StemCell Therapy

Index Copernicus Value: 6.43

Cell is the structural and the functional unit of all the organisms on the earth and Cell Science is a scientific discipline that studies the structure and the physiological characters of these cells. Human beings are multi-cellular organisms with an estimated 100,000,000,000,000 cells.

The Journal of Stem Cell Research & Therapy is the best Open Access journal that acts as a forum for translational research into stem cell therapies. Stem cells differ from other types of cells as they are unspecialized cells that are capable of changing themselves into almost any type of specialist cells. Journal of Stem Cell Research & Therapy is scientific journal that overlays the study of Cancer stem cells, stem cell therapy, stem-cell transplantation, regenerative medicine, human embryonic stem cells, Neural stem cells, Murine Embryonic Stem Cells, Adult stem cell, Pancreatic stem cells, Totipotent Stem Cells, Pluripotent Stem Cells, Mesenchymal Stem Cells, Hematopoietic Stem Cells (HSCs), Multipotent Stem Cells, Myeloid Stem Cells, Fetal Stem Cell Therapy, Stem Cell Therapy for Diabetes, Plant Stem Cells, Dental Stem Cells, Stem Cell Preservation, Stem Cell Therapy for Osteoarthritis, etc.

Scholarly Journal of Stem Cell Research & Therapy is using online manuscript submission, review and tracking systems of Editorial Manager for quality and quick review processing. Review processing is performed by the editorial board members of Journal of Stem Cell Research and Therapy or outside experts; at least two independent reviewers approval followed by editor approval is required for acceptance of any citable manuscript.

It is an undifferentiated cell which is capable of transforming into more cells of same type or multiple other types. They are found in multicellular organisms. They can differentiate into cells of blood, skin, heart, muscles, brain etc. In adult human being, they replenish the dead cells of various organs. Stem cells are being used for treatment of various diseases like diabetes, arthritis, few cancers, bone marrow failure etc.

Related Journals of Stem Cell

Insights in Stem Cells, Fertilization: In Vitro - IVF-Worldwide, Reproductive Medicine, Genetics & Stem Cell Biology,Stem Cells, Cell Stem Cell, Stem Cells and Development, Stem Cell Reviews and Reports, Current Stem Cell Research and Therapy, Stem Cell Research

They can develop into any cell type or organ in the body. A single totipotent stem cell can give rise to an entire organism. Fertilized egg or a zygote is the best example. Zygote divides and produces more totipotent cells. After 4 days the cells lose totipotency and become pluripotent.

Related Journals ofTotipotent Stem Cells

Breast Cancer: Current Research, Cancer Diagnosis, Reproductive Medicine, Genetics & Stem Cell Biology, Stem Cell Research and Therapy, Stem Cells International, Stem cells translational medicine, Current Protocols in Stem Cell Biology

They can differentiate into any cell type in the human body. Embryonic stem cells are mostly pluripotent stem cells. They have the ability to differentiate into any of three germ layers: endoderm, mesoderm, or ectoderm.

Related Journals ofPluripotent Stem Cells

Cancer Science & Therapy, Cervical Cancer: Open Access, Reproductive Medicine, Genetics & Stem Cell Biology,, Stem Cell Reports, Hematology/ Oncology and Stem Cell Therapy, Journal of Stem Cells, International Journal of Stem Cells

These are multipotent stem cells normally found in the bone marrow and are derived from mesenchyme. They differentiate into adipocytes, chondrocytes, osteoblasts, myocytes and tendon. MSCs can also be extracted from blood, fallopian tube, fetal liver and lungs.

Related Journals ofMesenchymal Stem Cells

Insights in Stem Cells, Fertilization: In Vitro - IVF-Worldwide, Reproductive Medicine, Genetics & Stem Cell Biology, Journal of Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine, Stem Cells and Cloning: Advances and Applications, International Journal of Hematology-Oncology and Stem Cell Research

They are the multipotent stem cells derived from mesoderm and located in red bone marrow. They are responsible for production of red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets. HSCs give rise to myeloid lineage (which forms erythrocytes, eosinophils, basophils, neutrophils, macrophages, mast cells and platelets) and lymphoid lineage (which forms T-lymphocytes, plasma cells and NK cells).

Related Journals ofHematopoietic Stem Cells

Insights in Stem Cells, Fertilization: In Vitro - IVF-Worldwide, Reproductive Medicine, Genetics & Stem Cell Biology, International Journal of Hematology-Oncology and Stem Cell Research, Open Stem Cell Journal, Stem Cell, Stem Cell Research Journal

They can differentiate into more than one cell type, but only into a limited number of cell types. Hematopoietic stem cells are considered multipotent as they can differentite into red blood cells, platelets, white blood cells but they cannot differentiate into hepatocytes or brain cells.

Related Journals ofMultipotent Stem Cells

Cancer Medicine & Anti Cancer Drugs, Colorectal Cancer: Open Access, Reproductive Medicine, Genetics & Stem Cell Biology, Blood, Journal of Cerebral Blood Flow and Metabolism, Biology of Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Pediatric Blood and Cancer, Blood Cells, Molecules, and Diseases, Blood Reviews

Cells with stem cell like abilities have been observed breast cancer, colon cancer, leukemia, melanoma, prostate cancer which can form new cells and lead to tumorigenesis. They cause relapse and metastasis by giving rise to new tumors. Scientists are developing methods to destroy CSCs in place of traditional methods which focus on bulk of cancer cells.

Related Journals ofCancer Stem Cells

Head and Neck Cancer Research, Lung Cancer Diagnosis & Treatment, Genetics & Stem Cell Biology,Cancer Research, Nature Reviews Cancer, Journal of the National Cancer Institute, Clinical Cancer Research, Cancer Cell, Cancer, International Journal of Cancer, British Journal of Cancer

They are derived from Hematopoietic stem cells. They differentiate into Erythrocyte progenitor cell (forms erythrocytes), Thrombocyte progenitor cell (forms platelets) and Granulocyte-Monocyte progenitor cell (forms monocytes, macrophages, neutrophils, basophils, eosinophils, dendritic cells).

Related Journals ofMyeloid Stem cells

Insights in Stem Cells, Fertilization: In Vitro - IVF-Worldwide, Reproductive Medicine, Genetics & Stem Cell Biology, Clinical Medicine Insights: Blood Disorders, Electrolyte and Blood Pressure, Integrated Blood Pressure Control, Indian Journal of Hematology and Blood Transfusion, Current Studies in Hematology and Blood Transfusion, Blood Research, High Blood Pressure and Cardiovascular Prevention, Blood Cancer Journal, BMC Blood Disorders, Blood Transfusion

They are the self-renewing, multipotent stem cells in the nervous system that differentiate into neurons, astrocytes and oligodendrocytes. They repair the nervous system after damage or an injury. They have potential clinical use the management of Parkinsons disease, Huntingtons disease and multiple sclerosis.

Related Journals ofNeural Stem Cells

Oncology & Cancer Case Reports, Prostate Cancer, Reproductive Medicine, Genetics & Stem Cell Biology, Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, Cortex; a journal devoted to the study of the nervous system and behavior, Child's Nervous System, Journal of the Peripheral Nervous System, Central Nervous System Agents in Medicinal Chemistry

They are derived from embryo in the blastocyst stage. They are pluripotent stem cells. They give rise to all derivatives of the three primary germ layers: endoderm (stomach, colon, liver, pancreas, intestines etc.), mesoderm (muscle, bone, cartilage, connective tissue, lymphatic system, circulatory system, genitourinary system etc.) and ectoderm (brain, spinal cord, epidermis etc.).

Related Journals ofEmbryonic Stem Cells

Human Genetics & Embryology, Breast Cancer: Current Research, Reproductive Medicine, Genetics & Stem Cell Biology,Birth Defects Research Part C - Embryo Today: Reviews, Advances in Anatomy Embryology and Cell Biology, Journal of Veterinary Medicine Series C: Anatomia Histologia Embryologia, Italian Journal of Anatomy and Embryology, Romanian Journal of Morphology and Embryology, Neuroembryology, Neuroembryology and Aging

Embryonic stem cells are derived from the fetus are used in treatment of various diseases. As ESCs are pluripotent, they can differentiate into any cell type. Researchers are able to grow ESC s into complex cells types like pancreatic -cells and cardiocytes. Fetal cell therapy is generating lot of controversy from religious groups and ethics committees.

Related Journals ofFetal Stem Cell Therapy

Insights in Stem Cells, Fertilization: In Vitro - IVF-Worldwide, Reproductive Medicine, Genetics & Stem Cell Biology, Archives of Disease in Childhood: Fetal and Neonatal Edition, Seminars in Fetal and Neonatal Medicine, Journal of Maternal-Fetal and Neonatal Medicine, Fetal Diagnosis and Therapy, Journal of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Fetal and Pediatric Pathology, Fetal and Maternal Medicine Review, Journal of Maternal-Fetal Investigation, International Journal of Infertility and Fetal Medicine

Research is being done to use stem cells for the treatment of diabetes mellitus. Human embryonic stem cells may be grown in vivo and stimulated to produce pancreatic -cells and later transplanted to the patient. Its success depends on response of the patients immune system and ability of the transplanted cells to proliferate, differentiate and integrate with the target tissue.

Related Journals of Stem Cell Therapy for Diabetes

Endocrinology & Diabetes Research, Diabetes & Metabolism, Reproductive Medicine, Genetics & Stem Cell Biology, Diabetes Care, Diabetes, Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism, The Lancet Diabetes and Endocrinology, Endocrine-Related Cancer, Best Practice and Research in Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, Journal of Endocrinology

The procedure to replace damaged cells (in cancers, aplastic anemia etc.) with healthy stem cells of the same person or in another compatible person to restore the normal production of cells. It can either be autologous or allogeneic. Bone marrow HSCs are generally used for the transplantation.

Related Journals of Stem Cell Transplant

Cancer Diagnosis, Cancer Science & Therapy, Cervical Cancer: Open Access, Gastrointestinal Cancer and Stromal Tumors, Genetics & Stem Cell Biology, Cell Transplantation, Journal of Cell Biology, Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology, Molecular Cell, Nature Cell Biology, Molecular and Cellular Biology, Cancer Cell, Current Opinion in Cell Biology

They are the totipotent, undifferentiated cells present in the meristems (shoot and root apices) of a plant. They never undergo aging process and can grow into any cell in the plant throughout its lifetime. They have numerous applications in production of cosmetics, perfumes, pigments, insecticides and antimicrobials.

Related Journals ofPlant Stem Cells

Plant Pathology & Microbiology, Plant Biochemistry & Physiology, Plant Physiology & Pathology, Genetics & Stem Cell Biology, Plant Cell, Plant Physiology, Plant Journal, Trends in Plant Science, Current Opinion in Plant Biology, Plant, Cell and Environment, American Journal of Transplantation, Plant Molecular Biology

Several types of dental stem cells have been isolated from mature and immature teeth, exfoliated deciduous teeth and apical papilla, MSCS from tooth germs and from human periodontal ligament. They are found to be multipotent and can give rise to osteogenic, adipogenic, myogenic and neurogenic cell lineages.

Related Journals of Dental Stem Cells

Oral Health and Dental Management, Research & Reviews: Journal of Dental Sciences, Dental Implants and Dentures: open access, Genetics & Stem Cell Biology, International Endodontic Journal, Dental Materials, Journal of Dental Research, Caries Research, Journal of Endodontics, Monographs in Oral Science, Molecular Oral Microbiology, Journal of Dentistry,International journal of oral science

Adipose tissue is a huge source of mesenchymal stem cells which differentiate into various cell types. They can be easily extracted in large numbers by a simple lipo-aspiration. They have good application potential in regenerative medicine. ASCs are found to have the ability to differentiate into bone cells, cartilage cells, nerve cells, adipocytes etc.

Related Journals of Adipose Derived Stem Cells

Childhood Obesity, Obesity and Eating Disorders, Reproductive Medicine, Genetics & Stem Cell Biology, International Journal of Obesity, Obesity, Obesity Surgery, Obesity Reviews, Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism, Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism, Surgery for Obesity and Related Diseases, Pediatric obesity

Preservation of stem cells is critical for both research and clinical application of stem-cell based therapies. Properly preserved stem cells can be later used in the field of regenerative medicine for treating congenital disorders, heart defects etc. Currently there is no universal method for preserving stem cells and the existing methods are expensive.

Related Journals ofStem Cell Preservation

Oncology & Cancer Case Reports, Prostate Cancer, Fertilization: In Vitro - IVF-Worldwide, Reproductive Medicine, Genetics & Stem Cell Biology, Journal of Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine, Stem Cells and Cloning: Advances and Applications, International Journal of Hematology-Oncology and Stem Cell Research, Open Stem Cell Journal, Stem Cell, Stem Cell Research Journal

MSCs can be applied in osteoarthritis treatment through implantation and microfracture as well as intra-articular injections. Single injection studies have showed improvement from pain which decreased overtime. Multiple, regular MSC injections into joints may be necessary.

Related Journals ofStem Cell Therapy for Osteoarthritis

Osteoporosis and Physical Activity, Osteoarthritis, Fertilization: In Vitro - IVF-Worldwide, Reproductive Medicine, Genetics & Stem Cell Biology, Osteoarthritis and Cartilage, Arthritis and Rheumatism, Arthritis Care and Research, Arthritis Research and Therapy, Seminars in Arthritis and Rheumatism

OMICS International through its Open Access Initiative is committed to make genuine and reliable contributions to the scientific community. OMICS International hosts over 700 leading-edge peer reviewed Open Access Journals and organizes over 1000 International Conferences annually all over the world. OMICS Publishing Group journals have over 10 million readers and the fame and success of the same can be attributed to the strong editorial board which contains over 50000 eminent personalities that ensure a rapid, quality and quick review process. OMICS International signed an agreement with more than 1000 International Societies to make healthcare information Open Access. OMICS International Conferences make the perfect platform for global networking as it brings together renowned speakers and scientists across the globe to a most exciting and memorable scientific event filled with much enlightening interactive sessions, world class exhibitions and poster presentations.

Journal of Stem Cell Reserach & Therapy is organizing 6th World congress on Cell & Stem Cell Research during February 29 - March 2, 2016 Philadelphia, USA with the theme of Novel Therapies in Cell Science and Stem Cell Research.

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Stem cell research

REPUBLICANS

Voted in support of these congressional stem-cell bills:

-- The Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act, which amends the Public Health Service Act to provide for human embryonic stem cell research.

-- The Alternative Pluripotent Stem Cell Therapies Enhancement Act, which promotes research into deriving stem cell lines by methods "that do not knowingly harm embryos."

-- The Fetal Farming Bill of 2006, which prohibits "the solicitation or acceptance of tissue from embryos gestated for research purposes."

He voted for the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act of 2007 (S. 5), which expands the number of human embryonic stem cells eligible for federally funded research. Also, in 2007, he was one of the co-sponsors of the Human Cloning Prohibition Act. Watch McCain speak about stem cell research

DEMOCRATS

Voted in support of these congressional stem-cell bills:

-- The Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act, which amends the Public Health Service Act to provide for human embryonic stem cell research.

-- The Alternative Pluripotent Stem Cell Therapies Enhancement Act, which promotes research into deriving stem cell lines by methods "that do not knowingly harm embryos."

-- The Fetal Farming Bill of 2006, which prohibits the "solicitation or acceptance of tissue from embryos gestated for research purposes."

He was one of the co-sponsors of the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act of 2007 (S. 5), which expands the number of human embryonic stem cells eligible for federally funded research. Watch Obama speak about stem cell research

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Stem cell - Issues - Election Center 2008 - CNN.com

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In a clinical studywhere researchers conducted a triple-blind, placebo-controlled, randomised trial our composition patent protected Adult Stem Cell Nutrition product, StemEnhance SE3 increased the number of circulating adult stem cells by a 40% increase in some individuals with a standard 2 gram dose. This is the latest brand NEW Stem Cell Nutrition MLM Opportunitynow launched in Australia/New Zealand/Philippines. The company has also launched or is in pre-launch for a number of Asian countries including Indonesia/Malaysia/Thailand/Singapore/Hong Kong. The UK and some EU markets are open and of course North America including USA/Canada/Mexico.

