StemCell Therapy

Cells Weekly is a digest of the most interesting news and events in stem cell research, cell therapy and regenerative medicine. Cells Weekly is posted every Sunday night!

This week was a week of ISSCR 2015, so read all news from the conference here.

1. The price of gene therapy trial failure A year ago, Celladon became the first gene therapy company, which received designation by US FDA Breakthrough Therapy for their MYDICAR platform in heart failure. It means very good data from Phase 1 trial and impressive efficacy in early Phase 2. Despite the recognition and all excitement, a year later, MYDICAR failed to deliver efficacy as result of Phase 2. The fate of the company was unclear. This week, the company warned their investor about potential termination suspension of MYDICAR and other pre-clinical programs, sale/ merger of the company or liquidation:

We are aggressively pursuing that course, said Paul Cleveland, president and chief executive officer of Celladon. If we are unable to identify a merger or sale that provides superior value to our shareholders, we will move forward with a liquidation and distribution of net cash to shareholders. The Company also announced a second reduction in its workforce, with approximately half of the employees not previously notified of termination of employment being expected to depart in the third quarter.

Very bad news for the field! Many lessons to learn

2. Heart peacemaker activity turned on by light The most interesting study from this week came from 2 Israeli scientists. They were able to modulate cardiac pacing in vivo, using optogenetic approach. AVV vector with light-sensitive protein transgene was injected directly into myocardium:

This allowed optogenetic pacing of the hearts at different beating frequencies with blue-light illumination both in vivo and in isolated perfused hearts. Optical mapping confirmed that the source of the new pacemaker activity was the site of ChR2 transgene delivery. Notably, diffuse illumination of hearts where the ChR2 transgene was delivered to several ventricular sites resulted in electrical synchronization

This is fantastic! The author Lior Gepstein says:

Our work is the first to suggest a non-electrical approach to cardiac resynchronization therapy, Gepstein said. Before this, there have been a number of elegant gene therapy and cell therapy approaches for generating biological pacemakers that can pace the heart from a single spot. However it was impossible to use such approaches to activate the heart simultaneously from a number of sites for resynchronization therapy.

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Stem Cell Assays Reproducible Research on Stem Cells

regenerative medicine,cartilage: bronchus repair using bioartificial tissue transplantationHospital Clinic of Barcelona/APthe application of treatments developed to replace tissues damaged by injury or disease. These treatments may involve the use of biochemical techniques to induce tissue regeneration directly at the site of damage or the use of transplantation techniques employing differentiated cells or stem cells, either alone or as part of a bioartificial tissue. Bioartificial tissues are made by seeding cells onto natural or biomimetic scaffolds (see tissue engineering). Natural scaffolds are the total extracellular matrixes (ECMs) of decellularized tissues or organs. In contrast, biomimetic scaffolds may be composed of natural materials, such as collagen or proteoglycans (proteins with long chains of carbohydrate), or built from artificial materials, such as metals, ceramics, or polyester polymers. Cells used for transplants and bioartificial tissues are almost always autogeneic (self) to avoid rejection by the patients immune system. The use of allogeneic (nonself) cells carries a high risk of immune rejection and therefore requires tissue matching between donor and recipient and involves the administration of immunosuppressive drugs.

A variety of autogeneic and allogeneic cell and bioartificial tissue transplantations have been performed. Examples of autogeneic transplants using differentiated cells include blood transfusion with frozen stores of the patients own blood and repair of the articular cartilage of the knee with the patients own articular chondrocytes (cartilage cells) that have been expanded in vitro (amplified in number using cell culture techniques in a laboratory). An example of a tissue that has been generated for autogeneic transplant is the human mandible (lower jaw). Functional bioartificial mandibles are made by seeding autogeneic bone marrow cells onto a titanium mesh scaffold loaded with bovine bone matrix, a type of extracellular matrix that has proved valuable in regenerative medicine for its ability to promote cell adhesion and proliferation in transplantable bone tissues. Functional bioartificial bladders also have been successfully implanted into patients. Bioartificial bladders are made by seeding a biodegradable polyester scaffold with autogeneic urinary epithelial cells and smooth muscle cells.

Another example of a tissue used successfully in an autogeneic transplant is a bioartificial bronchus, which was generated to replace damaged tissue in a patient affected by tuberculosis. The bioartificial bronchus was constructed from an ECM scaffold of a section of bronchial tissue taken from a donor cadaver. Differentiated epithelial cells isolated from the patient and chondrocytes derived from mesenchymal stem cells collected from the patients bone marrow were seeded onto the scaffold.

There are few clinical examples of allogeneic cell and bioartificial tissue transplants. The two most common allogeneic transplants are blood-group-matched blood transfusion and bone marrow transplant. Allogeneic bone marrow transplants are often performed following high-dose chemotherapy, which is used to destroy all the cells in the hematopoietic system in order to ensure that all cancer-causing cells are killed. (The hematopoietic system is contained within the bone marrow and is responsible for generating all the cells of the blood and immune system.) This type of bone marrow transplant is associated with a high risk of graft-versus-host disease, in which the donor marrow cells attack the recipients tissues. Another type of allogeneic transplant involves the islets of Langerhans, which contain the insulin-producing cells of the body. This type of tissue can be transplanted from cadavers to patients with diabetes mellitus, but recipients require immunosuppression therapy to survive.

Cell transplant experiments with paralyzed mice, pigs, and nonhuman primates demonstrated that Schwann cells (the myelin-producing cells that insulate nerve axons) injected into acutely injured spinal cord tissue could restore about 70 percent of the tissues functional capacity, thereby partially reversing paralysis.

embryonic stem cell: scientists conducting research on embryonic stem cellsMauricio LimaAFP/Getty ImagesStudies on experimental animals are aimed at understanding ways in which autogeneic or allogeneic adult stem cells can be used to regenerate damaged cardiovascular, neural, and musculoskeletal tissues in humans. Among adult stem cells that have shown promise in this area are satellite cells, which occur in skeletal muscle fibres in animals and humans. When injected into mice affected by dystrophy, a condition characterized by the progressive degeneration of muscle tissue, satellite cells stimulate the regeneration of normal muscle fibres. Ulcerative colitis in mice was treated successfully with intestinal organoids (organlike tissues) derived from adult stem cells of the large intestine. When introduced into the colon, the organoids attached to damaged tissue and generated a normal-appearing intestinal lining.

In many cases, however, adult stem cells such as satellite cells have not been easily harvested from their native tissues, and they have been difficult to culture in the laboratory. In contrast, embryonic stem cells (ESCs) can be harvested once and cultured indefinitely. Moreover, ESCs are pluripotent, meaning that they can be directed to differentiate into any cell type, which makes them an ideal cell source for regenerative medicine.

