Category Archives: Stem Cell Treatments

Updated September 18, 2019 06:37:06

It is a quiet Monday morning, and as people are returning to desks and lining up for coffee, Doreen Deede is zig-zagging between bars, collecting cans and bottles emptied over the weekend.

Cashing in refundable containers, hosting charity events, even selling donuts at a local market Ms Deede tried all options as she inched towards a fundraising goal of $35,000 to fund overseas medical treatment.

"For the past nine years I've been Emma's sole carer," she said.

"I call myself her fundraising manager because that's what I've been doing."

Emma, aged nine, suffered a brain injury at birth and has been living with cerebral palsy and dystonia a condition where her muscles contract uncontrollably.

Ms Deede's social life all but vanished as her daughter grew up and significant problems with her mobility, eating, and speech began to register.

"That's when I decided that I wanted to be a mum that gives everything to my daughter," she said.

"The choice included that I live for her, that I do everything in my power to give her all the chances that she can get to one day live independently."

This week, the small family will take another of those chances when they travel from Cairns to the United States for a stem cell treatment to be administered to Emma via two lumbar punctures.

Even with Ms Deede's exhaustive fundraising regime the procedure is so expensive she has had to take out a bank loan and then there is the fact that the procedure has not been clinically proven.

"Everyone that is a parent will know that you do everything for your child," Ms Deede said.

"I would feel guilty if I don't try."

In Australia, the only stem cell treatments classed by the Therapeutic Goods Administration as safe and effective have a narrow application. They generally involve the use of umbilical cord blood or bone marrow to treat disorders of the blood or immune system.

These treatments rely on the function of stem cells, which are unallocated, to replace cells that may be lost or damaged.

Also seizing on that potential has been a burgeoning market of private clinics offering solutions to disorders broadly ranging from neurological conditions to ageing.

As the deputy director of the University of Melbourne's Centre for Stem Cell Systems, part of Megan Munsie's job has been to help inquisitive families understand the sometimes significant gap between what these clinics offered and what was actually sold.

"One of my biggest challenges in this field is the fact that stem cells are somehow seen as magical," she said.

"It's an example of non-evidence-based practice that's gone mainstream."

Ten years ago, this practice sometimes termed stem cell tourism was confined to a handful of clinics in exotic locations.

Since then Dr Munsie has witnessed growth in the number of clinics offering these treatments around the world.

In some cases, they may have been supported only by effusive patient testimonies or materials that blurred the line between medical science and marketing sometimes at the expense of communicating that these procedures were invasive and potentially harmful.

"Our responsibility as a research community is to try to contextualise the science and paint a clearer picture about where exactly we are," Dr Munsie said.

"Unfortunately that means that most of those conversations start with a disclaimer that we don't have any proven treatments for that condition."

On the other side of the equation were families like Ms Deede's, buoyed by hope and leaving no stone unturned.

Success stories may add to the guilt some parents feel.

Even in Cairns, another local family has credited two rounds of treatment with helping their son, who also lives with cerebral palsy, learn to speak and improve his fine motor skills.

"What we do know is there's certainly a lot of promise in this area, but we do still need more data to answer some of the many questions that remain," said Megan Finch-Edmondson, a stem cell researcher with the Cerebral Palsy Alliance Research Institute.

"It's a very interesting and complex question."

Like Dr Munsie, Dr Finch-Edmondson has been in frequent contact with families keen to explore their options.

An Australian-first trial conducted by Melbourne's Murdoch Children's Research Institute has been investigating the use of umbilical cord blood to treat cerebral palsy.

Even though it was only a trial and the selection criteria was rigorous, the limited spaces were highly coveted.

"That is one of the reasons that we are so committed to trying to progress this research and conduct more rigorous clinical trials in Australia," Dr Finch-Edmondson said.

"We do need to operate within [rigorous regulatory guidelines] to get any new therapy, or treatment that's like a drug, approved for use in Australia.

"It does require those very rigorous trials that can show enough data to those regulatory bodies to warrant that this treatment should be available."

Until then, families hamstrung between a long regulatory process and the promises of unproven treatments may continue to take the leap.

"I'm doing it because I love my daughter and I want to give her the best life and the best chance of improvement," Ms Deede said.

"I don't want to be in a situation where I haven't done everything I could and in 10 years' time I might be thinking 'What if?'."