It is a worldwide seamless network for anyone interested in Adult Stem Cell Nutrition in any of the countries listed below. Would YOU like to be in on the ground floor of a major global expansion? What a question... of course you would! Well this is your opportunity to build a home based entrepreneurial MLM business throughout the world and be paid residual income for the rest of your life!

We have exclusive rights to market this powerful Stem Cell Nutritional product, which is backed with over 10 years of scientific research, into an ever expanding field. A massive global market increasing exponentially year on year and will continue to do so into the foreseeable future as the general population ages and more and more baby boomers start retiring. You know what they say about Network Marketing- "The early bird always catches the worm!" Well with a nutritional product like StemEnhance SE3, you really do want to get the worm before the other "Johnny come lately's" in the MLM industry. How much of this massive Growth Industry surrounding adult stem cells do YOU want to capture? Will you be one of those procrastinatorswho will let this Unique Business Opportunity slip you by... or will YOU catch the worm like the other early birds?

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Stem Cell Therapyfor Diabetics

Diabetes Mellitus (DM) is condition characterized by a common element, hyperglycemia, which contributes to the development of macro-vascular , microvascular and neuropathic complications; making it one of the major causes of mortality in developed or developing societies. It affects a great number of people throughout the world. Diabetes is a degenerative disease that causes a person to have higher than normal blood sugar as a result of the body not producing enough insulin (Type 1) or sometimes because the cells wont respond to the insulin being produced (Type 2). This high blood sugar state produces the symptoms known as polyuria or frequent urination,polyphagia increased hunger and polydipsia increased thirst.

The 3 Primary types of Diabetes Mellitus in humans is:

Other known types of diabetes mellitus DM include cystic fibrosis-related diabetes, steroid induced diabetes (high doses of glucocorticoids),congenital diabetes (genetic defects of insulin secretion), and some types of monogenic diabetes.

Some major contributing factors of diabetes type 1 and 2 are high blood pressure or hyperglycemia or low blood sugar hypoglycemic.Recent clinical trials for treatment of Diabetes using Stem cells have some that some oral diabetic medications may help contribute to premature heart failure. Men, Women and children diagnosed with diabetes type 1 or 2 should seek treatment for hypoglycemia or hyperglycemia as these symptoms are very dangerous and can lead to more problems if let untreated.

Our Peripheral Blood Stem Cell Diabetes Treatment(PBSC ) therapy for Diabetes Type II does just that. Stem Cell Treatments for Diabetes isAutologous (stem cells from your own body) and is also Painless (Unlike Bone Marrow Stem Cell Treatments while maintaining effectiveness) and without the use of any pharmaceuticals using patients own circulating Stem Cells from peripheral blood or adipose MSC stem cells.

Diabetes Cause & Stem Cell Diabetes Treatment

TheCell Transplantsfor Diabeticsuses enriched PBSC or Cord Blood treatment plan fights diabetes on the bodies cellular level to help eliminate hyperglycemia and all its associated complications. Recent trials have also suggested that Stem Cells can also reduces low blood sugar hypoglycemic events that if left untreated can result in severe debilitation or even death. Our treatmentprotocol in Bangkok will require use of your own naturally produced stem cells in the bloodstream. A process called leukapheresis or apheresis is used to obtain PBSCs (Peripheral Blood Stem Cells) for transplantation. For about 2 or 4 days before the apheresis, the patient may be given medication to help increase the number of circulating stem cells in the bloodstream. During apheresis, blood is removed through the large vein in the patients arms or via a CVC central venous catheter which is a flexible tube inserted in neck, chest, or groin veins. The blood is collected through the proprietary stem cell collection machine. The machine counts and separates the CD34+ MSC and Progenitor Stem cells that are used in ourtreatment protocol. Apheresis and cell collection can take 3 to 5 hours. The CD34 Positive MSC and Progenitor stem cells are then isolated, and expanded using Platelet Rich Plasma PRP and growth factors and then finally re-injected back into the patient to complete the Diabetes Treatment using stem cells in Thailand.

Our Treatment is very safe andhas clinically shown to differentiate into regenerative pancreatic islet-like cells, demonstrating many of the expected characteristics of real pancreatic islet cells. The new islet cells have the ability to secrete glucagon,insulin and somatostatin.These islet-like clusters express a variety of endocrine specific markers are composed of the key pancreatic cell types (, , ), and are able to synthesize and secrete insulin in a glucose-responsive manner.The Diabetestreatment protocols only uses cells of highest purity, viability and integrity from world quality laboratory and cryogenics facility, which complies with accepted international standards. Cryopreservation is also a cost-effective option for some clients with more severe needs or who may be wanting easy access to matched stem cells for any future treatments. Some patients with severely degenerative medical conditions will require more transplantation cycles to allow better results.

PBSC Collection for Stem Cell Treatment

Diabetic patients are usually treated by injecting the stem cells into the pancreatic artery via catheter tube. Patients who cannot safely undergo the catheterization procedure may receive injections via IV drip (intravenously). Patients who cannot be treated by catheter, such as those with kidney problems, are offered an Intravenous (IV) delivery for the Treatment Diabetes.

The goal of theStem Cell Diabetes treatment is complete abolition ormeasurable reduction of insulindependency by > 50% by the end of 6 months of using the Thai Medical Approved PBSC Therapy in Thailand

Actual Results from TMV Approved Stem Cell Diabetes Treatment in Thailand

Facts About Treatment for Diabetes using Stem CellTransplants

For more information about how stem cell can be used to treat diabetes please take a look some clinical data from US ClinicalTrials.Gov

Autologous Stem Cell Transplants Type 1 Diabetes Safety and Efficacy

TMV has helped thousands of men and women just like youtake control of their health. We have earned the reputation as a trusted organization that will guide you every step of the way with honest answers,medical opinions and fixed prices only. We also offer assistance on many non-medical aspects of your medical trip at no extra cost. Other Stem cell treatments we offer include stem cell treatments for spinal cord injury,stem cells for heart disease,treatment for Autism,treatment for ED,stem cell breast augmentations,cell therapy for arthritis and the new non-surgical stem cell facelift.

The entire Diabetes Stem Cell Therapy plan for Those with Diabetes will require a 14-21 day stay in Thailand and consists of the following phrases:

The cost of the entire 14-21 day treatment programdepends on the patients current health condition and medical needs. To qualify for the treatment and get fixed prices please gather your recent blood checkups such as: CBC Complete Blood Count,HbA1c test, Fasting Glucose and Diabetic Urinalysis and contact us. We also offer all-Inclusive packages that include short term furnished apartments or Hotel near the treatment center,round trip airport transportation and a personal manager for local or translation assistance. The package includes one additional guest at no additional charge.To learn more about stem cell therapy for diabetes please contact us today.

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Stem Cell Therapy for Diabetes Cure Hyperglycemia

Gene therapy is the therapeutic delivery of nucleic acid polymers into a patients cells as a drug to treat disease. Until September 1990, it had never been successfully done, and it is still an experimental and emerging medical technology that has seen new promise in the 2010s after extensive challenges and setbacks in the first two decades of its existence.

Between September 1990 and January 2014 some 2,000 clinical trials had been conducted or approved.[1][2]

It should be noted that not all medical procedures that introduce alterations to a patients genetic makeup can be considered gene therapy. Bone marrow transplantation, and organ transplants in general have been found to introduce foreign DNA into patients. [3] Gene therapy is defined by the precision of the procedure and the intention of direct therapeutic effects.

Gene therapy was conceptualized in 1972, by authors who urged caution before commencing human gene therapy studies.

The first attempt, albeit an unsuccessful one, at gene therapy was performed by Martin Cline on 10 July 1980.[4][5]

After extensive research on animals throughout the 1980s and a May 1989 bacterial gene tagging trial on humans, transitory (non-permanent) somatic (non-inheritable) gene therapy was first successfully demonstrated in a trial that started on September 14, 1990, when Ashi DeSilva was treated for ADA-SCID.[6]

The first somatic treatment that produced a permanent genetic change was performed in 1993. [7]

The first germ line gene therapy consisted of producing a genetically engineered embryo in October of 1996. The baby was born on July 21, 1997 and was produced by taking a donors egg with healthy mitochondria, removing its nuclear DNA and filling it with the nuclear DNA of the biological mother a procedure known as cytoplasmic transfer.[8]

This procedure was referred to sensationally and somewhat inaccurately in the media as a three parent baby, though mtDNA is not the primary human genome and has little effect on an organisms individual characteristics beyond powering their cells.

Gene therapy is a way to fix a genetic problem at its source. The polymers are either expressed as proteins, interfere with protein expression, or possibly correct genetic mutations.

The most common form uses DNA that encodes a functional, therapeutic gene to replace a mutated gene. The polymer molecule is packaged within a vector, which carries the molecule inside cells.

Early clinical failures led to dismissals of gene therapy. Clinical successes since 2006 regained researchers attention, although as of 2014, it was still largely an experimental technique.[9] These include treatment of retinal disease Lebers congenital amaurosis,[10][11][12][13]X-linked SCID,[14] ADA-SCID,[15][16]adrenoleukodystrophy,[17]chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL),[18]acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL),[19]multiple myeloma,[20]haemophilia[16] and Parkinsons disease.[21] Between 2013 and April 2014, US companies invested over $600 million in the field.[22]

The first commercial gene therapy, Gendicine, was approved in China in 2003 for the treatment of certain cancers.[23] In 2011 Neovasculgen was registered in Russia as the first-in-class gene-therapy drug for treatment of peripheral artery disease, including critical limb ischemia.[24] In 2012 Glybera, a treatment for a rare inherited disorder, became the first treatment to be approved for clinical use in either Europe or the United States after its endorsement by the European Commission.[9][25]

Following early advances in genetic engineering of bacteria, cells and small animals, scientists started considering how to apply it to medicine. Two main approaches were considered replacing or disrupting defective genes.[26] Scientists focused on diseases caused by single-gene defects, such as cystic fibrosis, haemophilia, muscular dystrophy, thalassemia and sickle cell anemia. Glybera treats one such disease, caused by a defect in lipoprotein lipase.[25]

DNA must be administered, reach the damaged cells, enter the cell and express/disrupt a protein.[27] Multiple delivery techniques have been explored. The initial approach incorporated DNA into an engineered virus to deliver the DNA into a chromosome.[28][29]Naked DNA approaches have also been explored, especially in the context of vaccine development.[30]

Generally, efforts focused on administering a gene that causes a needed protein to be expressed. More recently, increased understanding of nuclease function has led to more direct DNA editing, using techniques such as zinc finger nucleases and CRISPR. The vector incorporates genes into chromosomes. The expressed nucleases then edit the chromosome. As of 2014 these approaches involve removing cells from patients, editing a chromosome and returning the transformed cells to patients.[31]

Other technologies employ antisense, small interfering RNA and other DNA. To the extent that these technologies do not alter DNA, but instead directly interact with molecules such as RNA, they are not considered gene therapy per se.[citation needed]

Gene therapy may be classified into two types:

In somatic cell gene therapy (SCGT), the therapeutic genes are transferred into any of any cell other than a gamete, germ cell, gametocyte or undifferentiated stem cell. Any such modifications affect the individual patient only, and are not inherited by offspring. Somatic gene therapy represents mainstream basic and clinical research, in which therapeutic DNA (either integrated in the genome or as an external episome or plasmid) is used to treat disease.

Over 600 clinical trials utilizing SCGT are underway in the US. Most focus on severe genetic disorders, including immunodeficiencies, haemophilia, thalassaemia and cystic fibrosis. Such single gene disorders are good candidates for somatic cell therapy. The complete correction of a genetic disorder or the replacement of multiple genes is not yet possible. Only a few of the trials are in the advanced stages.[32]

In germline gene therapy (GGT), germ cells (sperm or eggs) are modified by the introduction of functional genes into their genomes. Modifying a germ cell causes all the organisms cells to contain the modified gene. The change is therefore heritable and passed on to later generations. Australia, Canada, Germany, Israel, Switzerland and the Netherlands[33] prohibit GGT for application in human beings, for technical and ethical reasons, including insufficient knowledge about possible risks to future generations[33] and higher risks versus SCGT.[34] The US has no federal controls specifically addressing human genetic modification (beyond FDA regulations for therapies in general).[33][35][36][37]

The delivery of DNA into cells can be accomplished by multiple methods. The two major classes are recombinant viruses (sometimes called biological nanoparticles or viral vectors) and naked DNA or DNA complexes (non-viral methods).

In order to replicate, viruses introduce their genetic material into the host cell, tricking the hosts cellular machinery into using it as blueprints for viral proteins. Scientists exploit this by substituting a viruss genetic material with therapeutic DNA. (The term DNA may be an oversimplification, as some viruses contain RNA, and gene therapy could take this form as well.) A number of viruses have been used for human gene therapy, including retrovirus, adenovirus, lentivirus, herpes simplex, vaccinia and adeno-associated virus.[1] Like the genetic material (DNA or RNA) in viruses, therapeutic DNA can be designed to simply serve as a temporary blueprint that is degraded naturally or (at least theoretically) to enter the hosts genome, becoming a permanent part of the hosts DNA in infected cells.

Non-viral methods present certain advantages over viral methods, such as large scale production and low host immunogenicity. However, non-viral methods initially produced lower levels of transfection and gene expression, and thus lower therapeutic efficacy. Later technology remedied this deficiency[citation needed].

Methods for non-viral gene therapy include the injection of naked DNA, electroporation, the gene gun, sonoporation, magnetofection, the use of oligonucleotides, lipoplexes, dendrimers, and inorganic nanoparticles.

Some of the unsolved problems include:

Three patients deaths have been reported in gene therapy trials, putting the field under close scrutiny. The first was that of Jesse Gelsinger in 1999.[44] One X-SCID patient died of leukemia in 2003.[6] In 2007, a rheumatoid arthritis patient died from an infection; the subsequent investigation concluded that the death was not related to gene therapy.[45]

In 1972 Friedmann and Roblin authored a paper in Science titled Gene therapy for human genetic disease?[46] Rogers (1970) was cited for proposing that exogenous good DNA be used to replace the defective DNA in those who suffer from genetic defects.[47]

In 1984 a retrovirus vector system was designed that could efficiently insert foreign genes into mammalian chromosomes.[48]

The first approved gene therapy in the US took place on 14 September 1990, at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), under the direction of William French Anderson.[49] Four-year-old Ashanti DeSilva received treatment for a genetic defect that left her with ADA-SCID, a severe immune system deficiency. The effects were temporary, but successful.[50]

Cancer gene therapy was introduced in 1992/93.[51] The treatment of glioblastoma multiforme, the malignant brain tumor whose outcome is always fatal, was done using a vector expressing antisense IGF-I RNA (clinical trial approved by NIH n 1602, and FDA in 1994). The therapy proved to be effective due to the anti-tumor mechanism of IGF-I antisense, which is related to strong immune and apoptotic phenomena. For this reason this strategy can be considered also as immunotherapy.[52]

In 1992 Claudio Bordignon, working at the Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, performed the first gene therapy procedure using hematopoietic stem cells as vectors to deliver genes intended to correct hereditary diseases.[53] In 2002 this work led to the publication of the first successful gene therapy treatment for adenosine deaminase-deficiency (SCID). The success of a multi-center trial for treating children with SCID (severe combined immune deficiency or bubble boy disease) from 2000 and 2002, was questioned when two of the ten children treated at the trials Paris center developed a leukemia-like condition. Clinical trials were halted temporarily in 2002, but resumed after regulatory review of the protocol in the US, the United Kingdom, France, Italy and Germany.[54]

In 1993 Andrew Gobea was born with SCID following prenatal genetic screening. Blood was removed from his mothers placenta and umbilical cord immediately after birth, to acquire stem cells. The allele that codes for adenosine deaminase (ADA) was obtained and inserted into a retrovirus. Retroviruses and stem cells were mixed, after which the viruses inserted the gene into the stem cell chromosomes. Stem cells containing the working ADA gene were injected into Andrews blood. Injections of the ADA enzyme were also given weekly. For four years T cells (white blood cells), produced by stem cells, made ADA enzymes using the ADA gene. After four years more treatment was needed.[citation needed]

