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DISCLAIMER: Please consult with your primary care physician before starting this or any other natural supplement. To learn more about cord blood banking see: www.cordblood.com To register, ask for Erin and tell her that Dr. Ahuva Gamliel referred you! Use the mom code: M1975 to save $250 when you enroll on-line or save $150 when you enroll by phone! To learn more about enhancing your health & wellbeing by boosting your own stem cells watch the 9 minute video on optimalhealth613.stemtechbiz.com For more information see: www.DrGamliel.com Please share this potentially life-saving information with a friend!
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Stem Cells – The Complete Guide
What are stem cells? What do they do? Why are they are important?
What are stem cells?
Stem cells are unspecialized or un-programmed cells. They can be used to regenerate muscle, cartilage, bone and other specialized cells.
Types of stem cells
Within the new field of science called regenerative medicine, there are four types of stem cells used for treatments, research and development:
• fetal stem cells
• embryonic stem cells
• adult stem cells
• cord blood stem cells
Fetal stem cells:
Fetal stem cells are extracted from the developing tissues and organs of a terminated fetus. A fetus contains a relatively large supply of stem cells which are needed for growth and maturation.
There are a few issues with using fetal stem cells for treatment purposes:
1. There is an ethical and moral debate regarding the use of fetal tissue for treatment and research purposes.
2. There is a risk of tissue rejection (similar to the rejection in a heart, liver or blood transplant).
Embryonic stem cells:
Embryonic stem cells are extracted from a human egg that has been fertilized by a sperm. These stem cells are pluripotent; this means that they can transform into any cell type found in the body with no restrictions or limitations. Embryonic stem cells can easily be matured into any functional adult cells and have the potential to treat diseases such as Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, Diabetes, Cancer and more.
Two main issues surrounding the use of embryonic stem cells for treatment purposes:
1. The ethical and moral debate regarding the use of a fertilized human egg for research and treatment purposes.
2. The potential for tissue rejection (similar to the rejection in a heart, liver or blood transplant).
Adult stem cells:
Adult stem cells are the reserve supply of cells extracted from adult organs and tissues. Their function is to repair damaged cells. Adult stem cells are semi-programmed, for instance, a skin stem cell cannot develop into a heart muscle cell. They can only develop into skin cells.
Cord blood stem cells:
Cord blood stem cells are extracted from the umbilical cord. They can only transform into different types of blood cells. Cord blood stem cells can be used to treat a number of blood related diseases and cancers.
In using a patient’s own stem cells the risk of rejection is minimized and the process is less invasive as compared to the extraction of bone marrow. The curative benefits of cord blood stem cells have not yet been realized.
Recent progress in stem cell research
Recently, there have been discoveries suggesting that cord blood stem cells and other adult stem cells, under the right circumstances, may be conditioned to transform into organ cells. On Feb. 11, 2008, in an early online edition of the research journal Proceedings of the National Academy of the Sciences, UCLA researchers published their progress regarding genetic alteration of human skin cells to create cells that are nearly identical to human embryonic stem cells.
Cord blood stem cells have been used to treat a variety of different diseases. A list of common treatments is available at www.mazecordblood.com/cordblood-transplant.htm. In addition, a number of researchers are working on a variety of exciting treatments using cord blood. These include treatments for diabetes and cerebral palsy.
In Barcelona on June 2008, doctors implanted a newly constructed windpipe into a 30 year old patient. The windpipe was partially constructed with tissue grown from the patient’s own adult stem cells. This is one of the first transplants in which the doctors created a functional, biological structure that can’t be rejected. This advancement eliminates the need for anti-rejection drugs, which can often be accompanied by side effects such as high blood pressure, cancer and kidney failure. Details of the Clinical transplantation of a tissue-engineered airway can be found online in The Lancet medical journal.
These examples of stem cell treatment illustrate the healing potential of stem cell research.
Read a more detailed version of this article. http://www.mazecordblood.com/stem-cell-white-paper.htm
Michael A. Werner, MD is the clinical director of M.A.Z.E. Cord Blood Laboratories, www.mazecordblood.com. He is a specialist in the cryobanking (freezing) of health products. He personally oversees the cord blood banking process at M.A.Z.E. Dr. Werner is on the faculty of NYU College of Medicine, the New York Medical College and Einstein College of Medicine. He earned his medical degree from the University of California at San Francisco and completed his residency at Mount Sinai Medical Center in Manhattan.
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Mike Selvon asked:
In 2000, just four years before his death, “Superman” actor Christopher Reeves wrote in TIME Magazine: “It is our responsibility to do everything possible to protect the quality of life of the present and future generations. A critical factor will be what we do with human embryonic stem cells.” He went on to note the potential for treating Alzheimer’s, heart disease, Lou Gehrig’s disease and spinal cord injuries like he had with a simple, basic embryonic stem cell; “the body’s repair kit.” While controversy proliferated during the George Bush presidency, millions suffered. Today, there is a more liberal policy regarding stem cell research funding.
