Category Archives: Rhode Island Stem Cells

TheCOBRE Center for Stem Cells and Aging grant has four projects dealing with stem cells and various aspects of aging, fibrosis and cellular senescence. The projects focus on hematopoietic stem cells, their microenvironment and the impact of aging on the fibrotic component of that microenvironment, neural stem cells, and their regulation with aging.

The renewal of our grant allows Lifespan and Rhode Island Hospital to update research infrastructure for expanded studies into normal and malignant stem cells. In turn, these upgrades in infrastructure will enhance Lifespans focus on establishing a comprehensive cancer and stem cell program that will foster the development of novel treatment strategies, conduct nationally recognized research efforts, and devise effective methods of cancer prevention

Promising applications for our research include regeneration and repair for the treatment of leukemia, lymphomas, various neurodegenerative disorders, and different aspects of aging.

COBRE Phase II aims to:

Patrycja Dubielecka, PhDMentors: Sharon Rounds, MD and Philip Gruppuso, MD

Molecular mechanisms that contribute to the pathology of myeloproliferative neoplasms at the stem cell level are not well understood. JAK/STAT cascade was found to be dysregulated in all types of myeloproliferative neoplasms essential thrombocythemia, polycythemia vera and primary myelofibrosis. However, the extent to which currently available inhibitors that target JAK/STAT pathway alter the underlying disease and affect malignant hematopoietic stem cells is not clear.

Dr. Dubieleckas long-term goal is to better understand the molecular processes responsible for malignant transformation of hematopoietic stem cells, and identify new targets for pharmacological intervention in myeloproliferative neoplasms.

The overall objective of this application is to identify new signaling mechanisms involved in the initiation of age-induced myelofibrosis and related myeloproliferative neoplasms. Her recent findings indicate that (1) conditional deletion of the gene encoding the Abelson interactor-1 (Abi-1) adapter protein in mouse bone marrow induces myelofibrotic phenotype, (2) hematopoietic progenitors and granulocytes from patients with primary myelofibrosis show decreased Abi-1 protein and transcript levels, (3) loss of Abi-1 positively affects activity of Src Family Kinases (SFKs) and their downstream signaling to STAT3 and NFkB, and finally (4) loss of Abi-1 in malignant hematopoietic stem cells leads to dysregulation of adhesion and quiescence and induces their chemo resistance.

The central hypothesis is that loss of Abi-1, through a positive effect on SFKs signaling and its downstream cross-talk with STAT3 and NF-kB, is a factor that initiates fibrosis-inducing changes at the malignant stem cell level.

Olin D. Liang, PhD

Olin D. Liang, PhDMentors: Wentian Yang, MD, PhD and James Padbury, MD

Dr. Liang is studying the role of the aged bone marrow microenvironment in normal hematopoiesis, the critical cell types for the hematopoietic niche and the role of SHIP inhibition in vivo in reconstitution of the aged and preleukemic microenvironments.

The increasing number of elderly people affected by age-related blood malignancies, mainly of the myeloid subtype, is one of the most significant public health challenges today but currently there are no effective treatments. The overall objective of this project is to investigate the role of bone marrow microenvironment in hematopoiesis and age-related leukemia. The COBRE Center for Stem Cells and Aging previously discovered that deficiency of the lipid phosphatase SHIP enables long-term reconstitution of the hematopoietic bone marrow microenvironment. This proposed study is a continuation of our prior work.

Jill A. Kreiling, PhD

Jill A. Kreiling, PhDMentors: Susan Gerbi, PhD and Eric Morrow, PhD

Dr. Kreilings research investigatesthe triggers for cellular senescence in neural stem cells, the resulting changes in chromatin structure leading to activation of retrotransposable elements and the consequences of these processes on cellular physiology.

Neurodegenerative conditions and dementias, including Alzheimers disease, create a significant economic burden and are responsible for considerable human suffering. Aging is the primary risk factor for development of these conditions. The decline in neural stem cell (NSC) function that occurs with age is a major factor contributing to the development of these conditions. However, the mechanisms resulting in NSC functional decline are poorly understood.

Recent work from Dr. Kreilings laboratory, and those of others, reveals that chromatin undergoes global remodeling with age, with an opening of heterochromatic regions and a relative closing of euchromatic regions. The highly heterochromatic regions contain large numbers of retrotransposable elements (RTEs). RTE expression also increases with age and culminates in active transposition events. Somatic transposition can lead to insertional mutagenesis and genome rearrangements creating genome instability and triggering cellular senescence.

This leads to the hypothesis: Age-associated changes in chromatin structure lead to de-repression of RTEs, resulting in DNA damage and genome instability, ultimately triggering cellular senescence and a decline in NSC function.

To test this hypothesis, Dr. Kreilings lab will perform a set of experiments designed to determine the role of increased RTE expression with age in loss of NSC function.

Ashley Webb, PhD

Ashley Webb, PhDMentors: Gilad Barnea, PhDand Richard N. Freiman PhD

The overarching goal of research in the Webb laboratory is to understand the molecular mechanisms responsible for aging and how stem cells are transformed to tumorigenic cancer stem cells. There are currently three areas of focus in the laboratory. First, the use of mouse models and genomics approaches to study the molecular mechanisms that regulate stem cell function in the mammalian brain. Second, investigation of strategies to target stem populations that cause brain cancer, called glioma stem cells. Third, a genomics approach to investigate the extent to which the mechanisms discovered in rodents are responsible for aging in humans.

Formation of new neurons from neural stem cells (NSCs) in the brain declines with age, but the mechanisms responsible remain unknown. Dr. Webbs previous work has implicated the longevity-associated transcription factor FOXO3 as a key regulator of neural stem cell homeostasis in the adult brain. The goal of this study is to uncover the underlying mechanisms primarily through FACS-based approaches.