Jesse Gelsingers death in 1999 impeded gene therapy research in the US.[55][56] As a result, the FDA suspended several clinical trials pending the reevaluation of ethical and procedural practices.[57]

The modified cancer gene therapy strategy of antisense IGF-I RNA (NIH n 1602)[58] using antisense / triple helix anti IGF-I approach was registered in 2002 by Wiley gene therapy clinical trial n 635 and 636. The approach has shown promising results in the treatment of six different malignant tumors: glioblastoma, cancers of liver, colon, prostate, uterus and ovary (Collaborative NATO Science Programme on Gene Therapy USA, France, Poland n LST 980517 conducted by J. Trojan) (Trojan et al., 2012). This antigene antisense/triple helix therapy has proven to be efficient, due to the mechanism stopping simultaneously IGF-I expression on translation and transcription levels, strengthening anti-tumor immune and apoptotic phenomenons (Trojan et al., 2013).[59]

Sickle-cell disease can be treated in mice.[60] The mice which have essentially the same defect that causes human cases used a viral vector to induce production of fetal hemoglobin (HbF), which normally ceases to be produced shortly after birth. In humans, the use of hydroxyurea to stimulate the production of HbF temporarily alleviates sickle cell symptoms. The researchers demonstrated this treatment to be a more permanent means to increase therapeutic HbF production.[61]

A new gene therapy approach repaired errors in messenger RNA derived from defective genes. This technique has the potential to treat thalassaemia, cystic fibrosis and some cancers.[62]

Researchers created liposomes 25 nanometers across that can carry therapeutic DNA through pores in the nuclear membrane.[63]

In 2003 a research team inserted genes into the brain for the first time. They used liposomes coated in a polymer called polyethylene glycol, which, unlike viral vectors, are small enough to cross the bloodbrain barrier.[64]

Short pieces of double-stranded RNA (short, interfering RNAs or siRNAs) are used by cells to degrade RNA of a particular sequence. If a siRNA is designed to match the RNA copied from a faulty gene, then the abnormal protein product of that gene will not be produced.[65]

Gendicine is a cancer gene therapy that delivers the tumor suppressor gene p53 using an engineered adenovirus. In 2003, it was approved in China for the treatment of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.[23]

In March researchers announced the successful use of gene therapy to treat two adult patients for X-linked chronic granulomatous disease, a disease which affects myeloid cells and damages the immune system. The study is the first to show that gene therapy can treat the myeloid system.[66]

In May a team reported a way to prevent the immune system from rejecting a newly delivered gene.[67] Similar to organ transplantation, gene therapy has been plagued by this problem. The immune system normally recognizes the new gene as foreign and rejects the cells carrying it. The research utilized a newly uncovered network of genes regulated by molecules known as microRNAs. This natural function selectively obscured their therapeutic gene in immune system cells and protected it from discovery. Mice infected with the gene containing an immune-cell microRNA target sequence did not reject the gene.

In August scientists successfully treated metastatic melanoma in two patients using killer T cells genetically retargeted to attack the cancer cells.[68]

In November researchers reported on the use of VRX496, a gene-based immunotherapy for the treatment of HIV that uses a lentiviral vector to deliver an antisense gene against the HIV envelope. In a phase I clinical trial, five subjects with chronic HIV infection who had failed to respond to at least two antiretroviral regimens were treated. A single intravenous infusion of autologous CD4 T cells genetically modified with VRX496 was well tolerated. All patients had stable or decreased viral load; four of the five patients had stable or increased CD4 T cell counts. All five patients had stable or increased immune response to HIV antigens and other pathogens. This was the first evaluation of a lentiviral vector administered in a US human clinical trial.[69][70]

In May researchers announced the first gene therapy trial for inherited retinal disease. The first operation was carried out on a 23-year-old British male, Robert Johnson, in early 2007.[71]

Lebers congenital amaurosis is an inherited blinding disease caused by mutations in the RPE65 gene. The results of a small clinical trial in children were published in April.[72] Delivery of recombinant adeno-associated virus (AAV) carrying RPE65 yielded positive results. In May two more groups reported positive results in independent clinical trials using gene therapy to treat the condition. In all three clinical trials, patients recovered functional vision without apparent side-effects.[10][11][12][13]

In September researchers were able to give trichromatic vision to squirrel monkeys.[73] In November 2009, researchers halted a fatal genetic disorder called adrenoleukodystrophy in two children using a lentivirus vector to deliver a functioning version of ABCD1, the gene that is mutated in the disorder.[74]

An April paper reported that gene therapy addressed achromatopsia (color blindness) in dogs by targeting cone photoreceptors. Cone function and day vision were restored for at least 33 months in two young specimens. The therapy was less efficient for older dogs.[75]

In September it was announced that an 18-year-old male patient in France with beta-thalassemia major had been successfully treated.[76] Beta-thalassemia major is an inherited blood disease in which beta haemoglobin is missing and patients are dependent on regular lifelong blood transfusions.[77] The technique used a lentiviral vector to transduce the human -globin gene into purified blood and marrow cells obtained from the patient in June 2007.[78] The patients haemoglobin levels were stable at 9 to 10 g/dL. About a third of the hemoglobin contained the form introduced by the viral vector and blood transfusions were not needed.[78][79] Further clinical trials were planned.[80]Bone marrow transplants are the only cure for thalassemia, but 75% of patients do not find a matching donor.[79]

In 2007 and 2008, a man was cured of HIV by repeated Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (see also Allogeneic stem cell transplantation, Allogeneic bone marrow transplantation, Allotransplantation) with double-delta-32 mutation which disables the CCR5 receptor. This cure was accepted by the medical community in 2011.[81] It required complete ablation of existing bone marrow, which is very debilitating.

In August two of three subjects of a pilot study were confirmed to have been cured from chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). The therapy used genetically modified T cells to attack cells that expressed the CD19 protein to fight the disease.[18] In 2013, the researchers announced that 26 of 59 patients had achieved complete remission and the original patient had remained tumor-free.[82]

Human HGF plasmid DNA therapy of cardiomyocytes is being examined as a potential treatment for coronary artery disease as well as treatment for the damage that occurs to the heart after myocardial infarction.[83][84]

n 2011 Neovasculgen was registered in Russia as the first-in-class gene-therapy drug for treatment of peripheral artery disease, including critical limb ischemia.[24] Neovasculogen is a plasmid encoding the CMV promoter and the 165 amino acid form of VEGF.[85][86]

The FDA approved Phase 1 clinical trials on thalassemia major patients in the US for 10 participants in July.[87] The study was expected to continue until 2015.[88]

In July 2012, the European Medicines Agency recommended approval of a gene therapy treatment for the first time in either Europe or the United States. The treatment used Alipogene tiparvovec (Glybera) to compensate for lipoprotein lipase deficiency, which can cause severe pancreatitis.[89] The recommendation was endorsed by the European Commission in November 2012[9][25][90][91] and commercial rollout began in late 2014.[92]

In December 2012, it was reported that 10 of 13 patients with multiple myeloma were in remission or very close to it three months after being injected with a treatment involving genetically engineered T cells to target proteins NY-ESO-1 and LAGE-1, which exist only on cancerous myeloma cells.[20]

In March researchers reported that three of five subjects who had acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) had been in remission for five months to two years after being treated with genetically modified T cells which attacked cells with CD19 genes on their surface, i.e. all B-cells, cancerous or not. The researchers believed that the patients immune systems would make normal T-cells and B-cells after a couple of months. They were also given bone marrow. One patient relapsed and died and one died of a blood clot unrelated to the disease.[19]

Following encouraging Phase 1 trials, in April, researchers announced they were starting Phase 2 clinical trials (called CUPID2 and SERCA-LVAD) on 250 patients[93] at several hospitals to combat heart disease. The therapy was designed to increase the levels of SERCA2a protein in heart muscles, improving muscle function.[94] The FDA granted this a Breakthrough Therapy Designation to accelerate the trial and approval process.[95]

In July researchers reported promising results for six children with two severe hereditary diseases had been treated with a partially deactivated lentivirus to replace a faulty gene and after 732 months. Three of the children had metachromatic leukodystrophy, which causes children to lose cognitive and motor skills.[96] The other children had Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome, which leaves them to open to infection, autoimmune diseases and cancer.[97] Follow up trials with gene therapy on another six children with Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome were also reported as promising.[98][99]

In October researchers reported that two children born with adenosine deaminase severe combined immunodeficiency disease (ADA-SCID) had been treated with genetically engineered stem cells 18 months previously and that their immune systems were showing signs of full recovery. Another three children were making progress.[16] In 2014 a further 18 children with ADA-SCID were cured by gene therapy.[100] ADA-SCID children have no functioning immune system and are sometimes known as bubble children.[16]

Also in October researchers reported that they had treated six haemophilia sufferers in early 2011 using an adeno-associated virus. Over two years later all six were producing clotting factor.[16][101]

Data from three trials on Topical cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator gene therapy were reported to not support its clinical use as a mist inhaled into the lungs to treat cystic fibrosis patients with lung infections.[102]

In January researchers reported that six choroideremia patients had been treated with adeno-associated virus with a copy of REP1. Over a six-month to two-year period all had improved their sight. Choroideremia is an inherited genetic eye disease with no approved treatment, leading to loss of sight.[103][104]

In March researchers reported that 12 HIV patients had been treated since 2009 in a trial with a genetically engineered virus with a rare mutation (CCR5 deficiency) known to protect against HIV with promising results.[105][106]

Clinical trials of gene therapy for sickle cell disease were started in 2014[107][108] although one review failed to find any such trials.[109]

In February LentiGlobin BB305, a gene therapy treatment undergoing clinical trials for treatment of beta thalassemia gained FDA breakthrough status after several patients were able to forgo the frequent blood transfusions usually required to treat the disease.[110]

In March researchers delivered a recombinant gene encoding a broadly neutralizing antibody into monkeys infected with simian HIV; the monkeys cells produced the antibody, which cleared them of HIV. The technique is named immunoprophylaxis by gene transfer (IGT). Animal tests for antibodies to ebola, malaria, influenza and hepatitis are underway.[111][112]

In March scientists, including an inventor of CRISPR, urged a worldwide moratorium on germline gene therapy, writing scientists should avoid even attempting, in lax jurisdictions, germline genome modification for clinical application in humans until the full implications are discussed among scientific and governmental organizations.[113][114][115][116]

Also in 2015 Glybera was approved for the German market.[117]

Speculated uses for gene therapy include:

Athletes might adopt gene therapy technologies to improve their performance.[118]Gene doping is not known to occur, but multiple gene therapies may have such effects. Kayser et al. argue that gene doping could level the playing field if all athletes receive equal access. Critics claim that any therapeutic intervention for non-therapeutic/enhancement purposes compromises the ethical foundations of medicine and sports.[119]

Genetic engineering could be used to change physical appearance, metabolism, and even improve physical capabilities and mental faculties such as memory and intelligence. Ethical claims about germline engineering include beliefs that every fetus has a right to remain genetically unmodified, that parents hold such rights, and that every child has the right to be born free of preventable diseases.[120][121][122] For adults, genetic engineering could be seen as another enhancement technique to add to diet, exercise, education, cosmetics and plastic surgery.[123][124] Another theorist claims that moral concerns limit but do not prohibit germline engineering.[125]

Possible regulatory schemes include a complete ban, provision to everyone, or professional self-regulation. The American Medical Associations Council on Ethical and Judicial Affairs stated that genetic interventions to enhance traits should be considered permissible only in severely restricted situations: (1) clear and meaningful benefits to the fetus or child; (2) no trade-off with other characteristics or traits; and (3) equal access to the genetic technology, irrespective of income or other socioeconomic characteristics.[126]

As early in the history of biotechnology as 1990, the scientific community was opposed to attempts to modify the human germline using these new tools,[127] and such cautions continued as technology progressed.[128] With the advent of new techniques like CRISPR, in March 2015 scientists urged a worldwide ban on clinical use of gene editing technologies to edit the human genome in a way that can be inherited.[113][114][115][116] In April 2015, researchers sparked controversy when they reported results of basic research to edit the DNA of non-viable human embryos using CRISPR.[129][130] Additionally, it has been suggested that 3D printing can be implemented in the rapid development of bioresorbable scaffolds capable of implanting stem cells.[131]

Regulations covering genetic modification are part of general guidelines about human-involved biomedical research.

The Helsinki Declaration (Ethical Principles for Medical Research Involving Human Subjects) was amended by the World Medical Associations General Assembly in 2008. This document provides principles physicians and researchers must consider when involving humans as research subjects. The Statement on Gene Therapy Research initiated by the Human Genome Organization (HUGO) in 2001 provides a legal baseline for all countries. HUGOs document emphasizes human freedom and adherence to human rights, and offers recommendations for somatic gene therapy, including the importance of recognizing public concerns about such research.[132]

No federal legislation lays out protocols or restrictions about human genetic engineering. This subject is governed by overlapping regulations from local and federal agencies, including the Department of Health and Human Services, the FDA and NIHs Recombinant DNA Advisory Committee. Researchers seeking federal funds for an investigational new drug application, (commonly the case for somatic human genetic engineering), must obey international and federal guidelines for the protection of human subjects.[133]

NIH serves as the main gene therapy regulator for federally funded research. Privately funded research is advised to follow these regulations. NIH provides funding for research that develops or enhances genetic engineering techniques and to evaluate the ethics and quality in current research. The NIH maintains a mandatory registry of human genetic engineering research protocols that includes all federally funded projects.

An NIH advisory committee published a set of guidelines on gene manipulation.[134] The guidelines discuss lab safety as well as human test subjects and various experimental types that involve genetic changes. Several sections specifically pertain to human genetic engineering, including Section III-C-1. This section describes required review processes and other aspects when seeking approval to begin clinical research involving genetic transfer into a human patient.[135]

The FDA regulates the quality and safety of gene therapy products and supervises how these products are used clinically. Therapeutic alteration of the human genome falls under the same regulatory requirements as any other medical treatment. Research involving human subjects, such as clinical trials, must be reviewed and approved by the FDA and an Institutional Review Board.[136][137]

Gene therapy is the basis for the plotline of the film I Am Legend[138] and the TV show Will Gene Therapy Change the Human Race?[139]

See original here: Gene therapy Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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StemCell Therapy MD

President Barack Obama said Monday he is allowing federal taxpayer dollars to fund significantly broader research on embryonic stem cells because "medical miracles do not happen simply by accident," and promised his administration would make up for the ground lost under his predecessor.

Fulfilling a campaign promise, Mr. Obama signed an executive order expected to set in motion increased research that supporters believe could uncover cures for serious ailments from diabetes to paralysis.

Mr. Obama's action, before a packed East Room audience, reverses former President George W. Bush's policy on stem cell research by undoing a 2001 directive that banned federal funding for research into stem lines created after that date.

Mr. Bush limited the use of taxpayer money to only the 21 stem cell lines that had been produced before his decision. He argued he was defending human life because days-old embryos - although typically from fertility clinics and already destined for destruction - are destroyed to create the stem cell lines.

The Obama order reverses that without addressing a separate legislative ban, which precludes any federal money paying for the development of stem cell lines. The legislation, however, does not prevent funds for research on those lines created without federal funding. (Read more about what this Executive Order will do -- and won't do.)

Researchers say the newer lines created with private money during the period of the Bush ban are healthier and better suited to creating treatment for diseases. Embryonic stem cells are master cells that can morph into any cell of the body. Scientists hope to harness them so they can create replacement tissues to treat a variety of diseases - such as new insulin-producing cells for diabetics, cells that could help those with Parkinson's disease or maybe even Alzheimer's, or new nerve connections to restore movement after spinal injury.

Mr. Obama called his decision a "difficult and delicate balance," an understatement of the intense emotions generated on both sides of the long, contentious debate. He said he came down on the side of the "majority of Americans" who support increased federal funding for the research, both because strict oversight would prevent problems and because of the great and lifesaving potential it holds.

CBS News polling on the topic shows that Americans do support medical research using embryonic stem cells. In 2007, the last time CBS News asked the question, sixty-five percent said they approved compared to twenty-five percent who disapproved. The number of those who approved had gone up steadily since the 2004 when fifty percent approved. (Read more about the polling.)