“The likelihood of something going wrong is pretty high,” warns Arnold Kriegstein of UC San Francisco’s Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research. “Something like tumors are probably going to happen. This is an area where the risks are great. The public has to be prepared.” He points to a recent story of a teenage boy who traveled from Israel to Russia to undergo stem cell therapies only to find he had little more than a brand new brain tumor four years later. Embryonic stem cell research is far from perfect, Kriegstein admits, and it could take many years before taxpayers see a return on their $3 billion investment.
Even though $3 billion has been allocated for stem cell research funding, the cost of embryonic stem cell research is high. A human clinical trial, for instance, could cost hundreds of millions of dollars. Nothing is more substantive than a successful human trial, of course, yet what if it doesn’t work? “We all want the same thing – we want to see regenerative medicine work,” said Bruce Conklin at the J. David Gladstone Institutes. “Although there’s $2 billion left to give out, that’s actually a very small amount of money. Now, if that’s all spent on clinical trials that don’t tell us anything because they don’t work, that’s a missed opportunity.”
Despite the limitations of the embryonic stem cell, there have been some significant discoveries in recent years. For instance, Japanese scientist Shinya Yamanaka found that adult stem cells could be transformed into pluripotent stem cells, which carry an infinite potential for transforming into other cells. It was also found that the human body tends to accept these new adult cells more than embryonic cells. The added significance is that an embryo needn’t be destroyed to advance science, which is what many pro-lifers had against stem cell research.
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Michael Callen asked:
Stem Cell Update
Stem cell differences. Stem cells are different from other cells of the body in that they have the ability to differentiate into other cell/tissue types. This ability allows stem cells to replace cells that have been damaged or died. With this ability, they have been used in therapies to replace cells/tissues in patients who have certain diseases or defects.
Focus changes from genes to stem cells. During the 1990’s, the research for many debilitating diseases was focused on gene therapy, which involves putting certain genes into cells in a patient. In the 21st century, the focus has shifted from gene therapy to stem cell therapy.
Stem cell therapy offers promises. Stem cell therapy offers the promises that gene therapy held, without the difficulty and expense. Because stem cells are the body’s master cells – having the ability to become other kinds of cells – theory and results hold that the difficult work of gene therapy can be done by the stem cell itself.
Stem Cell Debate. Is There A Solution? Stem Cell research and stem cell therapy are two subjects about which nearly everyone has an opinion. The crux of the issue is that there are two main sources of stem cells: stem cell donors or stem cell patients.
The donors can be from living humans or fetal tissue, and this is typically where the main argument comes in to play. Those who are opposed to abortion do not want the by-product of an abortion (in this case – embryotic stem cells) to become a cottage industry. This is understandable.
On the other hand, adult stem cells can be extracted from the bone marrow of the patient or a living donor, and then cultured, and finally injected into the patient. While this kind of therapy seems to be quite effective, it is a very expensive procedure that is out of reach for most people.
Fortunately, there is a third option that is simple, safe, and affordable for everyone; and best of all – it is not objectionable to parties on either side of the stem cell debate. This stem cell therapy alternative involves a natural botanical extract that has been shown to stimulate the release of adult stem cells within the patient.
Triple-blind clinical trials show that one gram of this botanical stem cell enhancer increases the number of adult stem cells in circulation by 25 – 30% for several hours.
Stem Cell Enhancers – A Breakthrough. Scientists have identified a breakthrough, natural botanical extract that supports wellness by helping your body maintain healthy stem cell physiology. Available without a prescription, this product is from the latest phytoceutical product category called “stem cell enhancers”.
What are Stem Cell Enhancers? Recent scientific developments have revealed that stem cells derived from the bone marrow, travel throughout the body, and act to support optimal organ and tissue function. Stem cell enhancers are products that support the natural role of adult stem cells.
How can Stem Cell Enhancers Benefit You? As you age, the number and quality of stem cells that circulate in your body gradually decrease, leaving your body more susceptible to injury and other age-related health challenges. Just as antioxidants are important to protect your cells from “free radical” damage, stem cell enhancers are equally important to support your stem cells in maintaining proper organ and tissue functioning in your body.
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Rosy Vohra asked:
Gene is the structural and functional unit of life. These basic entities are the vehicles that carry entire genetic information encoding for every function of the body. This it does so by encoding for specific amino acids. Several amino acids team up to build proteins. It is these proteins which will then be an integral part of hormones, enzymes and other essential components which will regulate the body mechanisms. In most cases one gene codes for one amino acid and several amino acids make for a single protein. Thus in the built up of a single protein which can serve as enzyme or hormone is made up by the instructions coming from a group of inter-related genes.
