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Newswise STONY BROOK, NY, September 18, 2019 A technology that manipulates microRNAs (miRNAs) developed by Jingfang Ju, PhD, a biochemist and Professor in the Department of Pathology at the Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University, and colleagues has shown promise when used as anti-cancer therapeutic. The method may prove to be particularly effective against chemotherapy resistant cancers such as colorectal cancer. To advance the science of this method and develop miRNA-based drugs, the technology has been licensed to Curamir Therapeutics Inc., a biotechnology company, through an agreement with the Research Foundation of the State University of New York.

Dr. Ju and colleagues have studied the relationship between miRNAs and cancer at Stony Brook for more than 10 years. The role of miRNAs is to regulate protein synthesis and allows cells to rapidly adopt to their environment, such as the introduction of cancer chemotherapy agents. As a whole, miRNAs promote, or hinder, cellular processes that fight cancer. Certain miRNAs function as tumor suppressors. Dr. Ju and his team have identified multiple miRNAs that function as tumor suppressors in cancer. When cancer occurs, these miRNAs cease to function properly due to abnormal expression, thus promoting cancer and chemotherapy resistance.

Our laboratory has modified these tumor suppressive miRNAs to make them more stable and effective as potential novel therapeutic molecules, says Dr. Ju, who has been studying chemotherapy resistance and miRNAs for 25 years. From that we have created a miRNA drug development platform technology that is designed to treat chemotherapy-resistant colorectal cancer, and potentially for other forms of cancer such as pancreatic, gastric, lung and breast.

Most chemotherapy compounds are effective in eliminating the rapidly proliferating cancer cells. A key aspect to the miRNA drug platform is that it is also designed to eliminate cancer stem cells that are resistant to therapy. This strategy theoretically will be more effective to eliminate all tumor cells to prevent resistance.

One example of the drug platform is Dr. Jus work with a specific modified tumor suppressor miRNA, miR-129 mimic.

In colorectal cancer, resistance to 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU), a standard drug to treat the disease, occurs frequently and often results in metastatic and deadly outcomes. When Dr. Ju and colleagues modified this miRNA and developed a mimic miR-129, treatment of advanced disease radically improved and chemotherapy resistance of the colorectal cancer stem cells reduced or was eliminated.

In a narrow sense, we are developing new drugs to combat 5-FU resistance in colorectal cancer. While this is important, in the wider sense the miRNA-based drug platform is shown to eliminate cancer stem cells which are intrinsically resistant to all chemotherapeutic agents so the application to chemotherapy resistance is potentially broad, says Dr. Ju.

One other aspect to the potential advantages of this therapeutic approach, adds Dr. Ju, is that no toxicity was shown by delivering the miRNA-based drugs in laboratory models. Most nucleic acid based drugs rely on various delivery vehicles which often time associated with toxicity. He explains that these particular miRNA mimic compounds do not require delivery vehicles to enter cancer cells and therefore reduce toxicity.

Curamir will take the proprietary miRNA engineering platform to develop anticancer drugs based on the tumor suppressive miRNA mimics identified by Dr. Ju and colleagues. An incubated company financed by Delos Capital, Curamir will begin developing these drugs for testing with an initial $10 million in financing from Delos Capital.

The company is co-founded by veteran scientists in the field of gene regulation, including Dr. Ju; Dr. James Watson, co-discoverer of the DNA structure and a 1962 Nobel Laureate; and Dr. Lan Bo Chen, Professor Emeritus of Pathology at Harvard Medical School and Academician of the Academia Sinica of Taiwan.

Research leading to the development of the miRNA drug platform was funded in part by grants from the Long Island Bioscience Hub, led by the Center for Biotechnology at Stony Brook University, under the National Institutes of HealthREACH program, as well as the National Cancer Institute.

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About Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University:

Established in 1971, Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University includes 25 academic departments. The three missions of the School are to advance the understanding of the origins of human health and disease; train the next generation of committed, curious and highly capable physicians; and deliver world-class compassionate healthcare. As a member of the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) and a Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) accredited medical school, Stony Brook is one of the foremost institutes of higher medical education in the country. Each year the School trains nearly 500 medical students and more than 600 medical residents and fellows. Faculty research includes National Institutes of Health-sponsored programs in neurological diseases, cancer, cardiovascular disorders, biomedical imaging, regenerative medicine, infectious diseases, and many other topics. Physicians on the School of Medicine faculty deliver world-class medical care through more than 31,000 inpatient, 108,000 emergency room, and 940,000 outpatient visits annually at Stony Brook University Hospital and affiliated clinical programs, making its clinical services one of the largest and highest quality medical schools on Long Island, New York. To learn more, visit http://www.medicine.stonybrookmedicine.edu.

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MicroRNA-based Therapy May be New Weapon to Combat Cancer - Newswise

When five-year-old Charlie Fletcher was diagnosed with a rare genetic condition and told he would die without a bone marrow transplant, his parents world fell apart.

