Monthly Archives: March 2012

Stem Cell Therapy Helping Heroic Dogs Recover News4's Darcy Spencer explains how a breakthrough treatment is helping search and rescue dogs like Red recover after years of working in disaster zones. A breakthrough treatment is helping area search-and-rescue dogs that played key roles on Sept. 11, 2001, and during other disasters. Red's first assignment as a search, rescue and recovery dog was at the Pentagon following the 9/11 attacks. Years of rescue work and a 12-foot fall from a ladder have taken a toll. Arthritis forced Red into retirement in July and turned her into a couch potato. The 12-year-old black lab received a breakthrough stem cell treatment today that will ease her pain and give her more mobility. Her veterinarian, Dr. John Herrity, of the Burke Animal Clinic, has done more than two dozen of the stem cell operations developed by Medivet America, which also donated the cost of the procedure. The treatment won't bring Red back out of retirement, but it is expected to put spring back in her step within a couple of months. Two other 9/11 search-and-rescued dogs have been treated with stem cell therapy and are back to their normal activities. Original post: Hero Dog … Continue reading →

Cryo-Save Group N.V. (Euronext: CRYO, `Cryo-Save`, or `the Group`), the leading international stem cell storage brand and the largest family stem cell bank in Europe, has published its financial results for the year ended 31 December 2011. Financial highlights Revenue up 4% to 41.9 million (2010: 40.4 million) Operating expenses before depreciation and amortisation increased with 1.6 million mainly due to further investments in Cryo-Lip (0.8 million) and acquisition impact (0.7 million) EBITDA*: 6.3 million (2010: 7.3 million) EBITA**: 4.5 million (2010: 5.8 million) Operating profit: 2.9 million (2010: 4.5 million) Profit before taxation: 3.0 million (2010: 3.9 million) Net profit: 2.3 million (2010: 2.6 million) Basic earnings per share 25.0 euro cents (2010: 27.6 euro cents) Robust net cash from operating activities 6.2 million (2010: 2.8 million) Solid cash position of 7.0 million as at 31 December 2011 (2010: 6.0 million) Dividend per share of 0.08, up 14% (2010: 0.07) * EBITDA is defined as Earnings Before Interest, Taxation Depreciation and Amortisation ** EBITA is defined as Earnings Before Interest, Taxation and Amortisation of identified intangible assets Operational highlights 39,900 new samples stored in 2011, up 4% compared to previous year (2010: 38,300). Of these, 25,200 were new cord … Continue reading →

BURKE, Va. (WUSA) -- Red, a black lab from Annapolis, has spent the last ten years as a search and rescue dog. Her missions have included Hurricane Katrina, the La Plata tornadoes, and the Pentagon after 9/11. "The search and rescue dogs at the Pentagon are credited with finding 70% of the human remains," said Heather Roche, Red's owner and handler. "That helped a whole lot of those families actually get closure." At just under two years old, 9/11 was Red's first search. Today, she's one of the last 9/11 search and rescue dogs still alive. She retired last July due to severe arthritis. "The last few months, she would like to be a couch potato but she can't even get on the couch any more," said Roche. "It would be nice if she could do those kinds of things that she misses." Roche brought Red to the Burke Animal Clinic for stem cell regenerative therapy compliments of MediVet America, the company that developed the in-clinic stem cell technology. "This is a small something that we can give back as a way of saying thanks for what you guys have done for us," said Dr. John Herrity at the Burke … Continue reading →

Dr. Konstantine K. Yankopolus The state Department of Health restricted a second doctor's license for working under the direction of Dr. Zannos Grekos in performing a stem cell treatment and for falsifying a medical report after a patient died, according to the state order. The emergency license restriction is against Dr. Konstantine K. Yankopolus, 3880 Colonial Blvd., Suite 2, Fort Myers, according to the order issued by the state health department late Monday. The restriction only prohibits Yankopolus from doing anything with stem cells. After a career as an obstetrician/gynecologist, he is now in general practice. "We attempted a life-saving procedure on a very sick patient and it didn't go well," Yankopolus said Monday night. "Our motivation was pure the patient had no other option." The state's action comes on the heels of Grekos attorney last week issuing a statement that another doctor, and not his client, was involved in the treatment of a 77-year-old Indiana man who died March 2. Grekos attorney also denied that a stem cell treatment was performed, only liposuction. The state health department suspended Grekos license after the death, saying Grekos violated an earlier restriction that he not to do anything with stem cells or … Continue reading →

Editor's Choice Academic Journal Main Category: Huntingtons Disease Also Included In: Stem Cell Research Article Date: 19 Mar 2012 - 10:00 PDT email to a friend printer friendly opinions Current Article Ratings: 4 (1 votes) 3 (1 votes) However, according to a study published March 15 in the journal Cell Stem Cell, a special type of brain cell created from stem cells could help restore the muscle coordination deficits that are responsible for uncontrollable spasms, a characteristic of the disease. The researchers demonstrated that movement in mice with a Huntington's-like condition could be restored. Su-Chun Zhang, a University of Wisconsin-Madison neuroscientist and the senior author of the study, said: In the study Zhang, who is an expert in creating various types of brain cells from human embryonic or induce pluripotent stem cells, and his team focused on GABA neurons. The degradation of GABA cells causes the breakdown of a vital neural circuit and loss of motor function in individuals suffering from Huntington's disease. According to Zhang, GABA neurons generate a vital neurotransmitter, a chemical that helps support the communication network in the brain that coordinates movement. Zhang and his team at the UW-Madison Waisman Center, discovered how to generate large … Continue reading →