Studies of animal ESC derivatives have demonstrated that these cells are capable of regenerating tissues of the central nervous system, heart, skeletal muscle, and pancreas. Derivatives of human ESCs used in animal models have produced similar results. For example, cardiac stem cells from heart-failure patients were engineered to express a protein (Pim-1) that promotes cell survival and proliferation. When these cells were injected into mice that had experienced myocardial infarction (heart attack), the cells were found to enhance the repair of injured heart muscle tissue. Likewise, heart muscle cells (cardiomyocytes) derived from human ESCs improved the function of injured heart muscle tissue in guinea pigs.

Derivatives of human ESCs are likely to produce similar results in humans, although these cells have not been used clinically and could be subject to immune rejection by recipients. The question of immune rejection was bypassed by the discovery in 2007 that adult somatic cells (e.g., skin and liver cells) can be converted to ESCs. This is accomplished by transfecting (infecting) the adult cells with viral vectors carrying genes that encode transcription factor proteins capable of reprogramming the adult cells into pluripotent stem cells. Examples of these factors include Oct-4 (octamer 4), Sox-2 (sex-determining region Y box 2), Klf-4 (Kruppel-like factor 4), and Nanog. Reprogrammed adult cells, known as induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells, are potential autogeneic sources for cell transplantation and bioartificial tissue construction. Such cells have since been created from the skin cells of patients suffering from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and Alzheimer disease and have been used as human models for the exploration of disease mechanisms and the screening of potential new drugs. In one such model, neurons derived from human iPS cells were shown to promote recovery of stroke-damaged brain tissue in mice and rats, and, in another, cardiomyocytes derived from human iPS cells successfully integrated into damaged heart tissue following their injection into rat hearts. These successes indicated that iPS cells could serve as a cell source for tissue regeneration or bioartificial tissue construction.

Scaffolds and soluble factors, such as proteins and small molecules, have been used to induce tissue repair by undamaged cells at the site of injury. These agents protect resident fibroblasts and adult stem cells and stimulate the migration of these cells into damaged areas, where they proliferate to form new tissue. The ECMs of pig small intestine submucosa, pig and human dermis, and different types of biomimetic scaffolds are used clinically for the repair of hernias, fistulas (abnormal ducts or passageways between organs), and burns.

The rest is here:
regenerative medicine | Britannica.com

HGH (Human Growth Hormone) medications and Sermorelin injectable HGH stimulating medication. Sermorelin is a gH releasing hormone with 29- Amino acids.

ANALYSIS: If you fit the qualifications (including age) then SERMORELIN might be the best choice financially, especially with 1/3 the benefits but at a fraction of the cost of HGH premium brands

*If cost is an issue then SERMORELIN is high recommended instead of doing nothing to address and human growth hormone (HGH) deficiencies due to aging or other factors.

Sermorelin Acetate or Growth Hormone Releasing Hormone (GHRH) is also considered a Sermorelin HGH therapy that produces results by binding to specific receptors thereby increasing the secretion of endogenous growth hormone (HGH) doing do by stimulating the pituitary gland. The body responds to the elevation of HGH which produces an anabolic effect to thetissue, yielding numerous health and wellness benefits. Sermorelin is known to contain 29 amino acids and studies as far back as the 1970s have shownSermorelin results occur by stimulating an increase in Human Growth Hormone (HGH) by the pituitary gland. Some clinics also tout that Sermorelin is better then actual recombinant HGH in many respects. Therapy and Sermorelin price can be substantially lower then the cost of HGH therapies. Many HGH maintenance programs include HGH Sermorelin acetate to be administered at the tail end HGH therapies.

Buy Sermorelin injections and similar Sermorelin products when cost is certainly an issue. BHRT Male patients and BHRT Female patients both benefit with Sermorelin and similar HGH products.

Sermorelin Acetate injection results happen because ofits ability tostimulate the production and release of HGH. Medical studies have found that once sufficient amounts of HGH are produced in the body, Sermorelinthen stimulates the insulin growth factor (IGF-1) in the liver which helps increase new cell growth as well as boost the bodys metabolism

The welcomed side effects with a Sermorelin dosage are: increased energy, better sleep, and weight loss, all which have been linked to the effect of Sermorelin on the pituitary gland and its increase of HGH production. In some people the combination of both of these helps to increase the effectiveness and overall benefits of the treatment. Growth Hormone Releasing Peptide or GHRP-6 has been shown to act similarly as Sermorelin, however binds to different receptors. The rate of HGH secretion is increased when the two are combined and the product is an overall improved outcome in a Sermorelin review. Combinations of GHRP-6 and GHRP-2 HGH products similarly.

Sermorelin reviews show that as we begin to age, our HGH levels decline at a dramatic rate producing side effects that can be unpleasant. In our mid 20s we experience the highest levels of HGH output and by our 40s our HGH levels diminish by as much as 40%. Sermorelinbenefits are well known by todays physicians to be a safe and effective means to stimulate as well as increase HGH production. To begin a protocol of HGH and to ensure its effectiveness will be greatly reliantondiligentblood panel tests which will help dictate proper dosages to avoid any unnecessary side effects. By utilizing the blood panel information and medical documentation, one can implement a long term plan that will help you regain and stabilize healthy hormone levels. The purpose of Sermorelin Therapy is to stimulate the pituitary gland to secrete HGH, and to so naturally. Sermorelin benefits are achieved by following a therapy of nightlydosageswith subcutaneous injections. Unlike HGH Therapy, Sermorelin Therapy tries to address the primary cause of diminishing HGH levels in the body by naturally stimulating the pituitary gland to produce more HGH rather than replenish levels with bio-identical hormones.

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Sermorelin - HGH Injections and Testosterone Therapy Programs

Endocrinology (from Greek , endon, "within"; , krn, "to separate"; and -, -logia) is a branch of biology and medicine dealing with the endocrine system, its diseases, and its specific secretions known as hormones. It is also concerned with the integration of developmental events proliferation, growth, and differentiation, and the psychological or behavioral activities of metabolism, growth and development, tissue function, sleep, digestion, respiration, excretion, mood, stress, lactation, movement, reproduction, and sensory perception caused by hormones. Specializations include behavioral endocrinology[1][2][3] and comparative endocrinology.

The endocrine system consists of several glands, all in different parts of the body, that secrete hormones directly into the blood rather than into a duct system. Hormones have many different functions and modes of action; one hormone may have several effects on different target organs, and, conversely, one target organ may be affected by more than one hormone.

In the original 1902 definition by Bayliss and Starling (see below), they specified that, to be classified as a hormone, a chemical must be produced by an organ, be released (in small amounts) into the blood, and be transported by the blood to a distant organ to exert its specific function. This definition holds for most "classical" hormones, but there are also paracrine mechanisms (chemical communication between cells within a tissue or organ), autocrine signals (a chemical that acts on the same cell), and intracrine signals (a chemical that acts within the same cell).[4] A neuroendocrine signal is a "classical" hormone that is released into the blood by a neurosecretory neuron (see article on neuroendocrinology).

