Category Archives: Hawaii Stem Cells

Infinity Life Center and the Hawaii Stem Cell Treatment Center in Honolulu are proud to provide public access to regenerative stem cell based medicine. The Hawaii Stem Cell Treatment Center currently follows an in office, out patient, strict sterile closed surgical procedure to harvest and process fat into differentiated stem cells under local anesthesia. These protocols are set forth by the Cell Surgical Network, an international group of highly qualified and credentialed physicians committed to clinical research for the advancement of regenerative medicine.

Stem cell therapy has clinical applications and the potential to treat several degenerative conditions, diseases and injuries. Stem cells are currently being used for cosmetic application as well as to treat orthopedic injuries, heart & lung disease, autoimmune disease, neurologic disease, urological disease and ophthalmological disease.

Many of these treatments are in their infancy but there is very strong support, data and experience to indicate the efficacy of stem cell therapy in several areas.

To enlist in our treatment program or find out if your a good candidate for stem cell therapy contact us for a consultation.

Stem Cells & the FDA

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Stem Cell Therapy - Honolulu Hawaii - Infinity Life Center

Infinity Life Center and the Hawaii Stem Cell Treatment Center in Honolulu are proud to provide public access to regenerative stem cell based medicine. The Hawaii Stem Cell Treatment Center currently follows an in office, out patient, strict sterile closed surgical procedure to harvest and process fat into differentiated stem cells under local anesthesia. These protocols are set forth by the Cell Surgical Network, an international group of highly qualified and credentialed physicians committed to clinical research for the advancement of regenerative medicine.

Stem cell therapy has clinical applications and the potential to treat several degenerative conditions, diseases and injuries. Stem cells are currently being used for cosmetic application as well as to treat orthopedic injuries, heart & lung disease, autoimmune disease, neurologic disease, urological disease and ophthalmological disease.

Many of these treatments are in their infancy but there is very strong support, data and experience to indicate the efficacy of stem cell therapy in several areas.

To enlist in our treatment program or find out if your a good candidate for stem cell therapy contact us for a consultation.

Stem Cells & the FDA

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Stem Cell Therapy - Honolulu Hawaii - infinitylifecenter.com

The Hawaii Stem Cell Treatment Center is not offering stem cell therapy as a cure for any condition, disease or injury. No statements or treatments on this website have been evaluated or approved by the FDA. This website contains no medical advice. All statements and opinions provided by this website are provided for educational and informational purposes only and we do not diagnose or treat via this website or via telephone. The Hawaii Stem Cell Treatment Center is offering patient funded research to treat individual patients with their own autologous stem cells and is not involved in the use or manufacture of any investigational drugs.

The Hawaii Stem Cell Treatment Center does not claim that any applications or potential applications using these autologous stem cell treatments are approved by the FDA or are even effective. We do not claim that these treatments work for any listed nor unlisted condition, intended or implied. It is important for potential patients to do their own research based on the options that we present so that one can make an informed decision. Ay decision to participate in our patient funded experimental protocols is completely voluntary.

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Stem Cell Treatment Center Hawaii - Stem Cell Treatment ...

Orthopedic injuries and degenerative joint diseases are some of the most common conditions which cause discomfort and disability. Arthritis ,and the trauma which leads to loss of cartilage and injured tendons and ligaments from sports is common among athletes.

There are many procedures which have been tried with various success rates, ranging from micro fracture to stimulate cartilage growth and Platelet Rich Plasma Injections to strengthen ligaments and tendons. Our study of the use of SVF which contains the stem cells is underway for many of these conditions.

The use of stem cell therapy in Orthopedics is one of the most studied use world wide. Here at the Hawaii Stem Cell Treatment Center we use the stem cell broth of Stromal Vascular Fraction (SVF) and deploy that to the area of concern. This may be the knees , elbows, shoulders, hands, hips or spine.

The deployment is carried out in our center which maintains the highest standards of sterility by using our networks patented closed system of deployment. There is minimal manipulation during the harvesting and processing of the SVF which comes from your own fat. For certain areas such as the hip or spine we may make use of imaging to assure exact placement of the SVF.

Additionally we use other specialist such as invasive radiologist and orthopedic specialist in many cases to carry out this deployment. Our network uses the same orthopedic protocols and maintains an extensive shared data base in which your data will be entered if accepted in these research protocols.

