StemCell Therapy

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) and kidney failure are common conditions, associated with 12% of cardiovascular and all-cause mortality. End stage renal disease (ESRD), or kidney failure, accounts for 6% of the Medicare spending in the United States. The major causes of kidney failure are hypertension and diabetes mellitus.

Current treatment options often fail due to the progression of renal disease. The pathology involves tubulointerstitial fibrosis, oxidative damage, glomerular fibrosis, and microvascular rarefaction. The kidneys have intrinsic regenerative capacity, which allows them to recover after minimal injury. The regenerative potential of these organs is limited, however.

How Stem Cells Work

Stem cell transplant and infusions are now being used to treat kidney failure with positive outcomes. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) produce cytokines and growth factors that support hematopoiesis. These cells can transform into renal epithelial cells, functional mesangial cells, and tubular cells. Research shows that each stem cell viability is 95%, and injections work 99% of the time. MSCs have ability to reduce inflammatory response, reduce apoptosis, and increase renal function recovery.

Most chronic kidney disease patients are treated with stem cells and show improvement in the following areas:

Clinical Research Studies

Stem cells are isolated from bone marrow aspirate or fat tissue (adipose) via liposuction. These cells possess unique immunomodulatory properties that relieve inflammation, and they can facilitate renal tissue repair. Several clinical studies have proved that stem cells are safe and effective for treating renal failure. Some research suggests that stem cells can change into ectodermal and endodermal lineages, and secrete growth factors, cytokines, and chemokines.

In a recent clinical study, researchers found that stem cells possessed a high potential for angiogenesis (vessel re-growth). In addition, investigators noted local tissue turnover and repair of kidney damage after stem cell therapy. The cells were also noted to go to the site of kidney injury. The stem cells are known to release dozens of active biological factors that act on local cell dynamics, reduce inflammation, lessen fibrosis, and recruit resident progenitor cells.

A phase 1 research study involved stem cell infusions given one week after kidney transplant surgery. The researchers found that they decreased graft rejection, and both patients had excellent kidney function at the 1-year follow-up evaluation. The patients also recovered faster from surgery, had less complications, and few adverse effects. Another similar study involving five people with renal failure involved administration of stem cell injections. Six months after transplant, a noted immunomodulatory effect was noted.

Another clinical study showed feasibility and safety of stem cell infusion for the treatment of renal disease. The study involved several cohort patients, as well as a control group. The stem cells were infused through the renal artery. At the 1-year follow-up, researchers noted a beneficial effect and reduced dosage requirement of immunosuppressive drugs. These clinical trials prove effectiveness and safety of stem cell therapy for renal diseases. Notable findings include improved resolution of tubular atrophy and interstitial fibrosis, as well as decreased risk of infection, positive effects of infusion, and lower incidence of acute rejection.

Stem cell therapy for kidney failure is treated at various R3 Stem Cell Centers of Excellence. The treatments are often effective at helping the kidney function better and preventing the need for dialysis. See if you are a candidate by completing the form HERE!

Resources

Peired AJ, Sisti A, & Romagnani P (2016). Mesenchymal Stem Cell-Based Therapy for Kidney Disease: A Review of Clinical Evidence. Stem Cells Int, 4798639.

Perico N, Casiraghi F, Introna M, Gotti E, Todeschini M, Cavinato RA, et al. Autologous mesenchymal stromal cells and kidney transplantation: a pilot study of safety and clinical feasibility.Clin J Am Soc Nephrol.2011;6:412422

Reinders ME, de Fijter JW, Roelofs H, Bajema IM, de Vries DK, Schaapherder AF, et al. Autologous bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stromal cells for the treatment of allograft rejection after renal transplantation: results of a phase I study.Stem Cells Transl Med.2013;2:107111.

Tan J, Wu W, Xu X, Liao L, Zheng F, Messinger S, et al. Induction therapy with autologous mesenchymal stem cells in living-related kidney transplants: a randomized controlled trial.JAMA.2012;307:11691177.

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Kidney Failure | R3 Stem Cell

Usually in late stage kidney disease the patient is faced with making choices like choosing between dialysis and/or kidney transplant. Patients that have very low glomerular filtration rates, high abnormal BUN and Creatine; Albuminuria are excellent candidates for stem cell treatment.

Patients from the age of five to eighty with chronic kidney disease that are candidates for dialysis or transplants should consider stem cell therapy. This is particularly true with individuals that have persistent impaired renal function. To evaluate your condition, it would be desirable for us to review a report on either a renal ultrasound or renal scan.The source of the stem cells is umbilical cord blood and of your own adipose tissue (fat). The blood is carefully screened to rule out HIV, Hepatitis B and C.

The entire treatment process can be done in one day with very little downtime. In some cases, the treatment may be repeated the next day in the same fashion.Post procedure, the patient is followed once a month with standard kidney function tests including BUN, Creatinine, 24 hour creatinine clearance test and glomerular filtration rate to determine progress. Follow ups can be done by your local nephrologist.

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Kidney Disease > MyStemCellCare

Stem Cell Therapy and Kidney Failure

Kidney failure (or renal failure) is a condition in which the kidneys fail to function properly. Physiologically, renal failure is described as a decrease in blood filtration (glomerular filtration rate or GFR). Clinically, this is manifested in elevated serum creatinine. Still not well understood are many of the factors that are involved in kidney failure. Researchers are studying the effects of nutritional proteins and the concentration of cholesterol in the blood.

Acute renal failure: Some kidney problems happen quickly, such as from an accident that causes kidney damage. A great loss of blood can cause sudden kidney failure, also some drugs or poisons can cause the kidneys to stop working. Such sudden drops in kidney function are called acute renal failure.

Are you living with Kidney Failure? Call us today for a FREE consultation for stem cell therapy or fill out the Case Evaluation Form to begin.

Stem cells are harvested from the patients own bone marrow, which includes fresh cells, proteins, growth factors and other tools necessary to rebuild damaged tissue. Although these substances exist naturally in an individuals bone marrow, they are usually not released into a persons bloodstream in sufficient quantities to repair damage throughout the body.

By liberating the stem cells and relocating them to an affected area, stem cell treatment solves this problem and provides relief to damaged tissue.

This regenerative effect makes stem cell therapy an attractive treatment option for patients suffering from degenerative illnesses, including auto-immune disorders, aging and damage from disease.

ProgenCells procedures are scientifically designed and professionally followed; we have one goal in mind: substantial health improvement using stem cell therapy for people with Kidney Failure.

We do not suggest that patients substitute their current medical doctor or abandon current treatments. Since this is a long-term protocol, it is necessary for your current medical doctor to continue to follow up on your case.

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Stem Cell Therapy and Kidney Failure - ProgenCell

Using the latest regenerative medicine technology, at NSI Stem Cell, its our mission to improve the quality and quantity of the lives of our patients while avoiding invasive surgical techniques and harmful medications.

If your house is on fire, you call the fire department. However, you dont call the fire department to come and rebuild the damaged areas of your house. The same is true when living with chronic illness and injury. For crisis situations, different types of medication may be necessary, but medicine alone will not truly fix the problem. Instead, depending on your condition, its important to incorporate a variety of remedies including: diet, exercise, physical therapy and in some cases stem cell therapy.

Using the latest regenerative medicine technology, at NSI Stem Cell, its our mission to improve the quality and quantity of the lives of our patients while avoiding invasive surgical techniques and harmful medications.

We are home to doctors and clinicians that are seasoned, knowledgeable, and passionate about helping patients. We work hard to provide seamless, safe and effective care for each patient that walks through our doors with the most advanced technology available to reverse disease, repair tissue, and promote health.

Learn more about what NSI Stem Cell can do for you below.

We know you have many choices when it comes to stem cell centers, so why choose NSI Stem Cell? First, we provide extensive patient education. The honesty and education that we give empower our patients to make informed decisions that will benefit them and their health the most.

Chances are, youve seen numerous doctors and from that, have had no real success in alleviating pain and restoring function. At NSI Stem Cell, we know the importance of finding someone that not only understands your medical journey, but provides the very best individualized care possible.

During your first visit to NSI Stem Cell, our doctors will provide a physical exam as well as go over the patients in-depth medical history. Additionally, the patients desires and expected outcomes can be discussed at length. Our medical team will spend as much time as necessary with each patient in order to ensure a proper diagnosis as well as educate the patient thoroughly on their condition as well as their available options.

NSI Stem Cell Services Include:

Stem Cell TherapyPlatelet Rich Plasma (PRP) Blood Injection TherapyFunctional RehabilitationNutritional Counseling

Because our consultations are done on an individual level, we are able to create precise programs such as a combination of the services listed above to help you regain function and return to everyday activities.

What I like about the [NSI Stem Cell] office is the professionalism, the care, the support, the answers to my questions and the continuing help whenever I need it. Leah

Over the last four years I have been suffering from pain, burning, numbness to the point where I couldnt get out of bed, couldnt function, couldnt work. Through all the many doctors that I visited over the years they gave me all kinds of medications where I had terrible reactions from them, ended up in the hospital and I couldnt function anymore. When I finally came to NSI, they gave me a program, and I felt wonderful. All my pain, all my numbness has disappeared. Im off all kinds of medications, Ive lost a lot of weight and I feel absolutely wonderful. Ths staff is awesome, the doctor is awesome, Im just so thankful that I found them. Connie

Click here to listen to additional stem cell success stories and testimonials

How are stem cells used? Stem cells make it possible for the body to regenerate and heal itself after an injury or illness. When stem cells are harvested from the patient and injected back in, they heal damaged tissues and regenerate new healthy tissue. Better yet, because stem cells use your body to heal itself, they contain the building blocks for optimal health.

