video chat w/ Turkish doctor

University of Hawaii associate professor, Cristy Kessler, was suffering from a rare combination of three different autoimmune diseases: Vasculitis, Scleroderma, and Akylosing Spondyliitis. The pain was so bad, that, in her own words, she was “preparing to die.” She was constantly on a combination of prescription pain medications including morphine and vicadin, and could barely walk down the street.

Stem cell transplant looked like the only viable option for Cristy, but because the procedure is not approved by the FDA or covered by insurance, she would have to look overseas for options.

Eventually, she did find an option: the Anadolou Hospital in Istanbul, Turkey. Because her disease was still in the early phase, doctors were optimistic about her prognosis. In March 2010, Dr. Zafer Gulbas led the taxing two month long procedure consisting of chemotherapy, frequent blood tests, and isolation.

Although long term results won’t be measured for some time, the stem cell transplant seems to have been a success. Kessler is now off the prescription pain medications that she previously depended on just to function, and has a new life. Her immune system is fragile and she is dependent on antibiotics, but says she now wants to enjoy music and “dance like a fool” without being in pain. Watch the video from KITV Honolulu

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Geron Corporation

Geron Quits Stem Cell Research – A leader in the field of stem cell research, and in the midst of the world’s first clinical trial using embryonic stem cells, Geron Corporation abruptly announced that it is leaving the stem cell business entirely.

This bombshell comes in the midst of a terrible year for the California-based biopharmaceutical company in which the company stock has dropped about 70%. In the wake of the announcement, the stock dropped to another 52 week low today of $1.58 per share.

The decision to cease stem cell trial, which held promise for those with spinal cord injuries, was reportedly a financial decision, as the company said it would focus on more lucrative projects including cancer treatments.

However, critics wonder if this decision was really based primarily on money. “This company would not walk away from this trial in the absence of an unexpected complication or safety concern, if there was any evidence that it was working,” said Dr. Daniel Salomon of the Scripps Research Institute in San Diego.

Many are left to wonder whether embryonic stem cell research has been abandoned entirely in the U.S. Read the story from ABC News

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mouse stem cells

Functioning Organ Created From Stem Cells

Japanese researchers from the RIKEN Center for Developmental Biology have successfully created a fully functioning pituitary gland from the embryonic stem cells of a mouse.

The cultured pituitary gland was then successfully implanted into a mouse, (replacing the animal’s non-functioning organ) where it worked flawlessly.

The significance of this can’t be overstated, as what they have successfully created a functioning organ from a group of stem cells. Although the procedure was done with a mouse, this is an important step in the effort to reproduce human organs, which researchers say is still years away. Read this story

What is a pituitary gland? A pituitary gland is a pea-sized gland at the base of the brain that produces hormones including HGH (human growth hormone) and TSH (thyroid-stimulating hormone). The pituitary gland is important for growth, blood pressure, and thyroid function. Medifast Diet coupon: medifast coupon december

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pluripotent stem cells

Pluripotent stem cells are the key to many of the most promising developments in regenerative medicine. Why is that? Because these are the cells (including the well known and controversial embronic stem cells) that can develop into just about any kind of cell in the human body. (i.e. the same stem cells that are used to treat a burn victim can also be used to help prevent a heart attack)

Until now, the main side effect in using these pluripotent stem cells is the chance that the cells won’t change into the appropriate type of cell needed during therapy. These unchanged stem cells are called “undifferentiated,” and can be lethal; possibly even turning into a dangerous tumor called a teratoma.

Recently, scientists at Stanford have developed an antibody to directly identify and destroy these undifferentiated stem cells, potentially eliminating this dangerous side effect… read full article

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South Korean Scientist

South Korean Stem Cell Program Scores a Victory - Five years have already passed since scandal rocked the South Korean stem cell research program. (This, of course, when professor Hwang Woo-Suk was publicly disgraced after being found guilt of fraud and embezzlement after fabricating the results of his stem cell research.)

And on this five year anniversary, South Korea has not only secured the 2018 Winter Olympics, but has also gained approval from their Food and Drug Administration (KFDA) for a stem cell medication intended for heart attack victims.

Heart Stem Cells

The approval is significant not only for this peticular medication, but according to Oh Il-hwan (professor of molecular biology at the Catholic University School of Medicine in Seoul) represents “the government opening the road for progressive development in stem cell research.”

The Korean Food & Drug Administration said that it had completed the procedures needed to authorize the sale of Hearticellgram-AMI, a stem cell medication for acute myocardial infarction. read full article

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jon huntsman and tim pawlenty

Jon Huntsman & Tim Pawlenty Oppose Embryonic Stem Cell Research – Two Republican presidential candidates Jon Huntsman and Tim Pawlenty confirmed recently that they maintain a position against embryonic stem cell research.

