PUBLIC RELEASE DATE: 17-Nov-2014 Contact: Megan Fellman fellman@northwestern.edu 847-491-3115 Northwestern University @northwesternu Metastasis is bad news for cancer patients. Northwestern University scientists now have demonstrated a simple but powerful tool that can detect live cancer cells in the bloodstream, potentially long before the cells could settle somewhere in the body and form a dangerous tumor. The NanoFlare technology is the first genetic-based approach that is able to detect live circulating tumor cells out of the complex matrix that is human blood -- no easy feat. In a breast cancer study, the NanoFlares easily entered cells and lit up the cell if a biomarker target was present, even if only a trace amount. The NanoFlares are tiny spherical nucleic acids with gold nanoparticle cores outfitted with single-stranded DNA "flares." "This technology has the potential to profoundly change the way breast cancer in particular and cancers in general are both studied and treated," said Chad A. Mirkin, a nanomedicine expert and a corresponding author of the study. Mirkin's colleagues C. Shad Thaxton, M.D., and Chonghui Cheng, M.D., both of Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, are also corresponding authors. The research team, in a paper to be published the week of Nov. … Continue reading →

Stem cells are immature cells that eventually develop into the various types of mature blood cells: A stem cell transplant replaces defective or damaged cells in patients whose normal blood cells have been crowded out by cancerous cells. Transplants can also be used to treat hereditary disorders such as sickle cell anemia, or to help patients recover from or better tolerate cancer treatment. Stem cells for transplant come from the following sources: Autologous transplant: cells are taken from the patient's own bone marrow before chemotherapy and are then replaced after cancer treatment. Allogeneic transplant: stem cells come from a donor whose tissue most closely matches the patient. Umbilical cord blood from newborn infants is extracted from the placenta after birth and saved in special cord blood banks for future use. MDAnderson's Cord Blood Bank actively seeks donations of umbilical cords. Human leukocyte antigen, or HLA, typing is the method by which stem cell transplant patients are matched with eligible donors. HLA are proteins that exist on the surface of most cells in the body. HLA markers help the body distinguish normal cells from foreign cells, such as cancer cells. The closest possible match between the HLA markers of the donor … Continue reading →

PUBLIC RELEASE DATE: 17-Nov-2014 Contact: Sally Stewart sally.stewart@cshs.org 310-248-6566 Cedars-Sinai Medical Center @cedarssinai LOS ANGELES (NOV. 17, 2014) - Researchers at the Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute have found that injections of cardiac stem cells might help reverse heart damage caused by Duchenne muscular dystrophy, potentially resulting in a longer life expectancy for patients with the chronic muscle-wasting disease. The study results were presented today at a Breaking Basic Science presentation during the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions in Chicago. After laboratory mice with Duchenne muscular dystrophy were infused with cardiac stem cells, the mice showed steady, marked improvement in heart function and increased exercise capacity. Duchenne muscular dystrophy, which affects 1 in 3,600 boys, is a neuromuscular disease caused by a shortage of a protein called dystrophin, leading to progressive muscle weakness. Most Duchenne patients lose their ability to walk by age 12. Average life expectancy is about 25. The cause of death often is heart failure because the dystrophin deficiency leads to cardiomyopathy, a weakness of the heart muscle that makes the heart less able to pump blood and maintain a regular rhythm. "Most research into treatments for Duchenne muscular dystrophy patients has focused on the skeletal muscle aspects of … Continue reading →

Homeopathy Nanomedicine in Chronic Disease and Immune Disorders - Dana Ullman Dana Ullman, MPH, CCH presents Homeopathy Nanomedicine in Chronic Disease and Immune Disorders on October 16, 2014 at Palo Alto, CA. DANA ULLMAN, MPH, CCH, is one of America's ... By: Silicon Valley Health Institute … Continue reading →

Stem Cell Treatment Patient By: Tom Telfer … Continue reading →

Through stem cell research, two Madison men who suffer from a genetic condition that causes blindness and hearing loss are receiving experimental treatment. Johnny and Mike Walsh, sons of University of Wisconsin Regent David Walsh who suffer from Usher disease are receiving experimental treatmentfrom David Gamm, a UW professor and expert in retinal and stem biology. Johnny has had hearing problems from birth and is now legally blind. However, he maintains a positive attitude due to the experimental treatment he is receiving in Madison and does not let his disability get in the way of his career as an attorney at Axley Brynelson LLP. It is interesting that here I am in Madison getting a diagnosis and then having such a great research institution there in my backyard and its convenient for them to have my family there because you got four kids, three who carry the genes, two who are affected and one who isnt. So you have a perfect control right there, I think thats kind of neat for Dr. [David] Gamm to have and he takes our blood whenever he needs it, Walsh said. Mike started a project entitled Flight4Sight, where he travels the world to spread … Continue reading →