Topics:medical-sciences,health-policy,medical-procedures,healthcare-facilities,medical-research,cerebral-palsy,stem-cells,cairns-4870,university-of-melbourne-3010,melbourne-3000,united-states

First posted September 18, 2019 06:34:23

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Unproven stem cell treatments provide expensive last resort in families' search for hope - ABC News

When Constance Benson* was 25 years old, she was living her dream as a model with a major agency. One day, while receiving treatment for a pain crisis in the hospital, she realized she wasnt well enough to travel any longer so she gave up her modeling dream. As a sickle cell warrior, Constance had already left college because she was unable to keep up with school work as a result of her unpredictable pain crises.

She was uncertain of her future. She recalls feeling tormented by the response of medical professionals who doubted the severity of her condition with one nurse telling her she was too pretty to be sick. Constance considered it divine intervention when she learned that a blood stem cell or marrow transplant could cure her from sickle cell disease. Her parents are both nurses, but it wasnt until her mom was caring for a patient whose son had just had a transplant to cure his sickle cell disease that she learned this was even a treatment option.

To date, hundreds of people in the USA and around the world have been cured of sickle cell disease following blood stem cell or marrow transplants from compatible donors. Like Constance, too often people are unaware that transplant is even an option.

A new day has arisen for sickle cell disease treatment. For the first time, increasingly more medical and research efforts are directed at better understanding and treating sickle cell disease. Historically, progress in developing new treatments for sickle cell disease had been slow. This has been in part due to the complexity of sickle cell disease itself and underfunding compared to other potentially life-threatening genetic diseases.

Among children under the age of 16 battling sickle cell disease, about 95% were cured from sickle cell disease after a transplant from a matched sibling. A blood stem cell or marrow transplant from a matched sibling is now considered a pediatric standard of care by many doctors, and transplant from matched unrelated donors are becoming more common.

Too often people suffering from severe sickle cell disease are unaware of treatments that exist and may be available to them. For example, clinical trials that offer cutting-edge treatment options like blood stem cell or marrow transplantation may be an appropriate path for someone who is not responding well to prescribed therapies. Clinical trials are highly regulated and administered by medical experts. They are designed to assess the safety and effectiveness of new treatments. A benefit of clinical trials includes access to specialized care for your condition with built-in safety measures.

With a transplant, blood stem cells or marrow is extracted from a compatible donor and given to a sickle cell disease patient via IV. The donors healthy blood-forming stem cells, which create healthy red blood cells, replace a patients unhealthy stem cells that made sickled red blood cells. For the person with sickle cell disease, a successful transplant can mean no more sickled red blood cells with no more blocked blood vessels and no more damage from ruptured cells. Some people will even see existing damage improve with the introduction of healthy blood stem cells. Risks do exist for transplant, but doctors can inform a patient about the benefits and risks of such a procedure so that the patient and their family can make an informed decision about proceeding.

Transplant too often is dismissed as an option for people with sickle cell disease by themselves, or by their families, or even by their physicians because of concerns that the financial cost would be prohibitive. There are financial resources available to assist families considering transplant as an option, so it should not be ruled out as a treatment for a person battling advanced sickle cell disease.

As representatives from Be the Match and the Sickle Cell Transplant Advocacy and Research Alliance (STAR), we want to encourage people with sickle cell disease and their loved ones to be empowered to educate themselves about new treatment options, to ask questions of their primary care or hematology providers and to consider participating in clinical trials if other treatments are not working.

Constances younger sister was a perfect match for her. Today, Constance is living free from sickle cell disease after a successful marrow transplant seven years ago. She was able to return to college and obtained her bachelors degree, and she is committed to spreading awareness of the need for more diverse donors on the Be The Match Registry.

Nearly 1 out of 5 people with sickle cell disease will find a match within their family. Those without a match in their family turn to Be The Match, the national marrow donor program, to try to find an unrelated donor willing to help a complete stranger find their cure.

When searches are performed for Black patients, there is a 23% chance of finding a compatible donor on the Be The Match Registry. This is because race and ethnicity play a role in finding a matched blood stem cell or marrow donor. The makeup of each of our cells is as diverse as the places our grandparents and ancestors came from and people of African descent have more unique and complex genes than other races. Currently, only 4% of the 20 million donors on the worlds largest registry are Black or African American. Given all the diversity among persons of African descent, more donors are needed.

This underrepresentation can be improved by more Black donors joining the registry and it only takes a cheek swab to get started. Its important to note that not only people with sickle cell disease, but patients battling blood cancers like leukemia or serious blood disorders like aplastic anemia, also are searching for matches on the registry. There is an urgent need for more racially and ethnically diverse donors to join the registry. Visit http://www.endsicklecell.org to learn how.

