“Latest Stem Cells News”

The Health Minister recently held a press conference to launch a program to strengthen the public biobank network, considering that currently on 20% of donations are completed successfully. An informative pamphlet was also distributed about “The appropriate use of umbilical cord stem cells“.

The StemWay Biotech company, through its Vice-President Dr. Paolo Rubini, in complete agreement with other biobanks in Italy, with great surprise and dismay, stressed that unfortunately, the measure seems to be more against the autologous conservation of stem cells rather than in favor of donation. As for the scientific statements contained in the informative pamphlet distributed by the ministry, Dr. Rubini said that “without getting into the scientific details, which should not be outlined in a mass communication to the public, the scientific world has already expressed itself in the appropriate ways and even the FIOG, the Italian Federation of Obstetrics and Gynecology, has supported a biobank in the sector. It seems appropriate for me to highlight that based on internationally accepted scientific evidence, the Ministries of Health in the USA, Great Britain, Belgium, Austria, Holland, Norway, Dubai, India, Singapore, Switzerland, Hungary, and numerous other countries have adopted decisions that are completely different from those of the Italian Health Ministry, allowing private biobanks to operate and for the autologous conservation of stem cells.”

As for the possibility of gaining access to your own umbilical cord stem cells once you have decided to donate them as reported in the minister’s pamphlet, Dr. Rubini pointed out that: “if it is true that only about 20% of donations are successfully completed, it is evident that the 97% indicated by the Health Ministry can only be relative to these samples, and that the correct information to spread would be 97% of the 20% of the donors will have the possibility of accessing their own umbilical cord stem cells, and therefore in not more than 19.4% of the cases.” Finally, StemWay Biotech must emphasize that if the public biobank network is made up of about 100 facilities in the entire world, the choice to have 18 of them in Italy seems to be an anomaly in the use of public resources in the health sector, where it certainly cannot be said that it is a priority. “In this scenario,” said Dr. Rubini, “each citizen can easily make their own decisions regarding conservation and donation of umbilical cord stem cells and operate in the best way possible so this important biological asset is not lost in 95% of all births.”

from ADUC

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Michela and Alessandro from Sassari (Sardinia) are Kevin‘s parents, a 2 age old child suffering from spastic quadriparesis and optic nerve hypoplasia (blindness). Since he was born he endured 4 surgeries: kidneys, heart, bladder tumor and genital rebuilding.
Then Bangkok. And now the parents are hoping.
But Kevin is not alone because there are more than 100 Italian citizens treated with chinese cord stem cells in Bangkok’s hospital.

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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

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Hayley Pelletier had been legally blind since birth due to her Optic Nerve Hypoplasia. However, thanks to the wonders of stem cell research using Adult Stem Cells, these days Hayley can now see and in the words of her mother “Basically, her whole quality of life was just bumped up 110 percent.”

No Medications, No Treatments, Nowhere To Go

Before the stem cell research that changed her life occurred, Hayley was learning how to read Braille and how to get around with a cane due to the Optic Nerve Hypoplasia, a leading cause of blindness in children where the optic nerve fails to develop.

Until an amazing new  stem cell treatment developed in China using cord blood stem cells, there was no drugs, no treatments that could improve Optic Nerve Hypoplasia.

Cord Blood Stem Cells- Only Treatment Available

Hayley and her mother Heather went to China for the stem cell treatment in November 2008.  And the results have been amazing.  Before, Hayley could barely only make out the difference between light and dark, but now-

1. She can now draw pictures of people on paper
2. She can identify colors easily
3. She can watch television from 3 feet away.

From the stem cell article:

“It’s been incredible,” Pelletier said. “Basically, her whole quality of life was just bumped up 110 percent. She’s so much happier.”

Her self confidence has soared, too. Pelletier managed to say a few words at a Lions Club banquet, but she admits she was intimidated by the hundreds of people in the room. Hayley wasn’t.

“I brought a different child home from China. She stood on a chair and told them all about her experiences there,” said Pelletier, astonished. “Then she thanked them for honoring her with their support.”

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Instead of children hiding teeth under their pillows, today in the United States consideration is being given to a method in which milk teeth are extracted before they fall out to remove the dental pulp, rich in adult stem cells, which is then frozen in liquid nitrogen in stem cell banks for future use.

Dental pulp from milk teeth in children, which are lost between the ages of 6 and 12, and from normal teeth in adults, are rich in stem cells able to transform into various types of tissues. Thanks to various studies performed by several scientists, it has been demonstrated that these cells have the ability to generate new nerves, bone, and teeth after being transplanted into the gums of various animals.

The National Dental Pulp Laboratori, Inc. (a laboratory of the New England Cryogenic Center) which has stored cells and tissues for 25 years, and for the past 12 years umbilical cord stem cells (in the New England Cord Blood Bank), this year will start to store Dental Pulp Stem Cells (DPSCs), allowing people to store dental pulp from their children’s teeth in liquid nitrogen. In the United States there are already 2 banks offering this service, and it has been predicted that next year it will be a service advised directly by dentists.

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It’s the same umbilical cord that helped to bring Jakob Bielskis a baby brother three weeks ago.
Now, that cord and its treasure trove of genetic material may bring Jakob a clear view of his younger sibling in the future, as doctors use cord-blood stem cells to reverse the blindness the older boy was born with.

That’s the hope of Jakob’s mom and dad, Dawn Villeneuve and Richard Bielskis, as they go through the first frazzled weeks with a new baby — like any infant, Jaxon Bielskis is wide awake at 1:30 a.m., and asleep during the day.
“He’s doing great — he can see already. He’s focusing, and everything,” said Villeneuve.

That wasn’t the case with Jakob, whose vacant eyes led his parents believe something was amiss, even in the first few weeks of his life.
They were right, and doctors confirmed Jakob was afflicted with a rare condition known as optic nerve hypoplasia, where the brain has failed to develop a connection to the eyes.

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