Archive for June, 2015

regenerative medicine,cartilage: bronchus repair using bioartificial tissue transplantationHospital Clinic of Barcelona/APthe application of treatments developed to replace tissues damaged by injury or disease. These treatments may involve the use of biochemical techniques to induce tissue regeneration directly at the site of damage or the use of transplantation techniques employing differentiated cells or stem cells, either alone or as part of a bioartificial tissue. Bioartificial tissues are made by seeding cells onto natural or biomimetic scaffolds (see tissue engineering). Natural scaffolds are the total extracellular matrixes (ECMs) of decellularized tissues or organs. In contrast, biomimetic scaffolds may be composed of natural materials, such as collagen or proteoglycans (proteins with long chains of carbohydrate), or built from artificial materials, such as metals, ceramics, or polyester polymers. Cells used for transplants and bioartificial tissues are almost always autogeneic (self) to avoid rejection by the patients immune system. The use of allogeneic (nonself) cells carries a high risk of immune rejection and therefore requires tissue matching between donor and recipient and involves the administration of immunosuppressive drugs.

A variety of autogeneic and allogeneic cell and bioartificial tissue transplantations have been performed. Examples of autogeneic transplants using differentiated cells include blood transfusion with frozen stores of the patients own blood and repair of the articular cartilage of the knee with the patients own articular chondrocytes (cartilage cells) that have been expanded in vitro (amplified in number using cell culture techniques in a laboratory). An example of a tissue that has been generated for autogeneic transplant is the human mandible (lower jaw). Functional bioartificial mandibles are made by seeding autogeneic bone marrow cells onto a titanium mesh scaffold loaded with bovine bone matrix, a type of extracellular matrix that has proved valuable in regenerative medicine for its ability to promote cell adhesion and proliferation in transplantable bone tissues. Functional bioartificial bladders also have been successfully implanted into patients. Bioartificial bladders are made by seeding a biodegradable polyester scaffold with autogeneic urinary epithelial cells and smooth muscle cells.

Another example of a tissue used successfully in an autogeneic transplant is a bioartificial bronchus, which was generated to replace damaged tissue in a patient affected by tuberculosis. The bioartificial bronchus was constructed from an ECM scaffold of a section of bronchial tissue taken from a donor cadaver. Differentiated epithelial cells isolated from the patient and chondrocytes derived from mesenchymal stem cells collected from the patients bone marrow were seeded onto the scaffold.

There are few clinical examples of allogeneic cell and bioartificial tissue transplants. The two most common allogeneic transplants are blood-group-matched blood transfusion and bone marrow transplant. Allogeneic bone marrow transplants are often performed following high-dose chemotherapy, which is used to destroy all the cells in the hematopoietic system in order to ensure that all cancer-causing cells are killed. (The hematopoietic system is contained within the bone marrow and is responsible for generating all the cells of the blood and immune system.) This type of bone marrow transplant is associated with a high risk of graft-versus-host disease, in which the donor marrow cells attack the recipients tissues. Another type of allogeneic transplant involves the islets of Langerhans, which contain the insulin-producing cells of the body. This type of tissue can be transplanted from cadavers to patients with diabetes mellitus, but recipients require immunosuppression therapy to survive.

Cell transplant experiments with paralyzed mice, pigs, and nonhuman primates demonstrated that Schwann cells (the myelin-producing cells that insulate nerve axons) injected into acutely injured spinal cord tissue could restore about 70 percent of the tissues functional capacity, thereby partially reversing paralysis.

embryonic stem cell: scientists conducting research on embryonic stem cellsMauricio LimaAFP/Getty ImagesStudies on experimental animals are aimed at understanding ways in which autogeneic or allogeneic adult stem cells can be used to regenerate damaged cardiovascular, neural, and musculoskeletal tissues in humans. Among adult stem cells that have shown promise in this area are satellite cells, which occur in skeletal muscle fibres in animals and humans. When injected into mice affected by dystrophy, a condition characterized by the progressive degeneration of muscle tissue, satellite cells stimulate the regeneration of normal muscle fibres. Ulcerative colitis in mice was treated successfully with intestinal organoids (organlike tissues) derived from adult stem cells of the large intestine. When introduced into the colon, the organoids attached to damaged tissue and generated a normal-appearing intestinal lining.

In many cases, however, adult stem cells such as satellite cells have not been easily harvested from their native tissues, and they have been difficult to culture in the laboratory. In contrast, embryonic stem cells (ESCs) can be harvested once and cultured indefinitely. Moreover, ESCs are pluripotent, meaning that they can be directed to differentiate into any cell type, which makes them an ideal cell source for regenerative medicine.

Studies of animal ESC derivatives have demonstrated that these cells are capable of regenerating tissues of the central nervous system, heart, skeletal muscle, and pancreas. Derivatives of human ESCs used in animal models have produced similar results. For example, cardiac stem cells from heart-failure patients were engineered to express a protein (Pim-1) that promotes cell survival and proliferation. When these cells were injected into mice that had experienced myocardial infarction (heart attack), the cells were found to enhance the repair of injured heart muscle tissue. Likewise, heart muscle cells (cardiomyocytes) derived from human ESCs improved the function of injured heart muscle tissue in guinea pigs.

Derivatives of human ESCs are likely to produce similar results in humans, although these cells have not been used clinically and could be subject to immune rejection by recipients. The question of immune rejection was bypassed by the discovery in 2007 that adult somatic cells (e.g., skin and liver cells) can be converted to ESCs. This is accomplished by transfecting (infecting) the adult cells with viral vectors carrying genes that encode transcription factor proteins capable of reprogramming the adult cells into pluripotent stem cells. Examples of these factors include Oct-4 (octamer 4), Sox-2 (sex-determining region Y box 2), Klf-4 (Kruppel-like factor 4), and Nanog. Reprogrammed adult cells, known as induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells, are potential autogeneic sources for cell transplantation and bioartificial tissue construction. Such cells have since been created from the skin cells of patients suffering from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and Alzheimer disease and have been used as human models for the exploration of disease mechanisms and the screening of potential new drugs. In one such model, neurons derived from human iPS cells were shown to promote recovery of stroke-damaged brain tissue in mice and rats, and, in another, cardiomyocytes derived from human iPS cells successfully integrated into damaged heart tissue following their injection into rat hearts. These successes indicated that iPS cells could serve as a cell source for tissue regeneration or bioartificial tissue construction.

Scaffolds and soluble factors, such as proteins and small molecules, have been used to induce tissue repair by undamaged cells at the site of injury. These agents protect resident fibroblasts and adult stem cells and stimulate the migration of these cells into damaged areas, where they proliferate to form new tissue. The ECMs of pig small intestine submucosa, pig and human dermis, and different types of biomimetic scaffolds are used clinically for the repair of hernias, fistulas (abnormal ducts or passageways between organs), and burns.

See the article here:
regenerative medicine | Britannica.com

Although there are a number of hair loss conditions that can affect men, the most common is Male Pattern Baldness (MPB). Other names for this condition are androgenetic alopecia and genetic hair loss. This page will concentrate primarily on this condition but will also make reference to the less widespread hair loss conditions that could be affecting you, with links to more informative pages.

Male Pattern Baldness is a genetic condition that can be passed down from either side of the family tree. So if your Father has a perfectly thick head of hair, dont think you are definitely safe (although you could be!). It is a condition caused by a bi-product of testosterone named Dihydrotestosterone, or DHT. DHT attaches to the hair follicles and causes them to shrink over time, which causes the hair to become thinner and thinner until some men become totally bald on the top of the head.

This is a very good question, and although the answer might seem obvious, many men do not identify their hair loss until it has become fairly advanced, which could be too late to achieve a full recovery. The reasons men do not identify their own hair loss are usually down to simple denial, or because the process is very slow and it is something that they simply might not notice. At the opposite end of the scale, many men worry about hair loss when they have no reason to worry.

The best ways to know if you are losing your hair are:

MPB is in fact easy to identify even for somebody with no clinical experience as it only affects hair on the top of the scalp and not the sides, causing a horseshoe-shaped pattern of hair loss. There are a number of different common patterns of hair loss a receding hairline, a thinning crown, or general thinning spread over the top area of the head. You can read more about these below. MPB never affects the sides or back of the hair.

There are a number of options available for treating Male Pattern Baldness, including clinically proven medications, laser devices and hair restoration surgery. There are also numerous products out there that have no clinical efficacy, so it is easy to waste time and money whilst your hair continues to shed. It is therefore very important that you carry out the necessary research before deciding how you are going to treat your hair loss. The good news is that unless you have lost all or most of your hair, there is a solution out there for you, whether it be a medical solution, a surgical one, or a combination of the two.

Our comprehensive hair loss treatment guide walks you through all the most effective options available for treating hair loss and also gives you an in-depth look at the products that may not be worth using.

hair loss treatment guide

This depends on a number of factors. Firstly, the condition causing your hair loss if you have a temporary hair loss condition (which is unusual in men) then the answer may be no. Please refer to our list of other hair loss conditions below if your problem doesnt appear to be MPB.

Assuming your condition is Male Pattern Baldness, the extent of your eventual hair loss really depends. Those men who have a very early or aggressive onset of MPB are more likely to lose their hair more extensively or at a faster rate, which could result in baldness at an early age. We see men who begin to lose their hair at 18 years old (or sometimes earlier). These men will of course be the ones most likely to reach eventual baldness, sometimes at a fairly early age (mid-twenties). Whereas some men only begin to see signs of thinning in their mid-to-late twenties, or even later. These men are much less likely to experience eventual baldness and may just have thin hair by the time they reach old age.

