LONDON (Reuters) - A 37-year-old British man who needs a mechanical pump to keep his heart working has kicked off tests to see if gene therapy could help him recover and potentially avoid the need for a heart transplant.

U.S. biotech firm Celladon hopes that its Mydicar treatment can help patients like Lee Adams who have advanced heart failure and rely on so called Left Ventricular Assist Devices (LVAD) to keep them alive until a donor heart becomes available.

Celladon's treatment works by inserting a gene called SERCA2a - the lack of which makes hearts pump weakly - directly into heart cells via a catheter to repair them. The trial will evaluate how much of the gene is getting to the heart muscle and how well it is working.

Adams, from Hertfordshire, north of London, is the first of 24 patients with heart pumps who will be given either the gene therapy or a placebo as part of a clinical study partially funded by the British Heart Foundation and sponsored by Imperial College London.

"Advanced heart failure is a progressive condition that results in a poor quality of life and shortened life expectancy," said Dr Nick Banner, the consultant cardiologist at Harefield Hospital who carried out the first infusion.

"The best treatment currently available is a heart transplant but the shortage of donor organs in the UK means that many patients will die on the transplant waiting list."

Adams is on the waiting list and has been living for more than two and a half years with an LVAD, which must always be connected to an external power supply via a lead through his abdomen.

"You can't just jump in the shower...and it's difficult sleeping whilst being attached to it. Everywhere I go I have to carry the power supply and spare batteries in a backpack," he said.

"Of course the best thing that could happen would be...for the gene therapy to prove to be a 'miracle cure' for myself and other patients."

Plans for the study were first announced last year and complement an ongoing 250-patient trial, also funded by Celladon, which is investigating the benefits of gene therapy in 250 people with less advanced heart failure from Europe and the United States.

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Gene therapy clinical trial gives hope to heart failure patients wait-listed for a heart transplant

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InVivo makes strides against spinal cord injury

By: Venture Portfolio Mag

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11 hours ago Cells grown on hydrogels of the same stiffness all display fat cell markers and deform the underlying matrix material the same way. Credit: Adam Engler, UC San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering

Bioengineers at the University of California, San Diego have proven that when it comes to guiding stem cells into a specific cell type, the stiffness of the extracellular matrix used to culture them really does matter. When placed in a dish of a very stiff material, or hydrogel, most stem cells become bone-like cells. By comparison, soft materials tend to steer stem cells into soft tissues such as neurons and fat cells. The research team, led by bioengineering professor Adam Engler, also found that a protein binding the stem cell to the hydrogel is not a factor in the differentiation of the stem cell as previously suggested. The protein layer is merely an adhesive, the team reported Aug. 10 in the advance online edition of the journal Nature Materials.

Their findings affirm Engler's prior work on the relationship between matrix stiffness and stem cell differentiations.

"What's remarkable is that you can see that the cells have made the first decisions to become bone cells, with just this one cue. That's why this is important for tissue engineering," said Engler, a professor at the UC San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering.

Engler's team, which includes bioengineering graduate student researchers Ludovic Vincent and Jessica Wen, found that the stem cell differentiation is a response to the mechanical deformation of the hydrogel from the force exerted by the cell. In a series of experiments, the team found that this happens whether the protein tethering the cell to the matrix is tight, loose or nonexistent. To illustrate the concept, Vincent described the pores in the matrix as holes in a sponge covered with ropes of protein fibers. Imagine that a rope is draped over a number of these holes, tethered loosely with only a few anchors or tightly with many anchors. Across multiple samples using a stiff matrix, while varying the degree of tethering, the researchers found no difference in the rate at which stem cells showed signs of turning into bone-like cells. The team also found that the size of the pores in the matrix also had no effect on the differentiation of the stem cells as long as the stiffness of the hydrogel remained the same.

"We made the stiffness the same and changed how the protein is presented to the cells (by varying the size of the pores and tethering) and ask whether or not the cells change their behavior," Vincent said. "Do they respond only to the stiffness? Neither the tethering nor the pore size changed the cells."