Read more here:
Orthopedic Stem Cell Treatments - Orthopedics - Stem Cell ...

Case Based Pediatrics For Medical Students and Residents Department of Pediatrics, University of Hawaii John A. Burns School of Medicine Chapter V.6. Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation and Graft Versus Host DiseaseJocelyn M. Sonson December 2002 Return to Table of Contents

This is a 7 year old female who presents to the office with a chief complaint of a rash on her head, arms and legs. She has a history of acute lymphoblastic leukemia. She had undergone chemotherapy, went into remission and subsequently received an allogeneic stem cell transplantation from her older brother 20 days ago. The rash started 3 days ago on her ears, palms of her hands and the soles of her feet, progressing further to her arms and legs. It has not progressed to involve her trunk or her extremities and there is no desquamation or bullae formation. She denies any GI discomfort, crampy abdominal pain or diarrhea.

Exam: VS T 38, P 100, R 20, BP 118/65. She is alert and active, in no apparent distress. HEENT negative except for the rash. The rash is an erythematous, maculopapular rash on her palms and soles bilaterally, and on the anterior aspects her arms and legs. The rash is also on the nape of her neck. Neck is supple. Chest is clear. Heart regular without murmurs. Abdomen is soft and non-tender. There might be some slight hepatosplenomegaly, but it is difficult to be certain.

She is diagnosed with early graft versus host disease. She is hospitalized and treated with cyclosporine and methylprednisolone for 10 days until the graft versus host disease (GVHD) is controlled. This was followed by a taper of her corticosteroids.

Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, commonly called bone marrow transplantation (BMT), is indicated for various hematopoietic disorders (aplastic anemia, hemoglobinopathies), storage diseases, and severe immunodeficiencies. Pediatric malignancies that are candidates for stem cell transplantation include acute myelogenous leukemia, acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CML), lymphomas, neuroblastomas, brain tumors and other solid tumors. Transplantation is recommended only in high-risk situations or when conventional treatment fails. In malignancies such as CML and juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia, hematopoietic stem cell transplantation is used as primary therapy because no other curative treatment exists.

Major sources of stem cells for transplantation include bone marrow, peripheral blood and cord blood. Since the mid-1990s, peripheral blood-derived stem cells have been used with increasing frequency over the traditional marrow cells. Peripheral blood stem cells (PBSC) contain higher numbers of progenitor cells, natural killer cells, and T cells as compared to bone marrow. Studies comparing bone marrow to PBSC transplantation have shown that PBSCs are associated with a shorter period of neutropenia and red blood cell and platelet transfusion dependence, with an equal probability of acute and chronic GVHD. Umbilical cord blood is a new and promising source of hematopoietic progenitor cells with remarkable proliferative potential, which may overcome the limitation of their relatively low absolute cell numbers. Because only a small number of cells are collected, successful transplants are typically limited to smaller sized recipients.

When the stem cells are from an identical twin, the transplant is termed syngeneic. When the stem cells are harvested from the recipient, the transplant is termed autologous. And lastly, when the stem cells are from someone other than the recipient, it is termed allogeneic. The best donors for allogeneic transplantation are siblings who inherit identical human leukocyte antigen (HLA) haplotypes.

Located in the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) on the short arm of chromosome 6, the HLA genes define histocompatibility and determine tolerance of the graft. Although there are over 35 HLA class I and II genes and over 684 alleles, HLA-A, HLA-B (class I), and HLA-DRB1 (class II) genes are used primarily in determining the histocompatibility of donors and recipients for stem cell transplantation. A 6-of-6 match refers to matching these three genes, each of which have two alleles. When none of the 6 alleles match, it is termed a mismatch and the various degrees of mismatch are termed one-antigen mismatch, two-antigen mismatch, etc. When only 3 of 6 alleles mismatch, the term is haploidentical. Graft rejection and graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) are the major immune-mediated complications associated with HLA disparity. The greater the HLA disparity, the higher these risks. Only 25-50% of patients have an HLA-identical sibling, therefore large donor registries have recently been successful in identifying phenotypically matched unrelated donors. In the United States, the National Marrow Donor Program has typed nearly 4 million volunteer donors and uses 118 donor centers and over 57 transplant centers to add 40,000 potential new donors each month.