Read more here:
Male Hair Loss All You Need To Know - The Belgravia Centre

Cancer i, also known as a malignant tumor or malignant neoplasm, is a group of diseases involving abnormal cell growth with the potential to invade or spread to other parts of the body.[1][2] Not all tumors are cancerous; benign tumors do not spread to other parts of the body.[2] Possible signs and symptoms include: a new lump, abnormal bleeding, a prolonged cough, unexplained weight loss, and a change in bowel movements among others.[3] While these symptoms may indicate cancer, they may also occur due to other issues.[3] There are over 100 different known cancers that affect humans.[2]

Tobacco use is the cause of about 22% of cancer deaths.[1] Another 10% is due to obesity, a poor diet, lack of physical activity, and consumption of ethanol (alcohol).[1] Other factors include certain infections, exposure to ionizing radiation, and environmental pollutants.[4] In the developing world nearly 20% of cancers are due to infections such as hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and human papillomavirus.[1] These factors act, at least partly, by changing the genes of a cell.[5] Typically many such genetic changes are required before cancer develops.[5] Approximately 510% of cancers are due to genetic defects inherited from a person's parents.[6] Cancer can be detected by certain signs and symptoms or screening tests.[1] It is then typically further investigated by medical imaging and confirmed by biopsy.[7]

Many cancers can be prevented by not smoking, maintaining a healthy weight, not drinking too much alcohol, eating plenty of vegetables, fruits and whole grains, being vaccinated against certain infectious diseases, not eating too much red meat, and avoiding too much exposure to sunlight.[8][9] Early detection through screening is useful for cervical and colorectal cancer.[10] The benefits of screening in breast cancer are controversial.[10][11] Cancer is often treated with some combination of radiation therapy, surgery, chemotherapy, and targeted therapy.[1][12] Pain and symptom management are an important part of care. Palliative care is particularly important in those with advanced disease.[1] The chance of survival depends on the type of cancer and extent of disease at the start of treatment.[5] In children under 15 at diagnosis the five year survival rate in the developed world is on average 80%.[13] For cancer in the United States the average five year survival rate is 66%.[14]

In 2012 about 14.1 million new cases of cancer occurred globally (not including skin cancer other than melanoma).[5] It caused about 8.2 million deaths or 14.6% of all human deaths.[5][15] The most common types of cancer in males are lung cancer, prostate cancer, colorectal cancer, and stomach cancer, and in females, the most common types are breast cancer, colorectal cancer, lung cancer, and cervical cancer.[5] If skin cancer other than melanoma were included in total new cancers each year it would account for around 40% of cases.[16][17] In children, acute lymphoblastic leukaemia and brain tumors are most common except in Africa where non-Hodgkin lymphoma occurs more often.[13] In 2012, about 165,000 children under 15 years of age were diagnosed with cancer. The risk of cancer increases significantly with age and many cancers occur more commonly in developed countries.[5] Rates are increasing as more people live to an old age and as lifestyle changes occur in the developing world.[18] The financial costs of cancer have been estimated at $1.16 trillion US dollars per year as of 2010.[19]

Cancers are a large family of diseases that involve abnormal cell growth with the potential to invade or spread to other parts of the body.[1][2] They form a subset of neoplasms. A neoplasm or tumor is a group of cells that have undergone unregulated growth, and will often form a mass or lump, but may be distributed diffusely.[20][21]

Six characteristics of cancer have been proposed:

The progression from normal cells to cells that can form a discernible mass to outright cancer involves multiple steps known as malignant progression.[22][23]

When cancer begins, it invariably produces no symptoms. Signs and symptoms only appear as the mass continues to grow or ulcerates. The findings that result depend on the type and location of the cancer. Few symptoms are specific, with many of them also frequently occurring in individuals who have other conditions. Cancer is the new "great imitator". Thus, it is not uncommon for people diagnosed with cancer to have been treated for other diseases, which were assumed to be causing their symptoms.[24]

Local symptoms may occur due to the mass of the tumor or its ulceration. For example, mass effects from lung cancer can cause blockage of the bronchus resulting in cough or pneumonia; esophageal cancer can cause narrowing of the esophagus, making it difficult or painful to swallow; and colorectal cancer may lead to narrowing or blockages in the bowel, resulting in changes in bowel habits. Masses in breasts or testicles may be easily felt. Ulceration can cause bleeding that, if it occurs in the lung, will lead to coughing up blood, in the bowels to anemia or rectal bleeding, in the bladder to blood in the urine, and in the uterus to vaginal bleeding. Although localized pain may occur in advanced cancer, the initial swelling is usually painless. Some cancers can cause a buildup of fluid within the chest or abdomen.[24]

General symptoms occur due to distant effects of the cancer that are not related to direct or metastatic spread. These may include: unintentional weight loss, fever, being excessively tired, and changes to the skin.[25]Hodgkin disease, leukemias, and cancers of the liver or kidney can cause a persistent fever of unknown origin.[24]

Read more:
Cancer - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Genetic testing can provide information about a persons genes and chromosomes. Available types of testing include:

Newborn screening is used just after birth to identify genetic disorders that can be treated early in life. Millions of babies are tested each year in the United States. All states currently test infants for phenylketonuria (a genetic disorder that causes intellectual disability if left untreated) and congenital hypothyroidism (a disorder of the thyroid gland). Most states also test for other genetic disorders.

Diagnostic testing is used to identify or rule out a specific genetic or chromosomal condition. In many cases, genetic testing is used to confirm a diagnosis when a particular condition is suspected based on physical signs and symptoms. Diagnostic testing can be performed before birth or at any time during a persons life, but is not available for all genes or all genetic conditions. The results of a diagnostic test can influence a persons choices about health care and the management of the disorder.

Carrier testing is used to identify people who carry one copy of a gene mutation that, when present in two copies, causes a genetic disorder. This type of testing is offered to individuals who have a family history of a genetic disorder and to people in certain ethnic groups with an increased risk of specific genetic conditions. If both parents are tested, the test can provide information about a couples risk of having a child with a genetic condition.

Prenatal testing is used to detect changes in a fetuss genes or chromosomes before birth. This type of testing is offered during pregnancy if there is an increased risk that the baby will have a genetic or chromosomal disorder. In some cases, prenatal testing can lessen a couples uncertainty or help them make decisions about a pregnancy. It cannot identify all possible inherited disorders and birth defects, however.

Preimplantation testing, also called preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD), is a specialized technique that can reduce the risk of having a child with a particular genetic or chromosomal disorder. It is used to detect genetic changes in embryos that were created using assisted reproductive techniques such as in-vitro fertilization. In-vitro fertilization involves removing egg cells from a womans ovaries and fertilizing them with sperm cells outside the body. To perform preimplantation testing, a small number of cells are taken from these embryos and tested for certain genetic changes. Only embryos without these changes are implanted in the uterus to initiate a pregnancy.

Predictive and presymptomatic types of testing are used to detect gene mutations associated with disorders that appear after birth, often later in life. These tests can be helpful to people who have a family member with a genetic disorder, but who have no features of the disorder themselves at the time of testing. Predictive testing can identify mutations that increase a persons risk of developing disorders with a genetic basis, such as certain types of cancer. Presymptomatic testing can determine whether a person will develop a genetic disorder, such as hereditary hemochromatosis (an iron overload disorder), before any signs or symptoms appear. The results of predictive and presymptomatic testing can provide information about a persons risk of developing a specific disorder and help with making decisions about medical care.

Forensic testing uses DNA sequences to identify an individual for legal purposes. Unlike the tests described above, forensic testing is not used to detect gene mutations associated with disease. This type of testing can identify crime or catastrophe victims, rule out or implicate a crime suspect, or establish biological relationships between people (for example, paternity).

A Brief Primer on Genetic Testing, which outlines the different kinds of genetic tests, is available from the National Human Genome Research Institute.

Educational resources related to patient genetic testing/carrier screening are available from GeneEd. Johns Hopkins Medicine provides additional information about genetic carrier screening.

See the article here:
Types of Genetic Testing - Genetics Home Reference

Introduction: What are stem cells, and why are they important? What are the unique properties of all stem cells? What are embryonic stem cells? What are adult stem cells? What are the similarities and differences between embryonic and adult stem cells? What are induced pluripotent stem cells? What are the potential uses of human stem cells and the obstacles that must be overcome before these potential uses will be realized? Where can I get more information?

Stem cells have the remarkable potential to develop into many different cell types in the body during early life and growth. In addition, in many tissues they serve as a sort of internal repair system, dividing essentially without limit to replenish other cells as long as the person or animal is still alive. When a stem cell divides, each new cell has the potential either to remain a stem cell or become another type of cell with a more specialized function, such as a muscle cell, a red blood cell, or a brain cell.

Stem cells are distinguished from other cell types by two important characteristics. First, they are unspecialized cells capable of renewing themselves through cell division, sometimes after long periods of inactivity. Second, under certain physiologic or experimental conditions, they can be induced to become tissue- or organ-specific cells with special functions. In some organs, such as the gut and bone marrow, stem cells regularly divide to repair and replace worn out or damaged tissues. In other organs, however, such as the pancreas and the heart, stem cells only divide under special conditions.

Until recently, scientists primarily worked with two kinds of stem cells from animals and humans: embryonic stem cells and non-embryonic "somatic" or "adult" stem cells. The functions and characteristics of these cells will be explained in this document. Scientists discovered ways to derive embryonic stem cells from early mouse embryos more than 30 years ago, in 1981. The detailed study of the biology of mouse stem cells led to the discovery, in 1998, of a method to derive stem cells from human embryos and grow the cells in the laboratory. These cells are called human embryonic stem cells. The embryos used in these studies were created for reproductive purposes through in vitro fertilization procedures. When they were no longer needed for that purpose, they were donated for research with the informed consent of the donor. In 2006, researchers made another breakthrough by identifying conditions that would allow some specialized adult cells to be "reprogrammed" genetically to assume a stem cell-like state. This new type of stem cell, called induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), will be discussed in a later section of this document.

Stem cells are important for living organisms for many reasons. In the 3- to 5-day-old embryo, called a blastocyst, the inner cells give rise to the entire body of the organism, including all of the many specialized cell types and organs such as the heart, lungs, skin, sperm, eggs and other tissues. In some adult tissues, such as bone marrow, muscle, and brain, discrete populations of adult stem cells generate replacements for cells that are lost through normal wear and tear, injury, or disease.

Given their unique regenerative abilities, stem cells offer new potentials for treating diseases such as diabetes, and heart disease. However, much work remains to be done in the laboratory and the clinic to understand how to use these cells for cell-based therapies to treat disease, which is also referred to as regenerative or reparative medicine.

Laboratory studies of stem cells enable scientists to learn about the cells essential properties and what makes them different from specialized cell types. Scientists are already using stem cells in the laboratory to screen new drugs and to develop model systems to study normal growth and identify the causes of birth defects.

Research on stem cells continues to advance knowledge about how an organism develops from a single cell and how healthy cells replace damaged cells in adult organisms. Stem cell research is one of the most fascinating areas of contemporary biology, but, as with many expanding fields of scientific inquiry, research on stem cells raises scientific questions as rapidly as it generates new discoveries.