It was a huge shock and Im not sure I took much in at all that night, said mother Lucy Hamlin. I just lay in on the bed looking at my little boy, wondering how this could be happening.

Charlie, from Accrington, had been suffering with severe nosebleeds in January 2013 and one Sunday night was taken by his dad to hospital where doctors decided to keep him in overnight.

A few hours later, Charlies parents were told that he had suspected leukaemia - however after further tests he was found to have aplastic anaemia, or bone marrow failure.

The rare, life-limiting genetic disorder causes bone marrow failure in children and a predisposition to gynaecological, head and neck cancers, together with other complications both in childhood and in later life.

Lucy, who works as director of a community interest company, said: I was obviously hugely relieved [that he didnt have leukaemia] but then they said what he did have was AA which was in itself a serious condition.

They couldnt find a reason for the AA so began to prepare him for a treatment called ATG, which resets immunity so the bone marrow can start to heal and make blood cells again.

But it was during another bone marrow aspiration that a doctor happened to notice something about Charlie.

His thumbs had been an odd shape since birth almost as though he had two left thumbs but Id never given it much thought, said Lucy.

However, it turned out to be a major clue, with doctors suspecting Fanconi Anaemia (FA) and explained the ATG wouldnt work and Charlie would need a bone marrow transplant urgently.

Devastated Lucy said: There were no suitable donors. One consultant actually suggested that me and Charlies dad have another baby, although we had split up a few years earlier, but then another told us that even if this was a possibility, we wouldnt qualify for IVF.

And in any case, Charlie didnt have nine months to wait. In fact, said the doctor, without a bone marrow transplant he would die.

I thought, How can you just sit there and tell me my son only has a few months to live?

But in May 2013, Charlies parents learned he could have a bone marrow transplant with donated stem cells from umbilical cord blood from a woman in New York.

To prepare his body for new stem cells, Charlie had radiotherapy and chemotherapy to completely wipe out his immune system, so his body would be more likely to accept the new cells. But the transplant failed.

So there he was, with no immune system and no new bone marrow, said Lucy. This was one of the hardest periods in my life, and the uncertainty made it tougher.

We were only meant to be in hospital for a few weeks, but it was another two months, in July 2013, before Charlie could have a second transplant with donated stem cells from New York. This came from a woman whod donated her umbilical cord after birth.

At first, it seemed the second transplant was also failing. But then it started showing signs of working and Charlies blood counts began to rise.

He ended up staying in hospital for four-and-a-half months and during this time, as he had no immune system, he was in isolation, only allowed four visitors, along with hospital staff.

Lucy said: Even so, he still contracted meningitis, listeria and MRSA and was so ill. He had to stay off school for six months after coming home and basically ended up being off for over a year in total. So that meant I couldnt go back to work either the community interest company had only just been set up so I had to put all our plans on hold.

Five and a half years on, Charlie, now age 11, has stayed well, although he will be on antibiotics for the rest of his life to prevent him picking up bugs.

He also has a new half-sister after Lucy had a daughter four years ago.

She said: Charlie has caught up at school and was head boy in his final year of St Andrews primary school in Oswaldtwistle a job he took seriously and wore his badge with pride.

He started guitar lessons but found that his thumbs wont quite work properly to strum a guitar and thats uncomfortable for him, so he took up keyboard instead.

He is an orange belt at jujitsu and is a member of our local scout group in fact he went away for the first time without family while he was a cub, about two years after coming out of hospital.

That was an experience for me, having to trust other people to ensure he takes his medication!

The family dont know what the future might hold as, despite his bone marrow transplant, FA can mean Charlie, who has now started Year 7 at Accrington Academy, is at higher risk of cancers.

The family are supporting Jeans for Genes Day and fundraising for Fanconi Hope, a national charitable trust set up by parents of FA affected children and clinicians with an interest in FA.

Lucy added: Im so grateful for the support of his consultant and the team at Royal Manchester Childrens Hospital, and also for Fanconi Hope, for providing information and linking us with other families in the UK.

Its such a comfort to know there are other people who understand, and we can connect online easily.

Charlie enjoyed the Family Day in 2017 for him, it was a night away and a fun day. But I think as he gets older, these events will really help him to understand FA and hell have a ready-made support network.

Jeans for Genes Day is running until September 20. To sign up for a free fundraising pack visit jeansforgenesday.org

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Meet the Accrington schoolboy fighting back against rare genetic condition - LancsLive

Doctor Scott Bennett filled a test tube with about seven milliliters of a nutrient-rich solution, dropped in the embryo and carefully taped the test tube near his armpit. It was a zebra embryo, a two-millimeter speck of life. Ideally, itd be in the uterus of a horse thats right, a horse within an hour. Body heat, that was second best.