The initial phase of stem cell transplantation entails the administration of the preparative regimen: chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy. The most common conditioning regimens include total body irradiation (TBI) and cyclophosphamide or busulfan and cyclophosphamide. Other combinations are also used during this conditioning period and include drugs such as etoposide, melphan, carmustine, cytosine arabinoside, thiotepa, ifosfamide, and carboplatin. The combinations are designed to eliminate malignancy, prevent rejection of new stem cells, and to create space for the new cells.

The stem cells infusion takes over an hour, although this time frame depends on the volume infused. Before infusion, the patient is premedicated with acetaminophen and diphenhydramine to reduce the risk of hypersensitivity reaction. The cells are then infused through a central venous catheter. Anaphylaxis, volume overload, and a transient GVHD are the major complications involved.

After stem cell infusion, the primary focus of care is managing the high-intensity preparative regimen. During this period, patients have little or no marrow function and are neutropenic, thus they must depend on transfusions for maintaining erythrocytes and platelets at acceptable levels. Patients are susceptible to life-threatening infections such as herpes simplex virus (HSV) or hospital-acquired nosocomial infections as well as other complications such as veno-occlusive disease, fluid retention, pulmonary edema, and acral erythroderma.

The rate of engraftment is a function of the preparative regimen, the nature and dose of stem cells, and the administration of medications that can suppress recovery. Engraftment, typically defined as a neutrophil count greater than 500 per cubic mm and a platelet count of 20,000 per cubic mm can occur as soon as 10 days to as long as several weeks after infusion. It is during this period that GVHD may occur.

Graft failure and graft rejection of transplanted stem cells, as well as transplanted organs, are influenced by several factors such as HLA disparity, the conditioning regimen, the transplanted cell dose, post-transplant/immunosuppression, donor T cells, drug toxicity and viral infection. Graft rejection may occur immediately, without an increase in cell counts, or may follow a brief period of engraftment. Rejection is usually mediated by residual host T cells, cytotoxic antibodies, or lymphokines and is manifested by a fall in donor cell counts with a persistence of host lymphocytes. Using stem cells from HLA-disparate donors significantly increases the risk for graft rejection/failure.

Transplants for nonmalignant disease generally have more favorable outcomes, with survival rates of 70-90% if the donor is a matched sibling and 36-65% if the donor is unrelated. Transplants for acute leukemias, ALL and AML, in remission at the time of transplant have survival rates of 55-68% if the donor is related and 26-50% if the donor is unrelated . Outcome statistics of autologous transplant for solid tumors are not as good for pediatric malignancies, except for lymphomas.

Graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) is a clinical syndrome that affects recipients of allogeneic stem cell transplants and results in donor T-cell activation against host MHC antigens. There are three requirements for this reaction to occur: 1) the graft must contain immunocompetent cells, 2) the host must be immunocompromised and unable to reject or mount a response to the graft, and 3) there must be histocompatibility differences between the graft and the host.

GVHD can be classified as acute, occurring within the first 100 days after stem cell transplant, or chronic, occurring after the first 100 days. The acute form of GVHD (aGVHD) is characterized by erythroderma, cholestatic hepatitis, and enteritis. aGVHD typically presents about day 19 (median), when patients begin to engraft. It usually starts as either erythroderma or a maculopapular rash that involves the hands and feet and may progress from the top of the scalp down toward the torso, potentially leading to exfoliation or bulla formation. Hepatic manifestations include cholestatic jaundice with elevated values on liver function testing. Intestinal symptoms include crampy abdominal pain and watery diarrhea, often with blood. aGVHD is graded in 5 steps from 0-IV based on involvement of the skin, liver, and GI tract. Grade 0 indicates no clinical evidence of disease. Grade I-IV are graded functionally. Grade I indicates rash on less than 50% of skin and no gut or liver involvement. Grade II indicates rash covering more than 50% of skin, bilirubin 2-3 ml/dL, diarrhea 10-15 ml/kg/d, or persistent nausea. Grade III or IV indicates generalized erythroderma with bulla formation, bilirubin greater than 3 mg/dl, or diarrhea more than 16 mL/kg/d. Survival rates vary from 90% in stage I, 60% in stage II or III, to almost 0% in stage IV.