I.Introduction|Next

See the original post:
Stem Cell Basics: Introduction [Stem Cell Information]

NEW YORK, June 23, 2015 /PRNewswire/ --

This is a comprehensive account of the market size, segmentation, key players, SWOT analysis, influential technologies, and business and economic environments. The report is supported by over 270 tables & figures over 254 pages. The personalized medicine (global) market is presented as follows:

By Company (e.g., 23andMe, AFFYMETRIX, ATOSSA GENETICS, NODALITY, deCode /Amgen, CELERA, MYRIAD) By Geography (US, UK, EU) By Segment (Targeted therapeutics, Companion Diagnostics, Esoteric tests, Esoteric lab services) By Sub-market (Companion diagnostics & therapeutic, nutrition & wellness, medical technology, pharmacogenomics, consumer genomics)

A wealth of financial data & business strategy information is provided including:

Company financials, sales & revenue figures Business Model Strategies for Diagnostic, Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology Companies Business Model Strategies for Providers. Provider Systems and Academic Medical Centres Business Model Strategies for Payers & Governments Private and Public Funding and Personalized Medicine Reimbursement Revisions to Current Payment Systems and intellectual property How to Gain Market Penetration in the EU Cost-effectiveness and Business Value of Personalized Medicine Consumer genomics and POC market Therapeutics and Companion Diagnostics (e.g., BRAC Analysis, Oncotype Dx , KRAS Mutations) Comprehensive account of company product portfolios & kits

SWOT, Economic & Regulatory Environment specifics include:

Key strengths, weaknesses and threats influencing leading player position within the market Technologies driving the market (e.g., New-Generation Sequencing Technologies, Ultra-High Throughput Sequencing) Top fastest growing market segments and emerging opportunities Top pharmaceutical companies within the IPM by market share and revenue Comprehensive product portfolios, R&D activity and pipeline therapeutics M&A activity and future strategies of top personalized medicine pharmacos Personalized Medicine Regulation (USA, UK, Germany, France, Spain, Italy) CE-marked Personalized Medicine/Diagnostic Tests FDA Advances in Personalized Medicine Regulation

This report highlights a number of significant pharmacos and gives details of their operations, products, financials and business strategy.

23andMe Affymetrix Astex Pharmaceuticals Atossa Genetics CuraGen Celera Corporation (Quest Diagnostics) Celldex Therapeutics deCode Genetics (Amgen) Illumina Genelex Myriad Nodality Qiagen What you will gain:

An in-depth understanding of the global personalized medicine market and it's environment Current market facts, figures and product lines of key players in the industry Emerging trends in key markets such as the US, UK, Germany and France Knowledge of how the personalized medicine market will integrate into the global healthcare market Technical insights into new generation sequencing technologies and ultra-high throughput sequencing Updates on bioinformatics, high throughput systems, genetic analysis kits, companion diagnostics and future technologies FDA approved pharmacogenetic tests and recognized biomarkers Information on key government and regulatory policies Strategies on how to adapt and restructure current business models to this industry

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Personalized Medicine, Targeted Therapeutics and Companion ...

Bacteria are the unicellular organisms and cannot be seen with naked eye. There is no particular method of cell division, they simply divide by binary fission in which cell divides into two daughter cells. They do not have proper nucleus within the cell but the genetic material is attached to the cell membrane in an irregular form. They are found everywhere like top of the mountains, rivers, on land and in ice. Bacteria have the property of living in extreme weathers like extreme cold and extreme heat. They are able to live long because they become inactive for a long period of time.

Bacteria play an important role in the environment: Decomposition of Dead/Complex Organic Matter:

Ever imagined the fate of nature with dead matter of animals/plants lying around? Bacteria play a very crucial role of silently getting the nature rid of the dead matter through the decomposition of dead organic matter by the micobes. Bacteria use them as a source of nutrients, and in turn help in recycling the organic compounds trapped in the dead matter. Through this process, other organisms also get benefited, who can use the simpler forms of organic compounds/nutrients released from the dead matter by various bacteria.

Bioremediation by bacteria Bioremediation refers to the process of depletion/degradation of toxic compounds present in the natural environment by living organisms. Bacteria are one of the key players in Bioremediation. For example, oil spills due to oil digging operations or accidents on oil transport channels in the ocean or on the soil, is highly determinant to the healthy environment. Bacteria like Pseudomonas have been well known for the degradation of oil spills on oceans/soils.

Similarly, Contamination of heavy metals in the environment is a major global concern because of their toxicity and

threat to human life and environment. Bacteria like Alcaligenes faecalis (Arsenic),Pseudomonas fluorescens and Enterobacter clocae (Chromium) are well known for heavy metal uptake/compound metabolism. Waste Water Treatment Owing to their characteristics of degrading harmful chemicals and pollutants, bacteria naturally (as well as deliberately used by industries), help in treatment of waste water.

Image source: biologia.laguia2000.com

More here:
Role of Bacteria in Environment - Biotechnology Forums

Empowered by genetic information, Vanderbilt aims to reinvent health care. by Bill Snyder and Dagny Stuart

The iconic Norman Rockwell painting of a family doctor checking the heart of a young patients doll may seem quaint, but its far from old-fashioned. On the contrary, personalized medicine is bringing the family doctor back and the family nurse, and the family pharmacist, and a whole team of family health care providers. Only this time, they will be empowered by 21st-century tools like genomics, informatics and high-tech imaging.

Ailments will be diagnosed more quickly and accuratelyor prevented before they can occur. By selecting drugs that match each patients unique genetic readout or by tweaking molecular pathways instead of blasting away like a shotgun, treatments will be more effective and will have fewer side effects.

After having gone through a period where blockbuster drugs and massive screening were the norm, we are actually moving back to a place where were trying to tailor care to the individual, says Dr. Jeff Balser, Vanderbilt Universitys vice chancellor for health affairs and dean of the School of Medicine.

I try to think of this as not getting more high-tech and therefore more distant from the patient, Balser says. But through technology were becoming more familiar with our patients as individuals and, along with that, always remembering to be personableNorman Rockwell with a DNA sequencer.

In 2010 Vanderbilt University Medical Center launched two major personalized medicine initiatives to advance cancer treatment and to individualize and improve drug therapy. Already this approach is showing promise.

Patients scheduled for cardiac or orthopedic procedures are being tested in advance for genetic variations that can affect their response to common blood thinners. Based on the test results, their doctors may adjust the dose or order a different drug entirely.

Similarly, by reading the genetic fingerprints of tumors removed from patients with certain forms of cancer, doctors can choose targeted drugs that are most likely to work.

Using genetic information to guide drug therapy is just the beginning. In the near future, genomicsthe science of reading and interpreting the DNA sequencewill help Vanderbilt physicians select the best tests and procedures for their patients. Eventually, genetics will help guide efforts to prevent disease and maintain good health.

Personalized medicine is more than genetics, of course. Social, family and behavioral factors, as well as environmental and economic circumstances, also have a profound impact on health. Those things are just as important in tailoring care to the individual as their genetic background, says Balser. Its almost like genomic medicine is what were using to learn how to individualize medicine, but then we can apply it to a broader set of data and circumstances.

Read the original post:
The Promise of Personalized Medicine - Vanderbilt Magazine

Sue Decotiis, MD

As we age, even as early as age 30, our internal production of hormones can start to decline. Initially the effects are subtle and vary between individuals. But as we head toward middle age most of us experience adverse symptoms.

Symptoms of low hormones vary with the actual hormone that is low. But many deficiencies overlap, for example weight gain can occur from hypoactive thyroid as well as in menopause and andropause. Men with low testosterone and women with low estrogen may also have low DHEA and need treatment for both.

Common Symptoms of Hormone Deficiency :

We used to accept any or all of the above as normal part of getting older. But if we treat the deficiencies that lead to all of the symptoms touched on above a person can feel their best. He or she can maintain a healthy body weight and have the energy and desire to lead an active life. Plus look great doing it.

Hormone Replacement Doctor is an evidence-based medical practice. In our practice we only prescribe Bioidentical Hormone Therapy.

Why Are Hormones Important to You? Hormones are intrinsic substances that provide a continuum of specific information to nurture and direct specific cells in target organs. Without optimal hormone levels your body function is off balance and you know it. Even after seeing your physician and being told you are okay, something just isnt right. Hormone replacement therapy can make such a difference for these individuals. Most of us are or will become these individuals.

Individual body organs and their systems heart; cardiovascular system, brain; neurological system are not isolated systems. They need communicating hormones to stay vital. Looking back, life expectancy in 1900 was late 40s; so many died before reaching menopause or andropause. Now that we expect to live so many decades more than our grandparents we will have to deal with the effects of low hormone levels.With modern medicine extending life in to the ninth and tenth decade we need to think about the quality of life that hormone replacement treatment produces. Prescription medications and sophisticated treatments are not enough by themselves to produce the level of health and well being that we deserve today.

If you have any questions for the NYC Doctor in regards to Hormone Replacement Therapyor to make a consultation with Sue Decotiis, MD please contact the Doctors NYC office.

Read more:
Hormone Replacement Therapy in NYC | NYC Hormone ...

Having someone elses marrow or stem cells is called a donor transplant, or an allogeneic transplant. This is pronounced al-lo-jen-ay-ik.

The donors bone marrow cells must match your own as closely as possible. The most suitable donor is usually a close relative, such as a brother or sister. It is sometimes possible to find a match in an unrelated donor. Doctors call this a matched unrelated donor (MUD). To find out if there is a suitable donor for you, your doctor will contact The Anthony Nolan Bone Marrow Register and other UK based and international bone marrow registers.

To make sure that your donors cells match, you and the donor will have blood tests. These are to see how many of the proteins on the surface of their blood cells match yours. This is called tissue typing or HLA matching. HLA stands for human leucocyte antigen.

Once you have a donor and are in remission, you have high dose chemotherapy either on its own or with radiotherapy. A week later the donor goes into hospital and their stem cells or marrow are collected. You then have the stem cells or bone marrow as a drip through your central line.

If you've had a transplant from a donor, there is a risk of graft versus host disease (GVHD). This happens because the transplanted stem cells or bone marrow contain cells from your donor's immune system. These cells can sometimes recognise your own tissues as being foreign and attack them. This can be an advantage because the immune cells may also attack any leukaemia cells left after your treatment.

Acute GVHD starts within 100 days of the transplant and can cause

If you develop GVHD after your transplant, your doctor will prescribe medicines to damp down this immune reaction. These are called immunosuppressants.

Chronic GVHD starts more than 100 days after the transplant and you may have

Your doctor is likely to suggest that you stay out of the sun because GVHD skin rashes can often get worse in the sun.

There is detailed information about graft versus host disease in the section about coping physically with cancer.

See the rest here:
Bone marrow or stem cell transplants for AML | Cancer ...

What Is Arthritis?

Arthritis is inflammation of the joints (the points where bones meet) in one or more areas of the body. There are more than 100 different types of arthritis, all of which have different causes and treatment methods. The symptoms of arthritis usually appear gradually but they may also occur suddenly. Arthritis is most commonly seen in adults over the age of 65 but it can also develop in children and teens. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, arthritis is more common in women than men and in those that are overweight (CDC).

