Monthly Archives: February 2017

When she was just 11 months old, Billie Sue Wozniaks daughter Juno was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, an autoimmune disease that affects 1.25 million people and approximately 200,000 children under age 20 in the United States.

The disease had affected several members of Billie Sues family, including her uncle, who passed away at the age of 30.

My first thought was, Her life is going to be short, the 38-year-old from Reno, Nevada recalled. The more that I learned, the more I found that many people with type 1 live longer and the treatment advances are really exciting.

While looking for treatments, Wozniak learned about encapsulation therapy, in which an encapsulated device containing insulin-producing islet cells derived from stem cells is implanted under the skin. The encapsulation device is designed to protect the cells from an autoimmune attack and may help people produce their own insulin.

After learning of the therapy through JDRF, Wozniak saw an ad on Facebook for Store-A-Tooth, a company that offers dental stem cell banking. She decided to move forward with the stem cell banking, just in case the encapsulation device became an option for Juno.

In March 2016, a dentist extracted four of Junos teeth, and sent them to a lab so her stem cells could be cryopreserved. Wozniak plans to bank the stem cells from Junos molars as well.

Its a riskI dont know for sure if it will work out, Wozniak said.

Dental stem cells: a future of possibilities

For years, stem cells from umbilical cord blood and bone marrow have been used to treat blood and bone marrow diseases, blood cancers and metabolic and immune disorders.

Although there is the potential for dental stem cells to be used in the same way, researchers are only beginning to delve into the possibilities.

Dental stem cells are not science fiction, said Dr. Jade Miller, president of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry. I think at some point in time, were going to see dental stem cells used by dentistson a daily practice.

Dental stem cells have the potential to produce dental tissue, bone, cartilage and muscle. They may be used to repair cavities, fix a tooth damaged from periodontal disease or bone loss, or even grow a tooth instead of using dental implants.

In fact, stem cells can be used to repair cracks in teeth and cavities, according to a recent mouse study published in the journal Scientific Reports.

Theres also some evidence that dental stem cells can produce nerve tissue, which might eliminate the need for root canals. A recent study out of Tufts University found that a collagen-based biomaterial used to deliver stem cells to the inside of damaged teeth can regenerate dental pulp-like tissues.

Dental stem cells may even be able to treat neurological disorders, spinal cord and traumatic brain injuries.

I believe those are the kinds of applications that will be the first uses of these cells, said Dr. Peter Verlander, Chief Scientific Officer for Store-A-Tooth.

When it comes to treating diseases like type 1 diabetes, dental stem cells also show promise. In fact, a study in the Journal of Dental Research found that dental stem cells were able to form islet-like aggregates that produce insulin.

Unlike umbilical cord blood where theres one chance to collect stem cells, dental stem cells can be collected from several teeth. Also, gathering stem cells from bone marrow requires invasive surgery and risk, and it can be painful and costly.

The stem cells found in baby teeth, known as mesenchymal cells, are similar to those found in other parts of the body, but not identical.

There are differences in these cells, depending on where they come from, Verlander said.

Whats more, mesenchymal stem cells themselves differ from hematopoietic, or blood-forming stem cells. Unlike hematopoietic stem cells, mesenchymal stem cells can expand.

From one tooth, we expect to generate hundreds of billions of cells, Verlander said.

Yet the use of dental stem cells is not without risks. For example, theres evidence that tumors can develop when stem cells are transplanted. Theres also a chance of an immune rejection, but this is less likely if a person uses his own stem cells, Miller said.

The process for banking stem cells from baby teeth is relatively simple. A dentist extracts the childs teeth when one-third of the root remains and the stem cells are still viable. Once the teeth are shipped and received, the cells are extracted, grown and cryopreserved.

Store-A-Tooths fees include a one-time payment of $1,749 and $120 per year for storage, in addition to the dentists fees for extraction.

For families who are interested in banking dental stem cells, they should know that theyre not necessarily a replacement for cord blood banking or bone marrow stem cells.

Theyre not interchangeable, we think of them as complementary, Verlander said.

Although the future is unclear for Junowho was born in 2008her mom is optimistic that shell be able to use the stem cells for herself and if not, someone else.

Ultimately, however, Wozniak hopes that if dental stem cells arent the answer, there will be a biological cure for type 1 diabetes.

I hold out hope that somewhere, someone is going to crack the code, she said.

Julie Revelant is a health journalist and a consultant who provides content marketing and copywriting services for the healthcare industry. She's also a mom of two. Learn more about Julie at revelantwriting.com.