Stem cells are important because they are changing how patients heal from chronic illness and/or injury. Stem cells are also multi-potent meaning they have the ability to differentiate into muscle tendons, ligaments, bone, tissue and cartilage. They are key in helping a wound heal and/or repairing damage brought on by disease. Furthermore, unlike invasive surgeries, stem cell therapy has no recovery time.

The first successful cell transplantation happened in 1956, as Dr. E. Donnall Thomas performed the first successful bone marrow transplant between identical twins, where a healthy twin gave their bone marrow to the other twin who suffered from leukemia. The practice continued to evolve over the decades and in 2006, it was discovered that stem cells can be harvested from adult patients.

Stem cells are a naturally occurring cell type that can be found all throughout the human body. Adult stem cells are found in the bone marrow, but they are also abundantly stored in the fatty layer that lies just beneath the skin. In addition, stores of stem cells remain in the body throughout life. Bone marrow and adipose (fat) are the two most commonly used stem cells in stem cell therapy.

Have more questions? Contact us today to see how stem cell therapy can help your condition.

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About NSI Stem Cell | Natural Stem Cell Therapy Therapy ...

How Stem Cell Therapy Saves Patients with Kidney Failure

Stem cells are original cells that can differentiate into tissue functional cells. Abnormal creatinine level reflects kidney function decline (kidney cells necrosis), so stem cell treatment is conducted to replenish the absolute number of kidney cells to promote kidney function. Two type of stem cells will be used in your case, one is for promoting kidney function, and another is to replenish effective blood volume to alleviate your decrease in HGB level. Adult stem cells are transfused into the body through intravenous drip, like blood transfusion, and then stem cells reach the kidneys through blood circulation. This conduction requires no surgical operation. One stem cell treatment takes about one hour.

As mentioned above, stem cells reach the kidneys through blood circulation, which requires certain blood flow into kidneys or, in other words, certain remaining kidney function. Thousands of patients received stem cell therapy in our hospitals. The curative effect is closely related to patients remaining kidney function. For end stage kidney failure patients, this therapy helps them get rid of dialysis or reducing the frequency of dialysis. For early stage kidney failure patients, this therapy blocks kidney function from further decline and promotes and maintains kidney function to near normal level, so the patient can live a normal life without worrying about kidney function decline to end stage.

Stem Cells Therapy Offers New Hope For Kidney Disease Patients

Kidney failure or Renal failure is a serious medical condition where the kidneys fail to properly filter toxins and waste material from circulating blood. The two forms are acute and chronic where chronic kidney disease or health problems may cause renal failure. Problems associated with kidney problems include abnormal fluid and acid levels in the body, abnormal levels of potassium, calcium, phosphate. Long-term kidney problems have significant affects on other diseases, such as cardiovascular disease.

Stem Cell Treatment is the newest method in treating mild to end-stage kidney failure. Stem Cell Therapy is really effective in treating kidney failure. Usually people with End-Stage Kidney Failure should take dialysis and kidney transplantation. Stem cell treatment should be done before such drastic measures but can be done after and help patients off dialysis.

The stem cells have two characteristics: self- renew and differentiation. When Stem Cells Transplant into kidneys and human body, it will proliferate and differentiate into healthy immunocyte. The stem cells can rebuild your immune function, make your body produce antibodies, and express its immune function. So this pathogenic antibody was inhibited, so as to achieve the goal of regulating and controlling immune. At the same time, the stem cells constantly repair nephrocyte; the glomerular basement membranes also will be repaired. The symptoms such as urinary protein and occult blood will gradually disappear.

Stem Cell Treatment is characterized with safety, simpleness and effectiveness. Above all, there are no side effects with Stem Cell Treatment or harm to kidneys.

Type of Injection - Local Injection x 2 times Intravenous (IV) Injection x 2 times

Adjuvant Therapy :

Rehabilitation therapy Chinese traditional medicine to recuperate

The payment includes:Stem cell implantation :Physiotherapy and occupational therapy sessions, from Monday to Friday,Traditional Chinese medicineAccommodation for the patient AND for 1 or 2 accompanying family members.General medical services ; Doctor's visits and examinations, laboratory tests, etc

Foreign patient services:

Our international department team helps our foreign patients handle all the communication aspects of getting medical treatment in a foreign country. Staff is ready to help with everything from communicating with the medical team, nurses, and caregivers to daily needs like shopping, going to the bank, or making visa arrangements. We also provide transportation from the airport to the hospital upon arrival and make all necessary arrangements for transportation to the airport upon completion of the treatment.

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Stem Cell Therapy for Kidney Failure-Hope Medical Group

Stem Cell Therapy For COPD is the most advanced and modern approach available for treatingChronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), to address pulmonary conditions such as COPD, pulmonary fibrosis, chronic bronchitis, emphysema, and interstitial lung disease.*

Furthermore, according to the COPD Foundation, many people mistake their increased breathlessness with aging, when really, it could be an early symptom of COPD. COPD can develop with little to no previous symptoms, so its important to talk to your doctor when these symptoms arise.

If you are looking for the ultimate relief from your COPD, and want to breathe easier, keep reading to learn more about your treatment options.

The COPD Foundation reports that an estimated 30 million individuals in the U.S. suffer from COPD. COPD is the third leading cause of death in the U.S. Whats worse is that over half of the people that have symptoms do not know it. In Florida, 7.1 percent are affected by COPD, while Kentucky is the state with the highest COPD presence, with 9.3 percent.

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Stem Cell Therapy For COPD - NSI Stem Cell

Stem Cell 100+? is a multi-pathway stem cell activator that acts on many critical mechanisms of anti-aging and regeneration. More powerful and faster acting than the original Stem Cell 100? it promotes:

(1) Stem Cell Support. Adult stem cell function declines with age. Rejuvenating your stem cells is the key to cell renewal, support for recovery from disease or injury, and longevity.

Stem Cell 100+? is an innovative first-in-its-class stem cell activator. It was designed as a synergistic herbal supplement for stimulating your stem cells at the molecular level. Stem Cell 100+? has special nutraceutical grade components and is backed by multiple genetic studies on both animals and human stem cells.

(2) Telomere support. Research indicates that the ends of chromosomes (i.e. telomeres) play a vital role in aging. Stem Cell 100+ helps support longer telomeres.

(3) Chronic Stress is strongly correlated with aging and disease. In the modern world and our overly active lives, it is hard to avoid repeated stressful situations. Stem Cell 100+? has a major component that stimulates the anti-stress parasympathetic nervous system to reduce the harmful effects of excessive stress.

(4) Stem Cell 100+? has components to help maintain healthy inflammation levels.

(5) Modulating insulin-like growth factor and energy metabolism. Research shows that high levels of insulin-like growth factor and energy metabolism promote rapid aging. Stem Cell 100+? has several substances that strongly stimulate the genes AMPK, SERT1 and FOXO, which reduce insulin-like growth factor and modulate energy metabolism so as to slow cellular damage and aging.

(6) Inhibiting the mTOR gene. As one ages, your cells lose much of their ability to get rid of damaged proteins and fats. In mouse experiments involving inhibition of the mTOR gene, lifespan increased some 28%. Stem Cell 100+? has a potent inhibitor of the mTOR gene, which enhances lifespan.

(7) Helps maintain youthful vascular circulation by promoting genes like endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) that protect the arteries, capillaries, and veins of the cardiovascular system.

(8) Activation of AMPK. Stem Cell 100+ has several herbal components that activate AMPK, which is an enzyme that plays a key role in energy metabolism and has been shown to greatly extend lifespan in mice when activated.

(9) Activation of SIRT1. SIRT1 is a sirtuin factor that acts epigenetically on genes and genetic repair. Stem Cell 100+ promotes SIRT1 function, which is associated with life extension in various animal models of aging.

(10) Protection of neural function and neural connections, which tend to decline with age

(11) Lowers oxidative stress by modulating Nrf2 and NFkB, which are the master genes regulating the levels of oxidative stress and cell survival.

Developed by experts in the anti-aging field, patent-pending Stem Cell 100? is the only supplement proven to double maximum lifespan of an animal model[49]. No other product or therapy including caloric restriction even comes close.

Harness the Power of Your Own Stem Cells

Millions of people suffer from chronic conditions of aging and disease. Based on international scientific studies in many academic and industry laboratories, there is new hope that many of the conditions afflicting mankind can some day be cured or greatly improved using stem cell regenerative medicine. Stem Cell 100? offers a way to receive some of the benefits of stem cell therapy today by improving the effectiveness of your own adult stem cells.

Stem Cell 100+? Helps to Support:

The statements above have not been reviewed by the FDA. Stem Cell 100? is not a preventive or treatment for any disease.

Stem Cell 100? works differently than other stem cell products on the market

You may have seen a number of products that are advertised as stimulating or enhancing the number of stem cells. Each person only has a limited number of stem cells so using them up faster may not be a good strategy.

Stem Cell 100? is about improving the effectiveness and longevity of your stem cells as well as preserving the stem cell micro-environment. That should be the goal of any effective stem cell therapy and is what Stem Cell 100? is designed to do and what other stem cell products cannot do.

Supplement Facts

Stem Cell 100+? is a patent-pending Life Code? nutraceutical made with all vegetarian ingredients.

All Life Code? products are nutraceutical grade and provide the best of science along with the balance of nature.

Serving Size: One type O capsule

Servings Per Container: 60 Capsules

Recommended Use: Typical usage of Stem Cell 100+? is two capsules per day, preferably at meal times. While both capsules can be taken at the same time, it is preferable to separate the two capsules by at least 4 hours. Since Stem Cell 100+? is a potent formulation, do not take more than three capsules per day. One capsule per day may be sufficient for those below 110 pounds. Taking one capsule with breakfast and one capsule with lunch or dinner may be optimal.

Recommended Users: Anyone over age 21 could benefit from Stem Cell 100+?. Those in their 20s and 30s will like the boost in endurance during sports or exercise, while older users will notice better energy and general health with the potential for some weight loss.