Cartilage is a flexible, connective tissue in joints that absorbs the pressure and shock created from movement like running and walking. It also protects the joints and allows for smooth movement.

Some forms of arthritis are caused by a reduction in the normal amount of this cartilage tissue. Osteoarthritis, one of the most common forms of arthritis, is caused by normal wear and tear throughout life; this natural breakdown of cartilage tissue can be exacerbated by an infection or injury to the joints.

The risk of developing osteoarthritis may be higher if you have a family history of the disease.

Another common form of arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, occurs when your bodys immune system attacks the tissues of the body. These attacks affect the synovium, which secretes a fluid that nourishes the cartilage and lubricates the joints. Rheumatoid arthritis can eventually lead to the destruction of both bone and cartilage inside the joint. The exact cause of the immune systems attacks has not yet been discovered, but scientists have discovered genetic markers that increase your risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis tenfold.

The most common symptoms of arthritis involve the joints. Joint pain and stiffness, mostly in the morning, are typical signs, along with swelling of the joints. You may also experience a decrease in range of motion of your joints or redness of the skin around the joint.

In the case of rheumatoid arthritis you may feel tired or experience a loss of appetite because of the inflammation caused by your bodys attacking immune system. You may also become anemic (experience decreased red blood cells) or have a slight fever. Severe rheumatoid arthritis can cause joint deformity if left untreated.

Diagnosis of arthritis will start with your physician performing a physical exam, during which he or she will check for limited range of motion in the joint, the feeling of fluid around joints, or warm or red joints. Extraction and analysis of your bodily fluids like blood and joint fluid can help your doctor determine what kind of arthritis you have by checking for inflammation levels. Imaging scans such as X-ray, MRI, and CT scans are commonly used to produce an image of your bones and cartilage so your doctor can better determine whether something like a bone spur is the cause of your symptoms.

The main goal of treatment is to reduce the amount of pain youre experiencing and prevent any additional damage to the joints. Improving your joint function is also important, and you may be prescribed a combination of treatment methods to achieve the best results.

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Arthritis : Causes, Signs & Diagnosis - Healthline

Charles A. Goldthwaite, Jr., PhD.

Data from 2007 suggest that approximately 1.4 million men and women in the U.S. population are likely to be diagnosed with cancer, and approximately 566,000 American adults are likely to die from cancer in 2008.1 Data collected between 1996 and 2004 indicate that the overall 5-year survival rate for cancers from all sites, relative to the expected survival from a comparable set of people without cancer, is 65.3%.1 However, survival and recurrence rates following diagnosis vary greatly as a function of cancer type and the stage of development at diagnosis. For example, in 2000, the relative survival rate five years following diagnosis of melanoma (skin cancer) was greater than 90%; that of cancers of the brain and nervous system was 35%. Once a cancer has metastasized (or spread to secondary sites via the blood or lymph system), however, the survival rate usually declines dramatically. For example, when melanoma is diagnosed at the localized stage, 99% of people will survive more than five years, compared to 65% of those diagnosed with melanoma that has metastasized regionally and 15% of those whose melanoma has spread to distant sites.2

The term cancer describes a group of diseases that are characterized by uncontrolled cellular growth, cellular invasion into adjacent tissues, and the potential to metastasize if not treated at a sufficiently early stage. These cellular aberrations arise from accumulated genetic modifications, either via changes in the underlying genetic sequence or from epigenetic alterations (e.g., modifications to gene activation- or DNA-related proteins that do not affect the genetic sequence itself).3,4 Cancers may form tumors in solid organs, such as the lung, brain, or liver, or be present as malignancies in tissues such as the blood or lymph. Tumors and other structures that result from aberrant cell growth, contain heterogeneous cell populations with diverse biological characteristics and potentials. As such, a researcher sequencing all of the genes from tumor specimens of two individuals diagnosed with the same type of lung cancer will identify some consistencies along with many differences. In fact, cancerous tissues are sufficiently heterogeneous that the researcher will likely identify differences in the genetic profiles between several tissue samples from the same specimen. While some groupings of genes allow scientists to classify organ-or tissue-specific cancers into subcategories that may ultimately inform treatment and provide predictive information, the remarkable complexity of cancer biology continues to confound treatment efforts.

Once a cancer has been diagnosed, treatments vary according to cancer type and severity. Surgery, radiation therapy, and systemic treatments such as chemotherapy or hormonal therapy represent traditional approaches designed to remove or kill rapidly-dividing cancer cells. These methods have limitations in clinical use. For example, cancer surgeons may be unable to remove all of the tumor tissue due to its location or extent of spreading. Radiation and chemotherapy, on the other hand, are non-specific strategieswhile targeting rapidly-dividing cells, these treatments often destroy healthy tissue as well. Recently, several agents that target specific proteins implicated in cancer-associated molecular pathways have been developed for clinical use. These include trastuzumab, a monoclonal antibody that targets the protein HER2 in breast cancer,5 gefitinib and erlotnib, which target epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) in lung cancer,6 imatinib, which targets the BCR-ABL tyrosine kinase in chronic myelogenous leukemia,7 the monoclonal antibodies bevacizumab, which targets vascular endothelial growth factor in colorectal and lung cancer,8 and cetuximab and panitumumab, which target EGFR in colorectal cancer.8 These agents have shown that a targeted approach can be successful, although they are effective only in patients who feature select subclasses of these respective cancers.

All of these treatments are most successful when a cancer is localized; most fail in the metastatic setting.911 This article will discuss the CSC hypothesis and its supporting evidence and provide some perspectives on how CSCs could impact the development of future cancer therapy.

A consensus panel convened by the American Association of Cancer Research has defined a CSC as a cell within a tumor that possesses the capacity to self-renew and to cause the heterogeneous lineages of cancer cells that comprise the tumor.12 It should be noted that this definition does not indicate the source of these cellsthese tumor-forming cells could hypothetically originate from stem, progenitor, or differentiated cells.13 As such, the terms tumor-initiating cell or cancer-initiating cell are sometimes used instead of cancer stem cell to avoid confusion. Tumors originate from the transformation of normal cells through the accumulation of genetic modifications, but it has not been established unequivocally that stem cells are the origin of all CSCs. The CSC hypothesis therefore does not imply that cancer is always caused by stem cells or that the potential application of stem cells to treat conditions such as heart disease or diabetes, as discussed in other chapters of this report, will result in tumor formation. Rather, tumor-initiating cells possess stem-like characteristics to a degree sufficient to warrant the comparison with stem cells; the observed experimental and clinical behaviors of metastatic cancer cells are highly reminiscent of the classical properties of stem cells.9

The CSC hypothesis suggests that the malignancies associated with cancer originate from a small population of stem-like, tumor-initiating cells. Although cancer researchers first isolated CSCs in 1994,14 the concept dates to the mid-19th century. In 1855, German pathologist Rudolf Virchow proposed that cancers arise from the activation of dormant, embryonic-like cells present in mature tissue.15 Virchow argued that cancer does not simply appear spontaneously; rather, cancerous cells, like their non-cancerous counterparts, must originate from other living cells. One hundred and fifty years after Virchows observation, Lapidot and colleagues provided the first solid evidence to support the CSC hypothesis when they used cell-surface protein markers to identify a relatively rare population of stemlike cells in acute myeloid leukemia (AML).14 Present in the peripheral blood of persons with leukemia at approximately 1:250,000 cells, these cells could initiate human AML when transplanted into mice with compromised immune systems. Subsequent analysis of populations of leukemia-initiating cells from various AML subtypes indicated that the cells were relatively immature in terms of differentiation.16 In other words, the cells were stem-likemore closely related to primitive blood-forming (hematopoietic) stem cells than to more mature, committed blood cells.

The identification of leukemia-inducing cells has fostered an intense effort to isolate and characterize CSCs in solid tumors. Stem cell-like populations have since been characterized using cell-surface protein markers in tumors of the breast,17 colon,18 brain,19 pancreas,20,21 and prostate.22,23 However, identifying markers that unequivocally characterize a population of CSCs remains challenging, even when there is evidence that putative CSCs exist in a given solid tumor type. For example, in hepatocellular carcinoma, cellular analysis suggests the presence of stem-like cells.24 Definitive markers have yet to be identified to characterize these putative CSCs, although several potential candidates have been proposed recently.25,26 In other cancers in which CSCs have yet to be identified, researchers are beginning to link established stem-cell markers with malignant cancer cells. For instance, the proteins Nanog, nucleostemin, and musashi1, which are highly expressed in embryonic stem cells and are critical to maintaining those cells pluripotency, are also highly expressed in malignant cervical epithelial cells.27 While this finding does not indicate the existence of cervical cancer CSCs, it suggests that these proteins may play roles in cervical carcinogenesis and progression.

Given the similarities between tumor-initiating cells and stem cells, researchers have sought to determine whether CSCs arise from stem cells, progenitor cells, or differentiated cells present in adult tissue. Of course, different malignancies may present different answers to this question. The issue is currently under debate,9,12 and this section will review several theories about the cellular precursors of cancer cells (see Fig. 9.1).

See original here: Are Stem Cells Involved in Cancer? [Stem Cell Information]

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Stem Cells Therapy

With more than 50 years of experience studying blood-forming stem cells called hematopoietic stem cells, scientists have developed sufficient understanding to actually use them as a therapy. Currently, no other type of stem cell, adult, fetal or embryonic, has attained such status. Hematopoietic stem cell transplants are now routinely used to treat patients with cancers and other disorders of the blood and immune systems. Recently, researchers have observed in animal studies that hematopoietic stem cells appear to be able to form other kinds of cells, such as muscle, blood vessels, and bone. If this can be applied to human cells, it may eventually be possible to use hematopoietic stem cells to replace a wider array of cells and tissues than once thought.

Despite the vast experience with hematopoietic stem cells, scientists face major roadblocks in expanding their use beyond the replacement of blood and immune cells. First, hematopoietic stem cells are unable to proliferate (replicate themselves) and differentiate (become specialized to other cell types) in vitro (in the test tube or culture dish). Second, scientists do not yet have an accurate method to distinguish stem cells from other cells recovered from the blood or bone marrow. Until scientists overcome these technical barriers, they believe it is unlikely that hematopoietic stem cells will be applied as cell replacement therapy in diseases such as diabetes, Parkinson's Disease, spinal cord injury, and many others.

Blood cells are responsible for constant maintenance and immune protection of every cell type of the body. This relentless and brutal work requires that blood cells, along with skin cells, have the greatest powers of self-renewal of any adult tissue.

