For the first time in Singapore, stem cells from the umbilical cord have been used to treat cerebral palsy – and with positive results.
Neuralstem, Inc. (NYSE Amex: CUR) updated the progress of its ongoing Phase I human clinical trial of the company’s spinal cord stem cells in the treatment of ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, or Lou Gehrig’s disease) at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia. The company announced that, after reviewing the safety data from the first six non-ambulatory patients, the trial’s Safety Monitoring Board has unanimously approved moving to the next group of ALS patients, all of whom will be ambulatory.
“We are pleased with the progress of the trial to date, and look forward to moving directly into more recently-diagnosed patients,” commented Dr. Eva Feldman, PhD, MD, Principal Investigator of the trial and a consultant to Neuralstem. Dr. Feldman is Director of the A. Alfred Taubman Medical Research Institute and Director of Research of the ALS Clinic at the University of Michigan Health System.
“We are encouraged by the Board’s approval to advance the trial to patients who have an earlier stage of the disease,” said Neuralstem’s CEO and president, Richard Garr. “While the primary endpoint of the trial is safety, we also hope to see some secondary endpoints showing efficacy. We are grateful to the patients, and their families, for participating in this trial.”
The first six patients treated in the trial were non-ambulatory. Of these, the first three received five injections each, unilaterally, in the lumbar region of the spinal cord. The next three received ten injections each, bilaterally in the lumbar region. All of the remaining patients in the trial will be ambulatory, and therefore represent earlier stages of disease progression. Of the ambulatory group, the first three patients will receive five injections each, unilaterally, in the lumbar region. The next three will receive ten injections each, bilaterally, in the lumbar region. After the required FDA approval, the final six patients in the trial will receive injections in the cervical region, representing both a progression of treatment up the spinal cord, as well as into more recently-diagnosed patients.
About The Trial
The Phase I trial to evaluate the safety of Neuralstem’s spinal cord stem cells in the treatment of ALS, the first FDA-approved ALS stem cell trial, has been underway since January, 2010. The trial will ultimately consist of up to 18 ALS patients, who will be examined at regular intervals post-surgery, with final review of the data to come six months after the last patient is treated. While the trial is primarily evaluating the safety of the cells and procedure, it will also seek some secondary efficacy endpoints including attenuation of motor function loss, maintenance of respiratory capacity, and stabilization of patients along the ALS functional rating scale.
For the last month, we’ve introduced you to several local families who bear the burden of Autism on a daily basis. They make the most of their situation knowing there’s no known cure for Autism and the cause is still very much a mystery. Here’s the statistic. 1 child in every 110 will be born with Autism. That means roughly 97 children born today will be diagnosed with Autism and it doesn’t stop there either. More than 1.5 million Americans live with the disorder which is the fastest growing brain disability in the country with an annual growth rate around 17%. Currently there is no cure, but that could be changing in part to what could be one of the biggest medical breakthroughs in history. And it’s being done with what doctors once deemed medical waste. The phenomenon is called cord blood banking and this week I had the chance to see the process first hand at the Cord Blood Registry, CBR, in Tucson, Arizona. It’s the world’s largest cord blood bank with more than 300000 stored and it has the chance to change the face of medicine forever. “It’s almost as if a light bulb went off in their child’s brain. Their vocabulary starts to increase. They just seem more with it, more alert,” said Christine McMurry, communications director with CBR out of Tucson. Cord blood banking is a process in which parents choose to have the blood from their child’s umbilical cord stored at birth where it will stay until it’s needed again for an infusion or transplant. “In cord blood, it’s new …
Cord Blood America, Inc. (http://www.cordblood-america.com) (OTC Bulletin Board: CBAI), the umbilical cord blood stem cell preservation company focused on bringing the life saving potential of stem cells, a biological insurance policy, to families nationwide and internationally, today said that clinical trials ongoing in the U.S. using umbilical cord blood in the treatment of cerebral palsy, high-risk hematologic cancer, injured spinal cords and Type 1 diabetes provide significant further evidence of the importance of storing umbilical cord blood at the time of birth.
“We are asked with some frequency why store these stem cells available only at birth. On our web site at www.corcell.com is a list of more than 70 diseases that are already treated by these stem cells, including acute and chronic leukemia’s, severe aplastic anemia, Hodgkin’s Disease, a number of inherited metabolic diseases and immune system disorders and malignancies including Ewing Sarcoma and Sickle Cell Disease,” said Matthew Schissler, co-founder and CEO. ”Once in a while, it is my duty and obligation to step away from the day-to-day and reflect on the larger scope of work in the umbilical cord blood stem cell arena. In doing so, I recognize that our loyal shareholders may not be privy to all of the data we receive, involving the outstanding studies with these cells. It is my hope that a simple statement such as this, can direct our shareholders to the resources publicly available.”
