Manila (Philippine Daily Inquirer/ANN) - This stem cell therapy could be hazardous to your health. The Philippine Medical Association (PMA) on Sunday warned Filipinos against availing themselves of the so-called "xenogenic" stem cell therapy from foreign doctors who fly into the country and perform the procedure in five-star hotels in Metro Manila. The doctors' organisation also announced that it had already tapped the help of the National Bureau of Investigation and the Philippine National Police to look into the scam, which it said tainted the legitimate practice of stem cell or regenerative medicine in the country. Dr. Leo Olarte, PMA president and spokesperson of the Philippine Society for Stem Cell Medicine (PSSCM), disclosed that the two medical groups had received complaints from patients and their relatives who had undergone such stem cell procedures allegedly performed in the country by German doctors. Based on the complaints, Olarte said the patients were asked to check in at a five-star hotel in the capital, where they were injected with animal-based stem cells at around 1 million pesos (US$22,800) per shot. "These foreigners are not even licensed to practice medicine in the country and are in violation of the Medical Act of 1959," Olarte … Continue reading →

The Live Uncommon race series continued as the organization partnered with an at-risk youth treatment facility to run for autism awareness. Event number nine, the Royal Ball Run for Autism, took place on Saturday, June 22, 2013 in Milan. Live Uncommon (LU) teamed up with Arrowhead Ranchs running program to host an event benefiting autism programs and to raise autism awareness, according to a spokesperson from LU. According to Nick Cunningham, a counselor at Arrowhead Ranch said running helps the youth at the facility focus on their goals. He said he has noticed a positive change in behavior in the youth who have taken up running. Running is something that we taught them that its inexpensive to do, you can do it in your neighborhood, said Cunningham. It clears the mind when youre sad, stressed, and you reach your own personal goal so you really cant lose when you run. Cunningham said an Arrowhead 5k is hopefully in the facilitys future. Saturdays event included a 1-mile Fun Run/Walk and a 5k. Link: Two organizations join forces raising money for autism awareness … Continue reading →

Philippine Daily Inquirer Stem cells are the foundation of every organ, tissue and cell in the human body that do not yet have a specific physiological function but have the potential to develop into many different cell types. They are also distinguished from other cells by their ability to self- renew. Stem cells divide and give rise to more stem cells. When a stem cell divides, each new cell has the potential to either remain as a stem cell or become another type of cell with a more specialized function, such as a muscle cell, red blood cell or brain cell. According to the National Institutes of Healths Center for Regenerative Medicine, scientists primarily work with two kinds of stem cellsembryonic stem cells and nonembryonic somatic or adult stem cells. Embryonic stem cells are obtained from the inner cell mass of a blastocyst, the ball of cells formed when the fertilized egg or zygote divides and forms two cells (then again to form four and so on). It can divide almost indefinitely and can give rise to every cell type in the body. Adult stem cells, on the other hand, are found in differentiated tissues and organs throughout the body … Continue reading →

MANILA (UPDATED) The Philippine Medical Association (PMA) is now investigating the deaths of three politicians who died allegedly after undergoing stem cell treatment in Germany. PMA president Dr. Leo Olarte still refused to name the three, except to say that they held notable posts in the country. He said the three died only this year, the latest incident was in April. One was a politician from Mindanao, he said. Olarte told ABS-CBNnews.com that the details are still sketchy and they are still trying to contact the families. He said, however, that they have good sources of information. They were given stem cells from sheep, rabbits and animals. They died after one year, they had late hypersensitivity reaction, he said. While the PMA has no jurisdiction over the health authorities who administered the therapies of the politicians, the end-result of the probe would be a warning of sorts for those who go abroad to seek help. Unlike in the Philippines, the PMA said European countries are allowed to gather stem cells from animals, just like in Germany. Olarte said the country already has experts, who are members of the Philippine Society for Stem Cell Medicine (PSSCM), competent to perform the treatment … Continue reading →

The Duke University medical complex in Durham is a wonder to behold, not just because of its size and accomplished doctors treating patients but also thanks to ground-breaking research into all sorts of illness and treatment. So much is going on at Duke (and yes, at nearby UNC-Chapel Hill) that its sometimes easy to almost take it for granted. But a project from Duke scientists is among many reasons why that would be a foolish thing to do. Dr. James McNamara, professor of neuroscience in the Duke medical school, is a leader in a study of how to prevent epilepsy in mice, one that has made a significant discovery. Its difficult to explain in laymans terms, but Duke scientists focused something called a protein receptor found on the surface of neurons. Those are the building blocks of the nervous system in the brain. When the receptors get a certain kind of protein signal, the neurons excitability can increase and so can the chance of a seizure. In the research, Duke scientists blocked the receptors activity after an initial long seizure. After two weeks of treatment, there was a big reduction in the development of epilepsy later in the life of … Continue reading →

LOS ANGELES, June 21, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --NeuroSigma, Inc., a Los Angeles based medical device company, today announced that its Monarch eTNS System for the adjunctive treatment of epilepsy and depression will make its Canadian debut at the 30th International Epilepsy Congress, taking place in Montreal, Canada from June 23 to June 27, 2013. The Monarch eTNS System will be on display at the NeuroSigma Booth #413 throughout the conference. "This conference represents the first opportunity for Canadian physicians, epilepsy specialists, and healthcare professionals to see the Monarch eTNS system up close, and to learn about the latest results from recent clinical trials. Our team looks forward to forging new relationships with physicians that desire a non-invasive, safe, and affordable neurostimulation therapy for the management of epilepsy and depression," said Leon Ekchian, Ph.D., NeuroSigma's President & CEO. NeuroSigma will host a Satellite Symposium on the safety and efficacy of eTNS for epilepsy and psychiatric disorders on Tuesday June 25, from 4:30 pm to 6:00 pm in Hall 4, Palais des Congres de Montreal. New results from acute and long-term trials in epilepsy will be presented by Christopher DeGiorgio, M.D., NeuroSigma's Vice President of Neurology and Professor of Neurology at UCLA. These … Continue reading →