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Can banking baby teeth treat diabetes? - Fox News

In this Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2017 photo, diabetes educator Kimberly P. Miller, BSN, RN, CDE, holds a Medtronic Minimed diabetes insulin pump in her office at CHI Memorial, in Chattanooga, Tenn. (Tim Barber/Chattanooga Times Free Press via AP) less In this Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2017 photo, diabetes educator Kimberly P. Miller, BSN, RN, CDE, holds a Medtronic Minimed diabetes insulin pump in her office at CHI Memorial, in Chattanooga, Tenn. (Tim ... more Photo: Tim Barber, AP In this Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2017 photo, diabetes educator Kimberly P. Miller, BSN, RN, CDE, talks about location options for new diabetes insulin pumps in her office at CHI Memorial, in Chattanooga, Tenn. (Tim Barber/Chattanooga Times Free Press via AP) less In this Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2017 photo, diabetes educator Kimberly P. Miller, BSN, RN, CDE, talks about location options for new diabetes insulin pumps in her office at CHI Memorial, in Chattanooga, Tenn. (Tim ... more Photo: Tim Barber, AP In this Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2017 photo, diabetes educator Kimberly P. Miller, BSN, RN, CDE, holds a Medtronic Minimed diabetes insulin pump in her office at CHI Memorial, in Chattanooga, Tenn. (Tim Barber/Chattanooga Times Free Press via AP) less In this Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2017 photo, diabetes educator Kimberly P. Miller, BSN, RN, CDE, holds a Medtronic Minimed diabetes insulin pump in her office at CHI Memorial, in Chattanooga, Tenn. (Tim ... more Photo: Tim Barber, AP

Local doctors encouraged by new diabetes treatment

CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. (AP) While the number of Tennesseans fighting diabetes continues to grow, doctors are encouraged by new treatment options they say may help prevent, or at least lessen, the impact of the chronic disease.

About 9 percent of the U.S. population has diabetes but the rate in Tennessee is close to 15 percent, said Kimberly Miller, a nurse and diabetes educator in CHI Memorial's Diabetes and Nutrition Center. Tennesseans are fatter than the national average and get less exercise, two factors that often lead to Type 2 diabetes, the most common form of the disease.

Untreated, diabetes can cause eye, kidney, and heart problems, or even death.

But diabetes specialists hope new technology and improvements in some old-fashioned techniques will help lower the number of people who get the disease and make it easier for those who have it to control their illness.

Diabetes is caused when the body is unable to manufacture sufficient insulin, or becomes resistant to it. Insulin is needed to break down sugars in food to provide energy to the cells in the body.

In its early stages, diabetes can be treated with exercise and changes in diet. But for certain types of diabetics, where the body is producing little or no insulin or has become resistant, a more aggressive approach is needed.

The normal way of treating full-blown diabetes is for patients to inject insulin before every meal and at bedtime. To gauge the proper dose, patients must test their blood sugar levels using a blood sample inserted into a device. Then they must inject insulin through a syringe, normally in the stomach or abdomen.

The process is time-consuming, painful and awkward. But new medical devices show promise for getting rid of at least some of the blood work, although they are not appropriate for all diabetics.

One category of device measures blood sugar levels automatically. The patient wears a patch or has a small tube (a catheter) inserted under the skin that measures blood sugar on a regular basis and transmits readings to a larger piece of equipment that displays the levels.

With a monitor, a patient can see their blood sugar, or glucose, levels rising or falling in time to take preventive action, Miller said. Some devices also transmit data remotely so family members or friends can help monitor patients and call for help if their blood sugar levels are getting out of line and the patient is doing nothing to correct them.

"The devices have been around for some time, but they used to be very inaccurate and difficult to use," said Dr. Ashley Shoemaker, a Vanderbilt University Medical Center professor whose clinic treats some 2,500 diabetic children annually. "Now they have become accurate enough that people are allowed to make medical decisions based on their numbers."

But once the patient gets a reading, he or she still needs to measure the proper amount of insulin and inject it. And until recently, patients also needed to take a blood sample a couple of times a day to be certain the device was working properly, Shoemaker said.

Being able to constantly monitor blood sugar levels is particularly important for people with Type 1 diabetes, sometimes referred to as juvenile diabetes, she said. Type 1 diabetes is rarer than Type 2, occurring in only about 5 percent of the population, but it can be harder to control because the pancreas does not produce any insulin at all, so regulating the insulin level artificially is critical.

Some Type 1 diabetics are now using a pump that can inject insulin on a regular basis. By giving regular small doses instead of irregular large doses, the pump can level out a patient's blood sugar levels.