"We're only giving them one cue out of dozens that are important in stem cell differentiation," said Engler. "That doesn't mean the other cues are irrelevant; they may still push the cells into a specific cell type. We have just ruled out porosity and tethering, and further emphasized stiffness in this process."

Explore further: Researchers find stem cells remember prior substrates

More information: Interplay of matrix stiffness and protein tethering in stem cell differentiation, Nature Materials, DOI: 10.1038/nmat4051

(Phys.org) A team of researchers working at the University of Colorado has found that human stem cells appear to remember the physical nature of the structure they were grown on, after being moved to a ...

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Matrix stiffness is an essential tool in stem cell differentiation, bioengineers report

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Infusing stem cells into the brain may help boost recovery after a stroke, according to a pilot study by Imperial College London.

Scientists believe the cells encourage new blood vessels to grow in damaged areas of the brain.

They found most patients were able to walk and look after themselves independently by the end of the trial, despite having suffered severe strokes.

Larger studies are needed to evaluate whether this could be used more widely.

In this early trial - designed primarily to look at the safety of this approach - researchers harvested stem cells from the bone marrow of five people who had recently had a stroke.

'Independent living'

They isolated particular types of stem cells - known as CD34+. These have the ability to stimulate the growth of new blood vessels.

They were infused directly into damaged sections of the brain, via the major artery that supplies this area.

Scientists monitored the patients for six months, charting their ability to carry out everyday activities independently.

Four of the five patients had suffered particularly severe strokes - resulting in the loss of speech and marked paralysis down one side of the body.

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'Stem Cells Show Promise In Stroke Recovery'

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Beverly Hills, California (PRWEB) August 11, 2014

Nationally recognized Beverly Hills orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Raj, is now offering stem cell procedures to help patients avoid the need for surgery. This may include joint replacement along with tendon or ligament surgery. For more information on stem cell therapy and scheduling at the Beverly Hills Orthopedic Institute, call (310) 247-0466.

As the benefit of stem cells for repair and regeneration of human tissue has evolved, the opportunity to avoid surgery has too. This includes those with cartilage degeneration, tendonitis and ligament injury. Dr. Raj has been a pioneer in bringing stem cell therapies to the forefront, and is now offering the procedures to all patients.

According to Celebrity Fitness Expert Dr. Raj, a nationally recognized Double Board Certified Orthopedic Surgeon at the Beverly Hills Orthopedic Institute, stem cell injections are being used to heal conditions that used to require surgery. Dr. Raj has been featured on The Doctors, SPIKE TV, NBC, CBS, Martha Stewart Living Radio, Beverly Hills Times and has been named Best of LA by KCAL 9 as well we making Americas Top Orthopedics List in 2007, 2009, 2010, and 2011.

Dr. Raj explains that stem cells have started a medical revolution and have altered the way doctors approach treatment. Stem cells help to regenerate the damaged cartilage within a joint and allow patients to take a more conservative route, adds Dr. Raj. Surgery should be a last case scenario after all other options have been exhausted.

For those individuals suffering from joint arthritis of the hip, knee, shoulder or ankle, surgery is an elective decision with nonsurgical options that traditionally did not alter the course of arthritis. They have merely acted as a "band aid" for pain relief, but not effective at long term relief due to healing arthritis.

Stem cell therapy offers the opportunity for relief and increased activity, while staying out of the operating room. The procedures are outpatient and safe, with minimal risks involved.

For more information on the stem cell procedures provided with the top orthopedic doctor in Los Angeles and Beverly Hills, call (310) 247-0466.

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Nationally Recognized Beverly Hills Orthopedic Surgeon, Dr. Raj, Now Offering Stem Cell Procedures to Help Patients ...