The stem cells that form blood and immune cells are known as hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs). They are ultimately responsible for the constant renewal of bloodthe production of billions of new blood cells each day. Physicians and basic researchers have known and capitalized on this fact for more than 50 years in treating many diseases. The first evidence and definition of blood-forming stem cells came from studies of people exposed to lethal doses of radiation in 1945.

Basic research soon followed. After duplicating radiation sickness in mice, scientists found they could rescue the mice from death with bone marrow transplants from healthy donor animals. In the early 1960s, Till and McCulloch began analyzing the bone marrow to find out which components were responsible for regenerating blood [56]. They defined what remain the two hallmarks of an HSC: it can renew itself and it can produce cells that give rise to all the different types of blood cells (see Chapter 4. The Adult Stem Cell).

A hematopoietic stem cell is a cell isolated from the blood or bone marrow that can renew itself, can differentiate to a variety of specialized cells, can mobilize out of the bone marrow into circulating blood, and can undergo programmed cell death, called apoptosisa process by which cells that are detrimental or unneeded self-destruct.

A major thrust of basic HSC research since the 1960s has been identifying and characterizing these stem cells. Because HSCs look and behave in culture like ordinary white blood cells, this has been a difficult challenge and this makes them difficult to identify by morphology (size and shape). Even today, scientists must rely on cell surface proteins, which serve, only roughly, as markers of white blood cells.

Identifying and characterizing properties of HSCs began with studies in mice, which laid the groundwork for human studies. The challenge is formidable as about 1 in every 10,000 to 15,000 bone marrow cells is thought to be a stem cell. In the blood stream the proportion falls to 1 in 100,000 blood cells. To this end, scientists began to develop tests for proving the self-renewal and the plasticity of HSCs.

The "gold standard" for proving that a cell derived from mouse bone marrow is indeed an HSC is still based on the same proof described above and used in mice many years ago. That is, the cells are injected into a mouse that has received a dose of irradiation sufficient to kill its own blood-producing cells. If the mouse recovers and all types of blood cells reappear (bearing a genetic marker from the donor animal), the transplanted cells are deemed to have included stem cells.

These studies have revealed that there appear to be two kinds of HSCs. If bone marrow cells from the transplanted mouse can, in turn, be transplanted to another lethally irradiated mouse and restore its hematopoietic system over some months, they are considered to be long-term stem cells that are capable of self-renewal. Other cells from bone marrow can immediately regenerate all the different types of blood cells, but under normal circumstances cannot renew themselves over the long term, and these are referred to as short-term progenitor or precursor cells. Progenitor or precursor cells are relatively immature cells that are precursors to a fully differentiated cell of the same tissue type. They are capable of proliferating, but they have a limited capacity to differentiate into more than one cell type as HSCs do. For example, a blood progenitor cell may only be able to make a red blood cell (see Figure 5.1. Hematopoietic and Stromal Stem Cell Differentiation).

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5. Hematopoietic Stem Cells [Stem Cell Information]

SAN DIEGO(BUSINESS WIRE)Cytori Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: CYTX) today confirmed that two Japanese regenerative medicine laws, which went into effect on November 25, 2014, remove regulatory uncertainties and provide a clear path for the Company to commercialize and market Cytori Cell Therapy and its Celution System under the Companys existing and planned regulatory approvals.

Japans new regenerative medicine laws substantially clarify regulatory ambiguities of pre-existing guidelines and this news represents a significant event for Cytori, said Dr. Marc Hedrick, President & CEO of Cytori. We have a decade of operating experience in Japan and Cytori is nicely positioned to see an impact both on existing commercial efforts and on our longer-term efforts to obtain therapeutic claims and reimbursement for our products.

Under the two new laws, Cytori believes its Celution System and autologous adipose-derived regenerative cells (ADRCs) can be provided by physicians under current Class I device regulations and used under the lowest risk category (Tier 3) for many procedures with only the approval by accredited regenerative medicine committees and local agencies of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW). This regulatory framework is expected to streamline the approval and regulatory process and increase clinical use of Cytori Cell Therapy and the Celution System over the former regulations.

Before these new laws were enacted, the regulatory pathway for clinical use of regenerative cell therapy was one-size-fits-all, irrespective of the risk posed by certain cell types and approaches, said Dr. Hedrick. Now, Cytoris point-of-care Celution System can be transparently integrated into clinical use by providers under our Class I device status and the streamlined approval process granted to cell therapies that pose the lowest risk. Our technology is unique in that respect.

Cytoris Celution System Is in Lowest of Three Risk Categories

The Act on the Safety of Regenerative Medicines and an amendment of the 2013 Pharmaceutical Affairs Act (the PMD Act), collectively termed the Regenerative Medicine Laws, replace the Human Stem Cell Guidelines. Under the new laws, the cell types used in cell therapy and regenerative medicine are classified based on risk. Cell therapies using cells derived from embryonic, induced pluripotent, cultured, genetically altered, animal and allogeneic cells are considered higher risk (Tiers 1 and 2) and will undergo an approval pathway with greater and more stringent oversight due to the presumed higher risk to patients. Cytoris Celution System, which uses the patients own cells at the point-of-care, will be considered in the lowest risk category (Tier 3) for most cases, and will be considered in Tier 2 if used as a non-homologous therapy.

Streamlined Regulatory Approval for Certain Medical Devices

In the near future, Cytori intends to pursue disease-specific or therapeutic claims and reimbursement for Cytoris Celution System and the Company would, at that point, sponsor a clinical trial to obtain Class III device-based approval and reimbursement. The new laws include changes to streamline regulation of Class II and some Class III devices, which will now require the approval of certification bodies rather than the PMDA, similar to the European notified body model. To date, certification bodies have only been used for some Class II devices.

Conditional Regulatory Approval and Reimbursement Potential

As a supplementary benefit to Cytori, the Company may also choose to take advantage of the new conditional approval opportunities granted under the new laws. Once clinical safety and an indication of efficacy are shown, sponsors may apply for their cell product to receive conditional approval for up to seven years and may be eligible for reimbursement under Japans national insurance coverage. Under the conditional approval, the sponsor can then generate post-marketing data to demonstrate further efficacy and cost effectiveness.

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japanese | StemCell Therapy MD

Regenerative medicine is a branch of translational research[1] in tissue engineering and molecular biology which deals with the "process of replacing, engineering or regenerating human cells, tissues or organs to restore or establish normal function".[2] This field holds the promise of engineering damaged tissues and organs via stimulating the body's own repair mechanisms to functionally heal previously irreparable tissues or organs.[3]

Regenerative medicine also includes the possibility of growing tissues and organs in the laboratory and safely implanting them when the body cannot heal itself. If a regenerated organ's cells would be derived from the patient's own tissue or cells, this would potentially solve the problem of the shortage of organs available for donation, and the problem of organ transplant rejection.[4][5][6]

Attributed to William Haseltine (founder of Human Genome Sciences),[7] the term "regenerative medicine" was first found in a 1992 article on hospital administration by Leland Kaiser. Kaisers paper closes with a series of short paragraphs on future technologies that will impact hospitals. One paragraph had Regenerative Medicine as a bold print title and stated, A new branch of medicine will develop that attempts to change the course of chronic disease and in many instances will regenerate tired and failing organ systems.[8][9]

Regenerative medicine refers to a group of biomedical approaches to clinical therapies that may involve the use of stem cells.[10] Examples include the injection of stem cells or progenitor cells obtained through Directed differentiation (cell therapies); the induction of regeneration by biologically active molecules administered alone or as a secretion by infused cells (immunomodulation therapy); and transplantation of in vitro grown organs and tissues (tissue engineering).[11][12]

From 1995 to 1998 Michael D. West, PhD, organized and managed the research between Geron Corporation and its academic collaborators James Thomson at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and John Gearhart of Johns Hopkins University that led to the first isolation of human embryonic stem and human embryonic germ cells.[13]

Dr. Stephen Badylak, a Research Professor in the Department of Surgery and director of Tissue Engineering at the McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine at the University of Pittsburgh, developed a process for scraping cells from the lining of a pig's bladder, decellularizing (removing cells to leave a clean extracellular structure) the tissue and then drying it to become a sheet or a powder. This extracellular matrix powder was used to regrow the finger of Lee Spievak, who had severed half an inch of his finger after getting it caught in a propeller of a model plane.[14][15][16][dubious discuss] As of 2011, this new technology is being employed by the military on U.S. war veterans in Texas, as well as for some civilian patients. Nicknamed "pixie-dust," the powdered extracellular matrix is being used to successfully regenerate tissue lost and damaged due to traumatic injuries.[17]

In June 2008, at the Hospital Clnic de Barcelona, Professor Paolo Macchiarini and his team, of the University of Barcelona, performed the first tissue engineered trachea (wind pipe) transplantation. Adult stem cells were extracted from the patient's bone marrow, grown into a large population, and matured into cartilage cells, or chondrocytes, using an adaptive method originally devised for treating osteoarthritis. The team then seeded the newly grown chondrocytes, as well as epithileal cells, into a decellularised (free of donor cells) tracheal segment that was donated from a 51 year old transplant donor who had died of cerebral hemorrhage. After four days of seeding, the graft was used to replace the patient's left main bronchus. After one month, a biopsy elicited local bleeding, indicating that the blood vessels had already grown back successfully.[18][19]

In 2009 the SENS Foundation was launched, with its stated aim as "the application of regenerative medicine defined to include the repair of living cells and extracellular material in situ to the diseases and disabilities of ageing." [20]

In 2012, Professor Paolo Macchiarini and his team improved upon the 2008 implant by transplanting a laboratory-made trachea seeded with the patient's own cells.[21]

On Sep 12, 2014, surgeons at the Institute of Biomedical Research and Innovation Hospital in Kobe, Japan, transplanted a 1.3 by 3.0 millimeter sheet of retinal pigment epithelium cells, which were differentiated from iPS cells through Directed differentiation, into an eye of an elderly woman, who suffers from age-related macular degeneration.[22]

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Regenerative medicine - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A new study from the Forsyth Institute is helping to shed light on latent tuberculosis and the bacteria's ability to hide in stem cells. Some bone marrow stem cells reside in low oxygen (hypoxia) zones. These specialized zones are secured as immune cells and toxic chemicals cannot reach this zone. Hypoxia- activated cell signaling pathways may also protect the stem cells from dying or ageing. A new study led by Forsyth Scientist Dr. Bikul Das has found that Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) hijack this protective hypoxic zone to hide intracellular to a special stem cell type. The study was published online on June 8th in the American Journal of Pathology.

