StemCell Therapy

Puma Biotechnology, (NYSE:PBYI) is a $3.2 billion market cap company initially focused on developing tyrosine kinase inhibitor neratinib (PB272) for HER2 positive breast cancer. The company has conducted 11 clinical trials for its lead candidate, with over 2,000 patients contributing to a favorable risk-benefit profile, per inflection point clinical trial readouts over the past quarter. Oncologic Drugs Advisory Committee (ODAC) at FDA recently voted for approval of neratinib in HER2 positive extended adjuvant treatment of early stage breast cancer in May 2017. ODAC vote is not binding but carries strong weight in the decision-making process. Given FDA director Gottlieb's new aggressive policies regarding the slow and outdated drug approval process at FDA, this was seen by the market as a "sure thing". The company is advancing neratinib in discussions with EMA for European markets, with validation in August 2016. Other investigations include neratinib in combinatory therapy for metastatic breast cancer and in solid tumors as well.

Neratinib blocks signal cascades of epidermal growth factor receptors or EGFRs, specifically: HER1, HER2, HER3, and HER4. A number of studies are showing nice anti-tumor efficacy. Taken together with ODAC favor, Phase 3 result emphasis for neratinib which met primary endpoints appears to have led to the robust response in the market for high probability of FDA approval. Two-year disease-free survival showed a 2.4% improvement for neratinib versus placebo in ITT population. Five-year disease-free survival showed a 2.5% improvement. In HR+ patients, neratinib adjuvant therapy showed a two-year disease-free survival rate of 95.4% compared to 91.2% in placebo. Five-year disease-free survival conferred a 4.8% benefit. Two-year HR patients' disease-free survival showed a meaningful advantage, but five-year data was not statistically significant.

The company recently presented data June 3 at ASCO 2017 summarizing positive results of its Phase 2 trial in HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer that has metastasized to the brain. Nearly half of the patients in a neratinib plus chemotherapy cohort achieved a central nervous system (CNS) objective response with overall survival data remaining immature at 13.5 months (and counting). CNS progressions remain a huge comorbidity factor in patients with brain metastases. With the ability to cross the blood-brain barrier, and with diarrhea being the number one adverse event, PBYI is well-positioned to advance in this space with neratinib. Studies examining antidiarrheal prophylaxis (Loperamide) to reduce diarrhea severity during neratinib treatment have proven effective. Phase 3 data showed grade 3 diarrhea decreased from ~40% to ~31% with loperamide, to ~23% with loperamide and budesonide, and to 11.5% with loperamide and colestipol. Safety studies examining children and young adults with cancer are also ongoing.

Multiple studies are generating impressive cancer therapy data for neratinib, including clinical data presented at AACR on neratinib in the treatment of patients who have solid tumors with activating HER2 or HER3 mutations. Additional data was also presented on the combination of T-DM1 and neratinib in patients with HER2 positive metastatic breast cancer (MBC) that has previously been treated with pertuzumab and trastuzumab. The company has done extensive analysis of breast cancer NSABP FB-7 biomarker during neratinib treatment with a variety of immuno and chemotherapy regimens to qualify its objective tumor response. Mechanistically, phosphoHER2 levels and truncated HER2 mutants (p95HER2) demonstrated statistically significant higher levels in patients who achieved a pCR with neratinib than those treated with trastuzumab or trastuzumab plus neratinib who did not. Moreover, dual pathway suppression (HR/ER+ and EGFR/HER2+) has been seen only in neratinib and not in Herceptin and Tykerb (Novartis (NYSE:NVS)).

The company has listed other potential tissue types to expand its label for neratinib, including non-small cell lung cancer, colorectal cancer, and solid tumors (any HER2-associated tumors). Roche (OTCQX:RHHBY) annual sales for Herceptin (trastuzumab) approach $5 billion. In contrast, Tykerb has not fared as well due to its unfavorable toxicity profile, with sales in the hundreds of millions. The HER2 positive breast cancer market is estimated to be about $13 billion by 2023. Given this massive market and plenty of room to expand label into other high dollar indications, Puma may still have quite a bit of upside and is generally de-risked. It certainly becomes very attractive on any stock price pullbacks.

Puma reported at end of 1Q 2017 cash and cash equivalents of $105.1 million and marketable securities of $88.9 million, with a 1Q net loss of $72 million. Cash runway is expected to last through mid-2018, with a burn rate of approximately $35 million per quarter. If the company is forced to raise funds, it should be able to do so at a good market value, given the advanced stage of its drug development. Strong Bio recommends a watch list spot for the stock and manageable delays or setbacks as a potential buying opportunity. Moreover, it may be a takeover candidate and could undergo some downward volatility in the standard process of stop-loss triggering. Such swoons will probably not last long as market support should be strong. With market cap of $3 billion and potential market quite a bit larger, there is plenty of room for value position here if sales meet expectations.

Risks for the company to investors are primarily centered around its one-trick pony pipeline. But when the trick is good enough, it's going to bring bank. Its advantage in efficacy will certainly gain a reasonable stake in the market for those that can tolerate the adverse events. In fact, the adverse event of diarrhea is somewhat severe, but luckily, most of that risk was mediated with appropriate prophylaxis regimen. It perhaps would have contraindications for those with extreme inflammatory bowel or related disorders. FDA-related large scale manufacturing risks and regulatory hurdles could prove to add delays and pitfalls to Puma's terrain, and since this is the only revenue-maker in its pipeline, a lot hinges on its expeditious advancement. However, given the aggressive stance at FDA to get life-saving therapies available to patients, most regulatory risks are ameliorated. Partnership decisions will be important inflection points moving forward.

Disclosure: I/we have no positions in any stocks mentioned, and no plans to initiate any positions within the next 72 hours.

I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.

Editor's Note: This article discusses one or more securities that do not trade on a major U.S. exchange. Please be aware of the risks associated with these stocks.

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Puma Stalks Up - Puma Biotechnology, Inc. (NYSE:PBYI) | Seeking ... - Seeking Alpha

News stories about iShares Nasdaq Biotechnology Index Fund (NASDAQ:IBB) have been gaining in popularity quite recently, Accern reports. The analysis company ranks negative and positive press coverage by studying larger than 20 Million SEC financial documents and social media sites sources in real-time. Accern grades analysis of companies ranging from -1 to 1, with ranks nearest to 1 is considered more positive. iShares Nasdaq Biotechnology Index Fund achieved a news impact rank of 0.10 on Accerns range. Accern also gave media analysis about the financial services provider a media impact point of 0 out of 100, indicating that recent press coverage is very unlikely to have an effect on the firms share value next many days.

Stocks of iShares Nasdaq Biotechnology Index Fund (NASDAQ:IBB) started trading at 310.95 on early Tue. the company has 50 Day SMA price of $297.52 and a two hundred SMA of $288.98. iShares Nasdaq Biotechnology Index Fund has a 1 year low of $246.71 and a 1 year high of $323.45.

Few press stories that May have effected Accern trend Analysiss analysis:

Also, the company disclosed a divided for the quarter, to be paid on early Fri, Jun 30th. Traders who own the stock with a record date on Thurs, Jun 29th were given a dividend of $0.1768 for a share. this indicates a $0.71 dividend on a yearly basis and a payout of 0.23%. The ex-dividend date was Tue, Jun 27th.

IBB has been the discussion subject of Quite a few brokerage firm research. Credit Suisse Group boosted iShares Nasdaq Biotechnology Index Fund from a market weight recommendation to an overweight recommendation in a analysis note on Tue, Mar 21st. The move was based on the current stock valulation. crowd sourced stock rating company Vetr boosted iShares Nasdaq Biotechnology Index Fund from a hold recommendation to a buy recommendation and fixed a $300.66 PT on the shares in a study note on early Tue, Apr 18th.

Read more here:
iShares Nasdaq Biotechnology Index Fund (IBB) Earns Slightly Optimistic Media Opinion, Based On A Study - Insider Tradings

A team of researchers at the University of Melbourne has used a quantum probe to perform microwave-free NMR at the nanoscale.

Researchers at the University of Melbourne have demonstrated a way to detect nuclear spins in molecules non-invasively, providing a new tool for biotechnology and materials science.

Important research in medicine and biology relies on nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, but until now, it has been limited in spatial resolution and typically requires powerful microwave fields. A team of researchers at the University of Melbourne has used a quantum probe to perform microwave-free NMR at the nanoscale.

This quantum probe delivers a dramatic improvement in NMR technology. In addition to being able to detect NMR in far smaller samples than conventional machines, the technique does not require the application of microwave fields that might disrupt biological samples.

The discovery may overcome significant limitations with conventional NMR methods, which depend on machines that can exceed 10 tonnes.

With these advances in quantum sensing technology, doors can open to a new world of scientific investigation that could lead us to gain a better understanding of the smallest building blocks of life.

See the rest here:
Researchers in Melbourne provide new biotechnology tool - BSA bureau (press release)

Shares in Prana Biotechnology (NADSAQ:PRAN) surged 19% and was earlier higher in New York as it said an article about early data on PBT434 had been accepted in a peer review journal.

The article deals with the fact the compound PBT434 prevents iron-mediated neurodegeneration and alpha-synuclein toxicity in multiple models of Parkinsons disease.

Dr David Stamler, Pranas chief medical officer, said: These findings are important because Parkinsons disease and the related synucleinopathies cause significant disability and diminish the independence of afflicted individuals.