It was a spring day, 1983. Who knew Bennett, an equine veterinarian, and Bill Foster, a veterinarian at the Louisville Zoo, would use a filter and a microscope to successfully extract an embryo from a sedated zebra mare on their first go? They sure didnt. Theyd had their big idea over cocktails one evening after working together on a birth at an Arabian horse farm in Oldham County: transplant an embryo from an exotic equine (a zebra) and into a domestic equine (a horse) to test whether such a surrogacy could result in a healthy birth. If it worked, it would be a first. And it could allow future zebra mares to produce as many as nine to 12 embryos in one year, unburdened by that whole yearlong pregnancy marathon. If surrogates carried all those embryos, Foster thought, they could produce a small herd of siblings. What a way to punch back at population decline. The mom and pop zebras (named Gimpy and Cajan) involved in Foster and Bennetts experiment were Grants zebras, from the plains of Africa. Theyre not endangered, but Foster and Bennett knew that if this worked, a more threatened species, like mountain zebras or wild equines from Asia, could take advantage of their discovery.

So here was Bennett with an embryo taped to him, in need of a uterus, stat.

He started making calls, to this farm and that friend. Got a mare thats fertile? In heat this past week? Seven hours and several phone calls later, Bennett found Kelly, an older buckskin quarter horse he was familiar with, who was about 26 years old at the time. (If) she just smelled semen, she got pregnant, Bennett says to me with a laugh.

Kellys owner told him the mare was in heat recently. Bennetts response: Ill take her.

What is this for? the woman wondered.

Dont ask, he replied.

The zebra named E.Q. (short for Equueles, a constellation that in Latin means little horse) couldve been just another zebra born to zebra parents at the zoo. But this was the 80s, a time of growing environmental concern. Scientists were striving to find ways to increase populations of threatened and endangered animals. Many zoos stepped up to the cause. Steve Taylor, the Louisville Zoos assistant director of conservation, education and collection, says that, in the 80s, zoos saw their role as an Ark.

The concept of embryo transfer wasnt new at the time, even between species. In the early 80s, the embryo of an Asian guar (a bison-type animal) that was placed in a domestic cow grew into a guar calf at the Bronx Zoo. In 1975, the embryo of a Welsh mountain pony was produced in England, transported to Poland in a rabbit (repeat: rabbit) and then transferred to a recipient mare of the same species. But a full-blooded wild equine birthed from a domestic one? That had never happend before.

At a kitchen island in the home of Kellys owner, Bennett and Foster set up a lab: microscope, incubator, pipette to, essentially, turkey-baste Kelly. As Bennett recalls it, they backed her up to open French doors, wrapped her tail, cleaned her up and implanted the zebra embryo. About three weeks later, Bennett returned to perform an ultrasound. There it was: a glob of fluid, no heartbeat or definition yet. He turned to Kellys owner to share the news.

Its a zebra, he said.

Kellys owner, an Irish woman who has since died, hadnt yet been told about the species swap. Bennett remembers her murmuring, Well, bloody hell.

On May 17, 1984, the day of E.Q.s delivery, photographers and reporters huddled in a barn at Bennetts Equine Services clinic located in Shelby County. (The exact location wasnt shared with the public due to death threats from individuals who disapproved of meddling with nature.) Zebra mares usually give birth after about 340 days, but Kelly was at day 366 and her amniotic fluid was becoming toxic with E.Q.s urine and waste. Foster and Bennett decided to induce labor. Bennetts gloved hand reached elbow deep into the birth canal to help E.Q., whod gotten twisted. Bennett toyed with his audience. Is this the giraffe or the zebra? he said, rattling reporters slow to catch the joke. A couple of Bennetts friends remember him being knotted up a hog on ice, according to one nervous that a stallion may have actually impregnated Kelly, an unplanned pre-zebra-embryo rendezvous that would lead to a horse being birthed before a waiting press.

More than that, the moment felt massive, like the outcome was not simply about the fate of wild equines. If it worked, it would be a cushion to fall upon, an ambitious offering to the planet let us help create what we destroy.

After a few minutes, at about eight in the morning, Kellys water broke and a tiny hoof announcing a black-and-white leg popped out. It has stripes! Bennett cheered. Using a thin, flexible chain and a tool that looks like a wire loop, Bennett gently tugged the 60-pound zebra foal into the spotlight. A reporter for an international wire agency filed a story that newspapers in Canada, Los Angeles, Chicago and even China picked up. (Horse of a different color, read the headline of a short piece in the New York Daily News.) Kelly licked and nuzzled the gangly creature as if it were her own, unaware or unburdened by their absence of shared genes. (At least one witness to the birth swore Kelly gave a momentary puzzled look at her offspring.) Kelly nursed him and stayed by his side for roughly six months, first at Bennetts clinic, then on exhibit at theLouisville Zoo.