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PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:

10-Aug-2014

Contact: Ben Jones B.P.Jones@leeds.ac.uk 44-011-334-38059 University of Leeds

Scientists from the University of Leeds have discovered a gene that plays a vital role in blood vessel formation, research which adds to our knowledge of how early life develops.

The discovery could also lead to greater understanding of how to treat cardiovascular diseases and cancer.

Professor David Beech, of the School of Medicine at the University of Leeds, who led the research, said: "Blood vessel networks are not already pre-constructed but emerge rather like a river system. Vessels do not develop until the blood is already flowing and they are created in response to the amount of flow. This gene, Piezo1, provides the instructions for sensors that tell the body that blood is flowing correctly and gives the signal to form new vessel structures.

"The gene gives instructions to a protein which forms channels that open in response to mechanical strain from blood flow, allowing tiny electrical charges to enter cells and trigger the changes needed for new vessels to be built."

The research team is planning to study the effects of manipulating the gene on cancers, which require a blood supply to grow, as well as in heart diseases such as atherosclerosis, where plaques form in parts of blood vessels with disturbed blood flow.

Professor Beech added: "This work provides fundamental understanding of how complex life begins and opens new possibilities for treatment of health problems such as cardiovascular disease and cancer, where changes in blood flow are common and often unwanted.

"We need to do further research into how this gene can be manipulated to treat these diseases. We are in the early stages of this research, but these findings are promising."

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Scientists unlock key to blood vessel formation

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''This gene, Piezo1, provides the instructions for sensors that tell the body that blood is flowing correctly and gives the signal to form new vessel structures.

''The gene gives instructions to a protein which forms channels that open in response to mechanical strain from blood flow, allowing tiny electrical charges to enter cells and trigger the changes needed for new vessels to be built.''

Prof Beech added: ''We need to do further research into how this gene can be manipulated to treat these diseases. We are in the early stages of this research, but these findings are promising.''

The research, co-funded by the British Heart Foundation, appears in the online edition of Nature journal.

Professor Jeremy Pearson, associate medical director of the British Heart Foundation, said: ''Blood flow has a major effect on the health of the arteries it passes through. Arteries are more likely to become diseased in areas where the flow is disturbed, for example.

''This is because the endothelial cells lining the arteries are exquisitely sensitive to this flow and their response to changes can lead to disease, where the artery becomes narrowed and can eventually cause a heart attack.

''Until now, very little has been known about the process by which blood flow affects endothelial cells. This exciting discovery, in mice, tells us that a protein in those cells could be critical in detecting and responding to changes in blood flow.

''Through further research, using this knowledge, we hope to see whether a treatment can be developed that targets this process to prevent the development of disease in healthy arteries.''

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Blood-vessel gene could fight cancer and heart disease

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Jeffrey Smith #39;s #39;challenge #39; to Neil deGrasse Tyson EVISCERATED (part 2)
On August 5th, Jeffrey Smith, the creator of the #39;Institute for Responsible Technology #39; issued a challenge to Neil deGrasse Tyson. In it, he displays a TITANIC lack of knowledge on the topic...

By: Jeff Holiday

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Jeffrey Smith's 'challenge' to Neil deGrasse Tyson EVISCERATED (part 2) - Video

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Even as the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC) decided to constitute a sub-committee to review the toxicology data generated by two applicants for genetically modified brinjal, biologist and Padma Bhushan award winner Dr. Pushpa M. Bhargava has questioned the guidelines of the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) on transgenic crops.

Dr. Bhargava and others had asked for the raw data on toxicity studies on rats using transgenic brinjal which were carried out by Dr. Sesikeran, former Director of National Institute of Nutrition at Hyderabad. He found statistically quite significant differences between rats fed on Bt Brinjal and those fed on a normal meal in respect of several important parameters, said Dr. Bhargava.

However, Dr. Sesikeran had said that as all the values (both of the control and of the experimental animals) fell within the normal range of variation, the differences were not significant, and that there was no need to repeat the experiment.