“What is truly exciting is that the National Institutes of Health at www.clinicaltrials.gov now lists clinical trials ongoing at such prestigious research institutions as Duke University and Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center to understand the possible usage of stem cell infusions for the treatment of intractable diseases, including Type I diabetes in children, cerebral palsy in children, chronic spinal cord injuries, lymphoma and other blood borne cancers,” Mr. Schissler said.
“Also, there is research ongoing elsewhere in the world to use umbilical cord blood stem cells to combat Alzheimer’s, cardiac disease, lupus, multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophy, Parkinson’s Disease, rheumatoid arthritis and stroke. This truly is an excellent time to be involved in this sector as we work toward our goal of becoming the most significant stem cell company in the world,” said Mr. Schissler.
Cleveland, Ohio leveraged buyout firm Riverside Co. has acquired private cord blood bank Celvitae Biomedica S.A. in Madrid, Spain for undisclosed terms.
Celvitae is one of two cord blood banks licensed in Spain and authorized to work in the public health system, Riverside said in a release. It also has major commercial agreements with some of the leading insurance companies in the Spanish market.
Last year, Celvitae struck a strategic agreement with MD Anderson Internacional Espana, a cancer treatment center in Europe that ensures all cord blood stem cell samples collected in Spain are processed within 24 hours at its Madrid facilities.
). On * average, the noscript tag is called from less than 1% of internet * users. */–>Riverside will add Celvitae to its Crioestaminal platform, the Cantanhede, Portugal company that is a pioneer and market leader in the isolation and storage of cord blood stem cells. More than 40,000 parents have trusted the company to store their children’s stem cells.
Riverside acquired Crioestaminal last year. The Celvitae acquisition was made from Riverside Europe Fund IV. Riverside is co-headquartered in New York City.
This is me explaining how to care for your babies umbilical cord care and a bit of advice on cord blood banking. www.babycenter.com www.cordblood.com www.mayoclinic.com
www.hotstocked.com Everything looks great in Cordblood America, Inc (OTC:CBAI), especially their brand new headquarters. The only problem is that after they bragged of getting rid of the debt, they started borrowing again. This and stock sales is how they keep surviving.
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!
Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a chronic neurological disorder that produces symptoms such as confusion, decreased dexterity, insomnia, lack of motor coordination, memory loss, shaking, stiff muscles, and tremors. Stem cells are an undifferentiated group of cells, which, depending on their surrounding conditions, are capable of developing into other types of cells such as liver cells, kidney cells, brain cells, or any of the other 260 different types of cells that make up the human body.
When Dr. Mehmet Oz appeared on Oprah Winfrey’s show in March 2009, he showed a section of the human brain where lines are not present in a person who has Parkinson’s disease. He believes that stem cells could be placed in that area to regenerate the damaged brain. He predicted that the use of stem cells to treat Parkinson’s disease would begin in about eight years. What he obviously does not realize is that a clinic in Mexico has been using placental stem cells derived from placenta (afterbirth) to successfully treat Parkinson’s for 18 years! That’s about how long actor Michael J. Fox (known in the early ’80s as Alex P. Keaton on the hit show Family Ties) has been living with the illness.
Since Mr. Fox is an advocate for stem cell treatment, it surprises me that he hasn’t taken advantage of treatments offered in other countries. Maybe he doesn’t know the treatment is available. But it is, and ISCI founder Rita Alexander is a first-hand witness of the results seen in patients who have been treated for cancer, cerebral palsy, dermatomyositis, diabetes, hepatitis C, HIV, immune deficiency, kidney disorders, multiple sclerosis, migraines, muscular dystrophy, Parkinson’s, retinitis pigmentosa, rheumatoid arthritis, spina bifida, and stroke. Rita has personally received several treatments to relieve the debilitating effect of rheumatoid arthritis.
James Devlin is a resident of Hawaii, but his paradise became a nightmare 15 years ago when he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. Unwilling to accept the reality of continual mental and physical decline, he sought answers around the world to stop the disease from taking over his brain and his life. His symptoms were the standard Parkinson’s package including stiff muscles, decreased dexterity and coordination, insomnia, memory loss, confusion, and tremors in his arms which made it difficult for him to feed himself. Normal daily activities such as dressing, eating, and writing became increasingly challenging. James was prescribed a long list of medications to manage the increasing number of symptoms. Two and a half years ago, he found the road to recovery from PD at the International Stem Cell Institute (ISCI).
When Rita first met Mr. Devlin, he was very stiff and rigid, battling constant tremors as he made his way through the airport. When he returned to the clinic six months after his first placental stem cell treatment, his body was relaxed, he walked with ease, the excessive tremors were gone, and a big smile replaced the vacant facial expression he had just a few months before. After several additional stem cell treatments, James Devlin has been able to eliminate all Parkinson’s medication and spends his days surfing in paradise. At 67 years old, he enjoys a 75 percent recovery.