The development of chronic GVHD (cGVHD), usually occurs after day 100 and resembles a multi-system autoimmune process manifesting as Sjogren's (sicca) syndrome, systemic lupus erythematosus, and scleroderma, lichen planus, and biliary cirrhosis. Recurrent infections from encapsulated bacterial, fungal, and viral organisms are common. The survival rate after onset of chronic GVHD is approximately 42%.

Management of GVHD and graft rejection focuses on both prevention and control of progressive disease. Finding the best HLA matched donor results in the lowest risk of severe disease and rejection. Younger age in either the donor or the recipient is associated with reduced risk. Same gender transplantation is also associated with reduced risk for GVHD. Prophylactic immunosuppression aims to inhibit the host T-lymphocyte activation that mediates rejection and inhibits the donor T-lymphocyte activation that mediates GVHD without altering immunity against infection or malignancy. Because donor T cells are responsible for GVHD, a form of prevention involves depletion of T cells in donor marrows or grafts using monoclonal antibodies or a physical separation technique. Elimination of T cells from the donor graft is an effective approach in some clinical settings, however depletion of T cells allows the persistence of host lymphocytes, which are capable of mediating graft rejection. In addition, loss of donor T cells decreases the benefit of producing a graft-versus-leukemia (GVL) effect and a lower relapse rate.

Treatment of aGVHD focuses on eliminating activated alloreactive T-cell clones. High-dose corticosteroids remain the most effective. Other studied approaches include anti-thymocyte antibodies, anti-TNF and IL-2 receptor antibodies, and immunosuppressive therapy such as cyclosporine, FK506, or mycophenolate mofetil. Treatment for cGVHD should begin with the earliest development of symptoms and requires continued therapy for a minimum of 6 to 9 months, even if symptoms resolve. Therapy for cGVHD includes corticosteroids usually in combination with another agent, often cyclosporine.

Late effects of transplantation can be classified into three basic categories: 1) toxicity from the preparative regimen, 2) toxicity from GVHD, and 3) toxicity from long-term immunosuppression. Clinical conditions include effects on growth and development, neuroendocrine dysfunction, fertility, second tumors, chronic GVHD, cataracts, leukoencephalopathy, and immune dysfunction. The effect of radiation on growth is relatively common and can be a result of a multitude of factors. Disruption of growth hormone production is the most common effect, however thyroid dysfunction, gonadal dysfunction, and bone growth effects also occur due to radiation. Other toxicities include cataracts, azoospermia, and gonadal failure.

Long-term cGVHD effects on the body include disruption of normal glandular function resulting in drying of the eyes, which can lead to corneal injury, and decreased salivary gland production, which can cause severe dental caries. Chronic inflammation of the intestine can lead to strictures and webs. The skin manifestations such as maculopapular rash or a sclerodermatous condition, can extend to all parts of the body and cause fibrosis of the underlying subcutaneous tissues and fascia resulting in contractures.

Continued use of chronic immunosuppressive drugs can cause toxicity that hamper quality of life. These toxicities include hypertension, glucose intolerance, weight gain, growth failure, avascular necrosis of the femoral head, and chronic osteopenia that leads to recurrent fractures. Long-term use of immunosuppressive drugs can lead to recurrent infections, such as bacterial, fungal, cytomegalovirus, adenovirus and varicella zoster.

Questions

1. Which of the following is a requirement for a graft-versus-host disease reaction to occur. . . . . . a. The graft must contain immunocompetent cells. . . . . . b. The host's T-lymphocytes must be able to mount an immune response against the graft. . . . . . c. The host must be immunocompromised . . . . . d. a and b . . . . . e. a and c

2. True/False: The best predictors for developing GVHD are the age and sex of both the donor and recipient.

3. During the conditioning period prior to stem cell transplantation, which of the following purposes does chemotherapy and/or radiation try to accomplish? . . . . . a. Prevent rejection of new stem cells . . . . . b. Create space for new cells . . . . . c. Eliminate malignancy . . . . . d. All of the above . . . . . e. None of the above

4. True/False: A limitation of cord blood as a source for stem cells is the small number of cells collected.

5. During which period does graft-versus-host disease typically occur? . . . . . a. Conditioning . . . . . b. Engraftment . . . . . c. Postengraftment . . . . . d. All of the above . . . . . e. None of the above

References

1. Graham DK, et al. Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation. In: Hay WW, Hayward AR, Levin MJ, et al (eds). Current Pediatric Diagnosis and Treatment, 15th edition. 2001, New York, NY: Lange/McGraw Hill, pp. 1589-1594.