"Rather than furthering discovery, our government has forced what I believe is a false choice between sound science and moral values," Mr. Obama said. "In this case, I believe the two are not inconsistent. As a person of faith, I believe we are called to care for each other and work to ease human suffering. I believe we have been given the capacity and will to pursue this research and the humanity and conscience to do so responsibly." (Read all of Mr. Obama's remarks.)

Mr. Obama warned against overstating the eventual benefits of the research. But he said his administration "will vigorously support scientists who pursue this research," taking a slap at his predecessor in the process.

"I cannot guarantee that we will find the treatments and cures we seek. No president can promise that. But I can promise that we will seek them actively, responsibly, and with the urgency required to make up for lost ground."

It's a matter of competitive advantage globally as well, the president argued.

"When government fails to make these investments, opportunities are missed. Promising avenues go unexplored. Some of our best scientists leave for other countries that will sponsor their work. And those countries may surge ahead of ours in the advances that transform our lives," Mr. Obama said.

Early Show medical contributor Dr. Holly Phillips pointed out that such research was never banned or illegal. "The question that we're addressing today is what role, if any, federal funding should have" in this research.

"Many scientists for the last eight years have been complaining that they're spending more time trying to find funding for their research than actually doing their research. So for them this will really have a profound effect," Phillips said. "Certainly on an international level in medicine we're so excited about this research and the potential for healing that it has. So I think less red tape will have a profound effect."

Of the diseases or conditions that may be most affected by the end of the federal ban, Phillips said, "People are most excited about the neurological illnesses, things like Parkinson's and Alzheimer's. A group in California will start using embryonic stem cells in humans to hopefully cure spinal cell injuries for people who have been paralyzed from the waist down. We're also seeing some hope in treating diabetes, heart disease and even strokes. So really, millions of people could be affected by this research."

"We've got eight years of science to make up for," said Dr. Curt Civin, whose research allowed scientists to isolate stem cells and who now serves as the founding director of the University of Maryland School of Medicine's Center for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine. "Now the silly restrictions are lifted."

Mr. Bush and his supporters said they were defending human life; days-old embryos - typically from fertility-clinic leftovers otherwise destined to be thrown away - are destroyed for the stem cells.

Family Research Council, which advocates for a "Judeo-Christian worldview" and warns against the reproductive cloning of a human being, opposes the use of embryonic stem cells, promoting instead adult stem cells as being superior.

Of Mr. Obama's new order, FRC's Dr. David Prentice told CBS' The Early Show, "In terms of scientific advances I don't think we are going to see anything for this. This is more of an ideological move."

House Republican Leader John Boehner said the president's repeal of the ban, "runs counter to President Obama's promise to be a president for all Americans. For a third time in his young presidency, the president has rolled back important protections for innocent life, further dividing our nation at a time when we need greater unity to tackle the challenges before us." (Read more about Republican reaction to the move.)

The president was insistent that his order would not open the door to human cloning.

"We will develop strict guidelines, which we will rigorously enforce, because we cannot ever tolerate misuse or abuse," Mr. Obama said. "And we will ensure that our government never opens the door to the use of cloning for human reproduction. It is dangerous, profoundly wrong, and has no place in our society, or any society."

Mr. Obama also issued a memo promising to restore "scientific integrity to government decision-making." That policy change was aimed more broadly than the stem cell debate, to reach into areas such as climate change as well.

"Promoting science isn't just about providing resources it is also about protecting free and open inquiry," Mr. Obama said. "It is about letting scientists like those here today do their jobs, free from manipulation or coercion, and listening to what they tell us, even when it's inconvenient especially when it's inconvenient. It is about ensuring that scientific data is never distorted or concealed to serve a political agenda and that we make scientific decisions based on facts, not ideology.

Mr. Obama said the presidential memorandum was the beginning of a process that would ensure that his administration: bases its decision "on the soundest science," appoints scientific advisers based on their credentials and experience, not their politics or ideology, and is "open and honest" about the science behind its decisions.

"We view what happened with stem cell research in the last administration is one manifestation of failure to think carefully about how federal support of science and the use of scientific advice occurs," said Harold Varmus, chairman of the White House's Council of Advisers on Science and Technology.

2009 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Original post:
Obama Ends Stem Cell Research Ban - CBS News

Texas Gov. Rick Perry, a potential presidential candidate, underwent spinal fusion surgery in early July that included an injection of his own stem cells, a therapy that is unapproved by the FDA and costs tens of thousands of dollars.

While the Texas governor supports adult stem cell research, he is an opponent of embryonic stem cell research, a position held by the social conservative base.

As first reported by the Texas Tribune, Perry's surgery included "the innovative use of his own adult stem cells" and any cost not covered by health insurance was paid for by Perry, according to his spokesman Mark Miner.

The stem cell treatment was the doctor's first attempt at the surgery ever, and the lab responsible for culturing Perry's stem cells is a branch of a South Korean company that has become known for commercialized dog cloning, "regenerative" beauty products, and accusations of conducting "stem cell tourism."

According to the Texas Tribune, Dr. Stanley Jones, a Houston orthopedic surgeon and personal friend of Perry, removed two teaspoons of fatty tissue from the governor's hip and placed it in a culture, waiting several weeks before the stem cells expanded. Jones later injected the stem cells into the governor's spine and into his blood stream to help speed up the healing process.

On the day of his surgery, Perry tweeted, "Little procedure went as advertised. Blessed to be married to the world's best nurse. Thanks for all the prayers!!"

Perry has been a strong proponent of adult stem cell research, even urging the Texas Medical Board to consider enhancing the state's position on adult stem cell research. In his 2009 State of the State address, Perry called for greater investment in the adult stem cell industry.

"Let's get Texas in on the ground floor and invest in adult stem cell research, the one area of that field that is actually proven to expedite cures," Perry said. "Expertise in this emerging and increasingly promising field will not only bring healing to the suffering and create jobs for Texans, it will also establish an appropriate firewall protecting the unborn from exploitation."

However, Perry opposes any form of embryonic stem cell research, a position that resonates with the social conservatives in the GOP. Perry's 2010 gubernatorial campaign website touts his support for banning embryonic stem cell research, a position held by a majority of the social conservative base.

"Gov. Perry supports a ban on human cloning and has vowed to veto any legislation that provides state dollars for embryonic stem cell research," the website reads. "He has been a strong advocate of utilizing adult stem cells in their place. Adult stem cell research can provide much-needed solutions for Texans suffering from various tissue and organ disorders while protecting the unborn from exploitation. They are also proven more effective in research than embryonic stem cells."

The Family Research Council, which opposes embryonic stem cell research, said Perry's use of adult stem cell therapy will reinforce the success of adult stem cells and will show embryonic stem cell therapy is not needed.

"We're actually very pleased that Gov. Perry would make public the fact that he used his own adult stem cells as part of this surgery to assist the healing process," Dr. David Prentice, senior fellow for life sciences at the Family Research Council, told ABC News. "People see that you don't need or want embryonic stem cells. You want, instead, those cells that work. Adult stem cells are ethical, but they're successful and they're working for thousands of patients right now, including, apparently, Gov. Perry."

But the Genetics Policy Institute, a public interest organization that supports all forms of stem cell research, warned that Perry should use his experimental therapy as an educational moment about consumer fraud in the stem cell field.

"As a public figure that availed himself of an experimental treatment, it behooves him to release to the public enough details about it to know that the treatment was legitimate," Bernard Siegel, executive director of the Genetics Policy Institute, told ABC News. "He needs to be aware of the consumer fraud that's out there and people who are desperate patients being lured to clinics, many of them abroad, that are selling snake oil and using the label stem cell to bring people in."

Last week, a federal judge threw out a lawsuit challenging the use of federal funding for embryonic stem cell research.

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Texas Gov. Rick Perry Received Experimental Stem Cell ...

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These articles, and stem-cell-science reviews, testimonials products, statements,and videos, have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. They are for educational and informational purposes only and do not constitute medical advice. The opinions expressed herein are those of the authors and ANY products mentioned or referenced,are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent ANY disease or illness.

For more adult stem cell science information on supporting your bodys natural ability to release stem cells, and to take advantage of any financial opportunities involving optimal health ,stem cells and Stem-Cell-Enhancers

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Stem Cell Science Reviews, along with adult stem cell nutrition Testimonials are being generated with increasing frequency. American citizens and others from around the globe are experiencing new found freedom from disease, affliction, and infirmity. Individuals' lives are forever changed with the strengthened faith and renewed hope that arise from healed bodies and physical restoration.

These seemingly miraculous repairs being proclaimed by scientists involved with Adult Stem Cell Science, are backed by published proof and documented peer reviewed studies.

The popular news media tend to ignore and obscure the medical breakthroughs made by adult stem cell research--success that has conspicuously eluded embryonic stem cell treatments.

Adult stem cells (or, more accurately, tissue stem cells) are regenerative cells of the human body that possess the characteristic of plasticity--the ability to specialize and develop into other tissues of the body. Beginning in an un-specialized and undeveloped state, they can be coaxed to become heart tissue, neural matter, skin cells, and a host of other tissues.

Stem cell science has documented that adult stem cells are found in our own organs and tissues such as fat, bone marrow, umbilical cord blood, placentas, neuronal sources, and olfactory tissue, which resides in the upper nasal cavity.

This simple fact has remarkable implications for medicine--diseased or damaged tissue can become healthy and robust through the infusion of such cells. This has consequently commanded the attention of many researchers as well as those suffering from disease.

It is necessary to note that the power of adult stem cells is not nebulously potential, but tangible and real, as it has produced wonderful results with many adult stem cell science studies and testimonials in multiple cases.

These have been documented in clinical trials, that is, treatments with human patients. With adult stem cells, physicians have successfully treated autoimmune diseases such as lupus, multiple sclerosis, Crohn's disease, and rheumatoid arthritis. Furthermore, adult stem cell science advances have helped to avert corneal degeneration and to restore vision in cases of blindness. They have also restored proper cardiac function to heart attack sufferers and improved movement in spinal cord injury patients.

It is also important to note that adult stem cell science has produced successes and the Worlds first adult stem cell enhancer capsules. Adult stem cell science and adult stem cell research are conducted without any controversy. Embryonic stem cell research, which requires the destruction of early human life to acquire the cells, has not produced any successes in human patients. The breakthroughs demonstrated by adult stem cells are detailed below.

"Spinal cord injuries are one of the most severe forms of debilitation known to humanity. Many times they result in different forms of paralysis, including paraplegia and quadriplegia; other times they involve the immediate or imminent death of the patient. Laura Dominguez is an example of the former. Living in San Antonio, Texas, she was a sixteen-year-old girl attending summer school in 2001. On her way back from class, she and her brother encountered an oil spill on the highway that caused their car to careen out of control. The accident left her paralyzed from the neck down with a C6 vertebrae burst fracture. She subsequently entered various hospitals to be emphatically informed that she would never walk again." She is another candidate for adult stem cell science technologies and Adult Stem Cell Nutrition.

"Recent years have seen the emergence of successful adult stem cell science treatments and consuming adult stem cell nutrition for those who have suffered from heart attacks and heart failure.

Dr. Andreas M. Zeiher, the chairman of the department of internal medicine at the University of Frankfurt, and Dr. Stefanie Dimmeler, head of the division of molecular cardiology at the same institution, conducted a study of 28 heart attack patients in 2003."

"Another area in which adult stem cell science and therapy are demonstrating rapid advancement is the field of ophthalmology. A surgical procedure known as limbal stem cell transplantation offers hope to those suffering from corneal degeneration, blindness, and other ocular diseases.

The procedure involves the extraction of stem cells from the limbus, the region of the eye between the epithelial layer of the cornea and the sclera, the eye's outer layer. The cells are typically extracted from a healthy eye of the patient himself, from a family member, or from cadaveric material. Once extracted, the limbal stem cells are implanted into the patient's defective eye. Stem cell science reveals that the stem cells then differentiate into corneal epithelial cells which improve the health of the outermost layer of the eye."

Autoimmune Disease Treatment: Diabetes, Lupus, Crohn's, Multiple Sclerosis

"Adult stem cell science and treatments has also shown significant results, with life-changing testimonials, in the treatment of various autoimmune disorders. Researchers reported that, of 250 diabetics, 200 were able to discard their insulin needles for over a year after islet cell transplantation from cadavers. A research team at Harvard has shown complete reversal of juvenile diabetes in mice using adult spleen cells, and is now preparing for the first patients trials using these adult cells."

"Parkinson's disease is a disorder of the central nervous system in which the substantia nigra, a part of the brain, ceases to produce dopamine, a chemical that allows for effective motion. Dennis Turner is a man who suffered from the disorder for fourteen years. His condition was characterized by strong shaking on the right side of his body, making arm coordination virtually impossible. He underwent years of medication and watched his condition gradually deteriorate. After consultation with a neurologist, he discovered the option of adult stem cell therapy and decided to have the procedure done. His own stem cells were extracted from his brain and subsequently transplanted into the left side of his brain in a 1999 procedure."

"Adult stem cell transplants are also widely used to treat such diseases as anemias, leukemias, lymphomas, and other cancers. Additional treatable diseases are Fanconi anemia, pure red cell aplasia, juvenile chronic myelogenous leukemia, juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia, immune deficiencies, and some genetic diseases."

The above testimonials are a strong testament to the amazing power of adult stem cells,brought public, by adult stem cell science. These "miracle cells" have provided real treatments for real people.

While stem cell science, has brought "Center Stage" the potency and success of adult stem cell treatments are becoming evident, treatments using embryonic stem cells have not produced any clinical successes. Rather, embryonic stem cell treatments tend to create tumors in numerous animal studies. The public should ponder these issues and ask why the media do not cover such results.

In a world with limited funds for research, why are we arguing about unproven and often dangerous embryonic stem cell treatments when treatments using adult stem cells are today producing testimonials of real results for real patients?

DISCLAIMER - Adult-StemCells-Blog and EJ Morris, a STEMTech Independent Distributor, does not make or infer any claims that Stem Cell Enhancers or Circulation Enhancer supplements can cure, mitigate, treat or prevent ANY disease. The information on this site is provided for educational and informational purposes only.The content is based upon the opinions of each respective author. The viewer is encouraged to make their own healthcare decisions that can be based upon research and then partnering with their own Doctor or health care professional concerning stem cell science, Stem Cell Enhancer capsules and adult stem cell options.

I am 54 years old and I love to work out with my speed bag and heavy bag. I want to give my Adult Stem Cell Nutrition testimony. I do weight training and love to run. A year ago I aggravated my lower back doing some work for a friend of mine from my church.

I have four vertebrae with compression fractures and during the last year I had severe discomfort in my back and I had torn some ligaments and muscles in my right calve.

I started taking AFA Stem-Cell-Enhancer capsules about 1 1/2 months ago. Today my back is free of discomfort and my calve has improved 80 %. I have never taken a product with such drastic results. I am a believer in stem cell science and will be using Stem cell Nutrition capsules for the rest of my life.

Kirk L.

*** [[ side note ]] Whole AFA has been used for more than two decades with a very good track record of safety and health benefits. Whole AFA has been used as a natural anti-inflammatory product, to support the immune system, and to improve mental clarity and mental energy. Over the past few years scientific teams have isolated and identified the various components in AFA responsible for the various health benefits of AFA.

In brief, AFA has been found to contain phenylethylamine (PEA) responsible for providing a feeling of mental energy, phycocyanin responsible for the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, a polysaccharide responsible for supporting the immune system, and most recently an L-selectin ligand responsible for supporting the release of stem cells from the bone marrow.

The World's first Stem Cells Enhancer Capsules are a 5:1 concentrate of AFA that concentrates the four compounds listed above. It is specifically designed and developed to support stem cell physiology, but it also concentrates other compounds unique to AFA, bringing unique support for the whole body.