Some 35 years later, Bennett and Foster both describe E.Q. as a highlight of their careers. Foster recently retired from the Birmingham Zoo and Bennett remains busy with his practice.E.Q., who ultimately wound up at the Houston Zoo and died there in 1999, will always be the first wild equine born to a domestic mare and remains, for now, the only. The same experiment in England a few months later in 1984 ended in a stillbirth.

Science has progressed. Cloning animals. Frozen embryos and stem cells. The greater priority is the salvation of ecosystems, not individual species. Still, Duane Kramer, a scientist who has run the Reproductive Sciences Laboratory at Texas A&M University for decades, applauds Foster and Bennetts achievement. For years Kramer used E.Q. in lectures on conservation, even hung a poster of the zebra and Kelly in his office. And E.Q. is occasionally referenced in journals related to veterinary medicine and reproductive science. It was very important at that time, Kramer says. I dont know of anybody trying to conserve zebras at the current time, but its comforting to know (surrogacy) is there if needed.

This originally appeared in the September2019 issue of Louisville Magazine under the headline A Horse Births a Zebra. To subscribe to Louisville Magazine,click here.To find us on newsstands,click here.

Cover photo: E.Q. and Kelly, courtesy of the Louisville Zoo

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A Horse Births a Zebra - Louisville.com

20 Sep 2019

A drug commonly prescribed to keep enlarged prostates in check may hold promise for Parkinsons disease. According to a study published September 16 in the Journal of Clinical Investigation, terazosin (TZ), an 1-adrenergic receptor antagonist that moonlights as a glycolysis booster, raised ATP, upped mitochondrial numbers, and ultimately saved dopaminergic neurons from degeneration in multiple models of PD. Led by Michael Welsh at the University of Iowa in Iowa City and Lei Liu of Beijing University, the researchers claim that among men who took terazosin or related drugs to quell prostate hyperplasia, the incidence of PD was low, and symptoms of diagnosed disease were mild.

The researchers uncovered TZs energy-boosting prowess serendipitously, Welsh explained. In Beijing, TZ popped up as a top hit in Lius screen for cell death inhibitors in fruit flies. Flies lack 1-adrenergic receptors so, probing further, Liu found that the drug activates phosphoglycerate kinase 1 (PGK1), one of two enzymes that generate ATP in the glycolysis pathway (Chen et al., 2015). Since mitochondrial malfunction and impaired bioenergetics are features of withering neurons in PD, the researchers decided to test this ATP-boosting drug in models of the disease.

First author Rong Cai and colleagues began with the MPTP injection mouse model of parkinsonism. Given daily at the time of injection of this mitochondrial toxin, TZ attenuated all core pathologies, including the drop in ATP, loss of mitochondria in the striatum, loss of dopaminergic neurons, and loss of balance. When the researchers delayed TZ treatment until seven days after MPTP injection, the drug still had beneficial effects on dopaminergic function and motor performance by day 14.

TZ similarly protected other toxin models of parkinsonism, including 6-OHDA in rats, and rotenone in flies. In the insects, knocking out PGK1 erased the benefits of TZ, bolstering the idea that the drug fends off a PD-like syndrome via this enzyme.

Shrinking Both Prostate and Synuclein? In iPSC-derived neurons from Parkinsons patients, -synuclein (green) accumulates in dopaminergic neurons (red). TZ treatment reduced accumulation to control neuron levels. [Courtesy of Cai et al., JCI, 2019.]

In genetic models of Parkinsons, the researchers saw TZ treatment assuage motor deficits, for example in flies carrying PD mutations in PINK1 or LRRK2. In transgenic mice overexpressing wild-type -synucleinthe primary component of the Lewy body inclusions that define the diseasetreatment with TZ between three and 15 months of age partially protected against loss of balance. Finally, in induced pluripotent stem-cell-derived neurons from two PD patients who carried the G2019S mutation in the LRRK2 gene, TZ increased ATP levels and lessened accumulation of-synuclein aggregates (see image above).

Could TZ really work for people with PD? Because the drug is commonly prescribed for benign enlargement of the prostate in men over the age of 60an age group at risk for PDWelsh reasoned that database sleuthing could begin to answer this question. The researchers first turned to the Parkinsons Progression Markers Initiative database, which tracks symptom progression in people with PD. They identified seven men with PD who took TZ and 269 who did not. Men on TZ had a slower rate of motor decline. Still in the PPMI database, the researchers expanded their query to include related drugsdoxazosin (DZ) and alfuzosin (AZ)which are also used to treat prostate enlargement and contain the same quinazoline motif shown to enhance PGK1 function. The 13 men taking TZ, DZ, or AZ had slower progression of motor decline than those not on the drugs. Crucially, 24 men with PD who took tamsulosin, another prostate drug that antagonizes 1-adrenergic receptors but does not activate PGK1, did not have this relative protection. I just about fell off my chair when I saw those results, Welsh said.

Drugs Help Pee and PD? Men with PD who took TZ, DZ, or AZ had a lower relative risk of 69 of 79 PD-related diagnoses in their charts compared with men who took tamsulosin. Yellow dots represent a statistically significant difference. Diagnoses are grouped into categories. [Courtesy of Cai et al., JCI, 2019.]

To expand their search to more people, the researchers accessed the IBM Watson/Truven Health Analytics MarketScan Database for insurance claims relating to PD. They identified 2,880 men with PD who took TZ, DZ, or AZ, and 15,409 men with PD who took tamsulosin. They next selected 79 diagnostic codes related to PD, such as falls, tremor, walking problems, and sleep disorders. They found that compared with men with PD who took tamsulosin, those taking TZ, DZ, or AZ had a 22 percent lower relative risk of having any of these diagnostic codes in their files, suggesting they had milder disease. They also had fewer hospital visits for motor and non-motor symptoms, as well as PD complications.

To see if the ATP-boosting drugs might delay or prevent PD, the researchers identified more than 78,000 men in the Truven database without PD who took TZ, DZ, or AZ, then tracked their files for 284 days. During that time, 118 of them were diagnosed with PD, compared with 190 age-matched men who took tamsulosin instead. This yielded a hazards ratio of 0.62, suggesting that TZ, DZ, and AZ reduce the incidence of PD.

All of this is very encouraging, and indicates that TZ is a strong candidate for clinical trials to see if it can be repurposed for Parkinsons, wrote Chris Elliott of the University of York, U.K. In this TZ joins other drugs (including UDCA and Exenatide) that affect energy metabolism. Howeve, Elliott noted that the mechanism of TZs effects on neurons remains to be ironed out, and cautioned that the drug has risks. It reduces blood pressure, which may already be low in people with Parkinsons, and so careful evaluation of its safety is needed."

Clemens Scherzer of Brigham and Womens Hospital in Boston noted that defective bioenergetics is a key pathway in Parkinson's, and that the study points at potential tool compounds to correct these defects. The quinazoline 1 adrenoreceptor blockers, which are used for benign prostatic hyperplastia, could be repurposed for clinical trials in PD or chemically tweaked to develop brain-optimized, new bioenergetics drugs for PD, Scherzer told Alzforum. He added that rigorous population-wide cohort studies and clinical studies will be needed.

Welsh told Alzforum that it is unclear exactly how TZ and related drugs might counteract PD. He noted that recent studies indicate that ATP itself interferes with -synuclein aggregation and liquid phase separation (Patel et al., 2017;Hayes et al., 2018). ATP could also reduce protein aggregation by bolstering the activity of myriad enzymes, including heat-shock proteins, he added. Of course, ATP might enhance all manner of neuronal functions by supplying cells with more energy. Welsh is investigating whether the drugs affect progression or incidence of other neurodegenerative proteinopathies, including AD.

Welsh has initiated a small trial to test TZ in PD patients at Iowa University, and has applied for funding to get multicenter trials up and running. He is starting by dosing patients with 5 mgas prescribed for prostate enlargementbut said dose-finding studies are needed. Complicating matters, the drug had a biphasic dose response on its PGK1 target in cultured cells and in mice, meaning that at higher concentrations, it no longer elevates ATP. Welsh also noted that though the primary use of the drug is for prostate enlargement, it was also briefly used to treat hypertension, and was tested in women as well as men for that indication. He plans to include both men and women with PD in trials.Jessica Shugart

No Available Further Reading

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In Mice and Men, Prostate Drug Reportedly Treats Parkinson's Disease? - Alzforum

Park Avenue Stem Cell Deceived New Yorkers Into Paying Thousands of Dollars For UnprovenAnd Potentially Harmful Stem Cell Procedures

NEW YORK Attorney General Letitia James todayannounced a lawsuitfiled against Park Avenue Stem Cell, a New York City for-profit stem cell clinic, and its managing doctor, Dr. Joel B. Singer, M.D.,for allegedly engaging in fraudulent and illegal advertising regarding its stem cell procedures.

Through advertising efforts, the clinic led vulnerable patients to believe it could treat a variety of serious medical conditions using the patients own stem cells, including, but not limited to: urological diseases, erectile dysfunction, cardiac/pulmonary disease, neurological diseases such as Parkinsons disease and ALS, various autoimmune diseases such as lupus, and orthopedic conditions. While stem cells hold promise for future use, there is currently no adequate scientific substantiation that stem cells can effectively treat any of these conditions. Despite this, the Defendants charged consumers nearly $4,000 per procedure, with many consumers paying for multiple procedures.

Misleading vulnerable consumers who are desperate to find a treatment for serious and painful medical conditions is unacceptable, unlawful, and immoral, saidAttorney General Letitia James. We will continue to investigate these types of clinics that shamelessly add to the suffering of these consumers by charging them thousands of dollars for treatments that they know areunproven.