"An agent which slows disease progression could have a great impact on reducing disease burden and improving quality of life. We are eager to begin clinical testing of PBT434.

The publication is the culmination of ten years of research from scientists at the Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, (Melbourne, Australia), investigating compounds from Prana Biotechnologys propriety chemical library.

Not only was PBT434 shown to block alpha-synuclein accumulation, but it also prevented loss of nerve cells in the region of the brain primarily affected in Parkinsons disease.

To investigate the therapeutic potential of PBT434 to slow neurodegeneration, the researchers performed extensive animal testing in multiple Parkinsons disease models, including tests in mice that over-expressed the alpha-synuclein protein.

These results showed that PBT434 lowered alpha-synuclein and its toxic effects and simultaneously improved motor performance.

Shares added 19% to $2.73.

Original post:
Prana Biotechnology shares surge after journal publication - Proactive Investors UK

Dr. Susan Benson, a veterinarian at Bridgerland Animal Hospital in Logan, says she loves her job in part because theres always room for professional development.

Its something that I dont feel like Im finished doing, she said. Theres always more to learn, always more to do.

Whether its bringing a baby animal into the world or operating on a large, injured animal, being a veterinarian is never without its challenges and often means dealing with the unexpected, Benson said.

Story continues below video

It was for those efforts that Benson was recently named the 2017 Veterinarian of the Year by the Utah Veterinary Medical Association.

Benson got her start as a professional veterinarian at a clinic in Preston working on large and small animals. In 2005, she moved with her family back to Logan, where she works now at Bridgerland Animal Hospital, primarily on small animals.

Benson sat down with The Herald Journal to tell us three things she wants people to know about being a veterinarian.

No. 1: Its not all puppies and kittens.

Susan Benson: We see every species not just dogs and cats.

I dont (see these animals) personally, but large animals. Half of our staff does cows, sheep, goats, llamas. Im mostly small animals.

We see animals from birth to death and everything in between. We have blood, guts and diarrhea and thats all intermixed with cute puppies and kittens and animals that love us and animals that dont.

Our patients cant talk for themselves so we do quite a lot of interpretation on what we see and how theyre acting in order to find out whats going on with them.

When I worked up in Preston, I got to see a deer fawn that had been injured. I think it had been hit by a car. I worked on that deer fawn a couple times. It was quit interesting theyre different than your standard domestic animal.

No. 2: We love people just as much as we love animals.

SB: Its a common misconception. Were not in veterinary medicine because we dont like people. Were here because we like people, and we want that human-animal bond.

Ill go around to middle schools and high schools for career fairs; Ill have students come up to me and say, Well, I dont really like people, so I dont want to be a doctor. Im going into veterinary medicine. But you have to love both; you have to love people and animals.

More than that, theres a three-way bond. The animal has its needs, the owner has his or her needs, and as a veterinarian, our job is to help the owner help the animal meet those needs.

The owner is ultimately responsible for the care, and then that pet has a responsibility back to give the love. And then, as the veterinarian, we educate the owners to help them make good decisions for their pets so they have a long, healthy, happy relationship.

SB: We understand. When there are hard decisions that have to be made, when the animals are really sick, we feel for you. We share that worry, that sadness.

Every animal that comes in, we add to our little family. When things go great, were there to celebrate. When things dont go well, were sad too.

Ive got a few patients, where Ive been here for 12 years, that Ive seen literally from birth to death. Ive helped with their C-section, so theyre a part of my life even though I dont own the animal. If I help save their life at any point, I feel like Ive given part of myself, and theyve given me part of themselves.

As they get through their life, I see their ups and downs, and we get to have a relationship both with the animal and the person.

When they pass away, its a grieving process for us too.

Read the original post:
A Thing or 3: Logan's Susan Benson talks about being a veterinarian - The Herald Journal

Celebrations that include loud fireworks often terrify dogs. Though there's not yet much science to confirm it, some veterinarians and pet owners say CBD, an extract of hemp or marijuana, can ease a pet's fear. Francisco Goncalves/Getty hide caption

Celebrations that include loud fireworks often terrify dogs. Though there's not yet much science to confirm it, some veterinarians and pet owners say CBD, an extract of hemp or marijuana, can ease a pet's fear.

Along with picnics and barbecues, the Fourth of July brings a less pleasant yearly ritual for many dog lovers: worrying about a family pooch who panics at the sound of firecrackers.

Betsy and Andy Firebaugh of Santa Cruz, Calif., have reason for concern. They live on a mountain ridge overlooking the Pacific Ocean a usually peaceful scene, except at this time of year, when people illegally set off firecrackers at local beaches. The explosive booms send their otherwise happy Australian shepherd Seamus into a frenzy.

"If he's outside, he can freak out and run away," Andy says. Or the dog will hunker in a corner inside the house, reduced to a quivering lump of cinnamon-brown fur. One year on the morning after Independence Day, the couple looked everywhere for Seamus.

"We finally found him underneath the bed, cowering," Betsy recalls. "He wouldn't come out."

But to quell the dog's nerves this year, they say, they may try something new: giving him a squirt of an extract of marijuana that's mostly cannabidiol (CBD), a component of the cannabis plant that, unlike a better-known component, THC, doesn't induce a high.

CBD has drawn a lot of attention in recent years from neurologists and other researchers intrigued by hints that the chemical might prove helpful to people; there's been preliminary study of possible benefits in reducing chronic pain, anxiety and seizures in humans, for example.

So it's probably no surprise that some folks are interested in CBD's therapeutic potential for Fido or Fluffy, too.

Betsy initially got a prescription for medical marijuana to help with her own joint pain. While at the medical marijuana dispensary, she also picked up a vial of CBD oil designed for pets, on the advice of the manager.

The supplement has already yielded good results in their other dog, Angus a sweet blue merle Aussie who was abused as a puppy by previous owners, and still sometimes "becomes Frankendog" around canine strangers, Betsy says. Occasional doses of the cannabis extract in high-stress situations, she says, help to mellow him out.

The Firebaughs aren't the only ones exploring marijuana-based therapies for man's best friend. A growing number of firms are marketing CBD for noise anxiety and other ailments in companion animals. Denver-based Therabis specifically advertises one of its hemp-derived CBD supplements as an aid to help dogs get through the Fourth of July.

And the Los Angeles-based makers of VetCBD oil say that early July, along with New Year's Eve, is one of their busiest sales periods. Animal shelters tend to see an increased influx of runaway pets around the two holidays because of fireworks, notes VetCBD's founder Tim Shu, who is also a veterinarian.

Still, cannabis therapies for pets fall into a legal gray zone. While numerous states, including California, have legalized medical marijuana and/or recreational pot for people, cannabis remains federally illegal, and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration recently clarified that it considers CBD extracts unlawful too. None of the cannabis-derived products for pets are approved by the Food and Drug Administration, and state licensing agencies, such as the California Veterinary Medical Board, don't allow veterinarians to prescribe them.

Shu says marijuana has long had a bad reputation in the veterinary community, which has seen many ER cases of dogs suffering toxic effects from gobbling down their owners' marijuana stash or edibles. Large doses of THC, the chemical that produces pot's intoxicating effects, can cause wobbliness, disorientation, vomiting and loss of bladder control in canines.

But the premise of companies selling cannabis-derived products for pets is that non-psychoactive CBD, in combination with a small amount of THC, can be beneficial. For instance, Shu's VetCBD oil contains a 20:1 ratio of CBD to THC, a formulation he says he developed in a quest to aid his own elderly dog, Tye, a mixed pit bull breed. Tye has arthritic pain and fireworks anxiety, the veterinarian says, but can't handle the side effects of standard veterinary medications.

By experimenting with Tye and other patients in his practice, Shu came up with his cannabidiol concoction which is extracted from organic cannabis flowers and a variety of specific dosages for pets of different sizes.

Tye's mobility has since improved, Shu says, and "I can actually walk her outside during Fourth of July fireworks. For a lot of owners, it's a night-and-day difference."

Such anecdotes may sound compelling, but some other vets say they'd like to see scientific evidence. Brennen McKenzie, a veterinarian in Los Altos, Calif., writes the SkeptVet blog and is on the board of the Evidence-Based Veterinary Medicine Association. In regards to CBD, McKenzie says, "we have virtually no research in pets, so we are guessing and extrapolating."

It's human nature, he says, for us all to "see what we want and expect to see, rather than what is really there, much of the time." He recalls, for example, a clinical trial in which some arthritic dogs got a pain reliever and others a placebo. More than half the owners of the dogs who got the placebo reported dramatic improvement in their pets' symptoms.

McKenzie acknowledges that the limited laboratory research that's been done in dogs so far hasn't turned up any severe side effects from the short-term use of CBD. However, he points out, each animal species is different; cats, for example, are extremely sensitive to any chemicals.

Carefully designed clinical trials still need to be done, McKenzie says, to fully assess CBD's benefits and risks in treating specific health conditions in pets.

Yet, the legal morass surrounding marijuana makes it difficult to conduct any scientific studies of cannabis-based treatments in the U.S. in people or any other animals.

So, McKenzie concedes it may sometimes be appropriate for people to try cannabis-derived products in their pets in certain situations, such as when they've exhausted other treatment options that are supported by better scientific evidence.

"You just have to be aware of the risk that you're taking," he says, "and the uncertainty involved."