Witness for yourself .. the Stem Cells Enhancer that helped Kirk

Running With a Bum Knee

A Stem-Cells-Enhancer testimony from Kenny Gaddy I have a bum knee. Over the years it has taken a lot of punishment from playing different sports. My knee would buckle walking upstairs, feeling like the cartilage between the bones was missing. I used to run a lot, but I hadn't been able to lately because of the pain. After three days of taking Stem Cell Nutrition capsules, I walked upstairs without my knee buckling or feeling any discomfort. I was pleasantly surprised at the strength in my knee, so to test it, I ran up the stairs. I was so excited! When I get up in the morning now, I hit the floor running. Nothing but the Stem-Cell-Enhancer capsules could have brought about that improvement.

World's First Stem-Cells- Enhancer Capsules are Right HERE !

Symptoms Gone

George Guyatt My symptoms included loss of memory, difficulty walking, and tremors. Three doctors in town, plus one at the VA, agreed I had a serious disorder. Recently, after starting on AFA Stem Cell Nutrition supplements, I noticed a big difference .. and I wanted to give my Stem Cell Science testimony.

Right away, my memory got better, and my walking improved 100 percent. I found it was much easier to get in and out of cars. I went to the neurologist for my regular check up, and she put me through all kinds of tests, but they all came back clear. I showed no signs of any brain disorder.

When she rotated my joints, she said she could barely detect a problem and couldn't believe what she was seeing.

She asked what I was doing differently, and I told her about the Adult Stem Cell nutrition and stem cell science. She said she would like to know more about it and told me that I would not have to come back anymore unless I wanted to.

"I'll Never be Without my STEM CELL Enhancer Nutrition"

Let's review some adult stem cell science and learn exactly what are Adult Stem Cell Enhancer capsules.. and How Do they Work?

Stem Cell Enhancer capsules,are a water soluble, a five times concentrate of AFA, a fresh-water blue-green algae that grows is Klamath Lake, Oregon, and a few other places around the world.

Stem Cell Science has produced a patented stem cell nutrition formula contains a specific ligand that attaches to a receptor on stem cells in the bone marrow, and thereby releases stem cells from their attachment in the bone marrow.

Stem cell science studies and research work, have discovered that Stem Cell Enhancer capsules, also contains a molecule known as Migratose that helps stem cells enter areas of tissue injury and cell damage. Beyond this, the AFA in Stem-Cell-Enhancer capsules contains chlorophyll, which helps in detoxification.

Stem Cell Science documents that stem cell nutrition capsules also contain PEA, a brain chemical known as the molecule of joy, which improves mood and relaxation in many people.Stem Cell Enhancer capsules also contain phycocyanin, the blue-green pigment which is both anti-inflammatory and has anti-tumor properties.

Scientific studies on Stem Cell Enhancer capsules have demonstrated that it 1) causes a transient, mild enhancement of stem cell release, 2) releases natural killer cells from the bone marrow, which cells help the body eliminate toxic invaders (bacteria and viruses) and cancer cells, and 3) decreases malignant cell growth. Further stem cell science studies are in progress and will be published in the coming months.

The very basic stem cell science of it all, is, when a person takes two Stem Cell Nutrition capsules, from the stomach they go right into the blood stream and then to the bone marrow.

In the bone marrow they activate the natural release of between three to four million of your own stem cells into your blood stream. When the stem cells are released into the blood stream they are like heat-seeking missiles. They go right to the part of your body that is damaged the most. They then attach themselves to the damaged area, they become new cells of that area, they multiply, and they fix the problem the natural way.

Stem cell science has documented that after the millions of your own stem cells circulate in your blood stream for two to three hours fixing things, the stem cells that are not used up go right back to the bone marrow.

So nothing is lost.

The bone marrow then reproduces the number of stem cells that were used up on the previous journey, so you always have a full tank of stem cells for the next time you take two capsules. Pretty exciting. Now well look at some adult stem cell science testimonies from real people.

A Bad Fall .. Stem Cell Enhancer and Circulation enhancer Capsules

Last summer I was walking with some friends of mine through their back yard late at night. It was pitch black. What they didnt tell me was that their son was putting in a fence around the perimeter of their property, and he had dug a deep hole for the 6 x 6 post. Well, he ran out of daylight, didnt have time to put in the post, and he didnt cover the hole. Guess what? I found the hole.

I hit the side of my left leg right under the hip joint on my way down. The discomfort was excruciating. I thought I had broken my leg. They hauled me out of the hole and I started walking around, and I knew that because I could walk I hadnt broken my leg.

Right away my leg swelled up where I had hit the hole. I had been taking four Stem Cell Enhancer capsules a day for over a year on kind of a maintenance program.

Now, to relieve the immense discomfort I took eight StemEnhance three times a day for three days. Every time I took the eight pills the discomfort would go down measurably. At the end of the three days the discomfort was all gone.

But the big puffy bruise about the size of my hand on my leg was still there. It didnt hurt but it was still there. Another amazing thing about that giant bruise that whole time I was taking the massive amounts of Stem Cell Enhancers, that bruise never became in the least discolored.

When I was younger I was a high school and college track athlete and basketball player, and every bruise I ever received would get black and blue. This one never discolored at all. The stem cells had to be taking the bad blood away before it could collect there.

After that bad fall I went back to taking four pills a day. The big lump on my leg was still there. It didnt hurt, but it was still there. About two months later the company came out with stem cell circulation nutrition which is an all natural product made out of six very powerful antioxidants. I was so happy with what stem cell nutrition supplements have done for me that I decided to try it to help the circulation of my stem cells.

It has been recommended taking Stem Cell Circulation capsules along with ,Stem Cell Enhancer capsules, in the morning on an empty stomach with plenty of water or other liquid that is good for you.

Stem cell Circulation Enhancer capsules actually speeds the transmission of the stem cells in your blood stream and clears out veins and arteries and actually opens capillaries that were closed. It is especially good for people with poor circulation.

Well, I didnt have poor circulation, but being 65 years old I am always interested in all natural products that will keep me in good health.

So, I bought a bottle of circulation enhancer capsules and started taking them. All of a sudden that big puffy lump on the side of my left leg started to go down. Within a week to a week and a half it was all gone and has never come back.

Another thing I noticed after taking adult stem cell circulation nutrition.. I had a patch of red inflamed skin about the size of a small baseball right above the ankle bone of my right leg. It didnt really hurt, but it was itchy and red, and I didnt want to itch it because I thought it might bleed. I had had this red spot there for several years.

In about two weeks after taking adult stem cell nutrition for enhanced circulation, that red spot was gone, and now it is just regular skin. I also used to get light headed when I would stand up quickly after stooping down to the floor or getting up too fast. The light head feeling is all gone now since I have been taking stem cell circulation formula. K.G.

Muscle aches, Elevated Blood Sugar, and Bad Vision

A 46 years old, self-made businessman had severe muscle discomfort for 26 years. The doctor told him that it was just a matter of time before he was in a wheel chair because there was no medical cure for this condition. He also had a severe case of elevated blood sugar, and because of complications related to this he was losing his vision very fast.

It took him literally two to three hours every morning just to get out of bed so he could get ready to go to work. This man heard me on the radio talking about gold and silver, but when I told him about Stem Cell Enhancer capsules he became very excited. He bought a number of bottles and started taking six or eight capsules a day.

After six weeks his muscle aches were all gone, after two months his elevated blood sugar normalized, and also in this period his vision improved back to 20/20. In fact, he gave a speech to a group of people after that about what these Stem Cell Enhancers had done for him, and his eye doctor went with him with his eye medical records and gave a testimony of what had happened to his vision as a result of taking AFA Stem Cell Enhancers.

A couple months after he started taking Stem-Cell-Enhancer capsules, this mans mother was diagnosed with stage IV lung masses and was expected to live for only a month or two. After starting taking Stem-Cell-Enhancers, two capsules 3x daily, she improved to the point that the hospice workers questioned her diagnosis. She survived for nine months in a much improved state and died of unrelated causes. R. N.

Muscle Aches

A married lady from Colorado in her mid-50s had a bad case of muscle aching. She was in so much discomfort that she could not even physically get out of bed in the morning. Her husband had to pull her out of bed. She would just stand there on the side of the bed and shake almost uncontrollably for about 15 minutes. The shaking would eventually subside and she could slowly start walking around and get ready to go to work. She bought Stem-Cell-Enhancer capsules and started taking it every day. After only a month her muscle discomfort was completely gone, and now she lives a brand new life without that tormenting affliction. J. H.

Healthy Heart & Sunshine

I have a couple gold and silver clients in Alaska. They are both in their mid 50s. The wife has had heart problems and has been experiencing great difficulty walking for any distance even on the level. She would get out of breath and feel very weak. Her husband was a commercial plumber and was relatively healthy. But being a plumber and being outside in the elements he was very concerned about his health, particularly about his immune system.

When I told the wife about Stem Cell Enhancer capsules releasing millions more adult stem cells..and that those stem cells could strengthen her heart she became very excited and bought several bottles. She took about six or eight Stem-Cell-Enhancer capsules a day in order to hasten the repair of her heart. In just a few short weeks she was walking long distances without even breathing hard.

She then decided to try to climb a small mountain that was near to where they lived. Twenty years ago she was able to climb it but not recently. With her knew found strength she decided to try. She climbed to the top of that mountain and was not even breathing hard by the time she got there.

When she bought several bottles of AFA Stem-Cell-Enhancer capsules, her husband ridiculed her, and called it quack medicine. As she started feeling the results of the product she wanted him to take it also, so she made up a story that it was primarily for the immune system, not knowing that stem cell nutrition does very much boost the immune system. Her husband decided to take it on that basis.

When I called back and talked to her after about two months she told me a shocking but funny story. She said that her husband had been transformed into a new person. I didnt know this before, but she told me that her husband was the most pessimistic, negative, critical, nasty person you could ever meet.

She said that she couldnt wait until he had a job away from home so she wouldnt have to be around him and his nastiness. She also told me that after he started taking the Stem-Cell-Enhancer capsules his whole personality changed.

Now he is never negative or pessimistic or nasty. He is the most cheerful, optimistic, positive person you could ever want or hope to meet. She is absolutely astounded at the dramatic change. He went from nasty surly to complete Sunshine in about two months.

What she didnt know about Stem-Cell-Enhancer nutrition, is that the blue-green algae contains a natural chemical, phenylethylamine or PEA, called the Oil of Joy, and it makes people calm, serene, relaxed, and happy. Smile.. and pass the Stem Cell Nutrition T. M.

Eyes, Shingles, Respiratory problems, Bad Knees

One of my clients is a legal secretary. She started out taking just two Stem-Cell-Enhancer capsules a day, one in the morning and one at night. Over the years her eyesight has become bad and she had to start wearing bifocals for close up work, like looking at the computer screen.

After just a few days of taking stem cell nutrition she noticed that the computer at work was becoming blurry. She thought that very strange. Maybe her eyes were going bad. To her shock, when she took off her bifocals she could read the computer screen clearly.

Now she doesnt need to wear glasses any more. Many people with bad vision have almost immediate eye testimonies. Where can you go to buy good natural vision?

Years ago this lady had a bad case of shingles, and there were some places on her face that were still numb from the infection. Within a week all the numbness in those places was gone. Being in an office with attorneys and other office staff, she usually was the first to pick up colds and sniffles or coughs or flu.

She noticed the other day that almost everyone in the office had some kind of cold or malady, but she was feeling just fine and healthy. Lastly, she had bad knees, and they would really hurt when she walked up stairs. After two weeks of taking Stem-Cell-Enhancer capsules, her knees didnt hurt in the least anymore. B. A.

Shoulder, Eyes, Breathing, Bad Back

A man in his mid 50s had lost most of the range of motion in his shoulders, and had a lot of discomfort there. He started taking Stem-Cell-Enhancer capsules and Circulation Enhancers, about eight capsules of each daily. In less than a week he experienced much greater range of motion in his shoulders.

His eyesight was also bad, and in just about a week he was able to drive downtown without his glasses on. He had trouble breathing and went to the doctor to get an MRI. He thought there might be something wrong with his heart, but the tests didnt show that. He had sinus trouble also and was not able to breathe out of his nose.

After about two weeks his breathing had improved dramatically and he could breathe out of his nose for the first time in years. He was also constantly in severe back discomfort, and no medication could touch it. After just four days of taking the worlds first Adult Stem Cell Enhancer capsules his backache was completely gone. R.W.

Memory, Knee, Energy, Granny

A young man in his late 20s wanted to improve his memory. He found that when he was studying hard concepts that it would take him quite a while to grasp them.

Adult stem cell science amazed him. He started taking Adult Stem Cell Enhancer capsules and Stem cell circulation enhancers .. six capsules a day.

He was amazed at the dramatic difference it made and how he could now grasp complicated concepts and remember them. He also had a bad knee from playing soccer when he was younger.

He had to quit playing because of his knee. After two weeks of taking the adult stem cell nutrition formula his knee was 100% fine no discomfort at all.

He also experienced a tremendous boost of energy and strength. He gave a bottle of adult stem cell nutrition formula to his 75 year old grandmother just to try. Years ago she was very active, but age has taken its toll.

Continue reading here:
Stem Cell Science Reviews and Adult Stem Cell Nutrition ...

A couple of years ago, Brad Perry's dogs started having joint problems. Cowboy, the golden retriever, developed a severe case of arthritis, while Mr. Jones, the mutt, tore the ligaments in both of his knees during some overenthusiastic play.

"It was so sad. They wouldn't even come to the door to greet me they were in so much pain. It just broke my heart," recalled Perry, a tractor-trailer driver from Alexandria, Ky.

Perry gave the dogs all sorts of medications, but nothing worked, and he knew such medications could result in kidney and liver damage. The dogs' suffering became so great, Perry considered putting the pets down. But late last year he heard about a veterinarian in his area who performed stem cell therapy on dogs to regenerate and repair their joints and figured it was worth a try.

Cowboy underwent the procedure first. Mr. Jones followed a few months later. Perry said that within 10 days of receiving treatment the dogs were like puppies again, chasing his kids, running around in the park and swimming in the lake.

The treatment Perry's dogs received was developed by MediVet America of Lexington, Ky., one of several companies that sell equipment and training to veterinary clinics around the world. MediVet has more than a thousand clinics. Participating vets have performed more than 10,000 stem cell procedures about 7,000 of them in the past 12 months.

An operation like the one Cowboy and Mr. Jones underwent takes several hours. To start, the vet harvests a few tablespoons of fat cells from the pet's abdomen or shoulder, then spins the cells in a centrifuge to separate out the stem cells that are naturally present in fat. Next, the cells are mixed with special enzymes to "digest" any residual fat and connective tissue, and are then "activated" by mixing them with "plasma rich platelets" extracted from the animal's blood cells. The mixture is stimulated under a LED light for 20 minutes or so to further concentrate the stem cells. Finally, the newly awakened cells are injected back into the damaged joint.

Jeremy Delk, MediVet's chief executive officer, said that the therapy works because stem cells are the only cells in the body that have the ability to transform themselves into other types of specialized cells -- such as cartilage -- making them a potent tool for repairing damaged and deteriorating joints. There are 50 to 1,000 times more stem cells in the fat than bone marrow, a source that was more consistently used in animal and human -- stem cell therapy until the fat method started becoming more popular.

"As we age, humans and animals alike, our stem cells are starting to die off so we have fewer. What we are able to do with these techniques is isolate the cells in very large numbers, wake them up and put them back into the area that needs help," he explained.

While still largely unavailable to their owners, stem cell therapy from fat cells has been offered to our furry friends for several years. With fewer regulatory hoops to jump through in veterinary medicine and no contentious religious debates, experimental procedures are often tested and perfected on animals decades before they're green-lighted for use on humans.

One of the things veterinarians and owners alike praise about the procedure is it can be completed in one day, and all at the vet's office. Stem cells can also be banked for future injection so the animal does not have to endure extraction again.

John Sector, the owner of Shelby St. Veterinarian Hospital in Florence, who performed the surgery on Cowboy and Mr. Jones, had high praise for the therapy.

"This is potentially a game changer. We're seeing incredible results in the joints. We also see some unexpected improvements in other things, like skin conditions," he said.

Stem cell therapy is not just for pets who curl up on couches or ride in the backseat either. Delk said horses, donkeys, zebras and lions are also regular stem cell patients. He and his team recently traveled to the Middle East to perform the therapy on some prized racing camels.