The complaint also alleges that Defendants misrepresented that their procedures were FDA-approved, that their patients are participating in an established research study, and that their procedures have been endorsed by several scientific and medical organizations.

In the United States, stem cell products are regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Currently, the only stem cell-based products that have been approved by the FDA are blood-forming stem cells derived from cord-blood, which have been approved for limited use. Instead, the defendants, used stem cells obtained from the patients own adipose tissue, commonly known as fat, for a wide range of conditions.

Until at least late 2018, Park Avenue Stem Cell was affiliated with the Cell Surgical Network, a California corporation that was sued by the FDA in May 2018 for allegedly administering stem cell products that were adulterated or misbranded and not approved. The FDA seeks a permanent injunction against the corporation, a related entity and their two main doctors. As an affiliate, Park Avenue Stem Cell followed the protocols prescribed by CSN.

For more information on important factors to consider when evaluating stem cell therapies, visit theFDA website.

This case is being handled by Special Counsel MaryAlestra, under the supervision of Deputy Bureau Chief Laura J. Levine and Bureau Chief Jane M.Azia, all of the Consumer Frauds and Protection Bureau. The Consumer Frauds and Protection Bureau is overseen by Executive Deputy Attorney General of Economic Justice Christopher DAngelo.

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Attorney General James Announces Lawsuit Against New York ...

Stem cell therapy uses a patients own stem cells to treat minor to moderate conditions formally where surgery would be the primary option. Stem cell therapy is an alternative to surgery through an office based procedure. Through advanced technology stem cell therapy is now a quick and easy alternative to surgery.

What are stem cells?

Stem cells have the remarkable potential to develop into many different cell types in the body during early life and growth. In addition, in many tissues they serve as of internal repair system, dividing essentially without limit to replenish other cells. When a stem cell divides, each new cell has the potential either to remain a stem cell or become another type of cell with a more specialized function, such as a muscle cell, a red blood cell, or a brain cell.

Regenerative Growth FactorsStem cells have high natural growth factors that promote healing. These growth factors also naturally decrease inflammation.

Patients stem cells are obtained from their pelvic (hip) bone. The practitioner then concentrates the stem cells over 10 fold in a special centrifuge.

This office based procedure takes 30 minutes. Patients can leave at the conclusion of the procedure.

A local anesthetic is used. This results in minimal discomfort.

There have been numerous clinical studies that show significant and lasting reduction in pain for a variety of injuries. Common injuries include early to advanced arthritis, knee and shoulder pain.

Multiple clinical studies have shown that when effective, the results last many years.

Yes see the article section

85% of patients experience a benefited result from treatment

Most patients feel no improvement for at least 3 weeks and possible 6-8 weeks. Once you feel improvement, you will notice continued improvement expanding over 6 months.

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Stem Cell Therapy New York | Stem Cell Treatment ...

I frequently see patients with an MRI of a tendon tear or chronic tendinopathy. Tendinopathy is a more recent term to describe pathology of a tendon that causes pain. Tendinopathy has classical symptoms of tenderness on palpation, and pain when exercising or with movement. It is divided into two broad categories:

Marc Darrow MD, JD. Thank you for reading my article. You can ask me your questions about this article using the contact form below.

Tendonsaresmall, strong, thick bands of connective tissue that connect the muscle to the bone. It is the tendon thatconverts the muscles strength into musculoskeletal movement by bending and straightening joints.

Most tendon injuries we see are from athletes, and those who do fitness and weight training. But even an inactive person can twist their ankle or move any joint improperly to stretch a tendon and strain it. The place that a tendon, ligament, or muscle attaches to bone is called the enthesis, and if the strain (tendon or muscle injury) or sprain (ligament injury) occurs at that junction to bone, it is called an enthesopathy. And regenerative medicine is the best way I know to heal that.

Anti-inflammatory drugs and cortisone injections are effective at reducing pain and inflammation, but do not have a healing effect. In fact they can lead to a non-healing tendon or ligament. Further, they may lead to complete rupture which may need surgical repair.

Treatment ofTendinopathy

Are bone marrow stem cells the new player in non-surgical tendon repair?

Doctors know thatchronic tendon pain treatmentpresent unique management challengesbecause of the long assumed beliefthat these injuries result from ongoing inflammation. This thinkinghas caused physicians to rely on treatments demonstrated to be ineffective in the long termanti-inflammatory medicationsandcortisone shots.