Noise anxiety may be one of those situations, McKenzie says, noting that veterinary medicine doesn't have a great solution that's widely and reliably effective in allaying noise phobia.

Standard treatments, such as sedatives and antidepressants, can come with their own side effects. Other options include behavioral therapies playing white noise or music, for instance, or teaching owners to be low-key and calm in response to a panicky pet. But that may not work for pets with severe anxiety.

Even if CBD is effective for noise anxiety, McKenzie says, he has one more caveat: The marketplace of cannabis-based veterinary products is unregulated, with no oversight of quality control. "You may not be getting what you think you're getting," he says.

So where does all of this leave Betsy and Andy Firebaugh? They're reluctant to put Seamus on a prescription sedative or antidepressant, and they've tried other tactics, including positive-reinforcement behavioral training and a swaddling jacket.

Bob Pallares, who runs the nonprofit medical marijuana dispensary in Santa Cruz where the Firebaughs bought their VetCBD supplement, says he carries this particular product because it's organic and of high quality, as tested by a third-party lab.

Persuaded that VetCBD oil has helped Angus with no ill effect, the Firebaughs hope the supplement might do the trick for Seamus tonight, too. When the firecracker fracas starts this evening, they'll shut the windows, turn up the radio set to classical music and cross their fingers. And if that's not enough to soothe Seamus, they'll mix a little CBD oil into his food.

"We'll just see how he does," Betsy says.

Go here to read the rest:
Some Marijuana-Derived Treatments Aim To Soothe Skittish Pets - NPR

We have a neighborhood cat, a big, gray tomcat very friendly who hangs out on our porch with us. He likes to rub his jowls on us, furniture, everything, like most cats do, butwell, he drools. Like, his fur actually becomes wet with it at the corners of his mouth. He sometimes drips saliva onto the porch, which is not something I have ever seen a cat do. Any ideas what might cause that?

Good question! Excessive drooling is called ptyalism. It is a medical condition characterized by the excessive flow of saliva, also referred to as hyper salivation. It can be normal in certain situations like when my children smell breakfast foods cooking on the weekends or when the dogs are eyeballing a cat eating cat food that should rightfully be going to the dog. But in lots of other situations it is a sign of an abnormality, especially in the cat. Remember the phrase, cats rule and dogs drool?

If a cat is drooling, and it is associated with a pleasurable experience like being petted or sitting on their owners lap, then it can be a normal behavioral response to a happy experience and I hope that Tom cat is just happy to be near you. If I was presented with a cat that was drooling I would start with the oral cavity and look for issues there.

Drooling and dental disease go hand in mouth. Inflammation of the gums, stomatitis and gingivitis certainly do cause drooling and pain. Teeth with neck lesions and fractures are also a source of pain and stress internally and would ultimately produce salivation.

In cats we see oral tumors on the jaws and all over the tongue. These act as a foreign body in the mouth and the automatic response to anything that is not supposed to be in the mouth is to produce drool to either swallow it or flush it away. On occasion we will see real foreign bodies, like sticks or even bones from recent hunting adventures, lodged in the mouth that will cause this behavior.

Going lower down the GI tract, gastrointestinal issues can cause a cat to drool. This is especially true if they have nausea due to inflammatory bowel disease or even esophageal reflux and the result is pain in their lower esophagus.

These cats do well with Pepcid and feeding at night more than feeding in the morning. I know this is not an option in Toms case since he is a roaming neighborhood cat, but if someone kind decides to take him in and love him forever, it could helphint, hint.

Then there is a whole group of weird issues which could make cats drool. In veterinary medicine we call theses Zebras. It comes from the lesson they taught us in veterinary school, When you hear hooves galloping, look for the horse, not the zebras.

Zebras in this case must include of course, rabies. We still have rabies in West Virginia and Tom may not have been vaccinated. Rabies is a fatal disease so that is probably not the case, but it is a rule out.

Toxin exposure could cause oral ulceration and could be a cause. I read a story about a cat sleeping on insulation and the fiberglass he inhaled caused ulceration and oral trauma resulting in drooling. Most chemicals can have the same effect on the cat.

There is a condition called a portosystemic shunt that we see in veterinary medicine in both dogs and cats that can result in drooling abnormally. This is a congenital condition where the major blood vessels running through the liver flow abnormally. Shunts are only diagnosed definitively with dye studies and advanced imaging. Shunt animals can drool and have seizures, too.

Simple blood tests will give you a clue that this is the case and a referral to a veterinary school will diagnose the issue, which is 100% curable with surgery.

Lastly, in a situation such as Tom is in, stress also can be a trigger. I see this in my patients at times on exam. They are fine at home but as soon as they come into an exam room and see me, it starts.

I like to tell the owner that I feel their mixed breed cat probably has St. Bernard in it. Sometimes they laugh and sometimes you can hear the crickets chirping. My technician always laughs, though, to save the day.

Stress can be and is real for cats. Tom is out there in the neighborhood and is untrusting at times of people so that may be affecting his behavior, too.

As you can see, drooling can be a happy response, which I hope is the case for Tom or it can be a clinical sign of an internal issue.

My best advice is, as always, come to the hospital and lets try to figure it out. As veterinarian we think drool is cool and lets find out why and see if we can fix it. Owners obviously dont get that excited but your concern is a step in the right direction.

Good luck to you all and see if you, or another kind neighbor, can take that boy in for a checkup.

Original post:
Ask the Vet: Why does our neighborhood tomcat drool so much? - Charleston Gazette-Mail (subscription)

I think a lot of people realize veterinary medicine can present challenges different from those in human medicine. Certainly, our companions have some similar physiology and structures to our own, however the main challenge is that veterinary medicine patients are not as communicative as humans are with their physicians. I have seldom had a patient tell me where it hurts.

This challenge is one of the reasons and there are many why veterinary medicine is so fascinating. It also is the main reason diagnostics can be so important. This is especially important with some of the less mainstream species some people choose as companions. Lou is one of those species, a bearded dragon lizard.

Lou lives in a large cage and is well taken care of by Brandon. Lou is 5 years old and has been with Brandon for most of his life with no health issues. That no longer appears to be the case. Lou has decided he does not want to eat. For Lou, this is highly unusual as, according to Brandon, he usually eats every chance he gets. For the last 10 days or so, he has not touched anything Brandon has offered.

That is all the information I have to go on so it appears I am going to have to use one of my more primitive diagnostic tools, my crystal ball. To be fair to Brandon, this is the single most common presentation for a reptile patient. When they are having health issues, they generally do not eat. This could be the result of a simple problem such as a sore mouth or as complicated and severe as terminal cancer. Therefore, in Lous case and frankly in many cases of reptile illness, we start with the symptom of anorexia and look to a virtually unlimited list of disease possibilities.

Brandon obviously will need to take Lou to his veterinarian for evaluation. I will share what I generally do when presented with an anorexic reptile patient, using Lou as an example. But every case has subtle and sometimes not-so-subtle differences so the thoughts I share may not translate to other lizard cases with the same symptom of anorexia. (The disclaimer!)

Physical examination always is an important diagnostic step, and Lou is no exception. Through this process, we sometimes can fine tune our approach to the necessary diagnostic steps toward uncovering Lous problem. Again with no clues in this particular case, I will be a bit more generalized.

I recommend Lou have some radiographs taken to look inside his little body and a blood panel drawn to check organ system functions. A fecal examination for parasites also is warranted.

These steps will provide a good overview of what might be going on with Lou and hopefully direct us to the next step be it further diagnostics or treatment based on an illness discovered from the tests.

As stated, the best advice is to take Lou to his veterinarian.

Original post:
Pet Vet: His bearded dragon lizard no longer wants to eat - Quad-Cities Online

With Stem Cells being used in the media and by other surgeons like an every day word, we want to clarify our standings on its use

Fat transfer, also known as fat grafting or autologous fat transfer, is the process of using the patients own fat to increase the volume of fat in another area of their body. The fat is harvested or extracted with a liposuction cannula. They are prepared for reintroduction into the body and injected into the new part of the body where the additional bulk is used for medical or cosmetic purposes. The most common donor areas, where fat is taken from, are the stomach, thighs, and waist.

The procedure is minimally invasive making it very appealing. Another advantage of fat transfer is that the body does not reject it because it is the patients own fat. However, there is a rate of absorption, a percentage of the transferred fat, that does not survive. Therefore, it is extremely important to select a surgeon that uses a proven technique with the highest fat survival rate.

Many women have turned to the Miami Breast Center looking for natural and permanent results. Dr. Khouri is a pioneer in the use of autologous fat to reconstruct and augment breasts. He is able to rebuild an entire breast using only the patients fat and the external tissue expander BRAVA. The BRAVA bra is worn a few weeks prior to surgery and stretches the tissue, both externally and internally, creating a matrix into which the transferred fat will be injected. This matrix is essential for fat placement and survival.

Dr. Khouri uses a very fine needle-like cannula, that he developed, to gently perform liposuction. The fat naturally contains stem cells, which are harvested in the process along with the fat and preserved in the transfer. However, nothing artificial is added nor biologically manipulated within the harvested fat.

Studies have shown that breasts rebuilt with this fat transfer process, pre-expanded with BRAVA, result in high fat survival and last forever. They look and feel natural and retain near-normal sensation. Compared to implants that on average need to be replaced every 10 years and can leave a woman with non-sensate breasts and nipples, Dr. Khouri offers a great alternative.

