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09/27/2023

A stem cell-based therapy has been shown to promote regeneration in damaged cells, offering hope to patients with heart failure.

In the latest advancement for regenerative cardiology, scientists from Duke-NUS Medical School (Singapore) have reported positive results for a stem cell therapy following a preclinical study. The team found that, following transplantation of stem-cell-derived cardiac progenitors into infarcted pig hearts, cardiac function improved and damaged tissue was restored.

Ischemic heart disease, which arises due to reduced blood flow to the heart muscle, accounts for a high proportion of deaths globally. Searching for ways to apply regenerative medicine methods to their research, the team turned to pluripotent stem cells. In the preclinical study, human pluripotent embryonic stem cells were differentiated into cardiac progenitor cells on a laminin matrix and were then transplanted into a region of the pigs’ hearts that had been damaged following a myocardial infarction, commonly known as a heart attack.

Lynn Yap, first author of the study stated: “As early as four weeks after the injection, there was rapid engraftment, which means the body is accepting the transplanted stem cells.”

Immunohistology analysis revealed that the cardiac progenitor cells were able to expand to generate a muscle graft, as well as mature to develop into cardiomyocytes. The team also observed improvements to the ventricular wall thickness as well as a reduction in the size of the infarction.

While the team observed episodes of arrhythmia in some of the pigs, this was temporary and was often resolved without intervention. More specifically, the researchers showed that the transplanted cells were well tolerated with no tumor formation observed in all the pigs, a common issue faced with stem cell therapies.

A key contributor to the success of the study was the utilization of laminin during the differentiation stage. Laminin is a glycoprotein that promotes cell adhesion and is important in the interaction of the cell with the microenvironment.

The findings suggest that this technique could potentially be utilized to develop a safe cell therapy for patients with heart failure.

Karl Tryggvason, senior author of the study commented, “Our technology brings us a step closer to offering a new treatment for heart failure patients, who would otherwise live with diseased hearts and have slim chances of recovery. It will also have a major impact in the field of regenerative cardiology, by offering a tried-and-tested protocol that can restore damaged heart muscles while reducing the risk of adverse side effects.”

07/20/2023

⭐️Exosomes Are Being Called the Next Big Breakthrough for Skin and Hair.

While many people turn to PRP injections for hair growth, Dr. Russak notes, exosomes are the superior option compared to PRP due to their increased potency and reliability. Unlike PRP, which is derived from platelets in our blood, the vesicles are extracted from stem cells found in sources such as fat, umbilical cords, or bone marrow. "The growth factors in our PRP may be weaker depending on our age and health status," she explains.

"Exosomes contain growth factors and signaling molecules for regeneration and healing, which are extracted from inside the fresh cell. Many are also from embryonic stem cells, which are brand-new cells that have the most regenerative potential possible." Research also shows that they can help cells grow and heal wounds better than PRP can – without having to use a patient's own blood.

Exosomes are an excellent solution for tackling wrinkles as these tiny vesicles can effectively stimulate cell growth and repair. “Due to their unique ability to transport to directed sources, they are far more efficacious than simply applying peptides or growth factors directly on the skin,” explains board-certified dermatologist and founder of Ocean Skin & Vein Institute, Dr. Divya Shokeen, M.D. Anyone looking to bring a bit of vibrancy back to their face can benefit from the therapy, as it increases collagen and elastin production and the dermatologist says, “has been shown to have a significant visible reduction in fine lines, aging, and sunspots.” What's more, exosomes have anti-inflammatory properties that can help calm skin. Research also shows they can minimize the symptoms of psoriasis and atopic dermatitis.

Exosomes not only trigger healing and tissue regeneration on your face, but also in the cells of hair follicles on the scalp, which results in a stronger potential for regrowth in those experiencing hair loss. Russak explains, “By delivering these molecules to the skin on the scalp and directly to the hair follicles, we can provide intensive hair rejuvenation benefits and signal the hair follicles to grow healthy hair. When hair follicles ‘quit’, we deliver both exosomes into the scalp to awaken the follicle and stimulate hair growth.”
Within just one week of treatment, you may notice an improvement in texture, tone, firmness, the appearance of pore size, and the look of fine lines. Continued use of exosome therapy can lead to “long-term improvements, resulting in healthier, stronger, and more youthful-looking skin over time,” adds Dr. Russak.

07/02/2023

💥Two epilepsy patients’ seizures greatly reduced in stem cell therapy trial

Early results show promise in trial involving injection of lab-grown inhibitory neurons into brain.
The first two epilepsy patients to receive an experimental stem cell therapy experienced an almost complete reduction in seizures a year after treatment, early trial results show.

The therapy involves a single brain injection of lab-grown neurons that are designed to dampen electrical activity with the aim of stopping seizures. It is too early to confirm whether the approach is effective but the initial results, presented at the International Society for Stem Cell Research’s annual meeting in Boston last week, are viewed as extremely encouraging.

“Although our clinical investigation is ongoing in additional patients, it is gratifying to witness the first two patients achieving seizure relief without additional cognitive impairment to date,” said Cory Nicholas, the CEO of Neurona Therapeutics, the San Francisco-based biotech company that developed the therapy. “We are hopeful that these improvements will continue in the ongoing trial.”

Epilepsy is caused when the balance in the brain between excitatory neurons, which fire signals, and inhibitory neurons, which dampen down this activity, goes awry. The condition affects more than 600,000 people living in the UK.

For roughly 30% of people, seizures cannot be controlled with medication. In some cases, surgery can be performed if seizures are centred on a specific area of the brain. However, removing brain tissue carries the risk of irreversible cognitive deficits, meaning there is a huge need for alternative, non-destructive treatments.