This is why the great excitement in stem cell therapy:

In their research doctors at the National University of Singapore suggest that bone-marrow derived stem cellsacceleratetendon healing.1

Center of Translational Regenerative Medicine researchers, in Torino, Italy say:Tendon injuries represent even today a challenge as repair may be exceedingly slow and incomplete. Regenerative medicine and stem cell technology have shown to be of great promise.2

Doctors at the Feinstein Institute for Medical Research in New York say:Most recently studies have indicated the potential effectiveness of bone marrow (stem cells) and its positiveeffects on Achilles tendon healing.3

Knee cap and tendons

Chondromalacia patella is a condition that has been show to respond very favorably to our regenerative techniques. Platelet Rich Plasma Therapy.Researchers in the Netherlands evaluated the outcome of patients with patellar tendinopathy treated with platelet-rich plasma injections (PRP) and whether certain characteristics, such as activity level or previous treatment affected the results. What they found was:

Shoulder Tendons

Most recently doctors in Switzerland compared PRP injections to cortisone in the shoulder. The doctors found good results for the PRP and were able to conclude that PRP injections are a good alternative to cortisone injections, especially in patients with contraindication to cortisone.5Equally, new research suggested that bone marrow stem cell therapy showed encouraging results in pain and motion relief for patients with rotator cuff and shoulder osteoarthritis.6

Tendinopathies

Doctors looked at the increasing popularity of platelet-rich plasma therapies for soft tissue injuries such as ligament, muscle and tendon tears and tendinopathies.

In Achilles tendinopathy and plantar fasciitis,PRPis an effective and safe alternative for the management of patients with a poor response to conventional non-surgical treatment.7,8PRP was effective in patients affected by mid-portion Chronic Recalcitrant Achilles Tendinopathies treated with a single platelet-rich plasma (PRP) treatment.9

STEM CELL INSTITUTEA leading provider of bone marrow derived stem cell therapy, Platelet Rich Plasma and Prolotherapy11645 WILSHIRE BOULEVARD SUITE 120, LOS ANGELES, CA 90025PHONE: (800) 300-9300

1. He M, Gan AW, Lim AY, Goh JC, Hui JH, Chong AK, Bone Marrow Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cell Augmentation of Rabbit Flexor Tendon Healing. Hand Surg. 2015 Oct;20(3):421-9. doi: 10.1142/S0218810415500343.PUBMED

2. Tetta C, Consiglio AL, Bruno S, Tetta E, Gatti E, Dobreva M, Cremonesi F, Camussi G. Muscles The role of microvesicles derived from mesenchymal stem cells in tissue regeneration; a dream for tendon repair? Ligaments Tendons J. 2012 Oct 16;2(3):212-21. Print 2012 Jul.

3. Shapiro E, Grande D, Drakos M.Biologics in Achilles tendon healing and repair: a review.Curr Rev Musculoskelet Med. 2015 Feb 6.PUBMED

4. Gosens T, Den Oudsten BL, Fievez E, van t Spijker P, Fievez A. Pain and activity levels before and after platelet-rich plasma injection treatment of patellar tendinopathy: a prospective cohort study and the influence of previous treatments.Int Orthop. 2012 Apr 27. [Epub ahead of print]

5. von Wehren L1, Blanke F, Todorov A, Heisterbach P, Sailer J, Majewski M. The effect of subacromial injections of autologous conditioned plasma versus cortisone for the treatment of symptomatic partial rotator cuff tears. Knee Surg Sports Traumatol Arthrosc. 2015 May 28. [Epub ahead of print]

6. Valencia Mora M, Ruiz Ibn MA, Daz Heredia J, Barco Laakso R, Cullar R1, Garca Arranz M. Stem cell therapy in the management of shoulder rotator cuff disorders. World J Stem Cells. 2015 May 26;7(4):691-9. doi: 10.4252/wjsc.v7.i4.691.

7. Guelfi M, Pantalone A, Vanni D, Abate M, et al. Long-term beneficial effects of platelet-rich plasma for non-insertional Achilles tendinopathy. Foot Ankle Surg. 2015 Sep;21(3):178-81. doi: 10.1016/j.fas.2014.11.005. Epub 2014 Dec 11.

8. Lpez-Gavito E, Gmez-Carln LA, Parra-Tllez P, Vzquez-Escamilla J. Platelet-rich plasma for managing calcaneus tendon tendinopathy and plantar fasciitis. Acta Ortop Mex. 2011 Nov-Dec;25(6):380-5.

9. Gaweda K, Tarczynska M, Krzyzanowski W. Treatment of Achilles tendinopathy with platelet-rich plasma. Int J Sports Med. 2010 Aug;31(8):577-83. Epub 2010 Jun 9.

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Stem cells for tendinopathy - Dr. Marc Darrow is a Stem ...

The doctors affiliated with National Stem Cell Centers in New York, NYspecialize in harvesting tissue andhaving the cells processed at our registered tissue processing lab.

The physicians follow compliant protocols where the tissue is notmanipulated and there is no tissue or cell expansion.

We also do not use enzymes as per FDA guidelines.

