SAN DIEGO, CA--(Marketwired - Jul 18, 2013) - Medistem, Inc. (PINKSHEETS: MEDS), today announced that it entered into an agreement granting Cytori Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: CYTX) a license and the exclusive rights to use Medistem's U.S. Patent No. 8,241,621, "Stem Cell Mediated Treg Activation" in the United States. The licensed patent pertains to Cytori's Adipose-Derived Regenerative Cell (ADRC) based platform for the treatment of autoimmune diseases. "We are delighted to have formalized a licensing agreement with an adult stem cell leader like Cytori and look forward to working with them in the future," said Alan J. Lewis, Ph.D., CEO of Medistem. "We are pleased to have licensed this patent from Medistem because it strengthens our patent portfolio in the area of immune disease," said Marc H. Hedrick, President of Cytori Therapeutics. About Medistem, Inc. Medistem, Inc., is focused on the development of the Endometrial Regenerative Cell (ERC), a universal donor adult stem cell product. ERCs possess specialized abilities to stimulate new blood vessel growth and can differentiate into lung, liver, heart, brain, bone, cartilage, fat and pancreatic tissue. These unique properties have applications for treatment of critical limb ischemia (CLI), congestive heart failure (CHF), neurodegenerative diseases, liver failure, kidney failure, … Continue reading →

Two UMass Medical School researchers used a naturally occurring off switch to shut down the chromosomes that cause Down syndrome during laboratory experiments that used human stem cells, according to a press release from the school. This discovery could lead to treatment and therapy based on the chromosome that causes the condition, rather than treatment based on its symptoms, the researchers said. Our hope is that for individuals living with Down syndrome, this proof-of-principal opens up multiple exciting new avenues for studying the disorder now, and brings into the realm of consideration research on the concept of chromosome therapy in the future, said lead researcher Jeanne B. Lawrence, professor of cell and developmental biology. The news was met with guarded applause by a Bay State advocacy group which praised the research, but warned of ethical concerns for parents of children with Down syndrome. This appears to be one of the most important scientific advancements in the field since French physician Jerome Lejeune identified Down syndrome as a chromosomal condition in 1959, Maureen Gallagher, executive director of the Massachusetts Down Syndrome Congress said in a statement. Its important for us to understand that any direct therapeutic implications as a result of … Continue reading →

By Rick Nauert PhD Senior News Editor Reviewed by John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on July 17, 2013 An investigation shows that preschoolers with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) improve developmentally when high-quality early intervention is delivered regardless of the treatment model used. Experts say this surprising result may have important implications for special-education programs and school classrooms across the country. This is the first study designed to compare long-standing comprehensive treatment models for young children with ASD, said Dr. Brian Boyd, a fellow at the University of North Carolina and one of the studys co-principal investigators. Boyd also is an assistant professor in occupational science and occupational therapy in UNCs School of Medicine. We know that more children are being diagnosed with ASD each year, and that it can cost an estimated $3.2 million to treat each child over a lifetime. Understanding that a child can benefit from a high-quality program, rather than a specialized program, may help reduce those costs by decreasing the need for teachers and other school practitioners to be trained to deliver multiple specialized services, Boyd said. He stressed it remains important to ensure educators are trained to provide high-quality programs that meet the special behavioral, communication … Continue reading →

ABC has been taking more heat than a Jersey Shore lifeguard in the past few days. The growing uproar began as soon as Barbara Walters announced Monday on the weekday talk show "The View" that Jenny McCarthy, whose acting career has been largely eclipsed in recent years by her campaign to link vaccines with autism, will become a permanent co-host in September. The choice of Jenny McCarthy to co-host ABC's 'The View' talk show has alarmed medical professionals. While the program is called "The View," and everyone has a right to his or her opinion, not everyone gets to share those views including some that have been branded "dangerous" with millions of people five days a week. McCarthy believes that vaccines caused her now 11-year-old son Evan's autism and that chelation, among other alternative therapies, "cured" him. The scientific community says she's dead wrong about all this. "We've had multiple, multiple studies from different countries, from different investigators and none have shown a link between any of the vaccines and autism," says Dr. Margaret Fisher, president of the New Jersey Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics. "Our major concern is, this is a person whose track record has shown … Continue reading →

Oxytocin - the so-called ''love hormone'' - may not improve the symptoms of children with autism, a new study has found. Previous findings have shown that the brain chemical, known to encourage trust and social bonding, could have benefits for children with the disorder, said research leader Professor Mark Dadds, a psychologist at the University of NSW. Our study is the first one to show it had no effect. In recent years, the use of ''oxytocin to treat autism symptoms has become a worldwide phenomenon'', Professor Dadds said. Some parents, he said, are buying it ''semi-illegally'' over the internet in the hope it will help treat their children with the disorder. Advertisement But the latest study - the largest of its kind worldwide - has cast doubt over the use of nasal spray oxytocin as a possible treatment. ''Our study is the first one to show it had no effect,'' Professor Dadds said. ''It's a very important finding because there are at least 20 similar studies going on now.'' Professor Dadds conducted the clinical trial of 38 boys with autism, aged between seven and 16. Half were given a nasal spray of oxytocin on five consecutive days and half were … Continue reading →