2. Childs RW. Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplantation. In: DeVita VT, Hellman S, Rosenberg SA (eds). Cancer: Principles and Practice of Oncology, 6th Edition. 2001, Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, pp. 2786-2788.

3. Moore T. Bone Marrow Transplantation. In: Firlit CF, Konop R, Dunn S, et al (eds). eMedicine Journal 2002;3(1).

4. Robertson KA. Bone Marrow Transplantation. In: Behrman RE, et al (eds). Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics, 16th edition. 2000, Philadelphia: W.B. Saunders, pp. 639-641.

5. Hayashi RJ. Stem Cell Transplantation. In: Rudolph CD, Rudolph AM (eds). Rudolph's Pediatric Textbook, 21st edition. 2002, New York, NY: McGraw-Hill, pp. 815-816.

6. Suterwala MS. Graft Versus Host Disease. In: Shigeoka AO, Konop R, Georgitis JW, et al (eds), eMedicine Journal 2001;2(10).

Answers to questions

1. e

2. False. HLA matching is the best predictor.

3. d

4. True

5. b

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6. Hematopoietic Stem Cell ... - University of Hawaii

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Does anyone know anything about the newly patented injections of Regenexx. It says it is a mixture of bone marrow stem cells (taken from your hip) and blood from your vein. This mixture is then injected into your knee. Clinical trials have resulted in ~ 30% cartilage regrowth. Not bad.

Left knee - 1997 debridement, 1999 trochlea paste graft / microfracture), 2002 IAGH injections, 2005 plica and synovium removal, 2009 Regenexx injections Right knee - 1997 debridement, 2000 trochlea paste graft, 2004 IAGH injections, 2008 Regenexx injections

I have been wondering the same thing.. Sounds great if it works? Has anyone on this list heard or had any involvement with the folks in Colorado?

I'm a little supicious of that. I want to ask my knee doc about it.

I wish we can find someone who tried it.

I am hoping to get the permission of my health insurance to be evaluated by him to see if I am a suitable candidate. Anything that will postpone the TKR for as long as possible.

http://www.alphaklinik.de/en/toft/news/Stem_Cell_therapy

Sue in Germany

1989 big trauma R. knee - sorted 1990-2004 3ACL recons and 20+ arthroscopies -RK 3/06 LK ACL torn! 4/06 ACL recon, kneecap broken 09 &10/06- 2x meniscus trims 3/07 - Notch Plastic & Lateral Release 14/8/08 complete revision ACL plus LCL/PLC recon 6/2/09 returned to skiing! Whoopee

How many injectons did you have and how long did it take to feel better? Did you have any restrictions.

Thanks

Left knee - 1997 debridement, 1999 trochlea paste graft / microfracture), 2002 IAGH injections, 2005 plica and synovium removal, 2009 Regenexx injections Right knee - 1997 debridement, 2000 trochlea paste graft, 2004 IAGH injections, 2008 Regenexx injections

I filled out the online form and got a response back within a few hours. I have emailed back & forth with them several times. They are supposed to open an office in Fla. soon.

TKR finally done!!! 9/9/13 Whew!!

In response to your email, Dr. Centeno and his associates are having good success in treating patients with OA/DJD of the knees as well as degenerative disk disease, with loss of cartilage, with our non surgical procedure. The best method for them to give you their feedback to whether you could benefit from Regenexx is to review your most recent MRIs or x-rays. If you would be interested, we would be happy to do this.

Our website http://www.regenexx.com has the most updated information regarding the procedure along with Dr. Centenos latest publications. Regenexx is currently only available at our Denver location although we plan to open in Florida later in the year. The procedure involves drawing our patients blood and bone marrow, growing their stem cells in our laboratory for approximately 3 weeks and then injecting the stem cells into the affected joint. Patients come to Denver for an overnight stay for their blood and bone marrow draw and then for up to 9 days for a series of injections to place the stem cells. This timeframe is dependent on the course of therapy prescribed to address your particular issues.

Please let me know what additional questions you may have or how I may assist you.

Thank you for your interest.

All the best!

Kelly Fulton, RN Regenerative Sciences Unleash the power of your stem cells

TKR finally done!!! 9/9/13 Whew!!