The overall outcome of this project will be the elucidation of the changes in NSCs that occur with age, and the mechanisms responsible for the loss of NSCs in aging mice. This work will lead to important advances in our understanding of the mechanisms coordinating NSC homeostasis in the young and old brain, and may uncover to reveal novel approaches to treat cognitive decline during normal aging and neurodegenerative disease.

Comparative Molecular Evaluation of Acute Myeloid Leukemia Blasts and their Microenvironment Changes at Diagnosis and Through TherapyDiana O. Treaba, MDMentor: Peter Quesenberry, MD

Aging, fat tissue, and inflammation: translating autoimmune responses into therapeutic interventionsMarco De Cecco, PhDMentor: John Sedivy, PhD

Mesenchymal stem cell derived vesicles therapy for mitigation of acute radiation syndromesSicheng Wen, MD, PhDMentor: Peter Quesenberry, MD

Genetic and metabolic mechanisms of quiescence in stem cellsNathalie Oulhen, PhDMentor: Gary Wessel, PhD

SHP2 regulation of cartilage stem cells for articular cartilage anti-degeneration and regenerationLijun Wang, PhDMentor: Wentian Yang, MD, PhD., Douglas Moore, MS

Redefining the murine hematopoietic stem cell population in marrowLaura Goldberg, MD, PhDMentor: Peter Quesenberry, M

Read more here:
COBRE Center for Stem Cells and Aging | Lifespan

Claire Rutledge, associate agricultural scientist with the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, shaves the bark from a young ash tree looking for emerald ash borer larvae and parasitoids.

After wandering through the forest at Cromwell Meadows Wildlife Management Area, Claire Rutledge selects a dying ash tree and goes to work.

She pulls out her drawknife a foot-long sturdy blade with handles on either end and slams it into the tree at chest height, then draws it downward until the bark can be easily peeled from the tree in long vertical strips.

As she does so, she searches for evidence of emerald ash borers, an invasive beetle from Asia that is expected to kill all of the ash trees in the Northeast in the coming decade. After peeling away several strips of bark, she reveals a series of winding tunnels like switchbacks on a hiking trail that were created by the beetles larva as it consumed the tissue between the trees bark and wood. She also points out several holes in the bark created by adult beetles as they emerged from the tree to find a mate.

But Rutledge, an entomologist with the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station in New Haven, and her team of seven colleagues arent just seeking evidence of the beetle. Theyre also looking for tiny parasitic wasps, offspring of a species Rutledge had released several years earlier to kill the beetles. Its a strategy called biological control, whereby the natural predators of the beetle in its native range in the Far East are released locally in an effort to keep the beetle in check.

An emerald ash borer larvae under the bark of an ash tree.

The emerald ash borer was first discovered in the U.S. in 2002 near Detroit, and it slowly expanded into ash forests in nearby states. It was found in New York in 2008 and Connecticut and Massachusetts in 2012, though it probably arrived a few years earlier. Although its rampage through the region isnt expected to end before every mature ash tree is dead, scientists like Rutledge hope that efforts to control the insect by releasing the parasitic wasps will allow future generations of the trees to fend off the invader.

The wasps use their long stinger-like ovipositor to lay their eggs through the bark and into the beetle larvae. When the wasp larvae hatch, they kill the beetle larva by eating it from the inside out.

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For a little while, the beetle larva keeps eating the tree and looks fine, but eventually it stops looking so fine and looks like a bag of Cheetos with a bunch of wasp larvae in it, says Rutledge, who has released at least one of three species of parasitic wasps at 14 sites around the state, beginning in 2013.

She measures the success of her efforts by whether the wasps are sustaining themselves in the environment and by collecting and dissecting emerald ash borer larvae to determine how many have been parasitized by the wasps. Were recovering the wasps all over the place, so they seem to be doing pretty well, she says. And 20 to 40 percent of the beetle larvae we find are killed. So we consider it a success.

A beetle species native to Asia, the emerald ash borer was first spotted in the U.S. in 2002 and in Connecticut a decade later. Their larvae live within and feed on ash trees; with no native predators, these destructive insects have proliferated in the Northeast and now threaten the entire ash tree population.

Holes and bark damage on the stump of a removed ash tree, which was damaged by the emerald ash borer

Non-native insects and plants have been invading the U.S. for more than a century, costing billions of dollars and causing significant ecological harm. Removing these invaders by conventional means the application of chemical pesticides and herbicides or manual removal of plants is a labor-intensive exercise that seldom works for long. And although biological control does not completely eliminate the problem either, practitioners say it is a self-sustaining strategy that is cost-effective and causes less harm to the environment than chemical methods.

With biocontrol, were dealing with a pest that comes from someplace else, and it left all of its natural predators behind, Rutledge says. Were trying to reintroduce them to those predators to help keep them at manageable levels.

Jian Duan (left), entomologist with the USDA Agricultural Research Service, and Claire Rutledge, associate agricultural scientist with the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, look at emerald ash borer larvae under the bark of an ash tree in a study area at the Cromwell Meadows Wildlife Management Area.

Its a practice that has its origins as a means of controlling crop pests in China more than a thousand years ago. In the U.S., it was first used by the Department of Agriculture in the 1880s, and by the turn of the century it already had its first success story the eradication of an invasive insect called the cottony cushion scale that was wreaking havoc on Californias emerging citrus industry. When an Australian ladybug was released to kill the scale, it succeeded beyond all expectations. Since then, hundreds of insects have been identified to control exotic forest pests, aquatic weeds and many other invasive species.

In New England, one of the most successful biological control efforts focused on a sawfly called the birch leafminer, an insect native to Europe that was first discovered in Connecticut in 1923. The pest makes the leaves of birch trees turn brown and fall off. In the 1970s, several insects known to parasitize the leafminer in Europe were released at numerous sites from Pennsylvania to Newfoundland, and by 2007 the invader was no longer detected in the region.

