Category Archives: Arizona Stem Cells

Stem cell therapy has actually ended up being a popular dispute in the global medical scene. This highly questionable therapy has received combined opinions from numerous stakeholders in the healthcare industry and has also attracted the attention of political leaders, religious leaders and the basic population at large. Stem cell treatment is considered a revolutionary treatment for people struggling with a vast array of degenerative conditions. Some typical questions concerning this therapy are responded to listed below.

Are you a stem cell therapy specialist near Lake Havasu City AZ 86406? Contact us for more information about joining our website.

Stem cells can be described as blank state or non-specialized cells that have the capability to become specialized cells in the body such as bone, muscle, nerve or organ cells. This implies that these special cells can be utilized to regrow or develop a wide range of damaged cells and tissues in the body. Stem cell therapy is for that reason a treatment that aims at attaining tissue regrowth and can be used to treat health conditions and illnesses such as osteoarthritis, degenerative disc illness, spinal cord injury, muscular degeneration, motor neuron illness, ALS, Parkinsons, heart disease and many more.

Being a treatment that is still under research study, stem cell treatment has actually not been fully accepted as a viable treatment choice for the above discussed health conditions and illnesses. A lot of research study is presently being performed by scientists and medical specialists in numerous parts of the world to make this treatment practical and reliable. There are however numerous restrictions enforced by governments on research involving embryonic stem cells.

Presently, there havent been numerous case studies performed for this form of treatment. Nevertheless, with the few case studies that have actually been carried out, among the significant issues that has actually been raised is the increase in a patients risk of developing cancer. Cancer is brought on by the fast multiplication of cells that tend not to pass away so easily. Stem cells have actually been associated with similar growth elements that may lead to formation of tumors and other malignant cells in clients.

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Stem cells can be extracted from a young embryo after conception. These stem cells are commonly described as embryonic stem cells. After the stem cells are extracted from the embryo, the embryo is ended. This is basically among the major reasons for debate in the field of stem cell research. Many individuals suggest that termination of an embryo is unethical and undesirable.

Stem cells can still be acquired through other means as they can be found in the blood, bone marrow and umbilical cables of adult humans. Typical body cells can likewise be reverse-engineered to become stem cells that have limited capabilities.

New studio has nevertheless revealed promise as researchers target at establishing stem cells that do not form into tumors in later treatment phases. These stem cells can therefore efficiently change into other kinds of specialized cells. This treatment is for that reason worth investigating into as numerous patients can benefit from this revolutionary treatment.

The best stem cell provider near Lake Havasu City AZ 86406

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Cancer is a debilitating, life-changing disease that has taken the lives of many people. It is caused by cells in a specific part of the body that begin to divide uncontrollably. The extra cells often combine to form tumors. To fight this disease, medical practitioners have started to use stem cell therapy to combat cancer.

Cancer can be life-altering and difficult at best, lethal at worse. The effects are brutal on the human body, which is why doctors and researchers have experimented with different ways to treat the condition. Results vary case to case and while some of the traditional methods cure patients of cancer, they come with nasty side effects. Here are two of the most common methods for fighting cancer, along with their negative side effects:

Stem cell therapy is a newer treatment option used to fight cancer. The process involves using healthy stem cells, which are functional, blood-producing, blank-slate cells from a multicellular organism, to treat or prevent diseases. Although it has proved promising so far, stem cell therapy is still in the early stages of development.

Practitioners have found several consistent uses for stem cell therapy, but researchers are still running clinical trials to determine side effects and other potential uses. Bone marrow transplants are the most common type, with the national marrow donor program providing much of the transplanted material.

Every type of stem cell therapy involves blood cells. Blood is typically divided into three peripheral blood cells: white blood cells, red blood cells, and platelets. Each of them have very specific, specialized roles.

While medical practitioners are using stem cell therapy to fight a variety of diseases, cancer is one of their primary targets to treat with stem cells. But where do the stem cells come from? This article from the National Cancer Institute defines three different types of stem cell therapy:

How stem cell therapy is used is different depending on what type of cancer the patient has. There are two main ways that this therapy can help cancer patients overcome their disease:

While stem cell therapy has provided positive results for some cancer patients, there are some significant side effects that can occur.

Stem cell therapy is continuing to grow in popularity and acceptance. The results so far have been nothing less than promising, and practitioners believe that the full potential of the treatment has not been discovered. Cancer, which previously has been considered untouchable and incurable, is looking more and more stoppable.

The Arizona Pain and Spine Institute offers stem cell therapy for cancer. The treatment usually takes place in as little as three to four hours, allowing our practitioners time to retrieve your stem cells, evaluate them and regenerate more if necessary, and inject them back into your body.