A diagnosis of sickle cell disease can mean frequent emergencies, life threatening infections, irreversible organ damage, and even early death. Sickle cell disease frequently denies patients and families what any of us would want comfort, time, growth and financial stability. Sickle cell disease causes excruciating acute pain in children and, as patients age, the pain becomes chronic and debilitating for adults. STAR is comprised of hematologists and supporters of the sickle cell community who are dedicated to advancing research that will help lead to a cure for sickle cell disease. We have partnered with Be The Match to ensure that people with sickle cell have access to free resources, including information about clinical trials, access to certified nurses and patient navigators to learn more about transplant as an option, and a new Peer Connect program that will match existing patients with sickle cell transplant recipients. For more information, call the Be The Match Patient Support Center at (888) 999-6743 or visit http://www.bethematch.org/sicklecell. To learn more about research initiatives and success stories being supported by STAR, visit http://www.curesicklenow.org.

Currently, the only cure for sickle cell is a blood stem cell or bone marrow transplant, but new methods of gene therapy are now also being tested. With more than 100,000 persons with sickle cell disease in the U.S. today, the need for safe and effective treatment options and the need for more donors is high.

We hope that EBONY readers will take action to help address sickle cell disease in the Black community:

Disclosure: Constance Benson and her family have given consent to Be The Match to share her story.

In the USA, approximately 1 in 365 people of African descent will be born with sickle cell disease, an inherited blood disorder where red blood cells are abnormal. Healthy red blood cells are soft and oval-shaped as they travel throughout the body delivering oxygen to organs. Red blood cells that contain sickle hemoglobin can become stiff and crescent-shaped. Sickled cells block blood flow, causing excruciating pain, lung damage and potential strokes. They also rupture, releasing debris that causes damage to blood vessels.

Some people with sickle cell disease manage symptoms as they come. Other patients take a daily medication that decreases the likelihood of forming sickled red blood cells. Still others might receive chronic red blood cell transfusions to reduce the number of sickled cells in their bloodstream. Additional patients choose to participate in clinical trials to pursue new treatments that offer a chance at a cure. Visit http://www.Clinicaltrials.gov to learn about qualifying to participate in a trial.

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Hope for Sickle Cell Warriors: A Cure Exists and Support from the Black Community Could Help Save More Lives - EBONY

SUMMARY: Researchers are learning how best to use this powerful modality while avoiding serious toxicities.

Since it was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the fall of 2017, a form of the powerful and promising therapy known as CAR T-cell therapy has been used to treat certain young patients with B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) who have relapsed or didnt respond to standard regimens.

Today, researchers and physicians at Dana-Farber/Boston Childrens Cancer and Blood Disorders Center say they are learning how best to use the specific CAR T-cell treatment known as Kymriah for which patients, and at what point in their cancer treatment and how to predict and treat the serious toxicities that can occur. Theyre also laser-focused on another question: Can CAR T-cell therapy work for other pediatric patients?

CAR T-cell therapy is a form of gene therapy in which a patients own immune cells are removed, engineered in a lab to hone their cancer-fighting abilities, and returned to the body. In clinical trials, Kymriah showed encouraging remission and survival rates in B-cell ALL patients who had few other options leading to its FDA approval.

Kymriah is approved for patients 25 years old and below whohave B-cell ALL expressing the CD19 protein, and who have not responded tostandard therapy or are in a second or later relapse. The great majority ofpatients with B-cell ALL are successfully treated with standard methods, butthose who dont respond have an unfavorable prognosis. Kymriah has been shownto be effective in many of these cases.

CAR T-cell therapy is a complete paradigm shift, says Christine Duncan, MD, a senior physician at Dana-Farber/Boston Childrens. It started with CD19, which is a specific form of pediatric ALL. Now that it has expanded, were learning a lot more about the obstacles to therapy and how we need to pick the right patients for the treatment, so we can move forward to other high-risk populations.

Some patients receive CAR T-cell therapy and then undergo stem cell transplantation, while for others its the reverse, say Duncan and Steven Margossian, MD, PhD, who is a senior physician in the stem cell transplant program at Dana-Farber/Childrens.

Generally, we are using CAR T as a bridge to a transplant;CAR T gets the patient into a good remission and then we take them totransplant, says Margossian. They do well with a transplant.

But some patients whose leukemia relapses after a stem celltransplant are treated with Kymriah as definitive therapy.

Kymriah treatments are custom-made for each individual. Initially, the patient undergoes apheresis to remove lymphocytes known as T cells, which are frozen, packaged, and sent to a pharmaceutical laboratory. There, the T cells are equipped with whats known as a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) so that they will home in on the CD19 protein on the patients leukemia cells. This takes about 24 to 28 days; meanwhile, the patient may receive a cycle of chemotherapy to combat the leukemia. When the CAR T cells are returned to Dana-Farber/Boston Childrens, they are reinfused into the patient, where they seek out and destroy the cancer cells.

