“Latest Stem Cells News”

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

Currently stem cell research is only a hope and a strong one at that, and Obama was right to resume a promising line of research that could also be useful for multiple sclerosis. This was a statement made by 1986 Nobel Prize for medicine winner Rita Levi Montalcini who spoke yesterday morning at a conference sponsored by Italian MS Society (AISM), of which she was Honorary President for the First World Multiple Sclerosis Day.

“Embryonic stem cell research is only one of the paths we are taking, and although we are far away, we must never surrender. I am certain that one day we will be able to defeat this disease, which strikes mainly young individuals,” said Montalcini. To proceed, research “needs public investments. But at the same time, private investments are just as important”.

“Stem cell research is still at its beginnings, and it is only one possibility to find a treatment for muscular sclerosis,” said Gianvito Martino, of the Neuro-immunology unit at San Raffaele in Milan at the first World Multiple Sclerosis Day.
“We have placed too much importance and created too many expectations for stem cell research, which will not provide a definitive solution for this disease.” “This is an opportunity that cannot be missed out on”, added Martino. “We have observed that stem cells can prevent damage, but they do not repair damaged tissue. They cannot be used on people with the disease who have suffered significant injuries”.

Martino asked, “those with the disease and their families to not take trips to other countries in hopes that they will receive miracle stem cell treatments. The safety of these treatments has not yet been verified. We are certain that we will begin to see the damages that result from these treatments in these patients, including the presence of tumors.”

Among the various initiatives taking place for the event was the awarding of the Rita Levi Montalcini 2009 prize to Roberto Furlan for his research in the neuro-immunology and genetic therapy fields. Lori Schneider was also recognized at the event for being the first woman with multiple sclerosis to reach the top of Mount Everest where she planted the flag of the First World Multiple Sclerosis Day on Friday May 22.

“Gianvito Martino, the head of the Neurosciences division at the Institute of San Raffaele in Milan in a speech at Multiple Sclerosis Week, which took place from May 23-31, warned against “trips of hope to clinics that promise effective treatments using stem cells”.

According to Martino, who coordinated a Consensus Conference on last Tuesday in London on the neurodegenerative disease, where the guidelines for pre-clinical studies and clinical treatments with stem cells were defined, “hundreds of Italian patients each year go on these trips due to cures that are promised. In the best-case scenario, these patients return in the same condition in which they departed, but with a little bit less money. However, there are also many cases of infections and tumors.”

These stem cell clinics are found in various countries all over the world, including China, Thailand, the Dominican Republic, Manila, and Barbados. “They assure 40%-50% effectiveness and that they are able to treat any type of problem, from baldness to Alzheimer’s as well as muscular sclerosis, but they do not say anything about the type and quality of stem cells that they use. They use the placebo effect to indicate very few positive outcomes, but in the end, no one knows what is responsible for the cures.” Martino thinks that in many cases patients are given water instead of stem cells, or cortisone in order to give a few days of perceived improvements and to feed the illusion.

PROTECTIVE EFFECT ON BRAIN BEING STUDIED- Stem cells could represent a new opportunity to treat diseases like multiple sclerosis. Soon they will be used in testing since they are the target of many different research teams in fighting this debilitating disease. Among these is a research team at the scientific university institute at San Raffaele in Milan led by Martino, which has been working for years to understand if it is possible to use stem cells to cure diseases that strike the central nervous system with a strong inflammatory reaction provoking progressive and irreversible destruction of nerve tissue with extremely serious results (muscular sclerosis).

Martino spoke about the state of the research today in Milan at a presentation for National Multiple Sclerosis Week, a disease that strikes mainly young individuals between the ages of 20 and 30 and women. During the meeting, the new campaign to raise funds for the Italian Multiple Sclerosis Association (AISM) was presented. ‘Fastforworld’, a request to support AISM’s activities, is directed at private citizens and businesses to “speed up research efforts”. In an experiment conducted on mice, the scientists at San Raffaele observed “nerve stem cells protect the central nervous system from damage that is typical of multiple sclerosis, acting as powerful natural ‘pharmaceuticals’,” explained Martino.

It seems that these stem cells kill the blood cells that cause inflammation, saving the healthy cells present in the inflamed nerve tissue. Their role is basically a sort of natural anti-inflammatory. “The studies of the Neuroimmunology unit at San Raffaele,” continued Martino, “have demonstrated that brain stem cells, if manipulated in vitro before being injected in vivo intravenously or intracerebrally, are able to selectively reach areas of the brain and the bone marrow that have been damaged and are able to repair them by releasing soluble anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective factors.”

