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Stem Cell Treatments For Alzheimer’s Disease

July 25, 2009 By 23 Comments

Recent Advancements in Stem Cell Research
Recent advancements in the study of Alzheimer’s disease brain function in mice has determined that neural stem cells injected into the brains of those mice help to rebuild neural connections and thereby improve cognitive function. Findings of the study were released in a July 2009 issue of Proceedings of the National Academy Of Sciences. 

The study focuses on the degenerative loss of synapses, commonly called neuron connections, within the brain. The protein that helps to regenerate neural function is called BDNF (brain derived neurotropic factor). Development of such therapy for Alzheimer’s disease involving human neural stem cell research and development is underway by the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine.

In addition, human growth factors that serve to stimulate blood stem cell production and proliferation in the body’s bone marrow has also been studied in its ability to reverse memory impairment in mice. Researchers at the University of South Florida have determined that GCSF (granulocyte colony stimulating factor) has been shown to reduce levels of a specific protein (beta amyloid) that literally clog the brain, while at the same time increasing the production of neuron development and increased nerve cell connections. 

Such studies were reported in August 2009 issue of Neuroscience journal. GCSF is a stem cell growth factor found in blood that stimulates bone marrow to increase production of white blood cells, which fight infection.

Both BDNF and GCSF show promise in not merely alleviating symptoms of Alzheimer’s, but reversing the disease process by improving memory and promoting the development of healthy neural stem cells.

Another source of stem cells, umbilical cord stem cells, have also been shown to retard the progression of Alzheimer’s symptoms in mice. Research conducted by Cryo-Cell International, Inc., determined that infusions of umbilical cord blood cells reduced the amount of myeloid beta proteins and cerebral amyloid angiopathy, two main contributing factors to the progression of Alzheimer’s in the brain.

Benefits From Stem Cell Treatments

While research and development in stem cell technologies for the treatment of Alzheimer’s symptoms is still in its infancy, the advancements and studies performed on mice, animals, and in some cases, humans have shown promise. Stem cell technology and treatments are not yet available in the United States, but are currently undergoing Phase I clinical trials.

Stem cell research offers a multitude of benefits for Alzheimer’s patients, including low risk of rejection, improved memory, cognitive function and mental acuity.

Obtaining Stem Cell Treatments
When seeking stem cell treatments abroad, consumers are encouraged to ask questions that include but are not limited to:

Can you offer proof that these stem cell therapy treatments work?
Can I speak with former patients who have undergone such therapies?
Who are (and what are the credentials) of the physician or surgeon administering stem cell therapies or treatments?
How long has the organization offered such treatments?
How safe is the treatment? Are there risks involved?

Stem cell technology offers patients as well as relatives of those diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease hope for the future. The push to continue research and develop treatments, procedures and protocols will eventually find a cure to one of the most devastating illnesses that afflicts mankind today.

Stem Cell Treatments

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Will Stem Cells Eventually Cure All Disease?

May 26, 2009 By 9 Comments

Article by Stephanie McIntyre





Few areas of medical research are generating as much interest as stem cells. There are several reasons why they are receiving so much scientific attention. They are able to divide into copies of themselves. They’re unspecialized. And they can produce other cell types.

Unlike other cell types, stem cells can divide into identical copies of themselves, and can do so for the life of the organism. Other specialized cell types are unable to do this. When they are damaged they cannot create replacement cells of the same type.

Stem cells are unspecialized. They don’t have tissue-specific functions or properties like red blood cells or nerve cells. They can’t oxygenate the body or make parts of it move or carry nerve impulses. They can however through a process called differentiation, divide and produce or give rise to other specialized cell types (blood cells, heart muscle cells, etc.)

Of great interest to scientists is the ability of stem cells to replicate many times over (proliferate), and remain unspecialized until called upon to differentiate into a specific cell type for repair of the body. Understanding this process is key to controlling the differentiation process and growing specific cells for, among other things, cell-based therapies.

A large part of the research effort is on the ability of stem cells to replace damaged cells in the body. As stem cells can, under the right conditions, be induced to become other cell types, they may be used to replace cells damaged or lost to injury or disease. It’s thought that there is the potential to produce, through continued research, cures for diseases such as Parkinson’s and diabetes, or to repair devastating injuries to the spinal cord.

Stem cells come in two varieties. The type that can differentiate into any adult cell type (pluripotent), or those that are limited in the types they can become (multipotent). Pluripotent stem cells are found in very early development organisms and multipotent stem cells among differentiated cells of the body.

The pluripotent cells used in research are derived from mammalian embryos in the very early stages of development (4-6 days old). Human embryos for stem cell research are those that are the result of in-vitro fertilization and donated, they are not from intra-uterine fertilization. These embryonic stem cells can potentially become each (more than 200) of the bodies cell types.