Examples of amine hormones

Examples of steroid hormones

Griffin and Ojeda identify three different classes of hormone based on their chemical composition:[5]

Amines, such as norepinephrine, epinephrine, and dopamine (catecholamines), are derived from single amino acids, in this case tyrosine. Thyroid hormones such as 3,5,3-triiodothyronine (T3) and 3,5,3,5-tetraiodothyronine (thyroxine, T4) make up a subset of this class because they derive from the combination of two iodinated tyrosine amino acid residues.

Peptide hormones and protein hormones consist of three (in the case of thyrotropin-releasing hormone) to more than 200 (in the case of follicle-stimulating hormone) amino acid residues and can have a molecular mass as large as 30,000 grams per mole. All hormones secreted by the pituitary gland are peptide hormones, as are leptin from adipocytes, ghrelin from the stomach, and insulin from the pancreas.

Steroid hormones are converted from their parent compound, cholesterol. Mammalian steroid hormones can be grouped into five groups by the receptors to which they bind: glucocorticoids, mineralocorticoids, androgens, estrogens, and progestogens. Some forms of vitamin D, such as calcitriol, are steroid-like and bind to homologous receptors, but lack the characteristic fused ring structure of true steroids.

The earliest study of endocrinology began in China.[6] The Chinese were isolating sex and pituitary hormones from human urine and using them for medicinal purposes by 200 BCE.[6] They used many complex methods, such as sublimation of steroid hormones.[6] Another method specified by Chinese textsthe earliest dating to 1110specified the use of saponin (from the beans of Gleditschia sinensis) to extract hormones, but gypsum (containing calcium sulfate) was also known to have been used.[6]

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Endocrinology - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

June 26, 2015

Lymphocyte recovery in related and unrelated stem cell transplant recipients generally falls into three patterns that are significantly associated with survival, according to findings from a phase 2 clinical trial published in Biology of Blood & Marrow Transplantation (2015; 21[7]:1237-1245).

This first-of-its-kind research continues the efforts of principal investigator Amir Toor, MD, of the Virginia Commonwealth University Massey Cancer Center in Richmond, to understand the immune system as a dynamical system that can be modeled to improve stem cell transplantation.

"We began considering lymphocyte reconstitution following stem cell transplantation as similar to population growth models. So, we graphed the lymphocyte counts of our patients at various times following their transplant as a logistic function and observed distinct patterns that correlated with clinical outcomes," said Toor.

"Our goal is to use this data to develop models that can predict complications from stem cell transplantation. Then, we may be able to intervene at key points in times with appropriate clinical treatments that will make the most positive impact on patients' outcomes."

The study retrospectively examined lymphocyte recovery and clinical outcome data from a recent phase II clinical trial (Clinical trials.gov identifier NCT00709592) in which 41 patients received a stem cell transplant from related or unrelated donors.

As part of the clinical trial protocol, the patients underwent low-dose radiation therapy and received one of two different doses of antithymocyte globulin (ATG), an immune-modulating drug given before transplantation to guard against graft-versus-host-disease (GVHD). GVHD is a condition that occurs when immune cells from the donor attack the recipient's body.

Following transplantation, the researchers observed that the patients' lymphocytes recovered in one of three general patterns that correlated significantly with survival, relapse, GVHD, and the need for further donor immune cell infusions to treat the cancer.

Group A experienced fast, early lymphoid expansion, culminating in a high absolute lymphoid count (ALC) within 2 months of transplantation. Group B experienced a slower, but steady lymphoid expansion that peaked much later than group A with a lower ALC. Group C experienced very poor lymphocyte recovery that demonstrated an early, but brief lymphoid expansion with a very low ALC.

Group B had the best clinical outcomes with a survival rate of 86%, followed by group A with a survival rate of 67% and group C with 30% survival. Relapse rates between groups A and B were similar at 33% and 29%, respectively, while group C experienced a 90% relapse rate.

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Patients at risk for stem cell transplant complications ...

Diagnosis of brain-stem death

The diagnosis is not technically difficult. In more and more countries, it is made on purely clinical grounds. The aim of the clinical tests is not to probe every neuron within the intracranial cavity to see if it is deadan impossible taskbut to establish irreversible loss of brain-stem function. This is the necessary and sufficient condition for irreversible unconsciousness and irreversible apnea, which together spell a dead patient. Experience has shown that instrumental procedures (such as electroencephalography and studies of cerebral blood flow) that seek to establish widespread loss of cortical function contribute nothing of relevance concerning the cardiac prognosis. Such tests yield answers of dubious reliability to what are widely felt to be the wrong questions. As the concept of brain-stem death is relatively new, most countries rightly insist that the relevant examinations be carried out by physicians of appropriate seniority. These doctors (usually neurologists, anesthetists, or specialists in intensive care) must be entirely separate from any who might be involved in using the patients organs for subsequent transplants.

The diagnosis of brain-stem death involves three stages. First, the cause of the coma must be ascertained, and it must be established that the patient (who will always have been in apneic coma and on a ventilator for several hours) is suffering from irremediable, structural brain damage. Damage is judged irremediable based on its context, the passage of time, and the failure of all attempts to remedy it. Second, all possible causes of reversible brain-stem dysfunction, such as hypothermia, drug intoxication, or severe metabolic upset, must be excluded. Finally, the absence of all brain-stem reflexes must be demonstrated, and the fact that the patient cannot breathe, however strong the stimulus, must be confirmed.

It may take up to 48 hours to establish that the preconditions and exclusions have been met; the testing of brain-stem function takes less than half an hour. When testing the brain-stem reflexes, doctors check for the following normal responses: (1) constriction of the pupils in response to light, (2) blinking in response to stimulation of the cornea, (3) grimacing in response to firm pressure applied just above the eye socket, (4) movements of the eyes in response to the ears being flushed with ice water, and (5) coughing or gagging in response to a suction catheter being passed down the airway. All responses have to be absent on at least two occasions. Apnea, which also must be confirmed twice, is assessed by disconnecting the patient from the ventilator. (Prior to this test, the patient is fully oxygenated by being made to breathe 100 percent oxygen for several minutes, and diffusion oxygenation into the trachea is maintained throughout the procedure. These precautions ensure that the patient will not suffer serious oxygen deprivation while disconnected from the ventilator.) The purpose of this test is to establish the total absence of any inspiratory effort as the carbon dioxide concentration in the blood (the normal stimulus to breathing) reaches levels more than sufficient to drive any respiratory centre cells that may still be alive.

The patient thus passes through a tight double filter of preconditions and exclusions before he is even tested for the presence of a dead brain stem. This emphasis on strict preconditions and exclusions has been a major contribution to the subject of brain-stem death, and it has obviated the need for ancillary investigations. Thousands of patients who have met criteria of this kind have had ventilation maintained: all have developed asystole within a few hours or a few days, and none has ever regained consciousness. There have been no exceptions. The relevant tests for brain-stem death are carried out systematically and without haste. There is no pressure from the transplant team.

