Bone marrow transplantation
Aman was rushed to Kolkata, but by then his condition had deteriorated. The doctors realized that only a multiple- unit SCT could save him. Overruling the risks they conducted the transplant which took three days.

With 50% chances of risk involved in a single unit SCT, the doctors had a bigger risk at hand, but a similar case conducted successfully in Seattle gave them the courage.
Today Aman Khandelwal is recouping. Thanks to the courage, confidence and competence of the doctors who treated upon him.

from http://www.beviga.com/1401/stem-cell-transplant-a-miracle/

The subject of producing artificial blood from stem cells has become a hot topic in Italy. “Italy is close to reaching the same objective announced by British researchers, on a similar timeframe,” therefore possibly in three years, “but using adult stem cells. Certainly, it is one thing to say that in three years we will begin the experimental phase, it’s another thing to speak about industrial production. It needs to be specified that the procedure to produce artificial blood is very expensive. Therefore this would be a complementary solution, which will not replace donations,” Said Welfare Undersecretary Ferruccio Fazio, shortly after an announcement of a British study, during a meeting on blood transfusion by the Health Observatory in Rome.

“I would like to calm the enthusiasm after the announcement of the British study,” said Fazio. “There are Italian research groups that are doing very advanced projects on adult stem cells to produce artificial blood. The Italian way was also chosen by the US Armed Forces,” he specified. “We are working on adult stem cells also for long-term sustainability. There is also a collaboration in place between the Mayo Clinic in America and researchers of the Superior Institute of Health (ISS),” he added. “Therefore Italy is not behind in this sector. “This is a very expensive procedure though, which will never substitute donation,” confirmed Fazio.

Furthermore, the upcoming conference of the federal government and the regions should examine a provision “that proposes financing in all of the Italian regions for umbilical cord biobanks starting in 2009. This is something,” pointed out Fazio, “that will aid in research on blood from adult stem cells”. While labs in Italy have worked for years, Giuliano Graziani, the director of the national blood centre pointed out that “the production of artificial plasma will be extremely expensive. We are not disputing the importance of donating blood. Research like the British study is ongoing throughout the world. There are important studies,” he said, “whose results are not right around the corner, and which will never replace the key role of donations”.

“In addition to unacceptable ethical implications, this research has not demonstrated anything yet,” commented geneticist Bruno Dallapiccola regarding the announcement of several British researchers, published recently on the online edition of the Independent regarding the possibility of producing blood by using embryonic stem cells.

“There are no official results yet,” said the scientist in an interview with Vatican Radio, “and none of this research has been transferred to patients. Then,” he added, “rather than reading these results in the Independent, it would be appropriate to see them published in a scientific journal with critical revisers able to judge their basis.”

In the meanwhile, the geneticists said that embryonic stem cell research aimed at curing diseases like Parkinson’s or Alzheimer’s “have not given any results yet”. A group of British researchers said that they will be able to obtain, within three years, an unlimited quantity of red blood cells from unused human embryos.

BEIJING – China is tightening regulations on the clinical use of high-risk or ethically controversial diagnostic and therapeutic technologies.
The Ministry of Health (MOH) issued a government order on Monday requiring hospitals to get approval before doing things such as artificial heart implants and homogeneous organ transplants.

The regulation goes in to effect May 1. Hospitals already using the technologies are required to report to the Ministry for verification of qualifications within six months after that date.
The MOH said its aim is to prevent abuses of those medical technologies. Previously, only some needed government approval, it said, without giving further details.

At San Timoteo di Termoli Hospital, everything is in place to begin collecting stem cells, announced the Molise Regional Health Agency (ASREM) of Termoli-Larino, adding that as agreed with the pediatrics unit of the hospital, the collection of stem cells to be used for topical use, mainly in pseudoarthrosis, will begin. Computer records and a network will be created and shared with the regional health care facilities for all transfusions. For the health agency, this is an ambitious project, which will involve the entire team from the transfusion centre, which will collaborate with Regional Executive Health President Spagnuolo in an effort to continue to improve on the services provided.

It’s a doctor’s dream — an unlimited supply of disease-free blood.
And it may not be the stuff of fiction for long, reports CBS News correspondent Elizabeth Palmer.
Someone in the United States needs blood every two seconds. In surgery, on cancer words, on the nation’s battlefields — blood transfusions save lives.
But in the U.S., demand often exceeds supply. And elsewhere, especially in the developing world, there’s a real chance the blood cud be contaminated with diseases such as AIDS or Hepatitis C.

Enter Dr. Marc Turner, a cell biologist from Scotland who received a multi-million dollar research grant to try to make blood in his lab from human stem cells.
“These cells are being generated from human embryonic stem cells, which themselves are generated from three-to-five-day-old human embryos,” Turner says.
Palmer explains that stem cells can be coaxed, theoretically, to grow into any human body part.

Expectant parents must make several important medical decisions. Among them: whether to have prenatal genetic testing, request pain medication during labor, strive for a natural birth or circumcise a male baby?
Perhaps one of the most overlooked parts of childbirth preparation is whether to save or donate the infant’s umbilical cord blood.

Umbilical cords are usually discarded as medical waste. But the potential uses for cord blood are growing, making it imperative that families understand their options, including whether to pay to have the blood stored for possible use in the event of their child’s illness or to donate it to a public bank so it’s available to any child who may need it.
“I think every couple who is pregnant should look into this and make a decision for themselves about what to do,” says Dr. Charles Sims, co-founder of the California Cryobank, which offers private storage. “Every doctor treating them should also be informed.”