CAR T-cell therapy can trigger serious side effects,including cytokine release syndrome. There are medications that can block thisreaction, and we are researching the correct way to give the medication: shouldit be as a rescue medicine or can you give it pre-emptively? Margossian says. Neurologicaltoxicities are also possible.

We are very good at managing the patients through the complications we always have regular meetings for every CAR T patient that comes in, and we are always prepared to transfer the patient to the ICU if needed, Margossian notes.

The long-term effects of CAR T-cell therapy are also still unclear,but doctors are working to understand them.

It took many years to figure out how to correctly followpatients who received a stem cell transplant, says Duncan. Now were tryingto figure out how to follow patients who received CAR T-cell therapy. This issomething well learn over time.

Meanwhile, variations on the approved use of Kymriah are being studied in new clinical trials. Margossian says one trial will be for patients with ALL who are in remission but have high levels of detectable cancer cells. Another trial will test Kymriah in pediatric B-cell lymphomas. Also on the horizon is a clinical trial of CAR T-cells as a bridge to transplant for patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML).

Farther off are CAR T-cell therapy trials for solid tumorssuch as bone cancers and neuroblastoma, which present unique challenges, accordingto Margossian. One hurdle is that the cancer-specific molecules that CAR Tcells bind to are often inside the cancer cells of solid tumors, not on thesurface, as they are in blood cancers, and therefore are more difficult totarget.

Its exciting to see CAR T-cell studies developing andexpanding to very high-risk patient populations, says Duncan. Were veryhopeful that CAR T-cell therapy will expand to entirely new populations.

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CAR T-Cell Therapy for Pediatric Patients: The Latest Updates - Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

The legal and regulatory tools designed to protect the public from the marketing of unproven stem cell therapies will remain ineffective without bureaucratic will and grassroots efforts, according to a University of Alberta health law expert.

There's this perception that stem cells are revolutionizing science and they have transformed medicine already, but that's just not the case, said Timothy Caulfield.

You see the word stem cells being used to sell everything from skin cream to sports recovery tools to supplements, it's absolutely everywhere.

Caulfield, who refers to the marketing of spurious stem cell treatments as scienceploitation, explained there are actually only a handful of such therapies that have been approved for use in a clinical setting.

The most well known is probably the use of stem cells in bone marrow transplants and certain kinds of leukemiabut these therapies have been around for decades, he said, adding other stem cell therapies have shown some effectiveness in the treatment of bad burns and blindness.

But that's it.

In a paper outlining a strategy to combat the spread of misrepresentation within this field, Caulfield and Health Law Institute research associate Blake Murdoch argued the first step is to leverage the powers wielded by the provincial colleges of physicians and surgeons.

We need a more robust response from them because they have the power to stop their members from marketing treatments inappropriately and from offering services that are unproven, said Caulfield.

We haven't seen that, and it really is their role to protect the public.

He added organizations aimed at stopping the spread of misinformation and inaccurate marketinglike Ad Standards, Canadas advertising industry's non-profit self-regulating body, or Competition Bureau Canada, the federal advertising regulatorcan also be more involved.

While the Competition Bureau can only prohibit clinics from using misleading advertising and

not the provision of unproven interventions, this would help to stop the spread of misinformation, which may curtail public interest, said Caulfield.

He added political pressure on federal and provincial lawmakers could encourage change and allow a more comprehensive response, but noted that targeting the marketing of these treatments might be the more politically palatable course of action.

I think a really good logical first step is if you're going to market this stuff, if you're going to offer these services, the information you're using to market the services has to be accurate.

Even as the paper was being published, Caulfield said Health Canada weighed in by stating stem cell therapies need its approval.

Basically, if youre an MD, and you're providing stem cell therapy, you need to get it approved, said Caulfield. In the paper, we said Health Canada has got to get more aggressive, and thankfully, we're starting to see some action in that space.

He said ultimately, however, responses from Canadas regulatory bodies are often triggered by complaints from the public.

I've actually spoken to regulators, and theyre not hearing complaints about people being injured by stem cell treatment, said Caulfield. Of course, just because something is safe, doesn't mean it's a good idea.

Not only have some of these treatments shown to have caused real harm while offering little more than hope, Caulfield said there is a financial exploitation element, all of which can only leave a black mark on the science.

The spread of clinics marketing these interventions may, over the long term, damage public trust in legitimate regenerative technologies, thus adversely impacting their future development, he said. It confuses what is an incredibly promising field.

The most perplexing element of the proliferation of these treatments is the involvement of medical professionals who should know better, Caulfield said.