If you are suffering from cancer, stem cell therapy offered at Arizona Pain and Spine Institute may help you on your road to recovery. Schedule an appointment with us today. Our passionate, experienced team wants to help you overcome this brutal disease, and stem cell therapy may be your best solution.

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Stem cells are a specialized subset of cells within the body that are capable of dividing for the purpose of replenishing themselves and differentiating into specialized cells of the body, which are able to complete certain tasks (Bellehsen, Nagler, & Levi-Schaffer, 2008). For example, a stem cell might divide to create new stem cells, or to create a cell capable of undergoing biological transformation into a heart, lung, skin or other type of cell needed within the body.

For decades, researchers have investigated the means by which stem cells could be harnessed in medicine. Perhaps the most notable application of stem cells in medicine are the use of bone marrow and blood stem cell transplants to restore stem cells lost to chemotherapy in the treatment of cancers (ExitCare, LLC, 2011). Investigators are finding other potential uses for stem cells as well. The following are some of the conditions for which stem cells are being investigated as a potential medical treatment:

Stem cells are being investigated for many other medical applications as well, including ACL reconstruction, muscular dystrophies and more (Bagaria, et al., 2006). Stem cells are also currently used in cosmetic medical procedures. Even more exciting, however, are the stem cell therapies currently available for the treatment of conditions causing chronic pain. Many stem cell therapies have shown benefits and good outcomes during clinical studies, most of which are for the treatment of soft tissue and bony injuries. Research has shown that stem cells can aid in the recovery and replenishment of tendon, bone, cartilage and muscle tissue (Centeno, et al., 2008). Examples of painful conditions currently treated with stem cells by pain management specialists include osteoarthritis and other cartilage and tendon injuries.

There are two basic types of stem cells, embryonic and adult (Bellehsen, Nagler, & Levi-Schaffer, 2008):

One class of adult stem cells in particular, mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), are important in emerging treatments for chronic pain. Unlike most adult stem cells, MSCs are pluripotent, thus gaining the advantages of embryonic stem cells without the ethical questionability surrounding embryonic stem cell harvesting. MSCs can be easily collected and grafted to injured tissue, thus serving as a primary source of stem cells in therapeutic applications for chronic pain (Drazin, et al., 2012).

A third type of stem cell currently gaining traction for the treatment of pain due to wounds and soft tissue and bony injuries are amniotic stem cells, which are largely comprised of MSCs (Steed, et al., 2008). These cells are harvested from the amniotic fluid that cushions and nourishes a fetus while to develops within the womb during pregnancy. These stem cells can also differentiate into a variety of different cell lines such as bone, nerve, muscle and skin.

Prior to a stem cell therapy procedure, the cells themselves must be acquired. Stem cells can originate from the patient themselves (autologous) or a close donor match (homologous or allogenic) (ExitCare, LLC, 2011). For procedures involving autologous transplant, the stem cells are first harvested from a patient, and then spun down in a centrifuge to allow gravity to separate the stem cells by weight. These stem cells can be collected via needle from blood, bone marrow or adipose tissue depending upon the procedure to be performed. For allogenic transplants, this same harvesting procedure is done with a donor, and the stem cells are stored for later use. For treatments involving amniotic stem cells, the cells are harvested from amniotic fluid during cesarean section and frozen for later use (Applied Biologics, 2011). Also, depending upon the procedure, before injection the stem cells collected may be supplemented with platelet-rich plasma (PRP). PRP consists of blood plasma concentrated to include higher than normal numbers of platelets, a cell that provides a multitude of protein growth factors involved in many other biological responses involved in healing and tissue repair (Mishra & Pavelko, 2006).

The source of stem cells may differ depending upon the type of procedure being performed. For most orthopedic applications, and procedures for the treatment of chronic musculoskeletal pain, bone marrow or peripheral blood serves as the best source of stem cells (Regenexx, 2010). For cosmetic applications of stem cells or procedures using stem cells for the treatment of nerve degeneration, adipose or fat tissue is often the best source.

The procedure for stem cell treatments differ depending upon the nature of the treatment and goals for therapy. However, all stem cell therapy procedures follow a basic outline. A patient is informed of all benefits, risks and alternatives to a stem cell therapy, before the procedure is scheduled. If harvesting of the stem cells is required, it is usually done in the morning before the procedure, such that the stem cells can be prepared before the patient returns in the afternoon. Harvesting involves using a needle to draw stem cells from the blood, adipose tissue or bone marrow by direct puncture of a flat bone, such as the hip.

Once the stem cells are prepared and available, a patient is comfortably positioned on a procedural table such that an injection or operative site is accessible to the physician (Centeno, et al., 2008). The site is then cleaned and sterilized, and the patient may be given local or general anesthesia to prevent any discomfort associated with the procedure. Once preparations are complete, a needle is guided to the target site of degenerated tissue, and the stem cell solution is injected directly to the area (Centeno, et al., 2008). The needle is often guided with radiographic assistance, such as ultrasound or fluoroscopy, a type of real-time x-ray.