Stem Cell 100 Plus+? is a more powerful and faster acting version of Stem Cell 100?.

Click label to enlarge

Active Stem Cell 100+ Ingredients: There are 12 herbal extracts in Stem Cell 100+ along with two nutraceutical grade coenzymated vitamins Methyl Folate (5-MTHF) and Methyl B12 that are more bioavailable and highly potent but rarely found in nutritional supplements. Stem Cell 100+ also gives 2000 Units/day of Vitamin D3, which is a hormone-like factor required for youthful vitality.

The highly extracted natural herbs are standardized for active components that promote adult stem cells and help maintain healthy inflammation. They have been tested as a synergistic herbal formulation with the most effective dosage of each component:

1) Polysaccharides, flavonoids, and astragalosides extracted from Astragalus membranaceus, which has many positive effects on stem cells and the cardiovascular and immune systems. Astragalus has been used for thousands of years in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) to promote cardiovascular and immune health. Astragalus is also known as a primary stimulator of Qi (Life Force). Life Code uses a high quality proprietary TCM extract that tested highest in our longevity experiments.

2) Rodiola Rosea extract standardized for active Rosavin flavonoids. Clinical studies with Rodiola Rosea have shown improved mood and reduced levels of fatigue and C-Reactive Protein, while boosting cognition and subjective well-being.

3) Proprietary natural bilberry flavonoids and other compounds from a stabilized nutraceutical grade medicinal Vaccinium extract. Activate metabolic PPARS and helps produce healthy levels of cholesterol and inflammation. Also has anti-fungal and anti-viral activity.

4) Tulsi leaf extract (Holy Basil) is an adaptogenic herb used in Indian Ayurvedic medicine to promote healing, support the bodys natural immune system, improve a persons ability to tolerate stress and improve neural health.

5) Flavonoids and oligo-proanthocyanidins (OPCs) extracted from Pine Bark, which promote the vascular system and reduce oxidative stress, DNA damage, and inflammation.

6) L-Theanine, which is a natural amino acid from Camellia sinesis that reduces mental stress and inflammation while improving cognition and protecting brain cells from ischemic or toxic injury. Life Code tested supplement with Mass Spec to verify high purity.

7) Genistein, which is an isoflavone phytoestrogen, activates telomerase, metabolic PPARs, autophagy (cell waste disposal), and smooth muscles. It also inhibits DNA methylation and the carbohydrate transporter GLUT1. Life Code tested the supplement with a Mass Spec to verify high purity.

8) Two stable resveratrol analogs from extracts of Pterocarpus Marsupium, which promote stem cells, lower inflammation, and better metabolism. . Life Code uses a highly purified proprietary source that is only available to Indian doctors. Life Code does not recommend taking resveratrol supplements or synthetic analogs, as these supplements are inherently unstable.

9) Harataki Extract (aka Terminalia chebula) contains rejuvenating tannin flavonoids that have doubled human cell longevity in culture while maintaining telomere length. In Traditional Indian Medicine, Harataki has been used to help the skin and heart, among many other uses.

10) He-Shou-Wu is one of the most widely used Chinese herbal medicines to restore blood, kidney, liver, and cardiovascular health. He-Shou-Wu is claimed to have powerful rejuvenating effects on the brain, endocrine glands, the immune system, and sexual vigor.

Legend has it that Professor Li Chung Yun took daily doses to live to 256 years and is said to have outlived 23 wives and spawned 11 generations of descendants before his death in 1933. While it is unlikely that he really lived to such an old age, there is scientific support for He-Shou-Wu as beneficial for health and longevity. Life Code? uses a proprietary TCM He-Shou-Wu root extract.

11) Rubus Chingil fruit is known in TCM for promoting liver and kidney health.

12) Drynaria Rhizome is used extensively in TCM as an effective herb for healing bones, ligaments, tendons, and lower back problems. Eastern martial art practitioners have used Drynaria for thousands of years to help in recovering from sprains, bruises, and stress fractures. The active components of Drynaria protect bone forming cells by enhancing calcium absorption and other mechanisms.

Drynaria is also reported to act as a kidney tonic and to promote hair growth and wound healing. Life Code uses a proprietary TCM Drynaria rhizome extract.

BioPerine is a proprietary brand of peperine extracted from black pepper. BioPerine has been shown to enhance bioavailability of herbal extracts. Piperine has been shown in rats to have cognitive enhancing effects and to help maintain healthy inflammation levels.

Safety: The extracts in Stem Cell 100+? are nutraceutical grade and have been lab tested and individually tested in both animals and humans without significant safety issues. Those with pre-existing conditions of diabetes or hypertension should coordinate this product with your doctor, as lower blood glucose or reduced blood pressure can result from taking the recommended dose of this product.

Warnings: may lower glucose and/or blood pressure in some individuals. The supplement is not recommended for pregnant, lactating, or hypoglycemic individuals.

References

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36. Sugiura, H., et al., [Effects of exercise in the growing stage in mice and of Astragalus membranaceus on immune functions]. Nippon Eiseigaku Zasshi, 1993. 47(6): p. 1021-31.

37. Cho, W.C. and K.N. Leung, In vitro and in vivo anti-tumor effects of Astragalus membranaceus. Cancer Lett, 2007. 252(1): p. 43-54.

38. Kong, X., et al., Effects of Chinese herbal medicinal ingredients on peripheral lymphocyte proliferation and serum antibody titer after vaccination in chicken. Int Immunopharmacol, 2004. 4(7): p. 975-82.

39. Takagi, Y., et al., Combined administration of (L)-cystine and (L)-theanine enhances immune functions and protects against influenza virus infection in aged mice. J Vet Med Sci, 2010. 72(2): p. 157-65.

40. Tin, M.M., et al., Astragalus saponins induce growth inhibition and apoptosis in human colon cancer cells and tumor xenograft. Carcinogenesis, 2007. 28(6): p. 1347-55.

41. Mannal, P.W., et al., Pterostilbene inhibits pancreatic cancer in vitro. J Gastrointest Surg, 2010. 14(5): p. 873-9.

42. Paul, S., et al., Dietary intake of pterostilbene, a constituent of blueberries, inhibits the {beta}-catenin/p65 downstream signaling pathway and colon carcinogenesis in rats. Carcinogenesis, 2010.

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Stem Cell 100+ | Life Code

Kidney Disease is a chronic degenerative disease caused by several factors, among which are the characteristics of diabetes mellitus complications, congenital conditions, to infections in the urinary tract, and for which no viable alternatives existed for treatment.

Stem Cells Treatments in Mexico for Kidney Failure

There is a belief that the deterioration of the kidneys caused by renal failure is an irreversible process, where patients with this disease, have to undergo necessarily a kidney replacement therapy, assisted by a machine he had , whose function is to filter waste from the blood, the kidney itself no longer can.

In our stem cells clinic in Mexico we have developed, the only therapy with provable results in regeneration of kidneys, stopping the progression of the disease and increasing the kidney function in our patients preventing them to enter in hemodialysis.

With the Cell Regeneration Therapy in our Mexicos clinic, we have managed to increase kidney function of patients had less than half its Operation Renal.

Important considerations Patient with Chronic Renal Failure:

Patients with Renal Insufficiency entering dialysis process, must attend 1 to 3 times weekly sessions lasting between 2 and 3 hours to clean your body of toxins that your kidney can no longer remove.

Unfortunately this temporary process can only be a maximum of two to three years before the patient needs a kidney transplant, and that waiting times from an anonymous donor, the kidney is usually donated by a healthy family.

Today this process can be avoided and regenerating the kidney of the patient and at the same time attacking the causes of deterioration.

For more information about kidney failure treatment with stem cells please contact us in our telephone +1 832-384-4278.

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Kidney Failure Stem Cells Treatment | Mexstemcells

Kidney Disease

Kidney disorders are classified as either acute or chronic. Renal diseaseconsidered to be acute is characterized by temporary loss of kidney functions, usually due to illness, injury, or a side effect of medications or other medical procedures. Chronic kidney diseasesare those illnesses that affect the kidneys for more than 3 months and worsens over time and usually progresses slowly. The disease as a whole, whether acute or chronic, is often asymptomatic, meaning there are few warning signs early on- in fact, most kidney issues are caught during normal lab testing of blood or urine samples. The underlying causes of kidney disease usually are related to unusual immune conditions, urinary tract infections, infections or inflammation, environmental toxins, exposure to pollution, congenital birth defects, side effects of medications, or the overuse of certain potent drugs and medication.

New focus on treating kidney disease and stem cell treatment advances are the focus of our team of experts here at NSI. Though there is no cure for kidney failure and advanced kidney disease, there is promising results already seen when treating kidney damage with stem cells. Stem cells are the naive cells of the body, which can be differentiated into many cells upon proper activation. This means a group of stem cells taken from fatty deposits in the body could be activated and used to regrow kidney cells and tissue to improve healing and overall health if the kidneys after chronic or acute kidney disease has taken its toll. Although a lot of research is still needed and being conducted, stem cells are showing that they can help to stop the progression and improve healing from thedisease. In time, it may be possible to use stem cells to stop the disease and even reverse the damage to the point that a cure could be developed.

Many case studies and trials are being conducted across the country to better understand how stem cells improve kidney health and how they can be used to fight renal diseases. Here at NSI Stem Cell Centers we have helped patients with a variety of types and stages of kidney disease discover a better quality of life! The first step to finding out if stem cells are a possible treatment option for your unique case is to meet with one of our medical experts to address your overall health and to review your health history and family background with you. Once your consultation appointment has been completed and you are approved the process then begins and step two of treating kidney damage with stem cells can begin. Many of our patients have found that fighting kidney disease and stem cell treatment application can indeed help them feel better and enjoy life more!

