A special dog used to help people is getting some much-needed help of her own at a Virginia clinic, myFOXdc.com reported. Red, a 12-year-old black Labrador, is one of the last surviving search and rescue dogs deployed during the 9/11 attacks. Her handler, Heather Roche, told WTTG-TV that Red was recently certified when Sept. 11, 2001, occurred, and the devastating terror attacks were her first big mission. Red's job was to find DNA evidence at The Pentagon's north parking lot with 26 other dogs, and according to Roche, she did a "fantastic job." "I got her as a puppy ... You have to convince [her] everything that she does, whether it's climbing ladders or any kind of search, that it's her idea," Roche told WTTG-TV. "No matter what I've asked her to do, she's done it and she's done it flawlessly." But in her old age Red developed crippling arthritis, and underwent stem cell regenerative therapy Monday to help ease her pain so she can get back out on the job. Dr. John Herrity of Burke Animal Clinic in Burke, Va., told WTTG-TV, "Red has a back issue that, after a fall from a ladder has not really been right, … Continue reading →

2nd Lee Co. doctor's license restricted in stem cell case FORT MYERS, Fla.- Another Lee County doctor is caught in the center of a stem cell controversy. The State Department of Health has issued an emergency license restriction to Dr. Konstantine Yankopolus, a general practitioner. Dr. Yankopolus is still allowed to practice general medicine and is treating patients. The license restriction mandates he can't do anything involving stem cell treatment. It's business as usual at his office on Colonial Blvd. The doctor is still treating patients, but an emergency order issued from the Florida Department of Health, Monday prevents him from doing anything with stem cells. The order says Dr. Yankopolus' license "is hereby immediately restricted from providing, collaborating, facilitating, procuring, referring or advising on any stem cell treatment." The action comes after the state suspended the license of his colleague, Dr. Zannos Grekos' earlier this month. The emergency order says Dr. Yankopolus helped Dr. Grekos perform stem cell therapy on the late Richard Polling despite knowing the Bonita Springs cardiologist was not allowed to do such a procedure. The state Surgeon General alleges, Dr. Yankopolus falsified Polling's records. He writes, "Subsequent to the death of patient R.P., Dr. Yankopolus … Continue reading →

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., March 20, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- SanBio Inc. today announced the successful enrollment of the first dose cohort of patients in its Phase 1/2a clinical trial testing the safety and efficacy of a novel allogeneic stem cell therapy product, SB623, in patients suffering from chronic deficits resulting from previous stroke injuries. The first 6 patients, of a total of 18, have been successfully administered SB623. The trial is being conducted at Stanford University and the University of Pittsburgh. No safety concerns have been reported. For details regarding this clinical trial, please refer to http://www.strokeclinicaltrial.org. SB623 is derived from adult bone marrow and has shown safety and efficacy in rodent models of chronic stroke. "This represents a major milestone in the human clinical testing of this important new approach for regenerative medicine", said Keita Mori, SanBio CEO. "We are pleased to learn that the initial dose level was well tolerated." SB623 is being delivered to the damaged region of the brains of patients who have suffered an ischemic stroke. Product safety is the primary focus of the study but various measurements of efficacy are also being tested. "The successful completion of the initial dose cohort is a major step … Continue reading →

SILVER SPRING, Md.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Nuvilex, Inc. (OTCQB:NVLX), an emerging biotechnology provider of cell and gene therapy solutions through its acquisition of the SG Austria assets, today discussed the value of encapsulation, freezing, storage, survivability and localization of human stem cells once implanted using the proprietary Cell-in-a-Box technology. The encapsulation of human stem cells is enabled by the Cell-in-a-Box technology, which can then be frozen, stored and later implanted into target tissues. The benefits of encapsulation are several: first, the process allows for freezing of stem cells for long-term storage without appreciably affecting viability. Second, encapsulation protects the stem cells from stress factors caused by direct aeration and sheer forces associated with bioreactors. Third, Cell-in-a-Box encapsulated stem cells are held in place at the site of implantation, maximizing their potential efficacy as they have the potential to stimulate growth of surrounding new, healthy tissue. Finally, encapsulated cells may prevent any potential side effects associated with direct injection since they remain localized to the area of treatment when encapsulated. Dr. Robert Ryan, Chief Executive Officer of Nuvilex, commented, For many years it was assumed stem cells existed only to replace cells that had died or were damaged. Recent studies suggest factors stem … Continue reading →

TUESDAY, March 20 (HealthDay News) -- A novel technique that uses a kidney transplant recipient's own stem cells may someday replace or reduce the initial use of anti-rejection medications, new research suggests. Six months after receiving a kidney transplant, only about 8 percent of people given their own mesenchymal stem cells experienced rejection compared with almost 22 percent of people on the standard anti-rejection drugs, according to the study. "Mesenchymal stem cells are stem cells that can be differentiated into a variety of cells," explained Dr. Camillo Ricordi, study senior author and director of the Cell Transplant Center and Diabetes Research Institute at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. "If you infuse mesenchymal stem cells at the time of the transplant, you could replace the use of powerful anti-rejection drugs, and maybe replace immunosuppressants altogether," he said. This technique could be used in the transplantation of islet cells (in the pancreas) for people with type 1 diabetes, and for other organ transplants, such as the liver, he added. The people given their own stem cells also had improved kidney function earlier after transplant, Ricordi said. Results of the study appear in the March 21 issue of the Journal … Continue reading →

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., March 20, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- SanBio Inc. today announced the successful enrollment of the first dose cohort of patients in its Phase 1/2a clinical trial testing the safety and efficacy of a novel allogeneic stem cell therapy product, SB623, in patients suffering from chronic deficits resulting from previous stroke injuries. The first 6 patients, of a total of 18, have been successfully administered SB623. The trial is being conducted at Stanford University and the University of Pittsburgh. No safety concerns have been reported. For details regarding this clinical trial, please refer to http://www.strokeclinicaltrial.org. SB623 is derived from adult bone marrow and has shown safety and efficacy in rodent models of chronic stroke. "This represents a major milestone in the human clinical testing of this important new approach for regenerative medicine", said Keita Mori, SanBio CEO. "We are pleased to learn that the initial dose level was well tolerated." SB623 is being delivered to the damaged region of the brains of patients who have suffered an ischemic stroke. Product safety is the primary focus of the study but various measurements of efficacy are also being tested. "The successful completion of the initial dose cohort is a major step … Continue reading →

A special dog used to help people is getting some much-needed help of her own at a Virginia clinic, myFOXdc.com reported. Red, a 12-year-old black Labrador, is one of the last surviving search and rescue dogs deployed during the 9/11 attacks. Her handler, Heather Roche, told WTTG-TV that Red was recently certified when Sept. 11, 2001, occurred, and the devastating terror attacks were her first big mission. Red's job was to find DNA evidence at The Pentagon's north parking lot with 26 other dogs, and according to Roche, she did a "fantastic job." "I got her as a puppy ... You have to convince [her] everything that she does, whether it's climbing ladders or any kind of search, that it's her idea," Roche told WTTG-TV. "No matter what I've asked her to do, she's done it and she's done it flawlessly." But in her old age Red developed crippling arthritis, and underwent stem cell regenerative therapy Monday to help ease her pain so she can get back out on the job. Dr. John Herrity of Burke Animal Clinic in Burke, Va., told WTTG-TV, "Red has a back issue that, after a fall from a ladder has not really been right, … Continue reading →