For outpatient procedures, such as stem cell therapy for low back pain or soft tissue injuries, patients are often able to return home following a short period in which medical staff can monitor a patient for any adverse reactions. Any extra stem cells collected for the procedure can be cryo-stored (frozen) for future use.

Based on very early, but very promising case studies in which stem cells are used for the treatment of osteoarthritis and cartilage and tendon injuries, patients receiving stem cell therapy for chronically painful conditions can expect to see improvement in pain and in quality of life following the procedure. A major benefit of utilizing stem cell therapy for the treatment of chronic pain is that if successful, it can delay or even replace the need for surgical intervention.

As with any medical procedure involving injection or access through the protective skin barrier, infection and bleeding are a risk. These risks are minimal however, and stem cell therapy for the treatment of chronic pain associated with muscle, bone, tendon and cartilage disorders is considered very safe.

Patients should monitor their injection/operative site closely following the procedure, observing for any increased pain, redness, swelling or discharge which may require immediate medical attention. Patients can follow up with their pain management physician for any concerns.

Given the nature of stem cells ability to differentiate, and the infancy of stem cells for medical therapy, there has been significant concern in the medical community as to whether or not stem cell therapies might become cancerous. Thus far however, studies performed to assess this possibility have reported no cancerous complications associated with stem cell therapy (Centeno, et al., 2011).

In one pilot study designed to evaluate the effectiveness of implanting stem cells to treat degeneration of bone, researchers found that when compared to controls, patients receiving autologous stem cell therapy reported greater improvement in pain and other symptoms and were less likely to progress to further bone degeneration (Greenspan & Gershwin, 2008). Follow up studies have shown that stem cells can halt progression of bone degenerative disease. Many case reports report similar findings for conditions ranging from tendon injuries to osteoarthritis.

Stem cell therapies are certainly in their infancy; However, early studies show great promise for the use of stem cells in the treatment of a variety of musculoskeletal conditions causing chronic pain. With time and research over the next few years, many more applications of stem cell therapy will undoubtedly arise. Patients experiencing chronic pain should consult with a pain management specialist to find out of stem cell therapy may be appropriate for pain management, or as an alternative to surgery.

ReferencesApplied Biologics. (2011). Amniomatrix FAQ. Retrieved from Applied Biologics Website: http://www.appliedbiologics.com/index.php/frequently-asked-questions

Bagaria, V., & al., e. (2006). Stem cells in orthopedics: Current concepts and possible future applications. Ind J Med Sci , 162-169.

Bellehsen, L., Nagler, A., & Levi-Schaffer, F. (2008). Stem Cells: What Are They and Why Do We Need Them? Retrieved from MD Consult. Adkinson: Middletons Allergy: Principles and Practice, 7th ed.

Centeno, C., & al., e. (2008). Increased knee cartilage volume in degenerative joint disease using percutaneously implanted, autologous mesenchymal stem cells. Pain Physician , (11) 343-353.

Centeno, C., & al., e. (2008). Regeneration of meniscus cartilage in a knee treated with percutaneously implanted autologous mesenchymal stem cells. Med Hypo , (71) 900-908.

Centeno, C., & al., e. (2011). Safety and complications reporting update on the re-implantation of culture-expanded mesenchymal stem cells using autologous platelet lysate technique. Curr Stem Cell Res Ther , (6) 368-78.

Drazin, D., & al., e. (2012). Stem Cell Therapy for Degenerative Disc Disease. Advances in Orthopedics , 1-8.

ExitCare, LLC. (2011). Bone Marrow Transplantation & Peripheral Blood Stem Cell Transplantation: Q & A. Retrieved from MD Consult. Patient Education.

Greenspan, A., & Gershwin, M. (2008). Osteonecrosis. Retrieved from MD Consult. Firestein: Kelleys Textbook of Rheumatology, 8th ed.

Gurtner, G., & al., e. (2007). Progress and Potential for Regenrative Medicine. Annu Rev Med , 299-312.

Hendricks, W., & al., e. (2006). Predifferentiated Embryonic Stem Cells Prevent Chronic Pain Behaviors and Restore Sensory Function Following Spinal Cord Injury in Mice. Mol Med , (12) 1-3.

Mishra, A., & Pavelko, T. (2006). Treatment of Chronic Elbow Tendinosis with Buffered Platelet-Rich Plasma. Am J Sports Med , 1774-1778.

Olek, M. (2012). Treatment of progressive multiple sclerosis in adults. Retrieved from In: UpToDate, Basow, DS (Ed), UpToDate, Waltham, MA.