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/s_578202.html

There are overachievers, and then there is Dr. Joe Maroon.

Three or four days a week, he swims an hour at Sewickley YMCA, beginning at 5:15 a.m., before heading to his job as vice chairman of the department of neurological surgery at University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. He'll operate, see patients or both, and then he'll bike or jog for about an hour.

Every weekend, Maroon does his own version of a triathlon, swimming one to two miles, biking 50 to 75 miles and running between eight and 15 miles in one day. Last weekend, it was a 1.5-mile swim, 75-mile ride and 12-mile run.

"The problem is I have to double that for Hawaii," Maroon said.

Maroon, who is the Steelers' neurosurgeon, is in training for the Ford Ironman World Championship in Kona, Hawaii, this October.

The race consists of a 2.4-mile open-ocean swim, 112 miles of biking and 26.2 miles of running.

Maroon is 67 years old and will be 68 at the time of the race.

A year ago, Maroon's colleagues were telling him his racing career was over.

The trouble started five years ago, when the Sewickley resident was competing in his fifth Ironman race and injured his left knee. He continued to race, but his last major competition was in 2005, when he finished in sixth place in his age group in the triathlon at the Senior Olympics, held in Pittsburgh.

Last year, Maroon was told by two orthopedic surgeons that he was going to need a knee replacement.

That was unacceptable.

"They told me if I had an artificial knee, I'd never run again," Maroon said. "I could walk, but I'd never run again."

Maroon started researching on the Internet and found Dr. Christopher Centeno and his Colorado-based company, Regenerative Services. Centeno developed a procedure called Regenexx, in which he extracts stem cells from a patient's own bone marrow, cultivates them, then injects them into the affected area to regenerate bone and cartilage.

Eight months ago, Maroon got the first of two injections into his left knee, and last weekend he completed a half-Ironman distance race in Muncie, Ind. He finished fifth in his age group and qualified for the Ironman World Championship in the process.

The procedure, which costs $5,000 to $7,000, is not covered by insurance. Maroon knows of no one in the Pittsburgh area doing similar work.

Centeno said that while his typical patient is active and between 40 and 60 years old, Maroon will be the first to go on to compete in an Ironman.

"I kid Joe that I think he's the biggest overachiever that I know," Centeno said. "We're thankful he did well."

This will be Maroon's third trip to Kona.

"I started 20 years ago doing triathlons," he said. "Each year I just increased the bar, just like I do with my training now. That's the remarkable thing about it; you see what your body can do and adjust to."

Karen Price can be reached at [emailprotected] or 412-320-7980. Back to headlines

TKR finally done!!! 9/9/13 Whew!!

I have to tell you though, I am mightily impressed that one of their success stories is the vice chairman of the Pittsburg neurological surgery dept. Not too shabby.

This product is considered a new drug because it is used to treat human disease. There are testimonials to that right on his website. As such, the product is subject to FDA regulation, but Dr. Centeno has not gone through the proper procedures to get FDA approval. He has not filed an Investigational New Drug Application, nor has he gotten an approved Biologics License. Do we even know if there have been any clinical trials conducted? Without these, how are we to know about any potential side effects and how often they may occur?

FDA regulations were put into place to safeguard the public against false claims or untested and potentially harmful medicines. I am highly suspicious of anyone who isn't willing to go through the proper channels to get his/her product approved. It can be a long, drawn out process that takes years to complete, but the fact that it is so thorough means that in the end, you can be sure of having a product that is truly effective without being harmful. As much as I would like to believe in this product, I would urge everyone considering it to use extreme caution.

There is one other consideration also. If the product doesn't get FDA approval, insurance companies will never cover the procedure and patients will continue to have to pay out of pocket for it. Anyone considering the treatment should ask the company whether they will still be charged if the harvested cells fail to grow in the lab. My OS has stated that that sometimes happens with cells grown for ACI, but patients are still responsible for the full fee.

Here is the link to the FDA letter, if anyone wants to read it: http://www.fda.gov/CBER/compl/regen072508.htm Terre

RK 7/04 part. m. menisc., plica resect., MF 3/05 part. m. menisc., open OATS 1/07 part l. menisc., MF, patellar chondroplasty 9/08 MF LK 11/04 & 8/06 part m. menisc. 7/07 LR, patellar tendon debrid., part m. menisc.