The developments in the idea and diagnosis of brain-stem death came as a response to a conceptual challenge. Intensive-care technology had saved many lives, but it had also created many brain-dead patients. To grasp the implications of this situation, society in generaland the medical profession in particularwas forced to rethink accepted notions about death itself. The emphasis had to shift from the most common mechanism of death (i.e., irreversible cessation of the circulation) to the results that ensued when that mechanism came into operation: irreversible loss of the capacity for consciousness, combined with irreversible apnea. These results, which can also be produced by primary intracranial catastrophes, provide philosophically sound, ethically acceptable, and clinically applicable secular equivalents to the concepts of departure of the soul and loss of the breath of life, which were so important to some earlier cultures.

Throughout history, specific cultural contexts have always played a crucial role in how people perceived death. Different societies have held widely diverging views on the breath of life and on how the soul left the body at the time of death. Such ideas are worth reviewing (1) because of the light they throw on important residual elements of popular belief; (2) because they illustrate the distance traveled (or not traveled) between early beliefs and current ones; and (3) because of the relevance of certain old ideas to contemporary debates about brain-stem death and about the philosophical legitimacy of organ transplantation. The following discussion therefore focuses on how certain cultural ideas about death compare or contrast with the modern concept. For an overview of various eschatologies from a cross-cultural perspective, see death rite: Death rites and customs.

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death :: Diagnosis of brain-stem death | Britannica.com

GOVERNMENT needs to ramp up its efforts to get its share of the global medical tourism market, an industry player said.

Medical tourism in the country is picking up as more foreign patients seek medical services here. As a regional player, we are slowly catching up with our neighbors like Thailand and Korea, said Dr. Roderick Yalung, medical director of Regenestem in the Philippines.

He noted that a lot of hospitals and health and wellness centers in the country are now affiliated with institutions abroad, and that many medical centers and clinics have innovated and now use state-of-the-art facilities.

Yalung believes the Philippines is well positioned for medical tourism because we offer cheaper services yet high-quality medical attention, plus a variety of destinations to offer while patients recuperate.

He pointed out that a breast augmentation package would cost $8,000 to $10,000. This already covers hotel accommodations and round-trip fares plus a visit to a local tourism destination. The same amount would cover only the cost of the procedure, he said, in the United States.

We really have advantages, thats why the industry is calling on the government to fund medical tourism because this could be a revenue driver for the economy, Yalung said. Government support was a key factor in the thriving medical tourism industry in countries like Thailand, Korea and Singapore, he added.

In a 2010 study, the Philippines ranked 11th in the top 15 destinations for medical tourists in the world, with Thailand and Singapore in the top two slots.

According to a 2013 report by the Philippine Institute of Development Studies, one of the problems is the lack of information such as medical tourist arrivals, expenditures, and services.

Yalung was recently in Cebu to open Regenestem, its first clinic in the Visayas and the second clinic in Asia of the Global Stem Cell Group, which offers the most comprehensive and up-to-date stem cell treatments. Regenestem Cebu is located at Block 88 of Oakridge Business Park on A.S. Fortuna in Mandaue City. It also offers services like cosmetic surgery, anti-ageing, dermatology, regenerative medicine, sports and arthritis medicine, and molecular orthopedics.

We decided to open in Cebu because of its robust tourism and we believe there is a ready market for these kinds of medical services, said Yalung.

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Stem cell clinic opens in Mandaue | Sun.Star

NEW YORK, June 23, 2015 /PRNewswire/ --

This is a comprehensive account of the market size, segmentation, key players, SWOT analysis, influential technologies, and business and economic environments. The report is supported by over 270 tables & figures over 254 pages. The personalized medicine (global) market is presented as follows:

By Company (e.g., 23andMe, AFFYMETRIX, ATOSSA GENETICS, NODALITY, deCode /Amgen, CELERA, MYRIAD) By Geography (US, UK, EU) By Segment (Targeted therapeutics, Companion Diagnostics, Esoteric tests, Esoteric lab services) By Sub-market (Companion diagnostics & therapeutic, nutrition & wellness, medical technology, pharmacogenomics, consumer genomics)

A wealth of financial data & business strategy information is provided including:

Company financials, sales & revenue figures Business Model Strategies for Diagnostic, Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology Companies Business Model Strategies for Providers. Provider Systems and Academic Medical Centres Business Model Strategies for Payers & Governments Private and Public Funding and Personalized Medicine Reimbursement Revisions to Current Payment Systems and intellectual property How to Gain Market Penetration in the EU Cost-effectiveness and Business Value of Personalized Medicine Consumer genomics and POC market Therapeutics and Companion Diagnostics (e.g., BRAC Analysis, Oncotype Dx , KRAS Mutations) Comprehensive account of company product portfolios & kits

SWOT, Economic & Regulatory Environment specifics include:

Key strengths, weaknesses and threats influencing leading player position within the market Technologies driving the market (e.g., New-Generation Sequencing Technologies, Ultra-High Throughput Sequencing) Top fastest growing market segments and emerging opportunities Top pharmaceutical companies within the IPM by market share and revenue Comprehensive product portfolios, R&D activity and pipeline therapeutics M&A activity and future strategies of top personalized medicine pharmacos Personalized Medicine Regulation (USA, UK, Germany, France, Spain, Italy) CE-marked Personalized Medicine/Diagnostic Tests FDA Advances in Personalized Medicine Regulation

This report highlights a number of significant pharmacos and gives details of their operations, products, financials and business strategy.

23andMe Affymetrix Astex Pharmaceuticals Atossa Genetics CuraGen Celera Corporation (Quest Diagnostics) Celldex Therapeutics deCode Genetics (Amgen) Illumina Genelex Myriad Nodality Qiagen What you will gain:

An in-depth understanding of the global personalized medicine market and it's environment Current market facts, figures and product lines of key players in the industry Emerging trends in key markets such as the US, UK, Germany and France Knowledge of how the personalized medicine market will integrate into the global healthcare market Technical insights into new generation sequencing technologies and ultra-high throughput sequencing Updates on bioinformatics, high throughput systems, genetic analysis kits, companion diagnostics and future technologies FDA approved pharmacogenetic tests and recognized biomarkers Information on key government and regulatory policies Strategies on how to adapt and restructure current business models to this industry

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Personalized Medicine, Targeted Therapeutics and Companion ...

Ophthalmology is the medicine discipline which deals with the anatomy and diseases of the eye. An ophthalmologist refers to a specialist in both medical and surgical eye problems, as ophthalmologists perform operations on eyes.

The word ophthalmology has Greek , as ophthalmos means eye and logos means a word or a thought. Thereby ophthalmology can literally be translated as the science of eyes. As a discipline, it applies to animal eyes also. However, veterinary medicine is regulated separately in many countries and states. Therefore ophthalmologists treating both humans and animals are rare.

Ophthalmologists are medical doctors (MD/MBBS or D.O.) who have completed a college degree, medical school, and residency in ophthalmology. Ophthalmology was the first medicine discipline to offer board certification which is now a standard practice among all specialties. In many countries, ophthalmologistscan also undergo specialized training in one of the many subspecialities, as the ones listed below.