The team went into the analysis with the hypothesis that alternative practitioners were the ones providing and marketing stem cell therapies. This was true, but Caulfield said they were surprised to find that an MD was often involved.

I've been in the room with these health providers, and you get the sense that many of them believe it works.

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Regulatory heft needed to curb false promises on stem cells, says health law expert - Folio - University of Alberta

Japanese multinational Fujifilm has exercised its option to license a stem cell-based treatment being developed by a small Melbourne biotech company.

Fujifilm is licensing CYP-001, Cynata Therapeutics's treatment for graft-versus-host disease, a rare but potentially lethal complication from bone marrow transplants including for leukemia.

"Our product represents an extraordinary breakthrough in the treatment of this disease," Cynata chief executive Ross McDonald told AAP.

Graft-versus-host disease occurs when immune cells from a transplant (the graft) see the recipient's cells (the host) as foreign and attack them, causing inflammation throughout the body.

Serious cases can be treated with high-dose steroids and immunosuppressants, but in about half of cases the patient fails to respond to treatment and the consequences are generally deadly.

Dr McDonald said Cynata's CYP-001 treatment, an infusion of millions of stem cells, work to control and mediate the immune response.

A phase I clinical trial in 2018 showed that 14 out of the 15 graft-versus-host disease treated with CYP-001 showed improvement.

Fujifilm said it would start a company-sponsored clinical trial in Japan before the end of 2020.

Dr McDonald said the validation from a major pharmaceutical company was a very important step for Cynata as a small biotech company.

While famous for its photographic film business, Fujifilm had the foresight to diversify into health care at the start of the century as cameras transitioned to digital.

Cynata will receive $US3 million ($A4.4m) from Fujifilm as an up-front fee and stands to get up to $US43 million ($A62.7m) more in future milestone payments, as well as 10 per cent royalties if the drug is successfully commercialised.

Cynata shares were up 16.6 per cent to $1.655 at 1108 AEST.

Dr McDonald said the Cynata board was also continuing to consider a non-binding $2-per-share, $200 million takeover proposal by Japan's Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma made in July and would update the market about it in a few weeks to a month.

Cynata is also working to develop stem treatments for osteoarthritis and critical limb ischemia, a reduction of blood flow to the extremities that can lead to amputation and death.

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Fujifilm licenses Cynata stem cell option - The West Australian

Stem cell treatments today

Umbilical cord blood contains millions of haematopoietic stem cells (HSCs). These are the stem cells that can transform into any type of blood cell. Because of this ability, cord blood can be used to rebuild the immune system of patients whose white blood cells are decimated by aggressive cancer therapies and those who suffer from genetic conditions of the haematopoietic system.

HSCs are the primary cell type used for todays stem cell treatments, and have been proven to be safe and effective in thousands of treatments and trials.

Regenerative medicine is a relatively new branch of therapy that deals with replacing, creating and regenerating human cells, tissue and organs. Regenerative therapies aim to restore normal function for those afflicted with injury or disease or introduce normal function for the first time for conditions suffered from birth.

Stem cells are central to the development of regenerative medicine and cord blood stem cells in particular show a great deal of promise due to their pure and plastic nature.

Stem cell researchers are currently conducting more than 6,500 clinical trials to investigate the application of stem cell treatments for hundreds of different conditions, many of which, up until this point, have been incurable. You may have heard news stories about stem cells helping a paralysed man to walk again or restoring sight to sufferers of blindness.

Therapies like this used to be the stuff of science fiction but regenerative medicine is helping scientists to make it reality. The growth of this new area of stem cell therapy is demonstrated by the fact that 48% of cord blood bank releases have been for regenerative treatments. It is often for its regenerative potential that so many families choose to store their childrens cord blood.

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Stem Cell Treatments and Clinical Trials | Cells4Life

There is certain information you should look into if you are considering a stem cell treatment, including a detailed description of the treatment and the science that supports it, the expected outcome and the risks.

In many cases, particularly in a clinical trial, you should be provided with a patient information sheet and informed consent documents that answer many of the questions below. However, dont hesitate to ask for more information or further explanation. The medical team involved should know a lot about your disease or condition, other treatment options, and the evidence that the treatment they are offering will be safe and that it will work.

The questions and answers are best discussed with a trusted physician familiar with your condition who can help you understand the treatment and your choices. It is a good idea to seek medical advice independent of the provider to help assess whether the treatment and outcome claims offered are reasonable.

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Stem Cell Treatments: What to Ask A Closer Look at Stem ...