Our point was that if on repetition the same differences are found again, they are bound to be significant, Dr. Bhargava pointed out. Further, he used only 20 animals (10 female and 10 male) in both experimental and the control groups which is the minimum number for such tests. Dr. Sesikeran must explain why only a minimum number was used, he said.

In a letter to Dr. Ranjini Warrier, member secretary, GEAC, on July 23, Dr. Bhargava, who was responding to the two e-mails of July 20 from Dr. Sesikeran to all the members of GEAC, said, According to Dr. Sesikeran, DBT guidelines of 2008 say the following in regard to Interpretation of results of safety studies: The design and analysis of the study should be kept as simple as possible, avoiding unnecessarily complex, sophisticated statistical techniques. If the design is simple, the statistics are likely to give straightforward results. Non-statistical knowledge must be applied in study design and proper interpretation of the biological significance of the results. Just because two treatments are statistically significantly different does not mean that the difference is large enough to have any biological importance or any practical significance.

Dr. Bhargava said he would like to know which international body endorsed this, as scientifically it does not make any sense. He said he didnt understand what that meant and sought a clarification. The GEAC meets next in August.

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Pushpa Bhargava questions DBT guidelines on transgenic crops

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PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:

10-Aug-2014

Contact: Gina Bericchia MediaRelations@nationwidechildrens.org 614-355-0495 Nationwide Children's Hospital

Scientists have discovered a new form of dystrophin, a protein critical to normal muscle function, and identified the genetic mechanism responsible for its production. Studies of the new protein isoform, published online Aug. 10 in Nature Medicine and led by a team in The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, suggest it may offer a novel therapeutic approach for some patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, a debilitating neuromuscular condition that usually leaves patients unable to walk on their own by age 12.

Duchenne muscular dystrophy, or DMD, is caused by mutations in the gene that encodes dystrophin, which plays a role in stabilizing the membrane of muscle fibers. Without sufficient quantities of the protein, muscle fibers are particularly susceptible to injury during contraction. Over time, the muscle degenerates and muscle fibers are slowly replaced by fat and scar tissue. Many different types of mutations can lead to DMD, some of which block dystrophin production altogether and others that result in a protein that doesn't function normally.

In 2009, a team led by Kevin Flanigan, MD, a principal investigator in the Center for Gene Therapy at Nationwide Children's, published two studies describing patients whose genetic mutation was located in a exon 1, at the beginning of the gene. This mutation should have made natural production of functioning dystrophin impossible, resulting in severe disease. However, the patients had only minimal symptoms and relatives carrying the same mutations were identified who were walking well into their 70s. Muscle biopsies revealed that, despite the genetic mutations, the patients were producing significant amounts of a slight smaller yet functioning dystrophin. In the 2009 studies, Dr. Flanigan's group demonstrated that translation of this dystrophin did not begin in exon 1, as usual, but instead began later in the gene in exon 6, although the mechanism controlling this alternate translation remained unknown.

In their latest study, Dr. Flanigan's team has found the explanation. In order to utilize the protein-building instructions they carry, exons are first transcribed into a final genetic blueprint called messenger RNA. Under normal conditions, the messenger RNA is marked at its very beginning by a special molecular cap that is critical for recruiting ribosomes, the cellular structures responsible for translation of the gene into a protein. Most cases of DMD are due to mutations that interrupt the translational activity of ribosomes.

In explaining the mild symptoms seen in many patients with mutations in the first exons of the dystrophin gene including the group of patients they first described in 2009 the researchers have now demonstrated that dystrophin can be produced by an alternate cellular mechanism in which capping of the messenger RNA is not required. This newly described mechanism makes use of an internal ribosome entry site, or IRES, found within exon 5 in the dystrophin gene, allowing initiation of protein translation within exon 6 that can then proceed in the normal fashion along the rest of the gene.