Stem cell procedures hold a lotof potential for the management of joint pain,arthritis, hair loss, cosmetic and other disorders as well as auto-immune,renal, and neurological disorders.

There are a number of stem cells, particularly as they pertain topotential procedures, including umbilical cord cells, adipose(fat-derived), amniotic cells, placenta, bone marrow, exosomes, and others.

The physician will go over your options during your complimentaryconsultation.

Dr. David A. Mayer is an acknowledged expert inregenerative medicine. He received his medical degree from Weill Cornell Medical College, finishing first in his class. He went on to complete a demanding residency in general surgery at New York Presbyterian Hospital-Cornell, which included a rotation as a fellow in oncologic surgery at Memorial Hospital-Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Dr. Mayer is a board-certified general surgeon who has been in practice for over 30 years in the North-Shore-LIJ Health System in New York as a general, vascular, and bariatric surgeon.

Dr. Mayeris an Associate Professor of clinical surgery and the former Chief of Surgery at a North Shore-LIJ hospital. He is also a widely-published chairman of surgery emeritus. In a global stem cell network of physicians, Dr. Mayer is part of an active Investigational Research Board (IRB) study onstem cell treatmentsthat is filed with the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services.

We proudly offer leading edge medicine to areas such as Great Neck NY, New York City, Long Island, the Bronx, Queens, NYC, Brooklyn, Westchester, Manhattan, Staten Island, and the Bronx, as well as Nassau and Suffolk counties.

We can help. Call New York, NY or Great Neck, NY (802) 278-5098 today or use our convenient online request form.

Address:903 Park Ave., Lobby LevelNew York, NY 10075

Directions: Corner 79 St. Near the 6 Train on 77 St. and Lexington Stop.

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Stem Cell Therapy in New York | National Stem Cell Centers

Stem cells in menstrual blood have similar regenerative capabilities as thestem cells in umbilical cord blood and bone marrow. Cryo-Cell's patent-pendingmenstrual stem cell service offers women in their reproductive years the ability to store and preserve these cells for potential use by herself or a family memberfree from ethical or political controversy.

Cryo-Cell is the only stem cell bank in the world that can offer womenthe reassurance and peace of mind that comes with this opportunity.

What are menstrual stem cells?Stem cells in menstrual blood are highly proliferativeandpossess the unique ability to develop into various other types of healthy cells. During a womans menstrual cycle, these valuable stem cells are discarded.

Cryo-Cell'smenstrual stem cell bankingservice captures those self-renewing stem cells, processes and cryopreserves them for emerging cellular therapies that hold the promise of potentially treatinglife-threatening diseases.

How are menstrual stem cells collected, processed and stored?The menstrual blood is collected in a physicians officeusing a medical-grade silicone cup in place of a tampon orsanitary napkin. The sample is shipped to Cryo-Cell via a medical courier and processed in our state-of-the-art ISO Class 7 clean room.

The menstrual stem cells are stored in two cryovials that are overwrapped to safeguard them during storage. The overwrapped vials are cryogenically preserved in a facility that isclosely monitored at all times to ensure that your menstrual stem cells are safe and ready for future use.

What are the benefits of banking menstrual stem cells?Cryo-Cell's innovative menstrual stem cell banking service provides women with the exclusive opportunity to build their own personal healthcare portfolio with stem cells that will be a 100% match for the donor. Menstrual stem cells have demonstrated the capability of differentiating into many other types of stem cells such as cardiac, neural, bone, fat and cartilage.

Bankingmenstrual stem cells now is an investment in your future medical needs. Currently, they are being studied to treat stroke, heart disease, diabetes, neurodegenerative disease, and ischemic wounds in pre-clinical and clinical models.

Cryo-Cells activities for New York State residents are limited to collection, processing, and long-term storage ofmenstrual stem cells. Cryo-Cells possession of a New York State license for such collection, processing, and long-term storage does not indicate approval or endorsement of possible future uses or future suitability of these cells.

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Banking Menstrual Stem Cells | What are Menstrual Stem ...

The 2019 RFA is now closed.

NYSCF is soliciting applications from early career investigators for Innovator awards in neuroscience. The goal of this initiative is to foster truly bold, innovative scientists with the potential to transform the field of neuroscience. Applicants are encouraged in the fundamental areas of developmental, cellular, cognitive, and translational neuroscience, broadly interpreted. Applicants need not be working in areas related to stem cells.

The award provides $1.5M USD over 5 years and is open to researchers based at both national and international accredited academic and nonprofit research institutions.

To be eligible, candidates must:

*PLEASE NOTE ONLINE APPLICATION SUBMISSION PROCESS*All applications MUST be submitted through the online grant management system by February 20, 2019 at 5pm Eastern.

Register & Apply

Applicants must submit an Institutional Report Card for Gender Equality in order for the application to be considered complete. Details and FAQs can be found here.

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Neuroscience Investigator Awards - New York Stem Cell ...