Regenexx. (2010). Having Many Stem Cell Sources in the Toolbox benefits the Patient. Retrieved from Regenexx: http://www.regenexx.com/2010/12/having-many-stem-cell-sources-in-the-toolbox-benefits-the-patient/

Sakai, D., & al., e. (2005). Differentiation of Mesenchymal Stem Cells Transplanted to a Rabbit Degenerative Disc Model: Potential and Limitations for Stem Cell Therapy in Disc Regeneration. Spine , (30) 2379-2387.

Sakai, D., & al., e. (2003). Transplantation of mesenchymal stem cells embedded in Atelocollagens gel to the intervertebral disc:a potential therapeutic model for disc degeneration. Biomaterials , (24) 3531-3541.

Steed, D., & al., e. (2008). Amnion-derived Cellular Cytokine Solution. Eplasty .

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Stem Cells | Arizona Pain Specialists - Scottsdale ...

The Arizona Pain Regenerative Institute was formed in order to focus on the delivery of this cutting-edge technology in the most safe and effective way for out patients. Stem cells are the future of medicine.

Were here to help shape it. We are experts of pain management and stem cell therapy with a proven track record of success. Pain relief is attainable, we can help you live without pain.

Our double board certified doctors want to help you live pain free. Please call the phone number above to schedule anappointmentand see if stem cell therapy is right for you. Arizona Pain delivers a comprehensive approach to pain management.

We will examine the source of your pain and take thenecessarysteps to give you relief in the best way possible Just as we would for our own mom or dad. AtArizona Pain Specialists we provide hope and restoring life.

Call us now and get your life back today!

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Arizona Pain Regenerative Institute - Arizona Pain Specialists

Stem Cell Therapy for Arthritis has 4 different key components

SUPPORTING SOFT TISSUE REPAIR

Extracellular matrix composition of Collagens I, III, IV, V, VII and other structural proteins provides a natural scaffold to facilitate cellular adhesion while assisting cellular migration and proliferation.(1)

PROMOTE SOFT TISSUE RECONSTRUCTION

Growth factors found in amniotic tissue such as PDGF, VEGF, EGF, FGF and TGF-B promote cellular proliferation and new collagen formation and minimize scar tissue formation.(1)

REDUCE INFLAMMATION AND PAIN

Interleukin-1 receptor antagonists (IL-1RA) and Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinase (TIMP) 1, 2, 3, 4 proteins present in amniotic tissues suppress and modulate inflammation and pain.(2)

IMMUNE-PRIVILEGED

Amniotic tissues have been described as immune-privileged because they rarely evoke an immune response in the human body.

References

1. Gruss, J, et al. Human amniotic membrane: a versatile wound dressing. CMA Journal 1978; Vol 118: 1237-1246. Niknejad, H, et al. (Stem Cell Therapy for Arthritis)

2. Properties of amniotic membrane for potential use in Tissue Engineering. European Cells and Materials 2008; Vol 15: 88-99.

Stem Cell Therapy Phoenix Arizona

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Stem Cell Therapy Phoenix Arizona | Desert Health Specialists

Disc Treatment Overcomes Lifes Speed Bumps

They might look harmless, but even low-rise speed bumps can do serious damage. Travelling at the 35 mph speed limit near the Ontario (CA) airport one night in 2009, Stephen Cases vehicle hit a poorly marked speed bump. The pain was instantaneous, Case said, and excruciating.Read more

I put too much stress on my shoulders when I was redecorating a house, Melano said. I was removing pictures from the house and had my arms up all day, hammering and hanging. The next day, Melano, 78, decided to work on the library in the house. I was on the last run, picking up one more box of books and it felt like a rubber band broke in my left shoulder. Read more

The original back injury remains a mystery, but add a torn hamstring and any active mom would have to slow down any active mom especially when the back injury resulted in two degenerative discs. For Astrid Corretjer, that meant the end of tennis, rollerblading, paddle boarding, and especially mountain biking.Read more

Walking up and down stairs might not seem exciting. For Carol Kichler, though, climbing and descending stairs without excruciating pain is a daily highlight. Kichler, 73, couldnt walk up or down even two steps without agonizing pain before September, when she received stem cell treatments in her knees.Read more

Eds retirement, and accompanying occasional rounds of golf, were threatened by a bad shoulder. A combination of bursitis and a small tear in the rotator cuff of his right shoulder made golf impossible.Read more

The doctors at Southwest Spine & Sports are board certified by the American Board of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation with advanced fellowship training in interventional spine care. We specialize in physical medicine, pain management, and comprehensive rehabilitation with one goal in mind restoring quality of life by relieving your pain.

Youll receive expert guidance designed to prevent re-injury and help you stay as active as possible at any age. Together well reduce your pain with innovative nonsurgical solutions that result in a quicker recovery, fewer lost workdays, and enhanced performance.

Who do we treat?