"This alternate translational control element is encoded within the dystrophin gene itself, in a region of the gene that evolution has highly conserved," Dr. Flanigan said. "This suggests that the dystrophin protein that results from its activation plays an important but as of yet unknown role in cell function perhaps when muscle is under cell stress, one of the conditions under which IRES elements are typically activated."

Although clinical trials are currently investigating drugs to treat the more common gene mutations found in the middle of the dystrophin gene, no current therapies are specifically directed toward the approximately 6 percent of patients with mutations affecting the first four exons. Although many of these patients have relatively mild disease, many others have much more severe symptoms. If scientists could figure out a way to activate IRES in those patients, they may be able to produce enough dystrophin to lessen muscle degeneration, Dr. Flanigan said.

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Discovery of new form of dystrophin protein could lead to therapy for some DMD patients

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Midsummer Nights #39; Science: Genetics and Diabetes
Copyright Broad Institute, 2013. All rights reserved. Designing new drugs would be easier if scientists understood the biology of the diseases they are trying to treat -- but for most common...

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Midsummer Nights' Science: Genetics and Diabetes - Video

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Lets Play The Sims 3 Perfect Genetics-100 Baby Challenge Live Stream Part 13
Perfect Genetics and 100 Baby Challenge all in 1 -- Watch live at http://www.twitch.tv/gbabychallenger.

By: GBabyChallenger

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Lets Play The Sims 3 Perfect Genetics-100 Baby Challenge Live Stream Part 13 - Video

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ANIMAL genetics could prove to be a game changer for the Australian wool industry.

Through the adoption of genetics the modern day poultry, pig and dairy industries are no longer the same industries they were 40 years ago.

But according to UWA professor David Lindsay, the Australian wool industry has been reluctant to grasp the benefits of animal genetics, and therefore has not changed in over 100 years.

"Looking at the dairy (milk produced per cow) and the wool industry (wool produced per sheep), there is a huge disparity," he said.

"Between 1940 and 1960 neither industries made any progress in their performance, but by 1960 there was the introduction of wide-scale measurement in the dairy industry and an introduction of AI as a management tool and suddenly the lines start to part.

"The dairy industry has improved milk production per cow by 375 per cent.

"But in contract the wool industry has not managed to significantly improve the productivity of wool produced per sheep."

Mr Lindsay said there was no lack of potential for genetics to make game changing improvements in the wool industry

"Just think about if we were able to double the amount of wool produced per sheep, but inputs remained the same, it would be an entirely different industry," he said.

"But we will never see that unless the industry and genetic introduction is managed properly."

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Genetics a 'game-changer' for wool

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Miami (PRWEB) August 10, 2014

Regenestem, a division of the Global Stem Cells Group, Inc., has announced the launch of a new stem cell treatment center in Cozumel, Mexico, offering the most advanced protocols and techniques in cellular medicine to patients from around the world.

A team of stem cell medical professionals led by Rafael Moguel, M.D., an advocate and pioneer in the use of stem cell therapies to treat a range of medical conditions, will provide cutting edge therapies and follow-up treatment under the Regenestem brand.

In June, Global Stem Cells Group opened the Regenestem Asia Clinic in Manila, Philippines, adding a new state-of-the-art regenerative medicine facility to the company's growing global presence that includes clinics in Miami, New York, Los Angeles, and Dubai. Regenestem Asia facility marks the first Regenestem brand clinic in the Philippines.

Regenestem provides stem cell treatments for a variety of diseases and conditions, including arthritis, autism, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), diabetes, and multiple sclerosis at various facilities worldwide. Regenestem Mexico will have an international staff experienced in administering the leading cellular therapies available.

Regenestem Mexico is certified for the medical tourism market, and staff physicians are board-certified or board-eligible. Regenestem clinics provide services in more than 10 specialties, attracting patients from the United States and around the world.

The Global Stem Cells Group and Regenestem are committed to the highest of standards in service and technology, expert and compassionate care, and a philosophy of exceeding the expectations of their international patients.

For more information, visit the Regenestem website, email info(at)regenstem(dot)com, or call 305-224-1858.