These studies, warned the expert, “have given positive results in laboratory animals, but there are still many unknowns and it is necessary to reduce risks and avoid that patients unknowingly become victims of uncontrolled experiments.” The turning point will be transferring the results obtained in the lab to human beings. San Raffaele should start on this long journey in the next few months. They will first have to demonstrate that these stem cells do not put the patient at any risk. Once their safety has been proven, a study on the efficiency of the therapy will begin.

It has been about 3 months since I last updated you on Preston Walker and Richard Humphries, the two Multiple Sclerosis Stem Cell Research pioneers who received their own Adult Stem Cells to improve their MS.

Since then, both have returned to Costa Rica to receive a second helping of their own Adult Stem Cells- a second stem cell therapy.   Let’s check in with their stem cell blog and see what they have to say.

Update from Stem Cell Research Blog

First is this July 7th post from adult stem cell recipient, Preston “An Energetic Day“-

I am not sure how to describe what happened today other than that I have a LOAD OF ENERGY!!

To let everyone understand this, I documented today’s events in the following information:

I invited my son to a bike ride. We rode twenty miles and returned home. Instead of wanting to sleep, I started looking for other things to do!! I found that my lawnmower needed the rear wheel removed and replaced.

It was quite a day of doing little things, but it would have been very taxing several weeks ago.

It’s now 9:00 p.m. and I am still full of energy!! There is only one reason for this turn of events. It is God’s good grace through the injection of ADULT STEM CELLS. GO STEM CELLS GO!!

In Him, Preston

Adult Stem Cells Enable Multiple Sclerosis Patient to Deal With the Heat

And this is from Richard Humphries, MS patient treated with Adult Stem Cells Twice:

June 30, 2009
Dealing with the heat

Heat intolerence is associated with every MS patient. With the heat we are having all of us have this intolerance.

This week in Wichita Falls I was in the 100-degree heat for over 8 hours on back to back days. This was not even possible after the first stem cell treatment but after a 4-month regeneration from the second stem cell treatment, not only is it possible but reality.

Even Dr. Thomas Ichim, a stem cell expert from the University of California-San Diego is in amazement.

I just keep getting blessed.

Richard

Richard of course was Case Study #1 in a recently published stem cell research clinical paper.  And I’m not sure, but  I believe Preston was involved in the research paper as well (either Case Study 2 or 3)

As part of a new stem cell treatment series, I am trying to find patients who have been helped by Adult Stem Cell research and therapy.  In May, I featured a Multiple Sclerosis patient named Arndt Roehlig who described his successful  stem cell experience in Israel in his own words.

Barry Brown- Stem Cell Study Volunteer

This time, I present Barry Brown, a heart attack victim who was involved in a stem cell research study at the University of Miami.  We had presented Barry before back in May in this stem cell post .  Barry was kind enough to write to me and wished to present his own stem cell success story in his own words.

A Stem Cell Success Story

Hey Don,  Barry here,  sorry its taken so long for me to do this but here goes.

Last February,  after moving from Las Vegas to Miami upon retiring from 20 years in the Air Force, I started getting a dry cough which upon doing some research on my own was attributed to the use of lisinopril.   My cough cleared up but I realized when i would start exerting during exercise I would get a hot flash down the middle of my shoulder blades I would just shrug it off thinking it was just the side effects of the BP drug. A few weeeks went by and I got a cold and I started coughing so much I coughed my chest sore and couldn’t breathe.  After about 10 days of suffering with this I finally went to the doctor.   An Ekg was conducted and the results came back Abnormal.  I’m like ok, Ive been exercising eating well, no caffiene, no Nicotine ( I had Dipped tobacco on and off for 20 yrs) I had just stopped in February.  So I thought  “whats going on?”

Heart Attack Misdiagnosed

The first diagnosis was I was out of shape and needed to lose about 10 lbs. Hmmmm ok ill buy that i need to lose a few lbs, but mind you, just 2  months before that, I was working out 5 days a week doing cardio 45 min a day and weights 3 times a week and teaching 2 circuit training classes so why had my cardiovascular health gone down so quick?? “Im not buying it Doc, run some more tests I want to get back to where i was 2 months ago and I want to make sure 1000% that my heart is healthy to exercise!”

