Released: 29-Jul-2014 8:00 AM EDT Source Newsroom: Mayo Clinic Contact Information

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Newswise JACKSONVILLE, Fla. Imagine a future in which a new lung is grown for a patient in need, using the patients own cellular material, or a day when an injection of replacement cells will enable a patient to self-heal damage in the brain, nerves or other tissues.

MULTIMEDIA ALERT: For audio and video of Dr. Keller and Jorge Bacardi talking about the gift and regenerative medicine, visit the Mayo Clinic News Network.

Regenerative medicine is no longer science fiction, and a substantial gift from Jorge and Leslie Bacardi of the Bahamas will significantly accelerate the research of Mayo Clinics Center for Regenerative Medicine on the Florida campus.

Jorge Bacardi, whose family has manufactured rum and other spirits for 150 years, suffered since childhood with primary ciliary dyskinesia, a debilitating lung disease that nearly ended his life. A double lung transplant at Mayos Florida campus in 2008 enabled him to take his first full breath of air at age 64.

Regenerative medicine is an extraordinary step in the evolution of mankind, says Jorge Bacardi. It is for Leslie and I a great honor to be able to join Mayo Clinic in the development of such an advancement in the medical field."

Regenerative medicine is addressing the root causes of disease and disability by developing ways to rejuvenate the body using its natural self-healing processes; replace damaged cells with healthy ones derived from the patient (avoiding immune system rejection); and regenerate function by applying specific cells or cell products.

Mayos regenerative medicine researchers are targeting conditions throughout the body, including heart disease, stroke, Alzheimers disease and traumatic injuries that affect combat veterans. Some studies are in the earliest stages. Others are in clinical trials with patients.

Researchers now can differentiate stem cells into skin, brain, lung and many other types of cells. For example, a patient's own skin cells may be collected, reprogrammed in a laboratory to give them certain characteristics, and then delivered back to the patient to treat diseases at various places within the body.

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Bacardis Make Gift to Significantly Advance Mayo Clinic's Regenerative Medicine Research

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Natalie Buchoz - Learning to Walk After a Spinal Cord Injury with Help from NuStep
Natalie was 15 years old when she was involved in a skiing accident that left her paralyzed. Doctors told her she would never walk again, but she wouldn #39;t ta...

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Tampa Bay, FL (PRWEB) July 28, 2014

Nearly 53 million Americans today are suffering with arthritis, with the majority of them diagnosed with osteoarthritis. (1) Osteoarthritis is a degeneration of joint cartilage and its underlying bone, causing significant pain and stiffness. While osteoarthritis has no cure, stem cell therapy has been demonstrated to induce profound healing in many forms of arthritis, according to the Stem Cell Institute. (2) Dr. Cynthia Elliott of Skinspirations, a center for cosmetic enhancement devoted to non-surgical aesthetics and now also specializing in administering regenerative medicine by stem cell, has made use of these services in a recent case study, which resulted in improved health in one of their clients.

Stem cells are unique from other cells for the following reasons:

(a)They can renew themselves through cell division; and (b)Under certain conditions, they can become tissue or organ-specific cells.

Stem cells are revered for their ability to make replacement tissues, as it relates to regenerative therapy. (3) Medical scientists and researchers are discovering the seemingly endless possibilities of what stem cells can treat, including brain damage, bone repair, kidney disease, etc. (4) This treatment is starting to boom in the medical world as a viable procedure, but Skinspirations has already had these practices in place, establishing them as progressive practitioners in the field.

Skinspirations is specifically studying the Stromal Vascular Fraction (SVF)another term for stem cell treatmentand how it affects knees with severe arthritis. According to Dr. Elliott, Stromal Vascular Fraction can help to repair, replace and restore any damaged cells within the bodyDr. Elliott performed the stem cell procedure on her uncle after first treating other patients during her training, and he experienced the following results:

Case in Point:

Joe Elliott, a 63-year-old male, had severe arthritis in one knee. Doctors advised him to get a knee replacement, but Joe was hoping to avoid surgery for as long as possible. After talking to Dr. Elliott about the treatment, he drove to Skinspirations from Missouri to go forward with the stem cell procedure.

Dr. Elliott performed the treatment with the following steps:

(1)Numbed his abdomen with anesthesia; (2)Removed about 100 cc of fat; (3)Processed the fat to isolate the SVF; (4)Numbed the arthritic knee; and (5)Injected the pellet of SVF into the joint of his arthritic knee.

