After immunosuppressive therapy, fifty-six human patients with Multiple Sclerosis received autologous haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (h/t Wesley Smith). Tatiana Ionova, MD, PhD, Department of Haematology, Pirogov National Medical Surgical Center, Moscow, Russia reports that “All patients appeared to respond to treatment.” From the release: Improvement was seen in 62.3%, and stabilisation occurred in 37.7% of patients. Progression after improvement occurred … Read More
New Hope for Parkinson’s
According to a Griffith University study, published last Thursday in the journal Stem Cells, there is evidence that stem cells taken from a patient’s nose could produce dopamine-producing brain cells when transplanted into the brain. It has been a success in mice anyway. I find this study particularly interesting because just a few years ago human spinal cord injury patients … Read More
Cure Found for Child’s “Untreatable” Skin Disease!
Two year old Nate Liao is the first person to be successfully treated with cord blood and bone marrow stem cells to correct his epidermolysis bullosa (EB). Now doctor’s say they have set the path for a cure for his painful genetic skin disease. Those who suffer from this disease experience a life of chronic pain, blisters, sores, amputations, infections … Read More
Behold the Wonder of the Female Body
The female body is pretty amazing for a number of reasons, not the least of which is its ability to generate and sustain the life of another human being. Now it is helping advance the science of stem cell research. So far scientists have been able to find stem cells in placenta, menstrual blood and breast milk. Now two Indian … Read More
Even More Ethical Life Science News
Here are some more good ethical life science news stories for you: Heart Derived Stem Cells Develop Into Heart Muscle Cell-based Therapy Shows Promise In Patients With Parkinson’s Disease Is it just me, or is the hype surrounding embryonic stem cell research is just starting to sound more and more ridiculous and unnecessary? Clearly there are ethical alternatives to using … Read More
Ethical Life Science News
Here’s a few good ethical life science news stories for you: Scientists say menstrual blood can repair hearts: Scientists obtained menstrual blood from nine women and cultivated it for about a month, focusing on a kind of cell that can act like stem cells. Some 20 percent of the cells began beating spontaneously about three days after being put together … Read More
Stem Cell Videos
I found some great videos highlighting those who have benefited from adult stem cells via Life Ethics: Here is Jacki Rabon, whose spinal cord injury improved after she was injected with stem cells from her own nose (from this study). I love this woman who, after two successful ASC injections, had a t-shirt made that she wears out in public … Read More
Stem Cells for Soldiers
Recently the federal government dedicated $85 million for the creation of the Armed Forces Institute of Regenerative Medicine (AFIRM) to fund a type of stem cell therapy for veterans injured in Iraq and Afghanistan (h/t Wesley Smith). This therapy helps grow brand new bone: Orthopaedic stem cell surgery has been practiced by only a handful of doctors nationwide. Proponents complain … Read More
Cord Blood Clinical Trials
More human patients will be treated with “adult” stem cells: DURHAM, NC–(Marketwire – April 16, 2008) – Aldagen, Inc. today announced that the first patient has been treated in a Phase III clinical trial for ALD-101. Aldagen is developing ALD-101 to improve cord blood transplants used to treat inherited metabolic diseases in pediatric patients. ALD-101 is a population of adult … Read More
Controlling Adult Stem Cells
At the UK National Stem Cell Network Annual Science Meeting atendees heard about the promise of adult stem cells. Yes, you heard that right, the promise of ASCs, not that embryonic stem cell hype (which I’m sure was also present at the meeting). From the story: Professor Kielty’s team study stem cells that are found in human bone marrow called … Read More