Category Archives: Stem Cell Transplant

Henry Ford Hospital Performs 1st Double Cord Stem Cell Transplant Doctors at Henry Ford Hospital are celebrating the success of the system's first double-cord stem cell transplant, a promising treatment for African Americans and other minorities affected... By: HenryFordTV … Continue reading →

Autologous stem cell transplant film Professor John Radford explains autologous stem cell transplants and Kirti talks about her transplant experience. By: Lymphoma Association … Continue reading →

A DAD is aiming to encourage more parents to donate their babies umbilical cords, after his sons life was saved by a stem cell transplant. Whalley resident Sam Fletcher went through the most traumatic period of his life when his son, Charlie, now six, fell ill with a rare genetic disease called Fanconi Anemia last year. The disorder, which affects one in 350,000 people, meant Charlies immune system did not function properly and left him fighting for his life. MORE TOP STORIES: He spent 12 months in and out of Manchester Childrens Hospital, going through radiotherapy, chemotherapy and one unsuccessful bone marrow transplant. But eventually, Charlie, who goes to St Andrews School in Oswaldtwistle, received a successful transplant of stem cells from a donor umbilical cord, and was able to return to school in February. Now Mr Fletcher, 32, who runs Blackburn marketing agency Twentyone, is calling for more awareness about the potential for umbilical cords to save peoples lives. He said: In the UK we throw away 99 per cent of umbilical cords, and research has found that most people arent aware they can donate them for the benefit of someone like Charlie. Its a huge advance in science … Continue reading →

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Oct. 9 (UPI) -- Patients with type 1 diabetes lack the insulin-producing cells that keep blood glucose levels in check. Currently, these patients must use insulin pumps or daily hormone injections to keep levels stable. But in a recent breakthrough in laboratories at Harvard University, researchers came upon a new technique for transforming stem cells into pancreatic beta cells that respond to glucose levels and produce insulin when necessary. The breakthrough could lead to new less invasive, more hands-off treatment for diabetes. Remarkably, the new technique -- a complex process which involves turning on and off specific genes and takes about 40 days and six precise steps to complete -- was replicated not only on embryonic stem cells but also on human skin cells reprogrammed to act in a stem-cell-like manner. This revelation allows scientists to produce millions of insulin-producing cells while avoiding the ethical dilemmas attached to traditional stem cell research. Previous attempts to convert stem cells into insulin-producers have proven moderately successful, but these cells mostly produced insulin at will, unable to adjust their output on the fly. The latest techniques -- developed by Douglas Melton, co-director of the Harvard Stem Cell Institute, and his research … Continue reading →

Rob's Stem Cell Transplant Description. By: Sharon Minton … Continue reading →

A TEENAGER from York is recovering well just weeks after a life-changing transplant. Noni Grant was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia (AML), in January and spent more than six months being treated at Leeds General Infirmary, before a cord stem cell transplant could be carried out in July. Following several more weeks in isolation at the hospital, to avoid infection, the Manor School pupil has been allowed home to Acomb, with weekly check-ups at the hospital, but said she was pleased to be home. Noni said: "It's good to be home, I feel so much more relaxed here. It's nice to get out of hospital. Spending all that time in isolation it's nice to move around as I want. I struggle a bit going upstairs but it will soon improve. "I don't really feel any different, just sometimes a bit more tired if I've done too much, it tires me out a lot quicker. I'm getting a lot of work done so far so that's good. I've had a couple of friends visit but have to make sure they don't have any colds or infections, I've just got to be so careful, I don't want to go back. It will … Continue reading →

2014 Anaheim- Stem Cell Transplant: A Patients Perspective- Bill and Cyndy Martin Hematopioetic stem cell transplants (HSCT) is showing a lot of promise in the treatment of aggressive scleroderma. In this session, hear from a patient and h... By: Scleroderma Foundation … Continue reading →

Watch above: Tammy McLash is a young mom of twin toddlers, but she has barely seen them in over 50 days because shes fighting for her life in hospital. But, as Su-Ling Goh reports, theres a way you could help. EDMONTON Imagine being a mother of twin toddlers. Now imagine being separated from your children because you have to stay in the hospital while you fight leukemia. For the past 51 days, 38-year-old Tammy McLash has only been able to see her two-year-old twins for half an hour a day. She lives for 3:30, 4 oclock every day, said her husband Mathew. This is her time. Tammy is generally very healthy, so when she had a sore throat for several weeks in June, and then a rash on her legs, she visited several walk-in medical clinics. She was told it was likely a virus of some kind. But then, whena large bruise refused to heal after a family reunion in August, she found a new family doctor and went for a full physical. After getting test results back, her doctor told her to go to an emergency department. Her platelet count was very low. She called me crying, recalled Mathew, … Continue reading →

In an NHS first, stem cells from babies born in Croydon will be extracted so they can be used in life saving treatments. To make this happen Croydon Health Services NHS Trust has teamed up with Precious Cells Miracle (PCM), to collect, process and store stem cells extracted from umbilical cord blood and tissue. Because these cells can become bone, muscle, cartilage and other types of cells there is the potential for them to be used to treat many diseases. Under the terms of the deal PCM will provide Croydon University Hospital with the staff, technology and specialised equipment necessary to perform sterile collections of cord blood. And expectant parents will be given the option of privately storing their stem cells with Precious Cells Group for their families own immediate use or of donating their cord blood stem cells to build up the Governments public stem cell bank. Precious Cells Group is covering the cost of storing and extracting the stem cells, which are then made available for the benefit of the public bank and those that require a transplant. And it will share the private storage profits. Precious Cells Group chief executive Dr Husein Salem said: The initiative we … Continue reading →

SEATTLE ( TheStreet) -- Seattle Genetics (SGEN) will seek to expand the approved use of its Hodgkin lymphomadrug Adcetris following positive results from a phase III study, the company announced Monday. In the study (known as AETHERA), treatment with Adcetris in "high risk" Hodgkin lymphomapatients immediately after a stem-cell transplant led to a 43% reduction in the risk of disease progression compared to placebo. The result was statistically significant and met the primary endpoint of the study.The Hodgkin lymphoma patients enrolled in the study were deemed to be "high risk" because they had at least one factorthat made them more susceptible to disease relapse. Must Read: 10 Stocks George Soros Is Buying Despite delaying disease progression, treatment with Adcetris did not prolong survival compared to placebo in the phase III study at this analysis, which the company blames partly on placebo patients "crossing over" to receive Adcetris once their disease progressed. Another survival analysis of the study will be conducted in 2016. Adcetris' safety profile was "generally consistent" with previous studies, the company said. No further details were disclosed, pending presentation of the results at a future medical meeting. Adcetris is already approved to treat more advanced Hodgkin patients who … Continue reading →