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Skinspirations Study Supports Medical Findings: Stem Cell Treatment Triggers Tissue Regeneration

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by Cathy Marshall, KGW Staff

kgw.com

Posted on July 28, 2014 at 3:41 PM

Updated today at 8:20 PM

PORTLAND-- An Oregon man with multiple sclerosis is seeing remarkable results after a stem cell transplant.

All aspects of my life have improved, said 28-year-old Dan Tiel, I dont even walk with a cane anymore.

Tiel's mother first learned of the clinical trial at Northwestern University while doing research on Facebook.

I had been searching for hope for 10 years and this was the first time I really felt it, Gina Tiel said.

Dr. Richard Burt said about 80 patients a year are getting the stem cell transplants at Northwestern for a variety of autoimmune diseases.

We give them their own stem cells that we collect from their blood and it regenerates a new immune system, he explained.

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Ore. man gets results from stem cell transplant

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When Karen Mitchell read the popular blog written by teenage terminal cancer sufferer Alice Pyne, not only was she deeply moved but also inspired.

Pride Of Britain winner Alice, who had Hodgkins lymphoma from the age of 12, took to social media to urge people to join the bone marrow register. Karen decided she too would sign up to donate her stem cells and save lives.

But there was one thing holding her back her weight.

She was 25st and had a BMI of 60, well above the healthy range of 18-25, and when she began the online registration for Anthony Nolan with her weight and height 5ft 6in she was rejected as being too fat.

So, instead she sent brave Alice a tweet, promising she would lose weight to join the register. And when Alice replied, urging her not to give up, Karen swore that she would not fail.

Now shes lost an incredible 11st 7lb and next week she will make a life-saving donation in memory of Alice, who died in January 2013.

Alice told me not to give up and I didnt want to let her down, says Karen. Her amazing legacy can go on saving lives and I hope everyone reading this will donate as well not for me but for Alice.

Karen, from Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, had battled with her weight for as long as she could remember. Her teenage years were a misery as she was forced to dress in size 18 clothes. Even turning vegetarian and making her staple food cheese at 15 didnt help solve her weight problem.

I longed to wear trendy clothes like the other girls at my school but I could only shop in the fat section of shops, she says.

Karen married when she was 27 but says she knew when she walked down the aisle in her size 28 wedding dress that the marriage was already doomed.

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'I promised brave cancer teenager Alice I'd lose 11st so I could donate bone marrow'

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What is Okyanos Cardiac Stem Cell Therapy? Cardiac stem cell therapy is a promising new treatment option for advanced heart disease patients. This short video explores the procedure and benefits of adult stem cell therapy for severe

By: Okyanos Heart Institute

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David's Stories from Detroit David in Detroit for Netroots Nation 2014 On the Bonus Show: A Russian man beats the bank at it's own game, stem-cell therapy gone awry, Rhode Island's accidental legal prostitution experiment

By: David Pakman Show

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Kellie van Meurs, pictured with her husband Mark, died while undergoing stem cell treatment in Russia. Photo: Facebook

Supporters of a Brisbane mother-of-two who died while undergoing a controversial stem cell treatment in Russia say it did not cause her death, nor have others been discouraged from seeking it.

Kellie van Meurs suffered from a rare neurological disorder called stiff person syndrome, which causes progressive rigidity of the body and chronic pain.

She travelled to Moscow in late June to undergo an autologous haematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) under the care of Dr Denis Fedorenko from the National Pirogov Medical Surgical Centre.

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Cell Therapy IPS Cell Therapy IPS Cell Therapy

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What is Okyanos Cardiac Stem Cell Therapy?
Cardiac stem cell therapy is a promising new treatment option for advanced heart disease patients. This short video explores the procedure and benefits of adult stem cell therapy for severe...

By: Okyanos Heart Institute

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What is Okyanos Cardiac Stem Cell Therapy? - Video

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Stem Cells to Renew the Health and Lives of People - Aishwarya Rai Bachchan in Chennai
Stem Cells to Renew the Health and Lives of People - Aishwarya Rai Bachchan in Chennai - RedPix 24x7 #AishwaryaRai #AishwaryaRaiBachchan #StemCells #LifeCell LifeCell is India #39;s first and...

