PHILADELPHIA When doctors saw the report on Bill Ludwigs bone-marrow biopsy, they thought it was a mistake and ordered the test repeated. But the results came back the same: His lethal leukemia had been wiped out by an experimental treatment never before used in humans. We were hoping for a little improvement, remembered the 72-year-old retired New Jersey corrections officer, who had battled the disease for a decade. He and his oncologist both broke down when she delivered the good news in 2010. Nobody was hoping for zero cancer. The pioneering therapy administered to Ludwig and a few other adults at the University of Pennsylvania hospital paved the way for clinical trials with children. Six-year-old Emily Whitehead, who was near death, became the first pediatric recipient in 2012. Like Ludwig, she remains cancer-free. Such results are why the treatment is on track to become the first gene therapy approved by the Food and Drug Administration. An FDA advisory committee will decide Wednesday whether to recommend approval of the approach, which uses patients own genetically altered immune cells to fight blood cancers. If the panel gives the nod, the agency probably will follow suit by the end of September. That would … Continue reading →

According to recent study, advancements in materials from this study could potentially help patients requiring stem cell therapies for spinal cord injuries, stroke, Parkinsons disease, Alzheimers disease, arthritic joints or any other condition requiring tissue regeneration. Earlier research revolved around the role of autoimmunity in terms of a treatment. Its important in the context of cell therapies for people to cure these diseases or regenerate tissues that are no longer functional, shared Samuel I. Stupp, director of Northwesterns Simpson Querrey Institute for BioNanotechnology and Board of Trustees Professor of Materials Science and Engineering, Chemistry, Medicine and Biomedical Engineering. Cells in our bodies are constantly being signalled with many types of instructions coming from proteins and other molecules present in the matrices that surround them. For example, these can be cues for cells to express specific genes so they can proliferate or differentiate into several types of cells leading to growth or regeneration of tissues. One of the marvels of this signalling machinery is the built-in capacity in living organisms to make signals stop and restart as needed, or to switch off one signal and activate a different one to orchestrate very complex processes. Building artificial materials with this type of … Continue reading →

SINGAPORE - The use of stem cells to reverse liver cirrhosis - or the hardening of the liver - is being explored in a clinical trial. Conducted by a multi-centre team led by the National University Hospital (NUH), doctors aim to determine if stem cell therapy can improve liver function. Previously, liver cirrhosis, caused by various diseases such as chronic hepatitis B and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, was thought to be irreversible. A liver transplant provides a definitive cure to end-stage cirrhosis. However, in Singapore, less than 5 per cent of end-stage liver cirrhosis patients receive a liver transplant. The number of people on the waiting list for a liver transplant has been increasing over the years, according to statistics from the Ministry of Health. In 2007, there were nine on the waiting list, compared with 57 last year. There are around 50 waiting for a liver transplant this year. Also, many patients do not fulfil the eligibility criteria to receive a liver transplant due to other health complications or being above the age limit of 70 years. The $2.6 million study, which was launched on Tuesday (July 11),is funded by the National Medical Research Counciland 46 patients will be … Continue reading →

TheAmerican Medical Associationis adding descriptions ofCytori Therapeuticscell-based therapy for scleroderma of the hands to its authoritative database of medical procedures, services and technology. Because so many players in the American healthcare system use the database as a reference, the addition of thedescriptions will help Cytori spread the word in the medical community about the HabeoCell Therapyit is developing. The company said the descriptions will also help it continue to advance the therapy through the clinical trial process. A code accompanies each of the descriptions in the AMAsCurrent Procedural Terminology database. The code-based descriptions provide information about medical procedures and services to doctors, patients, government healthcare agencies, medical accreditation associations, health insurance companies and others. The AMAsCurrent Procedural Terminology Editorial Panel approved Cytoris request to add the descriptions to the databases Category III listings, which cover emerging healthcare technology, procedures and services. The AMA has published the two codes and the descriptions that they cover on its website. They will become effective on Jan. 1, 2018. Cytori worked with the American College of Rheumatology, the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, and the American Society for Surgery of the Handon its application request to the AMA. We applaud the Editorial Panels approval … Continue reading →

How do veterinarians help a giraffe ease its arthritis pain? Well, it takes a little more than an aspirin and a gulp of water. Recently, Colorado State University veterinarians traveled to Cheyenne Mountain Zoo to help Mahali, a 14-year-old giraffe, with arthritis pain in his front left hoof. Arthritis is a common problem for giraffes, especially geriatric giraffes like Mahali. Who can blame them? Weighing in at 2,000 pounds on average, their four feet support more than one ton of weight. Thats like carrying two grand pianos on your back all day. With its 17-giraffe herd trained for voluntary husbandry, including hoof trims, blood draws and radiographs, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo is uniquely suited to help find better arthritis treatments for giraffes. Dr. Amanda Morphet, who is training to specialize in exotic and zoo animal medicine at CSU, believes stem-cell therapy can help alleviate arthritis pain. Currently, arthritis in these megavertebrates is managed through corrective hoof trims, non-steroidal anti-inflammatories, cold-laser therapy and pain medications. But, these practices are not always enough to keep giraffes, which can live up to 30 years, comfortable as they age. CSU veterinarians Dr. Val Johnson and Dr. Amanda Morphet, and the zoos lead veterinarian Dr. Liza … Continue reading →