However, stem cell remedies, even for animals, are still considered experimental. Shila Nordone, the chief scientific officer at the AKC Canine Health Foundation, a nonprofit group that funds health research for dogs, said that its use for joint regenerative purposes is exciting, but that the lower regulatory bar in animal medicine is both good and bad.

"It's good because we can do things sooner for our patients without 10 years of expensive clinical trials, but bad because we are still in the process of establishing best practices to ensure the procedures are the safest and most effective possible," she said.

Studies funded by the Health Foundation and others have been promising. One study of more than 150 dogs found improvements in joint stiffness, mobility and other joint health indicators in nearly 95 percent of arthritic cases. In some patients, improvements were seen in as little as a week while others took up to 90 days and required multiple injections.

The cost of a single procedure is $1800-$3,000, depending on the area of the country, the species of animal and severity of joint damage. Even those with pet insurance can expect to pay out of pocket.

Owners like Perry believe it is worth every penny.

"They are completely different dogs. It absolutely changed their lives," he said of Cowboy and Mr. Jones. "It changed mine too -- I got my dogs back."

Follow this link:
Arthritic Dogs Healed With New Stem Cell Therapy - ABC News

Table of Contents Module 1 Conceptually, stem cell research can be viewed as a branch of modern biology that attempts to create stem cells from differentiated cells or to transform embryonic or adult stem cells into specialized, differentiated cells that can be used to replace damaged cells or organs. Research conducted from 1998 to 2015 on human stem cells has demonstrated that the transformation of stem cells into healthy specialized cell types is emerging as a fundamental biological area of study that could lead to revolutionary therapies and clinical applications. Many scientists are convinced that stem cell research also will lead to a better understanding of fundamental aspects of biology in the areas of cellular differentiation, organ regeneration, regenerative medicine, and epigenetics as well as the science of cancer. In this light, stem cell research simultaneously represents a domain of both critical basic research and promising clinical application. In sum, stem cell research is rapidly advancing science in profound ways, and has great potential to positively affect our health as well as our quality of life. To more fully understand the complexities that underlie stem cell biology, it is critical to appreciate the definition of terms, understanding of the embryology, and the process of generating stem cells. Soon after fertilization, the haploid egg and sperm nuclei merge to form a single nucleus with the diploid number of chromosomes. The one-cell zygote divides as it moves along in the fallopian tube, where it continues to divide. Up until the 8-cell stage, each cell is totipotent.

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Totipotent means that each cell can give rise to all the 220 cell types in the embryo plus the extra-embryonic tissues necessary to form the placenta and yolk sac that together allow for the development of the fetus. The ability to form the placenta is a defining feature of totipotent cells.

Soon after fertilization, the haploid egg and sperm nuclei merge to form a single nucleus with the diploid number of chromosomes. The one-cell zygote divides as it moves along in the fallopian tube, where it continues to divide. Up until the 8-cell stage, each cell is totipotent. As the embryo travels along the oviduct, the cells continue to proliferate and the morula develops into a blastocyst that contains a cavity. The outer layer of cells of the blastocyst will go on to form the placenta and other supporting tissues needed for fetal development in the uterus.

The inner cell mass of cells located at the polarized end of the cavity contain the embryonic stem cells. These cells are of particular interest to researchers and others as they will eventually mature to form virtually all of the tissues in the human body.

These are images of blastocysts, caught on the head of a pin. In the picture on the right, the blastocyst is opened revealing the inner cell mass containing the stem cells.

What does pluripotent mean? What is important to know here is that while the inner cell mass cells can form virtually every type of cell found in the body, and therefore the cells are considered pluripotent, they cannot form an entire organism because they are unable to give rise to the placenta and other tissues necessary for gestational development in the uterus. This is a key point. Because their potential is not total, they are not totipotent only totipotent cells can go on to develop into a fetus. Pluripotent cells will form every cell in the body but will never form an embryo.

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Cells as the basic units of life The basis of stem cell biology begins with the understanding that cells form the basic units of life. In the 1600s, using his microscope, Robert Hooke observed small living compartments within cork plants. Likening the little units of cork tissue to miniature rooms or chambers, he coined the term "cells from the Latin word cella meaning a small room.

It took the scientific community two centuries to appreciate Hookes initial observations. By the mid 1800s, scientists such as Theodore Schwann began formulating the cellular theory of life which contained two major conclusions:

In 1908, at the Congress of the Hematologic Society in Berlin, Russian histologist Alexander Maksimov first proposed the term stem cell perhaps after noting that the stem of a tree gives rise to a variety of branches.

Cell specialization, for the 220 histologically different cell types characterized in the human body, is thus determined by the activation and suppression of a specific subset of the 20,000-25,000 genes representing 5% of the human genome. In addition, we are learning more about the role of the other 95% of the genome that has historically been referred to as junk DNA, which might not be junk after all (see Module 3 - Cellular differentiation to understand the newly discovered critical functions of junk DNA). (Wang, Huang et al.)

Self renewal is the ability of stem cells to divide indefinitely, producing a population of identical offspring. The concept of self-renewing stem cells originated in the 1960s with McCulloch and Till who demonstrated the presence of self-renewing cells in mouse bone marrow, which we now know are hematopoietic stem cells (Becker, Mc et al. 1963; Siminovitch, McCulloch et al. 1963). Today, cell surface markers and the expression of transcription factors are important characteristics of cellular differentiation.

Plasticity describes the capacity of stem cells to undergo an asymmetric division, cued by environmental conditions and genetic factors, to produce two dissimilar daughter cells. As of 2015, there is still controversy whether stem cells undergo symmetical or asymmetical division. In asymmetrical division, one daughter cell, identical to the parent,continues to contribute to the original stem cell line, while the other daughter cell differentiates into specialized cell types. Symmetrical division gives rises to two identical daughter cells that are either stem cells or cells that have begun to differentiate. Plasticity also describes the ability of an organism to change its phenotype in response to changes in the environment.

But not all stem cells exhibit these properties of self renewal and plasticity. While hematopoietic and embryonic stem cells exhibit these properties, other adult stem cells may only be committed to exhibit plasticity in their ability to differentiate into other types of cells.

The hallmark property of stem cells is their ability to differentiate into a wide variety of different cell types. Thus, scientists must demonstrate that the cells they have obtained are bona fide stem cells based on their capacity to differentiate into several other types of terminal or lineage progenitor cells.

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Pluripotent stem cells are found in the inner cell mass of the blastocyst and have the capacity to form any of the three germ layers that compose over 200 different cell types found in the body, excluding the placenta. Multipotent stem cells are derived from adult tissue, such as umbilical cord blood and bone marrow, and generally do not have the same capacity to differentiate into all the different cell types of the human body. Sources of stem cells Traditionally, there have been four primary tissue sources to obtain human stem cells: embryo, fetus, neonatal (including cord blood), and adult tissue. While most tissues and organs of the human body contain stem cells, their frequency varies from organ to organ. In circulating blood, for example, only 1:100,000 cells are stem cells, while the percentage of stem cells in bone marrow is much greater.

In addition, in the adult, most organs have a unique type of stem cell that can be identified by the specific cell surface markers it expresses.

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At the same time that Thomson reported his results, researchers from Johns Hopkins University, led by John Gearhart, described a method to isolate and culture immature germ cells from 5 to 8 week-old fetuses that were donated anonymously by women undergoing therapeutic or spontaneous abortions (Shamblott, Axelman et al. 1998). Dr. Gearhart and colleagues collected stem cells from the germinal centers of the ovaries or testes of the fetus and placed them in plastic dishes. They then added factors that enabled the germ stem cells to continue to divide, while simultaneously retaining them in a state of suspended development that prevented them from differentiating. These germ cell-derived stem cells could also be frozen, recovered, and maintained as stem cells in culture. Interestingly, Gearharts initial purpose for his research was merely to develop a tool for studying Downs syndrome.

The great advantage of deriving stem cells via iPS is that this remarkable technology does not require the destruction of human embryos. Moreover, the potential of iPS means that future stem cell therapies could be based on a patient's own cells (Takahashi and Yamanaka 2006). This is a key point since the use of ones own cells in stem cell therapy would eliminate the issue of tissue rejection, which is a critical problem in most organ donation scenarios. Tissue rejection would likely be an issue if patients were to receive stem cells from someone else. [insert religious views on the destruction of human embryos]

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Disadvantages of using embryonic stem cells The major disadvantages of embryonic stem cells, apart from ethical considerations, are that they may be rejected if transplanted into an HLA incompatible person, and more importantly, that they may form tumors more easily than adult-derived stem cells.

Advantages of using adult stem cells Most adult tissues contain multipotent stem cells. The most common source for multipotent stem cells is bone marrow. Bone marrow-derived stem cells in large measure generate the multiple cell types cells found in the blood. However, scientists can direct the differentiation process of bone marrow to differentiate into a variety of other cell types (Choi, Kurtz et al. 2011). Thus, there are considerable efforts undertaken to expand the ability of adult stem cells to differentiate into even more kinds of specialized cell types.

In addition, the ease with which bone marrow cells can be obtained, coupled with our experience using these cells in a variety of treatments (e.g., leukemia), have been a great impetus for further investigation of bone marrow as a source for adult stem cells.

While bone marrow-derived cells can differentiate into a variety of blood cells and other cell types, they are not as pluripotent as are embryonic stem cells. Nonetheless, there is a significant advantage to using bone marrow or any adult-derived stem cells in autologous therapy, as the risk of tissue rejection is avoided by using the patients own cells.

Disadvantages of using adult stem cells Adult derived stem cells, however, have some disadvantages in therapeutic applications. To date, disadvantages of adult stem cells are that they are:

Read the original:
stemcellbioethics - Module 1 - The Biology of Stem Cells

Countries colored in brown represent about 3.8 billion people, more than half the world's population. All have a permissive or flexible policy on human embryonic stem cell research and all except the U.S. have banned by law human reproductive cloning. Population: M = million.

Map Explanation

* Turkey is among several countries in which no specific regulations and guidelines have so far been defined by legal or governmental institutions for human embryonic stem cell research. Dr. Necati Findikli of Istanbul Memorial Hospital reported the first known derivation of human embryonic stem cells from donated blastocyst-stage embryos in Turkey in 2005. Reproductive Medicine Online 10 (5), 617-627, 2005.

Images and Video

Click above for discussion of The Stem Cell Dilemma on Hawaii Public Radio's public affairs program Town Square

Stem Cell Animation: RIKEN Center for Developmental Biology, Kobe, Japan.

Bingaman, The Honorable Jeff. Video of Speech on the floor of the U.S. Senate, April 11, 2007

Green, Ronald. Dartmouth News: The Ethics of Stem Cells, November 30, 2005

References

The ISSCR Guidelines for the Conduct of Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research, Feb. 1, 2007.

Countries with a permissive or flexible policy

"Stem Cells and the New 'Age of Discovery'" [PDF] AUTM Central Regional Meeting, Minneapolis, July 23, 2006 "Stem Cells, Regenerative Medicine, and Clusters of Innovation in the Asia-Pacific Region" [PDF] Stem Cells Asia 2010, Seoul, Oct. 28, 2010 "Stem Cell Research: Evolving Policy for a New Science" [PDF] University of Minnesota Stem Cell Institute, Nov. 17, 2010

A leading resource for information about stem cell policy on

Awarded a star by Kirkus Reviews for "remarkable merit"

World Stem Cell Map cited by:

Beaver, Nathan and Matthew Mulkeen. Under the Microscope: The International Legal & Business Issues Surrounding the Stem Cell Initiative. Foley & Lardner LLP, Washington D.C. BioJapan 2005. September 8, 2005. PDF [2.3 MB] Bingaman, The Honorable Jeff. Speech on the floor of the U.S. Senate , April 11, 2007

Bingaman, The Honorable Jeff. Video of Speech on the floor of the U.S. Senate, April 11, 2007 [short video]

Brito, Arturo. The Childrens Health Fund. "Stem Cell Research: The Ethics of Non-Action." September 1, 2007 PDF Caplan, Arthur. Medical College of Virginia, Oct. 11, 2004 and various stem cell academic presentations and public lectures. Website Department of Health, Catalonia, Spain. "Considerations concerning nuclear transfer," December 2005. [PDF] Dinnetz, Mattias Karlsson. "Stem Cell Research, Science Policy and the Emergence of an Academic Centre," Lund University, Sweden, 2006. Dodd David A. "Stem Cell Science & Technology: Commercialization Opportunities & Challenges," MIT Enterprise Forum of Atlanta, October 12, 2006. [podcast] Eisenstadter, Ingrid. "Blacklists and Blastocysts," Barron's, July 10, 2006. Epstein, David. "Free For All, Inside Higher Ed, July 25, 2006. Global Watch: Stem cell mission to China, Singapore and South Korea, Department of Trade & Industry, United Kingdom, September 2004. PDF Green, Ronald M. "Embryo and Fetal Research" In: The Cambridge Textbook of Bioethics, Cambridge University Press, 2008. Greenwood, Heather L. and Abdahlla S. Daar. "Regenerative Medicine" In: The Cambridge Textbook of Bioethics, Cambridge University Press, 2008. Gross, Michael. "Framework bolsters stem cell progress." Current Biology, 14 (15): R592-R593, August 10, 2004. House of Commons Library, UK Parliament, Research Paper 08/42, "Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill," May 2, 2008 Hug, Christina. EuroStemCell Workshop - working paper, Lund University, Sweden, March 2006 [PDF] Kadereit, Suzanne. Stem Cell Research Symposium, New England School of Law. November 19, 2004. Website (ISSCR) Keane, Steve, The Case Against Blanket First Amendment Protection of Scientific Research: Articulating a More Limited Scope of Protection, Stanford Law Review: 59 (2) 505, 2006 [PDF]

Kirk, Mark, U.S. Congressman from the 10th Congressional District of Illinois. "Stem Cell Politics on Capitol Hill," BIO 2006, April 2006. PowerPoint

Knowles, Lori. The Business of Regulating Stem Cell Research, American Enterprise Institute, March 9, 2005. Stem Cell Research Symposium, New England School of Law. November 19, 2004. Website Latham, Stephen R. "Between public opinion and public policy: human embryonic stem-cell research and path-dependency." J Law Med Ethics 37(4): 800-6, 2009 Leist, Marcel et al. "The Biological and Ethical Basis of the Use of Human Embryonic Stem Cells for In Vitro Test Systems or Cell Therapy," Altex 25 (3) 2008, pp. 163-190. [PDF] Levinson, Rachel. "How Policy is Made: Lessons from Current Issues," Biodesign Institute, Arizona State University, November 15, 2005. PowerPoint McCabe, Linda L. and Edward R.B. McCabe.DNA: Promise and Peril, University of California Press, 2008 The Milken Institute. "Stem Cell Innovation: The Next-Frontier Economy?" California: State of the State Conference 2005: Renewing California's Global Leadership, October 31, 2005. [PDF - 4MB] UNESCO - International Bioethics Committee Report of the Working Group of IBC on Human Cloning and International Governance, September 2008 [PDF] Ott, Marie-Odile. "Human Embryo and Embryonic Stem Cell Research in France: State of the Art and Analysis ," Center for American Progress, June 15, 2007 [PDF] The Parliament of Victoria [Australia]: Therapeutic Cloning: The Infertility Treatment Amendment Bill 2007. Current Issues Brief No. 1, April 2007 [PDF] Peters, Ted. "The Stem Cell Debate in America and Around the Globe," Collegium for Advanced Studies, University of Helsinki, 20 September 2007 [Doc] Polina, Felipe. "Human Stem Cells - European National Innovation Systems and Patents," Lund University, Sweden, May 29, 2006 Salter, Brian. Evolution of the Life Science Industries: Policy and Regulation. Edinburgh, UK, February 23, 2005. Website Taylor, Stacy. Patenting the Products of Stem Cell Research: A Global Perspective. Foley & Lardner LLP, Washington D.C. BayBIO Stem Cell Program. September 19, 2005. PDF [1.1 MB] Trounson, Alan. Molecular Medicine Symposium: Stem Cell Biology and Human Disease. Salk Institute. March 18, 2005. Website. Walters, LeRoy. Public Policies on Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research: An Intercultural Perspective. National Academy of Sciences Workshop, October 12, 2004. Website

World Stem Cell Map published by:

Anatolia College Model United Nations 2008. Bioethics Committee Study Guides, 2008 [PDF] Asahi Shimbun [Tokyo, Japan], Feb. 1, 2008 [PDF]

Biofutur: "Recherche sur les cellules souches," Marie-Odile Ott, January 2007 [PDF]

Burrill's BIOTECH 2007 Life Sciences: A Global Transformation Burrill's BIOTECH 2008 Life Sciences: A 20/20 Vision to 2020 CV Network (International Academy of Cardiovascular Sciences), Fall 2004

"Global Culture" Financial Times, "An industry to grow," June 25, 2009

Financial Times, "Bush's veto of embryo stem cell law marks turning point with Congress," July 20, 2006 Financial Times, "Stem cell researchers hope for $3 billion boost," Oct. 28, 2004 Hoffman, John, Stem Cells: Part 6: Medical Tourism: seeking cures around the world, Philadelphia Examiner, April 25, 2009. Issues: Stem Cells by Peggy J. Parks, For: Compact Research: Current Issues, published by ReferencePoint Press, Fall 2008 Japan Science and Technology Agency - Center for Research and Development Strategy. G-TeC Report on Stem Cell Research, 2007 [PDF - in Japanese] The Journal of Life Sciences, September 2007. Mauron, A and ME Jaconi , "Stem cell science: Current ethical and policy issues," Nature - Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics. Advance online publication, July 18, 2007. [PDF] Schmickle, Sharon, "Stem cell stalemate: Minnesota authors say U.S. falling behind other nations," MinnPost.com. March 25, 2008

Sword and Shield: Dual Uses of Pathogen Research, Jan. 5, 2011. What do stem cells have to do with bioterrorism?