Growing concerns have emerged over the clinical practices and marketing claims made by the plastic surgery community promoting stem cell use in fat transfers. The term stem cells is hyped by the media and used by some surgeons like an everyday word. A small group of unethical practitioners are deliberately misleading and exploiting the public with false claims. Therefore, a task force was convened to address the false advertising claims that are not substantiated by scientific evidence.

The task force was made up of two of the worlds largest organizations of board-certified plastic surgeons, the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS) and the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS). They issued a joint position statement during The Aesthetic Meeting 2011, the annual meeting of ASAPS.

Dr. Roger Khouri himself sat on the task force and participated in the joint position statement. Here are a few of the recommendations made by the task force:

Dr. Khouri is a strong proponent of truth in advertising and very clearly states that his technique is a fat grafting procedure and not a stem cell procedure. Our technique of fat harvesting, preparation, and grafting preserves the native stem cells in the fat graft because we use very fine needle-like cannulas to gently liposuction the patients fat. The harvested fat is naturally rich in stem cells. Nothing artificial is added nor biologically manipulated within the harvested fat.

Despite there being great promise for the future, there is NO scientific evidence that stem cells have ANY proven useful medical application to date. Dr. Khouris has published his clinical studies that demonstrate the efficacy of his fat transfer to the breast procedure. The most recent study published by the Journal of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery in May 2012 highlights the success of Dr. Khouris procedure. The six-year study concluded that his procedure, with the use of BRAVA leads to significantly larger breast augmentations, with more fat graft placement, higher graft survival rates, and minimal graft necrosis or complications, demonstrating high safety and efficacy for the procedure.

The respected medical establishments have refrained from offering unproven therapies and do not market themselves as providing Stem Cell Therapy or Stem Cell Procedures simply because there is not enough clinical data. Cosmetic procedures advertising the use of fat-derived stem cells lack the scientific evidence to support it. To read the entire ASPS and ASAPS Joint Position Statement on Stem Cells and Fat Grafting click here.

If a surgeon makes a claim about the efficacy of a stem cell procedure ask them for the published study. If its not available dont be misled. Beware of unethical practitioners who manipulate stem cells and claim better results. Ask to see the scientific proof showing the stem cells are a direct cause of the final results.

Dr. Khouris technique has been recognized around the world. Last year he received the European Award for Best Reconstruction Procedure. He shares his expertise at seminars and conferences around the world. Plastic surgeons from different countries flock to his annual Fat Graft Course where he teaches his revolutionary fat grafting technique. He mentors surgeons one-on-one and trains them to successfully and permanently rebuild an entire breast using a womans own fat. His revolutionary fat grafting technique is not a false claim, it is a proven clinical wonder.

To view before and after pictures visit our Photo Gallery or view video Testimonials of real women whos lifes have been changed by Dr. Khouris procedure.

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Fat Grafting & the use of Stem Cells - Miami Breast Center

The arthritis in Maureen Munsies ankles was so intense until barely a year ago, she literally had to crawl on hands and knees to get upstairs.

The pain, she recalls now, took my breath away, and played havoc with the avid hikers favourite pastime.

In desperation, Munsie turned to a Toronto-area clinic that provides a treatment many experts consider still experimental, unproven and of questionable safety.

The 63-year-old says the stem cells she received at Regenervate Medical Injection Therapy 18 months ago were transformational, all but eliminating the debilitating soreness and even allowing her to hike Argentinas Patagonia mountains two months ago.

For me its been a life saver, Munsie says. Ive been able to do it all again I dont have any of that pain, at all.

Canadians drawn to the healing promise of stem cells have for years travelled outside the country to such places as Mexico, China or Arizona, taking part in a dubious form of medical tourism.

But Regenervate is one of a handful of clinics in Canada that have begun offering injections of stem cells, satisfying growing demand but raising questions about whether a medical idea with huge potential is ready for routine patient care.

Especially when those patients can pay thousands of dollars for the service.

Clinics in Ontario and Alberta are treating arthritis, joint injuries, disc problems and even skin conditions with stem cells typically taken from patients fat tissue or bone marrow.

The underlying idea is compelling: stem cells can differentiate or transform into many other types of cell, a unique quality that evidence suggests allows them to grow or regenerate tissue damaged by disease or injury.

Researchers including hundreds in Canada alone are examining stem-cell treatments for everything from ailing hearts to severed spinal cords.

With few exceptions, however, the concept is still being studied in the lab or in human trials; virtually none of the treatments have been definitively proven effective by science or approved by regulators like Health Canada.

The fact that Canadian clinics are now offering stem-cell treatments commercially is concerning on a number of levels, not least because of safety issues, says Ubaka Ogbogu, a health law professor at the University of Alberta.

Three U.S. women were blinded after receiving stem-cell injections in their eyes, while other American patients have developed bony masses or tumours at injection sites, Ogbogu said.

Stem cells have to be controlled to act exactly the way you want them to act, and thats why the research takes time, he said. It is simply wrong for these clinics to take a proof of concept and run with it.

Ogbogu says Health Canada must crack down on the burgeoning industry but says the regulator has so far been conspicuous by its inaction.

Other experts say the procedures provided here typically for joint pain are likely relatively safe, but still warn that care must be taken that the stem cells do not develop into the wrong type of tissue, or at the wrong place.

Alberta Health Services convened a workshop on the issue late last year, concluding there is an urgent need to develop a certification system for cell preparation and delivery to avoid spontaneous transformation of (stem cells) into unwanted tissue.

But one of the pioneers of the service in Canada says theres no empirical evidence that such growths can develop, and suggests the treatments only real risk as with an invasive procedure is infection.

Meanwhile, patients at Regenervate have enjoyed impressive outcomes after paying fees from $750 to $3,900, says Dr. Douglas Stoddard, the clinics medical director.

About 80 per cent report less pain, stiffness and weakness within a few months of getting their stem-cell injection, he said.

I believe medical progress is not just limited to the laboratory and randomized double-blind trials, Stoddard said. A lot of progress starts in the clinic, dealing with patients You see something works, you see something has merit, and then its usually the scientists that seem to catch up later.

The Orthopedic Sport Institute in Collingwood, Ont., the Central Alberta Pain and Rehabilitation Institute and Cleveland Clinic in Toronto all advertise similar stem-cell treatments for orthopedic problems.

Edmontons Regen Clinic says it plans to start doing so this fall.

Ottawas Innovo says it also treats a range of back conditions with injections between the vertebrae, and uses stem cells to alleviate nerve damage.

Orthopedic Sport says its doctor focuses on FDA and Health Canada approved stem-cell injection therapy for patient care.

In fact, no treatment of the sort the clinics here provide has ever been authorized.

Health Canada says the vast majority of stem-cell therapies would constitute a drug and therefore need to be authorized after a clinical trial or new drug submission.

A number of stem-cell trials are underway, but only one treatment Prochymal has been approved, said department spokesman Eric Morrissette. Designed to combat graft-versus-host disease where bone marrow transplants for treating cancer essentially attack the patients body its unlike any of the services the stem-cell providers here offer.

But as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration aggressively pursues the hundreds of clinics in America, Health Canada says only that its committed to addressing complaints it receives.

It will take action based on the risk posed to the general public, said Morrissette, who encouraged people to pass on to the department information about possible non-compliant products.

Stoddard said the injections his clinics provide are made up of minimally manipulated tissue from patients own bodies and any attempt to crack down would be regulation for the sake of regulation.

But academic experts remain skeptical about the effectiveness of the treatments.

Scientific evidence suggests the injections may help alleviate joint pain temporarily, but probably just because of anti-inflammatory secretions from the cells not regeneration, said Dr. David Hart, an orthopedic surgery professor at the University of Calgary who headed the Alberta workshop.

Theres a need for understanding whats going on here and theres a need for regulation, he said.

Most of the clinics say they use a centrifuge to concentrate the stem cells after removing them from patients fat tissue or bone marrow. But its unclear if the clinics even know how many cells they are eventually injecting into patients, says Jeff Biernaskie, a stem-cell scientist at the University of Calgary.

Munsie, on the other hand, has no doubts about the value of her own treatment, even with a $3,000 price tag.

The procedure from extraction of fat tissue in her behind to the injection of cells into her ankles took barely over an hour.

Within three months, the retired massage therapist from north of Toronto says she could walk her dogs again. Last week, she was hiking near Banff.

Im a real believer in it, and the possibility of stem cells, says Munsie. I just think Wow, if we can heal with our own body, its pretty amazing.

tblackwell@nationalpost.com

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Canadian clinics begin offering stem-cell treatments experts call unproven, possibly unsafe - National Post

Are you suffering from chronicjoint pain? If so, you may want to ask your doctor whetherstem cellinjections are right for you. If you want to avoid the surgical route of repairing a damaged knee or treating an arthritic shoulder, a stem cell injection may give you the relief you need.

Cleveland Clinic is a non-profit academic medical center. Advertising on our site helps support our mission. We do not endorse non-Cleveland Clinic products or services. Policy

Stem cells are specialtypes of cells with the ability to self-renew or multiply. They have the potential to replicate any cell in your body. In other words, they canbecome a cartilage cell, a muscle cell or a nerve cell, says orthopedic surgeonAnthony Miniaci, MD.

They have a tremendous capacity to differentiate and form different tissues, so thats the thought behind regenerating cartilage, regenerating nerve cells and healing any injured tissues, he says.