Autologous stem cells, which come from bone marrow aspirate concentrate from a patients own hip bone, are used to treat sports injuries and chronic musculoskeletal conditions. Professional athletes have used stem cells for years now its your turn! If you are a patient with chronic low back pain from degenerative disc disease, joint pain or tendinitis, come in for an evaluation and see if you are a candidate for treatment with one of our regenerative medicine procedures (autologous stem cell concentrate, PRP or Fibrin Disc Sealant). You may also qualify to participate in our ongoing study.

Looking for Regenerative Medicine in Glendale, Phoenix, Scottsdale, or Tempe? Click here or call (480) 860-8998 for a consultation to see how we can help you.

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The Celebration Stem Cell Centre (CSCC) is located in Gilbert, Arizona. CSCC offers processing and banking of Private umbilical cord blood, Whartons jelly stem cells, Public cord blood donations, Adipose tissue, Adipose stem cells, Dental pulp stem cells and other adult stem cells. CSCC also offers services for Contract Manufacturing, Contract Research and development and submission of IRB proposals based on our clients research needs.

CSCC will meet the ever increasing need for public cord blood banking by being the first facility in Arizona to collaborate with hospitals throughout the state to process and bank umbilical cord blood donations.

Cord blood stem cells are currently being used to treat over 80 different diseases. Our goal at CSCC is to ensure that people who are afflicted from these diseases will have access to the highest quality umbilical cord blood stem cell units available for treatment either through our cord blood donation program or by privately banking these cells for use by their own family.

In addition, through a comprehensive public awareness campaign, we will reveal the facts about stem cell therapy. We hope to empower the public with this knowledge and encourage them to start conversations with their peers, doctors and political representatives. Many of the top translational stem cell researchers believe that cord blood stem cells can be used for many different medical applications.

I chose Celebration Stem Cell Centre because my daughters stem cells could provide a medical solution for her life or others! -Jenn, Gilbert, AZ

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Overview

A bone marrow transplant is a procedure that infuses healthy blood stem cells into your body to replace your damaged or diseased bone marrow. A bone marrow transplant is also called a stem cell transplant.

A bone marrow transplant may be necessary if your bone marrow stops working and doesn't produce enough healthy blood cells.

Bone marrow transplants may use cells from your own body (autologous transplant) or from a donor (allogeneic transplant).

Mayo Clinic's approach

A bone marrow transplant may be used to:

Bone marrow transplants can benefit people with a variety of both cancerous (malignant) and noncancerous (benign) diseases, including:

Bone marrow is the spongy tissue inside some bones. Its job is to produce blood cells. If your bone marrow isn't functioning properly because of cancer or another disease, you may receive a stem cell transplant.

To prepare for a stem cell transplant, you receive chemotherapy to kill the diseased cells and malfunctioning bone marrow. Then, transplanted blood stem cells are put into your bloodstream. The transplanted stem cells find their way to your marrow, where ideally they begin producing new, healthy blood cells.

A bone marrow transplant poses many risks of complications, some potentially fatal.

The risk can depend on many factors, including the type of disease or condition, the type of transplant, and the age and health of the person receiving the transplant.

Although some people experience minimal problems with a bone marrow transplant, others may develop complications that may require treatment or hospitalization. Some complications could even be life-threatening.

Complications that can arise with a bone marrow transplant include:

Your doctor can explain your risk of complications from a bone marrow transplant. Together you can weigh the risks and benefits to decide whether a bone marrow transplant is right for you.

If you receive a transplant that uses stem cells from a donor (allogeneic transplant), you may be at risk of developing graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). This condition occurs when the donor stem cells that make up your new immune system see your body's tissues and organs as something foreign and attack them.

Many people who have an allogeneic transplant get GVHD at some point. The risk of GVHD is a bit greater if the stem cells come from an unrelated donor, but it can happen to anyone who gets a bone marrow transplant from a donor.

GVHD may happen at any time after your transplant. However, it's more common after your bone marrow has started to make healthy cells.

There are two kinds of GVHD: acute and chronic. Acute GVHD usually happens earlier, during the first months after your transplant. It typically affects your skin, digestive tract or liver. Chronic GVHD typically develops later and can affect many organs.

Chronic GVHD signs and symptoms include:

You'll undergo a series of tests and procedures to assess your general health and the status of your condition, and to ensure that you're physically prepared for the transplant. The evaluation may take several days or more.

In addition, a surgeon or radiologist will implant a long thin tube (intravenous catheter) into a large vein in your chest or neck. The catheter, often called a central line, usually remains in place for the duration of your treatment. Your transplant team will use the central line to infuse the transplanted stem cells and other medications and blood products into your body.

If a transplant using your own stem cells (autologous transplant) is planned, you'll undergo a procedure called apheresis (af-uh-REE-sis) to collect blood stem cells.