Comments by Huntsman made in 2004 seemed to show his support for embryonic stem cell research, as he was quoted in a newspaper as saying that the stem cell issue was one in which he the pro-life group Eagle Forum disagreed, saying of the conservative group, “Stem cell research would be another issue on which we part company.”

Though previously the governor of a conservative state, and looking to win the support of the conservative (and often anti-stem cell research) Republican Party, Huntsman finds him self in an interesting position, as his father founded the Huntsman Cancer Institute, which publicly advocates the use of embryonic stem cells in cancer research.

Former Minnesota Governor and Republican presidential hopeful Tim Pawlenty also confirmed his pro-life, anti embryonic stem cell research (irony?) position during the first Republican debate.

Here is Pawlenty’s full quote from the Republican debate: “As to stem cell research it holds great promise and I support stem cell research. I think it should be adult derived… most of the therapies and breakthroughs that we are seeing interms of treatment are coming from adult derived stem cell research. I strongly support that.

As for embryonic stem cell research, I don’t think we should pursue although President Bush when he was in office said he would allow and authorize the use of research on certain stem cell lines for which the embryo had already previously been destroyed before the issue came to his desk or came to his attention. I did support his approach for that limited window of stem cell research on those existing lines for which the embryo had already been destroyed.”

Most of the other candidates have focused their talking points to Planned Parenthood and abortion, and have yet to directly address their position on the use of embryonic stem cells.

Jon Huntsman Stem Cells – Tim Pawlenty Stem Cells

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Stem Cell from Mouse Heart

Can Stem Cells Heal a Broken Heart? At University College in London, scientists are optimistic about a new procedure that could help the heart heal itself after a heart attack.

The discover focuses on a newly identified source of dormant stem cells in the epicardium, a layer of the sac surrounding the heart. They found that a naturally occurring peptide called “thymosin beta-4” could stimulate these dormant stem cells, causing them to repair damage to the heart.

So far the treatment has shown promise in tests on mice, with the mice receiving injections of thymosin beta-4 regrowing more heart muscle from their own stem cells than the mice who didn’t.

If further research goes well, scientists envision that a pill could be developed that contains the thymosin beta-4 protein. This pill could be given to patients at risk of a heart attack or suffering from unstable angina (a form of chest pain that results from the heart not receiving enough oxygen) to help them better recover from a possible heart attack in the future. Read the full story

Stem Cells and Heart Attacks

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Cord Blood Stem Cells

Stem Cells from Cord Blood – In the New Scientist, the question was posed: “should parents pay to have their child’s cord blood stored or instead donate it to a public cord blood bank?” My answer:

“If the couple already has a child with a life-threatening blood cancer, then banking the cord blood of a healthy newborn sibling is a fine idea, because that blood could save the older child’s life.”

Blood cancers are rare. In fact, a child has only between one in 1,000 and one in 200,000 chance of needing an infusion of his or her own cord blood later in life. The bigger promise advertised by some private banksbettertogive1.gif pivots on the supposed power of cord blood to cure common illnesses such as diabetes, heart disease and Alzheimer’s. Some advertisements claim future cures for all of these, and may even be used to grow new body parts.

But wait a minute:

“Cord stem cells are scarce, and therefore not useful for most adults, who need large numbers of cells for transplants. Some assert that cord stem cells are powerful because they ignore their bloodline heritage and change into a multiplicity of cell types, including heart muscle and brain tissue. But this is hotly contested, and researchers are slugging it out experimentally, testing whether cord stem cells are as potent as the more optimistic scientists and cord blood banking companies claim.”

I argued that some claims about the therapeutic potential of cord blood were overstated, and that it was wrong to advertise that cures or treatments for complex diseases using cord blood were right around the corner.

The American Medical Association (AMA) has issued ethical guidelines for how physicians should talk to parents about donating their babies’ umbilical cord blood. The vote was clear: mothers should be encouraged to give the blood to public cord blood banks. The guidelines also suggest that doctors obtain the consent to donate before the mother goes into labor, disclose any ties they have to a cord blood bank, and not accept fees for a cord bank referral. In January, the Academy of Pediatrics said parents should consider private storage only if an older sibling has cancer or certain genetic diseases that can be successfully treated with cord blood.

Cord stem cells are powerful: I’ll explain in future posts what science says about the cells, and how research is trying to sort out how these cells can treat disease.

During the holiday season, the spirit of giving in hospitals should take another form. Parents can donate blood to public banks. That would increase the likelihood that a desperately sick child or adult would benefit.

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