Mtb, the causative organism of tuberculosis, infects nearly 2.2 billion people worldwide and causes 1.7 million annual deaths. This is largely attributed to the bacteria's ability to stay dormant in the human body and later resurface as active disease. Earlier research at Forsyth revealed that Mtb hides inside a specific stem cell population in bone marrow, the CD271+ mesenchymal stem cells. However, the exact location of the Mtb harboring stem cells was not known.

"From our previous research, we learned that cancer stem cells reside in the hypoxic zones to maintain self-renewal property, and escape from the immune system" said Bikul Das, MBBS, PhD, Associate Research Investigator at the Forsyth Institute, and the honorary director of the KaviKrishna laboratory, Guwahati, India. "So, we hypothesized that Mtb, like cancer, may also have figured out the advantage of hiding in the hypoxic area."

To test this hypothesis, Dr. Das and his collaborators at Jawarharlal Nehru Univeristy (JNU), New Delhi, and KaviKrishna Laboratory, Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati, utilized a well-known mouse model of Mtb infection, where months after drug treatment, Mtb remain dormant for future reactivation. Using this mouse model of dormancy, scientists isolated the special bone marrow stem cell type, the CD271+ mesenchymal stem cells, from the drug treated mice. Prior to isolation of the stem cells, mice were injected with pimonidazole, a chemical that binds specifically to hypoxic cells. Pimonidazole binding of these cells was visualized under confocal microscope and via flow cytometry. The scientists found that despite months of drug treatment, Mtb could be recovered from the CD271+ stem cells. Most importantly, these stem cells exhibit strong binding to pimonidazole, indicating the hypoxic localization of the stem cells. Experiments also confirmed that these stem cells express a hypoxia activated gene, the hypoxia inducible factor 1 alpha (HIF-1 alpha).

To confirm the findings in clinical subjects, the research team, in collaboration with KaviKrishna Laboratory, the team isolated the CD271+ stem cell type from the bone marrow of TB infected human subjects who had undergone extensive treatment for the disease. They found that not only did the stem cell type contain viable Mtb, but also exhibit strong expression of HIF-1alpha. To their surprise, the CD271+ stem cell population expressed several fold higher expression of HIF-1alpha than the stem cell type obtained from the healthy individuals.

"These findings now explain why it is difficult to develop vaccines against tuberculosis," said Dr. Das. "The immune cells activated by the vaccine agent may not be able to reach the hypoxic site of bone marrow to target these "wolfs-in-stem-cell-clothing".

The success of this international collaborative study is now encouraging the team to develop a Forsyth Institute/KaviKrishna Laboratory global health research initiative to advance stem cell research and its application to global health issues including TB, HIV and oral cancer, all critical problems in the area where KaviKrishna Laboratory is located.

###

Das is the co-senior and co-corresponding author of the study, Rakesh Bhatnagar, PhD, professor of biotechnology, JNU, New Delhi, is the co-senior author of the study. Ms. Jaishree Garhain, a PhD student of Dr. Das and Dr. Bhatnagar, is the first author of the study. Other members of the team are Ms. Seema Bhuyan, Dr. Deepjyoti Kalita, and Dr. Ista Pulu. The research was funded by the KaviKrishna Foundation (Sualkuchi, India), the Laurel Foundation (Pasadena, California), and Department of Biotechnology, India.

About The Forsyth Institute

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Tuberculosis bacteria hide in the low oxygen niches of ...

Personalization is threaded into the social fabric of America. Innovation is rooted in customizing and personalizing even the smallest parts of our lives, stemming from technology and retail to travel, media and wellness. The future continues to promise even smarter applications where personalization fits, but what about our health? Enter, precision medicine -- this new era of personalized medicine has arrived to healthcare and the possibilities in treating cancer unimaginable just a few years ago, are closer than ever. Imagine a world where your treatment was tailored to you, taking into consideration every cell and gene throughout your individual genetic profile, using that data to specifically design a treatment to fight the exact cancer you have? Sound too good to be true? Think again. The future is here, and the healthcare industry is preparing for massive disruption but for once disruption couldn't have come at a better time.

The Road to Personalized Medicine for Cancer Treatment

For decades, physicians had the same approach for all patients with the same type of cancer, be it breast, lung, liver or prostate cancer, the same way, even through they were aware drug treatments may work on some and fail in others. This is not to say all cancers are treated the same, but the basic approach and process is used when it comes to diagnosing, staging, and recurrence. As significant advances in research progressed over the course of the last 30 years, the medical community created standards of care and treatment when it came to diseases like diabetes, heart disease, and even cancer. However, treating cancer cannot be classified with a standard approach. What we're learning more and more comes down to the individual. Each person is as unique on the inside as they are on the outside. Therefore, why wouldn't we treat their cancer using an individual approach?

For the last 20 years, cancer cells have outsmarted us by protecting themselves, building a wall, not allowing the immune system to identify and kill them. Current treatments are not aimed at stopping cells from spreading and have almost no selective capacity to distinguish between cancer cells and healthy cells. We've basically poisoned the body to kill cancer using chemotherapy and even radiation. But advancements in research has led to a number of potential targeted therapies designed to fight cancer, among them one approach is gaining more and more support -- immunotherapy. This type of targeted therapy teaches our own immune system to fight cancer cells and spare healthy ones. By injecting bacteria inside cancer cells and putting them back into the body, the immune system can learn to recognize and kill them. Think of your T cells as guided missiles aimed at killing the bad cancer cells versus a bomb that kills every cell in its path such as chemotherapy. But an approach we could've never foreseen 10 years ago is right around the corner, leading a transition not just from the diagnosis and treatment of these cancers but much more emphasis on prediction and prevention.

Welcome to the world of precision medicine also deemed "personalized medicine," where each patient is treated individually based on their genetic makeup and the specific genetic mutations present in their body. The National Institutes of Health defines precision medicine as an emerging approach for disease treatment and prevention that integrates an individual's variability in genes, environment and lifestyle. To take it even further, precision health may be the new approach to medicine, rooted in prevention and prediction of various diseases while also maintaining overall health and quality of life.

In my field, which is prostate cancer, we talk a lot about an individual patient's risk factors such as family history, which is a huge proponent of the disease and how aggressive it is. While oftentimes surgery is the first line of defense, the right way to treat prostate cancer and any cancer is through individualized care. Recently at the 110th Annual Scientific Meeting of the American Urological Association, a significant study was presented which showed a combined assessment of genetic bio markers and the genetic profile for a patient would lead to better methods for diagnosing, treating and measuring the likelihood of the disease recurring. The breakthrough here is the role genetic testing plays in cancer, throughout the entire process, from diagnosis to recurrence. We can gather more information about the patient at each step of the way.

Precision Medicine Meets Individualized Care

I've always spoken about the importance of individualized care, especially when it comes to diagnosing and treating cancer. Innovations in genomic testing are leading this emerging era of cancer therapy -- analyzing a group of genes and their activity, which can influence how a cancerous tumor is likely to grow and respond to treatment. This type of diagnostic testing analyzes and detects very specific abnormalities in the tumor cells in a patient's individual cancer. Unlocking the mysteries of genetics holds the promise of finding more customized cures with drugs that attack genetic mutations or repair genetic defects based on the individual patient. Advances in genetic sequencing has increased the likelihood of detecting mutations driving tumor growth and even specific cells inside the tumor. This is the future of treating and diagnosing cancer, integrated with the promise of precision medicine.

Is this revolutionizing everything we know about cancer, from prevention and diagnosis to treatment and recurrence? I would say yes. We've always identified cancer based on the organ it originates in such as the prostate, colon or liver, grouping these together as if they grow the same. What we know now is just because it's deemed "prostate cancer" doesn't mean all prostate cancers develop or progress in the same way. Testing the genetics of an individual patient has opened up an entire new conversation in oncology leading us to define within the cancer what actually drives its development and progression.

The Precision Medicine Initiative

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Conquering Cancer: Personalized Medicine Is the Future ...

Cardiac stem cells, which have the ability to differentiate (specialize) into mature heart cells and therefore could be used to repair damaged or diseased heart tissue, have garnered significant interest in the development of treatments for heart disease and cardiac defects. Cardiac stem cells can be derived from mature cardiomyocytes through the process of dedifferentiation, in which mature heart cells are stimulated to revert to a stem cell state. The stem cells can then be stimulated to redifferentiate into myocytes or endothelial cells. This approach enables millions of cardiac stem cells to be produced in the laboratory.

In 2009 a team of doctors at Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute in Los Angeles, California, reported the first attempted use of cardiac stem cell transplantation to repair damaged heart tissue. The team removed a small section of tissue from the heart of a patient who had suffered a heart attack, and the tissue was cultured in a laboratory. Cells that had been stimulated to dedifferentiate were then used to produce millions of cardiac stem cells, which were later reinfused directly into the heart of the patient through a catheter in a coronary artery. A similar approach was used in a subsequent clinical trial reported in 2011; this trial involved 14 patients suffering from heart failure who were scheduled to undergo cardiac bypass surgery. More than three months after treatment, there was slight but detectable improvement over cardiac bypass surgery alone in left ventricle ejection fraction (the percentage of the left ventricular volume of blood that is ejected from the heart with each ventricular contraction).

Stem cells derived from bone marrow, the collection of which is considerably less invasive than heart surgery, are also of interest in the development of regenerative heart therapies. The collection and reinfusion into the heart of bone marrow-derived stem cells within hours of a heart attack may limit the amount of damage incurred by the muscle.

There are many types of arterial diseases. Some are generalized and affect arteries throughout the body, though often there is variation in the degree they are affected. Others are localized. These diseases are frequently divided into those that result in arterial occlusion (blockage) and those that are nonocclusive in their manifestations.

Atherosclerosis, the most common form of arteriosclerosis, is a disease found in large and medium-sized arteries. It is characterized by the deposition of fatty substances, such as cholesterol, in the innermost layer of the artery (the intima). As the fat deposits become larger, inflammatory white blood cells called macrophages try to remove the lipid deposition from the wall of the artery. However, lipid-filled macrophages, called foam cells, grow increasingly inefficient at lipid removal and undergo cell death, accumulating at the site of lipid deposition. As these focal lipid deposits grow larger, they become known as atherosclerotic plaques and may be of variable distribution and thickness. Under most conditions the incorporation of cholesterol-rich lipoproteins is the predominant factor in determining whether or not plaques progressively develop. The endothelial injury that results (or that may occur independently) leads to the involvement of two cell types that circulate in the bloodplatelets and monocytes (a type of white blood cell). Platelets adhere to areas of endothelial injury and to themselves. They trap fibrinogen, a plasma protein, leading to the development of platelet-fibrinogen thrombi. Platelets deposit pro-inflammatory factors, called chemokines, on the vessel walls. Observations of infants and young children suggest that atherosclerosis can begin at an early age as streaks of fat deposition (fatty streaks).