Before apheresis, you'll receive daily injections of growth factor to increase stem cell production and move stem cells into your circulating blood so that they can be collected.

During apheresis, blood is drawn from a vein and circulated through a machine. The machine separates your blood into different parts, including stem cells. These stem cells are collected and frozen for future use in the transplant. The remaining blood is returned to your body.

If a transplant using stem cells from a donor (allogeneic transplant) is planned, you will need a donor. When you have a donor, stem cells are gathered from that person for the transplant. This process is often called a stem cell harvest or bone marrow harvest. Stem cells can come from your donor's blood or bone marrow. Your transplant team decides which is better for you based on your situation.

Another type of allogeneic transplant uses stem cells from the blood of umbilical cords (cord blood transplant). Mothers can choose to donate umbilical cords after their babies' births. The blood from these cords is frozen and stored in a cord blood bank until needed for a bone marrow transplant.

After you complete your pretransplant tests and procedures, you begin a process known as conditioning. During conditioning, you'll undergo chemotherapy and possibly radiation to:

The type of conditioning process you receive depends on a number of factors, including your disease, overall health and the type of transplant planned. You may have both chemotherapy and radiation or just one of these treatments as part of your conditioning treatment.

Side effects of the conditioning process can include:

You may be able to take medications or other measures to reduce such side effects.

Based on your age and health history, your doctor may recommend lower doses or different types of chemotherapy or radiation for your conditioning treatment. This is called reduced-intensity conditioning.

Reduced-intensity conditioning kills some cancer cells and somewhat suppresses your immune system. Then, the donor's cells are infused into your body. Donor cells replace cells in your bone marrow over time. Immune factors in the donor cells may then fight your cancer cells.

Your bone marrow transplant occurs after you complete the conditioning process. On the day of your transplant, called day zero, stem cells are infused into your body through your central line.

The transplant infusion is painless. You are awake during the procedure.

The transplanted stem cells make their way to your bone marrow, where they begin creating new blood cells. It can take a few weeks for new blood cells to be produced and for your blood counts to begin recovering.

Bone marrow or blood stem cells that have been frozen and thawed contain a preservative that protects the cells. Just before the transplant, you may receive medications to reduce the side effects the preservative may cause. You'll also likely be given IV fluids (hydration) before and after your transplant to help rid your body of the preservative.

Side effects of the preservative may include:

Not everyone experiences side effects from the preservative, and for some people those side effects are minimal.

When the new stem cells enter your body, they begin to travel through your body and to your bone marrow. In time, they multiply and begin to make new, healthy blood cells. This is called engraftment. It usually takes several weeks before the number of blood cells in your body starts to return to normal. In some people, it may take longer.

In the days and weeks after your bone marrow transplant, you'll have blood tests and other tests to monitor your condition. You may need medicine to manage complications, such as nausea and diarrhea.

After your bone marrow transplant, you'll remain under close medical care. If you're experiencing infections or other complications, you may need to stay in the hospital for several days or sometimes longer. Depending on the type of transplant and the risk of complications, you'll need to remain near the hospital for several weeks to months to allow close monitoring.

You may also need periodic transfusions of red blood cells and platelets until your bone marrow begins producing enough of those cells on its own.

You may be at greater risk of infections or other complications for months to years after your transplant.

A bone marrow transplant can cure some diseases and put others into remission. Goals of a bone marrow transplant depend on your individual situation, but usually include controlling or curing your disease, extending your life, and improving your quality of life.

Some people complete bone marrow transplantation with few side effects and complications. Others experience numerous challenging problems, both short and long term. The severity of side effects and the success of the transplant vary from person to person and sometimes can be difficult to predict before the transplant.

It can be discouraging if significant challenges arise during the transplant process. However, it is sometimes helpful to remember that there are many survivors who also experienced some very difficult days during the transplant process but ultimately had successful transplants and have returned to normal activities with a good quality of life.

Explore Mayo Clinic studies testing new treatments, interventions and tests as a means to prevent, detect, treat or manage this disease.

Living with a bone marrow transplant or waiting for a bone marrow transplant can be difficult, and it's normal to have fears and concerns.

Having support from your friends and family can be helpful. Also, you and your family may benefit from joining a support group of people who understand what you're going through and who can provide support. Support groups offer a place for you and your family to share fears, concerns, difficulties and successes with people who have had similar experiences. You may meet people who have already had a transplant or who are waiting for a transplant.

To learn about transplant support groups in your community, ask your transplant team or social worker for information. Also, several support groups are offered at Mayo Clinic in Arizona, Florida and Minnesota.

Mayo Clinic researchers study medications and treatments for people who have had bone marrow transplants, including new medications to help you stay healthy after your bone marrow transplant.

If your bone marrow transplant is using stem cells from a donor (allogeneic transplant), you may be at risk of graft-versus-host disease. This condition occurs when a donor's transplanted stem cells attack the recipient's body. Doctors may prescribe medications to help prevent graft-versus-host disease and reduce your immune system's reaction (immunosuppressive medications).

After your transplant, it will take time for your immune system to recover. You may be given antibiotics to prevent infections. You may also be prescribed antifungal, antibacterial or antiviral medications. Doctors continue to study and develop several new medications, including new antifungal medications, antibacterial medications, antiviral medications and immunosuppressive medications.

After your bone marrow transplant, you may need to adjust your diet to stay healthy and to prevent excessive weight gain. Maintaining a healthy weight can help prevent high blood pressure, high cholesterol and other negative health effects.

Your nutrition specialist (dietitian) and other members of your transplant team will work with you to create a healthy-eating plan that meets your needs and complements your lifestyle. Your dietitian may also give you food suggestions to control side effects of chemotherapy and radiation, such as nausea.

Your dietitian will also provide you with healthy food options and ideas to use in your eating plan. Your dietitian's recommendations may include:

After your bone marrow transplant, you may make exercise and physical activity a regular part of your life to continue to improve your health and fitness. Exercising regularly helps you control your weight, strengthen your bones, increase your endurance, strengthen your muscles and keep your heart healthy.

Your treatment team may work with you to set up a routine exercise program to meet your needs. You may perform exercises daily, such as walking and other activities. As you recover, you can slowly increase your physical activity.

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Bone marrow transplant - Mayo Clinic

Nabil Dib, M.D., MSc,FACCView Curriculum Vitae (requires Adobe Reader)View Curriculum Vitae (requires Adobe Reader)

For more than 25 years, Dr. Dib has been conducting research and developing the newest investigational treatments for advanced cardiovascular disease. He is internationally known and respected for his research and work regarding the use of adult stem cells to restore the health of patients with severe heart disease.

Dr. Dib travels the world speaking at Cardiology events, conducting research and clinic trials and working to improve quality of life and survival for patients with cardiovascular disease.

He completed his Interventional Cardiology Fellowship Program at Harvard Medical School, Beth-Israel-Deaconess Medical Center in Boston. Dr. Dib also completed an additional year in Investigational Devices at Harvard Medical School. Additionally, he continued his education at Harvard School of Public Health, where he obtained a degree in Master of Science in Epidemiology and Research, concentrated on a clinical trial designed and effectiveness.

Dr. Dib completed three years of General Cardiology at the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee Clinical Campus at Sinai Samaritan Medical Center. His residency was in Internal Medicine at Tufts University School of Medicine and his internship at Boston University. Dr. Dib received his Medical Degree from Damascus University School of Medicine in Damascus, Syria.

Currently, he is Director of Cardiovascular Research at Dignity Health. He is also an Associate Professor of Medicine and Director of Clinical Cardiovascular Cell Therapy, University of California San Diego, Director of Heart Sciences Center, President and Founder of the International Society for Cardiovascular Translational Research and Editor in Chief of the Journal of Cardiovascular Translational Research.

As Director of Cardiovascular Research at Dignity Health Mercy Gilbert Regional Medical Center, Dr. Dib has led the charge for the healthcare industry to find innovative ways to utilize adult non-embryonic stem cells that may have the potential to restore the health of patients who have no other available treatments.

Dr. Dib is internationally known for his research and work with stem cell therapy. He did the first worldwide experiment to demonstrate the feasibility of stem cell transplantation using 3-D catheter guidance in February 2000 and a few months later he implanted the first patient with stem cell therapy. In 2004, he obtained the first FDA approval in the United States for stem cell transplantation for patients with heart failure and heart attack using the 3-D catheter guidance technology, a minimally invasive procedure.

Dr. Dib also authored a book on the topic titled, Stem Cell Therapy and Tissue Engineering for Cardiovascular Repair: From Basic Research to Clinical Applications.

Prior to joining Dignity Health, Dr. Dib formed Cardiovascular and Stem Cell Consultants (CSCC), a cardiology practice that provides the highest quality healthcare to patients with cardiovascular disease. CSCC also provides patients access to the newest investigational treatments for advanced cardiovascular disease such as Adult Stem Cells, Gene Therapy, and New Devices, a very important program for personalized medicine.

Additional experience includes seven years at the Arizona Heart Institute in Phoenix, Ariz., where Dr. Dib was Director of Interventional Cardiovascular Research and Director of the Interventional Fellowship Program. During his tenure with the Arizona Heart Institute, Dr. Dib was named Americas Top Doctors for Interventional Cardiology in 2003.

Throughout his career, Dr. Dib has served on several advisory boards and steering committees including: Cordis/Johnson & Johnson, Schering/Berlex, Volcano Corp., POSSIS Medical Inc., and Cardiovascular System Inc. In 2007, he was named Proctor, 3-D Mapping and stem cell transplantation for Biologics Delivery Systems/Cordis Corporation, a Johnson & Johnson Company.

He has also been involved with numerous professional affiliations such as: the American Heart Association, American College of Cardiology, American College of Physicians, International Society of Endovascular Intervention and the Massachusetts Medical Society. In addition, Dr. Dib helped write the board exam for the American College of Cardiology and is a reviewer for several medical journals and publications.

His research interests include Stem Cell Therapy for Myocardial Regeneration and Methods of Delivery, Genomics, Personalized Medicine, New Investigational Devices in Cardiology.

In addition, Dr. Dib has done extensive work in the following areas: Stent Deployment, Doppler FloWire, Pressurewire, Intravascular Ultrasound, Valvuloplasty, Rotational Atherectomy, Directional Atherectomy, Beta-Radiation, Novoste, Possis Angiojet, PercuSurge GuardWire System, Angioseal, Perclose and Vasoseal.

To learn more about Dr. Dibs accomplishments and recent media coverage, visit our Media Center.

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The Food and Drug Administration is cracking down on "unscrupulous" clinics selling unproven and potentially dangerous treatments involving stem cells.

Hundreds of clinics around the country have started selling stem cell therapies that supposedly use stem cells but have not been approved as safe and effective by the FDA, according to the agency.

"There are a small number of unscrupulous actors who have seized on the clinical promise of regenerative medicine, while exploiting the uncertainty, in order to make deceptive, and sometimes corrupt assurances to patients based on unproven and, in some cases, dangerously dubious products," FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb said in a statement Monday.

The FDA has taken action against clinics in California and Florida.

The agency sent a warning letter to the US Stem Cell Clinic of Sunrise, Fla., and its chief scientific officer, Kristin Comella, for "marketing stem cell products without FDA approval and significant deviations from current good manufacturing practice requirements."

The clinic is one of many around the country that claim to use stem cells derived from a person's own fat to treat a variety of conditions, including Parkinson's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), and lung and heart diseases, the FDA says.

The Florida clinic had been previously linked to several cases of blindness caused by attempts to use fat stem cells to treat macular degeneration.

The FDA also said it has taken "decisive action" to "prevent the use of a potentially dangerous and unproven treatment" offered by StemImmune Inc. of San Diego, Calif., and administered to patients at California Stem Cell Treatment Centers in Rancho Mirage and Beverly Hills, Calif.

As part of that action, the U.S. Marshals Service seized five vials of live vaccinia virus vaccine that is supposed to be reserved for people at high risk for smallpox but was being used as part of a stem-cell treatment for cancer, according to the FDA. "The unproven and potentially dangerous treatment was being injected intravenously and directly into patients' tumors," according to an FDA statement.

Smallpox essentially has been eradicated from the planet, but samples are kept in reserve in the U.S. and Russia, and vaccines are kept on hand as a result.

But Elliot Lander, medical director of the California Stem Cell Treatment Centers, denounced the FDA's actions in an interview with Shots.

"I think it's egregious," Lander says. "I think they made a mistake. I'm really baffled by this."

While his clinics do charge some patients for treatments that use stem cells derived from fat, Lander says, none of the cancer patients were charged and the treatments were administered as part of a carefully designed research study.

"Nobody was charged a single penny," Lander says. "We're just trying to move the field forward."

In a written statement, U.S. Stem Cell also defended its activities.

"The safety and health of our patients are our number one priority and the strict standards that we have in place follow the laws of the Food and Drug Administration," according to the statement.

"We have helped thousands of patients harness their own healing potential," the statement says. "It would be a mistake to limit these therapies from patients who need them when we are adhering to top industry standards."

But stem-cell researchers praised the FDA's actions.

"This is spectacular," says George Daley, dean of the Harvard Medical School and a leading stem-cell researcher. "This is the right thing to do."

Daley praised the FDA's promise to provide clear guidance soon for vetting legitimate stem-cell therapies while cracking down on "snake-oil salesmen" marketing unproven treatments.

Stem-cell research is "a major revolution in medicine. It's bound to ultimately deliver cures," Daley says. "But it's so early in the field," he adds. "Unfortunately, there are unscrupulous practitioners and clinics that are marketing therapies to patients, often at great expense, that haven't been proven to work and may be unsafe."

Others agreed.

"I see this is a major, positive step by the FDA," says Paul Knoepfler, a professor of cell biology at the University of of California, Davis, who has documented the proliferation of stem-cell clinics.

"I'm hoping that this signals a historic shift by the FDA to tackle the big problem of stem-cell clinics selling unapproved and sometimes dangerous stem cell "treatments" that may not be real treatments," Knoepfler says.

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FDA Cracks Down On Stem-Cell Clinics Selling Unapproved Treatments - KNAU Arizona Public Radio