Stem cells occur naturally throughout the body, but can be found in greater concentrations in certain staging areas in the human body. The most common course for harvesting stem cells include bone marrow, fat cells, and spinal fluid. The cells are harvested and concentrated into a slurry- sometimes additional blood and plasma, platelets can be added to the slurry to improve its potency. This is then injected into the targeted area to deliver a power punch of healing replicating cells that then go to work repairing damaged cells and tissues. For kidney patients, this means repairing damage to the various structures and cellular bodies that help the kidney function and do its job.

Once stem cells are ready to be injected back into the body, there are two main methods for delivery into the body:

Intravenous Injection The stem cell slurry is injected through the veins near the target location so the blood flow can carry the stem cells to the correct area.

Intra-Arterial Injection The infusion of stem cells is administered through the use of a catheter directly into the renal artery for faster and wider spread delivery.

Post treatment recovery is usually very promising and the outlook positive. People usually see results within a day or two in regards to lessening pain and a decrease in severity of major symptoms. Most patients are asked to visit the doctors for additional services such as physical therapy, psychological evaluations, and additional therapy and assistance. Some patients will need follow-up treatments and most will need several injections of stem cells in order to see full healing potential achieved.

Long-term, it is not known whether repeat treatments are beneficial for prolonging results are improving them even more, but additional studies are being done and with more research and study, we can begin to understand how treating kidney damage with stem cells can improve even more and impact even more lives. The NSI Stem Cell Center is committed to kidney disease and stem cell treatments and are proud to be leading the way in this new and exciting field of stem cell research.

While there is no known cure for kidney failure, much research has been done and now we understand that kidney disease and stem cell treatments go hand in hand. Here at NSI we are working to unlock the secrets that stem cells hold and to discover the answer for better treatments or even for a cure in the future. We are proud to be leaders in the development of stem cell application for kidney disease treatments. To learn more about treating kidney damage with stem cells, call and set up your consultation appointment with us and see if stem cells are the answer to your kidney disease issues and can give you back the quality of life you want!

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Stem Cell For Kidney Disease | NSI Stem Cell

Researchers have found a way to transform ordinary cells from pigs into powerful stem cells in a move that may have implications for human health.

With these stem cells, they hope to modify porcine genes that are related to the immune system so that its organs may some day be used for people in need of transplants.

In an article published in the Journal of Molecular Cell Biology, the researchers from China described how they managed to re-programme ordinary cells taken from the ear and bone marrow of a 10-week-old pig using a virus.

"The cells changed and developed in the laboratory into colonies of embryonic-like stem cells," wrote the researchers, led by Xiao Lei, who heads the stem cell lab at the Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology.

Embryonic stem cells are capable of developing into any type of cell in the body.

"The research could open the way to creating models for human genetic diseases, genetically engineering animals for organ transplants for humans, and for developing pigs that are resistant to diseases such as swine flu," they said.

The researchers also hope to use their discovery to improve pig farming.

Commenting on this latest development, Chris Mason, professor of Regenerative Medicine at the University College London, said it would help in the treatment of organ failure.

"This breakthrough to produce pig stem cells potentially reinvigorates the quest to grow humanised pig organs such as pancreases for diabetics and kidneys for chronic renal failure," said Mason, who was not involved in the Chinese study. (Reporting by Tan Ee Lyn; Editing by Jon Hemming) - Reuters

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Pig stem cells a new reality? - Independent Online

Keryx Biopharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: KERX) and PTC Therapeutics (NASDAQ:PTCT) are both small-cap medical companies, but which is the superior stock? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their profitability, dividends, valuation, institutional ownership, analyst recommendations, earnings and risk.

Insider and Institutional Ownership

65.2% of Keryx Biopharmaceuticals shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 81.4% of PTC Therapeutics shares are held by institutional investors. 3.1% of Keryx Biopharmaceuticals shares are held by insiders. Comparatively, 8.1% of PTC Therapeutics shares are held by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, hedge funds and large money managers believe a company is poised for long-term growth.

Analyst Ratings

This is a summary of recent ratings for Keryx Biopharmaceuticals and PTC Therapeutics, as provided by MarketBeat.

Keryx Biopharmaceuticals currently has a consensus price target of $7.50, indicating a potential downside of 1.19%. PTC Therapeutics has a consensus price target of $15.44, indicating a potential downside of 28.53%. Given Keryx Biopharmaceuticals stronger consensus rating and higher possible upside, equities analysts clearly believe Keryx Biopharmaceuticals is more favorable than PTC Therapeutics.

Earnings and Valuation

This table compares Keryx Biopharmaceuticals and PTC Therapeutics revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

PTC Therapeutics has higher revenue and earnings than Keryx Biopharmaceuticals. PTC Therapeutics is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Keryx Biopharmaceuticals, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Profitability

This table compares Keryx Biopharmaceuticals and PTC Therapeutics net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

Risk & Volatility

Keryx Biopharmaceuticals has a beta of 5.24, suggesting that its share price is 424% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, PTC Therapeutics has a beta of 1.39, suggesting that its share price is 39% more volatile than the S&P 500.

Summary

PTC Therapeutics beats Keryx Biopharmaceuticals on 7 of the 12 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Keryx Biopharmaceuticals

Keryx Biopharmaceuticals, Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of medicines for people with renal disease. The Company is engaged in the manufacture, development and commercialization of products for use in treating human diseases. Its marketed product, Auryxia (ferric citrate), which is an orally available, absorbable, iron-based medicine is approved in the United States for the control of serum phosphorus levels in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) on dialysis. Auryxia is marketed in Japan under the brand name Riona. It is investigating the use of ferric citrate for the treatment of iron deficiency anemia (IDA) in adults with non-dialysis dependent (NDD), CKD and NDD-CKD. It focuses on Keryx Patient Plus program to assist with patient accessibility to Auryxia. It has completed a Phase II clinical trial and a Phase III clinical trial of ferric citrate to gain Food and Drug Administration approval to use ferric citrate in patients with NDD-CKD.

About PTC Therapeutics

PTC Therapeutics, Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company. The Company is focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of medicines using its expertise in ribonucleic acid (RNA) biology. Its product pipeline includes Ataluren (Translarna), PTC596 and RG7916. Its product candidate, ataluren, is an orally administered small-molecule compound for the treatment of patients with genetic disorders due to a nonsense mutation. Ataluren is in clinical development for the treatment of Duchenne muscular dystrophy caused by a nonsense mutation (nmDMD) and cystic fibrosis caused by a nonsense mutation (nmCF). PTC596 is an orally active small molecule that targets tumor stem cell populations by reducing the function, activity and amount of BMI1. RG7916 is an investigational oral therapeutic, which is in two clinical studies: SUNFISH, a trial in childhood onset (Type II/III) spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) patients, and FIREFISH, a trial in infant onset (Type I) SMA patients.

Receive News & Ratings for Keryx Biopharmaceuticals Inc. Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Keryx Biopharmaceuticals Inc. and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.

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Contrasting PTC Therapeutics (NASDAQ:PTCT) & Keryx Biopharmaceuticals (KERX) - The Ledger Gazette

PTC Therapeutics (NASDAQ: PTCT) and Keryx Biopharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:KERX) are both small-cap medical companies, but which is the better investment? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their profitability, analyst recommendations, earnings, institutional ownership, dividends, valuation and risk.

Institutional and Insider Ownership

81.4% of PTC Therapeutics shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 65.2% of Keryx Biopharmaceuticals shares are held by institutional investors. 8.1% of PTC Therapeutics shares are held by insiders. Comparatively, 3.1% of Keryx Biopharmaceuticals shares are held by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, endowments and hedge funds believe a company will outperform the market over the long term.

Volatility & Risk

PTC Therapeutics has a beta of 1.39, indicating that its stock price is 39% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Keryx Biopharmaceuticals has a beta of 5.23, indicating that its stock price is 423% more volatile than the S&P 500.

Analyst Recommendations

This is a summary of recent recommendations for PTC Therapeutics and Keryx Biopharmaceuticals, as provided by MarketBeat.com.

PTC Therapeutics currently has a consensus target price of $15.44, suggesting a potential downside of 26.21%. Keryx Biopharmaceuticals has a consensus target price of $7.50, suggesting a potential downside of 1.32%. Given Keryx Biopharmaceuticals stronger consensus rating and higher probable upside, analysts clearly believe Keryx Biopharmaceuticals is more favorable than PTC Therapeutics.

Profitability

This table compares PTC Therapeutics and Keryx Biopharmaceuticals net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

Earnings & Valuation

This table compares PTC Therapeutics and Keryx Biopharmaceuticals top-line revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

PTC Therapeutics has higher revenue and earnings than Keryx Biopharmaceuticals. PTC Therapeutics is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Keryx Biopharmaceuticals, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Summary

PTC Therapeutics beats Keryx Biopharmaceuticals on 7 of the 12 factors compared between the two stocks.

About PTC Therapeutics

PTC Therapeutics, Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company. The Company is focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of medicines using its expertise in ribonucleic acid (RNA) biology. Its product pipeline includes Ataluren (Translarna), PTC596 and RG7916. Its product candidate, ataluren, is an orally administered small-molecule compound for the treatment of patients with genetic disorders due to a nonsense mutation. Ataluren is in clinical development for the treatment of Duchenne muscular dystrophy caused by a nonsense mutation (nmDMD) and cystic fibrosis caused by a nonsense mutation (nmCF). PTC596 is an orally active small molecule that targets tumor stem cell populations by reducing the function, activity and amount of BMI1. RG7916 is an investigational oral therapeutic, which is in two clinical studies: SUNFISH, a trial in childhood onset (Type II/III) spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) patients, and FIREFISH, a trial in infant onset (Type I) SMA patients.