Ophthalmology sub-specialities:

* Ocular oncology. * Oculoplastics & Orbit surgery. * Ophthalmic pathology.

* Refractive surgery. * Uveitis/Immunology. * Veterinary Formal specialty training programs in veterinary ophthalmology now exist in some countries. * Vitreo-retinal surgery, deals with surgical management of retinal and posterior segment diseases and disorders.

* Anterior segment surgery * Cataracts most general ophthalmologists perform cataract surgery, is not usually considered a subspecialty. * Cornea, ocular surface, and external disease. * Glaucoma. * Medical retina,which deals with treatment of retinal problems through non-surgical means. * Neuro-ophthalmology. * Pediatric ophthalmology/Strabismus (mis-alignment of the eyes)

In america, certification by the American Board of Ophthalmology is a voluntary process. This process involves a written and an oral examination. A candidate who successfully passes becomes a Board Certified Diplomate of the American Board of Ophthalmology. Thus this person is entitled to use the letters D.A.B.O. after his or her name.

The American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) is the largest national membership medical association of ophthalmologists in America. +90 percent of practicing U.S. Eye M.D.s are AAO Academy members, and the Academy has more than 7,000 international members. The group has its headquarters in San Francisco, California.

The academy originated as American Academy of Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology (AAOO), founded in 1896 as a medical association of both ophthalmologists and otolaryngologists, but was split in 1979 and divided into separate academies for each specialty. Outside the medical community it promotes public health information.

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OPHTHALMOLOGY. What is Ophthalmology? (Opthalmology)

Gordie Howes Treatment Raises Source of Stem Cells Issues

The Detroit News is reporting on a controversy surrounding the stem cells used to treat NHL legend Gordie Howe. Howe suffered a stroke on October 26, 2014 and was in declining health. He received stem cell treatment in December, and family members share that his condition has improved a great deal.

The source of the controversy is that the company behind the treatments, Stemedica, didnt initially reveal some of the stem cells came from an aborted fetus.

The paper adds that Dave McGuigan a VP at Stemedica told The Detroit News and other media in February that only adult stem cells were used in the injections Howe received at a clinic in Mexico. However, in a separate investigation, Stemedica told USA Today that some of the stem cells used for Gordie Howe were from a fetus that was aborted at approximately 15 weeks.

When interviewed by USA Today, Stemedicas President, Maynard Howe (not related to Gordie Howe) stated, We just dont want to get people confused about what it is. Theyre really considered legally adult stem cells even if theyre fetal-derived.

While legal definitions may permit Stemedicas position, there are moral and ethical issues as well as matters of law. It is crucial that medical and stem cell providers be clear about the sources and types of stem cells being used. If the information reported by The Detroit News is correct, we view this as a significant breach of trust and ethical conduct. We simply think more is required.

We believe as a matter of faith that life begins at conception. We recognize that many of clients have religious and ethical concerns of their own, and we try to respect them in all we do. Consequently, Soter Healthcare has a specific agreement with our stem cell medical providers at both the lab and the hospitals, to use only Respect for Life Stem Cells. This is our assurance that no stem cells derived from abortion in any form will be used. We believe this is the only contract of its kind in effect today. The fetal cells we obtain and use come following miscarriage, stillbirths or premature infant mortality. To make sure there are no safety issues for a patient, all stem cells are checked and rechecked to make sure they are disease and infection free before treatments.

Being true to our convictions and making sure you always know the type and source of stem cells used in your treatment is how we do business. Anything less is unacceptable.

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Gordie Howe's Stem Cell Treatment Raises Issues

The Promise of Stem Cell Research

Human pluripotent stem cells are a unique scientific and medical resource. In 1998, scientists at the University of Wisconsin and at Johns Hopkins University isolated and successfully cultured human pluripotent stem cells. The pluripotent stem cells were derived using non-Federal funds from early-stage embryos donated voluntarily by couples undergoing fertility treatment in an in vitro fertilization (IVF) clinic or from non-living fetuses obtained from terminated first trimester pregnancies. Informed consent was obtained from the donors in both cases. Women voluntarily donating fetal tissue for research did so only after making the decision to terminate the pregnancy.

Because pluripotent stem cells give rise to almost all of the cells types of the body, such as muscle, nerve, heart, and blood, they hold great promise for both research and health care. This advance in human biology continues to generate enthusiasm among scientists, patients suffering from a broad range of diseases, including cancer, heart disease and diabetes, and their families. For example, further research using human pluripotent stem cells may help:

Questions have been raised about the usefulness of adult stem cells in research and treatment, especially as compared to pluripotent stem cells derived from embryos or fetal tissue. Indeed, there is enormous potential for research using such cells. Human adult stem cells have been isolated from tissues such as blood, brain, intestine, skin, and muscle. Furthermore, some adult stem cells have been shown to be more "plastic" than first thoughtthat is, some of these stem cells appear to be capable of developing into different kinds of cells than first predicted.

There is, however, considerable evidence that adult stem cells may have limited potential compared to pluripotent stem cells derived from embryos or fetal tissue. Human adult stem cells have not yet been isolated from all cell and tissue types, and they have not been shown to be capable of developing into all of the different cell and tissue types of the body. Furthermore, adult stem cells are difficult to obtain, since they are often present in only minute quantities. They are difficult to isolate and purify, and their numbers appear to decrease with age. Moreover, adult stem cells may have more DNA damage, and they appear to have a shorter life span than pluripotent stem cells. For all of these reasons, and because of the enormous potential of stem cell approaches to research and treatment, it is vitally important that scientists study and compare both pluripotent and adult stem cells.

The NIH is prohibited from using any appropriated funds for "... (1) the creation of a human embryo or embryos for research purposes; or (2) research in which a human embryo or embryos are destroyed, discarded, or knowingly subjected to risk of injury or death greater than that allowed for research on fetuses in utero under 45 CFR 46.208(a)(2) and section 498(b) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 289g(b))." Because of the enormous potential of human pluripotent stem cells to medical research, the NIH asked the General Counsel of the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) to determine whether research utilizing pluripotent stem cells is permissible under existing Federal law governing embryo and fetal tissue research. After careful consideration, the DHHS concluded that because human pluripotent cells are not embryos, current Federal law does not prohibit DHHS funds from being used for research utilizing these cells.

Recognizing the ethical and legal issues surrounding human pluripotent stem cell research and the need for stringent oversight of this class of researchoversight that goes beyond the traditional rigorous NIH scientific peer review processthe NIH issued a moratorium on the funding of this research until Guidelines could be developed and an oversight process could be implemented.

In April 1999, the NIH convened a working group of the Advisory Committee to the Director (ACD), NIH, to provide advice to the ACD relevant to guidelines and oversight for this research. The working group met in public session and included scientists, clinicians, ethicists, lawyers, patients, and patient advocates. During their deliberations, the group considered advice from the National Bioethics Commission, the public, and scientists. Draft guidelines for this research were published for public comment, and, after reviewing and considering all comments received, the NIH Guidelines for Research Using Human Pluripotent Stem Cells (NIH Guidelines) were published in the Federal Register and became effective on August 25, 2000. (Because the NIH Guidelines contained a few incorrect citations and other minor errors, a notice of correction (65 FR 69951) was published on November 21, 2000.) The revised NIH Guidelines and other information about stem cell research can be found at the URL: /news/pages/default.aspx.