Atherosclerotic lesions are frequently found in the aorta and in large aortic branches. They are also prevalent in the coronary arteries, where they cause coronary artery disease. The distribution of lesions is concentrated in points where arterial flow gives rise to abnormal shear stress or turbulence, such as at branch points in vessels. In general the distribution in most arteries tends to be closer to the origin of the vessel, with lesions found less frequently in more distal sites. Hemodynamic forces are particularly important in the system of coronary arteries, where there are unique pressure relationships. The flow of blood through the coronary system into the heart muscle takes place during the phase of ventricular relaxation (diastole) and virtually not at all during the phase of ventricular contraction (systole). During systole the external pressure on coronary arterioles is such that blood cannot flow forward. The external pressure exerted by the contracting myocardium on coronary arteries also influences the distribution of atheromatous obstructive lesions.

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cardiovascular disease :: Cardiac stem cells | Britannica.com

Cardiac stem cells, which have the ability to differentiate (specialize) into mature heart cells and therefore could be used to repair damaged or diseased heart tissue, have garnered significant interest in the development of treatments for heart disease and cardiac defects. Cardiac stem cells can be derived from mature cardiomyocytes through the process of dedifferentiation, in which mature heart cells are stimulated to revert to a stem cell state. The stem cells can then be stimulated to redifferentiate into myocytes or endothelial cells. This approach enables millions of cardiac stem cells to be produced in the laboratory.

In 2009 a team of doctors at Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute in Los Angeles, California, reported the first attempted use of cardiac stem cell transplantation to repair damaged heart tissue. The team removed a small section of tissue from the heart of a patient who had suffered a heart attack, and the tissue was cultured in a laboratory. Cells that had been stimulated to dedifferentiate were then used to produce millions of cardiac stem cells, which were later reinfused directly into the heart of the patient through a catheter in a coronary artery. A similar approach was used in a subsequent clinical trial reported in 2011; this trial involved 14 patients suffering from heart failure who were scheduled to undergo cardiac bypass surgery. More than three months after treatment, there was slight but detectable improvement over cardiac bypass surgery alone in left ventricle ejection fraction (the percentage of the left ventricular volume of blood that is ejected from the heart with each ventricular contraction).

Stem cells derived from bone marrow, the collection of which is considerably less invasive than heart surgery, are also of interest in the development of regenerative heart therapies. The collection and reinfusion into the heart of bone marrow-derived stem cells within hours of a heart attack may limit the amount of damage incurred by the muscle.

There are many types of arterial diseases. Some are generalized and affect arteries throughout the body, though often there is variation in the degree they are affected. Others are localized. These diseases are frequently divided into those that result in arterial occlusion (blockage) and those that are nonocclusive in their manifestations.

Atherosclerosis, the most common form of arteriosclerosis, is a disease found in large and medium-sized arteries. It is characterized by the deposition of fatty substances, such as cholesterol, in the innermost layer of the artery (the intima). As the fat deposits become larger, inflammatory white blood cells called macrophages try to remove the lipid deposition from the wall of the artery. However, lipid-filled macrophages, called foam cells, grow increasingly inefficient at lipid removal and undergo cell death, accumulating at the site of lipid deposition. As these focal lipid deposits grow larger, they become known as atherosclerotic plaques and may be of variable distribution and thickness. Under most conditions the incorporation of cholesterol-rich lipoproteins is the predominant factor in determining whether or not plaques progressively develop. The endothelial injury that results (or that may occur independently) leads to the involvement of two cell types that circulate in the bloodplatelets and monocytes (a type of white blood cell). Platelets adhere to areas of endothelial injury and to themselves. They trap fibrinogen, a plasma protein, leading to the development of platelet-fibrinogen thrombi. Platelets deposit pro-inflammatory factors, called chemokines, on the vessel walls. Observations of infants and young children suggest that atherosclerosis can begin at an early age as streaks of fat deposition (fatty streaks).

Atherosclerotic lesions are frequently found in the aorta and in large aortic branches. They are also prevalent in the coronary arteries, where they cause coronary artery disease. The distribution of lesions is concentrated in points where arterial flow gives rise to abnormal shear stress or turbulence, such as at branch points in vessels. In general the distribution in most arteries tends to be closer to the origin of the vessel, with lesions found less frequently in more distal sites. Hemodynamic forces are particularly important in the system of coronary arteries, where there are unique pressure relationships. The flow of blood through the coronary system into the heart muscle takes place during the phase of ventricular relaxation (diastole) and virtually not at all during the phase of ventricular contraction (systole). During systole the external pressure on coronary arterioles is such that blood cannot flow forward. The external pressure exerted by the contracting myocardium on coronary arteries also influences the distribution of atheromatous obstructive lesions.

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cardiovascular disease :: Cardiac stem cells | Britannica.com

By the time Bill Beatty made it to the Emergency Department in Howard County, he was already several hours into a major heart attack. His physicians performed a series of emergency treatments that included an intra-aortic balloon pump, but the 57-year-old engineers blood pressure remained dangerously low. The cardiologist called for a helicopter to transfer him to Johns Hopkins.

It was fortuitous timing: Beatty was an ideal candidate for a clinical trial and soon received an infusion of stem cells derived from his own heart tissue, making him the second patient in the world to undergo the procedure.

Of all the attempts to harness the promise of stem cell therapy, few have garnered more hope than the bid to repair damaged hearts. Previous trials with other stem cells have shown conflicting results. But this new trial, conducted jointly with cardiologist Eduardo Marbn at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, is the first time stem cells come from the patients own heart.

Cardiologist Jeffrey Brinker, M.D., a member of the Hopkins team, thinks the new protocol could be a game-changer. That's based partly on recent animal studies in which scientists at both institutions isolated stem cells from the injured animals hearts and infused them back into the hearts of those same animals. The stem cells formed new heart muscle and blood vessel cells. In fact, says Brinker, the new cells have a pre-determined cardiac fate. Even in the culture dish, he says, theyre a beating mass of cells.

Whats more, according to Gary Gerstenblith, M.D., J.D., the animals in these studies showed a significant decrease in relative infarct size, shrinking by about 25 percent. Based on those and earlier findings, investigators were cleared by the FDA and Hopkins Institutional Review Board to move forward with a human trial.

In Beattys case, Hopkins heart failure chief Stuart Russell, M.D., extracted a small sample of heart tissue and shipped it to Cedars Sinai, where stem cells were isolated, cultured and expanded to large numbers. Hopkins cardiologist Peter Johnston, M.D., says cardiac tissue is robust in its ability to generate stem cells, typically yielding several million transplantable cells within two months.

When ready, the cells were returned to Baltimore and infused back into Beatty through a balloon catheter placed in his damaged artery, ensuring target-specific delivery. Then the watching and waiting began. For the Hopkins team, Beattys infarct size will be tracked by imaging chief Joao Lima, M.D., M.B.A.,and his associates using MRI scans.

Now back home and still struggling with episodes of compromised stamina and shortness of breath, Beatty says his Hopkins cardiologists were fairly cautious in their prognosis, but hell be happy for any improvement.

Nurse coordinator Elayne Breton says Beatty is scheduled for follow-up visits at six months and 12 months, when they hope to find an improvement in his hearts function. But at least one member of the Hopkins team was willing acknowledge a certain optimism. The excitement here, says Brinker, is huge.

The trial is expected to be completed within one to two years.

Originally posted here:
Stem Cell Research at Johns Hopkins Medicine: Repairing ...

In men 45 and older, most cases of hypogonadism or Low-T often go overlooked due to the fact that the symptoms may be more general in nature and slower in onset. Many men simply attribute their symptoms to aging and often dismiss them because they don't think that there is anything that they can do about them. This is largely because the symptoms of hypogonadism are nearly identical to those experienced by men going through andropause (the male menopause): low libido, fatigue, depression, memory loss, difficulty concentrating and irritability. The difference between andropause and hypogonadism is simple. Andropause is a natural part of a man's life where his hormones begin to decline right around the age of 35 and continue to decrease until they plateau in his late 60's. Hypogonadism is a condition where testosterone is not being produced due to a physical abnormality of the testes or brain. It can also be due to an outside factor such as stress, poor diet or pre-existing health conditions. Both Hypogonadism and andropause however can be treated and corrected under the care of experienced hormonal specialists.

There are two basic forms of hypogonadism found in men. Primary hypogonadism is also known as ?testicular failure? and stems from a complication in the testicles. Some common causes of primary hypogonadism are:

The other type of hypogonadism is called secondary hypogonadism, and it describes a condition where the testicles are normal on a physiological level, but still don't function properly due to a problem stemming from the pituitary gland or the hypothalamus. This creates a problem with the signal from the brain to the testicle. Although the testicles function well, they can't get the information from the brain that testosterone needs to be produced. Some common causes of secondary hypogonadism are:

The most effective ways to treat hypogonadism are to enhance the body's ability to make its own testosterone or to supplement the testosterone that your body would produce normally, using natural bioidentical testosterone replacement therapy. It is critical to combine bioidentical hormone therapy with appropriate diet, exercise, lifestyle and stress management. Although there are many different causes for the condition, hypogonadism always leads to hormonal imbalance and can lead to a wide range of symptoms and chronic health issues. Fortunately, under the proper care of a highly trained BodyLogicMD affiliated physician, the condition can be corrected.

Through comprehensive testing, your BodyLogicMD affiliated physician will determine your hormone levels to uncover potential hormone deficiencies. Based on cutting edge diagnostic technologies, BodyLogicMD affiliated physicians pinpoint the source of underlying hormonal imbalances and use all natural bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT) interlaced with customized nutrition and fitness regimens to help men find relief symptoms of hormonal imbalance. BodyLogicMD affiliated physicians have helped thousands of men get their edge back and overcome testosterone deficiencies such as andropause and hypogonadism.

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Low Testosterone in Men | Hypogonadism

SAN DIEGO(BUSINESS WIRE)Cytori Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: CYTX) today confirmed that two Japanese regenerative medicine laws, which went into effect on November 25, 2014, remove regulatory uncertainties and provide a clear path for the Company to commercialize and market Cytori Cell Therapy and its Celution System under the Companys existing and planned regulatory approvals.

Japans new regenerative medicine laws substantially clarify regulatory ambiguities of pre-existing guidelines and this news represents a significant event for Cytori, said Dr. Marc Hedrick, President & CEO of Cytori. We have a decade of operating experience in Japan and Cytori is nicely positioned to see an impact both on existing commercial efforts and on our longer-term efforts to obtain therapeutic claims and reimbursement for our products.