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Stem Cells to Renew the Health and Lives of People - Aishwarya Rai Bachchan in Chennai - Video

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David #39;s Stories from Detroit
David in Detroit for Netroots Nation 2014 --On the Bonus Show: A Russian man beats the bank at it #39;s own game, stem-cell therapy gone awry, Rhode Island #39;s accidental legal prostitution experiment...

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

Dr. Bhargava and others had asked for the raw data on toxicity studies on rats using transgenic brinjal, which were carried out by Dr. Sesikeran, former director of National Institute of Nutrition at Hyderabad.

He found statistically quite significant differences between rats fed on Bt Brinjal and those fed on a normal meal in respect of several important parameters, said Dr. Bhargava.

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

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

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

Dr. Bhargava said he would like to know which international body endorsed this as scientifically; it does not make any sense. In fact, every sentence in this statement is flawed. For example, what is meant by the statement, If the design is simple, the statistics are likely to give straight forward results. Then, what is Non-statistical knowledge that must be applied in study design and proper interpretation of the biological significance of the results.

Further, the last sentence is biased and misleading, he said.

Surely, if the same statistically significant difference between the control and the experimental group in regard to a particular parameter is observed in repeated experiments, it is bound to have biological importance irrespective of the values falling or not falling between the normal range of variation. This can be verified by referring to any independent biology-oriented statistician of stature in India or abroad, Dr. Bhargava pointed out.

He asked the GEAC to respond to some questions he has raised in the next meeting.

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DBT guidelines questioned on toxicity studies for Bt brinjal

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A DNA molecule strand with human genome code. Photograph: Steven Hunt/Getty Images

The unravelling of the human genetic blueprint has delivered a revolution in the study of health and disease. It is having an impact on treatments today and this will carry forward well into the coming century, a Nobel Prize winner has said.

Prof Aaron Ciechanover was speaking yesterday on the margins of a research conference under way at the Trinity Biomedical Sciences Institute in Dublin. He won a shared Nobel Prize in chemistry in 2004 for his study of how the body breaks down and disposes of unwanted proteins.

We are part of a revolution that will change the whole world of medicine, he said. New methods that grew out of molecular biology now help scientists discover the underlying genetic causes of disease and then identify drugs that might help in treatments. And it will help deliver drugs with fewer side effects, he said.

But we are also entering a period when privacy will be a thing of the past, when your genetic blueprint will reveal things hidden in the genome, he said. It will also separate sex from reproduction given access to advanced technologies. It is going to be major, he said.

Molecular biology will also help support personalised medicine, said Prof Bruce Beutler who shared the 2011 prize in medicine and physiology. Many genetic diseases like type II diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis are caused by an unlucky combination of [altered] genes, he said. But the mix of 100 or 200 that causes it in one person may be different in the next.

Once the combination is established the most effective drug treatment can be provided for that individual. That is what personalised medicine will be in the future, he said.

It is hugely important that all governments fund basic research, suggested Prof Jules Hoffmann, who shared the 2011 Nobel Prize in medicine and physiology for his work on the immune system.

When he started research 40 years ago no one doubted the value of discoveries that came from it. This has changed everywhere, he said. It was a mistake to abandon basic research in favour of translational research, he warned, however.

I am absolutely convinced every country needs applied research, he said, but applied research can arise only through conducting basic research. All of the big medical research discoveries arise as a result of basic research, he said.

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Genetics research to revolutionise medicine, says Nobel laureate

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PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:

28-Jul-2014

Contact: Gina DiGravio gina.digravio@bmc.org 617-638-8480 Boston University Medical Center

(Boston)-- Researchers from Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) report variants in a new gene, PLXNA4, which may increase the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease (AD). The discovery of this novel genetic association may lead to new drug treatment options that target PLXNA4 specifically. These findings appear in the Annals of Neurology.

AD is the most frequent age-related dementia affecting 5.4 million Americans including 13 percent of people age 65 and older, and more than 40 percent of people age 85 and older. Genetic factors account for much of the risk for developing AD with heritability estimates between 60 percent and 80 percent. However much of the genetic basis for the disease is unexplained. Less than 50 percent of the genetic contribution to AD is supported by known common genetic variations.