TKR finally done!!! 9/9/13 Whew!!

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Regenexx injections - Stem Cells - The KNEEguru

Educational Event Feb 10, 2016 Stem Cell Research and Treatment Lecture Call 808-945-5433 to RSVP

Learn the latest about Stem Cell Therapy that you may have read about or seen on the internet. What are the facts and the medical science on the stem cell treatments from Dr. Michael Pasquale, Board Certified Plastic Surgeon and founder of the Hawaii Stem Cell Treatment Center. This will be a true educational event open to the public to hear about the latest research, techniques and what is being done with stem cells across the globe.

Dr. Pasquale has just returned from Korea as Chairman for the First Annual Stem Cell Symposium with latest information from Asia, Europe and Mainland USA. The Hawaii Stem Cell Treatment Center was started in 2013 and is the only medically based Stem Cell Treatment Center in our state. It has been involved in research regarding diseases such as COPD, Arthritis , Athletic Injures and more. Come learn about the risk , pros and cons and various options available now and in the future , from one of the leading clinical experts in this new science.

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Hawaii Stem Cell Treatment Center | Facebook

Tissue Lipoaspirate: derived from white adipose tissue Morphology Spindle-shaped, fibroblast-like Biosafety Level 1

[These primary cells are not known to harbor an agent recognized to cause disease in healthy adult humans. Handle as a potentially biohazardous material under at least Biosafety Level 1 containment. Cells derived from primate lymphoid tissue may fall under the regulations of 29 CFR 1910.1030 Bloodborne Pathogens.

ATCC recommends that appropriate safety procedures be used when handling all primary cells and cell lines, especially those derived from human or other primate material. Detailed discussions of laboratory safety procedures are provided in Laboratory Safety: Principles and Practice, 2nd ed. (ASM Press, Washington, DC) (Fleming et al., 1995) and Caputo, J.L. Biosafety procedures in cell culture. (1988) J. Tissue Culture Methods 11:223.

Appropriate safety procedures should always be used with this material. Laboratory safety is discussed in the following publication: Biosafety in Microbiological and Biomedical Laboratories, 5th ed. HHS Publication No. (CDC) 93-8395. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Washington DC: U.S. Government Printing Office; 2007. The entire text is available online athttp://www.cdc.gov/biosafety/publications/bmbl5/index.htm.]

All tissues used for isolation are obtained under informed consent and conform to HIPAA standards to protect the privacy of the donors personal health information. It is best to use caution when handling any human cells. We recommend that all human cells be accorded the same level of biosafety consideration as cells known to carry HIV. With infectious virus assays or viral antigen assays, even a negative test result may leave open the possible existence of a latent viral genome.

Biosafety classification is based on U.S. Public Health Service Guidelines, it is the responsibility of the customer to ensure that their facilities comply with biosafety regulations for their own country.

Adult stem cell differentiation, regenerative medicine, cell therapy, tissue engineering, creation of iPS cell lines

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Adipose-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells; Normal ... - ATCC

Stem cell therapy is an exciting new way for potentially battle diseases such as cancer, diabetes, Alzheimers, Parkinsons and so on. For humans, the technology is still mostly in experimental phases. For animals, though, the future is here already.

Source

Several veterinarians in Hawaii have approached stem cell therapy and have managed to ease the aches and pains of aging dogs and cats over the past year. The stem cell treatment they use is a relatively simple process. It involves extracting adult stem cells from the animals own fat, then reinjecting them into injured joints to relieve pain from problems such as osteoarthritis, hip dysplasia, and degenerative bone disease.

Veterinarian Cristina Miliaresis wanted to test the treatment before offering it at Surf Paws Animal Hospital. To see if it works, she tested it out on her own dog, a 9-year-old American bulldog/pitbull with ruptured ligaments in both its knees.

The results were great, said the doctor. They were so great that she recently gave her dog a second treatment that has left the pet happy and hyper. Its an amazing concept in general, and its not something weve had the ability to do until now, said Miliaresis.

Source

Carole Spangler Vaughn, owner of MediVet Hawaii a company that specializes in regenerative medicine for animals also said that the treatment is simple and safe. Its low risk. Weve never seen a negative reaction from the actual stem cell therapy, says the doctor. Conservatively speaking, 95% of the time they get better and theres improvement less pain and more mobility, added Vaughn.