It is essential to understand that in the event of any alteration in the structure of gene, defective commands will be given causing the formation of wrong structure of protein. The alteration takes place by way of mutation caused due to natural aging process, environmental factors, radioactive components, ultra violet rays and others of the kind. This altered protein will not be similar to the protein desired and needed by the body to perform the required function. This means the metabolism is faulty and not taking place as required. This is externally manifested by way of a disease.
The natural corollary of this would be that correction in the defective make up of the gene would automatically lead to normal functioning of the body. The current motto is ‘To repair what you can and replace all that what you cannot repair’. This is now being taken care of by the break through in stem cell research and gene therapy. The repair and replacement therapy is taken care of by way of stem cell and gene therapy. It is aimed to restore the original functions and restore back to the disease-free state.
• Stem cells are primarily taken up because they are still at the threshold of adolescence. They are active, vigorous and have the potential of being transformed into mature cells of the desired type such as the nerve cell, blood or any other tissue. The acquire forms similar to the neighboring cells in whose vicinity they fall.
• Practically this is undertaken by first boosting the production of stem cells in the bone marrow and in the connective tissue around blood vessels of the umbilical cord and the placenta. These stem cells are harvested and then injected in the organ that requires the repair. For example stem cells from the bone marrow after harvesting are injected into failing heart helps replenish its lost properties. Stem cells have helped in curing leukemia, Parkinson’s disease, lymphoma, cancers and other rare ailments.
• Another repair and replacement technique is the gene therapy. Genetics have learnt to cut, splice and insert genes using the genetic scissors and genetic glue. Genetic scissors are the enzyme endonuclease and glue is the enzyme ligase which is capable of artificial synthesis in the laboratory.
• The defective gene is cut using endonuclease and removed. Simultaneously the counterpart gene functioning normally is extracted in the similar fashion from another organism particularly from bacterium E.coli. The normal gene is inserted in the diseased organ and fixed using ligase. Soon the normal gene is integrated in the genome which now behaves as normal. The major bonus with this technology is that the incurable genetic disease being transcending hereditarily is cured for ever. The next generation will receive the customary gene and shall be disease free.
• Gene replacement has helped cure diabetes, color blindness, severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID), cosmic enhancement, anti-aging and several such times programmed by genetic coding and timing. Gene and stem cell therapy are the modern elixirs to eternal youth and facilitators to a disease free-ageless body.
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Mike Martinez asked:
We hear much controversy concerning the ethical nature of Stem Cell reasearch. In particular embryonic stem cells. The reason is clear, embryonic stem cells are taken from a developing embryo, thus destroying it.
Yet Stem Cell research continues because they have shown to have the potential to develop or transform themselves in almost any cell in the human body. This means a rejuvenation of damaged or injured organs. Many of todays so called degenerative diseases, which we currently have little if any effective therapies, could in fact be alleviated or healed. Advocates of Stem Cell research argue that Stem Cells could hold the key to curing diseases like cancer, AIDS, Alzheimer and multiple sclerosis, just to name a few. Facinating science.
However what most people have not heard about is Adult Stem Cells. These Stem Cells are found in the human body, mainly in the bone marrow. Recent research shows that Adult Stem Cells also have the ability to renew damaged organs and tissue within the body.
In fact, while embryonic Stem Cells have not been used in even one human therapy, Adult Stem Cells have already been used successfully in numerous patients. Jay Lefkowitz, a former adviser to President Bush on Stem Cell policy says, “Adult Stem cells are really where the real progress is being made.”
The key difference with Stem Cells is that they can divide, regenerate and actually become different organ cells. Research has conclusively shown Stem Cells can become liver cells, blood cells, pancrea cells, heart cells, and even brain cells. Almost any cell or tissue in the body.
For decades now Adult Stem Cells have been used very successfully in bone marrow transplants to treat certain cases of blood disorders and leukemia. A massive amount of research, which is still in it’s early stage but none the less very promising, shows impressive results for heart damage due to heart attacks, liver disease, bone and cartilage diseases and brain disorders.
In a landmark experiment, Professor Saul J. Sharkis of John Hopkins University was able to convert bone-marrow Adult Stem Cells from animal donors into healthy liver cells. He says, “It is mind blowing stuff. I never would have thought this would be possible.”
In another landmark experiment carried out by scientist at Yale University in 2001, Adult Stem Cells taken from the bone marrow of male mice were injected into female mice whose own marrow was destroyed by radiation irradation. Eleven months later, the male stem cells (identified through the Y chromosome) were found not only in the females’ bone marrow, but also in their blood, guts, lungs and skin tissue.
While there is still much to learn about the magic of Adult Stem Cells, we can rest assure that a breakthrough in health is right around the corner.
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