Not every attempt has been as successful, however. Periodic news reports still raise the issues that resulted from hundred-year-old biocontrol efforts that have become unfortunate examples of what not to do. Most point to cane toads in Australia and mongooses in Hawaii, which were released to fight invasive pests but which became even bigger problems themselves. Similarly, several non-native parasitic insects were released to control gypsy moth caterpillars in the U.S. a century ago, but they were later found to also kill the caterpillars of numerous beneficial moths and butterflies.

The science has advanced significantly since those days, and a lot of it is with an eye toward avoiding horror stories like those, Rutledge says. We know a lot more about what works, and we do extensive testing to make sure that what we introduce is going to be specific to the host were targeting. Now we have a much better handle on things.

Or, as Rutledges colleague at the University of Massachusetts, Roy Van Driesche, says, You wouldnt judge your risk of having open heart surgery by outcomes from the 1950s, would you? Weve learned a lot since then.

The invader:Emerald ash borer, a beetle native to Asia thats killed untold numbers of ash trees in the U.S.

The defenders: Parasitic wasps, (from top)Spathius galinae, Tetrastichus planipennisi and Oobius agrili, whose larvae feast on the beetle larvae.

Today, testing of potential biological control agents is undertaken in high-security quarantine labs where years of host-specificity tests are conducted to ensure that the insect being released wont kill non-target native species. It can take up to 10 years of testing and about $1 million in research funding before scientists are convinced that an insect is safe to release. Then they must petition the U.S. Department of Agricultures Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service for a permit to release the insect.

At the quarantine lab at the University of Rhode Island, Lisa Tewksbury and a team of students are testing insects for the control of a variety of invasive plants and raising biocontrol agents for release around the region to fight pests. In collaboration with Gail Reynolds at the University of Connecticut Cooperative Extension, she is working to release a parasitic wasp known to control the lily leaf beetle, a blood-red beetle native to Asia and Europe that has killed populations of native and ornamental lilies throughout the Northeast. The beetle is no longer a serious problem in Rhode Island and eastern Massachusetts, thanks to the wasps, but control efforts in Connecticut are still underway.

The invader: Lily leaf beetle (left), aka scarlet lily beetle, indigenous to parts of Europe and Asia; feeds on the leaves, stem, buds and flowers of lilies.

The defenders: Parasitic wasps, Diaparsis jucunda (top right)andTetrastichus setifer, whose larvae feed on the beetle larvae.

According to Reynolds, the adult beetles graze on lily leaves and flowers, but the beetle larvae are more destructive, eating almost the entire plant and leaving nothing but a dead stalk. For people who love lilies, its heartbreaking, she says. Its a problem throughout Connecticut, especially for gardeners who like to grow Asiatic lilies, and its a really big problem for commercial growers. Although the beetles can be picked off by hand, thats not a practical solution for most gardeners.

Reynolds calls the parasitic wasps that control the beetles teeny tiny parasitoids you can barely see, like a tiny speck of dirt, but they can overpower the much-larger beetle. The beetle is an eye-catching red, but the larvae are not endearing because they have a fecal shield they carry all their poop on their back, she says. Theyre really disgusting.

Like the parasitic wasps that control the emerald ash borer, the wasps used against the lily leaf beetle insert their ovipositor into the larvae of the beetle to lay their eggs, and when they hatch, the wasp larvae kill the beetle larva from the inside. Then, when the wasps emerge, you have more wasps to keep the lily leaf beetle at bay, Reynolds says.

When the wasps are ready to be released, typically in May or June, Tewksbury sends them to Reynolds in a cooler via overnight mail, and Reynolds releases as many as 100 at a time at various sites around the state. Selecting those sites, however, has been more challenging than she imagined because the wasps arent an overnight success.

At first, I sent an email to garden clubs and master gardeners, and they were really interested, she says. But many people are impatient; theyre looking for a silver bullet. It takes four or five years for the wasp population to build up, and many people couldnt just sit on their hands and wait for it to happen. A lot of them sprayed pesticides or pulled their lilies out instead of waiting for the wasps to do their job.

The invader: Swallow-wort, a close relative to the milkweed plant that is toxic to the caterpillars of the struggling monarch butterflies.

The defender: Hypena opulenta moth, native to Eastern Europe and the Middle East; feeds exclusively on swallow-wort leaves.

But after finding enough people willing to give the wasps the necessary time, the wasps are spreading throughout the state and lily leaf beetle numbers are declining. The project will likely be discontinued in a year or two as biocontrol agents are approved for other pests and funding shifts to more damaging invasive species.

Next up is the release of a moth whose caterpillar feeds on swallow-wort, a European plant introduced as an ornamental by the horticulture industry that has spread into the wild. Swallow-wort is a close relative of milkweed, which monarch butterfly caterpillars feed on, but swallow-wort is toxic to monarch caterpillars.

RELATED:With a little help from their friends, monarch butterflies might soar again

Tewksbury has made test releases of the moth at the home of an entomologist in Redding who is tracking its success, and she hopes to release them this year at Bluff Point State Park in Groton, where a large area is covered in swallow-wort. The moth is already having modest success controlling the swallow-wort population in parts of southern Ontario, and releases have begun at several other Northeast states.

We release adult moths, egg laying happens soon after, and their larvae do the feeding damage on the plant, Tewksbury says. We want them to pupate and have a second generation of adults lay eggs and those larvae do some feeding damage. Then those pupate and remain in the soil and emerge next year to start the process over again. At least thats the hope.

Carole Cheah, a scientist at the Windsor office of the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, raises insects to be released to kill invasive pests.