Embryonic stem cell research for humans has been and still is very controversial. However, the stem cell treatment for animals uses adult stem cells collected from a few tablespoons of the animals own fat, which significantly reduces the risk of rejection. Unlike embryonic cells, adult stem cells have not been found to cause cancer, said doctor Vaughn. You get lots of stem cells in fat. Its kind of cool, added Vaughn. Nobody cares if you take some fat out of somebody, said Miliaresis.

The procedure costs up to $3,000 and takes just a few hours. The results have all been positive, at times quite dramatic, said the doctor. Theres no way of knowing whether the treatment will prolong a pets life, but the doctor says she had at least five patients who were going to euthanize their pets because they thought they were too uncomfortable. Those owners saw the quality of life of their pets improve so much that they reversed their decisions.

Source

Other pet owners have seen enough improvement to take their pets off long-term medications that just mask symptoms, says Miliaresis. Their whole aura improves. They just seen happier. Thats the best thing for me to see these patients feeling better. Its really rewarding, Miliaresis says.

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Complete Growth Medium

The base medium for this cell line isMesenchymal Stem Cell Basal Medium (ATCC PCS-500-030). To make the complete growth medium, add Mesenchymal Stem Cell Growth Kit (ATCC PCS-500-040) for Adipose and Umbilical-derived MSCs - Low Serum Componentsand G418to the base medium as the following:

482 mL of basal medium (PCS-500-030)

10 mL of MSC supplement (2% FBS, 5 ng/mL rh FGF basic, 5 ng/mL rh FGF acidic, 5 ng/mL rh EGF)

6 mL of L-Alanyl-L-Glutamine (2.4 mM, final concentration)

2 mL of 100 mg/mL G418 (0.2 mg/mL, final concentration)

Protocol:

1. Passage immortalized adipose-derived MSCs when the culture has reached approximately 80% confluence.

2. Warm both the Trypsin-EDTA for Primary Cells (ATCC PCS-999-003) and the Trypsin Neutralizing Solution (ATCC PCS-999-004) to room temperature prior to dissociation. Warm the complete growth medium to 37C prior to use with the cells.

3. For each flask, carefully aspirate the spent media without disturbing the monolayer.

4. Rinse the cell layer one time with 3 to 5 mL D-PBS (ATCC 30-2200) to remove residual medium.

5. Add prewarmed trypsin-EDTA solution (1 to 2 mL for every 25 cm2) to each flask.

6. Gently rock each flask to ensure complete coverage of the trypsin-EDTA solution over the cells, and then aspirate the excess fluid off of the monolayer.

7. Observe the cells under the microscope. When the cells pull away from each other and round up (typically within 3 to 5 minutes), remove the flask from the microscope and gently tap it from several sides to promote detachment of the cells from the flask surface.

8. When the majority of cells appear to have detached, quickly add an equal volume of the Trypsin Neutralizing Solution (ATCC PCS-999-004) to each flask. Gently pipette or swirl the culture to ensure all of the trypsin-EDTA solution has been neutralized.

9. Transfer the dissociated cells to a sterile centrifuge tube and set aside while processing any remaining cells in the culture flask.

10. Add 3 to 5 mL D-PBS (ATCC 30-2200) to the tissue culture flask to collect any additional cells that might have been left behind.

11. Transfer the cell/D-PBS suspension to the centrifuge tube containing the trypsin-EDTA- dissociated cells.

12. Repeat steps 10 and 11 as needed until all cells have been collected from the flask.

13. Centrifuge the cells at 270 x g for 5 minutes.

14. Aspirate neutralized dissociation solution from the cell pellet and resuspend the cells in 2 to 8 mL fresh, prewarmed, complete growth medium.

15. Count the cells and seed new culture flasks at a density of 5,000 viable cells per cm2.

16. Place newly seeded flasks in a 37C, 5% CO2 incubator for at least 24 to 48 hours before processing the cells further.

Cell seeding density:5,000 viable cells per cm2

Medium renewal: every 2 to 3 days

Freeze medium: 90% Complete growth media; DMSO, 10%

Storage temperature: liquid nitrogen vapor phase

Temperature: 37.0C

Atmosphere: air, 95%; carbon dioxide (CO2), 5%

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