Today is my second birthday, said George Schwartz, 70. Schwartz was celebrating after undergoing an adult blood stem cell transplant at the University of Miamis Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center about 10 days ago. Schwartz had been diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a cancer that targets the blood cells in the bone marrow, about a year and a half ago. Adult blood stem cell transplants allow for healthy blood cell production after a patient receives high doses of chemotherapy. I got a second chance of life back, Schwartz said, hours after his transplant. He was the 200th patient to receive a transplant in the 2-year-old inpatient unit. The Adult Stem Cell Transplant Program at Sylvester treats people with acute and chronic leukemia and multiple myeloma, cancers of the blood. In multiple myeloma, abnormal plasma cells called myeloma cells multiply in the bone marrow. When the cancerous cells multiply, the result is fewer healthy blood cells: red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets. Dr. Krishna Komanduri, director of UMs Adult Stem Cell Transplant program, has directed the program, established in 1992, since 2008. Before that, he spent nearly a decade at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. At Sylvester, Komanduri works to … Continue reading →

StemCell FAQ5 Is Stem Cell Treatment Natural, SAFE? http://youtu.be/RrXP5M0GQrY Stem Cell treatments (by qualified, ethical, certified/licensed practitioners, is now natural and safe. There are always individu... By: Kerry Dean … Continue reading →

Stem cell research reveals clues to disease's origins and possible treatment. Epilepsy in a dish: Stem cell research reveals clues to disease's origins and possible treatment U-M-led study of neurons created from skin of patients with Dravet syndrome A new stem cell-based approach to studying epilepsy has yielded a surprising discovery about what causes one form of the disease, and may help in the search for better medicines to treat all kinds of seizure disorders. The findings, reported by a team of scientists from the University of Michigan Medical School and colleagues, use a technique that could be called "epilepsy in a dish". By turning skin cells of epilepsy patients into stem cells, and then turning those stem cells into neurons, or brain nerve cells, the team created a miniature testing ground for epilepsy. They could even measure the signals that the cells were sending to one another, through tiny portals called sodium channels. In neurons derived from the cells of children who have a severe, rare genetic form of epilepsy called Dravet syndrome, the researchers report abnormally high levels of sodium current activity. They saw spontaneous bursts of communication and "hyperexcitability" that could potentially set off seizures. Neurons made … Continue reading →

IRVINE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- California Stem Cell, Inc. (CSC) announced today the submission of a Phase III protocol to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for a randomized, double-blind study in metastatic melanoma. The multicenter trial will examine the effectiveness of CSCs patient specific cancer immunotherapy in patients with recurrent stage III or stage IV metastatic melanoma. The study, led by Chief Medical Officer Robert Dillman, M.D., will explore the efficacy of subcutaneous injections of autologous dendritic cells that have been loaded with irradiated autologous tumor cells suspended in GM-CSF (DC-TC). The protocol calls for approximately 250 adult patients to be randomized in a 2:1 ratio to receive either the DC-TC or a control treatment. Doses will be administered weekly for three consecutive weeks, then monthly for the following five months. The primary and sole efficacy endpoint will be overall survival. CSCs submission of the Phase III protocol comes on the heels of two earlier Phase II clinical studies in which the combined median 5-year survival in patients with stage IV melanoma was a remarkably high 51%. This therapy has been proven to be safe and appears to prolong survival in late stage melanoma. We are very excited to be … Continue reading →

Public release date: 25-Jul-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ] Contact: Corinne Williams press_releases@the-jci.org Journal of Clinical Investigation Epilepsy is characterized by recurrent seizures that present in many different ways. In some cases epileptic patients exhibit a progressive increase in both frequency and severity of seizures. Epigenetic changes such as DNA methylation have recently been implied as an underlying cause of several neurologic disorders, including epilepsy. In this issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation, Detlev Boison and colleagues at Legacy Research show an increase of DNA methylation in the hippocampi of epileptic animals. They found that increased methyation corresponded with a decrease of adenosine (ADO), which is a known anticonvulsant. The authors used bioengineered implants to transiently deliver ADO to the brains of epileptic rats. Targeted ADO delivery to the brain reversed DNA hypermethylation and resulted in a decrease in seizures and prevented epilepsy progression. These data indicate that therapies aimed at reducing DNA methylation in the brain have potential for the treatment and prevention of epilepsy. ### TITLE: Epigenetic changes induced by adenosine augmentation therapy prevent epileptogenesis AUTHOR CONTACT: Detlev Boison Legacy Research, Portland, OR, USA Phone: (503) 413-1754; Fax: (503) 413-5465; E-mail: dboison@downeurobiology.org View this article at: … Continue reading →

July 25, 2013 Silk has walked straight off the runway and into the lab. According to a new study published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation, silk implants placed in the brain of laboratory animals and designed to release a specific chemical, adenosine, may help stop the progression of epilepsy. The research was supported by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) and the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB), which are part of the National Institutes of Health. The epilepsies are a group of neurological disorders associated with recurring seizures that tend to become more frequent and severe over time. Adenosine decreases neuronal excitability and helps stop seizures. Earlier studies have suggested abnormally low levels of adenosine may be linked to epilepsy. Rebecca L. Williams-Karnesky, Ph.D. and her colleagues from Legacy Research Institute, Portland, Ore., Oregon Health and Sciences University (OHSU), Portland, and Tufts University, Boston, looked at long-term effects of an adenosine-releasing silk-implant therapy in rats and examined the role of adenosine in causing epigenetic changes that may be associated with the development of epilepsy. The investigators argue that adenosine's beneficial effects are due to epigenetic modifications (chemical reactions that change the way genes … Continue reading →

Autism treatment: Animal-assisted nature exposure An overview of the "Eye of a Horse" nature exposure mental health program, which utilizes cows and horses in the treatment of autism. By: eyeofahorsecom … Continue reading →

CANTON TWP., Mich. - Customers attending Hockey Fest at Kroger's Canton store on Saturday, August 3 can meet hockey legend Ted Lindsay and other Detroit Red Wing alumni, and support autism research and local treatment programs. Hockey Fest will feature the Hockey Hall of Fame Legends of Hockey exhibit as well as interactive games, including a mini hockey rink, foam puck shooting range and a fast shot radar cage. Admission is free to Hockey Fest attendees and the event will be held from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Canton Kroger store parking lot. Ted Lindsay will be present between noon and 2 p.m. to meet fans and sign autographs. The Canton Kroger is located at 1905 Canton Center Road. As part of the event, Kroger, The Ted Lindsay Foundation, Today's 105.1 and WDIV/Local 4 ClickOnDetroit.com have gathered prizes that customers have a chance to win, including two pair of tickets for 2013-14 Detroit Red Wings regular season game tickets, restaurant gift cards, theatre tickets and more. Guests will have the opportunity to meet other former Detroit Red Wings players and can purchase a family meal deal, with all proceeds from food and raffle sales benefiting The Ted Lindsay … Continue reading →