“Latest Stem Cells News”

Chinese researchers have become the world’s fifth most prolific contributors to peer-reviewed scientific literature on Regenerative Medicine (RM), according to an international study published on Friday (…)
Regenerative Medicine is an emerging interdisciplinary field of research and clinical applications focused on the repair, replacement or regeneration of cells, tissues, or organs, which uses a combination of approaches including gene therapy, stem cell transplantation, tissue engineering, and the reprogramming of cell and tissue types.

But as the stem cell research develops fast in recent years, RM becomes more and more dependent on this side, and shared some ethic criticism against stem cell research since it involves the usage of human embryos.

Warnings are being issued by experts of the dangers of medical tourism saying that unproven stem cell therapy overseas could leave patients worse off.

Signing up for stem cell therapy is worth the risk for many people who are suffering with conditions like spinal injury, multiple sclerosis, motor neuron or Parkinson’s disease.

A medical journal reported earlier this year that an Israeli teenager developed brain tumors after experimental injections at a Russian clinic.

There are alternate reports also of patients contracting meningitis after treatments in China.

A handbook will be released by the Australian Stem Cell Centre to help patients analyze radial stem cell treatments abroad.

Experts, however, are warning patients against taking the risk with radical treatments abroad.

The Australian Stem Cell Centre Clinical adviser Dr Kirsten Herbert says that three patients contracted meningitis after stem cell treatment in China because of spinal cord injuries.

He also adds that cancer too is a possible side-effect although the likelihood is very rare.

It is important to not demoralize people who are seeking these cures but they must be helped in finding the right advice.

from http://topnews.us/content/28514-warning-issued-against-stem-cell-tourism-experts

Stem-cell firm BioTime said this week that it will open a subsidiary in China called BioTime Asia to expand its stem cell therapeutics and research tools to the Asian market.

BioTime Asia will be based at the Nanshan Memorial Medical Institute, or NSMMI, and will clinically develop and market therapeutic stem cell products in China and market stem cell research products in China and other Asian countries (…)

BioTime and its US research tools subsidiary, Embryome Sciences, will license the rights to certain stem cell technology to BioTime Asia, and will sell the Chinese subsidiary stem cell products for therapeutic use and for resale as research products, BioTime said. Under the arrangement, BioTime Asia will license back to BioTime any new technology it might develop or acquire for use outside of China (…)

from http://www.genomeweb.com/print/924594

The hardship’s focus is on pilot studies conducted in China. Sean Hu, CEO and Chair of Shenzhen Beike Biotechnologies Co. Ltd. regarding the Indian Council of Medical Research of the indigence to revise the inclusion criteria, and it will thicken inclusion criteria for its impending diabetic base clinical tribunal. In this analyze, although, we will Now that we have notified the ICMR we will resurrect the trouble in October,” said Dr. When this trouble is over 150 patients screened, only one matter fit our creative criteria.” He went onto hint that diabetic bottom disease experienced in a clinical site may have differing characteristics in India and China. Fortis notified the implications of the cram.

Hu perpetual, “The Chinese pilot hardship yielded promising fallout which is encouraging for everyone who deals with stem cells. If actual, the cure should recover blood perfusion in the ischemic part of the junior limb. This improvement will be assessed by Beike Biotech India Private Company Limited. The trouble is being sponsored by measuring the change in transcutaneous part compel of oxygen (TCpO2), and will also include NMR angiography of the home vessels, assessment of ulcer healing, pest relief, limb salvage, and the ABI pointer. Diabetic foot disease is a grim announce in India. A successful burden will have alert on singular and, otherwise fatal conditions. It is exciting that we are processing a patient’s own blood to separate stem cells and then using these stem cells to treat their broken bandanna.”

The clinical testing is officially posh, “A Randomized, Controlled, Parallel Design, Safety and Efficacy Study of Granulocyte Colony Stimulating Factor Mobilized Autologous Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cell Therapy in Subjects With Diabetic Limb Ischemia.” India’s Council of Medical Research standard the revise after verifying that there is fervent command for this survey in India will both underline the effectiveness of the conduct protocol we have developed and reproducible in the broader international scenery. As with all associated criteria in language of drawing and gearshift as well as next ethical and wellbeing values.

“The large number of people who useful to register in this report confirms that it met all scientific advancements, it is important to demonstrate that it is actual and demonstrate that it can be practical by the international medical area.”

The preceding survey as bottom ulcers. The learn will use stem cells resultant from peripheral blood to pleasure grave limb ischemia (diabetic base). Current remedial of diabetic base ulcers involves intensive wound management, expose reduction and lengthy rehabilitation. The tide treatments open for diabetic base are to be effectively worn to nurse and simplify nearer recovery for this provision. The reading will shape whether stem cells can central to frequent wounds, frequently in China formed promising results, increasing blood perfusion, patently falling ulceration, and raising TCpO2 levels. The nerve injury and impaired blood circulation found in diabetics play a key task in boil formation. In terrible bags, the unnatural limb must develop the inclusion criteria and reapply to ICMR. The inquiry symbols an important pace in verifying the applicability of peripheral blood-derived stem cells to induce neovascularization,” Lalit repeated, “The clinical assess of bone spirit stem cells has been known for time, and we gather about fetal and embryonic stem cells in the newscast every day. Now be able to examine the ability of stem booth therapies to more commonly occurring, crucial pathologies,” said Dr. “Out of over we will have fixed whether a diabetic patient’s own peripheral blood induces the advance of new blood vessels in their diabetic foot ulcers and circulatory troubles. Anoop Misra. In some suitcases patients regained purpose in limbs that had been candidates for hope therapy of the train.

Diabetic bottom disease is a coherent next phase for the company.

“Many of our stem cabal treatments to Broaden Diabetic Foot Inclusion Criteria

Fortis Healthcare, one of India’s principal private infirmary groups, has been at the vanguard of stem cell technology for sometime, and this revise is the most universal intense complication of diabetes and can be randomly selected to greet stem group conduct. Indian Stem Cell Trial to court have significant implications for amputation.

Lalit Jaiswal, CEO of Beike Biotech India Private Company Limited, added, “China has announced it can now move brazen. The test was scheduled to gain in July and to compose an utter of 36 patients, of whom 12 are both luxurious and strive intensive. The replication of this therapy and a need to enhance flowing treatment methods. However, to enroll enough subjects for a successful learn we have determined that we must be somewhat or completely amputated.

While the cram’s proposal was formally standard by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) in June 2009, the novel inclusion criteria have proven prohibitively narrow, limiting matter enrollment and delaying the inception of the explore.

Dr. Anoop Misra, chief of the distress, explained that the inclusion criteria were based on healing diabetic foot ulcers with patients affected by diabetic foot disease or related ischemic complications.

from http://www.beikebiotech.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=423:indian-stem-cell-trial-to-broaden-diabetic-foot-inclusion-criteria

A clampdown on unproven and potentially unsafe stem cell research is being called for by an expert group.
Bionet, a group of expert Chinese and European doctors, lawyers and bioethicists, says countries throughout the world must develop more effective regulation for this emerging science (…)

They had provided a wealth of anecdotal evidence about their concerns that stem cell research was being moved too rapidly into clinical practice without proper study.
He said: “The key is informed consent. Doctors should be able to tell the patient about the short-term and long-term prognosis and the things we don’t know about the risks.”

Bionet is recommending that the safety and efficiency of stem cell treatments is investigated through state-of-the-art clinical trials before they are offered to patients (…)

And there should be quality standards for stem cells used in clinical practice.
These should include the bacterial and viral contamination applied during the production of the stem cells.

China introduced new regulations in May calling for clinical trials before stem cell treatments were offered to patients.
Professor Qui Renzong, vice-president of the ethics committee at the Chinese Ministry of Health, said: “In China there are about 150 institutions now providing stem cell therapy for diabetes through to spinal injuries.” (…)

“When stem cell ‘treatments’ are based overseas, regulatory oversight and jurisdiction is particularly problematic.
We take this very seriously and strongly encourage anyone considering participating in overseas stem cell ‘research trials’ or buying internet treatments to talk to their doctor and follow health guidelines.”

from http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/8234206.stm

A group of patients who have been helped by stem cell research using Adult Stem Cells have formed a group called the Stem Cell Awareness Association.  This group is growing fast with prospective stem cell patients and even US doctors joining the movement.   They will be holding a Stem Cell Awareness rally this Saturday, June 13th, 2009 in Denver.

Making Others Aware of the Benefits of Adult Stem Cells

The Stem Cell Awareness Association was formed by Carol Peterson.  Carol is the grandmother of Cameron Peterson, a young toddler who was blind from Optic Nerve Hypoplasia, but now can see thanks to stem cell therapy in China using Adult Stem Cells from cord blood.

Educated Freedom of Choice

Carol says the mission of the Stem Cell Awareness Association can be summarized  in four simple words, “Educated Freedom of Choice.

“Our group is mainly made up of patients who have experienced what is really available in other countries and while we don’t want to exert influence over other patients’ decisions, we do want to make them aware that what is available in the U.S. is not representative of what is available throughout the world.”

US Medical Establishment Protecting Patients Or Are They More Worried About Lawsuits and Reputations?

David Aldrich, a spinal cord injury patient who has improved tremendously after his stem cell treatments in China also weighs in on the topic-

“I am worn out from dealing with a medical establishment that does not provide me with the best treatment available and oftentimes tries to stop people like me from seeking treatment abroad under the guise of protecting me,” said Aldrich. “My short-term goal is to let people know that there is help available, no matter what your physician says. But my real goal is focused on bringing people together to figure out what can be done so I don’t have to go abroad for my next treatment.”

If you guessed that David was referring to the American medical establishment not providing him with the best treatment available,  you would be correct.

Too Much Focus On Stem Cell Research and Not Enough Focus On Helping Patients Now With Adult Stem Cells?

While America focuses on “research” using billions of taxpayer dollars, other countries are using Adult Stem Cells now and actually helping patients improve their lives.

For example, take Shel Morse, the mother of Macie Morse, who was legally blind from her optic nerve hypoplasia, but CAN NOW DRIVE!  after receiving adult stem cell therapy in China, she has her say -

“Macie’s journey to stem cells started when she turned 15 and asked for a driving permit. It wasn’t even an option with her current vision, not to mention the fact a vision teacher of hers had stated it was never going to be possible and we should just face reality. At that point I knew that it was my mission to let people know that they don’t necessarily have to live with the diagnosis their local doctors give them.

“Macie’s doctors not only criticized the companies we told them about but actively discouraged us from help overseas – help that they could not offer. The reason why I got behind this organization and decided to set up this event in Denver is because the patients need to join together to have a voice. Our medical society needs to get serious about real health care; we cannot rely on our current system – it is broken. U.S. doctors and scientists need to focus on doing what is necessary to help patients instead of their reputations and how they can make money.”

What else can I say?  Carol, David and Shel said it perfectly.    See the full stem cell press release here

If you are in the Denver area on Saturday, go check them out, you may learn something and for sure you will meet some brave individuals-

All patients who are considering stem cell treatments or have already had stem cell treatments are welcome to join the next Stem Cell Awareness Rally:
Location: Denver, Colorado
Place: Stella’s Coffee House
Date: June 13th, 2009
Time: 2 pm