About Keryx Biopharmaceuticals

Keryx Biopharmaceuticals, Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of medicines for people with renal disease. The Company is engaged in the manufacture, development and commercialization of products for use in treating human diseases. Its marketed product, Auryxia (ferric citrate), which is an orally available, absorbable, iron-based medicine is approved in the United States for the control of serum phosphorus levels in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) on dialysis. Auryxia is marketed in Japan under the brand name Riona. It is investigating the use of ferric citrate for the treatment of iron deficiency anemia (IDA) in adults with non-dialysis dependent (NDD), CKD and NDD-CKD. It focuses on Keryx Patient Plus program to assist with patient accessibility to Auryxia. It has completed a Phase II clinical trial and a Phase III clinical trial of ferric citrate to gain Food and Drug Administration approval to use ferric citrate in patients with NDD-CKD.

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Critical Analysis: PTC Therapeutics (PTCT) & Keryx Biopharmaceuticals (KERX) - Dispatch Tribunal

UTRECHT, NetherlandsEls van der Heijden, who has cystic fibrosis, was finding it ever harder to breathe as her lungs are filled with thick, sticky mucus. Despite taking more than a dozen pills and inhalers a day, the 53-year-old had to stop working and scale back doing the thing she loved best, horseback riding.

Doctors saw no sense in trying an expensive new drug because it hasnt been proven to work in people with the rare type of cystic fibrosis that van der Heijden had.

Instead, they scraped a few cells from van der Heijden and used them to grow a mini version of her large intestine in a petri dish. When van der Heijdens mini gut responded to treatment, doctors knew it would help her, too.

I really felt, physically, like a different person, van der Heijden said after taking a drugand getting back in the saddle.

This experiment to help people with rare forms of cystic fibrosis in the Netherlands aims to grow mini intestines for every Dutch patient with the disease to figure out, in part, what treatment might work for them.

Its an early application of a technique now being worked on in labs all over the world, as researchers learn to grow organs outside of the body for treatmentand maybe someday for transplants.

So far, doctors have grown mini gutsjust the size of a pencil pointfor 450 of the Netherlandss roughly 1,500 cystic-fibrosis patients.

The mini guts are small, but they are complete, said Dr. Hans Clevers of the Hubrecht Institute, who pioneered the technique.

Except for muscles and blood vessels, the tiny organs have everything you would expect to see in a real gut, only on a really small scale.

These so-called organoids mimic features of full-size organs, but dont function the same way. Although many of the tiny replicas are closer to undeveloped organs found in an embryo than adult ones, they are helping scientists unravel how organs mature and providing clues on how certain diseases might be treated.

In Australia mini kidneys are being grown that could be used to test drugs. Researchers in the US are experimenting with tiny bits of livers that might be used to boost failing organs.

At Cambridge University in England, scientists have created hundreds of mini brains to study how neurons form and better understand disorders like autism. During the height of the Zika epidemic last year, mini brains were used to show the virus causes malformed brains in babies.

In the Netherlands the mini guts are used as a stand-in for cystic-fibrosis patients to see if those with rare mutations might benefit from a number of pricey drugs, including Orkambi.

Made by Vertex Pharmaceuticals, Orkambi costs about 100,000 per patient every year in some parts of Europe, and its more than double that in the US, which approved the drug in 2015.

Despite being initially rejected by the Dutch government for being too expensive, negotiations with Vertex were reopened in July.

Making a single mini gut and testing whether the patient would benefit from certain drugs costs a couple of thousand euros. The program is paid for by groups, including health-insurance companies, patient foundations and the government.

The idea is to find a possible treatment for patients, and avoid putting them on expensive drugs that wouldnt work for them. About 50 to 60 patients across the Netherlands have been treated after drugs were tested on organoids using their cells, said Dr. Kors van der Ent, a cystic fibrosis specialist at the Wilhelmina Childrens Hospital, who leads the research.

Clevers made a discovery about a decade ago that got researchers on their way. They found pockets of stem cells, which can turn into many types of other cells, in the gut. They then homed in a growing environment in the lab that spurred these cells to reproduce rapidly and develop.

To our surprise, the stem cells started building a mini version of the gut, Clevers recalled.

Cystic fibrosis is caused by mutations in a single gene that produces a protein called CFTR, responsible for balancing the salt content of cells lining the lungs and other organs.

To see if certain drugs might help cystic-fibrosis patients, the medicines are given to their custom-made organoids in the lab. If the mini organs puff up, its a sign the cells are now correctly balancing salt and water. That means the drugs are working, and could help the patient from whom the mini gut was made.

Researchers are also using the mini guts to try another approach they hope will someday work in peopleusing a gene-editing technique to repair the faulty cystic-fibrosis gene in the organoid cells.

Other experiments are under way in the Netherlands and the US to test whether organoids might help pinpoint treatments for cancers involving lungs, ovaries and pancreas.

While the idea sounds promising, some scientists said there are obstacles to using mini organs to study cancer.

Growing a mini-cancer tumor, for example, would be far more challenging because scientists have found it difficult to make tumors in the lab that behave like in real life, said Mathew Garnett of the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, who has studied cancer in mini organs but is not connected to Cleverss research.

Also, growing the cells and testing them must happen faster for cancer patients who might not have much time to live, he added.

Meanwhile, Clevers wants to one day make organs that are not so mini.

My dream would be to be able to custom-make organs, he said, imagining a future where doctors might have a freezer full of livers to choose from when sick patients arrive. Others said while such a vision is theoretically possible, huge hurdles remain.

There are still enormous challenges in tissue engineering with regards to the size of the structure were able to grow, said Jim Wells, a pediatrics professor at the Cincinnati Childrens Hospital Medical Center.

He added the mini organs are far smaller than what would be needed to transplant into people and its unclear if scientists can make a working, life-sized organ in the lab.

There are other limitations to growing miniature organs in a dish, Madeline Lancaster at Cambridge University said.

We can study physical changes and try to generate drugs that could prevent detrimental effects of disease, but we cant look at the complex interplay between organs and the body, she added.

For patients like van der Heijden, who was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis as a toddler, the research has helped her regain her strength. Vertex agreed to supply her with the drug.

It was like somebody opened the curtains and said, Sunshine, here I am, please come out and play. she said. Its strange to think this is all linked to some of my cells in a lab.

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Lab-made 'mini organs' helping doctors treat cystic fibrosis - Business Mirror

Newswise BIRMINGHAM, Ala. Biomedical engineering researchers will attack two banes of cardiovascular disease heart failure after heart attacks and the scourge of resistant high blood pressure with $4.8 million in National Institutes of Health grants that begin this fall.

One sign of the clinical significance of this research by the University of Alabama at Birmingham investigators are the percentile scores that Jianyi Jay Zhang, M.D., Ph.D., and Gangjian Qin, M.D., received in those two NIH grant applications.

Zhangs plan to dissect the mechanisms of electromechanical integration of a human heart-muscle patch to aid survival and stability of the patch garnered a 1 percentile score, the highest possible. Qins plan to dissect a novel molecular pathway in endothelial cells of arteries that appears to regulate contractile function and blood pressure has significant potential to improve human health from the disease and death caused by high blood pressure, NIH reviewers said, and Qin received a 2 percentile score.

Zhang, chair and professor of the UAB Department of Biomedical Engineering and holder of the T. Michael and Gillian Goodrich Endowed Chair of Engineering Leadership, will receive $2.5 million over four years. Qin, professor of biomedical engineering and director of the Molecular Cardiology Program, will receive $2.3 million over four years.

Zhang came to UAB in 2015 from the University of Minnesota Medical School with the goal of moving his work with engineered heart patches into human use within seven years. As chair of Biomedical Engineering, a joint department of the UAB School of Medicine and the UAB School of Engineering, Zhang has recruited top researchers, and he also was awarded $11 million of NIH funding in 2016 $8 million of which is shared in collaborations with University of Wisconsin and Duke University researchers.

One of the recent recruits to biomedical engineering is Qin, who serendipitously discovered a novel and fascinating line of research that may lead to new drugs for treatment-resistant high blood pressure, where existing blood pressure drugs are ineffective. People with resistant high blood pressure have increased risk of strokes, heart attacks, heart failure and arterial aneurysms, and high blood pressure is a leading cause of chronic kidney failure. Even moderately elevated arterial blood pressure shortens life expectancy.

At the time, Qin was interested in the often fatal heart failure that occurs months or years after heart attacks. He reasoned that growth of new blood vessels into the damaged heart tissue of the left ventricle could be boosted by altering the amounts of cell-cycle regulators in the E2F family of transcription factors, to speed division of cells in the endothelial tissue of arteries.

When he deleted one of the eight E2Fs that are found in mice and humans E2F2 it had no effect on cell growth. But unexpectedly, we found a striking function, Qin said. If you delete E2F2, the vessel is more contractile. It becomes rigid and hard, and this contributes to high blood pressure.

So we had a question: How does E2F2 interact with other molecules to regulate blood pressure? Qin did pull-down experiments with E2F2, where other proteins are flowed past tethered E2F2 molecules to see if any would bind. He found that a kinase enzyme called Sam68 did bind to the transcription factor.

When he knocked out the gene for Sam68 in mice, they had low blood pressure.

Ultimately, a series of experiments in Qins lab and observations of other laboratories suggested a previously unknown mechanism of blood pressure control that involves E2F2/Sam68 and the expression of endothelial converting enzyme 1b. ECE-1b affects the levels of peptides that constrict blood vessels and raise blood pressure. Dysregulation of this pathway may contribute to blood pressure disorders, especially hypertension.

Despite a strong correlation, the E2F2/Sam68-ECE-1b pathway has not explicitly been linked to blood pressure regulation, and the mechanisms of how Sam68/E2F2 signaling regulates ECE-1b expression and blood vessel function remain uncharacterized.

Qin will use his new grant to search for the link to blood pressure regulation and characterize the mechanisms. His research could provide the missing links between the results of large-scale genomewide association studies of human high blood pressure and its pathogenesis namely how dysregulation leads to refractory hypertension.