The Monitor Group: Joseph Fuller and Brock Reeve: "National Competitiveness in Stem Cell Science," February 2007

Nature, Dec. 22, 2005

Nature Biotechnology, July 2005 [Global Competitiveness / Stem Cell Research Map] NeuroInsights: The Neurotechnology Industry 2005 New Jersey Star-Ledger, March 20, 2005 Public Library of Science: PLoS Biology, July 2005 Public Library of Science: PLoS Medicine, May 2006

Red Herring, June 20, 2005

Red Herring, November 20, 2006

San Diego Union-Tribune, Dec. 17, 2006

Science Actualits Cit des Sciences, Paris, March 18, 2005 Science News, April 2, 2005 The Scientist, March 28, 2005. UK Trade & Investment: "Global commercialisation of UK stem cell research" [PDF], Nicola Perrin, University of Cambridge, August 2005.

Stem Cell Blogs:

California Stem Cell Report Stem Cell Network Blog Knoepfler Lab Stem Cell Blog, UC Davis School of Medicine

Maps created with GMT software Updated 1/7/13

World Stem Cell Map linked to by:

Wikipedia - Stem cell research policy National Institutes of Health - Stem Cell Information American Association for the Advancement of Science - AAAS Nature the Niche: the stem cell blog, Nature Nature Reports: Stem Cells, Nature Scientific American editors' blog International Society for Stem Cell Research - ISSCR Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology - FASEB Harvard University Stem Cell Institute Stem Cell Policy Aaron Levine, School of Public Policy, Georgia Institute of Technology Coalition for the Advancement of Medical Research -- CAMR The Globalism Institute - Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, Australia Com Cincia Brazil International Academy of Cardiovascular Sciences [PDF] Canada StemCellsChina.com China EurActiv.com European Union Science & Dcision, Universit d'vry & Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, France Bioethik Discurs Berlin, Germany Robert Koch Institut Germany RegenerationNet.com STERN BioRegion, Germany Tokugikon - Japanese Patent Office Society [PDF, in Japanese] Japan National Health Foundation - Bioethics Thailand UK Stem Cell Foundation United Kingdom Research!America Stem cell research resources Genetics Policy Institute Northwest Association for Biomedical Research NWABR Stem Cell Teacher Workshop and Educator: Selected Online Resources for Stem Cells Health Politics with Dr. Mike Magee Science Friday National Public Radio StemCellResources.org Bioscience Network in association with: the Biology Teachers Association of NJ and the National Association of Biology Teachers Results for America campaign Center for American Progress Grassroots Connection Online Neurological Advocacy CareCure Community W. M. Keck Center for Collaborative Neuroscience at Rutgers University Kirsch Foundation Medical Research California Stem Cell Report Great North Alliance Twin Cities Technology Resources Massachusetts General Hospital Indiana Center for Bioethics Michigan eLibrary Missouri Roundtable Ethical implications of biotechnological research Canadian Prescription Drugstore High School Bioethics Project University of Pennsylvania Center for Bioethics Cosmic Log by Alan Boyle MSNBC, Jan. 4, 2006 The Future of Biotechnology for Medical Applications in 2005, Governmental Issues ScenarioThinking.org Legal Restrictions for Biotech increasing in certain countries, decreasing in others ScenarioThinking.org

William Hoffman - hoffm003@umn.edu

Acknowledgments: Individuals who have provided foundational ideas, constructive criticism, encouragement or other input for the global bioscience maps include: Joseph Amato (Marshall, MN), Ivan Berkowitz (Winnipeg), William Brody (Baltimore), G. Steven Burrill (San Francisco), Arthur Caplan (Philadelphia), Rob Carlson (Seattle), Gareth Cook (Boston), Clive Cookson (London), David Cyranoski (Tokyo), David Durenberger (Minneapolis), Petr Dvorak (Czech Republic), Juan Enriquez (Rockville MD), Francis Fukuyama (Washington DC), Leo Furcht (Minneapolis), John Gearhart (Baltimore), William Gleason (Minneapolis), Ron Green (Dartmouth), Ginger Gruters (Washington, DC), Jon Hakim (Beijing), Michael Hoffman (Bloomington, MN), Suzanne Holland (Seattle), Abdul Latif Ibrahim (Malaysia), Marisa Jaconi (Geneva), William Johnson (Boston), Louis Johnston (Collegeville MN), Suzanne Kadereit (Singapore), Naoko Kimura (Bangkok), Lori Knowles (Edmonton), Zack Lynch (San Francisco), Stephen Minger (London), Martin Murphy (Durham NC), Thomas Murray (New York), William Neaves (Kansas City MO), Marie-Odile Ott (Paris), Robert Paarlberg (Wellesley, MA), Nicola Perrin (Cambridge UK), Douglas Petty (Minneapolis/St. Paul), Michael Porter (Boston), Walter Powell (Stanford), Clyde Prestowitz (Washington DC), John Rennie (New York), Kate Rubin (Minneapolis/St. Paul), G. Edward Schuh (Minneapolis/St. Paul), Lee Silver (Princeton), Peter Singer (Toronto), Doug Sipp (Kobe, Japan), Carl Sundberg (Stockholm), William Testa (Chicago), Alan Trounson (Melbourne), LeRoy Walters (Washington DC), Steven Weber (Berkeley), Sarah Youngerman (Minneapolis) and Laurie Zoloth (Chicago).

Disclaimer: This work is a communications project of William Hoffman, a non-faculty employee of the University of Minnesota, and not the University of Minnesota. It is meant to help inform public discussion of stem cell research and human development.

Awarded a star by Kirkus Reviews for "remarkable merit"

Foreword by Brock Reeve Preface Prologue: Into the Cave Agents of Hope Architects of Development Challengers of Ethics Barometers of Politics Objects of Competition Harbingers of Destruction Epilogue: Beyond the Darkness Bibliography Timeline Glossary Index

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Stem Cell Policy: World Stem Cell Map - MBBNet

Embryonic stem cells (ESCs) are stem cells derived from the undifferentiated inner mass cells of a human embryo.

Embryonic stem cells are pluripotent, meaning they are able to grow (i.e. differentiate) into all derivatives of the three primary germ layers: ectoderm, endoderm and mesoderm.

In other words, they can develop into each of the more than 200 cell types of the adult body as long as they are specified to do so.

Embryonic stem cells are distinguished by two distinctive properties: their pluripotency, and their ability to replicate indefinitely.

ES cells are pluripotent, that is, they are able to differentiate into all derivatives of the three primary germ layers: ectoderm, endoderm, and mesoderm.

These include each of the more than 220 cell types in the adult body.

Pluripotency distinguishes embryonic stem cells from adult stem cells found in adults; while embryonic stem cells can generate all cell types in the body, adult stem cells are multipotent and can produce only a limited number of cell types.

Additionally, under defined conditions, embryonic stem cells are capable of propagating themselves indefinitely.

This allows embryonic stem cells to be employed as useful tools for both research and regenerative medicine, because they can produce limitless numbers of themselves for continued research or clinical use.

Because of their plasticity and potentially unlimited capacity for self-renewal, ES cell therapies have been proposed for regenerative medicine and tissue replacement after injury or disease.

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Embryonic stem cell Science Daily

Human Stem Cells Institute Public Tradedas MCX:ISKJ Industry Biotech Research and Pharmaceutical Founded 2003(2003) Headquarters Moscow, Russia

Key people

Human Stem Cells Institute OJSC (HSCI) ( or ) is a Russian public biotech company founded in 2003. HSCI engages in R&D as well as commercialization and marketing of innovative proprietary products and services in the areas of cell-based, gene and post-genome technologies. HSCI aims to foster a new culture of medical care developing new health care opportunities in such areas as personalized and preventive medicine.

Today, HSCIs projects encompass the five main focus areas of modern biomedical technologies: regenerative medicine, bio-insurance, medical genetics, gene therapy, biopharmaceuticals (within the international project SynBio).

HSCI owns the largest family cord blood stem cell bank in Russia Gemabank, as well as the reproductive cell and tissue bank Reprobank (personal storage, donation).

The Company launched Neovasculgen, the first-in-class gene-therapy drug for treating Peripheral Arterial Disease, including Critical Limb Ischemia, and also introduced the innovative cell technology SPRS-therapy, which entails the use of autologous dermal fibroblasts to repair skin damage due to aging and other structural changes.

HSCI is implementing a socially significant project to create its own Russia-wide network of Genetico medical genetics centers to provide genetic diagnostics and consulting services for monogenic inherited diseases as well as multifactorial disorders (Ethnogene, PGD and other services).

The Company actively promotes its products on the Russian market and intends to open new markets throughout the world.

HSCI is listed on the Innovation & Investment Market (iIM) of the Moscow Exchange (ticker ISKJ). The Company conducted its IPO in December 2009, becoming the first Russian biotech company to go public.

In 2003, the Human Stem Cells Institute and Gemabank were established.[1] Over the next few years, the Company increased its client base while expanding its technological abilities. In 2008, HSCI gained a blocking stake in the German biotech company, SymbioTec GmbH, which owns international patents for a new generation of drugs to treat cancer and infectious diseases. In 2009, HSCI successfully raised RUB 142.5 million in an IPO on MICEX and became the first publicly traded biotech company in Russia.[2] The Company continued to expand in 2010, when it gained a 50% stake in Hemafund, Ukraines largest family cord blood bank. In 2011, HSCI initiated the SynBio Project, as a long-term partnership with RUSNANO (a state-owned fund for supporting nanotechnologies) and some major R&D companies from Russia and Europe including Pharmsynthez, Xenetic Biosciences and SymbioTec (which was acquired by Xenetic Biosciences pursuant to the SynBio project agreement ).[3] The project is founded on strong principles of international scientific cooperation, as participating research centers are found in England, Germany, and Russia.[4]

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Human Stem Cells Institute - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

History Of Stem Cell Therapy In The Philippines So what are the benefits of cloning? Cloning can be used to: Produce embryonic stem cells in large quantities ;; Autologous Stem Cell Therapy Side Effects The Pros and Cons of Stem Cell Therapy for COPD About.com While autologous stem cell treatment without manipulation

Wagga woman Amanda Norman has returned from her trip to undergo stem cell therapy to treat her multiple sclerosis. The radical treatment took 35 days in Russias capital Moscow under the guidance of Dr

Society and Biotechnology Stem Cell Technology Viruses, Vaccines and does not necessarily have to have a causal relationship with this treatment.

Has Biomedical Research Become Less Reliable? Irreproducibility Recently, Japanese stem cell researcher Hisashi Moriguchi was found to be lying In fact, there was no treatment of any patients and the University of Tokyo, project is to clone a wooly mammoth in collaboration with Russian scientists,

Janell Carlson receives immunoglobulin, whose effectiveness she sees ebbing. Shes opted to seek a $43,500 stem cell treatment in Russia. BILL ALKOFER, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Janell Carlson will land Thursday

Jeff Albring steadies the head of his son Nathaniel, 12, who is secured in a machine designed to move his muscles, at their home in Delta, Ohio. Nathaniel has anoxic enceph-alopathy. THE BLADE/KATIE RAUSCH Enlarge | Buy This Photo DELTA, Ohio

Lemon (Citrus) is a miraculous product to kill cancer cells. type of therapy with lemon extract only destroys malignant cancer cells and it does not Arguments for and Against Embryonic Stem Cell Research Can You Catch AIDS From a

Authorities are warning of the risks of unproven stem cell treatments available in Australia and overseas after the death of an Australian woman in Russia. Brisbane mother-of-two Kellie van Meurs travelled to Moscow for treatment for a rare neurological

Stem cell therapies high market potential is based on their unique ability to offer curative treatment in comparison to the symptomatic treatment offered by conventional treatments. From a commercial perspective, many diseases that arise as a result of

Dec 15, 2014 Fractures & Dislocations Information About Treatment of Broken Bones type of electrical stimulation seems to cause bone cells to proliferate.

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Stem Cell Treatment In Russia | Stem Cell Medical Breakthrough

Personalized Regenerative Medicine

Stem Cells & Stem Cell Therapies

Making sure the bases are covered As a persons own bone marrow stem cells play an important role in helping heal damaged organs andtissues in many diseases.Dr. Steenblock tests for things that interfere with stem cell mobilization and/or their vitality and activity: Heavy metals such as mercury, lead, cadmium, arsenic, etc: With adults, A DMPS* View Article

When a doctor sees a patient for the first time he will ask for copies of medical records as part of gathering information and data that, in combination with taking a medical history and doing relevant exams and tests, helps him arrive at a diagnosis (or confirm previously made ones) and formulate a medical care View Article

Augmenting natures own repair & restoration mechanism When diseasesets in and begins to progress the sufferers bodytries to repair the damage by activating stem cells. Unfortunately, these stem cells are not always up to the job of repair and regeneration. The chemical signals produced by the ailing bodythen attracts circulating bone marrow stem cells. However, View Article

In his decades of private practice, Dr Steenblock has established himself as a pioneer in many fields of medicine. From stroke care andacute brain trauma to regenerative and cell-based medicine in the treatment of ALS, Cerebral Palsy and other chronic and degenerative diseases, what has separated Dr Steenblock from his peers is his unique and View Article

Putting it all together Once a patients diagnosis is confirmed, modified or even overturned and the results of all tests ordered are in, Dr. Steenblock formulates a treatment plan. The therapeutic regimen he introduces is personalized to help insure the patient gets optimal results and has his greatest shot at making significant clinical improvements. If View Article

NEW COMPREHENSIVE STEM CELL PROGRAM FOR STROKE SURVIVORS During the past twenty years Dr. David Steenblock has treated over 2000 stroke patients using daily hyperbaric oxygen and other leading edge treatments. As-a-result he has learned a great deal about what it takes to help stroke patients get the most improvement possible, even 10 years or View Article

Here are patients speaking about the experiences with stem cells and stroke and being treated by Dr Steenblock. In his decades of private practice, Dr Steenblock has established himself as a pioneer in many fields of medicine. From stroke care andacute brain trauma to regenerative and cell-based medicine in the treatment of ALS, Cerebral View Article

Dale Hartley suffered a stroke ten and a half years ago. Dale had heard about Dr. Steenblocks program on the radio. He was as thrilled then as today that Dr. Steenblock had something more to offer than conventional medicine. He and his wife Audrey came to Dr. Steenblocks clinic to undergo the stroke program. When View Article

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Dr David Steenblock - Adult Stem Cells & Stem Cell Treatments

Today Russia has just six large banks for preserving stem cells. A seventh opened recently in Vladivostok, the capital of the Primorsky Region, at the Center for Cellular and Reproductive Technology. It is unlikely that this stem cell clinic will have troubles finding clients as local residents showed interest in the facility long before its official opening.

