Category Archives: Cell Therapy

By David Fitzpatrick and Drew Griffin, Special Investigations Unit updated 1:34 PM EST, Thu March 8, 2012 Dr. Zannos Grekos, seen here in 2009, could have his license suspended. STORY HIGHLIGHTS (CNN) -- A Florida cardiologist could have his medical license revoked by state authorities who have accused him of performing illegal stem cell therapy treatment on an elderly patient who died during the procedure. Florida's Department of Health ordered the emergency suspension of Dr. Zannos Grekos' medical license Wednesday, accusing the Bonita Springs doctor of violating an emergency order against using stem cell treatments in Florida and allegedly causing the death of an unnamed elderly patient. Grekos can appeal the order. According to the license suspension order, Grekos performed a stem cell treatment earlier this month on the patient, who was suffering from pulmonary hypertension and pulmonary fibrosis. Both diseases restrict blood flow to the heart. "During said stem cell treatment, patient R.P. suffered a cardiac arrest and died," the suspension order said. CNN first investigated Grekos's activities in 2009 and, at that time, he said he was using stem cell therapy for a company he called Regenocyte Therapeutic. His profile, listed on the company's website, describes Grekos as … Continue reading →

OXFORD, England, March 8, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Circassia Ltd, a specialty biopharmaceutical company focused on allergy, today announced that its ragweed allergy therapy has achieved positive results in a key phase II clinical trial. In the study, patients with more severe symptoms achieved a significantly greater improvement following treatment with the ToleroMune T-cell vaccine than those on placebo (p0.05). The results were presented at the 2012 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology*. "The results of this key phase II study are highly encouraging, because they show our ToleroMune ragweed allergy vaccine can reduce patients' symptoms after just a short course of treatment and, most importantly, offers the greatest improvement to those who can benefit most," said Steve Harris, Circassia's CEO. "We have now achieved successful phase II results with four of our allergy T-cell vaccines, which validate our scientific approach and give us the confidence to progress our lead programmes into the final phase of development." Circassia's latest phase II study was designed to assess the T-cell vaccine's efficacy and tolerability and to identify the optimal treatment regime. The trial was conducted in Canada in 275 ragweed allergy patients. During the randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, … Continue reading →

OXFORD, England, March 8, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Circassia Ltd, a specialty biopharmaceutical company focused on allergy, today announced that its ragweed allergy therapy has achieved positive results in a key phase II clinical trial. In the study, patients with more severe symptoms achieved a significantly greater improvement following treatment with the ToleroMune T-cell vaccine than those on placebo (p0.05). The results were presented at the 2012 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology*. "The results of this key phase II study are highly encouraging, because they show our ToleroMune ragweed allergy vaccine can reduce patients' symptoms after just a short course of treatment and, most importantly, offers the greatest improvement to those who can benefit most," said Steve Harris, Circassia's CEO. "We have now achieved successful phase II results with four of our allergy T-cell vaccines, which validate our scientific approach and give us the confidence to progress our lead programmes into the final phase of development." Circassia's latest phase II study was designed to assess the T-cell vaccine's efficacy and tolerability and to identify the optimal treatment regime. The trial was conducted in Canada in 275 ragweed allergy patients. During the randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, … Continue reading →

Lindsay Porter's kidneys weighed 16 pounds before her transplant. STORY HIGHLIGHTS (CNN) -- By the time Lindsay Porter had her kidneys removed two years ago, they were bulging -- covered in cysts -- and together weighed 16 pounds. Her abdominal area was so distended, "I looked nine months pregnant, and people regularly asked when I was due," Porter said. As she prepared for a transplant to address her polycystic kidney disease, Porter, 47, had mixed feelings -- relief to have found a donor, tinged with resignation. She was looking forward to both a new kidney, and a lifetime on immune system-suppressing drugs. "You get this brand new shiny kidney, and then they give you drugs that eventually destroy it," said Porter. But that scenario may eventually change, if results of a new pilot study are replicated in a larger group of patients. The study, published Wednesday in the journal Science Translational Medicine, describes eight kidney transplant patients, including Porter, who received a stem cell therapy that allowed donor and recipient immune cells to coexist in the same body. The effect, in a handful of those patients, was to trick the recipient's immune system into recognizing the donated kidney as its … Continue reading →

SILVER SPRING, Md.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Nuvilex, Inc. (OTCQB:NVLX), an emerging biotechnology provider of cell and gene therapy solutions, today pointed out the potential for substantial partnership and licensing opportunities using the companys cell encapsulation technology for applications in stem cell research and medicine. Migration of implanted cells away from the target site and host rejection have been recognized as fundamental challenges faced by the stem cell community regarding their use in therapy, which the companys technology overcomes. The technology being acquired from associate SG Austria is used to place live stem cells into strong, flexible and permeable capsules. These capsules can then be implanted into animals or humans for specific therapies. Stem cells can then exist at the desired location inside the capsules, prevented from migrating and protected from the immune system that aims to eliminate such foreign cells from the body. Stem cell therapy is being used by clinicians throughout the world for treating such diverse diseases as spinal cord injury, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, burns, glioma, multiple myeloma, arthritis, heart disease, stroke, Stargardt's Macular Dystrophy, and age-related macular degeneration, among others, most of which can be found at ClinicalTrials.gov. Historically, researchers have faced numerous difficulties in succeeding with certain stem … Continue reading →