About Regenestem:

Regenestem, a division of the Global Stem Cells Group, Inc., is an international medical practice association committed to researching and producing comprehensive stem cell treatments for patients worldwide. Having assembled a highly qualified staff of medical specialistsprofessionals trained in the latest cutting-edge techniques in cellular medicineRegenestem continues to be a leader in delivering the latest protocols in the adult stem cell arena.

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Global Stem Cells Group and Regenestem Announce Launch of Stem Cell Treatment Center in Cozumel, Mexico

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A new first-of-its kind pilot study has revealed that stem cell treatment can significantly improve recovery from stroke in humans.

The therapy uses a type of cell called CD34+ cells, a set of stem cells in the bone marrow that give rise to blood cells and blood vessel lining cells. Rather than developing into brain cells themselves, the cells are thought to release chemicals that trigger the growth of new brain tissue and new blood vessels in the area damaged by stroke.

The patients were treated within seven days of a severe stroke, in contrast to several other stem cell trials, most of which have treated patients after six months or later. The Imperial researchers believe early treatment might improve the chances of a better recovery.

Dr Soma Banerjee, Consultant in Stroke Medicine at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, said that the treatment appeared to be safe and that it's feasible to treat patients early when they might be more likely to benefit.

However, it's too early to draw definitive conclusions about the effectiveness of the therapy and more tests to work out the best dose and timescale for treatment before starting larger trials, she further added.

The study is published in the journal Stem Cells Translational Medicine.

(Posted on 09-08-2014)

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Stem cell treatment holds hope for better stroke recovery

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Stem Cell Therapy - Am I A Candidate
Farhan Saddiqi, MD discusses the process of determining whether you are a candidate for Stem Cell Therapy at the Trinity Stem Cell Institute.

By: SMU Productions - Tampa Video Production

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Stem Cell Therapy - Am I A Candidate - Video

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(PRWEB UK) 9 August 2014

Stem cell therapy and treatments continue to move on in finding cures for diseases that in the past were thought to be incurable. The success of stem cell treatment and therapy relies to a great extent on the ability for the patient to have a stem cell match. Although stem cell banking has been available for a number of years, the cost for many has been a barrier.

Specialist stem cell bank BioEden who operate in 21 countries have come up with a solution that brings this potentially life saving opportunity within an affordable range for the majority.

Their aim is to make stem cell therapy an affordable reality and hope that their new approach which includes a low monthly membership option will do just that.

As more and more people bank their children's stem cells for their future use, the problem of finding a stem cell match could become a thing of the past.

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Due to a radical new approach by stem cell bank BioEden future generations could be guaranteed a stem cell match

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Nihilum Genetic Monstrosity Wildstar Genetics Archive Esper Healer POV
Our second raid group taking down the genetic monstrosity miniboss with 16 raid members. Nihilum August 7th. Esper Healer POV -- Watch live at http://www.twitch.tv/bigglet1990.

By: Bigglettt

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Nihilum Genetic Monstrosity Wildstar Genetics Archive Esper Healer POV - Video

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A gene-therapy experiment at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center only involved a handful of brain-tumor patients, and on average, extended their lives by months, not years.

Even so, it was the first real progress in 30 years for patients with glioblastoma, the most common and most aggressive type of primary brain tumor the type that killed U.S. Sen. Edward Kennedy within 15 months of diagnosis.

I think this is actually one of those proof-of-concept milestones, said Dr. Stanton Gerson, director of the Case Comprehensive Cancer Center at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, who was not involved in the study. This is the very first clinical validation that all that science made sense.

The new approach, led by Dr. Hans-Peter Kiem and Dr. Jennifer Adair at Fred Hutch in Seattle, was published Friday in The Journal of Clinical Investigation.

It began with the usual therapy for such tumors powerful chemotherapy combined with a drug that disables a protein that makes some of these tumors particularly resistant to chemotherapy. More than half the patients with glioblastomas, including all seven patients enrolled in the study, have such a protein, Kiem said.