At the Windsor office of the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, Carole Cheah raises poppyseed-size black ladybugs in her laboratory in an underground bunker. In dozens of clear plastic containers on shelves lining the walls are sprigs from native hemlock trees infested with a tree-killing pest from Japan called the hemlock woolly adelgid. And feeding on the pests are the nearly invisible ladybugs.

Cheah has been studying the adelgid for 26 years, beginning not long after it was first discovered in the New Haven area in the 1980s, though it first appeared in the U.S. in the 1950s at a private arboretum in Virginia. Her mentor, Mark McClure, traveled to Japan to identify the adelgids natural enemies and found a mite that he thought was promising as a biocontrol agent. In the course of studying the mite, he stumbled upon the ladybug, and Cheah was hired to investigate whether the ladybug was the adelgid predator they were looking for. It was. She has been raising and releasing them ever since.

The adelgid, an aphid-like insect that spins a white wooly cocoon around itself on the underside of hemlock needles, feeds on cells in the trees stems, which inhibits the trees ability to produce new foliage. Hemlocks throughout Connecticut except in the high elevations of the northwest part of the state were infested with the adelgid in the 1990s, but the ladybug appears to be succeeding at keeping it under control.

Beginning in 1995 at a town forest in Windsor, Cheah released about 10,000 of the ladybugs at 16 sites around the state a total of 178,000 ladybugs in an effort to quickly eradicate the adelgid.

The invader: Hemlock woolly adelgid (left), an aphid-like insect native to East Asia that feeds on hemlock and spruce trees.

The defender: Asian lady beetle (Sasajiscymnus tsugae), tiny, ladybug-like beetles that devour adelgids.

We came up with the idea of doing a high number of releases at each site, and it has really paid off, Cheah says. Our idea was to spread them around the landscape in every county of the state, and if it survived and multiplied, it would have the effect we wanted.

During a late-winter visit to Salmon River State Forest in Colchester, where 10,000 of the ladybugs were released in 2001, Cheah inspects each of the 15 trees she monitors every year and assesses their health using a variety of metrics. She stands back to look at the whole tree to estimate how much has live foliage, then stands beneath the tree and looks straight up to rate how much skylight can be seen through the foliage as a measure of foliage density.

After completing several other measurements, she approaches the next tree on her list. She grabs a low branch to look for signs of the adelgid and, with obvious satisfaction, says, no little wool balls here. At a third tree, she notes plenty of dead twigs, but she decides that the trees poor condition is more likely the result of a recent drought rather than the adelgid.

When I see a dying tree, I want to know why it died. Its not always the adelgid, Cheah says. When we started this, a lot of people said that the trees were going to die. But Ive got news for you; they dont die. Give them a chance; theyre resilient.

The next invasive pest that entomologists expect to fight using biocontrol methods is the spotted lanternfly, a planthopper native to China, India, Vietnam and eastern Asia that was first detected in Pennsylvania in 2014. It feeds by sucking the sap from the leaves, stems and trunks of more than 70 different plants, from wild and cultivated grapes to hardwood trees, vegetables and roses. It has already had a devastating impact on the wine industry in Pennsylvania. Officials in that state have been imploring residents to kill them on sight and scrape their egg masses off trees before they hatch in May. Although spotted lanternflies have not arrived in Connecticut in big numbers yet they werefirst spotted in Southbury last October staff at the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station expect it to eventually threaten the states agriculture industry. So scientists are already working to identify the pests native predators in China and testing them in quarantine to see if they will be successful biocontrol agents. So far, a parasitic wasp and a fungal pathogen are showing promising results.

As she returns to the parking lot at the state forest, she smiles and says, These trees are all clear. Its better than I could have hoped for. The ladybug is doing equally well elsewhere around the state, and its doing a better job of beating back the adelgid than the three or four other biocontrol agents released in other states.

Its been a success, but its not all due to biological control, she acknowledges. Its important to know the whole ecology of the tree and all the factors that influence it. We had four years of severe winters that single-handedly brought down the adelgid population by a lot.

Determining the success of most biological control efforts usually takes many years of monitoring, which can be challenging for those seeking immediate results.

Are we going to have ash trees as a component of our forest in the future? asks Claire Rutledge, staring up at a dead tree. Thats going to be a 10- to 15-year answer. We have high hopes, and things are looking good so far, but we have to be patient, and that can be really hard.

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Insects are being deployed in the war against invasive species in Connecticut - Connecticut Magazine

Posted: September 27, 2014 at 8:55 am

As we age, many of us experience the formation of deep lines and wrinkles in the face and a loss of volume in facial features that can give us a hollowed or sunken appearance in a number of areas including the lips and jaw-line folds between the cheeks and lips.

These very common aesthetic issues can be significantly improved with fat and stem cell injections, available from our Providence, Rhode Island plastic surgeon. Read on for more details on this effective procedure, and please contact Dr. Patrick K. Sullivan to schedule a consultation.

Fat and adipose derived stem cells are harvested from one part of the body (usually through a tiny incision in the belly button) and are injected in areas of the face where fat has been lost over time. It can be used to fill in the deep lines between the nose and cheek (nasolabial folds), the corners of the mouth (where the mouth may have a down-turned or frowning appearance), and/or deep creases in the forehead. Fat and stem cells can be used to augment the cheeks, lips, jaw-line, chin and other areas of the face. Fat and stem cell injections can be particularity beneficial in areas where there has been facial deflation that comes with the passage of time and from a host of other reasons.

Fat and stem cell injections are done under intravenous sedation without general anesthesia on an outpatient basis. The areas may be swollen for several weeks after surgery and it will take a number of weeks to see the final outcome.