It can be hard to tell the difference between doctors conducting responsible clinical trials and clinics selling unproven treatments. One common differentiator is the way a treatment is marketed. Most specialized doctors receive patient referrals, while clinics selling stem cell treatments tend to market directly to patients, often through persuasive language on the Internet, Facebook and in newspaper advertisements.

Clinics peddling unproven stem cell treatments frequently overstate the benefits of their offerings and use patient testimonials to support their claims. These testimonials can be intentionally or unintentionally misleading. For example, a person may feel better immediately after receiving a treatment, but the perceived or actual improvement may be due to other factors, such as an intense belief that the treatment will work, auxiliary treatments accompanying the main treatment, healthy lifestyle changes adapted in conjunction with the treatment and natural fluctuations in the disease or condition. These factors are complex and difficult to measure objectively outside the boundaries of carefully designed clinical trials. Learn more about why we need to perform clinical trials here.

Beware of clinics that use persuasive language, including patient testimonials, on the Internet, Facebook and newspapers, to market their treatments, instead of science-based evidence.

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Nine Things To Know About Stem Cell Treatments A Closer ...

Five Ways to Control COPD with COPD therapies

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a major disability that can affect your functional capacity and quality of life. Common signs and symptoms of COPD are chronic cough, breathlessness, and sputum production. COPD may also bring anxiety, fear, depression, and stress to COPD patients.

In this case, it is important to perform self-management techniques to cope with the disease, to control symptoms and to continue with your daily routine.

Here is a list of five things COPD patients can do to help control and manage COPD. Read more about the COPD therapies below:

1. No DairyMilk contains essential vitamins and minerals; however, it is known to increase sputum production that can worsen signs and symptoms of the disease COPD. If you think you have severe COPD, You should avoid dairy products such as butter, cheese, ice cream, and yogurt.

2. No GlutenGluten can increase production of mucus that can plug the airways in the lungs. Gluten is a type of protein that can be found in barley, rye, wheat, and triticale. It is important to check for gluten-containing food.

3. Breathing ExercisesThere are breathing exercises that you can perform to ease the way of getting the air you need. You can perform pursed-lip breathing by breathing in gently through your nose and breathing out with your lips pursed as if you are whistling. The relaxed, slow, deep breathing is done by breathing in gently through the nose and breathing out through the nose and mouth.

4. Eat GreensGreens contain chlorophyll, which carry and bring in oxygen to your cells. This is why juicing greens and drinking them are so beneficial. Note: It is important to avoid juicing fruit, which contains too much sugar.

5. Use a Pulse OximeterA pulse oximeter is a device used to measure the percentage of hemoglobin saturated with oxygen in the arterial blood. A pulse oximeter is easy and affordable to use. It helps in monitoring COPD. It is important to use this tool and measure, because if the percentage drops below 93% it will damage the lungs further. Thus, it needs to be checked all the time.

There are still other options to optimize your physical abilities and improve your quality of life despite having COPD. Here at NSI Stem Cell, we use the most advanced technology for our patients, delivering safe and effective patient care with our stem cell treatment for COPD.* The NSI Stem Cell team will be delighted to give you more information about your condition and discuss the best options and COPD treatments for your health and comfort.

Symptoms of COPD are ongoing and tend to worsen over time. The first noticeable indication is an enduring cough and extreme shortness of breath. COPD sufferers often experience persistent coughing that produces mucus from the lower airways. Many people with chronic bronchitis have or will develop COPD. Inflammation of the lungs can cause long-term damage that can be difficult to reverse with COPD treatments. High pressure on the lung arteries can even strain the heart ventricles.

The most common causes of COPD are smoking of tobacco products and long term exposure to environmental and occupational air pollutants. This includes those in contact with harmful lung irritants including certain chemicals, dust, or fumes. Those with asthma and a genetic predisposition are more likely to develop this disease, as certain genetic factors can lead to the deterioration of the lungs. For instance, Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency (AATD) is a common genetic risk factor for emphysema and is caused by a deficiency of Alpha-1 Antitrypsin protein within the bloodstream. Its recommended that people with COPD be tested for the presence of these genetic factors.

Furthermore, inflammation from inhaled irritants leads to scarring of the tissues and narrowing of the airways inside the lungs, making it difficult to breathe. A diagnosis of COPD is done by measuring airflow with lung function tests, x-rays, and the length of time a person has experienced symptoms. After a positive diagnosis, it is important to get COPD therapy immediately.

Often times, the different methods of COPD treatments that COPD patients use to manage the disease isnt enough. Inhalers that are used in emergency situations provide short-term reliefsame goes for inhalers that patients use twice a week. Inhalers have side effects, including rapid heart rate, blurred vision and additional coughing. Stem cell therapy, on the other hand, is non invasive and has virtually no side effects, unlike some other COPD treatments. Read below to learn how stem cell therapy can help COPD patients return to a normal life.