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - Families of 23,000 military children with Autism fear treatment could be cut after next week. One military mom contacted Hawaii News Now because she's concerned about losing services for her son. 5-year old Gabe Lee's ease doing exercises with his therapist, despite the presence of a news camera is a testament to his Autism treatment. According to his mom Kristina, "He's a different boy. He would have just been doing his own thing. Tunnel vision into it." She fears changes by Tricare, the military's health care program, will threaten his progress. Change always poses challenges for treatment, especially for military families dealing with deployments. For Gabe, this chatterbox clammed up when his dad deployed. "When my husband returned from deployment" explains Lee "on the pier, he ran up and Daddy I missed you. He just talked a mile a minute." Gabe starts a new school next week, the same time changes kick in for Applied Behavioral Analysis, or ABA therapy. Starting July 25th, there will be standardized testing every six months. If benchmarks aren't met, services can be cut. Another change? Waivers are needed every year to get ABA treatment longer than 2 years or past age … Continue reading →

Baton Rouge, LA (PRWEB) July 17, 2013 CARD Louisiana Autism Conference, designed for parents, practitioners, educators, and caregivers, will be held on Saturday, August 24, 2013, at the Oak Lodge Conference and Convention Center in Baton Rouge. The free, one-day conference hosted by Center for Autism and Related Disorders (CARD), Inc., will feature keynote speaker, world-renowned autism expert/clinical psychologist, and CARD founder/ CEO Doreen Granpeesheh, Ph.D., BCBA-D. Attendees must register online at http://conference.centerforautism.com. CARD is one of the worlds largest and most effective autism treatment providers offering evidence-based, state-of-the-art services to individuals of all ages. The upcoming conference will include presentations on Creating a Comprehensive and Individualized Treatment Program for a Child with Autism Spectrum Disorder by Dr. Doreen Granpeesheh; Practical Solutions for Addressing Challenging Behaviors by Dr. Dennis Dixon; and Skills: A Web-Based Toolkit for the Effective Management of Autism Treatment by Dr. Adel Najdowski, as well as a screening of RECOVERED: Journeys Through the Autism Spectrum and Back, an award-winning documentary produced by CARD about four children who have recovered from autism which includes documentation of therapy sessions, along with interviews of the children who are now teenagers, their parents, therapists, and the founder of CARD. Following the … Continue reading →

Randy Travis performs during the CMA Music Festival at LP Field in Nashville on June 7, 2013. UPI/Terry Wyatt License photo DALLAS, July 16 (UPI) -- Randy Travis' doctor says the U.S. country music star's health is improving following treatment for a stroke, cardiomyopathy and congestive heart failure. People.com quoted Dr. Gary Erwin of the Baylor Health Care System as saying Monday the hospitalized musician's overall condition has stabilized. Erwin said Travis is "awake and alert, interacting with his family and friends and beginning to start doing some early physical therapy." Travis is breathing with the help of a ventilator but hospital staff "hope to have him weaned off of that very soon," Erwin said. The 54-year-old recording artist underwent an operation last week at the Baylor Heart Hospital in Plano, Texas, to control the swelling on his brain caused by a stroke, a complication of congestive heart failure. Before the stroke, doctors said Travis was showing signs of improvement. Travis last month completed his court-ordered rehab stemming from a 2012 drunken driving arrest and was touring again when he was struck down by pneumonia, which led to complications of viral cardiomyopathy and congestive heart failure. See the article here: … Continue reading →

(PRWEB) July 17, 2013 Minutes after Dr. Tobinick administered a perispinal injection of Enbrel to Anna Alfaro, she began to recover according to her husband Dr. Rene Alfaro, an ophthalmologist from Mexico. "It's magic" he said of his wife's recovery after a single dose that almost instantly restored much of her movement and cognition more than a year after an aneurysm and subsequent stroke incapacitated her left side. Within minutes of receiving the injection on Monday, Anna Alfaro walked without a cane, got up from a chair more easily and regained sensation in her left arm. Hours later, with some of her left eye vision returned, she could see the phone clearly enough to dial a number for the first time since her illness. Another patient treated with perispinally injected Enbrel, a 59 year old Florida resident was described by his daughter Jennifer Cody as having "renewed independence" 18 years after his stroke. Within five minutes, he was saying how clear his head was, Cody said. It had always been so cloudy. Now her father talks without slowed speech, hes confident enough to drive on the highway, he can roll down the window in his car, and he no longer … Continue reading →