I cannot express how delighted I am with the results from my surgery. It has made such a wonderful impact in my life and gave me a new outlook that was long overdue. I commend Dr. Sullivan for performing such a superb job. He is the best. Not only am I impressed with Dr. Sullivan but I am especially pleased with his staff. You all have been so kind to me. It is a breath of fresh air to see happy and professional people in one place. I am forever grateful. I will never forget this pleasurable experience. Name omitted for patient privacy

Dr. Patrick K. Sullivan can give you effective facial rejuvenation with results that bring out your natural beauty. With fat and stem cell injections, you can attain significant aesthetic enhancement in a variety of facial areas with results that are known to be long-lasting, as Dr. Patrick Sullivan has proven with his clinical research. He has followed hundreds of his patients over more than a ten year period and has proven that the transfer of fat maintains results for very long periods of time. Additionally, he has lectured to many of his peers about the latest techniques and the many benefits of utilizing fat and stem cell injections. Please contact us if you would like to learn more about this cutting-edge procedure and to schedule your private consultation with Dr. Sullivan.

View post:Fat Injections Transfer Contouring Rhode Island RI

Posted: at 8:55 am

An Advanced Solution

Why Stem Cells?

Stem cells are tiny progenitor cells found in our body that can divide (through mitosis) and change (differentiate) into various cell types. All cells in our body are constantly dividing where new cells are formed, then cells age and die. It is a natural physiologic process of programmed cell death and is known as Apoptosis. Your stem cells are your bodys natural healing cells and can act as your repair system in your body by replenishing adult tissues. They are the source of all these cells that have died.

There are two broad types of stem cells: embryonic stem cells, which are isolated from the inner cell mass of blastocyst (early stage of embryo), and non-embryonic or adult stem cells. It is also referred to as mesenchymal stem cells MSCs and is found in various tissues. There are three accessible sources of autologous adult stem cells in humans:

Stem cells can also be taken from umbilical cord blood just after birth. Of all stem cell types, autologous harvesting (cells are obtained from one's own body) from Adipose tissue (Fat cells) involves the least risk. Adipose tissue (fat cells) is one of the richest sources of MSCs. When compared to bone marrow, there are more than 500 times more stem cells in 1 gram of fat when compared to 1 gram of aspirated bone marrow.

New England Stem Cell Treatment Center NESCTC has the technology to extract stem cells from your fat cells. Under investigational protocols, these cells can be deployed to treat a number of degenerative conditions and diseases. NESCTC in collaboration with New England Center for Hair Restoration is pioneering deploying stem cells to treat thinning hair and hair loss.

Baldness

Hair follicles also contain stem cells, and some researchers predict research on these follicle stem cells may lead to successes in treating baldness through an activation of the stem cells progenitor cells. This therapy is expected to work by activating already existing stem cells on the scalp. Later therapy may be able to simply signal follicle stem cells to give off chemical signals to nearby follicle cells which have shrunk during the aging process, which in turn respond to these signals by regenerating and once again making healthy hair. Most recently, Dr. Aeron Potter of the University of California has claimed that stem-cell therapy led to a significant and visible improvement in follicular hair growth.

Here is the original post:Stem Cell Hair Loss Boston - Regrowth, Restoration

Posted: September 6, 2014 at 4:56 am

There is no Rhode Island law that specifically restricts the use of human adult or embryonic stem cells for research purposes. The Rhode Island law that does restrict some uses of human cells explicitly permits research as long as the research is not for the purposes of cloning an entire human beingwhich is not part of stem cell research.

Starting in 2003 and continuing every year thereafter, bills were introduced that would have explicitly allowed all forms of stem cell research and created a procedure for unused embryos as a result of in vitro fertilization treatments to be donated for the purpose of stem cell research. These bills were sponsored in the House by Representative Edith Ajello, and in the Senate by Senator Rhoda Perry. A 2007 version of the bill, 2007 H-6082, was introduced again but failed to pass.

In 2006, a resolution sponsored by Representative Eileen Naughton was passed, creating a special House commission to promote and develop a nationally recognized cord blood program for the future of disease management in Rhode Island. That commission began meeting in February of 2007. In 2007, a resolution sponsored by Representative Naughton was passed creating the Rhode Island House of Representatives Regenerative Medicine and Research Advisory Study Commission.

In 2007, Lt. Governor Elizabeth Roberts released a report entitled Discovering Rhode Islands Stem Cell Future: Charting the Course Toward Health and Prosperity, outlining the potential that stem cell research holds for reducing human suffering and supporting economic growth in Rhode Island.

Contacts for IASCR: Adriana Thomas, Policy Analyst, Rhode Island House of Representatives, and Eli Zupnick, Policy Analyst, Office of the Lt. Governor

Excerpt from:Rhode Island | Interstate Alliance on Stem Cell Research

Posted: August 22, 2014 at 6:02 am

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Getting Started With Your Stem Cell Therapy and Treatments Here at World Stem Cells LLC we try to make the process of receiving stem cell transplants as easy as possible. We will help you figure out what your needs are and help you reach your goals as fast as possible. Follow the steps below on what to do.

Option 1 1.) Go to any page on our website and fill out the contact form. 2.) Fill in the required information and select the condition you would like to treat with stem cell therapy. 3.) Be sure to include any special information in the comments section. 4.) Click the submit button and we will contact you in a timely manner. 5.) Thats it, youre done!!!

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Call 800-234-1693 and speak with a representative regarding your stem cell therapy needs and requirements.

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Rhode Island Stem Cell Therapy | Stem Cell Treatments

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Thousands of people suffer from diseases treatable with marrow or blood stem cell transplants. The National Marrow Donor Program finds donors for patients who don't have a match in their family.

First, volunteer. Join the Registry if you are 18-44 years old, in good health, and willing to give a swab of cheek cells.

Next, if you are a match, give blood samples to confirm it.

Then, you make a decision to give after an information session and a physical exam.

A Marrow Donation is donated in a hospital. After anesthesia is given, doctors remove a small amount of marrow from the back of the hip bones with a needle and syringe. Recovery is quick, though most donors have some bone pain and aches for several days or a few weeks. The marrow given naturally replenishes itself in four to six weeks. This method is selected 25 percent of the time.

A Peripheral Blood Stem Cell Donation is a special type of blood donation given at the Rhode Island Blood Center. Five daily injections of a stem cell growth factor are given to donors to increase the number of stem cells released from the marrow into the blood stream. Then an apheresis blood donation is made. Donors can experience bone pain as a result of receiving the growth factor. Recovery is quick, however, just one or two days after the donation is made. This method is selected 75 percent of the time.

For more information on joining the Be The Match Registry or to sponsor a marrow registration drive, please call 401-248-5720 or email marrow@ribc.org. Additional information is also available on http://www.marrow.org.

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Marrow Donor Program - Rhode Island Blood Center

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Rhode Island Stem Cells | Stem Cell TV | Page 3

Stem cell treatment can treat a wide array of medical conditions. Learn more about what we can treat by reading the information below:

Constant knee problems can make it challenging to move from one part of your house to another. Some doctors may recommend knee surgery, knee joint replacement or a knee athroplasty to treat the pain in your knees.

However, choosing to undergo surgery may entail a long recovery time. After your operation, you may need to stay in the hospital for a few days. Moreover, you might not be allowed to drive or carry heavy things for the next 3 months.

Stem cell treatment is one method to help heal our body naturally. Found throughout our body, stem cells can developed into different cells, such as cartilage cells that can help joints. We use your stem cells for this procedure that we extract from the bone marrow in your hip bone. After that, we inject the cells together with platelet-rich plasma back into your knee.

Injuries, arthritis, and bursitis are some causes of hip pain. Without proper treatment, this can impair your movement and even cause difficulty in sleeping.

Hip surgery or hip joint replacement are common procedures for hip pain, mobility problems, and more. However, they may not have lasting effects. For example, you may need another hip replacement surgery after about 10 to 15 years.

At the Boston Stem Cell Center, we offer stem cell treatments as an alternative for patients experiencing hip pain. We use your own stem cells to help heal hip joints and help other local repair processes. Our stem cell treatment can help reduce inflammation, provide pain relief, and improve function.

Osteoarthritis and rotator cuff tendon tear are some reasons why you may experience shoulder pain. Sometimes, nonsurgical treatment such as medications may not be enough to alleviate the pain. Your doctor may recommend surgery if you are experiencing chronic pain.

If you are looking for alternatives to surgery, choosestem cell treatment. Stem cells can help with the natural healing process of the body. They can also keep your painful shoulder condition from progressing and suppress inflammation that can make injuries more painful.

Injuries and medical conditions can cause various ankle and foot pains. For example, you can get injured while running in an uneven plane in Providence, R.I. Severe foot pain can hamper your mobility and interfere with your daily activities.

Sometimes, nonsurgical treatments are not enough to treat severe ankle or foot pain. A doctor may subsequently recommend surgery as treatment. However, surgical procedures may cause complications, such as blood clots, infections, or muscle loss. Stem cell treatment is a viable alternative if you want to avoid surgery.

Elbow pain can limit your movement. Additionally, living in pain may require you to make drastic lifestyle changes. Surgeries can cure various elbow pain issues. However, you need to go through physical rehabilitation for up to 6 months as part of the recovery process.

Stem cell treatment is a reliable alternative in treating elbow pain naturally. We aspirate stem cells from bone marrow. After that, we can inject stem cells and platelet-rich plasma into the affected area. Normally, one stem cell treatment can address various elbow problems.

Medications and drug injections are some common ways of treating spine or back pain. Surgery is another viable procedure as well. However, if you are not comfortable with undergoing surgery, then consider some alternatives. Stem cell treatment can help heal affected joints, generate new tissue, and prevent further inflammation.

Strains, tears, and contusions may cause various skeletal muscle injuries. Nonsurgical procedures can treat muscle pain. Doctors may also recommend surgery in case nonsurgical procedures dont work.

In case you dont want to get surgery, there are other options available. Stem cell treatment can help cure tendon or muscle pain. This treatment can also promote muscle repair and speed up your recovery.

Medical conditions, injuries, or accidents may cause pain in your hands or wrists. Sometimes, doctors may recommend surgery to treat various conditions. If you are not comfortable with surgery, then you can opt for stem cell treatment. Improve mobility, speed up recovery, and minimize pain with the help of stem cell treatment.

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Stem Cell Treatment Rhode Island - Boston Stem Cell Center

Plastic Cosmetic Surgery Rhode Island RI Patrick Sullivan MD Skip to main content

Dr. Patrick Sullivan is an Artist who is Highly Sought After for his Natural Results

Patrick K. Sullivan, MD, is a nationally renowned plastic surgeon known for his artistry and innovative surgical skills. He is certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery and American Board of Otolaryngology. His approach to facelift surgery and facial rejuvenation, breast augmentation, abdominoplasty and body contouring has made him a leader in the field of plastic surgery and his work is routinely featured in magazines, newspapers, and medical journals. He has been recognized by US News & World Report as being in the top 1% of plastic surgeons in America (Castle Connolly Americas Top Doctors) and voted a Top Plastic Surgeon in Rhode Island Monthly magazine.

Recognized Worldwide for his Artistic Touch

Some people lose skin elasticity faster than others for genetic reasons, said Dr. Patrick K. Sullivan, a plastic surgeon and associate professor at Brown.