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Stem Cell Therapy for COPD | COPD Treatments | NSI Stem Cell

More and more athletes are turning to stem cell treatments, because the pressure to get back on the field is high and access to these experimental therapies is continuing to increase. Athletes commonly suffer serious injuries that could potentially end their careers and cause them serious long-term health complications. Most of them turn to surgery to resolve those injuries.

However, some of them are pursuing stem cell treatments, because these procedures are less invasive than surgery and have the potential to speed and augment repair.

This article outlines 38 athletes who have undergone stem cell treatments for their knees, hips, ankles, shoulders, and more.

In this article:

Stem Cell Therapy for Knees

The 14 athletes below pursed stem cell therapies to resolve knee injuries and complications.

In 2010, the NFL player Jarvis Green went to Regenexx to seek stem cell treatment for his knees. The treatment involved extracting stem cells from his bone marrow and then injecting it into his knees. Prior to this, Green had two knee surgeries, which both resulted in complications and long recovery periods.

The running back for the Denver Broncos also had stem cell treatment for his knees. He had his treatment in 2013 but has yet to disclose which stem cell clinic he used.

Sidney Rice went to Switzerland for stem cell injections. The Seattle Seahawks wide receiver underwent Regenokine injection treatments for his knees.

Hines Ward was among one of the first athletes who turned to stem cell treatment for a speedy recovery. He had joint regeneration therapy using cell prolotherapy at Intermountain Stem Cells. The treatment was for a knee medial collateral ligament sprain.

The defensive lineman for the Falcons underwent a knee surgery and used stem cell therapy to speed up his recovery. The surgery was for a torn medial collateral ligament in his left knee.

Jamaal Charles had a torn anterior cruciate ligament on his knee and had ligament-repair surgery. His stem cell therapy involved extracting stem cells from his bone marrow and injecting them into his knee.

Rolando McClain had been experiencing chronic pain in his knees for two years, and then he suffered a high ankle sprain. During his offseason, McClain went to USA Precision Stem Cell and had liposuctioned fat cells autologously injected into his knees.

The Raiders linebacker injured both of his knees and then underwent stem cell treatment during his offseason.

When Alex Rodriguez sustained a knee injury, he went to Germany for stem cell treatment. The procedure was a platelet-rich plasma therapy that was injected into Rodriguezs knee. They also injected it into his shoulder to prevent future inflammation.

Josh Hamilton of the Texas Rangers had experienced swelling on his knee for a long time before he finally consulted with Dr. James Andrews to then received a stem cell and platelet-rich plasma injection.

The pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers didnt want to risk his career by allowing surgery on his knees. Instead, he went to joint Intermountain Stem Cells for regeneration therapy using stem cell prolotherapy.

Kobe Bryant traveled to Germany to seek stem cell treatment from Dr. Peter Wehling for the degeneration of his knees.

Pau Gasol had an autologous stem cell injection on his knee to remove degenerated tissue without surgery. The procedure was a focused aspiration scar tissue removal done by Dr. Steve Yoon at the Kerlan-Jobe Orthopaedic Clinic.

Chris Johnson sustained a meniscus injury on his left knee, but he continued to play through the season. The injury worsened and Johnson lost a lot of cartilage throughout the remainder of the season. He sought out Dr. James Andrews and had stem cell therapy to accelerate his recovery.

The three athletes below pursed stem cell therapies for ACL and MCL repair (ligaments within the human knee).

The famous golfer confirmed in 2010 that he had undergone a stem cell treatment. He received joint regeneration therapy with platelet-rich injections.

Stephen Curry had a grade-1 MCL sprain and consulted with Dr. Russ Riggs from the Reflex Clinic in Tigard regarding stem cell treatments. Dr. Riggs advised Curry to have PRP injections to help his recovery by reducing the inflammation and pain.

The former NFL player went to South Koreas Chaum Anti-Aging Center to seek treatment for an ACL injury. There, he had bone marrow-derived stem cell injections for ligaments, tendons, and joints.

Stem Cell Therapy for Cartilage, Tendon, & Muscles

The six athletes below pursed stem cell therapies to resolve cartilage, tendon, and muscle complications.

The Jacksonville Jaguars guard sought stem cell treatment for cartilage regrowth in 2013. However, Uche Nwaneri has not yet gone public about which clinic he underwent treatment at.

Marquis Maze, the former University of Alabama receiver, had stem cell therapy for a muscle injury at USA Precision Stem Cell. The procedure was an autologous operation for his damaged joints and muscles.