Next test was an echocardiogram that showed some weakening of the lower part of my heart. The  2nd diagnosis was I  need to lose a few lbs and lets see how you are in a month…..”

I thought to myself ” how am I going to lose any weight?  first off if  I cant walk 15 minutes without feeling like i got 1000 slaps on the back for a good game????”

Watching Hugh Laurie and House Saves Barry’s Life

OK look Doc i said,  “Im no bleeping doctor, but Ive watched enough ER episodes and House to know you can run some dye thru my veins and check my arteries and valves.  I dont know what its called but thats what i want!!!!”

Thallium stress test was what i had done, I stayed on the treadmill about 4 min before I had to get off, the nurse said stay here we want to read the results……. the results were read and off to the 7th floor I went to meet with the Cardiac folks

I met with the Cardiologist he explained to me that they thought there was a blockage in my heart but they want to run a cath up my leg and angioplasty the blockage and put a stent in and that it should take no longer thatn 30 min. He said when can you come back mind you it had been about 2 months since it all first started so i said TOMORROW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The day of the Cardiac cath comes, I get on the table and I’m on the table for what seemed like an eternity. The doctor  comes in and says “Mr. Brown we have a few things we need to discuss with you,  some options for you.  Did you know you’ve already had a heart attack?  Fighting back some tears and trying to regain some composure from the lil self deprecation and a little self pity that went through  my mind for a few minutes then a conscious decision made I wasn’t going to let this situation get the best of me. “Ok Doc what are the options???”

The options were laid out…..

1. Option 1 was have a triple bypass get it over with and start living the life I was living just 12 months earlier.
2. Option 2 enter into this radical new study involving stem cell therapy, help open the doors for new research and possibly ways were we can change the lives of others from now on. Where at the time of your surgery you may be injected with your own stem cells at several different areas on your heart with the hopes of healing some of the damaged tissue from your heart attack.  Hmmm that sounded interesting……

As I waited to hear option 3 which was I’m sure going to be take this pill go home and come back in a month you should be fine– it never came I was stuck with two options I guess……

So to me it was a no brainier-  enter into this study have the opportunity to be the FIRST devilishly handsome charming semi fit veteran to have this procedure done and open the doors for other to follow. PERFECT….. There pains and trails, as well as numerous sleepless nights that I had to endure of course this is real life, there was a point in Aug where tests had shown I had an enlarged prostrate so I needed to have to have a biopsy done to be cleared of cancer so  I could remain in the study. So, there I was thinking to myself wow I have Heart disease and prostrate cancer. I needed to be cancer free because if I had cancer when injected with the Stem cells it could move to the cancer and make it spread faster.

SO after a bunch more tests to get me back into the study since it had been over three months for all the initial work I was finally cleared back in…..

Then finally the date, Nov 20 2008 triple bypass day….. I’m lobbing congress to have that a legal holiday so you’ll have Veterans Day, Barry’s Bypass day and Thanksgiving all in Nov…

The 3 days I spent, no 4 days I spent in the hospital were a blur and that is where I made my mind up that I was going to get back on my feet and get busy getting healthy again. And it started with one of my post op meals ribeye steak and French fries……. Ok so the dietician was off the week I was in ICU no biggie….. Ill just get something else off the MENU…..

Of course anyone who has stayed in a Hospital knows you don’t get any rest in the hospital,  it really started with my release from the Hospital and qtr mile walks after 7 days,  to half mile walks after 2 weeks and pretty much adding mileage up to 3 miles in February when I started walking with a 30 lb pack 3 times a week. I’ve had days where my chest hurt so bad I didn’t want to do it but I pushed myself to do it so I could start strengthening my heart and get better so my quality of life would improve.

It has been a long road its been a challenge but with the great help of the Miami VA and the University of Miami Doctors and staff and the support of friends and family my outlook hasn’t looked better, From last summers 3 clogged arteries and not being able to walk a qtr mile, to my own fitness training and life expectancy its all good.

Its been pretty much a whirlwind the last week I was asked to be at the dedication of a new Stem cell research lab located with in the school of Medicine at UM and I did a TV interview the other day and word on the street  is that Mens Health wants to interview me also so more to come on that. Also with the help of one of my marketing friends Glen Werstler in Ohio and his marketing group at page gravy had started me out with my own web page and Non profit organization called One Heart to start foundation. I’m excited to try to get people more aware about this medical breakthrough. thanks for taking your time and reading.

