The family of tragic Deftones rocker Chi Cheng are considering controversial stem cell therapy to speed up the bass player's recovery from a 2008 car accident, which left him in a coma. The star's brother admits recent months have been challenging for the family as Cheng has been in and out of hospital in New Jersey and in his native California, but now he is back at home making slow progress. Ming Cheng tells rock publication Revolver that his younger brother can now lift his legs but he still can't communicate or move other parts of his body. However, there is still hope. He says, "Once his health gets a little better, we'll start looking into other options... but they don't even do it (stem cell therapy) in the U.S. yet. "It's a miracle he's still with us. He's alive and kicking and he's fighting, and I think there's a reason for it. I'm hoping there's a light at the end of the tunnel for Chi." Read the original post: Deftones Bassist Still Struggling Four Years After Car Crash … Continue reading →

Photo by Allie Garza Zannos Grekos Editor's note: The Daily News takes an occasional look back at people and issues that have been in the local news, though not lately. Have an idea? Post it below this story at naplesnews.com or call (239) 435-3457 and leave a brief message. NAPLES There's been more legal wrangling since a state hearing last month to address Dr. Zannos Grekos' stem cell practice and if he committed medical malpractice or not. A few issues were left unresolved after the four-day hearing that was held in Naples, including whether videotaped testimony of a state Department of Health witness would be admitted for the administrative law judge to consider. Grekos' attorney, Richard Ozelie, of Boca Raton, sought to have the testimony of the witness stricken based on issues of how he arrived at his medical opinion in the case and related matters. The witness is Dr. Thomas Freeman, a professor of neurosurgery, molecular pharmacology and physiology with the University of South Florida's College of Medicine in Tampa. In a Nov. 15 order, Administrative Law Judge J. Lawrence Johnston ruled that the witness' testimony would be allowed. State health regulators last year restricted Grekos' license and forbid … Continue reading →

Ahead of a planned five-centre nationwide trial, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has approved a special project at the AIIMS Trauma Centre in New Delhi where stem cell therapy will be conducted on complete paraplegics and quadriplegics to try and revive limb function. A similar trial will be conducted at the Indian Spinal Injuries Centre (ISIC) in Vasant Kunj, south-west Delhi where 21 patients have already been registered. This project too has been approved by the ICMR. Senior ICMR scientists from the apex committee to monitor stem cell research said the five-centre trial will be coordinated from ISIC and is in the final stages of approval. This will be the first national ICMR trial of autologous bone marrow stem cell transplant on complete quadriplegics and paraplegics. We are finalising the number of patients. The ISIC will be the coordinating centre. The next meeting has been scheduled for December 4, a senior scientist said. An autologous stem cell transplantation is a procedure in which stem cells are removed, stored and returned to the same person. For its project, the AIIMS Trauma Centre has registered eight patients. They will be injected with stem cells from their own bone marrow to … Continue reading →

First things firstthe issues swirling around her. Lorna Tolentino, widow, on the spot. Is she really replacing Grace Poe-Llamanzares (whos running for senator in 2013) as chief of MTRCB (Movies and Television Review and Classification Board)? I just read it on Twitterthat I am daw the choice of Gracebut theres really no formal word yet; wala pang nasasabi sa akin. (According to Grace, she never said anything about a replacement. RFL) If ever thered be an invitation, I dont think I could take the job because Im under a two-year contract with GMA, good for 180 working days. If you are an MTRCB chairman, youre supposed to be in the office every day, and I couldnt do that. You have to give up something and I cant do that. She can be a Kapuso, Kapamilya and a Kapatid without displeasing any network. How does she do it? Its in how you make paalam when you change networks. Siempre its not all the time that a network has a project for you. If a network has a good project for you and it really needs you, then why say no? Just like Pahiram ng Sandali, my new soap on GMA. I … Continue reading →

November 25, 2012 12:54 Former bassist is said to be still in a "partially conscious state" four years on from car accident. Photo: Tom Oxley/NME Former Deftones bassist Chi Cheng's family are considering stem cell therapy to aid his recovery from a car accident which put him in a coma in 2008. Cheng is said to be in a "partially conscious state" and is unable to speak, although he can move his legs on command. The bassist has been in and out of hospitals over the past four years and only got home to recover in June this year. Now, according to Revolver Magazine, the family is considering alternative therapy in order to speed up Cheng's recovery, as they say the last few months have been a struggle for him. His brother, Ming Cheng, said: "Once his health gets a little better, we'll start looking into other options...but they don't even do it (stem cell therapy) in the US yet. "It's a miracle he's still with us," he added. "He's alive and kicking and he's fighting, and I think there's a reason for it. I'm hoping there's a light at the end of the tunnel for Chi." Deftones released their … Continue reading →