Using data from the Framingham Heart Study, the researchers obtained strong evidence of an association with several single nucleotide polymorphism in PLXNA4, a gene which had not been previously linked to AD. They then confirmed this finding in a larger dataset from the Alzheimer's Disease Genetics Consortium and other datasets. Next, they performed a series of experiments in models that pinpointed the mechanism by which this gene affects AD risk. "Importantly, this is one of few single studies which go from gene finding to mechanism," explained corresponding author Lindsay Farrer, PhD, Chief of Biomedical Genetics and professor of medicine, neurology, ophthalmology, epidemiology and biostatistics at BUSM.

According to the researchers a form of the protein encoded by this gene promotes formation of neurofibrillary tangles consisting of decomposed tau protein, one of the two pathological hallmarks of the disease. "We showed that PLXNA4 affects the processing of tau as it relates to neurofibrillary tangles, the primary marker of AD. Most drugs that have been developed or that are in development for treating AD are intended to reduce the toxic form of beta-amyloid, a sticky substance that accumulates in the brain of persons with AD, and none have been very effective. Only a few drugs have targeted the tau pathway," added Farrer.

###

This study was supported by grants from the National Institute on Aging (R01-AG025259, P30-AG13846, R01-AG0001, U24-AG021886, U24-AG26395, R01-AG041797 and P50-AG005138), the Alzheimer Association, the Korean Health Technology R&D Project, Ministry of Health & Welfare, Republic of Korea (#A110742), and the Evans Center for Interdisciplinary Biomedical Research (ECIBR) ARC on "Protein Trafficking and Neurodegenerative Disease" at Boston University.

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Researchers identify potential biomarker for AD

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Irvine, CA and Annapolis Junction, MD (PRWEB) July 28, 2014

Proove Biosciences, the commercial and research leader in personalized medicine, will be exhibiting data and research conducted through their latest proprietary testing services at this years International Spine Intervention Societys (ISIS) 22nd Annual Scientific Meeting. The event will take place July 30th-August 3rd, at the Hyatt Regency, in Orlando, Florida.

The meeting is designed to enhance the knowledge and clinical competence of physicians who care for patients suffering specificity from spine pain. The premier event will focus on the latest evidence-based findings, current research, and the future of the field.

The International Spine Intervention Society is an industry leading organization dedicated to promoting the latest and most effective options for the treatment of pain from spine injury and disease, stated Proove Biosciences CEO, Brian Meshkin. Proove Biosciences has been recognized as a leader in personalized pain medicine and genetic testing, and uses evidence-based research to help physicians and patients better understand and treat their pain.

Major components of this years forum will be emerging and alternative technologies in interventional spine care; how to prepare your practice in using outcome-based medicine and registries; and multiple research presentations.

We are looking forward to exhibiting and explaining how our research is helping patients better manage and understand their pain, while lowering the associated healthcare costs and increasing prescription efficiency.

About Proove Biosciences

Our mission is to change the future of medicine by providing proof to improve healthcare decisions. We envision a future when clinicians will know how patients are likely to respond to medications before writing a prescription. We believe such knowledge can be provided by genetic testing: Using a simple cheek swab, Proove performs proprietary genetic tests in its CLIA-certified laboratory. Healthcare providers use the results to evaluate how their patients will metabolize medications, and to screen for the likelihood of medication misuse.

Founded in 2009 with offices in Southern California and the Baltimore-Washington metropolitan area, Proove Biosciences is the leader in genetics-related personalized pain medicine research with hundreds of clinical research sites across the U.S. For more information, please visit http://www.proovebio.com or call toll free 855-PROOVE-BIO (855-776-6832).

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Proove Biosciences Exhibits Industry Leading Data and Research at International Spine Intervention Societys 22nd ...

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STEM CELL THERAPY SUPERNOVA
We implant EMBRYONIC STEM CELLS from our STEM CELL BANK This is state-of-the-art ADVANTAGE for it eliminates the suffering and pain from liposuction(fat removal) or bone marrow extraction,...

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STEM CELL THERAPY SUPERNOVA - Video

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Kellie van Meurs, pictured with her husband Mark, died while undergoing stem cell treatment in Russia. Photo: Facebook

Supporters of a Brisbane mother-of-two who died while undergoing a controversial stem cell treatment in Russia say it did not cause her death, nor have others been discouraged from seeking it.

Kellie van Meurs suffered from a rare neurological disorder called stiff person syndrome, which causes progressive rigidity of the body and chronic pain.