SILVER SPRING, Md.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Nuvilex, Inc. (OTCQB:NVLX), an emerging biotechnology provider of cell and gene therapy solutions, released information today about the companys cell encapsulation technology and the breakthrough in stem cell research which overcomes specific fundamental challenges faced in stem cell therapyhost rejection and migration of implanted cells away from the target site. Stem cell therapy is believed by many medical researchers as holding a key to treating cancer, Type 1 diabetes mellitus, Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease, Celiac Disease, cardiac failure, muscle damage, neurological disorders, and other chronic, debilitating diseases. There are presently >1,400 registered trials using stem cells that are recruiting patients (ClinicalTrials.gov). The encapsulation technology being advanced allows live stem cells to be implanted into robust, flexible and permeable capsules where they can replicate inside the capsules at the target site free from attack by the bodys immune system and free to undergo natural changes to become the appropriate cell type needed. The Goldman Small Cap Research report, issued February 29, 2012, noted some inherent difficulties encountered in stem cell treatments, such as keeping stem cells alive for significant periods of time, potential rejection of the cells and subsequent destruction by the recipients immune system, and the … Continue reading →

To read Hard Cell by Mayrav Saar (PostScript, Feb. 26), one would think the only form of stem-cell therapy is the embryo-destroying kind. There wasnt a single mention of non-embryonic adult stem cells. One attraction of embryonic versus non-embryonic research for some is political the chance to stick it to pro-lifers. But it grieves me to see ailing people used as pawns in this culture war and being denied the possible benefits of adult stem-cell research. Flushing such an idea down the memory hole, as you help do with this article, is against the spirit of scientific inquiry. Bob Hunt, Hillsborough, NJ Wrong on the right If social conservatives had won out in history, women would not be able to vote and we would still have slavery (Why Social Issues Matter, Jeffrey Bell, PostScript, Feb. 26). Their thinking denigrates the role of science and promotes antiquated religious beliefs. Many of the causes taken up by social conservatives have been seen to be wrong in light of later progressive thought. While social conservatives say some good things, history has shown that their views work against American freedoms an obscurantism that continues today. Jeffrey Bell should balance his thought with facts and … Continue reading →

HOUSTON (KPRC/CNN) Doctors are teaming up to cure cancer in dogs with the hope that it will one day do the same for humans. Veterinarians have teamed up with researchers at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center for a T cell therapy trial in companion dogs. "In many ways, dog and human cancers are the same," said Dr. Laurence Cooper of the Anderson Cancer Center. T cells are the naturally occurring immune cells that circulate around the body, fighting infections and viruses. The process requires that doctors draw blood from the cancer-stricken dogs and send it to M.D. Anderson. There, they isolate the T cells, grow even more and then return them to the Texas A&M Small Animal Clinic. The cells are then infused back into the sickened dogs, which are already undergoing regular chemotherapy. In using T cell therapy, veterinarians found that dogs in the study were living longer and tumor-free for about nine months. There were also less side effects than with standard chemotherapy. Dayna Willems remembers the exact moment last May when she realized something was wrong with her pound pup, Mokey. "I just reached down to pet her and noticed that she had two … Continue reading →

DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Research and Markets(http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/ad83a7/artificial_cells) has announced the addition of Woodhead Publishing Ltd's new book "Artificial cells, cell engineering and therapy" to their offering. Artificial cells, cell engineering and therapy are emerging technologies which will make a significant impact on the future of medicine and healthcare. However, research within the field is vast. This unique book provides a comprehensive study of the most recent advances in the field and its practical applications. The first part of the book offers the reader an introduction to the basics of artificial cell technology with chapters on its origins, design and current status within medicine and future prospects. Part 2 covers apoptosis, the use of bone marrow stromal cells in myocardial regeneration together with signalling and tissue engineering. Part 3 discusses artificial cells for therapy, procedures for various clinical conditions and the current status of the discipline within the field. The book concludes with a final section on the role of artificial cells in medicine with particular focus on the use of artificial cells as blood substitutes and their potential use in myocardial regeneration, drug delivery and in treating kidney and bowel diseases, diabetes and cancer. Key Topics Covered: For more information visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/ad83a7/artificial_cells … Continue reading →

Allegheny-Kiski Health Foundation will present "Stem-Cell Therapy: Defeating the Aging Process" from 6 to 8 p.m. March 13 in the William & Grayce Walker conference Room at Allegheny-Kiski Health Foundation, Charles and Mary Lou Young Non-Profit Center, 1 Acee Drive, Natrona Heights. Guest speaker will be Dr. Valerie Donaldson of the Individualized Advanced Medical Center of Pittsburgh. She is active in destressing the body and focusing on the anti-aging process. Donaldson completed her undergraduate education at Colorado College where she earned a bachelor's degree in biology and obtained her doctorate at Rush Medical College in Chicago. Registration is requested. Call 724-294-3157. Admission is free. The seminar is sponsored through the Dr. H.W. Fraley Health and Wellness Fund. Programs set at Destination Wellness Upcoming programs at Allegheny Valley Hospital's Destination Wellness at Pittsburgh Mills, Frazer, include: Pittsburgh North Restless Legs Syndrome Support Group will meet from 6:15 to 7:45 p.m. Dr. Avinash Aggarwal will discuss "Is it RLS or Something Else?" To register, call Destination Wellness at 724-274-5202. Heartsaver First Aid, part one will be from 9 a.m. to noon March 10 and is the basic first-aid course. A two-year certification card will be given after completion of skills and written … Continue reading →