R.I. doctor is the Robin Hood of plastic surgery, taking stem cells and rich stores of fat from the thighs and giving them to the face

Dr. Sullivan is truly an amazing artist! I will be forever grateful to him for giving me back my youth with my facial rejuvenation. When I looked in the mirror previously, the face I saw was tired and old people would tell me I looked tired or I looked like I wasnt feeling well. That face did not represent what I felt inside! I felt young and vibrant!

~Monica

The International Symposium on Plastic Surgery

15th March to 16th March, 2019 This conference focuses on the topics such as Breast Reduction and Breast Augmentation, Body Contour, Anatomy and Face Surgery, Cervical Surgery Neck Lift, []

Critical Anatomy with Live Patient Demos

Thursday June 21st, 2:30 5:00 pm Injection demonstration on live models, highlighting anatomy and safety, in four modules: Neuromodulators Filler Safety Fat Compartments Neck Moderated by: Rod Rohrich, MD, []

Patient testimonial following facelift, neck contour and rejuvenation

You have seen the artistic plan over the past week. This is how she feels now at 6 weeks after her mid-lower facelift/neck contouring surgery. Her own fat was injected []

Our truly natural results from Neck rejuvenation

Successful treatment of the neck is very challenging as it involves artistic vision, a very thorough knowledge of the complex anatomy and choosing appropriate treatments that work for a large []

Schedule a Consultation

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Plastic Cosmetic Surgery Rhode Island RI Patrick Sullivan MD

Present and Future of Stem Cell Therapy in Rhode Island

Cord blood banking near Rhode Island is a significant and comparatively little-known means of getting stem cells to treat a broad range of ailments. This post looks at the possible gains and what it's, how it works. It's targeted at future parents who would like to find out more. Here is a post that is insightful into the current state of play and its possibility for the future.

Stem cell banking freezes the blood from the umbilical cords of your infant for possible future use against disorders grown by your family. This blood source can already successfully treats many serious medical conditions. It's really worth assessing the possible advantages if you live in the Rhode Island area.

bone marrow remains the most common source for gathering stem cells in Rhode Island to date. The downside to bone marrow transplants s that they can extremely invasive and complex and may even result in constant uncomfortableness for the donors. Embryos are also a solution for stem cells but tend to be a massively controversial issue in Rhode Island , which leaves umbilical cord blood stem cell therapy. Its the safest and least invasive form of stem cell therapy.

Extensive studies near Rhode Island have showed that stem cell therapy from umbilical cord blood stem cells has countless advantages over the genes of circulatory blood and marrow derived genes and bone marrow. Although currently bone marrow is ahead of umbilical cord blood for certain specific diseases and procedures, it is often agreed that favor is slowly weighing in more on the side of cord blood.

An example of blood stem cell therapy in the Rhode Island area would be the use of stem cells for conditions such as leukemia, lymphomas, immune deficiencies, sickle cell anemia and certain cancers, all of which have proven to be deadly. On the other hand, the use of ones own stem cells to help with certain ailments may not be advisable. When ones own stem cells are used to treat something such as leukemia, it wont be effective because the stem cells will completely take over and replace the afflicted cells that caused the disease in the first place. However, if the patient has a sibling that donated stem cells then they may be a good enough match to hopefully offset the disease. It seems almost certain that the stem cell therapy industry will continue to grow in Rhode Island.

The future looks bright for stem cell therapy by cord blood cells in Rhode Island, despite the minority status of transfusions in the world. It is strongly believed by scientists that ones own individual cord blood will or could at some point be beneficial in the successful treatments of cancer. The reason behind this is because most adult-style cancers arent solely derived from genetics, whereas pediatric cancers are.

Researchers around Rhode Island are also discovering ways to manipulate the gene that is leukemia so that in the future it may be a possibility that your own blood could cure your cancer, thus making umbilical cord blood banking for future stem cell therapy even more valuable than it already is. There are even animal stem cell therapy experiments that are pushing the boundaries of conventional stem cell therapy and could ultimately mean that stem cells could cure spinal problems, strokes, heart failure and even diabetes.

The possibilities of stem cell therapy in Rhode Island are truly limitless just as all gene-related cures. Its even possible that neurological diseases and motor function disorders could tackled and cured with cord blood stem cell therapy. Other targeted possibilities on the list of stem cell therapy include Alzheimers and Parkinsons disease.

At this point in time public cord blood banks receive a small amount of umbilical cord blood for use in stem cell therapy and research. The reason for this is that many people are opting to store their umbilical cord blood privately which essentially insures their family against debilitating, deadly illnesses. Even though the amount of people storing cord blood for stem cell therapy, the more diseases that become treatable with stem cells, the amount of people that harvest theirs in Rhode Island will skyrocket.

Whether you decide to store umbilical cord blood publically or privately there is usually a limited amount of stem cells in a unit of stored umbilical cord blood, which means that the amount of cord blood available is only really effective for treating someone up to a certain age. Processes to increase the amount of stem cells in a single unit of cord blood are being tested with clinical trials near Rhode Island.

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Stem Cell Therapy Rhode Island - Cordblood Search Tools

The Rhode Island Hospital Stem Cells and Aging (SCA) COBRE Flow Cytometry Core function is to provide high quality, cost effective, state-of-the art flow cytometry and multiparameter cell sorting instrumentation and associated expertise and services to all investigators in the SCA COBRE and to the general research community in Rhode Island.

The core is staffed by Mark Dooner and Loren Fast, PhD

Mark Dooner directs and manages the core and serves as operator for the BD Biosciences Influx cell sorter and LSRII. Dr. Fast serves as co-director and is available as an advisor to the investigators in experimental design and data interpretation. Together they have over 45 years of flow cytometry experience.

The core has had experience with a variety of different flow cytometry applications and protocols and will work with both experienced and novice investigators to help plan and execute successful flow cytometry experiments.

The Rhode Island Flow Cytometry Facility is in the Coro West Building, 5th Floor, Suite 5.08A, One Hoppin Street, Providence.