LaRon Landry missed a lot of games in 2012 due to an injury to his left Achilles tendon. Instead of seeking surgery, he went to AminoMatrix and had PRP treatments for his torn tendon.

Cliff Lee is one of the many athletes who has gone to Intermountain Stem Cells. According to their website, Lee had a joint regeneration therapy using stem cell prolotherapy.

The Olympic swimmer had mild arthritis in her knees, which worsened due to her training. In 2009, she had an autologous chondrocyte implantation to regrow the cartilage cells on her kneecap.

The veteran rugby player took a break from his career due to damaged knee cartilage. With the hope of reviving his career, he had stem cells injected into his right knee at a clinic in Queenstown.

Elbow Stem Cell Treatments

The three athletes below pursed stem cell therapies to resolve elbow injuries.

Among the major league athletes, Bartolo Colons stem cell treatment has had some of the most coverage. He was sidelined due to a torn rotator cuff and elbow injury in 2005. He was then one of the first athletes to receive a stem cell transplant on his arm from his fat and bone marrow.

Andrew Heaney went public about having stem cell treatments in 2016. He had a torn ulnar collateral ligament and received stem cell therapy to aid his recovery.

Garrett Richards had a torn elbow ligament and wanted to start surgery right away. Instead, the teams physical therapist Bernard Li advised Richards to try stem cell treatments. In May 2017, stem cells were extracted from his bone marrow and injected into his elbow.

Leg and Foot Stem Cell Treatments

The four athletes below pursed stem cell therapies to resolve leg and foot injuries.

The Real Madrid forward sustained a hamstring injury and tried stem cell treatment to hasten his recovery for their next game in Manchester. The procedure involved harvesting stem cells from his own bone marrow and injecting it into his hamstrings.

The Giants running back Ahmad Bradshaw underwent a foot surgery that involved having screws inserted into his foot for two fractures, which he regretted within the year. It wasnt until 2011, when a new fracture occurred, that he decided to seek a different form of treatment. Instead of following through with the surgery, he tried stem cell injections to promote bone regrowth in his foot. In 2012, he had the screws taken out and played for the rest of the season.

Prince Amukamara of the New York Giants sustained a broken bone in his left foot from training camp. For bone regeneration, he had stem cells harvested from his bone marrow and injected into his foot.

The Olympic athlete David Payne suffered a shin injury while he was training for the Olympic trials in 2011. In an attempt to reach his optimum for the trials, he had stem cell therapy with PRP as a regenerative procedure.

The two athletes below pursed other types of stem cell treatments for athletic injuries.

Ray Lewis is another high-profile athlete who received a stem cell treatment for a sports-related injury. Lewis traveled all the way to Europe for stem cell therapy on his triceps.

The football star Peyton Manning suffered a neck related injury while playing ball. He traveled to Germany to undergo stem cell treatment, where stem cells from his fat cells were harvested and injected into his neck.

The six individuals below pursed stem cell therapies for conditions beyond sports-related injuries.

The hockey player Gordie Howe experienced a number of small strokes in 2014. At the age of 86, his right side had become paralyzed. Dr. McGuigan from Stemedica, a stem-cell manufacturer, offered Howe and his family an experimental stem cell treatment. The procedure involved millions of neural stem cells injected into his spinal column. He started exhibiting results within days.

Jose Contreras was suffering from chronic pain in his joints, and was among one of the first high-profile athletes to try PRP therapy as an alternative to surgery and other invasive procedures.

Daisuke Matsuzaka was the highly fought-for pitcher in 2006. He is also one of the major league athletes who had PRP therapy for painful joints.

The 82-year-old Nascar driver joined his wife in seeking stem cell treatments to better their health and regain some youth. Foyt had adult stem cells injected into his blood, ankle, and shoulder.

Jack Nicklaus is a golf legend with 120 professional tournament victories. He went through various medical procedures to help with his chronic joint pain and inflammation. In 2016, he tried stem cell therapy at the Isar Klinikum in Germany. The procedure used liposuctioned abdominal stem cells stained with Matrase to break down the fat tissue.

The tennis player Rafael Nadal had stem cell treatment for back ailments. Stem cells were injected into a joint in his spine to help repair the cartilage. He had also received a similar procedure for his knee the year before.

Stem cell therapies now offer novel alternatives to many surgical procedures. With more and more athletes exploring these types of treatments, they will play an increasingly important role in the future of sports injuries at both the amateur and professional level.

Do you know of other athletes who have undergone stem cell treatments? Mention them in the comments section below.

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38 Pro Athletes Who Have Had Stem Cell Treatments

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