Under the two new laws, Cytori believes its Celution System and autologous adipose-derived regenerative cells (ADRCs) can be provided by physicians under current Class I device regulations and used under the lowest risk category (Tier 3) for many procedures with only the approval by accredited regenerative medicine committees and local agencies of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW). This regulatory framework is expected to streamline the approval and regulatory process and increase clinical use of Cytori Cell Therapy and the Celution System over the former regulations.

Before these new laws were enacted, the regulatory pathway for clinical use of regenerative cell therapy was one-size-fits-all, irrespective of the risk posed by certain cell types and approaches, said Dr. Hedrick. Now, Cytoris point-of-care Celution System can be transparently integrated into clinical use by providers under our Class I device status and the streamlined approval process granted to cell therapies that pose the lowest risk. Our technology is unique in that respect.

Cytoris Celution System Is in Lowest of Three Risk Categories

The Act on the Safety of Regenerative Medicines and an amendment of the 2013 Pharmaceutical Affairs Act (the PMD Act), collectively termed the Regenerative Medicine Laws, replace the Human Stem Cell Guidelines. Under the new laws, the cell types used in cell therapy and regenerative medicine are classified based on risk. Cell therapies using cells derived from embryonic, induced pluripotent, cultured, genetically altered, animal and allogeneic cells are considered higher risk (Tiers 1 and 2) and will undergo an approval pathway with greater and more stringent oversight due to the presumed higher risk to patients. Cytoris Celution System, which uses the patients own cells at the point-of-care, will be considered in the lowest risk category (Tier 3) for most cases, and will be considered in Tier 2 if used as a non-homologous therapy.

Streamlined Regulatory Approval for Certain Medical Devices

In the near future, Cytori intends to pursue disease-specific or therapeutic claims and reimbursement for Cytoris Celution System and the Company would, at that point, sponsor a clinical trial to obtain Class III device-based approval and reimbursement. The new laws include changes to streamline regulation of Class II and some Class III devices, which will now require the approval of certification bodies rather than the PMDA, similar to the European notified body model. To date, certification bodies have only been used for some Class II devices.

Conditional Regulatory Approval and Reimbursement Potential

As a supplementary benefit to Cytori, the Company may also choose to take advantage of the new conditional approval opportunities granted under the new laws. Once clinical safety and an indication of efficacy are shown, sponsors may apply for their cell product to receive conditional approval for up to seven years and may be eligible for reimbursement under Japans national insurance coverage. Under the conditional approval, the sponsor can then generate post-marketing data to demonstrate further efficacy and cost effectiveness.

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japanese | StemCell Therapy MD

During development from stem to fully differentiated, cells in the body alternately divide (mitosis) and "appear" to be resting (interphase). This sequence of activities exhibited by cells is called the cell cycle. Follow the events in the entire cell cycle with the following animation.

Interphase: Interphase, which appears to the eye to be a resting stage between cell divisions, is actually a period of diverse activities. Those interphase activities are indispensible in making the next mitosis possible. Interphase generally lasts at least 12 to 24 hours in mammalian tissue. During this period, the cell is constantly synthesizing RNA, producing protein and growing in size. By studying molecular events in cells, scientists have determined that interphase can be divided into 4 steps: Gap 0 (G0), Gap 1 (G1), S (synthesis) phase, Gap 2 (G2).

Gap 0(G0): There are times when a cell will leave the cycle and quit dividing. This may be a temporary resting period or more permanent. An example of the latter is a cell that has reached an end stage of development and will no longer divide (e.g. neuron).

Gap 1(G1): Cells increase in size in Gap 1, produce RNA and synthesize protein. An important cell cycle control mechanism activated during this period (G1 Checkpoint) ensures that everything is ready for DNA synthesis. (Click on the Checkpoints animation, above.)

S Phase: To produce two similar daughter cells, the complete DNA instructions in the cell must be duplicated. DNA replication occurs during this S (synthesis) phase.

Gap 2(G2): During the gap between DNA synthesis and mitosis, the cell will continue to grow and produce new proteins. At the end of this gap is another control checkpoint (G2 Checkpoint) to determine if the cell can now proceed to enter M (mitosis) and divide.

MitosisorM Phase:Cell growth and protein production stop at this stage in the cell cycle. All of the cell's energy is focused on the complex and orderly division into two similar daughter cells. Mitosis is much shorter than interphase, lasting perhaps only one to two hours. As in both G1 and G2, there is a Checkpoint in the middle of mitosis (Metaphase Checkpoint) that ensures the cell is ready to complete cell division. Actual stages of mitosis can be viewed atAnimal Cell Mitosis.

Cancer cells reproduce relatively quickly in culture. In theCancer Cell CAMcompare the length of time these cells spend in interphase to that formitosisto occur.

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The Cell Cycle - CELLS alive

Please ensure you have JavaScript enabled in your browser. If you leave JavaScript disabled, you will only access a portion of the content we are providing. Here's how. A genetic counselor could... Key Facts & Information Source: O*Net and LifeWorks Training, Other Qualifications

The majority of genetic counselors practicing today are board certified. Board certification to become a Certified Genetic Counselor (CGC) is available through the American Board of Genetic Counseling (ABGC). Requirements include documentation of the following: a graduate degree in genetic counseling from an accredited program; clinical experience in an ABGC-approved training site or sites; a log book of 50 supervised cases; and successful completion of both the general and specialty certification examination.

Students interested in genetic counseling careers should be sure to take all the high school biology, chemistry, and math courses available to them. Good written and communication skills are also important and can be gained in English, foreign languages, and sociology classes.

In college, students should continue to study biology, chemistry, statistics, psychology, sociology, and anthropology.

Students interested in pursuing this career should also seek ways to gain experience in counseling. This can be done in a number of ways, including applying for peer-counseling positions, or volunteering with a crisis center or hotline.

Genetic counselors need to complete a master's degree in genetic counseling. Coursework typically includes clinical genetics, population genetics, cytogenetics, and molecular genetics, coupled with psychosocial theory, ethics, and counseling techniques. Clinical placement in approved medical genetics centers is an integral part of the degree requirement.

Genetic counselors need to have strong analytical reasoning skills in order to evaluate the genetic risks of their patients. Counselors also require robust interpersonal communication skills to help them effectively explain the genetic risks to their patients and then counsel them about their options. Inductive reasoning, active listening, oral communication, and writing skills are all critical to a genetic counselor's career. Genetic counselors also need to be socially perceptive, staying aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react the way they do.

In clinical settings, genetic counselors provide information and support to individuals who have or are at risk of having birth defects or genetic conditions, as well as to their families. They analyze family history information, interpret information about specific disorders, discuss the inheritance patterns, assess the risk to individuals, and review available options for testing or management with families. In addition to informative counseling, genetic counselors also provide supportive counseling to help individuals and families cope with and adapt to their altered circumstances.

Some genetic counselors also work in research settings, where they use the same diagnostic skills to discover how disorders are inherited and evaluate what can be done to treat them.

Genetic counselors often have teaching roles, in addition to their clinical or research work. They are involved in educating medical residents, medical students, genetic counseling students, physicians, other health care providers, and the general public, about human genetics.

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Genetic Counselor - Science Buddies

CHERRY HILL, N.J., June 9, 2015 /PRNewswire/ --My MS Manager, the first-of-its kind mobile phone app... This observational study investigates the associations between multiple sclerosis disability and disease type with lower thoracic cord gray matter and white matter areas using phase sensitive inversion recovery magnetic resonance imaging at 3T, as well as compares these relationships with those... A team to address both the physical and emotional outcomes of MS relapse is essential to high quality care. Step closer to understanding why men are better protected from MS than womenAn innocent mistake made by a graduate student in a Northwestern Medicine lab (she... Read about how Opexa Therapeutic's Tcelna is truly a personalized therapy for patients with multiple sclerosis. We mobilize people and resources to drive research for a cure and to address the challenges of everyone affected by MS. Falls Church resident Lisa Emrich was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, an autoimmune disorder that affects the central nervous system, nearly ten years ago.But the first time she experienced what can be one of the more extreme symptoms of the disorder, temporary blindness, was in 2000. That bout of optic neuritis Background Fingolimod efficiently reduces multiple sclerosis (MS) relapse by inhibiting lymphocyte egress from lymph nodes through down-modulation of sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P) receptors. We aimed to clarify the alterations in peripheral blood T cell subsets associated with MS relapse on fingolimod. Methods/Principal Findings Blood samples successively collected from 23 relapsing-remitting MS patients before and during fingolimod therapy (0.5 mg/day) for 12 months and 18 healthy Via Krishan Maggon New findings published in the journal Molecular Psychiatry have researchers uncovering the cause of "brain fog." The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved the first generic version of Copaxone (glatiramer acetate injection), used to treat patients with relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS). Another study suggests that a telehealth system could help objectively monitor dose adherence. A combination of physical, occupational, hand, speech, cognitive, and behavioral therapy improves outcomes. Insurance coverage can be the determining factor on whether a patient receives DMT or not. Read about the upcoming International Multiple Sclerosis Conference to take place in Rome that will focus on the patients' experience to treat the disease. Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an immune-mediated, neuro-inflammatory, demyelinating and neurodegenerative disease of the central nervous system (CNS) with a heterogeneous clinical presentation and course. There is a remarkable phenotypic heterogeneity in MS, and the molecular mechanisms underlying it remain unknown. We aimed to investigate further the etiopathogenesis related molecular pathways in subclinical types of MS using proteomic and bioinformatics approaches in cerebrospinal fluids of pati Via Krishan Maggon Intracerebral infection of susceptible mouse strains with Theilers murine encephalomyelitis virus (TMEV) results in chronic demyelinating disease with progressive axonal loss and neurologic dysfunction similar to progressive forms of multiple sclerosis (MS). We previously showed that as the disease progresses, a marked decrease in brainstem N-acetyl aspartate (NAA; metabolite associated with neuronal integrity) concentrations, reflecting axon health, is measured. We also demonstrated stimulation of neurite outgrowth by a neuron-binding natural human antibody, IgM12. Treatment with either the serum-derived or recombinant human immunoglobulin M 12 (HIgM12) preserved functional motor activity in the TMEV model. In this study, we examined IgM-mediated changes in brainstem NAA concentrations and central nervous system (CNS) pathology. The myth that African Americans do not get MS is just that a myth. African Americans do get MS. In fact, studies suggest that MS can be especially active. David Lyons doesn't let his battle against multiple sclerosis knock him off his feet. He's fought back, continuing his bodybuilding training while assisting others by creating the MS Fitness Challenge.

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Multiple Sclerosis Research: natalizumab has a ...