Sincerely

Barry

If you have done any research on stem cell treatments abroad, you will undoubtedly read negative articles like this one on CNN from the mainstream media saying these companies are promising cures and are preying on the desperate, that these companies are selling “snake oil”   Nothing could be further from the truth.

The stem cell companies and stem cell doctors that are part of the Repair Stem Cell Institute offer patients a good chance at an improvement in the patient’s quality of life- they don’t offer nor promise cures.  Patients going to these stem cell therapy treatment centers abroad know this.

Unfortunately, the United States and their FDA don’t give these patients any other options.  Are they able to use their own stem cells to help their multiple sclerosis or heart disease-  Stem Cells that have been proven safe in thousands of studies? No.  What is one to do then?  These patients must go abroad for the only treatment that can help their disease or condition.

Here is a sampling of what some of these companies  affiliated with the Repair Stem Cell Institute tell their patients:

From Stem Cells China:

It’s not a cure. It’s about quality of life. Every day I see inquiries begin like this: “Can stem cells cure…?” Everyone should know the answer to that one right away. No. No known therapy utilizing stem cells can cure any medical condition. Not one.

A cure would rewrite the broken code of your genome. A cure would rewind the debilitating progression of a neuro-degenerative disease to the moment before onset. A cure would fix all the wrongs of a baby’s challenged birth. We eagerly await the development of cures and their accessibility to patients in need.

So why are people receiving stem cell therapy today? Therapies involving adult stem cells today are providing quality of life improvements for many patients. It’s no cure. Just as painkillers are not a cure for pain. They improve our quality of life if we feel pain.

But who would deny that painkillers are still worthwhile for extreme pain? Many doctors in the West are saying that they don’t have enough proof that stem cells are improving quality of life for patients. In the meantime, patients are busy coming to China and China’s stem cell clinics are busy offering the chance for quality of life improvements where none else would exist. We encourage you to explore the therapies being offered today.

From Dr. Shimon Slavin, Israel, helping people like Louis Zylstra and Arndt Roehlig

However, we have some positive and most encouraging evidence that the cells we inject may be of benefit, especially as evidenced in some patients with multiple sclerosis as well as based on the first patient we treated with spinal injury that seemed to have somewhat improved. The good news is that there are no side effects at all so there is no risk and nothing to lose (except money…). I would like to stress that since we are in very early stages of our research, nothing can be said about the clinical efficacy of our approach.  However, on the other hand, I do understand that patients in need cannot wait for all the answers to be solved and this is why we agree to offer experimental procedures for patients that understand the experimental nature of our program and consent to try and explore new treatment options.

From Dr. Roberto Fernandez Vina– For doctors who say that current stem cell therapies are “unproven,” Dr. Fernandez Viña has the following response:

“How many patients must to be treated to say this is a cure? How many patients must die waiting for the word “cure?”

A lot of diseases are not totally cured with drugs but the laboratories talk about curing (HIV, Tuberculosis and a lot of malignant deseases). They say that the drugs “cure” but in reality the drugs improve the quality of life. Stem cells “cure” in the same sense. If a person is dying of diabetes and we improve the prognosis and he no longer needs insulin injections, we increase the C peptide, decrease the HbA1c, decrease protein in the urine, decrease the risk of amputation or kidney failure, in my book that is a “cure.”

From Richard Humphries, with multiple sclerosis and a stem cell recipient from Cell Medicine in Costa Rica:

I’m case study #1 in the paper (Multiple Sclerosis Study) just released and have had two stem cell treatments in Costa Rica where they promise nothing but deliver wonderful results. Secondary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis patients can’t wait on historical data. Time is not on our side but stem cells improved my quality of life and the follow up MRI looks excellent.

From the X cell Center in Germany:

Even if not all of the interactions have been conclusively researched to date, the status of the current medical insights has indeed reached a level that allows the non- hazardous treatment with adult stem cells and puts medical professionals in a position to assume responsibility for its use.

Given the proven treatment success of regenerative medicine, the question of whether more research is needed prior to therapeutic use has already been answered.

Those who nevertheless demand stem cell therapy be postponed until we know more about it are taking away patients’ rights to make their own decisions as they search for medical solutions – for the kind of help stem cell therapy does offer.