"They are really small," said Dr. Asma Khan, an endocrinologist and diabetes specialist with Erlanger hospital. "The needle that goes under the skin is very thin, and then there is a tube that goes into the pump, that then goes into their pocket."

But not every patient likes the pump, she said. "Having something attached to their body, for some people that is strange," she said. "Some people feel that an injection is easier than working with the pump, which has buttons, and takes some working with."

The Holy Grail of a self-contained unit that would constantly monitor a patient's blood sugar level and adjust the insulin injections automatically, with no need of calibration, is still several years away, diabetes specialists agreed.

A new device from Medtronics set to go on sale in March, the MiniMed 670G, is getting a lot of attention, because it promises to combine the glucose monitor with the insulin pump. Other manufacturers are expected to offer their own comparable gear in a few months, Shoemaker said.

"I don't think we're that close to a cure or anything that's going to completely take the patient out of the loop," said Vanderbilt's Shoemaker. "As the technology continues to advance, we are hopeful that the human factor will become less and less burdensome."

But University of Tennessee College of Medicine diabetes specialist Dr. Jim Bailey believes that an increased focus on traditional ways of dealing with the disease may have a greater impact, although he wants to combine those old-fashioned ways with a modern twist.

Bailey agrees that devices such as the sensor patch and insulin pump are important for some people whose body is producing no insulin or is rejecting it. But he believes most diabetics should spend more time focusing on their diet and exercise.

"The most important cures for diabetes are ways to support people changing their lifestyle around healthy eating and physical activity," he said. "Those are the only real cures for diabetes."

Bailey knows that if doctors just tell people to eat more broccoli and fewer french fries, it is unlikely that patients will comply they need more incentive to change bad habits. So he has been testing two alternative approaches: one using text messages and the other a live person, a health coach.

First, the patient discusses his goals with his doctor. Then the doctor's office sends out regular text messages, as many as twice a day, asking patients how they are doing in meeting those goals. "They are motivational text messages tailored to the patient's interests," he said, "whether it is working on weight loss and healthy eating or in increasing a patient's activity or in taking their medicines correctly."

The health coaches take a similar approach.

"Doctors only have time for a short little visit and only a little bit of time to work on goal setting and working on lifestyle changes and how patients are taking their medicines," Bailey said. But the health coach can spend much more time with the patient. "What has been shown is that coaches really can help people increase their vegetable intake, decrease sugary food intake, increase their physical activity and get better control of their diabetes and feel better as well," he said.

Early studies have shown that both text messages and health coaches can work. Bailey won a $5 million grant last year to test the two approaches with diabetics in West Tennessee to see which approach works better.

"For the vast majority of diabetics, they can get control of their diabetes without insulin if they have enough support and the ability to change their diet and their physical activity," he said. "But it is hard."

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Information from: Chattanooga Times Free Press, http://www.timesfreepress.com

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Local doctors encouraged by new diabetes treatment - SFGate

Science Daily

Giving the messages from fat cells a positive spin to prevent diabetes Science Daily Losing weight appears to reset the chemical messages that fat cells send to other parts of the body that otherwise would encourage the development of Type 2 diabetes, substantially reducing the risk of that disease, a team led by Children's National ...

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Giving the messages from fat cells a positive spin to prevent diabetes - Science Daily

McHENRY The Culvers in McHenry is partnering with JDRF Illinois to host a fundraiser Thursday to help raise money for type 1 diabetes research.

The fundraising event, called The Family Mini Mix Up, will be from 4 to 8 p.m. at 1101 Adams Drive, McHenry.

Along with collecting donations from guests, Culvers will offer specially priced $2 mini concrete mixers, with $1 from each mixer sold benefiting JDRF.

According to the Illinois chapter of JDRF, guests who have dined at Chicago-area Culvers restaurants since mid-January have donated their spare change to the organization.

Were grateful to the entire Culvers team for all of their support and encourage the community to dine with us on Feb. 16, JDRF Illinois Executive Director Mimi Crabtree said. Living with type 1 diabetes is difficult and even life-threatening. Those affected serve as an inspiration by facing the diseases challenges with courage and perseverance, and they dont let it stand in the way of achieving their goals.

McHenry is one of several participating Culvers restaurants across the state. Other participating locations include Island Lake, Arlington Heights and Lake Zurich.

For information about JDRF or type 1 diabetes, visit http://www.jdrf.org.

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McHenry Culver's to host fundraiser for diabetes research - Northwest Herald