She travelled to Moscow in late June to undergo an autologous haematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) under the care of Dr Denis Fedorenko from the National Pirogov Medical Surgical Centre.

Kellie van Meurs, pictured with family and supporters, died while undergoing stem cell treatment in Russia. Photo: Facebook

The transplant more commonly used for multiple sclerosis patients involves rebooting a patients immune system with their own stem cells after high-dose chemotherapy.

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Ms van Meurs was Dr Fedorenkos first SPS patient, and her husband Mark said she died of a heart attack on July 19.

I do know that Rosemary [Ms van Meurs' aunt and carer in Moscow] felt she received the best possible care, especially from Dr Fedorenko, he said.

Given her level of constant pain and overlapping auto-neuronal problems I still don't think we had a better option.

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Mum dies during stem cell therapy

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San Diego, CA (PRWEB) July 25, 2014

WABC Radio show out of New York City, A Paws For Your Pet with Lorry Young will be hosting California-based Vet-Stem, Inc.s Founder and CEO, Robert J. Harman, DVM, to talk about stem cell therapy in pets. Dr. Harman first visited the show in November 2013 to discuss the benefits of stem cell therapy for pets suffering from osteoarthritis and other degenerative diseases, as well as recent developments moving the Regenerative Veterinary Medicine industry forward.

Young has invited Dr. Harman back to dial down into specific case studies and success stories of the over 10,000 dogs, cats, horses and exotic animals that Vet-Stems services have treated in the last decade. Moose, a Labrador Retriever Mix, is one of those special pet patients in the New York City area that was treated with Vet-Stem Regenerative Cell Therapy for arthritis caused by elbow dysplasia, and arthritic bone growth.

When Mooses owners noticed decreased mobility, lameness, and an increasingly lower tolerance for other dogs they brought Moose to local veterinarian Alex Klein to explore solutions. As many as 65% of dogs between the ages of 7 and 11 years old are inflicted with some degree of arthritis. Certain specific breeds, much like Moose, are reported to have as high of a percentage as 70 in being diagnosed with arthritis.

Stem cell therapy has been proven to help with the pain of arthritis in pets because it decreases inflammation, regenerates damaged tissues, and restores range of motion. An owner survey showed that greater than 80% of dogs treated for osteoarthritis in one or more leg joints with Vet-Stem Regenerative Cell Therapy showed an improved quality of life. Dogs like Moose have a small amount of fat collected by their veterinarian, which is sent overnight to Vet-Stems lab. There, the fat is separated from the stem cells and injectable doses of concentrated stem cells are sent back to the veterinarian overnight. Within 48 hours Moose received injections in his arthritic joints and the healing process began.

This ability to improve on a pets quality of life is why Dr. Harman is so passionate about sharing stories with other animal enthusiasts such as Young and her radio audience. Pet-spert, Young offers a special look into the latest techniques, treatments, and options that will enable listeners to provide their pets with a safer, healthier, and happier life. Produced and hosted by Young, A Paws For Your Pet, helps listeners answer any potential questions they may have regarding the health and well-being of their beloved pet, and hosts experts in the industry like Dr. Harman regularly.

About Vet-Stem, Inc. Since its formation in 2002, Vet-Stem, Inc. has endeavored to improve the lives of animals through regenerative medicine. As the first company in the United States to provide an adipose-derived stem cell service to veterinarians for their patients, Vet-Stem pioneered the use of regenerative stem cells for horses, dogs, cats, and some exotics. In 2004 the first horse was treated with Vet-Stem Regenerative Cell Therapy for a tendon injury that would normally have been career ending. Ten years later Vet-Stem celebrated its 10,000th animal treated, and the success of establishing stem cell therapy as a proven regenerative medicine for certain inflammatory, degenerative, and arthritic diseases. As animal advocates, veterinarians, veterinary technicians, and cell biologists, the team at Vet-Stem tasks themselves with the responsibility of discovering, refining, and bringing to market innovative medical therapies that utilize the bodys own healing and regenerative cells. For more information about Vet-Stem and Regenerative Veterinary Medicine visit http://www.vet-stem.com or call 858-748-2004.

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Robert J. Harman, DVM, Founder and CEO of Vet-Stem, Inc. to Join New York Radio Host Lorry Young in Upcoming Episode ...

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Scientists at The New York Stem Cell Foundation (NYSCF) Research Institute are one step closer to creating a viable cell replacement therapy for multiple sclerosis from a patient's own cells.

