“Latest Stem Cells News”

Statement by Maurizio Bolognetti, Secretary of the Associazione Radicali Lucani (Radical Association of the Lucania Area)

As recently stated, Senators Perduca and Poretti have questioned individuals about the stem cell bank in Matera. After three years, it is necessary to finally shed light on the matter, which has not been clearly explained. The many mothers who have donated umbilical cords have the right to know the truth about how and why an opportunity to potentially treat individuals was lost. EU Parliament member Marco Cappalto expressed his desire for Minister Sacconi to provide clear responses.

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The text of the questioning follows:

Questioning of the Minister for Labour Policy Maurizio Sacconi by Senators Perduca and Poretti

Considering that

On December 31 1996, with regional law number 478, the regional council in Basilicata instituted an umbilical cord stem cell bank at the Matera Hospital.

In 2004, the umbilical cord stem cell bank was transferred to the Microcythemia Center where the bank was put under the direct responsibility of Doctor Carlo Gaudiano at the Transfusion Center at “Madonna delle Grazie” Hospital in Matera.

In the summer of 2006, some donors learned about the destruction (others believe the disappearance) of umbilical cord stem cells. The matter was debated upon for months by the national and local media and in particular by the ‘Quotidiano della Basilicata’ on April 7 2006. Weekly magazine in Matera, Il Resto, Sole 24 Ore, and Corriere della Sera newspapers also covered the story. The matter came to the attention of the Public Prosecutor’s office of Catanzaro.

We hereby ask:

If and in what way the stem cells were lost;

Who exactly and which professionals in general were trained in the removal, handling, and freezing of stem cells;

What and how much equipment was acquired and what was its purpose;

The total cost of the operation after revenue earned.

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UW-Milwaukee researcher Andrew Cohen has successfully developed a software program that facilitates predicting the evolution of stem cells. The program essentially speeds up what has been a tedious process for researchers in the past.

The program was published last week in the journal Nature Methods. It applies algorithmic information theory to the growth and movement of stem cells tracked over time to show what type of cells (i.e. brain, skin, etc.) they will eventually develop into.

“People look at images and take measurements by hand,” Cohen explained. “It takes a long time, and using computers makes the process a lot less tedious.”

Stem cells all start out the same before they develop into the different cells of our bodies. Scientists do not know what triggers the stem cell’s future growth pattern into a particular type of cell, but researchers like Cohen are figuring out how to predict the cell’s future based on measurements and math.

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What are the differences between embryonic, adult and induced pluripotent stem cells? Where do the experts expect the next medical application will be for stem cells? Do stem cells promote regeneration? How are cell types interacting? How can induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells revolutionize drug discovery? Can cell therapies be made into a viable business? How close are we to finding the right business model? Are investors interested in stem cells today? What is the political and ethical landscape like now that the Obama administration has taken over the White House?

This is the Episode 1 of the Stem Cell Review, aired on October 1st, 2009

from http://www.biobusiness.tv/videos/201

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A notice for 8 million euros in funding for stem cell projects, a line of research that promises important results for ocular diseases, Parkinson’s, heart diseases, and the fight against tumors was announced by deputy health minister Ferruccio Fazio, who while speaking to the AGI press agency underlined “the importance of regenerative medicine, one of the great hopes for the future, as well as biotechnologies for new treatments altering molecular systems”.

The notification will expire on July 20 and is intended for universities, the National Research Council (CNR), and other private and public research groups. Three independent judges, one of whom will be from abroad, will evaluate the projects that are presented. The research topics eligible for funding include innovative strategies for experimental models (cellular and animal), risk/benefit analysis for pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatments and epidemiology research.

An allocation of three million euros for the next three years is planned to finance projects on rare diseases. No referral to embryonic stem cells, which are considered by many experts to be more promising in research because they are totipotent, or potentially able to become any type of cell, was made in the notice. “This was a choice,” specified Fazio, “that the Federal and Regional government conference made, which asked for a change to the original announcement, which was open also to stem cells.

Not mentioning them was a not a political choice by the health ministry, but a decision made by the federal and regional governments”. In any case, explained the deputy minister, “studying adult stem cells and their differentiation is more interesting to me and I believe that it is more advantageous”. There are numerous possibilities for treatments: “Not only ocular and cardiac diseases, Parkinson’s and rare diseases,” explained Fazio, “but also new possibilities to fight tumors.

Some researchers believe that tumor stem cells are the most aggressive stem cells of the tumor, and somehow determine the spread of the tumor. Tumor stem cell research could help understand the evolution of tumors and prevent their growth by striking their stem cells”. Financing, assured Fazio, “is in line with previous funding and in 2009 there will be funding for general research, open to all lines of research, therefore there will be funds available for stem cells.”

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A children’s book about a little stem cell named Doris who is transformed into a Super Stemmy to fight her adversarys!
This is the first children’s book in the world about ADULT STEM CELLS!

Doris is a repair stem cell with some very remarkable qualities. Her will and persistence is vigorously challenged during her quest to overcome adversity and improve the health of an ailing heart.
Come join the adventure and discover the natural healing capabilities of the repair stem cells residing in all of us. Don’t wait! Dive right in to the exploits of Doris and the Super Cells!

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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)

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