RICHMOND When most people think of stem-cell therapy, they think of cutting-edge medicine human medicine, that is. What many dont realize is that the technology can be, and is, applied to our four-legged friends as well. Jim Martin, DVM, a veterinarian who owns and operates four area animal care facilities, including the Waco Animal Hospital, has been using stem-cell therapy to help dogs, mainly with mobility problems, such as arthritis, joint pain and tendon and ligament damage. The therapy can provide canine patients with renewed energy and freedom of movement. Martin, associates, and staff members, have been using the procedure on dogs for about a year, with considerable success. In Kentucky the use of stem-cell therapy has been mainly for horses, Martin explained, but added it works on canines as well. The procedure doesnt come cheap. Martin said the cost ranges from about $1,800 to $2,200. That includes pre-testing to determine if the dog is a good candidate for the procedure, along with surgical anesthetic and other services necessary to complete the procedure. Because the stem cells that are injected come from the animals own body, the risk of rejection or reaction is minimal. The procedures are done in Martins … Continue reading →

Nanomedicine: The Risks and The Potential Scientists are developing the ability to manipulate unbelievably small matter--thousand of times smaller than a human hair. All kinds of magical things can happen at this level...nano technology... By: WOSUColumbus … Continue reading →

BALTIMORE, MD--(Marketwired - Sep 16, 2013) - In a newly released article, Goldman Small Cap Research, a stock market research firm focused on the small cap and micro cap sectors, notes that there is a buzz in biotech circles regarding the high value of encapsulation technologies and targeted therapy delivery platforms. Firms that have exposure to, or are major participants in these segments are just now beginning to garner significant interest from larger players, thus enabling them to enjoy increasingly favorable valuations. For example, Bind Therapeutics, Inc., a high profile biotech that recently filed to go public via an Initial Public Offering through leading health care investment banks, is one of these companies. Considering the striking similarities between Bind and Nuvilex, Inc. (OTCQB: NVLX), Nuvilex's shares could enjoy a big boost once Bind's IPO registration becomes effective. Bind is developing a therapy using what it terms Accurins. Accurins are polymeric nanoparticles that incorporate a therapeutic payload and are designed to have prolonged circulation within the bloodstream, enable targeting of the diseased tissue or cells, and provide for the controlled and timely release of the therapeutic payload at the site of disease to enhance efficacy while minimizing adverse effects on healthy … Continue reading →

BROWNSVILLE Federal authorities say a man who posed as a doctor was part of a scheme that used stem cells from the umbilical cords of women at a border maternity clinic to prey on the hopes of patients with incurable diseases. A 19-page indictment unsealed this week accuses Francisco Dr. Frank Morales, 52, of Brownsville and co-defendants including the owner of a maternity clinic in Del Rio and a researcher in South Carolina of netting at least $1.5 million from procedures Morales performed in Mexico on patients he met in the United States. Birth mothers at the Maternity Care Clinic were told their umbilical cords were being donated to a research facility. Instead, they were sent to the researcher to extract stem cells that were sold to Global Laboratories, LLC, in Scottsdale, Ariz., which then sold them to Morales for his unauthorized procedures, the indictment alleges. Customs and Border Protection officers arrested Morales Dec. 22 in Brownsville. He is to be arraigned in Houston, where the case is pending. Court records show he waived his right to a court-appointed attorney. Clinic owner and licensed midwife Alberto Ramon, 48, of Del Rio, and researcher Vincent Dammai, 40, of Mount Pleasant, S.C., … Continue reading →

In his day job, UC Davis scientist Paul Knoepfler probes the inner workings of stem cells and cancer cells and what makes them behave the way they do. On the side, the father of three daughters blogs about costly, unproven stem cell treatments and provides guidance for those seeking experimental therapies. Knoepfler is a rare stem cell researcher who regularly explores the most problematic aspects of stem cell therapies on the Internet in full public gaze. He considers himself an advocate for patients as well as a scientist, having survived an aggressive form of prostate cancer at the age of 42. Now 46, Knoepfler began his blog in 2010, shortly after his cancer was diagnosed. His blogging has encountered resistance from some colleagues, who are uncomfortable with such public endeavors. But he has polished and expanded the blog to the point that it has received international recognition. He will receive an award in December at the World Stem Cell Summit in San Diego for his advocacy efforts. This month he moved beyond cyberspace and published Stem Cells: An Insiders Guide (World Scientific Publishing). The book covers stem cells from A to Z and is aimed at the general reader, especially … Continue reading →