For the first time, NYSCF scientists generated induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells lines from skin samples of patients with primary progressive multiple sclerosis and further, they developed an accelerated protocol to induce these stem cells into becoming oligodendrocytes, the myelin-forming cells of the central nervous system implicated in multiple sclerosis and many other diseases.

Existing protocols for producing oligodendrocytes had taken almost half a year to produce, limiting the ability of researchers to conduct their research. This study has cut that time approximately in half, making the ability to utilize these cells in research much more feasible.

Stem cell lines and oligodendrocytes allow researchers to "turn back the clock" and observe how multiple sclerosis develops and progresses, potentially revealing the onset of the disease at a cellular level long before any symptoms are displayed. The improved protocol for deriving oligodendrocyte cells will also provide a platform for disease modeling, drug screening, and for replacing the damaged cells in the brain with healthy cells generated using this method.

"We are so close to finding new treatments and even cures for MS. The enhanced ability to derive the cells implicated in the disease will undoubtedly accelerate research for MS and many other diseases," said Susan L. Solomon, NYSCF Chief Executive Officer.

"We believe that this protocol will help the MS field and the larger scientific community to better understand human oligodendrocyte biology and the process of myelination. This is the first step towards very exciting studies: the ability to generate human oligodendrocytes in large amounts will serve as an unprecedented tool for developing remyelinating strategies and the study of patient-specific cells may shed light on intrinsic pathogenic mechanisms that lead to progressive MS." said Dr. Valentina Fossati, NYSCF -- Helmsley Investigator and senior author on the paper.

In multiple sclerosis, the protective covering of axons, called myelin, becomes damaged and lost. In this study, the scientists not only improved the protocol for making the myelin-forming cells but they showed that the oligodendrocytes derived from the skin of primary progressive patients are functional, and therefore able to form their own myelin when put into a mouse model. This is an initial step towards developing future autologous cell transplantation therapies in multiple sclerosis patients

This important advance opens up critical new avenues of research to study multiple sclerosis and other diseases. Oligodendrocytes are implicated in many different disorders, therefore this research not only moves multiple sclerosis research forward, it allows NYSCF and other scientists the ability to study all demyelinating and central nervous system disorders.

"Oligodendrocytes are increasingly recognized as having an absolutely essential role in the function of the normal nervous system, as well as in the setting of neurodegenerative diseases,such as multiple sclerosis. The new work from the NYSCF Research Institute will help to improve our understanding of these important cells. In addition, being able to generate large numbers of patient-specific oligodendrocytes will support both cell transplantation therapeutics for demyelinating diseases and the identification of new classes of drugs to treat such disorders," said Dr. Lee Rubin, NYSCF Scientific Advisor and Director of Translational Medicine at the Harvard Stem Cell Institute.

Multiple sclerosis is a chronic, inflammatory, demyelinating disease of the central nervous system, distinguished by recurrent episodes of demyelination and the consequent neurological symptoms. Primary progressive multiple sclerosis is the most severe form of multiple sclerosis, characterized by a steady neurological decline from the onset of the disease. Currently, there are no effective treatments or cures for primary progressive multiple sclerosis and treatments relies merely on symptom management.

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Cell therapy for multiple sclerosis patients: Closer than ever?

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Millions of people in the United States have a circulatory problem of the legs called peripheral vascular disease. It can be painful and may even require surgery in serious cases. This disease can lead to severe skeletal muscle wasting and, in turn, limb amputation.

At The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) Medical School, scientists tested a non-surgical preventative treatment in a mouse model of the disease and it was associated with increased blood circulation. Their proof-of-concept study appears in the journal Cell Reports.

Unlike previous studies in which other investigators used individual stimulatory factors to grow blood vessels, Vihang Narkar, Ph.D., senior author and assistant professor in the Department of Integrative Biology and Pharmacology at the UTHealth Medical School, identified and turned off a genetic switch that stifles blood vessel development.

"We discovered an inhibitory switch that degrades blood vessels," said Narkar, whose laboratory is in the UTHealth Center for Metabolic and Degenerative Diseases at The Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine for the Prevention of Human Diseases. "We were able to genetically turn it off to prevent peripheral vascular disease in a preclinical study."