The purpose of the NIH Guidelines is to set forth procedures to help ensure that NIH-funded research in this area is conducted in an ethical and legal manner. By issuing these Guidelines, the NIH aims to enhance both the scientific and ethical oversight of this important arena of research and the pace at which scientists can explore its many promises. These Guidelines will encourage openness, provide appropriate Federal oversight, help make certain that all researchers can make use of these critical research tools, and help assure full public access to the practical medical benefits of research using these cells.

The Guidelines prescribe the documentation and assurances that must accompany requests for NIH funding for research using human pluripotent stem cells derived from human embryos or fetal tissue. These include the following:

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NIH Fact Sheet on Human Pluripotent Stem Cell Research ...

Experts explore new ways to treat the mind, body, and spirit -- all at the same time.

What makes integrative medicine appealing? Advocates point to deep dissatisfaction with a health care system that often leaves doctors feeling rushed and overwhelmed and patients feeling as if they're nothing more than diseased livers or damaged joints. Integrative medicine seems to promise more time, more attention, and a broader approach to healing -- one that is not based solely on the Western biomedical model, but also draws from other cultures.

"Patients want to be considered whole human beings in the context of their world," says Esther Sternberg, MD, a National Institutes of Health senior scientist and author of The Balance Within: The Science Connecting Health and Emotions.

Sternberg, a researcher who has done groundbreaking work on interactions between the brain and the immune system, says technological breakthroughs in science during the past decade have convinced even skeptics that the mind-body connection is real.

"Physicians and academic researchers finally have the science to understand the connection between the brain and the immune system, emotions and disease," she says. "All of that we can now finally understand in terms of sophisticated biology."

That newfound knowledge may help doctors to see why an integrative approach is important, she says.

"It's no longer considered fringe," Sternberg says. "Medical students are being taught to think in an integrated way about the patient, and ultimately, that will improve the management of illness at all levels."

The Osher Center for Integrative Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, takes a similarly broad view of health and disease. The center, which includes a patient clinic, says on its web site: "Integrative medicine seeks to incorporate treatment options from conventional and alternative approaches, taking into account not only physical symptoms, but also psychological, social and spiritual aspects of health and illness."

To promote integrative medicine at the national level, the Osher Center and Duke have joined with 42 other academic medical centers -- including those at Harvard, Columbia, Georgetown, and the University of Pennsylvania -- to form the Consortium of Academic Health Centers for Integrative Medicine.

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What Is Integrative Medicine? - WebMD - Better information ...

Myopia

Myopia (nearsightedness) causes a person's near vision to be clear, while distance vision is blurry. Myopic individuals often squint, may complain of headaches and may have complaints of eyestrain. Myopia is often detected between the ages of six and 20, and can progress as time goes on.

Light rays, which are meant to reach the macula, actually converge too soon, causing a blur on the macula. The light-bending properties of the eye are too strong, converging light at a point before the retina. This may result from the corneal surface being too steep or from the actual length of the eye being too long. Myopes wear either contact lenses or glasses with minus (concave) power to weaken and diverge light rays. This pushes the focus of light rays back to the retina. Myopia often becomes worse during the growing years. If you detect a problem with your eyes, make sure you call for an appointment today.

Astigmatism is a refractive error, which distorts vision both at distance and near. The corneal surface is spherically shaped (similar to a ball). When the shape of the cornea is sphere-cylindrical (like a football), it is known as astigmatism. This causes the light rays to reflect unevenly inside the eye. While some light rays focus on the retina, other light rays focus in front of or behind the retina, resulting in blurred vision. Patients with astigmatism may wear glasses or contact lenses, which provide more power to the other section. Contact lenses required to correct the astigmatism are termed toric lenses; the fit of these is more complex. If you are experiencing blurred vision, make an appointment today.

Hyperopia (farsightedness) is complex to understand because in people under the age of 40, there is a compensatory mechanism to help bring images into focus. A patient may have no symptoms or just complain of eyestrain or headaches while reading. Light rays that reach the macula converge at a point behind the retina. The light-bending property of the eye is too weak; either the corneal surface is too flat or the actual length of the eyeball is too short.

Depending on the degree of hyperopia, patients need either contact lenses or glasses with convex power to aid in the convergence of light. This pulls the focus of light onto the retina. In low or moderate levels of hyperopia, the crystalline lens can change its shape to add more plus power to the eye. The change of shape and power of the crystalline lens is referred to as accommodation. In high levels of hyperopia, accommodation cannot add enough power to compensate, thus glasses or other forms of correction are needed. A complete eye exam will determine your true level of farsightedness.

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Eye Conditions & Treatments | Eye Site Vision Center ...

RAS AL KHAIMAH, United Arab Emirates, June 25, 2015 /PRNewswire/ --Grace Century's bio banking project, Provia Laboratories, LLC has reported a record enrollment quarter for their Store-a-Tooth cryogenic storage service of dental stem cells.

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20150625/225698

Provia posted a 47% increase in enrollments, month to date and quarter over quarter, compared to last year.

Store-a-Tooth technology enables dental stem cells to be stored and used in future years to take advantage of future stem cell-therapies being researched for conditions such as cardiovascular disorders, type 1 diabetes and muscular dystrophy.

The impressive results are attributed to a dramatic increase in the awareness and interest of the potential benefits of Store-a-Tooth technology, seen during 2015. In particular, a markedly enhanced level of online activity and research on Store-a-Tooth has significantly boosted enrollments. In addition, continued International expansion and improved marketing tools within partner dental offices have contributed to the recent growth. Multiple markets are expanding, further validating Provia's original business model.

Grace Century's CEO, Scott Wolf, comments, "With Provia's consistent success, we are clearly seeing the future in the field of stem cell storage technology. Recent capital commitments and advancing negotiations with institutional sources give us confidence in a bright future for Store-a-Tooth technology and we are tentatively predicting further double or even triple-digit growth for 2016."

Howard Greenman, CEO of Provia added, "Our recent performance is a testament to the commitment of our team and the company's vision. We are proud to continue developing our current network of healthcare providers who help raise awareness of our technology in their communities. This network is the building block for building awareness of our important technology."

About Grace Century, FZ LLC Grace Century FZ LLC is an International research and private equity consultancy located in Ras Al Khaimah, (north of Dubai) in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Grace Century specializes in "game-changing" life science and health related private equity projects.

For portfolio or company information please email info@gracecentury.com or call +971 (0)7 206 8851

Please direct all media enquiries to info@bigwheel.me or call +971 (0)52 712 1777

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Provia Laboratories Announces Record Enrollment for Store ...