This ability to produce other cell types makes them a source for regenerative medicine and tissue replacement therapies. Though no treatments have been derived from embryonic stem cells yet, this is not unusual for any early research field so it’s still very promising.

Multipotent stem cells are found throughout the various tissue types of the body including cord blood. Though unspecialized, they can only produce cells of they type in which they are found. They repair and maintain those types of cells. Blood forming adult stem cells in the bone marrow repair and replace blood cell types like red blood cells and white blood cells and platelets. Retinal stem cells only replace and repair the retina. While it was generally believed that multipotent cells can only produce a limited number of different cells, recent research seems to indicate that they may not be as limited as previously thought.

Because stem cells can repair and replace damaged tissues, they are considered to be important to regenerative medicine (growing and replacing damaged tissue, or making natural healing work faster). Understandably there is a great deal of work being done in this area.

Stem cell research has given hope to many suffering from untreatable or incurable diseases and injuries that an answer to their health issues may be on the horizon. While these new therapies may be years away, science is making steady progress in understanding the process that make stem cells so promising. One can only be encouraged by the progress made so far and hopeful that all of the optimistic projections are realized.

About the Author

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Ba Boomers at High Risk for Alzheimer’s Disease Successfully Treated Using Adipose-derived Stem Cells in Mexico

April 18, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Article by Yvonne Perry





According to an ABC News report someone in America develops Alzheimer’s every 71 seconds and if you are a Baby Boomer, you have a one in eight chance of getting the disease during your lifetime.
Baby Boomer Steve Discher knows first-hand what it’s like to be the one in eight persons of this generation being affected by Alzheimer’s. Sonia Discher knew something was wrong when her husband could not understand what she was saying or remember how to use the TV remote, but she continued to suspect dementia when he began slurring his words, forgetting to shower and shave, and withdrew from social activities and spending time with his family. Steve’s employer noted a decline in Steve’s ability to perform his job as a quality assurance rep at a nuclear plant. For his own safety, his boss pulled him from the site where he was working in radioactive zones to the main office at another location to do photocopying. But he even needed instruction on how to operate the copier and email a document.
When Steve scored low on an Alzheimer’s test Sonia found online, she decided it was time to get help. Between December 2009 and March 2010 doctors did EEGs, CAT scans, blood work, CT scans, evaluations, and a battery of neuropsychological tests that confirmed Steve had early onset of Alzheimer’s. It was global and not confined to just one part of the brain. His geriatric specialist said Steve’s condition was very aggressive and estimated he had about six to eight years to live. Sonia would not accept the news that her husband, at age 50, was dying.
Drugs, known as cholinesterase inhibitors, are currently being used to delay and treat the symptoms of Alzheimer’s. They provide patients with independence for a longer period of time, but they are not a cure. And, as with any drug, there are concerns about side effects.
For many years stem cell treatments have proven effective for treating Parkinson’s, rheumatoid arthritis, myocardial ischemia, lupus, MS, stroke, diabetes type 1 and type 2, ALS, COPD, and spinal cord injuries. Recently added to that list is Alzheimer’s disease.
The stem cells used to treat Alzheimer’s come from adult adipose tissue, better known as fat cells-something most Americans have plenty of. These mesenchymal stromal stem cells are capable of morphing into various cell types that repair the body. Because patients receive their own adult stem and regenerative cells, adipose-derived stem cell treatments carry no risk of side effects, rejection, or disease transmission that exists with donor stem cells.
Because this unconventional care is yet to be approved in Canada, Sonia searched the Web for available treatments and arranged for Steve to have an invasive bone marrow stem cell treatment in Germany. When she called International Stem Cell Institute, she learned they were using adipose-derived stem cells for treating Alzheimer’s. Willing to try the treatment, Sonia cancelled the overseas trip and made arrangements for her and Steve to fly from Canada to ISCI’s clinic in Mexico. LeiMomi Ferrill, the patient advocate with ISCI, handled the details of hotel arrangements. The Dischers were personally escorted to and from the clinic by ISCI representatives.
Adipose tissue or “fat” contains the richest known source of stem cells in the human body. A typical bone marrow stem cell treatment delivers about 50,000 adult stem cells. During the procedure on July 30, adipose tissue was removed from Steve’s body using mini-liposuction, and processed with a combination of platelet-rich plasma and low laser light. Four hours later, 10 to 60 million stem cells of his own newly-activated stem and regenerative cells were administered back into Steve’s body. Steve had no pain or discomfort whatsoever. The English-speaking surgeon stayed with Steve throughout the procedure and for several hours after.
Before the treatment Steve had stopped spending time with family or swimming (something he loved) and would not participate in conversations. He had a vacant stare as if he was not present. He refused to take walks with Sonia or play with his granddaughter. There were times when he didn’t even know Sonia’s name or his own address.
Three days after the adipose stem cell treatment Steve’s personality and sense of humor came back and he began engaging with family and was able to carry on a conversation. As he gained energy in the weeks following he became even more socially active than before his demise. He now takes his granddaughter swimming and to the park, he rakes leaves without being asked, and even fixed the lawnmower belt; and during his walks with Sonia, he stops to speak with neighbors. Once his cognitive skills started coming back, he no longer had a vacant stare. In fact, he now wants to play games with his family and actually won at Yahtzee, a dice game that requires strategy, counting, and writing down a score.
“It is great to see Steve change so quickly. He is still confused when it comes to some things, but that is to be expected,” says Sonia. “We can’t expect to see a total recovery overnight but am looking forward to journaling about changes as they come along. Even though this treatment may not be a total cure, the results have been worth the time, money, and effort. I feel like I got my husband back.”
In order to return to work, Steve had to score at least 75 percent on the Whmis safety course. The first time he took the test in August he scored 60 percent. He took it again two weeks later and scored 88 percent. Steve is excited about going back to work and is sure people will notice the change in him.
With 35.6 million people living with some form of dementia, Alzheimer’s disease is causing a global financial burden. With the cost of caring for people with dementia around the world at 4 billion (World Alzheimer Report 2010: The Global Economic Impact of Dementia from Alzheimer’s Disease International), it’s good to know that Alzheimer’s disease is responding to stem cell treatment. In fact, it’s responding so well that the leading voluntary health organization in Alzheimer care and research-the Alzheimer’s Association-is supporting stem cell research.
Thanks to people like the First Lady of California Maria Shriver-longtime Alzheimer’s advocate, whose father was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2003-more awareness is coming forth. Maria has planned a benefit for the Alzheimer’s Association that includes a 5K march and candlelight vigil to be held Sunday, Oct. 24 in Long Beach, California. Peter Gallagher and Soleil Moon Frye and other celebrities, including Rob Lowe, Jane Fonda and event emcee Leeza Gibbons are scheduled to join Shriver on the March.
Located in San Diego, California, International Stem Cell Institute (http://www.iStemCelli.com) is a worldwide leader in providing a pathway to stem cell therapy. For more information contact an ISCI patient advocate at (800) 609-7795.