The source of stem cells isfound in your own bone marrow orfat or you can also receive stem cells from donor sources, particularlyamniotic sourcessuch as the placenta or the amniotic fluid and lining surrounding a fetus. These cells are not part of the embryo, Dr. Miniaci says.

The number of stem cells that you have and theirquality and activity diminish as you get older, he says. Amniotic stem cells, on the other hand, are from young tissue, so theoretically these are younger, more active cells.

Thetreatment team harvests stem cells from your bone marrow or fat or uses donor cells . Later on, your treatment team injects the cells preciselyinto your joint, ligament or tendon.

Theoretically, the cells will then divide and duplicate themselves and develop into different types of cells depending on the location into which they have been injected. For example, if you have damagedknee cartilage, stem cells placed near the damaged cartilage can develop into new cartilage tissue.

However, for patients with asevere loss of cartilageor no cartilage at all, a stem cell injection is unlikely to createa new joint, Dr. Miniaci says.

Severe loss of cartilage typically leads to bone erosion or bone deformity, so a stem cell injection is highly unlikely to work in terms of reversing those changes, he says.

It can, however, improve your symptoms of pain and swelling.

The earlier you can treat someones joint pain, the better chance this has of working, making it less painful for thepatient, less inflamed, and improve their function, he says.

The main risk from a stem cell injection is in harvesting the stem cells. When taking the cells from your bone marrow, the treatment team inserts a large needle into your pelvis and removes some blood and the cells.

Any time you make incisions or insert sharp instrument into somebodys pelvis, they can have problems such as acquiring an infection, Dr. Miniaci says.

If youre taking the stem cells from fat, you you can remove some out from under the skin, he says. Again, you have a risk for an infection because were making little nicks into the skin to get to the fat.

While the use of stem cell injections to treatjoint painholds much promise, Dr. Miniaci cautions that this treatment option is still very new. Researchers needto study its effectiveness further.

We dont have a lot of data or proof indicating that stem cell injections actually repair the joint, he says.

He explains that if you have cartilage orbone damage, stem cells candifferentiate and produce bone and cartilage and tissues. So, theoretically, they could heal damaged tissue within a muscle, tendon, bone or cartilage.

Thats the theory behind it, but this type of treatment and research is just in its infancy, he says.

We really dont know whats effective, whats not effective, how many cells are necessary, how many actual injections you need and how often, he says. Nobody knows how well it works yet. But we will eventually.

Anecdotally, Dr. Miniaci finds that some patients can have significant improvement in their symptoms with stem cellinjections. But he has not seen any proof yet that they are regrowing or regenerating a joint.

Many people think that theyre going to come in with their arthritic joint and leave with a newer version of their knee joint. That doesnt happen, he says.

What does occur is a biological reaction which makes the environment in their joints a little healthier, which probably makes it less inflamed, and as result, gives them less pain.

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Stem Cell Injections: Emerging Option for Joint Pain Relief Health ... - Health Essentials from Cleveland Clinic (blog)

A quick google search for those interested in losing weight will quickly reveal the latest buzz-worthy trendmeal prepping. From OCD-approved rows of macronutrient-friendly meals to personal competitions to complete a weeks worth of preparation before a timer runs out, its no surprise there are more than 5 million posts tagged #mealprep on Instagram.

The hype is justified, as studies have shown that people who meal prep are likely to have healthier diets and follow nutritional guidelines more closely. Other positive effects include better portion control,, spending less money on weekly groceries and eating out less.

In theory, there isnt anything wrong with meal prepping. However, if not practiced carefulyl, this method could sabotage your weight loss effortsfor a reason that has very little to do with the actual food you prep. These efforts can go to waste if you are prepping in containers containing the harmful, hormone-disrupting chemical bisphenol A, or BPA.

This chemical can be found in many places, such as polycarbonate plastic, canned food linings and even on smartphones. Generally, were regularly ingesting BPA and it passes through the body fairly quickly once exposed. The issues arise when people are exposed to high levels of BPAsuch as when every meal of every day is prepped in plastic containers containing the chemical.

An effective diet is not just about healthy eating, managing sugar and carbohydrates, and exercise, said Dr. Aly Cohen, a rheumatologist and integrative medicine and environmental health specialist at the CentraState Medical Center. Reducing chemical exposure is also key because many of these chemicals can disrupt normal hormone function, impede weight loss, and even cause weight gain. Just because chemicals may not have an obvious effect, like causing a rash, doesnt mean they arent tinkering with your body.

Not only has research shown that BPA is an active agent in prompting cells to become fat cells, it has also shown that exposure to the chemical can make it harder to feel full.

BPA is so ubiquitous, that humans are continuously exposed, making BPA pseudo-persistent, Cohen said. Whats interesting in terms of weight is that BPA can turn stem cells into fat cells and make fat cells turn larger. Thats not great news for our waistlines

But there is hope for those dedicated to the life of meal prepping with just a few alterations. Using glass, stainless steel or ceramic containers when possible and using care with plastic containers when necessarysuch as avoiding harsh chemical cleaners and never reheating food in plasticwill help decrease BPA exposure. Further, switching to fresh or frozen produce and avoiding canned, if you can, will help bring these levels down.

Photo: Andrey_Popov/Shutterstock, CC-BY

Emma Korstanjeis a freelance journalist based out of Athens, GA.

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Is Meal Prepping Negating Your Weight Loss Efforts? - Paste Magazine

Stem cell therapy: the next wave in regenerative medicine?

All it involved was a quick injection no different, really, than a flu shot.

A few weeks later, Bill Ambrose realized hed become significantly less reliant on taking Aleve for knee pain, and he was re-learning how to walk without shuffling his feet.

Surgery, it turned out, might not be necessary after all.

Last November, Ambrose scheduled knee surgery to alleviate discomfort in his knees caused by what orthopedic doctors called true bone-on-bone at the joint. But for one reason or another, he kept missing pre-surgery and the surgery never happened.

The next month, Ambrose met with Dr. Bill Nolan, of Cherry Street Health Group, to discuss advertising space in the Danvers Herald.

For the purpose of full disclosure, Ambrose is an employee of Gatehouse Media Company, and he works in the advertising department for Wicked Local, the local branch of GHM newspapers.

After Nolans ads ran inthe Jan. 5issue of the Herald, Ambrose said he reached out to Nolan again. This time, for himself.

Nolans practice offered a solution to his knee pain an alternative to knee surgery he had never considered before: stem cell therapy.

Essentially, the solutionCherry StreetHealth Group offered was an injection of amniotic fluid into Ambrose's knee joint. The stem cells and other growth factorsin the fluid would allow for the regeneration of the cartilage at the joint.

I became interested so I decided to go ahead with it, Ambrose said.

He brought in scans to show Nolan, who said, contrary to what orthopedic doctors had told him, he didnt have true bone on bone. There was still a small space between the bones.

I decided to have one leg done and my knee started getting much better, he said.

Satisfied with the results of the first injection, Ambrose decided to get his left knee done in April.

I still experience some pain in [the left knee], but I get up in the morning and theres very little pain at all, he said in an interview a few weeks following the appointment.

The stem cell option

In the U.S., there are three ways that stem cells are used, Nolan said. Theyre either taken from bone marrow, fat cells, or the amniotic membrane of a healthy c-section from a consenting woman.

When stem cellsare injected into the body,they're expected to increase space at the joint, rebuild cartilage, and ultimately, provide more stability in the joint. As many as 570 businesses across the country advertise some kind of stem cell therapy, according to a 2016 paper.

Stem cell therapy is not necessarily a new discovery, but it is relatively recent in the world of regenerative medicine.Stem cells were first used as much as century ago, first for eye procedures and as filler for the spinal cord, according to Regenexx, which claims to have pioneered orthopedic stem cell treatments in 2005.

Adult stem cells are retrieved directly from the patient, either frombone marrow or fat cells,and concentrated beforeits reinjectedinto the patient's site of pain.

In the case of amniotic fluid therapy,amniotic fluid, which contains stem cells and other growth factors, is injected into the site. These cellshave been shown to "expand extensively" and show "high renewal capacity,"according to research published in the National Library of Medicine.

We know that as you age, your stem cell count decreases,Nolan said, explaining the benefit of using cells from the amniotic membrane. We know that when we get it from the amniotic membrane, theres a large amount of stem cells that are present. From the amniotic membrane, there are no antibodies or antigens, so its safe for anyone to get.

At Cherry Street Health Group, theproduct usedis produced by General Surgical and distributed by RegenOMedix, according to Nolan.The product, which is called ReGen Anu RHEO, is American Tissue Bank approved and FDA cleared.

RHEO is marketed as "a human tissue allograft derived from placental tissue; amniotic membrane and amniotic fluid."Its a"powerful combination" of amniotic fluid and mesencymal stem cells, which are known to differentiate into a variety of cell types, according to RegenOMedix.It also contains growth factor proteins andis "rich" in other necessary components for tissue regeneration.

The product is non-steroidal and comes with no side effects, and the company says no adverse events have been recorded using the product.

Nolan said stem cell therapy has been offered as a treatmentat Cherry Street since 2016.

Across the U.S., there are as many as 56 businesses marketing some form of amniotic stem cellsto its consumers, according to the same paper.

At Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, for example, orthopedic surgeon Adam Yanke enrolled one of his patients into an experimental amniotic cell therapy treatment program. The woman, a 65-year-old suffering from osteoarthritis in both knees, told reporters the injections were "by far the most effective pain treatment" she had tried, and so farthat relief has lasted up to a year.