Added Narkar, "Our next step will be to test this targeted treatment in models of other conditions that dramatically decrease circulation like diabetes and atherosclerosis."

Narkar said using individual growth factors to stimulate blood vessel growth often leads to the formation of leaky and non-functional blood vessels. "By turning off a genetic switch that acts as a roadblock for blood vessel growth, we were able to trigger and accelerate the natural process of blood vessel regeneration that involves a battery of growth factors," he said.

The switch is called peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma co-activator 1 beta (PGC1beta) and could be a key to future treatments for additional conditions like cardiac myopathies, cancer and retinopathy.

Story Source:

The above story is based on materials provided by University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.

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Genetic switch discovered that can prevent peripheral vascular disease in mice

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Schizophrenia #39;s genetics revealed
University of Queensland scientists are closer to effective treatments for schizophrenia after uncovering dozens more locations across the human genome that ...

By: The University of Queensland

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Schizophrenia's genetics revealed - Video

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Bad Genetics or Hardgainer Belief
People often talk about bad genetics and why they can #39;t do something. So today we are going to talk about those bad genetics Seeking Online Personal Training - http://bodyflip.webs.com Products:...

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PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:

25-Jul-2014

Contact: Raeka Aiyar, Ph.D. press@genetics-gsa.org 202-412-1120 Genetics Society of America

SEATTLE, WA Nearly 600 scientists from 25 countries and 35 states will attend the 2014 Yeast Genetics Meeting organized by the Genetics Society of America (GSA) next week at the University of Washington in Seattle. The conference will feature close to 500 presentations (including 70 talks) of cutting-edge research results on topics including gene expression and regulation, functional genomics, chemical biology and drug discovery, emerging technologies, evolution, aging, and a variety of diseases.

Of special note are renowned scientists whose contributions to the field of genetics will be honored through several awards and named lectures: George Church (Harvard University), Olga Troyanskaya (Princeton University), Jeremy Thorner (University of California, Berkeley), and Anita Hopper (Ohio State University). Awardees will present their innovative research to all conference participants. In addition, the Genetics Society of America will present the 2013 Elizabeth W. Jones Award for Excellence in Education to Malcolm Campbell and the 2014 Edward Novitski Prize to Charlie Boone.

Jon Lorsch, director of NIH's National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS), will deliver a special presentation on the role of basic biological studies in advancing biomedical research and future efforts planned at NIGMS. In addition, the community will pay special tribute to the late Fred Sherman, a distinguished researcher who helped establish the widespread use of yeast as a genetics model system and who made several groundbreaking contributions to modern genetics.

The baker's yeast (also known as budding yeast) Saccharomyces cerevisiae is an indispensable model organism that has driven our understanding of genetics, molecular biology, and cellular biology. This versatile organism is used in laboratories worldwide, largely because of its amenability to genetic manipulation. Yeast is a single-celled eukaryote, making it one of the simplest systems to study this large domain of life that includes all plants and animals. As a result, research with yeast has yielded revolutionary insights into a variety of important biological principles also found in humans, including how genes exert their function, the effects of genetic variation in a population, molecular and metabolic responses to environmental stimuli, how networks of genes and proteins interact to drive key biological processes, and the molecular basis for multifactorial traits like fitness and disease.

One of the reasons that S. cerevisiae has spurred so many breakthroughs in biological research is its use a workhorse for pioneering new technologies readily adopted across academia and industry. The industrial applications of yeast are numerous, including biotechnology, biofuels, fermentation for wine and beer production, baking, and pharmaceutics. The 2014 Yeast Genetics Meeting will integrate the areas in which yeast has been instrumental as a model system or industrial tool.

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For additional information, please see the conference website athttp://www.genetics-gsa.org/yeast/2014/.

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Yeast meeting to showcase latest breakthroughs in genetics and molecular biology

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FP Genetics and Paterson Grain are rolling out a demonstration program for a new hybrid fall rye in Manitoba.

The new hybrid, dubbed Brasetto, yields about 25 per cent higher than existing varieties, says Ron Weik, seed portfolio manager with FP Genetics. Brasetto is also four to six inches shorter than Hazlet, he adds. And its a lot more consistent in the height.

KWS, a German-based rye breeder, gave FP Genetics the new cereal. Brasetto is a European variety, Weik says, but it has been through the Canadian registration system, and was registered in July.