At Woodward, we are very proud of our Sports Medicine program. Our certified athletic trainers care for all Upper School student-athletes, evaluating injuries to determine if they can safely participate, taping and bracing to prevent injuries, and rehabilitating injured athletes in coordination with their own physicians.

In addition, athletic trainers are accessible at all practices and games to assist athletes in case of injury, and they keep records on individual athletes, their injuries, and treatments.

The full-time athletic trainers at Woodward are certified by the National Athletic Trainers Board of Certification, which requires them to hold a bachelors degree in athletic training, physical education, or a related field, and to pass a national exam administered by the board. They also possess thorough knowledge of anatomy, kinesiology, biomechanics, and physiology as well as the prevention, management, and rehabilitation of athletic injuries. In addition, our trainers are educated in nutrition, counseling, and psychology.

Mr. Patterson holds a bachelors degree in P.E. with an emphasis in athletic training from Iowa State University and a masters of education in sports administration and sports management from the University of Georgia, where he served as head athletic trainer for the womens basketball team. He also worked with high school athletes in clinical settings before joining Woodward in 2000 to expand the schools sports medicine program.

Ms. Mounts holds a bachelors degree in wellness and athletic training from Defiance College in Ohio, where she played softball. She worked as a graduate assistant at The Westminster Schools while earning her masters degree at Georgia State University and served as a trainer at Whitefield Academy before joining the training staff at Woodward.

Dr. Wilkes practices at OrthoAtlanta and is certified by the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery. He also is a member of the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine and is a Clinical Associate Professor at Emory University. He functions as as an orthopaedic consultant for the U.S. Luge Association and has been an associate team physician for the Atlanta Falcons. Dr. Wilkes served as coordinator of venue medical directors for the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games.

Dr. Gropper graduated from Vanderbilt University and the University of Tennessee School of Medicine. He is certified by the American Board of Neurological Surgery and has served as a neurological consultant to the Atlanta Falcons and the Atlanta Braves. Dr. Gropper practices at Atlanta Brain and Spine Care.

Our team also includes graduate assistants working toward their masters degrees in sports medicine at Georgia State University.

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Woodward Academy - Sports Medicine

What are Stem Cells? Stem cells are cells that have the potential to develop into some or many different cell types in the body, depending on whether they are multipotent or pluripotent. Serving as a sort of repair system, they can theoretically divide without limit to replenish other cells for as long as the person or animal is still alive. When a stem cell divides, each "daughter" cell has the potential to either remain a stem cell or become another type of cell with a more specialized function, such as a muscle cell, a red blood cell, or a brain cell.

What are the Various Classes of Stem Cells? There are three classes of stem cells i.e totipotent, pluripotent and multipotent (also known as unipotent).

What are the Different Types of Stem Cells? Many different terms are used to describe various types of stem cells, often based on where in the body or what stage in development they come from. You may have heard the following terms:

Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells (IPS cells): In 2006, scientists discovered how to reprogram cells with a specialized function (for example, skin cells) in the laboratory, so that they behave like an embryonic stem cell. These cells, called induced pluripotent cells or IPS cells, are created by inducing the specialized cells to express genes that are normally made in embryonic stem cells and that control how the cell functions.

Where do Stem Cells Come From? Embryonic stem cells are derived from the inner cell mass of a blastocyst: the fertilized egg, called the zygote, divides and forms two cells; each of these cells divides again, and so on. Soon there is a hollow ball of about 150 cells called the blastocyst that contains two types of cells, the trophoblast and the inner cell mass. Embryonic stem cells are obtained from the inner cell mass.

Stem cells can also be found in small numbers in various tissues in the fetal and adult body. For example, blood stem cells are found in the bone marrow that give rise to all specialized blood cell types. Such tissue-specific stem cells have not yet been identified in all vital organs, and in some tissues like the brain, although stem cells exist, they are not very active, and thus do not readily respond to cell injury or damage.

Stem cells can also be obtained from other sources, for example, the umbilical cord of a newborn baby is a source of blood stem cells. Recently, scientists have also discovered the existence of cells in baby teeth and in amniotic fluid that may also have the potential to form multiple cell types. Research on these cells is at a very early stage.

What is Stem Cell Therapy? Stem cell therapy is the use of stem cells to treat certain diseases. Stem cells are obtained from the patients own blood bone marrow, fat and umbilical cord tissue or blood. They are progenitor cells that lead to creation of new cells and are thus called as generative cells as well.

How does Stem Cell Therapy Work? The biological task of stem cells is to repair and regenerate damaged cells. Stem cell therapy exploits this function by administering these cells systematically and in high concentrations directly into the damaged tissue, where they advance its self-healing. The process that lies behind this mechanism is largely unknown, but it is assumed that stem cells discharge certain substances which activate the diseased tissue. It is also conceivable that single damaged somatic cells, e.g. single neurocytes in the spinal cord or endothelium cells in vessels, are replaced by stem cells. Most scientists agree that stem cell research has great life-saving potential and could revolutionize the study and treatment of diseases and injuries.

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Stem Cell Therapy in India, Low Cost Stem Cell Therapy in ...

Empowered by genetic information, Vanderbilt aims to reinvent health care. by Bill Snyder and Dagny Stuart

The iconic Norman Rockwell painting of a family doctor checking the heart of a young patients doll may seem quaint, but its far from old-fashioned. On the contrary, personalized medicine is bringing the family doctor back and the family nurse, and the family pharmacist, and a whole team of family health care providers. Only this time, they will be empowered by 21st-century tools like genomics, informatics and high-tech imaging.

Ailments will be diagnosed more quickly and accuratelyor prevented before they can occur. By selecting drugs that match each patients unique genetic readout or by tweaking molecular pathways instead of blasting away like a shotgun, treatments will be more effective and will have fewer side effects.

After having gone through a period where blockbuster drugs and massive screening were the norm, we are actually moving back to a place where were trying to tailor care to the individual, says Dr. Jeff Balser, Vanderbilt Universitys vice chancellor for health affairs and dean of the School of Medicine.

I try to think of this as not getting more high-tech and therefore more distant from the patient, Balser says. But through technology were becoming more familiar with our patients as individuals and, along with that, always remembering to be personableNorman Rockwell with a DNA sequencer.

In 2010 Vanderbilt University Medical Center launched two major personalized medicine initiatives to advance cancer treatment and to individualize and improve drug therapy. Already this approach is showing promise.

Patients scheduled for cardiac or orthopedic procedures are being tested in advance for genetic variations that can affect their response to common blood thinners. Based on the test results, their doctors may adjust the dose or order a different drug entirely.

Similarly, by reading the genetic fingerprints of tumors removed from patients with certain forms of cancer, doctors can choose targeted drugs that are most likely to work.

Using genetic information to guide drug therapy is just the beginning. In the near future, genomicsthe science of reading and interpreting the DNA sequencewill help Vanderbilt physicians select the best tests and procedures for their patients. Eventually, genetics will help guide efforts to prevent disease and maintain good health.