But while the use of amniotic fluid therapyas a regenerative medicine is becoming increasingly popular throughout the U.S.,the use of amniotic stemcellsdoesn't comewithout concern from some within the community.

Dr. Chris Centeno, who specializes in regenerative medicine andthe clinical use of adult stem cells, has blogged numerous times for Regenexx on the "scam" of using amniotic stem cells most recently in sharply worded post on May 22.

"Regrettably, we have an epidemic on our hands that began when sales reps began telling medical providers thattheir dead amniotic and cord tissues had loads of live cells on it," he wrote.

Nolan said he was familiar with Centeno's posts.

"A lot of the stem cell stuff is new," he said. "Some of the products out there ... They were doing testing on them and not finding cells."

Cherry Street Health Group has treatedabout 50patients with this form of regenerative medicine and had significant success, according to Nolan. Although Nolan owns the health group on Cherry Street in Danvers, the stem cell treatments are provided under the medical practice of Dr. Pat Scanlan.

Weve had really, really amazing success, Nolan said. Weve had over 95 percent success of all the patients weve had in the office. Its been a game changer from a practice standpoint.

The "worst thing" that could happen is there might not be any regeneration, he explained.

"You might get pain relief, but no regeneration," Nolan said. "But from what weve seen, there have been no negative side effects."

At Cherry Street, knees are the most commonly treated joints, followed by hips, shoulders and the lower back. The cervical spine is the least common.

"I hesitated on the surgery, and I'm gladI did," Ambrose said. "Even if[the stem cells]don't do any more than what they've done, its been well worth it."

Patients who do present with true bone on bone, however, are not candidates for this form of therapy, Nolan said.

The cost comparison

At Cherry Street Health Group, the cost of the injection comes toroughly $4,000 per knee, a cost that isn't covered by insurance. By comparison, health-care providers often charge insurers more than $18,000 for knee replacement surgeries in the Boston area, according to a report by the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.

The report, however, doesn't account for what the patient actually pays.

Nolan said when other factors of post-op are considered time off of work, rehabilitation time and cost the out-of-pocketcost for surgery compared to stem cell treatment is comparable.

"When you really boil it down, it can be the same or, in a lot of cases, a savings," he said.

Ambrose said it "boggles his mind" that more people don't choose this treatment over surgery.

"Why would you spend $40,000 on a car and not want to spend $4,000 on a knee?," he said."Its crazy. Yes, its out of pocket. So what? We buy a lot of stuff we dont need, and then for something like this, something that people, if they do it, theyll be glad they did it. Its just hard to convince them to do it."

In arecent report in STAT news, a health news start up of the Boston Globe, a study of orthopedic procedures in the U.S. suggested an estimated one-third of knee replacement surgeries are inappropriate. More than 640,000 of these surgeries are performed each year, making for a $10 billion dollar industry in knee surgery.

The study said that evidence isn't limited to just knee surgeries.

"There's a lot that needs to change when we look at health care in general,"Nolan said. "It's really no surprise that something like doing this regenerative medicine is going to take time for it to really take off."

Continue reading here:
Danvers health group offers alternative solution to surgery - Wicked Local North of Boston

Question: I find the concept of a 5-year filler like Bellafill to be very interesting as Im tired of refilling with fillers every year or so. Its also become very costly to keep returning for regular repeat treatments. I have fine lines over my cheeks and lips as well as deep smiles lines and those awful puppet lines. What type of lines can Bellafill be used for?

Answer: Yours is an important question since patients often believe that the many injectable fillers are interchangeable. However, each filler is specifically designed to be injected at a certain depth in the skin and used only for certain purposes. Unlike Restylane Silk or Juvederm XC, Bellafill is a volumization filler for hollowing in the cheeks, temples and under eyes. Bellafill is also used for deep lines and grooves such as the deep nasolabial smile lines and marionette or puppet lines at the mouth corners. Bellafill is not designed to improve very fine lip lines or other finer facial lines.

In answer to your question, Bellafill could be very effective and natural looking for your deep nasolabial folds and mouth corner grooves. In terms of the fine lines around your lips and in the cheek area, you may continue to use temporary fillers for those fines every 6 to 12 months. Alternatively, PRP with fat stem cells is a long-term option.

I have been using protein-rich plasma(PRP) combined with stem cells, using a proprietary mixing technique, and injecting this into fine facial lines. The benefits of this procedure are that the injected material is purely derived from your own bodys tissues and not a foreign substance. Because the PRP contains a high concentration of growth factors, these growth factors stimulate the stem cells, derived from fat, to differentiate into collagen-producing cells. The results are much longer lasting compared to that of commercially available fillers.

The combination of Bellafill for your deep lines and grooves and PRP/fat-derived stem cells for your finer facial lines can be a very effective facial rejuvenation tool that can avoid the high cost of frequent maintenance treatments with temporary fillers.

Dr. Anita Mandal is a double Board Certified Facial Plastic Surgeon practicing since 1998. She exclusively specializes in facial rejuvenation and non-invasive body contouring. In addition to being on the medical staff at Jupiter Medical Center, her offices house both surgical and laser suites. Dr. Mandal is committed to giving her patients the most natural looking results.

______________________________

Mandal Plastic Surgery Center

2401 PGA Blvd., Suite 146

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Bellafill For Which Type Of Wrinkles? - Palm Beach Post

Cataracts result when the naturally clear lenses of your eyes begins to cloud, causing you to see halos around lights and experience difficulty seeing in dim light, eventually leading to blurred vision or complete vision loss.

Over 24 million adults over the age of 40 in the U.S. have cataracts and by the age of 80 over 50% of people will suffer from the condition.

Currently, the only effective treatment for cataracts is surgery to remove the clouded lens and replace it with an artificial one.

This makes focusing on cataract prevention vital to maintaining healthy eyesight.

Signs youre developing cataracts There are some warning signs to look for that could mean youre on the road to cataract development.

These include:

Discoloration of your eyes A yellowish or brown color in your eyes can be caused by clumps of protein that clouds your lens. Sensitivity to light Increased sensitivity to the light from car headlights, sunlight or indoor lighting such as lamps is often one of the first signs of cataract development. Cloudy vision This usually starts in a small part of your eye and then progresses to cover your entire lens. Frequent changes in prescription glasses or contacts If you find yourself needing a higher prescription for your contacts or glasses regularly, this could be a sign of cataract development. Problems with night vision Since cataracts cause problems with eyesight in dim light, night vision can be a problem. Fading or yellowing of colors The protein build-up in your lens that goes along with cataracts can result in problems perceiving true colors. Natural cataract prevention Now that you know if youre at risk, here a few things you can do to prevent cataract development naturally.

1 Take a multivitamin

Daily multivitamin use has been associated with a decrease risk of cataracts. In fact, some studies have shown up to a 36% decreased risk thanks to multivitamins for some types of cataracts.

2 Add bilberry and vitamin E

In one study, a combination of bilberry and vitamin E stopped the progression of cataracts in 96% of subjects. The dosage in the study was 180 mg of bilberry, standardized to contain 25-percent anthocyanosides and 100 mg of vitamin E twice per day for four months.

3 Supplement A and C

Vitamins A and C are antioxidants that help your eyes fight the damage caused by a free-radical attack. This is vital because this free radical damage can lead to cataracts. To achieve the optimal level of antioxidants for your eyes, take 5,000 IU of vitamin A (1.5 mg) and 2,500 mg of vitamin C per day.

4 Take lutein and zeaxanthin

In one study, people with the highest intakes of lutein and zeaxanthin were half as likely to develop cataracts as those with the lowest intake. For cataract prevention, take 15 20 mg of lutein and 2 mg of zeaxanthin daily.

You can also get more of these important nutrients through your diet. Spinach and kale especially offer high levels of lutein and zeaxanthin, so eat up.

5 Wear sunglasses at times

Your doctor will tell you to wear sunglasses to prevent cataracts. But, while its important to protect your eyes against ultraviolet light, you also need the natural wavelengths found in sunlight to feed your eyes the nutrients they needs for good health.

Wear sunglasses for high exposure times such as when you plan to be out in the sun all day or in the snow or on the water where sunlight reflections can damage the eye. Otherwise, allow your eyes to absorb the sunlight they need.

6 Control your blood sugar

High blood sugar and diabetes increases your risk of developing cataracts. Watch your blood sugar levels, decrease your intake of carbohydrates and sugars and get more exercise to lower your risk and maintain healthy eyesight. Try this simple trick to lower your morning blood sugar.

7 Stop smoking

Smoking is directly linked to the development of cataracts. The good news is that kicking the habit reduces your risk steadily, the longer you avoid smoking so quit now.

Preserving your eyesight and preventing cataracts means taking steps every day to improve the health of your eyes. Use the tips above to maintain optimal vision for life.

Source: Easyhealthoptions

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7 Cataract Prevention Tips To Save Your Sight - Information Nigeria

ALTOONA, Pa. - Payton Hartman has always had a love for the game of baseball.

"I decided because I always thought it was cool when I was younger. So I decided to play."

And he's good at it- really good. Payton's batting .500 this season and is one of his team's top pitchers.

"He's definitely an MVP. I can put him anywhere in the field, shortstop, pitching, center field, catching and he excels in all the positions," says manager Stephen Pyo.