Detailed knowledge of those steps would offer new targets for potential new drugs, which are especially needed to prevent or treat resistant hypertension.

Qin says he was attracted to UAB by the strong focus of clinicians and basic scientists on solving the clinical problem of hypertension, as well as the depth and breadth of cardiovascular disease research in biomedical engineering, the UAB Department of Pathology and the UAB Division of Cardiovascular Disease. He also has great interest in Zhangs research, where Qins past work in stem cell biology and cardiovascular science can contribute.

As measured by NIH funding, the UAB Department of Biomedical Engineering is the fourth-ranked biomedical engineering department among all departments that are jointly led by schools of medicine and engineering, according to the 2016 Blue Ridge NIH database.

The joint biomedical engineering departments ahead of UAB are at Stanford University, Johns Hopkins University, and Oregon Health and Science University. Those trailing UAB in the funding ranking are at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, Emory University, University of Virginia, Case Western Reserve University, University of Colorado-Denver, University of Rochester, the University of Illinois-Chicago, Wake Forest University Health Sciences and State University of New York-Stony Brook.

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New Biomedical Engineering Grants Aim at Heart Failure and Resistant High Blood Pressure - Newswise (press release)

Len Richard (left) and actor Terrance Howard on the set of "Empire" in 2015. View Full Caption

Provided by Len Richard

CHICAGO Len Richard used to fight in movie scenes as a stuntman, but now hes fighting for his life.

Diagnosed with liver disease in 2009, hes been placed on the liver and kidney transplant list to replace his rapidly failing organs. Hes opted to have stem cell replacement therapy in place of the transplant, but his insurance wont cover it, so hes raising $10,000 through YouCaring.

The 44-year-old Englewood native said hes desperate to live a healthy life and doesnt want to risk trying the transplant. Theres the fear that the new organs wont work for long and hell constantly get sick from the anti-rejection medications hell have to take, he said.

Once I understood how stem cell works and how it cures people, it was a no-brainer, Richard said. I rather do that than have someone's organs.

More than 5,000 liver transplants in the United States take place each year, according to the "Stem Cell Therapy for Liver Diseases," a review article published in the Journal of Stem Cell Research and Therapy. About 20,000 people are waiting for a transplant, but only 7,000 procedures are performed each year, and up to 1,500 patients die each year waiting.

Use of stem cells to cure liver diseases has been proved beneficial in most of the conditions, according to the article. Scientific literature reveals the role of stem cells in treatment and cure of various diseases like liver cirrhosis, end stage liver failure, genetic liver disease and also the liver cancer. The stem cells possess the ability to renew and multiply by them or stem cells possess special characteristics of regenerating themselves.

Besides being hospitalized twice in eighth grade for a high fever and an enlarged liver and spleen, Richard has lived a fairly healthy life, he said. He had no major health problems in high school or college.

As an adult, he worked behind the scenes in the control room at Channel 50, before moving to Los Angeles in 1998 for a similar television job. Thats when his life changed.

He was at a gym working out and got invited to train with a group who worked as stuntmen, he said.

A stunt coordinator saw me and said that I looked like Omar and Cuba Gooding, Richard said. He hired me for 'Baby Boy.' Thats how I got into doing stunts.

That job led to other jobs in major films, including "Barbershop" and "Transformers."

Everything was going well for Richard, he said, until 2008 when he tore his rotator cuff during filming for the movie "First Sunday," starring Ice Cube and Katt Williams.

I had surgery, and the person I was seeing at the time noticed that I started losing weight and was going to the bathroom a lot, Richard said.

When he went to the doctor for a routine checkup, he learned that he was diabetic. The doctor reviewed his medical history and asked if he has ever been evaluated for a liver transplant.

In 1987, when he was 13, he mysteriously became ill, he said. He was in the hospital for a high fever and the doctors noticed that his liver and spleen were enlarged, but didnt know why. He was sent home only to return a few days later.

I spent the whole summer in the hospital, Richard said. They did exploratory abdominal surgery and took a sample of all of my organs. They sent it to the CDC and other labs and came back with nothing.

Now that hes on the transplant list, Richard is hoping that hes able to raise enough money to travel to see a doctor in Mexico who was recommended by another patient and have the alternative procedure instead.

I want to avoid the transplant and keep my organs, Richard said.

He said he misses his old life, although he did more recently work on the show "Empire." Hes on disability now, but wants to return to work and the gym.

I was always in the gym, used to go hiking a lot, but now I work out when I feel like it, he said. I have low energy, and its kind of hard right now. I'll ride a bike and try to do air squats, but I was doing crossfit before it became too much for me.

Nobody wants to be sick. Id like to be back in California, moving around. I just get tired of going to doctor, getting poked and having having them tell me I need a transplant. Its mentally draining, and it's scary.

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Former Hollywood Stuntman Raising $10000 For His Stem Cell Therapy - DNAinfo

By Sharon N Chonchir, ContributorAugust / September 2017

Irish universities are at the forefront of medical science. Here are some of the recent breakthroughs they have made in understanding human health.

Dr. Philip Dunne. (Photo: QUB)

Improving the prognosis and quality of life for patients with bowel cancer is the aim of researchers at Queens University Belfast.

Patients with bowel cancer are currently offered chemotherapy, which is successful for some. However, it has no effect on fighting the cancer for others, even though those patients still suffer its debilitating side effects.

Scientists at Queens have shown how defining precise gene signatures within bowel cancer can allow for the development of new prognostic markers as well as personalized medical approaches.

Dr. Philip Dunne, senior research fellow at Queens said, Through analysing data generated from tissue samples, we have discovered different subtypes of bowel cancer. This will allow us to identify particular gene signatures that can indicate sensitivity or resistance to specific therapies. Thus, we can tailor treatment to individual patients, maximizing effectiveness while minimizing potential side effects.

Dr. Denise Fitzgerald. (Photo: QUB)

Bowel cancer is the third most common cancer in Ireland, with approximately 2,500 people diagnosed every year. Mortality rates are high and its the second most common cause of cancer death in the country.

Developing a cure for MS is the goal of another team of researchers at Queens. A recent landmark study of theirs has raised hopes of a breakthrough in the treatment of MS and other neurological disorders.

MS affects 2.3 million people worldwide. It involves the body attacking its own myelin sheath the protective layer that surrounds the brain, spinal cord, and optic nerve. These attacks can lead to symptoms such as vision loss, pain, fatigue, and paralysis.

Until now, treatment could limit these attacks but could not reverse the damage already done. This new research shows that a protein made by certain cells within the immune system triggers the brains stem cells to mature into oligodendrocytes that repair myelin.

This opens up new therapeutic potential for myelin regeneration in patients, says Dr. Denise Fitzgerald, senior author of the study.

Professor Noel Caplice. (Photo: Tomas Tyner / UCC)

Scientists at University College Cork may have discovered how to mend broken hearts. In the first trial of its kind in the world, a UCC professor has shown that low dose insulin-like growth factor injected into the heart improves remodelling for heart attack patients.

Professor Noel Caplice, the chair of cardiovascular sciences at UCC, successfully tested the growth factor in a trial of 47 patients, all of whom had experienced serious heart attacks.

Some received the growth factor while others received a placebo. Those who received the growth factor had improved remodelling of their heart muscle in the two months after their heart attack as well as other measures of improved heart performance.

Around a fifth of people who suffer heart attacks have ongoing difficulties because of lasting damage to heart muscle, even after the best current therapies.

We hope that these findings can be replicated in larger trials of many hundreds of subjects in thefuture, Caplice says. A significant minority ofpatients currently remain unwell after heart attacks and we are excited by the possibility that cardiacrepair therapy may help them.

Diabetic kidney disease (DKD) is the single leading cause of end-stage renal disease in the industrialized world, accounting for 40 percent of all new cases in the U.S. and E.U. There are few effective treatments for this condition, but a cell therapy company at the National University ofIreland Galway may have found one.

Dr. Stephen Elliman, the chief scientific officer at Orbsen Therapeutics, has discovered a novel allogeneic stromal cell therapy called ORBCEL-M. This therapy has demonstrated significant improvements in kidney function in pre-clinical models of DKD and clinical trials are now about to begin at locations across Europe, all coordinated from NUIG.

The aim of the research project, called NEPHSTROM, is to establish the safety and efficacy of ORBCEL-M. It hopes to show that important markers of DKD are improved and that the therapy is safe to use in the long term.

For decades, the standard practice for treating stings by the Portuguese man o war jellyfish was to rinse with seawater and apply ice. However, an NUIG study has found these are actually the worst things to do.

Collaborating with jellyfish sting experts from the University of Hawaii, NUIG scientists discovered that the best treatment was to rinse with vinegar,remove tentacles and immerse in 45C (113F) hot water for 45 minutes.

Just last September, unprecedented numbers of Portuguese man o war jellyfish came ashore inIreland. Thankfully we had very few reported stings given the time of year, said Dr. Tom Doyle, lecturer in zoology at NUIG. If this event had occurred during the summer, then we may have had hundreds.

According to Dr. Christie Wilcox from the University of Hawaii, the previous advice could have had fatal results. Because we didnt have solid science to back up medical practices, we ended up with practices that actually worsen stings and even cost lives, she said.

NUIG scientists are now researching the next most venomous snake in Irish waters, the lions mane jellyfish. Its responsible for more bad stings than any other and many victims end up in hospital.

Professor Abhay Pandit. (Photo: Andrew Downes / xposure)

CRAM, the Science Foundation Ireland Centre for Research in Medical Devices based at NUIG, has recently begun to collaborate with the Mayo Clinic on research into blood clots which cause ischemic stroke.

Ischemic strokes occur as a result of an obstruction within a blood vessel supplying blood to the brain. They can be caused by clots that come from the heart, the carotid artery, or other parts of the body. The characteristics of these clots vary widely, which has implications for what therapy is given to patients.