Unfortunately, not everyone is physically and financially able to travel to Mexico. That is why Rita Alexander started ISCI in April 2008. She wishes many more people who are suffering with Parkinson’s disease knew there were stem cell treatments that could change the course of their lives. ISCI assists with patient education, pre- and post-treatment support, travel logistics, and financial matters regarding treatment. Her goal is to help people access treatment that is already available and to bring the treatment to the U.S.
For more information about ISCI or to arrange a consultation or schedule an appointment, please visit http://www.iStemCelli.com or contactRita Alexander, Executive Director at International Stem Cell Institute, at 800-609-7795.
New stem cell studies at the University of Maryland Dental School demonstrate that surgeons could one day routinely use strong, mold-able, and inject-able pastes to regenerate needed bone tissue to repair broken bones, fractures, genetic defects, even combat bone wounds.
The Dental School’s Huakun Xu, PhD, MS; Michael Weir, PhD, MS; and Ryan Zhao, MD, PhD, presented their findings today at the World Stem Cell Summit at the Baltimore Convention Center before hundreds of stem cell experts from 25 countries.
The Dental School presentation showed that human stem cells seeded in a tissue engineering scaffolding exhibited “excellent attachment and osteogenic differentiation,” which is the process of laying down new bone material.
The researchers said the new findings buoy hopes that an inject-able paste of stem cells will be available one day to fill any shape of cavity from bone defects, breaks or wounds by regenerating needed bone tissue.
In test tube studies, stem cells from bone marrow, when placed into an inject-able scaffold of calcium phosphate and chitosan, started growing and forming minerals needed for new bone tissue.
Xu, an associate professor, is the principal investigator of a $230,000 grant from the Maryland Stem Cell Research Fund for “Stem Cell Delivery via Inject-able, Nano-apatite Scaffolds for Bone Engineering,” and a $1.84 million grant from the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research.
The Dental School researchers have so far tested four scaffolding materials for gripping and holding the stem cells. “Which of the materials will be used in a commercial product really depends on where you want to place the material, whether in the jaw bone, the cranium or other bones,” said Weir, a research assistant professor.
Weir said, “Ultimately we want this to be an inject-able paste so we can put it into voids that are not square, rectangular or circular, that they are irregular shapes that need to be filled. The paste will include the cells.”
Xu added that such a product could also be used in periodontal bone repair, mandibular and maxillary ridge augmentation, reconstruction of frontal sinus and craniofacial skeletal defects, and other stress-bearing orthopedic applications. After a tumor removal or traffic accident, there may be a need to repair the damage or void left. It will beneficial, he said, to have a paste that can be shaped easily to achieve a high degree of aesthetics. After shaping, the paste hardens to form a solid scaffold full of pores and channels and still containing stem cells throughout, still living and growing to form new bone. Eventually the scaffold material degrades and is replaced entirely by new bone tissue grown from the stem cells.
The researchers found that a significant number of the cells were alive after a few weeks in the scaffolding material. They then discovered that the cells were differentiating into osteoblasts, essentially turning into bone cells. (From Greek words for bone, an osteoblast cell is responsible for bone formation.)
After staining the scaffold, the researchers found the osteoblasts forming “a lot” of the mineral, which then forms the bone after only 21 days, said Weir. In a subsequent experiment, the cells survived even better when mixed in a gel of the scaffolding material.
The researchers have recorded similar success with umbilical cord-derived stem cells, which “appear to be more potent in terms of growth and transforming into osteoblasts on the scaffold than the cells from bone marrow,” said Xu. It is likely that the umbilical cord cells are more vital because they are younger than stem cells obtained from the adult bone marrow and in theory will act more quickly to repair wounds or bone defects.
Xu explained: “When a 16-year-old breaks a bone, it usually takes a few weeks to heal. In a 60-year-old, it likely takes a few months. Umbilical cord stem cells are only 9 months old and hence are fast in healing.” Xu said human umbilical cord stem cells have the promise to be a superior alternative to bone marrow-derived stem cells, the latter requiring an invasive procedure to harvest. For combat medics, the umbilical cord derived stem cells could potentially be on the shelf and used in the field without causing immunuorejection, said Xu.
Xu said that after a literature search, he believes his laboratory is the first to investigate the seeding of umbilical cord-derived stem cells in injectable and load-bearing scaffolding for bone tissue engineering.
“We are excited about the promise of encapsulating umbilical cord stem cells in an injectable scaffold for stem cell delivery and bone regeneration.” Xu said. “Our research is still in an early stage. We will perform more systematic investigations and animal studies. If indeed human umbilical cord stem cells delivered using injectable scaffolds are more effective in bone regeneration than the commonly studied bone marrow stem cells, it will broadly impact the field of stem cell-based regenerative medicine.”
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