All first-time users must contact Mark Dooner to discuss their project and to set up a user account. Every effort will be made to accommodate sorting requests in a timely manner. Booking in advance is recommended.

Please note SCA COBRE projects and pilot projects will be given priority.

Contact information:Mark Dooner, COBRE Flow Cytometry Core, Rhode Island Hospitalmdooner@lifespan.orgPhone: 401-444-2463

The sorter separates particles on the detection of fluorescent markers on particles such as cells, chromosomes, bacteria or nuclei.

Then the collected cells are suitable for downstream analysis either in molecular applications like protein assays and PCR, or used in viable assays such as tissue culture or injected into in vivo models.

Generated data may also be used to determine percentages of interrogated populations. The sorter can separate populations into tubes (1.5ml, 4ml, 15ml, 50ml), multi-well plates (6, 24, 48, 96, 384), or directly onto microscope slides.

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Flow Cytometry Core | Lifespan COBRE Center for Stem Cells ...

The wheres, whats and hows When you are having a baby, there are dozens of decisions to make. One of the most important things you will have to decide is whether to bank your babys cord blood. In order to make the decision, which is best for you and your family, it is essential to Continue Reading

The research If you are expecting a baby then no doubt youve heard the phrase cord blood banking quite often. Parents today are bombarded with choices practically from the moment of conception, most of which pertain to the babys birth and immediate care following. Cord blood banking is no exception and you may have several Continue Reading

Typical costs associated with cord blood banking and storage Most expectant couples want to do everything possible to protect the health of their newborn child. New developments in medicine have made it possible to use the stem cells found in a babys umbilical cord to develop new treatments to fight diseases like leukemia. The babys Continue Reading

Your babys own stem cells from the normally discarded umbilical cord Most pregnant women and expectant parents have heard about cord blood banking and its ability to store cord blood stem cells for later use. For those of you who havent, cord blood banking uses the latest in technology to extract and preserve all the Continue Reading

The options for cord blood banking in Rhode Island are as good if not better than many states

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Helping You Decide | Rhode Island Cord Blood Banking

A group of researchers at Rhode Island Hospital and Brown University, along with two international co-authors, have publisheda study in Scientific Reports that found aberrant stem cells may play a previously unexamined role in osteoarthritis, a debilitating condition affecting more than 30 million Americans.

The researchers discovered that a small population of stem cells found in the joint cartilage of osteoarthritis patients may contribute to the development and worsening of this joint disease.These stem cells, called OA-MSC (osteoarthritis-mesenchymal stem cells), whose numbers increase as the patient ages and the disease progresses, express tissue-degrading enzymes and may also promote the mineralization of cartilage.

This holds real promise for future therapies, says Chathuraka T. Jayasuriya, PhD, of Rhode Island Hospital and the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, the lead author of the study. These stem cells are a precursor to the chondrocytes that weve long associated with osteoarthritis. We may be able to target the stem cells, eliminating them or preventing their proliferation, and saving valuable cartilage for a longer period of time.

Qian Chen, PhD, also of Rhode Island Hospital and Brown, and the corresponding author of the study comments, Since we have generated these OA stem cell lines, they will be very useful for screening drugs for treating OA.

Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis and frequently occurs in the hands, hips and knees. It can come about as a result of age, injury or overuse. The cartilage covering the end of the bone, which allows for smooth movement in the joint, begins to break down, causing pain, stiffness, and swelling. Over time, the bone itself can also break down. Pain management and ultimately joint replacement are the currently available treatments. There is no FDA approved disease modifying drugs for OA.

According to the Arthritis Foundation, osteoarthritis is the most common form of disability in American adults, and the fifth most prevalent disability worldwide. A study in 2012 demonstrated that osteoarthritis was the highest cause of work loss and affected more than 20 million individuals, costing the U.S. economy more than $100 billion annually.

The study, Molecular characterization of mesenchymal stem cells in human osteoarthritis cartilage reveals contribution to the OA phenotype, is supported by two major research grants held by the hospital and the university the Center of Biomedical Research Excellence (COBRE) in Skeletal Health and Repair and the Advance Clinical and Translational Research, both funded by the National Institute of General Medicine (NIGMS).

The other authors are Richard Terek, MD, Michael G. Ehrlich, MD, and Nicholas Lemme,BS of Rhode Island Hospital/Brown University and Nan Hu, PhD and Jing Li, PhD of Xian Jiaotong University in Xian, China.

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RIH research on stem cells & osteoarthritis may lead to ...

Can I donate?

Many people think they cannot donate blood before they even try. That's often because of myths like being too old, taking medications, or having a physical condition that prevents donation. In most cases, it's not true!More often than not, you can donate even if you've recovered from a heart attack, cancer,have diabetes, or are taking many different types of medications.Get the facts. Our medical team can also confidentially answer specific questions you have about donating.

For a small state, there are plenty of opportunities to save lives. We have six blood donation centers conveniently located throughout Rhode Island. Each offers maximum donor comfort, including comfortable donation lounge chairs, TV, free WIFI and parking. The state-of-the-Art automated blood donation technology allows donors to give just the part of their blood -- red cells, platelets or plasma -- patients need the most based on the donor's blood type. In addition, we hold over 1,000 mobile blood drives out in the community each year.

Over 370,000 people in Rhode Island are eligible to give blood, but only about 5% of the population actually donates. Giving life through blood and stem cell donations uniquely comes from you and yourwillingness to roll up your sleeveto donate blood,register to BeTheMatch andsponsor drives.

The one thing each donor experience has in common is the amazing feeling of knowing youjust gave someone else a second chance at life. More than time or money, you are donating your lifeblood, a part of you that provides strength, energy and vitality to another human being in need.

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