So its been grown for several years in Western Canada just in small plots, of course but the winter survival has been every bit as good as the varieties we have here at this time, says Weik.

Brasettos ergot susceptibility seems to be the same as existing varieties, Weik says. But the new variety does have some improved quality characteristics. Its got quite a bit better bread-making qualities.

Ken Mudry, manager of customer marketing at Paterson Grain, says it will be distributing seed in Manitoba.

Its very limited. Well have the equivalent of about 1,500 acres worth of seed for this upcoming fall, says Mudry. End-use customers will try small quantities of Brasetto next year to see how the rye fits into their product portfolios.

Mudry acknowledges the rye market isnt very big. However, we see an opportunity. North America does import rye from Europe. So its our objective to see if we can supply that market, cut off that import.

Were looking forward to seeing how it performs, says Mudry.

Lisa Guenther is a field editor for Grainews

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Hybrid rye to be tested in Manitoba

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

July 25, 2014

Image Caption: A reconstructed beating heart of a zebrafish embryo with the muscle layer (myocardium) in red and the endothelium (endocardium and vasculature) in cyan. Credit: MPI f. Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics/ Huisken

Max-Planck-Gesellschaft, Mnchen

Researchers of the Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics in Dresden report how they managed to capture detailed three-dimensional images of cardiac dynamics in zebrafish. The novel approach: They combine high-speed Selective Plane Illumination Microscopy (SPIM) and clever image processing to reconstruct multi-view movie stacks of the beating heart. Furthermore, they have developed a method of generating high-resolution static reconstructions of the zebrafishs heart: the Dresden research team used optogenetics to stop the beating heart by illuminating it with light. Non-periodic phenomena such as irregularly beating hearts and the flow of blood cells are resolved by high-speed volume scanning using a liquid lens. This work is set to be key in our understanding of congenital heart defects as well in future experiments on cardiac function and development.

Until recently, available microscopes were too slow to capture a beating heart in 3D. Now, the team led by research group leader Jan Huisken at the Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics has developed a high-speed, selective plane illumination microscope that manages to do just that. By gently illuminating the fish heart with a thin light sheet and observing the emitted fluorescence with a fast and sensitive camera the researchers have achieved fast, non-invasive imaging of labelled heart tissue. The process involves taking multiple movies, each covering individual planes of the heart (movie stacks), then using the correlations between the individual planes to generate a synchronized, dynamic 3D image of the beating heart.

The team also obtained static high-resolution reconstructions by briefly stopping the heart with optogenetics. This procedure does not harm the fish zebrafish embryos can survive a cardiac arrest of several hours. These renderings allow us to further follow characteristic structures of the heart throughout the cardiac cycle, says Michaela Mickoleit, PhD student who performed the experiments in Huiskens lab. For instance, they now can clearly observe cardiac contractions or the distance between endo- and myocardium throughout the heartbeat. By manipulating the exposure time and magnification of the images, better resolution could be achieved and fine details such as sarcomeres and filamentous actin could also be resolved. Finally, they then also went on to resolve non-periodic phenomena by high-speed volume scanning with a liquid lens. For the first time, it has become possible to also image diseased hearts that exhibit arrhythmia exciting news for cardiologists.

The team at the Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics has developed a fantastic array of tools to image the heart in vivo, ranging from static to ultra-high-speed images. Their work offers potentially revolutionary insights into the cellular structure of the beating heart and are set to further improve our knowledge of congenital heart defects.

Original Publication:

M. Mickoleit, B. Schmid, M. Weber, F.O. Fahrbach, S. Hombach, S. Reischauer, J. Huisken, High-resolution reconstruction of the beating zebrafish heart, Nature Methods, 20 July 2014.

Source: Max-Planck-Gesellschaft, Mnchen

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Max Planck Scientists Image A Beating Heart In 3D

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Apollo Hospitals Launches Strand #39;s Clinical Genomic Tests for personalized Medicine exclusive 4
Apollo Hospitals Launches Strand #39;s Clinical Genomic Tests for personalized Medicine exclusive 4.

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Apollo Hospitals Launches Strand #39;s Clinical Genomic Tests for personalized Medicine exclusive 2
Apollo Hospitals Launches Strand #39;s Clinical Genomic Tests for personalized Medicine exclusive 2.

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Apollo Hospitals Launches Strand's Clinical Genomic Tests for personalized Medicine exclusive 2 - Video

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