The protein-disabling drug, benzylguanine, is critically important because it allows chemotherapy to attack the tumor. But the drug also damages bone marrow, killing blood cells so people are left vulnerable to infection and bleeding, he said. For that reason, patients typically can receive only one or two cycles of chemotherapy.

The gene-therapy approach involved taking the patients stem cells and engineering them to become resistant to benzylguanine, so their blood cells werent damaged by the drug. When the stem cells were returned to the patients, their blood was protected but their tumors were left vulnerable to the chemotherapy.

Better protected against infection and bleeding, the seven patients in the study were able to receive more cycles of chemotherapy.

We can sensitize the tumor, while the blood cells are resistant, Kiem said. That is the trick.

Typical median survival for glioblastoma patients with the tumor-protecting protein is less than 13 months. The patients in this study, on average, survived 20 months, and all survived beyond one year. This is quite remarkable, he said.

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Experiment at Fred Hutch raises hopes in battling brain tumors

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Rick Kittles Personalized Medicine

By: State of The Cancer Union

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Rick Kittles Personalized Medicine - Video

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Cancer trials at LSU Health Sciences Center will expand after receiving $5.6 million in grant money
The National Cancer Institute awarded 53 new 5-year grants, which included $5.6 million in funding to LSU Health Sciences Center. The funding will help improve cancer prevention and treatment...

By: NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune

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Cancer trials at LSU Health Sciences Center will expand after receiving $5.6 million in grant money - Video

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Kasi kaka-quit ko lang ng smoking, Lorna Tolentino proudly announces.

The 52-year-old actress also adds, Mag-wa-one month na sa August 14.

Asked whether shes having a hard time adjusting her lifestyle, she says, Ay no, hindi naman talaga ako ganun Im not really talaga sobrang sobrang smoker.

Right now, Lorna is taking supplements such as vitamin B1, B complex, glutathione, and mangosteen and malunggay capsules.

Siyempre nung nag-50 ako, mas iniisip ko na mas tumagal pa.

Kasi siyempre, 'di ba, gone too soon si Rudy [Fernandez], kaya siyempre kailangan mas mahaba pa, lalo na because of my apo, yun ang nag-i-inspire sa akin, she confesses.

When asked whether shes ok with Lyla Victoria, Raphael's (Lorna's eldest son) daughter, entering showbiz, Lorna answers, Commercial kung meron, oo tatangapin ko.

Lorna enthusiastically talks about her two-year-old apo, whom she refers to as still being in her makulit stage, Shes ok, actually yung kanya intellectual [maturity] ano, something na pinapaano sa mga doctor, for four years old na.

She also complements Leana, Lylas mother, for teaching her grandchild, Talagang kinu-congratulate ko si Leana, because shes a teacher, talagang mas kaya niya i-guide.

STEM CELL THERAPY.Lorna Tolentino, who has undergone stem cell therapy, narrates how the procedure helped her health concerns.

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Lorna Tolentino reveals the secret to her youthful looks

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A stroke therapy using stem cells extracted from patients' bone marrow has shown promising results in the first trial of its kind in humans.

Five patients received the treatment in a pilot study conducted by doctors at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust and scientists at Imperial College London.

The therapy was found to be safe, and all the patients showed improvements in clinical measures of disability.

The findings are published in the journal Stem Cells Translational Medicine. It is the first UK human trial of a stem cell treatment for acute stroke to be published.

The therapy uses a type of cell called CD34+ cells, a set of stem cells in the bone marrow that give rise to blood cells and blood vessel lining cells. Previous research has shown that treatment using these cells can significantly improve recovery from stroke in animals. Rather than developing into brain cells themselves, the cells are thought to release chemicals that trigger the growth of new brain tissue and new blood vessels in the area damaged by stroke.