Personalized medicine is more than genetics, of course. Social, family and behavioral factors, as well as environmental and economic circumstances, also have a profound impact on health. Those things are just as important in tailoring care to the individual as their genetic background, says Balser. Its almost like genomic medicine is what were using to learn how to individualize medicine, but then we can apply it to a broader set of data and circumstances.

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The Promise of Personalized Medicine - Vanderbilt Magazine

The Immune System and Cancer - An Antibody (The Immunoglobulin)

Here are a few facts about the immune system and cancer. For most of your life, your immune system successfully fought cancerous cells, killing them as they developed. That's its job. In fact, the only job Natural Killer cells have is to kill cancer cells and viruses. For cancer to develop, your immune system must either be worn out, ineffective, unable to kill cancer cells as fast as they normally develop, or you must be exposed to a mass of cancer causing toxins, radiation or some such thing, that increase the rate of development of cancer cells to an abnormally high level that your immune system can't handle.

Either way, it is vital to strengthen the immune system in your battle against cancer . Especially if you are getting medical treatments that wipe out your immune system.

Many natural supplements support the immune system. This is why so many of them are touted as being able to help you beat cancer. If someone has an immune system that is almost able to handle the cancer, even a poor immune system supplement can be enough to improve the immune system to the extent that it beats cancer.

Of course, for folks with more seriously compromised immune systems, this supplement or group of supplements would not work well because they are in worse shape. This is why it can get so confusing in deciding what to use. When a supplement or procedure has been used for years, especially if it is popular, you'll hear how it has beat cancer.

But what you don't know is if it worked 2% of the time or 15% of the time. Given the number of people who die from cancer, the success rate of most of these supplements is fairly low. In this report we try to find and recommend the supplements that work the best, so that you have the greatest likelihood of success. It is easy to squander money and more importantly time, on products that won't get the job done.

The other concern is to make sure you do enough to wipe out the cancer. Cancer is not something to pussyfoot around with. While it is always hopeful and great to read about how someone took just one supplement and beat their cancer, and while that could happen to you, your odds of success are much higher if you take many different supplements in order to hit the cancer as hard as you can.

In order to determine which cancer fighting supplements are the most effective ones, we energetically test them for what we call their healing power. We have found this to be the most effective way of determining which supplements are likely to be the best to use. Our experience is that this works much better than taking a guess at what is good, and what isn't as good as it sounds.

When we started doing this we were surprised at how poorly the well known supplements and procedures tested. Many had been around for years and were popular, used by many patients and naturopaths, etc. But they actually weren't highly effective. Though they are good enough to help some people, and thus over time, produced plenty of testimonials, as you see in this report, we've been able to find many stronger products. Most of them new and thus unknown.

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Immune System - Cancer Fighting Strategies

Bacteria are the unicellular organisms and cannot be seen with naked eye. There is no particular method of cell division, they simply divide by binary fission in which cell divides into two daughter cells. They do not have proper nucleus within the cell but the genetic material is attached to the cell membrane in an irregular form. They are found everywhere like top of the mountains, rivers, on land and in ice. Bacteria have the property of living in extreme weathers like extreme cold and extreme heat. They are able to live long because they become inactive for a long period of time.

Bacteria play an important role in the environment: Decomposition of Dead/Complex Organic Matter:

Ever imagined the fate of nature with dead matter of animals/plants lying around? Bacteria play a very crucial role of silently getting the nature rid of the dead matter through the decomposition of dead organic matter by the micobes. Bacteria use them as a source of nutrients, and in turn help in recycling the organic compounds trapped in the dead matter. Through this process, other organisms also get benefited, who can use the simpler forms of organic compounds/nutrients released from the dead matter by various bacteria.

Bioremediation by bacteria Bioremediation refers to the process of depletion/degradation of toxic compounds present in the natural environment by living organisms. Bacteria are one of the key players in Bioremediation. For example, oil spills due to oil digging operations or accidents on oil transport channels in the ocean or on the soil, is highly determinant to the healthy environment. Bacteria like Pseudomonas have been well known for the degradation of oil spills on oceans/soils.

Similarly, Contamination of heavy metals in the environment is a major global concern because of their toxicity and

threat to human life and environment. Bacteria like Alcaligenes faecalis (Arsenic),Pseudomonas fluorescens and Enterobacter clocae (Chromium) are well known for heavy metal uptake/compound metabolism. Waste Water Treatment Owing to their characteristics of degrading harmful chemicals and pollutants, bacteria naturally (as well as deliberately used by industries), help in treatment of waste water.

Image source: biologia.laguia2000.com

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Role of Bacteria in Environment - Biotechnology Forums

What Is Arthritis?

Arthritis is inflammation of the joints (the points where bones meet) in one or more areas of the body. There are more than 100 different types of arthritis, all of which have different causes and treatment methods. The symptoms of arthritis usually appear gradually but they may also occur suddenly. Arthritis is most commonly seen in adults over the age of 65 but it can also develop in children and teens. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, arthritis is more common in women than men and in those that are overweight (CDC).

Cartilage is a flexible, connective tissue in joints that absorbs the pressure and shock created from movement like running and walking. It also protects the joints and allows for smooth movement.

Some forms of arthritis are caused by a reduction in the normal amount of this cartilage tissue. Osteoarthritis, one of the most common forms of arthritis, is caused by normal wear and tear throughout life; this natural breakdown of cartilage tissue can be exacerbated by an infection or injury to the joints.

The risk of developing osteoarthritis may be higher if you have a family history of the disease.

Another common form of arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, occurs when your bodys immune system attacks the tissues of the body. These attacks affect the synovium, which secretes a fluid that nourishes the cartilage and lubricates the joints. Rheumatoid arthritis can eventually lead to the destruction of both bone and cartilage inside the joint. The exact cause of the immune systems attacks has not yet been discovered, but scientists have discovered genetic markers that increase your risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis tenfold.

The most common symptoms of arthritis involve the joints. Joint pain and stiffness, mostly in the morning, are typical signs, along with swelling of the joints. You may also experience a decrease in range of motion of your joints or redness of the skin around the joint.

In the case of rheumatoid arthritis you may feel tired or experience a loss of appetite because of the inflammation caused by your bodys attacking immune system. You may also become anemic (experience decreased red blood cells) or have a slight fever. Severe rheumatoid arthritis can cause joint deformity if left untreated.

Diagnosis of arthritis will start with your physician performing a physical exam, during which he or she will check for limited range of motion in the joint, the feeling of fluid around joints, or warm or red joints. Extraction and analysis of your bodily fluids like blood and joint fluid can help your doctor determine what kind of arthritis you have by checking for inflammation levels. Imaging scans such as X-ray, MRI, and CT scans are commonly used to produce an image of your bones and cartilage so your doctor can better determine whether something like a bone spur is the cause of your symptoms.

The main goal of treatment is to reduce the amount of pain youre experiencing and prevent any additional damage to the joints. Improving your joint function is also important, and you may be prescribed a combination of treatment methods to achieve the best results.

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Arthritis : Causes, Signs & Diagnosis - Healthline