Stem cells are a form of biological insurance in case of illness. They can be used to grow tissue for vital organs, such as the liver or the pancreas, or to cure people who have had strokes or are suffering from diabetes and oncological, cardiovascular and genetic diseases ()

Russia only recently became a part of the multibillion-dollar stem cell research market. There are about 300 institutes in the USA and more than 80 in Europe.

The technology of applying stem cells in Russia was developed for the Defense Ministry. The research was initially confidential. During the Soviet War in Afghanistan scientists tried using stem cells for curing psychological war traumas.

The use of stem cells for psychological traumas is developing steadily in Russia, says neurologist Andrei Bryukhovetsky, who has dedicated over 25 years to research in this field. First the technology was experimented with on calves, a project that included the participation of Valery Shumakov, the venerated transplant surgeon.

In June 2014 the Defense Ministry announced its decision to continue the research. According to Alexander Vlasov, the Deputy Director of the Military Medical Department, a new scientific division will be formed within the Military Medical Academy. It will work on the creation of a stem cell bank for soldiers.

Vlasov says that the division will be divided into three units: biological-pharmaceutical, medical-prophylactic and engineering-technical. The first will actively develop a stem cell bank for military personnel who participate in risky assignments and in dangerous areas.

Banks for preserving stem cells started appearing in Russia in the 2000s, however, not all of them still exist. In 2014 the Flora-med stem cell bank in Moscow disappeared; it had existed since 2003. Clients had paid regularly for the preservation of their newborn babies stem cells, but they vanished along with the bank.

Some stem cell banks went bankrupt. The reason may be that, despite the growing interest in regenerative medicine, Russians are still not ready to pay the high price for preserving stem cells. Yet, the costs at the Moscow stem cell banks are relatively low in comparison with other international clinics.

For example, the procurement of an umbilical cord at one of the Moscow centers costs approximately 95,000 rubles (roughly $2,620). In the US the same service costs approximately $12,000.

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Russia and Stem Cells

There is currently only one scientifically-demonstrated & confirmed treatment for Multiple Sclerosis with enduring curative efficacy:HematopoieticStem Cell Transplantation (HSCT). This is not a new medical procedure; it has been performed millions of times all around the world since the 1960s for treatment of cancer(now approximately 50,000 times per year)and has been used successfully to cure several types ofhematologically-rooted autoimmune disorders since the early 1990s (such as MS,scleroderma, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, CIDP and others). It involves chemotherapy so the treatment is both uncomfortable and expensive (most medical insurance will not yet cover it for treatment of an autoimmune disorder until the phase III clinical trial is completed).

It is not an impossible procedure to endure, as many people do it and make it through just fine. But this procedure is currently the ONLY treatment that has been scientifically verified to stop the underlying MS disease process, restore normal immune self-tolerance and produce lasting curative symptomatic improvement for the majority of MS patients, as it has for me and others. And definitely worth mentioning. . . . probably one of the biggest intangible benefits to stopping the MS disease progression is that this treatment restores a degree of certainty to the future of a persons life that MS often robs us of.

How & why doesHSCTcure multiple sclerosis?

As a curative treatmentHSCTworks by partially or completely erasing the bodys immune system memory. This effects a beneficial change of the bodys overall B- and T-lymphocyteepitope(antigen binding)repertoire, inactivating autoimmunity (making the bodys immune cells antigen naive) which results in restoration of immune self tolerance. This is often referred to as resetting the immune system which stops the underlying MS disease activity & progression. Onceachieved, the body then has a chance to repair (or compensate for) existing neural damage that is not undermined by further MS disease progression, often resulting in substantial and lasting symptomatic improvement.

The interesting fact here is that it is the chemotherapy which is effecting the curative aspect of the treatment by wiping out long-lived T- and B-lymphocytes of the body that carry the faultyautoreactivememory so they may be replaced by naive,unprogrammedand self-tolerant non-autoreactivelymphocytes generated by the bone marrow.The takeaway concept here is no chemotherapy = no cure. This is why simply injecting stem cells into the body does not render the bodys immune system self-tolerant as is required to stop the underlying MS disease activity.

STEPS:

Mobilization

For approximately four days (twice a day), I will be given injections to stimulate my stem cell growth. The process of causing greater numbers of stem cells to be present in the blood stream in order for collection,is known asmobilization.The most common side effect of the mobilization process is mild-to-moderate bone pain or fever, which can often be controlled with Tylenol.

Apheresis (Collection of Stem Cells)

Apheresis isnormally apainless procedure, however, back and hip pain have been reported. The collection of stem cells takes approximatelytwo tofour hoursfor the procedure. My blood will be withdrawn through a catheter and circulated through a cell-separating machine. This machine separates and collects white blood cells, including the stem cells, along with a few red blood cells and platelets. The remaining blood cells will be returned tomy body. There is only a small amount (several cups) of your blood in the separator machine at any one time. Your blood is returned to you at the same rate it is removed. After the cells are collected, they are frozen and stored under special conditions until they are needed for my transplant.

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Stem Cell Transplants | From Russia with Lisa...

Ten years ago today the lives of a Fulton county family were changed forever. Nathaniel Albring nearly drowned in the family pool. His parents were told he might not make it through the night. But he did make it. Now his parents are hoping the same treatment that helped hockey legend Gordie Howe can help their son.

Nathaniel was just approved for stem cell treatment but the family will have to travel nearly five thousand miles to get that treatment. That's because the FDA still considers it an experimental treatment. They're heading to Moscow next month but they need help getting there.

The treatment alone will cost tens of thousands of dollars and none of the cost is covered by insurance. Jeff Albring is Nathaniel's dad,"There's no guarantee as to what it will do but we are hoping to get some part of our son back that we lost."

Two year old Nathaniel was pulled from the family pool that June day in 2005 not breathing. His mother Jill found him,"It's been quite a journey. we try not to look too far ahead."

Nathaniel suffered a traumatic brain injury. He can't speak or voluntarily move his arms or legs. Jill says with the help of three other sons as well as caregivers and therapists they work to do what is best for Nathaniel every day, "Hopefully the stem cells will help him rejuvenate his brain tissue so he can lead a more productive life. The treatment is all we have left to do to help him."

Jeff says they will travel to Moscow next month and he will undergo a two day treatment with a Russian neurologist, "The first night he will have stem cells injected in his spinal fluid and then he will stay overnight for observation. The next day he will have IV fusion meaning the rest of the stem cells will be in an IV drip."

The treatment will cost about $40,000, the travel expenses including flights, hotel, and passports another $10,000, "It's overwhelming because that is a lot of money to raise to get this accomplished. Our emotions are very different. Jeff is excited. His bags are packed. I am overwhelmed with all the other stuff like the money and traveling so far with a special needs child."

Even with those worries, the Albrings say they know they are doing the right thing for their son, "As parents you have to fight for your kids. You can't give up even when others have given up. We've decided to go for it and hope for the best."

There are several ways you can help the Albring family. There will be a spaghetti diner at Little Flower Catholic Church on Dorr Street in Toledo, Sunday June 28th. It runs from 3-8 pm. There will be auctions and raffles as well as dinner.

The family has also set up Go Fund Me and You Caring sites for donations.

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Local boy will travel to Russia for stem cell treatment

In this article, we will look at why the Orthodox Church has taken such a stand, how the Church has always stood uncompromisingly for the personhood of the human embryo, and what moral alternatives exist for stem cell research.

Destructive Embryonic Stem Cell Research

By Father Mark Hodges

THE STEM CELL DEBATE IS about the value of human life at its beginning. Stem cells are blank cells which can become all 210 different kinds of human tissue. Researchers hope that someday these cells could provide cures for all kinds of serious diseases, even repairing vital organs. We have stem cells throughout our bodies, but they are most abundant in human embryos. Retrieving embryonic stem cells, however, requires killing those human beings. A raging debate is going on in our nation now, over whether or not taxes should support killing human embryos in order to harvest their stem cells for experimentation.

Many influential groups have taken sides in the debate. You can guess where the pro-abortion groups stand. Drug and research companies also defend destructive embryonic stem cell research. Pro-life groups, of course, are against it. The Vatican condemned research using human embryos as gravely immoral, because removing cells kills an unborn child. U.S. Senator Sam Brownback debated on the floor of the senate: For the first time in our history, it is accept-able for medical researchers to kill one human being to help save another. Ultimately, what lies at the heart of this debate is our view of the human embryo. The central question in this debate is simple: Is the human embryo a person or a piece of property? If unborn persons are living beings, they have dignity and worth, and they deserve protection under the law from harm and destruction. If, however, unborn per-sons are a piece of property, then they can be destroyed with the con-sent of their owner.

The one, holy, catholic and apostolic Orthodox Church has spoken, too. The position of the Orthodox Church on embryonic stem cell research is, In light of the fact that Orthodox Christianity accepts the fact that human life begins at conception, the extraction of stem cells from embryos, which involves the willful taking of human life the embryo is human life and not just a clump of cells is considered morally and ethically wrong in every instance.

In this article, we will look at why the Orthodox Church has taken such a stand, how the Church has always stood uncompromisingly for the personhood of the human embryo, and what moral alternatives exist for stem cell research.

Legally, research on human embryos is allowed because of a faulty Supreme Court definition of personhood at viability (when a baby can lie out-side his/her mother) as worthy of state interest for legal protection. In fact, the whole pro-abortion argument hinges on the lie that there is such a thing as human life which is less than a person, hence unworthy of legal protection. Conversely, Orthodox Christians affirm the image of God from the beginning of human life, and we do not say at any time of development that one human being is of less value or less of a person than another human being.

Stem cells can be harvested from human embryos only by killing them, while the Church has always denounced any such killing and championed the sanctity of human life. The earliest extra-biblical document we have, The Didache, commands, Do not murder a child by abortion, and warns that the Way of Death is filled with people who are murderers of children and abortionists of Gods creatures (5:1-2). The Epistle of Barnabas, another very early document, was equally clear: You shall not destroy your conceptions before they are brought forth. Both call the embryo a child. St. Clement of Alexandria, in the third century, used Luke 1:41 (where John the Baptist leaped in Elizabeths womb) to prove that an embryo is a living person. He calls the earliest conceived embryos human beings who are given birth by Divine Providence, and he condemns those who use abortifacient medicines , causing the outright destruction, together with the fetus, of the whole human race.

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Destructive Embryonic Stem Cell Research | Antiochian ...

As all patients with MS are aware, the currently available treatments do nothing to cure the disease or repair the damage that it does. At their best, todays crop of disease modifying drugs (DMDs) quiet the disease, thereby improving the quality of life for many of the patients taking them, especially those suffering from relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis. However, many of these drugs carry with them risky side effect profiles, and though the newest compounds represent advances over their predecessors, patients are crying out for revolution, not evolution.

Stem cells could represent the revolution patients so fervently desire. Because of their ability to transform into almost any type of cell in the human body, stem cells may hold the key to achieving one of the holy grails of modern medicine, the regeneration and repair of damaged tissues. For MS patients, this could potentially mean the reversal of disability, and with it the long dreamt of disposal of wheelchairs, walkers, and canes. We are still a long way from that lofty goal, however, but the first few steps along the path to that salvation are currently being taken.

Though stem cell research is advancing in laboratories worldwide, the science of using stem cells to treat diseases in humans is still in its infancy. Because multiple sclerosis is a neurodegenerative disease, and its most prominent feature is the damage the disease does to the central nervous system, it is hoped that stem cells may hold the key to reversing the carnage wrought by the disease by facilitating the repair of damaged nerve cells. Furthermore, research has provided hints that stem cells may modulate the abnormal immune response seen in MS patients, and some researchers are even using stem cells to completely reboot the human immune system, a process that in some cases appears to stop the disease dead in its tracks.

Its important to understand that there are two very different approaches to using stem cells in the treatment of multiple sclerosis. One approach hopes to use the cells to repair damaged nervous systems; the other uses stem cells to provide the patient with a brand-new immune system, one that theoretically will not turn against a patients own body. The latter approach is known as hematopoietic stem cell transplant, or HSCT, and has been used on patients in trial settings for almost two decades.

HSCT involves ablating (destroying) a patients existing immune system through the use of powerful chemotherapy drugs, and then intravenously infusing a patients own stem cells back into their body, a process depicted in the below diagram:

As you might imagine, using powerful chemotherapy drugs to destroy a patients immune system is not without its dangers, and early attempts at this therapy had mortality rates as high as 10%. As researchers perfected their methodology and began using less dangerous chemotherapy agents, though, the risks associated with HSCT dropped dramatically. Today, most patients undergoing HSCT are subjected to chemotherapy and immunosuppressive agents that do not completely destroy their bone marrow, and the safety profile of the procedure has improved impressively. The results achieved by this HSCT can be dramatic. In one study (click here) that looked at the long-term outcomes of HSCT, after 11 years 44% of patients who had started out with aggressive relapsing remitting disease were free from disability progression. By comparison, only 10% of those who did not display signs of active inflammation before HSCT remained stable.

One of the primary proponents of HSCT therapy for MS patients, Dr. Richard Burt of Northwestern University, stresses that the proper selection of patients is the key to the success of the treatment. In fact, the title of the paper he recently published (click here) includes the phrase if no inflammation, no response. Its the only therapy to date that has been shown to reverse neurologic deficits, said Dr. Burt, But you have to get the right group of patients. In a study published by Dr. Burt in 2009, 17 out of 21 relapsing remitting patients improved after HSCT, and after three years all patients were free from progression (click here). Dr. Burt is currently heading up the HALT-MS trial for HSCT (click here). There are several centers around the world offering HSCT therapy, and there is a Worldwide HSCT Facebook group (click here) that contains information on all of the legitimate HSCT facilities worldwide. The group is populated by many folks who have undergone HSCT therapy. Be aware that its a private group, and you must request membership before being given access to all of the available information.

While HSCT holds much promise for putting the brakes on very aggressive relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis, it unfortunately has little to offer those with progressive disease, and does nothing to directly repair the damage done to the central nervous system by MS. Fortunately, another form of stem cell therapy proposes to do just that. Researchers in two centers in the US have received FDA approval to use bone marrow derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) to repair nervous system damage, thereby possibly reversing the effects of the disease. There are additional trials using MSCs to treat MS underway internationally. Mesenchymal stem cells have the ability to transform (differentiate) into many different cell types, and could prove to be the building blocks necessary for repairing damage to the central nervous system as well as other organs and tissues. Experiments using MSCs to treat animal models of MS have been very encouraging (click here), demonstrating the cells abilities to modulate the immune system and spur the repair of damaged nervous system tissues. It remains to be seen whether the same effects can be achieved when using the cells to treat human beings.

The two FDA approved studies both use MSCs harvested from a patients own bone marrow, but employ them in very different ways. One study, currently underway at the Cleveland Clinic (click here), infuses mesenchymal stem cells intravenously into the patient, in the expectation that the cells will modulate the immune system and also initiate the regeneration of damaged tissues in the central nervous system. This study, which will eventually use MSCs to treat 24 patients, is proceeding slowly, but as the above linked to article details, one of the first patients treated is already reporting encouraging results.

The second FDA approved trial, to be conducted by the Tisch MS Research Center of New York (which just so happens to be my MS clinic), will use mesenchymal stem cells that have been transformed through a proprietary laboratory process into neural progenitor (NP) cells, injected directly into the spinal fluid (intrathecally)) of the patient (click here). Neural progenitor cells are a specialized type of stem cell specific to the nervous system that have the ability to transform into the various types of tissues damaged and destroyed by the MS disease process. Researchers at the Tisch Center have developed a way to get mesenchymal stem cells to differentiate into neural progenitor cells, and hope that by injecting these cells directly into the spinal fluid the NP cells will directly target the regenerative mechanisms of the central nervous system (click here). The stem cells themselves may act to repair damaged tissues, but theyve also been shown to have the ability to recruit existing stem cells within the brain and spinal cord to jumpstart the bodys own repair mechanisms.

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Wheelchair Kamikaze: Stem Cell Treatments for Multiple ...