The patients were treated within seven days of a severe stroke, in contrast to several other stem cell trials, most of which have treated patients after six months or later. The Imperial researchers believe early treatment may improve the chances of a better recovery.

A bone marrow sample was taken from each patient. The CD34+ cells were isolated from the sample and then infused into an artery that supplies the brain. No previous trial has selectively used CD34+ cells, so early after the stroke, until now.

Although the trial was mainly designed to assess the safety and tolerability of the treatment, the patients all showed improvements in their condition in clinical tests over a six-month follow-up period.

Four out of five patients had the most severe type of stroke: only four per cent of people who experience this kind of stroke are expected to be alive and independent six months later. In the trial, all four of these patients were alive and three were independent after six months.

Dr Soma Banerjee, a lead author and Consultant in Stroke Medicine at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, said: "This study showed that the treatment appears to be safe and that it's feasible to treat patients early when they might be more likely to benefit. The improvements we saw in these patients are very encouraging, but it's too early to draw definitive conclusions about the effectiveness of the therapy. We need to do more tests to work out the best dose and timescale for treatment before starting larger trials."

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Stem cells show promise for stroke in pilot study

Recommendation and review posted by simmons

A pilot study undertaken by researchers from Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust and Imperial College London has shown promise in rapid treatment of serious strokes. The study, the first of its kind published in the UK, treated patients using stem cells from bone marrow.

Imagine a perfectly ordinary beginning to your day, say burned toast, no matching pair of socks and the usual damp commute to work. Except at some point through the usual minutiae you suffer a massive stroke. If you dont die outright, you may soon afterwards. Even supposing you survive those first days or weeks, the chance of your life resuming its comforting tedium is impossibly remote. You may need assistance for the rest of your shortened life.

According to the Stroke Association, about 152,000 people suffer a stroke in the UK alone each year. However, the five patients treated in the recent Imperial College pilot study all showed improvements. According to doctors, four of those had suffered the most severe kind of stroke, which leaves only four percent of people alive or able to live independently six months after the event. All four of the patients were alive after six months.

A particular set of CD34+ stem cells was used, as they help with the production of blood cells and blood vessels lining cells. These same cells have been found to improve the effects of stroke in animals, and they assist in brain tissue and blood growth in the affected areas of the brain. The CD34+ cells were isolated from samples taken from patients bone marrow and then infused into the affected area via an artery that leads to the brain, using keyhole surgery.

The innovative stem cell treatment differs from others in one important way: patients are treated within seven days of their stroke, rather than six months hence. The stroke sufferers all recorded improvements in terms of clinical measures of disability, despite four of the five having suffered the most severe kind of stroke.

It's still early days for the research, and much more will need to be done to expand clinical trials, but eventually it is hoped that a drug may be developed that can be administered to stroke sufferers as soon as they are admitted to hospital. This could ameliorate longer term effects and allow for speedier recovery and a faster entry into therapy.

A paper detailing the research was published in journal Stem Cells Translational Medicine.

Source: Imperial College London

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Stem cell stroke therapy shows promise after first human trial

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5 stroke victims were treated with stem cells extracted from bone marrow Treatment triggers rapid regeneration of damaged brain cells Patients regained power of speech and use of their arms and legs More than 150,000 people have a stroke in England every year Treatment is at early stage and needs years of testing Imperial College London scientists says it shows 'great potential'

By Ben Spencer

Published: 09:25 EST, 8 August 2014 | Updated: 19:30 EST, 8 August 2014

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Five people who had suffered severe strokes (illustrated) regained the power of speech and mobility thanks to a radical new treatment

Stroke patients have shown remarkable signs of recovery after they were given a radical new treatment.

Five people who had suffered severe strokes regained the power of speech, use of their arms and legs and improved cognition after just six months, according to British research published today.

The three men and two women, aged between 45 and 75, were treated with stem cells extracted from their own bone marrow in the first experiment of its kind.

More here:
Hope for stroke victims after radical stem cell treatment enables patients to move and talk again

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith