Monthly Archives: October 2013

Stem Cells injected into Caleb #39;s spinal cord
This video was taken during the injection process of Caleb #39;s stem cell treatment. It was shot by Dr. Zannos Grekos on Friday, September 27, 2013 in the Domin...

By: Caleb Bartlett

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Stem Cells injected into Caleb's spinal cord - Video

A German government-funded research project is using laser tomography to help scale-up stem cell production for anticipated new therapies.

Work on the Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF)-backed Ultrasensitive Verification and Manipulation of Cells and/or Tissue and their molecular Substances started in July and will receive 4.1million over the course of three years.

Central to the project is a technique known as scanning laser optical tomography (SLOT), developed and patented by Laser Zentrum Hannover, while other project partners with optics expertise include the advanced microscopy specialist LaVision BioTec and lens maker Sill Optics.

The SLOT technique is used to monitor cell cultures consisting of so-called pluripotent stem cells (hPSC). Once isolated from an embryo, these cells have the ability to turn into virtually any cell type.

In the new TOMOSphere project, SLOT will, for the first time, be used to monitor quantitatively the absolute number of cells in cultured, endogenous groups. The results are expected improve understanding of the physiology of hPSC and other stem cells, as well continuous control of their characteristics.

Light combination LZH scientists have previously used SLOT to generate optical images similar to those produced by a familiar X-ray computed tomography (CT) scanner. Having already created detailed images of a rodents lung, they are also working to develop the technology for human use.

The technique is able to simultaneously record transmitted, scattered and fluorescent light, generating high-resolution, three-dimensional images. In a separate project, LZH and collaborators are working to speed up the image generation process to make SLOT more practically useful.

For the stem cell application, SLOT enables cell biologists to classify and then sort the aggregates into specific cell types.

The BMBF-funded project is working on an incubation system where SLOT will provide marker-free identification of intrinsic cell and tissue-specific characteristics. It also enables monitoring of the fluctuation of critical biological species, for example calcium ions, as well as imaging different types of micro- and nanoparticles in cell aggregates.

SLOT works by scanning cell aggregates inside a cuvette with a narrow beam. A projection image for each scanning position is generated from a combination of scattered, transmitted and fluorescent light that is collected.

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Laser tomography aids 'mass production' of stem cells

Miami, Florida (PRWEB) October 07, 2013

Global Stem Cells Group, Inc. announced plans to attend 21st Annual World Congress on Anti-Aging, Regenerative and Aesthetic Medicine (a4m) at the Venetian/Palazzo Hotel in Las Vegas, Dec. 15, 2013. The prestigious conference, hosted by the American Academy of Anti-aging Medicine, will be attended by physicians and medical practitioners from around the world who will discuss practice management stem cell technology, certification, personalized lifestyle medicine, aesthetic medicine, pellet therapy, brain health, case studies and. Workshops on personalized lifestyle medicine and aesthetic medicine will also be held.

Joseph Purita, M.D., a lead trainer for Stem Cell Training, Inc. and a pioneer in the use of stem cell therapies in orthopedics, will be a featured speaker at the conference. Purita joins an illustrious group of speakers including: Author Judith Reichman, M.D., womens health care expert and specialist in gynecology, infertility and menopause; Travis Stork, M.D., ER physician and host of the Emmy Award-winning talk show, The Doctors; and Actress and Author Suzanne Somers, a dedicated health advocate and proponent of alternative and integrative medicine.

Global Stem Cells Group plans to promote its new postgraduate program, Studies in Cellular Therapy and Tissue Engineering, in partnership with Maimonides University, as well its newly formed alliance with EmCyte Corp. to promote in-office regenerative medicine solutions. Fort Myers, Florida-based EmCyte is a leading provider of biotechnology solutions in the United States, develops biological products for platelet rich plasma and bone marrow concentrate grafting procedures.

For more information on the World Congress on Anti-Aging, Regenerative and Aesthetic Medicine, visit the a4m website, email bnovas(at)regenestem(dot)com or call 849.943.2988.

About the Global Stem Cell Group:

Global Stem Cells Group, Inc. is the parent company of six wholly owned operating companies dedicated entirely to stem cell research, training, products and solutions. Founded in 2012, the company combines dedicated researchers, physician and patient educators and solution providers with the shared goal of meeting the growing worldwide need for leading edge stem cell treatments and solutions. With a singular focus on this exciting new area of medical research, Global Stem Cells Group and its subsidiaries are uniquely positioned to become global leaders in cellular medicine.

Global Stem Cells Groups corporate mission is to make the promise of stem cell medicine a reality for patients around the world. With each of GSCGs six operating companies focused on a separate research-based mission, the result is a global network of state-of-the-art stem cell treatments.

The Global Stem Cell Foundation was formed as a nonprofit charitable organization that aims to fund research on the expanding need for stem cell solutions for patients, and identify best practices between physicians engaged in stem cell treatments in the U.S. and around the world.

To learn more about Global Stem Cells Group, Inc., and for investor information, visit the Global Stem Cell Group website, email bnovas(at)regenestem(dot)com, or call 305-224-1858.

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Global Stem Cells Group, Inc. Announces Plans to Attend 21st Annual World Congress on Anti-Aging, Regenerative and ...

Durham, NC (PRWEB) October 08, 2013

A new study released today in Stem Cells Translational Medicine shows that in rats, treating a heart attack with stem cells even weeks after the attack occurred can halt deterioration and help the heart regenerate itself. In addition, the doctors delivered the cells using a patch that resulted in a higher survival rate for the stem cells and more of them migrating into the damaged tissue, where they went to work creating new blood vessels.

The team, from the University of Louisvilles Cardiovascular Innovation Institute (Louisville, KY), had previously shown in rat studies that stem cell treatment immediately following an attack aided recovery by improving blood flow in the smallest vessels of the heart. This time the goal was to determine if the treatment was still effective if applied later in time.

We also were seeking a more efficient delivery method for the stem cells by utilizing the heart patch model. Most studies employing an injection of stem cells encounter swift cell death or cell washout from the target tissue, said Amanda LeBlanc, Ph.D., who led the investigation along with Stuart Williams, Ph.D., the institutes executive and scientific director.

They tested their theory by applying a patch seeded with stem cells harvested from the animals own adipose (fat) tissue and then cultured in the lab. They implanted the seeded patches into one group of rats two weeks after the animals had a heart attack, while another group received the patch without stem cells (to gauge whether any effects might be due to the body's response to a foreign material or whether the biomaterial itself was helping the heart pump more efficiently, regardless of cells). Two more groups of rats with induced heart attacks were given no treatment, and were carried out for two and six weeks as controls.

This approach allowed us to study the progressive and sometimes irreversible pathological changes that occur weeks to months following an attack, such as cellular death, the beginning of scar tissue formation and thinning of the outer left ventricle wall, Dr. Williams explained.

When they compared the results, they found that the cell patch treatment indeed stabilized the heart, preventing or halting any worsening of cardiac function and restoring blood flow to the small blood vessels. This is why I refer to our cell patch as a pause button, because once it was applied the heart didn't progress into worse function like the patch group without cells and the untreated six-week group, Dr. LeBlanc said.

That led us to conclude that the clinical potential of an autologous patch that is, a patch seeded with the patients own stem cells using adipose-derived cells is high, as the patch may be used in conjunction with existing heart attack therapies to promote small vessel survival and/or growth of new vessels following the attack, she added.

This study, and the authors previous research, both in rats, lays important groundwork in addressing such issues as the best delivery method of cells and how long after a heart attack treatment might be beneficial, said Anthony Atala, M.D., editor of Stem Cells Translational Medicine and director of the Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine.

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Stem Cells Delivered by Patch Effective in Repairing Cardiac Damage Weeks After Heart Attack Occurs

Stem cells delivered by patch effective in repairing cardiac damage weeks after heart attack occurs

A new study released in STEM CELLS Translational Medicine shows that in rats, treating a heart attack with stem cells even weeks after the attack occurred can halt deterioration and help the heart regenerate itself. In addition, the doctors delivered the cells using a patch that resulted in a higher survival rate for the stem cells and more of them migrating into the damaged tissue, where they went to work creating new blood vessels.