The Mayo Clinic is initiating a nationwide effort in the U.S. to collect samples of clots removed from patients who have suffered strokes in order to analyse them. Through CRAM, NUIG will be establishing a dedicated clot pathology lab to conduct parallel research in Europe.

Professor Abhay Pandit, scientific director of CRAM, commented: Were excited by the opportunity to advance research in this area. We hope this will lead to ground-breaking research and drive significant improvements in outcomes for stroke patients in the future.

Professor Nigel Stevenson. (Photo: TCD)

Scientists at Trinity College Dublin have discovered that a biological molecule known as STAT3 is critical in protecting against infection.

With new viral infections such as Zika and Ebola emerging all the time, the importance of understanding how we can protect our immune systems against viruses has never been greater.

During any viral infection, cells produce interferon to prevent viruses from replicating in our bodies.

Interferon activates other molecules within the cells and when the final molecule is activated, the viralinfection should be cleared.

However some viruses, such as hepatitis C, are not cleared by this response. Immunologists from Trinity, led by assistant professor in immunology Dr. Nigel Stevenson, have discovered that these viruses have evolved to block responses to interferon.

STAT3 may be able to counter this negative effect. Using new molecular techniques, we have revealed that STAT3 is an essential anti-viral component in the signaling pathway, said Dr. Stevenson. Without it, cells cannot even fight the common flu virus. This discovery opens the door to new therapeutic options which we hope will help people to restore their natural immunity against a host of problematic viruses.

Professor Orla Hardiman. (Photo: TCD)

Researchers from Trinity College Dublin have also shown for the first time that motor neuron disease (MND) and schizophrenia share a genetic origin,indicating that the causes of these conditions are biologically linked.

By analysing the genetic profiles of 13,000 MND cases and 30,000 schizophrenia cases, the researchers confirmed that many of the genes associated with these conditions are the same.

Our work has shown us that MND is a much more complex disease than we originally thought, lead investigator Orla Hardiman, professor of neurology in Trinity, said. Combining clinical work and our studies using MRI and EEG, it becomes clear that MND is not just a disorder of individual nerve cells but a disorder of the way these nerve cells talk to one another as part of a larger network.

She and her team now see MND similarly to schizophrenia as a problem of disruptions in connectivity between different regions of the brain. They are looking for drugs to help stabilize these failing brain networks.

This research also shows that the divide between psychiatry and neurology may be a false one. This will have major implications for how we classifydiseases going forward and in turn how we traindoctors in psychiatry and neurology, said Professor Hardiman.

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Irish Universities: Leading the Way in Life & Health Science - Irish America

Researcher Leonard Zon, founder and director of the Stem Cell Program at Boston Children s Hospital, in a lab at the hospital in Boston. AP PHOTO

BOSTON -- In his offices at Boston Children's Hospital, Leonard Zon is busily developing cutting-edge stem cell therapies surrounded by fellow researchers, lab equipment and 300,000 striped, transparent zebrafish.

Zon's lab -- and the zebrafish -- are the results of an initiative begun nearly a decade ago to make Massachusetts one of the country's premier life sciences incubators.

That 2008 initiative, signed by former Democratic Gov. Deval Patrick, committed Massachusetts to spending $1 billion over 10 years to jump-start the life sciences sector -- attracting the best minds, research facilities and the venture capital funding.

By most yardsticks, Patrick's gamble has paid off. Massachusetts, and the greater Boston area in particular, are now seen as a top life sciences hub.

For Zon, and other life sciences leaders, the support has been transformative.

In 2013, the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center, which is charged with distributing the state funds, awarded a $4 million grant to Children's Hospital to help establish the Children's Center for Cell Therapy. Some of the money went toward replacing the original aquaculture facilities at Zon's lab with state-of-the-art systems.

Zon said the changes helped him pursue stem cell therapies -- taking tissues grown from stem cells aimed at thwarting specific diseases and transplanting them into a diseased organ.

"Massachusetts is the best place in the world for biotechnology," he said. "It's been life-changing for us."

Zon's experience isn't unique.

NxStage Medical, Inc., a medical technology company founded in 1998 in Lawrence focused on end-stage renal disease and acute kidney failure, received nearly $1.8 million in tax incentives through the program. In 2013, Woburn-based Bio2 Technologies received $1 million in loan financing, helping it develop bone graft substitute implants.

The state's reputation as a magnet for life sciences also can be seen in the surge of construction in Boston and Cambridge, particularly around the Kendall Square area, where glass-lined office and research buildings have sprouted.

Travis McCready, CEO of the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center, also pointed to the influx of grant money from the National Institutes of Health and funds from world-class academic and research institutions.

"By pretty much any measure we are considered the leading life sciences ecosystem in the U.S., and among the leading ecosystems in the world," McCready said.

McCready said the 2008 initiative helped create a framework for that growth, even as he acknowledged that not every company or research effort that receives funding succeeds.

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$1 billion life sciences plan bears fruit in Massachusetts - Lowell Sun - Lowell Sun

The most aggressive variant of brain tumour glioblastoma has an average survival rate of 15 months. There is therefore an urgent need for new treatment strategies for this group of patients. A research team from Lund University in Sweden has now identified new factors which may affect the tumour cells' ability to resist treatment. The study has been published in Cell Reports.

The most common form of brain tumour is called glioma. Patients with the most aggressive variant glioblastoma are treated intensively with surgery, radiation and chemotherapy. Despite this, the tumour inevitably returns as a treatment-resistant lesion.

"There are strong indications that only a small proportion of the cells in the tumour those known as cancer stem cells are resistant to treatment and therefore affect the recurrence of the tumour. In our studies, partly on mice and partly on human glioma cells, we mapped the signal pathways that apparently differ from treatment-resistant to treatment-sensitive glioma cells. Part of the explanation for this resides in the cells' response to oxygen deprivation," explains Alexander Pietras, who headed the study at Lund University.

Oxygen deprivation often occurs in tumour cells, partly because they grow faster than new blood vessels can be formed, and partly because the blood vessels in the tumour are often of inferior quality and therefore unable to supply oxygen to the same extent. Researchers already knew that oxygen-deprived tumours are often more aggressive. Now, the research team in Lund has discovered that a specific marker (CD44) present on the surface of the cancer stem cells interacts with a protein (HIF-2a) which is central to the adaptation to oxygen deprivation.

"When a cell becomes deprived of oxygen, HIF is stabilised, leading to a number of adaptations which save energy and contribute to the formation of new blood vessels, among other things. In cancer stem cells, this signal pathway seems to be active even when the cells are not being deprived of oxygen. Our findings indicate that the interaction with CD44 which is specific to cancer stem cells is crucial to this oxygen-independent stabilisation of HIF."

In normal cases, these signal pathways are tightly regulated, but in the cancer stem cells in cases of glioblastoma, these functions appear to be partly disabled. The findings explain how cancer stem cells can exploit HIF despite often being located in the parts of the brain tumour with the best oxygen supply, right next to blood vessels. The cancer stem cells' response to oxygen deprivation is thus regulated differently, resulting in more aggressive cancer cells, which do not respond to treatment. These cancer stem cells could be those responsible for recurrence of the disease, according to the researchers behind the study.

"We want to use this new knowledge to affect the resistant cells in a more treatment-sensitive direction, by impairing the signal pathway between CD44 and HIF-2a a potentially useful strategy in a number of other tumour forms as well, in which HIF and CD44 are thought to be significant, such as kidney cancer," concludes Alexander Pietras.

Explore further: Brain cancer study reveals therapy clues

More information: Elinn Johansson et al. CD44 Interacts with HIF-2 to Modulate the Hypoxic Phenotype of Perinecrotic and Perivascular Glioma Cells, Cell Reports (2017). DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2017.07.049

Journal reference: Cell Reports

Provided by: Lund University

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Researchers map brain tumour cells' adaptation to oxygen deprivation - Medical Xpress

Encapsulated human embryonic stem-cell differentiated beta cell clusters (hES-C) show promise for treating diabetics without having to chronically suppress their immune system. A team of researchers at the University of California at San Francisco has now made the first nanoporous polymer thin-film encapsulation device containing human stem-cell derived -like cells that does not activate or sensitize immune cells, but which allows oxygen, nutrients, glucose and insulin to be exchanged. The device appears to work for up to six months after being transplanted in mice.

Diabetes mellitus is an auto-immune disease that leads to -cells being destroyed in type-1 diabetes and progressive -cell dysfunction in type-2 diabetes. The result is insulin insufficiency in the patient. Current treatments rely on closely monitoring blood glucose levels and then injecting insulin to simulate natural insulin secretion by pancreatic -cells. This approach is far from ideal, however, and often fails to keep glucose levels within the tight physiological range required. Complications such as potentially fatal hypoglycaemia can ensue, as well as various pathologies (such as cardiovascular disease, kidney failure, retinopathy and neuropathy) linked to repeated hyperglycaemic episodes.

Although pancreas and pancreatic islet transplants are an effective alternative to T1D patients, it is difficult to find donors. What is more, the patients own immune system needs to be chronically suppressed so that it does not reject the transplant.

Human embryonic stem cells (hES) or induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC)-derived insulin-producing cells could be an alternative to whole organ and islet transplants, but again there are challenges to overcome. For one, researchers need to find a way to deal with teratoma formation and immune rejection. Cell encapsulation is showing promise here since it provides a physical barrier between transplanted hES-derived cell clusters (hES-C) and the patient, something that provides protection from his or her immune response.

The ideal cell encapsulation device should allow sufficient oxygen and nutrients to pass through it while allowing glucose and insulin to be transported so that blood glucose can be properly controlled. At the same time, however, it needs to stop immune cells, antibodies and pro-inflammatory cytokines from entering it. And of course, it needs to be biocompatible.