So it's almost impossible to believe that he's doing it with the sight of just one eye. Peyton has been blind in his left eye since birth, so he's learned to deal with half of his vision.

"Well it doesn't make it difficult for me. For other people it would probably be hard because they wouldn't be used to it. But when I was growing up, I got used to it." "He always been used to it. He always asks me, what's it like to have two eyes? I say, what's it like to have one? He is normal to me," adds his mom, Casey.

So he wasn't going to let one bad eye stand in the way of playing baseball. At first it was tough. But as they say: practice makes perfect.

"When I first started I wasn't good at all but then as the years went by, I just kept practicing and practicing and got better."

Now, he's not only crushing it on the field, he was just named an all star.

"Baseball is a very difficult sport with someone that has full vision, let alone an individual that may be blind or impaired in one eye. he plays the position and catches and pitches without much difficulty," says Pyo.

Payton's teammates don't even know he's blind. With the way he has worked through his blindness and succeeded. the sky is the limit for the 11 year old.

"I wanna be in the MLB when I'm older."

Originally posted here:
Keeping His Eye on the Ball - WTAJ

One of my comedy heroes, Greg Davies, described his teenage years as the 'Dark Years'. I think this is an apt description - for me it was acne, uncontrollable hormones, paranoia and the desperate need to 'fit in'. However, unlike Mr Davies and most of my secondary school peers, mine was actually a bit dark... literally! I have been visually impaired since I was three years old. I was diagnosed with juvenile arthritis at three, leading to uveitis glaucoma (a condition of the eyes) with which I was diagnosed at four years old. Essentially my eyes and knees have spent the last 27 years being ruddy annoying! I don't want to clog this up with medical jargon but both these conditions are chronic and have resulted in permanent sight loss in my left eye and complete sight loss for a year when I was twenty-one years old. I retain decent vision in my right eye and live independently. My arthritis is controlled by medication and physiotherapy and all things considered I am very lucky to have the sight and mobility I have.

Now puberty is tough for anyone, but let me paint a picture of a teenage Georgie: very short, skinny, flat chested, buck-toothed, essentially a ball of teenage angst. I let the world know I wasn't happy and was what some might call, 'a bit of a Madam'. I was totally obsessed with the singer P!nk and even cut all my hair off to emulate her. Not a look that suited me and resulted in the nickname Rat-Man from my older brother. I shall never forgive him! I managed to get in with the cool crowd by being something of the class clown and that skill of being funny got me into the fold. I behaved like some court jester to fit in because teenagers are cruel, probably because they are also going through puberty and lashing out at a world they don't know how to fit into either.

All I wanted was for a boy to like me, to have some breasts and straight teeth. This fear of being 'different' was why I coped so poorly with my visual impairment during puberty. I tried to ignore my poorly eyes and dodgy knees through fear they would differentiate me from the other kids. In fact, I went blind in my left eye at 15 years old and didn't even sniff at it. I privately accepted it and publicly kept up appearances of being a cool, funny teenager. I didn't take certain medications, I was rude to my doctors and totally unappreciative of the amazing health care I received. A health system radically in decline but we'll come to that later.

I was convinced my inability to do PE would isolate me and if you mix that in with rampant hormones and self-loathing you have a nasty piece of work. I didn't reach out for help, didn't try to accept who I was and it was only my parents who saw my fears. I was in total denial that I was disabled; I feared it - which is part of the problem facing disability today. A fear I now tackle now in my own comedy. The trigger for me was when I lost the sight in my remaining right eye at 21. It took that for me to accept my disability but, more importantly, to be proud of it. It is a part of who I am and we must stop seeing disability as a flaw.

I deeply regret not being more accepting of who I was in my teens and implore any disabled young person not to do the same as me. Don't let the ravages of puberty and peer pressure get to you. The moment I became more accepting, I felt at peace with who I was and quietly proud. Sure, you might not be like the 'popular' girls at school. You might have to inject a medication or wear a wrist splint and big glasses and sit on the side-lines in PE. It's a part of who you are and you are more interesting because you have an extraordinary way of looking at the world. And if you're anything like me, quite literally you will look at the world differently! Our teens are such a tiny part of our lives. Don't waste them by being a moody hormonal paranoid teenager. Instead shout: "I am disabled. I am proud and I AM no different".

I would also add, don't make the easiest years of your life harder with hormonal paranoia taking over. The hardest years are yet to come. It's actually in recent years I have truly discovered what isolation feels like. My life is having to change due to government cuts to the benefits system, Disability Living Allowance and the NHS.

Nowadays I work with several disability charities, including the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB), and my work as comedian and writer are inspired by my disability. I have essentially made my disability a commodity and it has been the beginning of my life's work. I bet teenage Georgie would never have expected this, me doing shows about my one eye, the state of the nation and weird doctors. She might have even hated the idea. But she can shut up because the time has come that we all talk about disability more and this should start from those crucial years of puberty and teen angst when you are just working out who you are. Disability wasn't the end of my world... it was just the beginning.

For advice, information and support about living with sight loss, visit RNIB's website or call the charity's helpline on 0303 123 9999.

Catch me at The Edinburgh Fringe from 4-28 August - check out my website for details.

HuffPost UK Lifestyle has launched EveryBody, a new section calling for better equality and inclusivity for people living with disability and invisible illness. The aim is to empower those whose voices are not always heard and redefine attitudes to identity, lifestyle and ability in 2017. We'll be covering all manner of lifestyle topics - from health and fitness to dating, sex and relationships.

We'd love to hear your stories. To blog for the section, please email ukblogteam@huffingtonpost.com with the subject line 'EveryBody'. To flag any issues that are close to your heart, please email natasha.hinde@huffingtonpost.com, again with the subject line 'EveryBody'.

Join in the conversation with #HPEveryBody on Twitter and Instagram.

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The Dark Years: Growing Up With Sight Loss - HuffPost UK

Stem cell therapy: the next wave in regenerative medicine?

All it involved was a quick injection no different, really, than a flu shot.

A few weeks later, Bill Ambrose realized hed become significantly less reliant on taking Aleve for knee pain, and he was re-learning how to walk without shuffling his feet.

Surgery, it turned out, might not be necessary after all.

Last November, Ambrose scheduled knee surgery to alleviate discomfort in his knees caused by what orthopedic doctors called true bone-on-bone at the joint. But for one reason or another, he kept missing pre-surgery and the surgery never happened.

The next month, Ambrose met with Dr. Bill Nolan, of Cherry Street Health Group, to discuss advertising space in the Danvers Herald.

For the purpose of full disclosure, Ambrose is an employee of Gatehouse Media Company, and he works in the advertising department for Wicked Local, the local branch of GHM newspapers.

After Nolans ads ran inthe Jan. 5issue of the Herald, Ambrose said he reached out to Nolan again. This time, for himself.

Nolans practice offered a solution to his knee pain an alternative to knee surgery he had never considered before: stem cell therapy.

Essentially, the solutionCherry StreetHealth Group offered was an injection of amniotic fluid into Ambrose's knee joint. The stem cells and other growth factorsin the fluid would allow for the regeneration of the cartilage at the joint.

I became interested so I decided to go ahead with it, Ambrose said.

He brought in scans to show Nolan, who said, contrary to what orthopedic doctors had told him, he didnt have true bone on bone. There was still a small space between the bones.

I decided to have one leg done and my knee started getting much better, he said.

Satisfied with the results of the first injection, Ambrose decided to get his left knee done in April.

I still experience some pain in [the left knee], but I get up in the morning and theres very little pain at all, he said in an interview a few weeks following the appointment.

The stem cell option

In the U.S., there are three ways that stem cells are used, Nolan said. Theyre either taken from bone marrow, fat cells, or the amniotic membrane of a healthy c-section from a consenting woman.

When stem cellsare injected into the body,they're expected to increase space at the joint, rebuild cartilage, and ultimately, provide more stability in the joint. As many as 570 businesses across the country advertise some kind of stem cell therapy, according to a 2016 paper.

Stem cell therapy is not necessarily a new discovery, but it is relatively recent in the world of regenerative medicine.Stem cells were first used as much as century ago, first for eye procedures and as filler for the spinal cord, according to Regenexx, which claims to have pioneered orthopedic stem cell treatments in 2005.

Adult stem cells are retrieved directly from the patient, either frombone marrow or fat cells,and concentrated beforeits reinjectedinto the patient's site of pain.

In the case of amniotic fluid therapy,amniotic fluid, which contains stem cells and other growth factors, is injected into the site. These cellshave been shown to "expand extensively" and show "high renewal capacity,"according to research published in the National Library of Medicine.

We know that as you age, your stem cell count decreases,Nolan said, explaining the benefit of using cells from the amniotic membrane. We know that when we get it from the amniotic membrane, theres a large amount of stem cells that are present. From the amniotic membrane, there are no antibodies or antigens, so its safe for anyone to get.

At Cherry Street Health Group, theproduct usedis produced by General Surgical and distributed by RegenOMedix, according to Nolan.The product, which is called ReGen Anu RHEO, is American Tissue Bank approved and FDA cleared.

RHEO is marketed as "a human tissue allograft derived from placental tissue; amniotic membrane and amniotic fluid."Its a"powerful combination" of amniotic fluid and mesencymal stem cells, which are known to differentiate into a variety of cell types, according to RegenOMedix.It also contains growth factor proteins andis "rich" in other necessary components for tissue regeneration.