Disclaimer: Stem cell therapies offered for consideration by International Stem Cell Institute are not currently approved by the FDA and the treatments and procedures mentioned take place outside the USA. Stem cell treatments are not a cure for any condition, disease, or injury, nor a substitute for proper medical diagnosis and care. The information contained in this press release and ISCI’s written materials should not be considered medical advice. It is intended to be used for educational and information purposes only.

Contact:
International Stem Cell Institute
Rita@iStemCelli.com
(800) 609-7795 Office
(877) 329-0007 Fax
http://www.iStemCelli.com

About the Author

Yvonne is a free-lance writer and the owner of Writers in the Sky Creative Writing Services (WITS). She and her team of ghostwriters are ready to assist you with writing and editing for books, Web text, business documents, resumes, bios, articles, and media releases. http://www.writersinthesky.com

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Gum Disease and Gene Therapy

February 1, 2009 By Leave a Comment

A lot of the new technological advancements in medicine are focused on finding cure for life threatening diseases but this approach is now starting to change. A group of intellectual scientists have found a way to cure periodontal disease through gene therapy.

This is the first time ever that gene therapy has been used to treat a condition to improve the quality of life. The researchers mentioned that this is one step ahead from the previous approach when gene therapy was only focused to treat life threatening illnesses.

They also added that periodontal is a disabling disease that seriously hampers the health status of an individual, which can lead to serious health problems.

Scientists at the University of Michigan have shown that gene therapy can be used to successfully stop the development of periodontal disease, the leading cause of tooth loss in adults. It is also amazing to know that this gene therapy approach has benefited individuals who were suffering from rheumatoid arthritis as well.

The study was conducted on about 127 individuals, in which all showed about 30% improvement in regaining better chewing of the food, as well as pain relief. This was along side other therapeutic interventions being offered to these individuals.

A note must be made here that the bacteria that cause periodontal disease can spread from the oral cavity to the various parts of the body and can cause serious illnesses such as heart disease, joint disease, kidney disease, etc.

Scientists have found a way to develop a TNF receptor on certain cells using inactivated virus. TNF is known to cause a lot of damage in diseases with chronic inflammation and these cells just act like a sponge to absorb the TNF present in the inflamed areas. The TNF factor can cause a high level of destruction by destroying bone and joints.

The results of the study have shown that the individuals who received this therapy were able to have a better protection level against the inflammatory agents and in whom the joints were spared from any destruction.

Angela Rogers, Marketer for Nature’s Smile, www.naturessmile.com


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