Researchers led by Tejal Desai have now made such a device. They began by growing zinc oxide nanorods on a silicon wafer that they then coated with a thin polymer solution. Next, they etched away the zinc oxide rods and lifted the nanoporous film that had been produced off the surface of the wafer. They then heat-sealed two of these nanoporous thin films in a bilaminar configuration and customized the size and shape of the device to fit the site in which it was to be transplanted.

The thin films are just 10 microns thick, making this the thinnest cell macro-encapsulation device to date, says lead author of the study Ryan Chang. By minimizing the thickness, we reduce the distance that nutrients, insulin and glucose have to cross. What is more, the polymer material itself, which has micro-architectures on its surface, promotes vascularization and provokes only a minimal foreign body response as observed in an in vivo study that we carried out lasting four months.

Of course, as with any stem cell therapy, safety comes first, he tells nanotechweb.org. We showed that the device effectively confines undifferentiated stem cells within it and prevents teratomas from escaping and spreading.

It could make for an essential core technology in allowing diabetics to become completely insulin independent, he adds.

The team, reporting its work in ACS Nano DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.7b01239, says that it is now busy scaling up the device in larger animal models and engineering transplant sites for further testing.

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Nanoporous thin-film device could help treat diabetes - nanotechweb.org

SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Omeros Corporation(NASDAQ: OMER) today announced additional follow-up data from patients with immunoglobulin A (IgA) nephropathy treated with OMS721 in the Phase 2 clinical trial of glomerulonephropathy. OMS721 is Omeros lead human monoclonal antibody targeting mannan-binding lectin-associated serine protease-2 (MASP-2), the effector enzyme of the lectin pathway of the complement system.

As presented in June 2017 at the 54th Congress of the European Renal Association-European Dialysis and Transplant Association, patients with IgA nephropathy demonstrated clinically and statistically significant improvement in proteinuria during the course of the clinical trial. After these patients completed the trial, the clinical investigator continued to follow them per standard of care. Follow-up data up to approximately one year after completion of treatment are available.

As previously reported, all four IgA nephropathy patients in the clinical trial demonstrated a substantial reduction in proteinuria measured by both 24-hour urine protein excretion levels and urinary albumin/creatinine ratios (uACRs). In post-trial follow-up, urine protein/creatinine ratios (uPCR) were measured by the investigator according to his practice standard. For purposes of post-hoc comparisons of proteinuria during and after the clinical trial, each post-trial uPCR value was converted to uACR (Zhao, Clin J Am Soc Nephrol 2016;11:947-55).

In follow-up, three of the four patients have maintained reductions in proteinuria. In these three patients uACRs remained reduced at 14 percent, 23 percent, and 24 percent of the patients baseline values prior to OMS721 treatment. In addition, a suggestion of improvement in estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), a measure of renal function, was observed in 3 of the 4 patients after the trial. The patient with the most severe reduction in kidney function demonstrated eGFR improvement from 30 mL/min/1.73 m2 to 47 mL/min/1.73 m2, an improvement of 57 percent. OMS721 was well-tolerated in the clinical trial with fatigue and anemia the most commonly reported adverse events.

The persistent reduction of proteinuria following completion of OMS721 treatment in these patients is impressive and provides additional evidence of the important role of the lectin pathway in IgA nephropathy, stated Geoffrey Block, M.D., director of clinical research at Denver Nephrology. The improvements observed in eGFRs also suggest that OMS721 could provide further benefit to patients by potentially precluding or substantially extending the time to the need for dialysis and reducing the risk of complications associated with progression of chronic kidney disease.

Omeros has initiated a Phase 3 clinical program for OMS721 in IgA nephropathy and expects to begin a Phase 3 clinical trial in this disease later this year. FDA has granted OMS721 both breakthrough and orphan designations in IgA nephropathy.

The durable reduction in proteinuria that were seeing with OMS721 for one year after cessation of treatment is unprecedented in my experience, said Jonathan Barratt, Ph.D., F.R.C.P., professor of renal medicine in theDepartment of Infection, Immunity & Inflammation atUniversity of Leicester and honorary consultant nephrologist atLeicester General Hospital. With this one-year follow-up, we are also seeing improvement in eGFR, which usually takes significantly longer to be evident. Two of the four patients demonstrated a slight increase, with one of the patients showing an exciting response of 50 percent improvement.

There is no approved treatment for IgA nephropathy, the most common primary glomerulopathy globally. The disease is responsible for up to 10 percent of all dialysis patients. In the U.S. alone, an estimated 120,000 to 180,000 patients have this disease. Up to 40 percent of IgA nephropathy patients develop end-stage renal disease, a life-threatening condition, within 20 years following diagnosis.

The sustained duration of effect of OMS721 post-treatment underscores the drugs potential for episodic dosing in IgA nephropathy, said Gregory A. Demopulos, M.D., chairman and chief executive officer of Omeros. We look forward to working with FDA to finalize the protocol for our Phase 3 clinical trial and open enrollment to IgA nephropathy patients later this year.

In addition to its Phase 3 program in IgA nephropathy, OMS721 is also being evaluated in a Phase 3 clinical program for atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome and in a Phase 2 clinical program for hematopoietic stem cell transplant-associated thrombotic microangiopathy.

About Omeros MASP Programs

Omeros controls the worldwide rights to MASP-2 and all therapeutics targeting MASP-2, a novel pro-inflammatory protein target involved in activation of the complement system, which is an important component of the immune system. The complement system plays a role in the inflammatory response and becomes activated as a result of tissue damage or microbial infection. MASP-2 is the effector enzyme of the lectin pathway, one of the principal complement activation pathways. Importantly, inhibition of MASP-2 does not appear to interfere with the antibody-dependent classical complement activation pathway, which is a critical component of the acquired immune response to infection, and its abnormal function is associated with a wide range of autoimmune disorders. MASP-2 is generated by the liver and is then released into circulation. Adult humans who are genetically deficient in one of the proteins that activate MASP-2 do not appear to be detrimentally affected by the deficiency. OMS721 is Omeros lead human MASP-2 antibody.

Following discussions with both the FDA and the European Medicines Agency, a Phase 3 clinical program for OMS721 in atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome (aHUS) is in progress. A second Phase 3 clinical program for OMS721 has been initiated in immunoglobulin A (IgA) nephropathy. Also, two Phase 2 trials are ongoing. One is continuing to enroll OMS721 in IgA nephropathy following an earlier Phase 2 trial that generated positive data in patients with IgA nephropathy and with lupus nephritis; the other is enrolling and has reported positive data both in patients with hematopoietic stem cell transplant-associated thrombotic microangiopathy (TMA). A third Phase 3 program could begin later this year in stem cell transplant-associated TMA. OMS721 can be administered both intravenously and subcutaneously, and Omeros expects to commercialize each formulation of OMS721 for different therapeutic indications. In parallel, Omeros is developing small-molecule inhibitors of MASP-2. Based on requests from treating physicians, Omeros has established a compassionate-use program for OMS721, which is active in both the U.S. and Europe. The FDA has granted OMS721 breakthrough therapy designation for IgA nephropathy, orphan drug status for the prevention (inhibition) of complement-mediated TMAs and for the treatment of IgA nephropathy, and fast track designation for the treatment of patients with aHUS.

Omeros also has identified MASP-3 as responsible for the conversion of pro-factor D to factor D and as a critical activator of the human complement systems alternative pathway. The alternative pathway is linked to a wide range of immune-related disorders. In addition to its lectin pathway inhibitors, the company is advancing its development of antibodies and small-molecule inhibitors against MASP-3 to block activation of the alternative pathway. Omeros is preparing to initiate manufacturing scale-up of its MASP-3 antibodies in advance of clinical trials.

About Omeros Corporation

Omeros is a biopharmaceutical company committed to discovering, developing and commercializing small-molecule and protein therapeutics for large-market as well as orphan indications targeting inflammation, complement-mediated diseases and disorders of the central nervous system. Part of its proprietary PharmacoSurgery platform, the companys first drug product, OMIDRIA (phenylephrine and ketorolac injection) 1% / 0.3%, was broadly launched in the U.S. in April 2015. OMIDRIA is the first and only FDA-approved drug (1) for use during cataract surgery or intraocular lens (IOL) replacement to maintain pupil size by preventing intraoperative miosis (pupil constriction) and to reduce postoperative ocular pain and (2) that contains an NSAID for intraocular use. In the European Union, the European Commission has approved OMIDRIA for use in cataract surgery and lens replacement procedures to maintain mydriasis (pupil dilation), prevent miosis (pupil constriction), and to reduce postoperative eye pain. Omeros has multiple Phase 3 and Phase 2 clinical-stage development programs focused on: complement-associated thrombotic microangiopathies; complement-mediated glomerulonephropathies; Huntingtons disease and cognitive impairment; and addictive and compulsive disorders. In addition, Omeros has a proprietary G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) platform and controls 54 new GPCR drug targets and corresponding compounds, a number of which are in preclinical development. The company also exclusively possesses a novel antibody-generating platform.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, which are subject to the safe harbor created by those sections for such statements. All statements other than statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements, which are often indicated by terms such as anticipate, believe, could, estimate, expect, goal, intend, look forward to, may, plan, potential, predict, project, should, will, would and similar expressions and variations thereof. Forward-looking statements are based on managements beliefs and assumptions and on information available to management only as of the date of this press release. Omeros actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements for many reasons, including, without limitation, risks associated with product commercialization and commercial operations, unproven preclinical and clinical development activities, regulatory oversight, intellectual property claims, competitive developments, litigation, and the risks, uncertainties and other factors described under the heading Risk Factors in the companys Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on August 8, 2017. Given these risks, uncertainties and other factors, you should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, and the company assumes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements, even if new information becomes available in the future.

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Omeros Data Show Continued Improvement in Patients with IgA Nephropathy Treated with OMS721 - Business Wire (press release)