The product is non-steroidal and comes with no side effects, and the company says no adverse events have been recorded using the product.

Nolan said stem cell therapy has been offered as a treatmentat Cherry Street since 2016.

Across the U.S., there are as many as 56 businesses marketing some form of amniotic stem cellsto its consumers, according to the same paper.

At Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, for example, orthopedic surgeon Adam Yanke enrolled one of his patients into an experimental amniotic cell therapy treatment program. The woman, a 65-year-old suffering from osteoarthritis in both knees, told reporters the injections were "by far the most effective pain treatment" she had tried, and so farthat relief has lasted up to a year.

But while the use of amniotic fluid therapyas a regenerative medicine is becoming increasingly popular throughout the U.S.,the use of amniotic stemcellsdoesn't comewithout concern from some within the community.

Dr. Chris Centeno, who specializes in regenerative medicine andthe clinical use of adult stem cells, has blogged numerous times for Regenexx on the "scam" of using amniotic stem cells most recently in sharply worded post on May 22.

"Regrettably, we have an epidemic on our hands that began when sales reps began telling medical providers thattheir dead amniotic and cord tissues had loads of live cells on it," he wrote.

Nolan said he was familiar with Centeno's posts.

"A lot of the stem cell stuff is new," he said. "Some of the products out there ... They were doing testing on them and not finding cells."

Cherry Street Health Group has treatedabout 50patients with this form of regenerative medicine and had significant success, according to Nolan. Although Nolan owns the health group on Cherry Street in Danvers, the stem cell treatments are provided under the medical practice of Dr. Pat Scanlan.

Weve had really, really amazing success, Nolan said. Weve had over 95 percent success of all the patients weve had in the office. Its been a game changer from a practice standpoint.

The "worst thing" that could happen is there might not be any regeneration, he explained.

"You might get pain relief, but no regeneration," Nolan said. "But from what weve seen, there have been no negative side effects."

At Cherry Street, knees are the most commonly treated joints, followed by hips, shoulders and the lower back. The cervical spine is the least common.

"I hesitated on the surgery, and I'm gladI did," Ambrose said. "Even if[the stem cells]don't do any more than what they've done, its been well worth it."

Patients who do present with true bone on bone, however, are not candidates for this form of therapy, Nolan said.

The cost comparison

At Cherry Street Health Group, the cost of the injection comes toroughly $4,000 per knee, a cost that isn't covered by insurance. By comparison, health-care providers often charge insurers more than $18,000 for knee replacement surgeries in the Boston area, according to a report by the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.

The report, however, doesn't account for what the patient actually pays.

Nolan said when other factors of post-op are considered time off of work, rehabilitation time and cost the out-of-pocketcost for surgery compared to stem cell treatment is comparable.

"When you really boil it down, it can be the same or, in a lot of cases, a savings," he said.

Ambrose said it "boggles his mind" that more people don't choose this treatment over surgery.

"Why would you spend $40,000 on a car and not want to spend $4,000 on a knee?," he said."Its crazy. Yes, its out of pocket. So what? We buy a lot of stuff we dont need, and then for something like this, something that people, if they do it, theyll be glad they did it. Its just hard to convince them to do it."

In arecent report in STAT news, a health news start up of the Boston Globe, a study of orthopedic procedures in the U.S. suggested an estimated one-third of knee replacement surgeries are inappropriate. More than 640,000 of these surgeries are performed each year, making for a $10 billion dollar industry in knee surgery.

The study said that evidence isn't limited to just knee surgeries.

"There's a lot that needs to change when we look at health care in general,"Nolan said. "It's really no surprise that something like doing this regenerative medicine is going to take time for it to really take off."

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Danvers health group offers alternative solution to surgery - Wicked Local Danvers

The term 'beer belly' has a whole new meaning thanks to researchers at the National University of Singapore (NUS), who have developed a probiotic beer that boosts the immune system and promotes a healthy stomach.

The new invention was a daunting task according to the inventor, who says that hops used in beer createan inhospitable environment for probiotics.

"The health benefits of probiotics are well known. While good bacteria are often present in food that have been fermented, there are currently no beers in the market that contain probiotics. Developing sufficient counts of live probiotics in beer is a challenging feat as beers contain hop acids that prevent the growth and survival of probiotics," said ChanMei Zhi Alcine,the undergraduate researcher at NUS who picked probiotic beer as her final-year project - and claim to a Nobel Prize if beer connoisseurs have their way.

The healthy brew is made with the probiotic strain Lactobacillus paracasei L26, which regulates the immune system and neutralizes toxins as well as viruses. The strain also gives the suds a sharp, tarty flavor.

"For this beer, we used a lactic acid bacterium as a probiotic micro-organism. It will utilize sugars present in the wort to produce sour-tasting lactic acid, resulting in a beer with sharp and tart flavours. The final product, which takes around a month to brew, has an alcohol content of about 3.5 per cent," explained Chan.

Her supervisor - Dr. Liu Shao Quan - added that the project is the perfect marriage of the craft beer movement with health-food trends.

"The general health benefits associated with consuming food and beverages with probiotic strains have driven demand dramatically. In recent years, consumption of craft or specialty beers has gained popularity too. Alcine's invention is placed in a unique position that caters to these two trends. I am confident that the probiotic gut-friendly beer will be well-received by beer drinkers, as they can now enjoy their beers and be healthy."

When those healthy ales hit shelves is up to the researchers, whohave patented probiotic beer to protect their recipe. So it looks like Chain's post-graduate project willbe raking in the dough with her healthy suds.

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This Probiotic Beer Boosts The Immune System, Promotes Stomach ... - Civilized

July 4, 2017

IVF embryos whose cells have mixed chromosomal profiles - one normal, another abnormal - still have the potential to implant in the uterus and become a healthy pregnancy, according to a study presented today at the 33rd Annual Meeting of ESHRE.

This pattern of embryonic mosaicism, which is characterised by the presence of two or more genetically distinct cell lineages, typically one with a chromosome abnormality and the other with a normal chromosome composition, has become a controversial topic in recent months, with debate over their potential viability. In the light of this latest study, which was performed by the GENOMA group and European Hospital IVF Center in Rome, Dr Francesco Fiorentino from the Molecular Genetics Laboratory of GENOMA, who will present today's study, said that its results "confirm that mosaic embryos can develop into healthy euploid [chromosomally healthy] newborns".

This possibility was first raised by Dr Fiorentino's group and the European Hospital in a letter to the New England Journal of Medicine in November 2015, which described six healthy deliveries in a small series of 18 women for whom embryo screening had found no chromosomally normal (euploid) embryos.(1) Up to this point mosaic embryos were not usually transferred in IVF because they (like all other aneuploid embryos) were considered abnormal. Even in their NEJM letter, the Rome investigators noted that "it is reasonable to assume that mosaicism reduces the likelihood of success of IVF".

The bottom line of this latest study reported at ESHRE is that success or failure following the transfer of a mosaic embryo in IVF depends on the extent of the mosaicism and chromosomal abnormality (aneuploidy) in the embryo.

The study included 73 women for whom embryo screening following IVF had found no chromosomally normal embryos for transfer. Screening had, however, identified mosaic embryos in each of these patients, which were then offered for transfer. For the purpose of the study and assessment of development potential, these mosaic embryos were classified as having low (<50%) or high (>50%) degrees of aneuploidy.

Results of the study showed that pregnancy and delivery were indeed possible following the transfer of mosaic embryos. However, the transfers of mosaic embryos with a high percentage of chromosomally abnormal cells (>50%) resulted in a live birth rate of 16.7%, with a miscarriage rate of 10%. In contrast, mosaic embryos with a lower aneuploidy percentage (<50%) resulted in a higher live birth rate of 39.5%, with miscarriage occurring in just 7.0% of the transfers. The difference between the two delivery rates was statistically significant, suggesting, said Dr Fiorentino, that "priority for transfer should be given to mosaic embryos with low levels of aneuploidy".

Dr Fiorentino said there are several reasons why an embryo with clearly detectable levels of aneuploidy might self-correct and develop into a healthy newborn. One reason, he explained, may be related to the fact that the aneuploid cells have a growth disadvantage or are simply eliminated by processes such as apoptosis. This may lead to a decline in number as the embryo develops, ultimately resulting in a normal fetus.

However, he added that mosaic embryos may now be considered a "distinct category" in terms of potential to implant and develop, lying somewhere between euploid and fully aneuploid embryos. "Euploid embryos have a higher implantation potential than mosaic embryos," said Dr Fiorentino, "and because of this we suggest that mosaic embryos should only be transferred in women with no euploid embryos available. The transfer of euploid embryos, when available, results in higher implantation rates and a lower risk of miscarriage, and represents the preferred option for IVF patients."

Dr Fiorentino added that this finding - that mosaic embryos have the potential for implantation and pregnancy and may influence the clinical outcome of IVF - now suggests that all women may benefit from aneuploidy testing before embryo transfer.

Explore further: The more eggs the better in IVF?

More information: Abstract O-182, Tuesday 4 July 2017: The extent of chromosomal mosaicism influences the clinical outcome of in vitro fertilization treatments

A higher number of eggs retrieved in an IVF treatment cycle is independently associated with more chromosomally normal embryos available for transfer, according to a new Australian study. However, the benefit of a greater ...

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The transfer of chromosomally 'abnormal' embryos can still result in pregnancy in IVF - Medical Xpress