OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (AP) - A 12-year-old yellow Labrador retriever named Jake is recovering as his family waits to see if a stem cell injection will regenerate his limbs and help him romp again without pain. Jake underwent surgery Tuesday at the Stanley Veterinary Clinic in Overland Park, where fat was removed from his body then injected into his joints. "It's amazing,'' said veterinarian Les E. Pelfrey, who conducted the procedure. "A few weeks later, these guys are running up and down.'' Supporters say the procedure will give Jake a better quality of life. Critics contend the procedure has not been proven to have any long-term benefits and is expensive, at $1,800 or more per treatment, The Kansas City Star reported (http://bit.ly/w8m9VS). James L. Cook, a professor of orthopedics at the University of Missouri's College of Veterinary Medicine, said stems cells have been shown to help rejuvenate damaged tendons and other problems in horses. "But in the joints for dogs with arthritis? No way,'' Cook said. ``I would never recommend anyone get this done.'' Cook acknowledged some studies have found stem cells reduced pain in arthritic canine joints, compared with dogs not injected with stems cells. But he said no … Continue reading →

The day – Valentine’s Day, as it happened – began in a whirl of coffee cups, bustling dogs and homework, then a brisk walk around the block – in other words, business as usual for a UC Irvine couple who are a high-profile science team engaged in cutting-edge stem-cell research. Brian Cummings and Aileen Anderson, whose stem-cell treatment for spinal cord injury is being tested on patients in Switzerland, say their office – only a short walk from their home on the UCI campus – has a family feel as well. At UCI’s recently constructed Stem Cell Research Center, they supervise a crew of young students and technicians whose bond with their mentors is so close that they call themselves the “Andermings.” “I suppose it’s like having an orphanage,” Cummings joked as he prepared for the day ahead. It would include a lengthy meeting with the Andermings on how best to grow human embryonic stem cells without animal-cell contamination, a critique of a doctoral candidate’s presentation of potentially significant new findings and a session with Alzheimer’s researchers at an institute called UCI MIND. But first, Cummings, Anderson and their two dogs – Chesapeake and Indiana – had to get the … Continue reading →

Dr. Elizabeth Berry-Kravis has spent much of her career focused on Fragile X, a genetic condition involving a mutation on the X chromosome that causes cognitive disabilities, behavioral issues and other problems. New medications and therapeutic interventions have revolutionized life for people with the syndrome over the past 20 years, but Berry-Kravis, who runs the Fragile X Clinic and Research Program at Rush University in Chicago, said the most exciting discoveries are being explored now. She was in Houston recently for a meeting of the Fragile X Clinical and Research Consortium at Texas Children's Hospital and spoke with Chronicle reporter Jeannie Kever. Q. Tell me a little about Fragile X. How many people does it affect, and how does it manifest? A. The description everyone uses is, it's the most common inherited form of intellectual disability. It's also the most common known genetic cause of autism. Children will seem pretty normal as young babies, but then they'll present to their pediatrician with a delay in walking or acquiring other motor milestones. A delay in talking is common. They'll have ongoing learning difficulties. In elementary school, most of the guys with Fragile X will be in special education and have occupational … Continue reading →