The team, from the University of Louisvilles Cardiovascular Innovation Institute (Louisville, KY), had previously shown in rat studies that stem cell treatment immediately following an attack aided recovery by improving blood flow in the smallest vessels of the heart. This time the goal was to determine if the treatment was still effective if applied later in time.

We also were seeking a more efficient delivery method for the stem cells by utilizing the heart patch model. Most studies employing an injection of stem cells encounter swift cell death or cell washout from the target tissue, said Amanda LeBlanc, Ph.D., who led the investigation along with Stuart Williams, Ph.D., the institutes executive and scientific director.

They tested their theory by applying a patch seeded with stem cells harvested from the animals own adipose (fat) tissue and then cultured in the lab. They implanted the seeded patches into one group of rats two weeks after the animals had a heart attack, while another group received the patch without stem cells (to gauge whether any effects might be due to the body's response to a foreign material or whether the biomaterial itself was helping the heart pump more efficiently, regardless of cells). Two more groups of rats with induced heart attacks were given no treatment, and were carried out for two and six weeks as controls.

This approach allowed us to study the progressive and sometimes irreversible pathological changes that occur weeks to months following an attack, such as cellular death, the beginning of scar tissue formation and thinning of the outer left ventricle wall, Dr. Williams explained.

When they compared the results, they found that the cell patch treatment indeed stabilized the heart, preventing or halting any worsening of cardiac function and restoring blood flow to the small blood vessels. This is why I refer to our cell patch as a pause button, because once it was applied the heart didn't progress into worse function like the patch group without cells and the untreated six-week group, Dr. LeBlanc said.

That led us to conclude that the clinical potential of an autologous patch that is, a patch seeded with the patients own stem cells using adipose-derived cells is high, as the patch may be used in conjunction with existing heart attack therapies to promote small vessel survival and/or growth of new vessels following the attack, she added.

This study, and the authors previous research, both in rats, lays important groundwork in addressing such issues as the best delivery method of cells and how long after a heart attack treatment might be beneficial, said Anthony Atala, M.D., editor of STEM CELLS Translational Medicine and director of the Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine.

STEM CELLS Translational Medicine

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Stem cells delivered by patch repair damage after cardiac arrest

Stem cells and real estate have this in common: the most important thing is location, location, and location.

Stem cells are extensively studied because of their ability to generate a wide variety of tissue types from new heart, liver and even brain cells. A new study by Yale School of Medicine researchers published online Oct. 6 in the journal Nature shows that the fate of stem cells depends upon their immediate surroundings.

The emphasis in regeneration has been on studying the intrinsic properties of stem cells, but we have found that where those cells are placed play a much bigger role than the cells themselves, said Valentina Greco, assistant professor of genetics and of dermatology and senior author of the paper. In a way, it is analogous to human children what they are exposed to in their environment determines what they become as adults.

Grecos lab developed a novel form of microscopy that allowed them to track over time individual stem cells in the hair follicles of mice. They found that the fate of those stem cells was determined by where along the follicle niche they were located. Those at the top showed little activity and only divided periodically to replenish their pool. However, cells in the middle portion of the follicle niche proliferated more and produced cells that could create a wide variety of tissue types while those at the base tended to differentiate into specialized cells that build the actual hair shaft.

To their surprise, when they eradicated stem cells in one location, surrounding cells rushed into the niche and began regenerating the tissue.

These data tell us that some adult stem cells may not be as essential as previously thought, since other neighboring cells can change their identity to act as stem cells when the circumstances require it. said Pantelis Rompolas, postdoctoral fellow in Grecos lab and first author of the paper.

This suggests that if you can duplicate the environment within the niche, then any cells that enter the niche can do the job, Greco said.

The lab is investigating how changes in the tissue environment can regenerate specific cell types.

Kalin R. Mesa is a co-author of the paper.

The work was funded by the National Institutes of Health and American Cancer Society.

Originally posted here:
In stem cells, like real estate, location is most important factor