In the US trial, both patients were severely affected by epilepsy and drug treatments had not worked. The first patient, treated at SUNY Upstate Medical University, had suffered from epilepsy for seven years and in the six months before the trial was having an average of 32 seizures a month. The second patient, treated at the Oregon Health & Science University, had a nine-year history of seizures and had about 14 seizures a month in the six months before receiving the cell injection.

Both were candidates for surgical treatment before entering the trial. “Instead, they courageously chose to be first to receive NRTX-1001 cell therapy,” Nicholas said.

The therapy involves injecting a high concentration dose of inhibitory neurons into the focal point of the patient’s seizures. The cells are grown in the laboratory from human embryonic stem cells. Previous research in animals found that the injected neurons were able to integrate with existing brain circuits and produce lasting suppression of seizures.

After the cell therapy, the first patient had a more than 95% reduction in monthly seizures and did not have any seizures beyond the seventh month of the follow-up period. The patient also had improved memory scores on cognitive tests. The second patient had a more than 90% reduction in monthly seizures.

“Both patients entered the clinical trial with significant seizure activity, impaired cognition and suboptimal quality of life,” Nicholas said.

Prof Peter Oliver, the head of biology at the Medical Research Council’s Nucleic Acids Therapy Accelerator laboratory in Oxford, who was not involved in the research, said: “This new, early clinical trial data suggests that delivering these inhibitory neurons can significantly reduce the number of seizures in two patients with focal epilepsy. This type of cell therapy has significant potential as an alternative to surgical interventions in this type of epilepsy and for those that do not respond to medication.”

06/11/2023

💥Stem cell therapy regenerates damaged heart cells & improves function.

Researchers have transplanted precursor stem cells into the damaged heart muscle of pigs, repairing injured cells and improving heart function. The study may lead to a treatment that can regenerate heart muscle damaged by a lack of oxygen.
Cardiac ischemia occurs when the heart muscle is starved of oxygen. If it’s prolonged, ischemia can cause irreversible damage and heart failure, affecting the heart’s ability to pump effectively. The most common cause of cardiac ischemia is atherosclerosis, a buildup of plaques in the arteries. If an artery is blocked completely by a plaque, it results in a heart attack or myocardial infarction.

Previous studies have looked at ways of reversing the heart muscle damage caused by ischemia, including transplanting human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs), which are are immature cells that can renew themselves by dividing and differentiating into primary groups of cells that make up the human body. They can be used to create any cell or tissue needed.

In preclinical trials, researchers from the Duke-National University of Singapore (Duke-NUS) Medical School grew lab-made hPSCs and caused them to differentiate into precursor heart muscle cells called cardiac progenitor cells. Key to the process was the researchers’ use of laminin, a protein that directs the development of certain tissue cell types. Here, the researchers grew the progenitor cells on the type of laminin found in the heart.

Approximately 200 million 11-day-old progenitor cells were injected into the damaged heart muscle of pigs. They were seen to rapidly organize themselves in the damaged tissue, generate a heart muscle graft and continue to mature.

“As early as four weeks after the injection, there was rapid engraftment, which means the body is accepting the transplanted stem cells,” said Lynn Yap, lead author of the study. “We also observed the growth of new heart tissue and an increase in functional development, suggesting that our protocol has the potential to be developed into an effective and safe means for cell therapy.”

The researchers also saw a significant improvement in the heart’s ability to pump and a reduction in the size of the area of muscle death caused by ischemia.
Previous studies transplanted heart muscle cells that had already started beating, which led to fatal heart arrhythmias. In the current study, the researchers used non-beating cells that matured and started beating after transplantation. Using non-beating heart cells reduced the incidence of arrhythmia by half. When arrhythmias did occur, they were temporary and resolved themselves in around 30 days. Additionally, the transplanted cells did not trigger tumor formation, another concern related to stem cell therapies.

The researchers say their technique is easily reproducible – and safe – thanks to using laminin to grow stem cells.

“To ensure patient safety, it is imperative that cell-based therapies show consistent efficacy and reproducible results,” said Enrico Petretto, one of the study’s co-authors. “By extensive molecular and gene expression analysis, we demonstrated that our laminin-based protocol for generating functional cells to treat heart disease is highly reproducible.”

The study’s promising results may lead to a treatment that can regenerate heart muscle damaged by ischemia.

“Our technology brings us one step closer to offering a new treatment for heart failure patients, who would otherwise live with diseased hearts and have slim chances of recovery,” said Karl Tryggvason, a corresponding author of the study. “It will also have a major impact in the field of regenerative cardiology by offering a tried-and-tested protocol that can restore damaged heart muscles while reducing the risk of adverse side effects.”

06/04/2023

🔑Stem cell therapy may do most good when given early

People with multiple sclerosis (MS) who have never received treatment with a disease-modifying therapy tend to have better long-term outcomes after stem cell transplant, according to a recent report from a center in Mexico.

The findings suggest that stem cell therapy may be most beneficial when given early in the disease course, according to researchers.

The study, “Long-term results of autografting persons with multiple sclerosis are better in those not exposed to prior disease-modifying therapies,” was published in Multiple Sclerosis and Related Disorders.

Autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (aHSCT), also known as stem cell transplant or stem cell therapy, is a procedure that basically aims to reset a person’s immune system to reduce the excess inflammation that drives MS.

The procedure involves collecting stem cells living in the bone marrow, which give rise to all immune cells. Patients then are treated with chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy to completely wipe out their immune system and the stem cells are infused back to repopulate the immune system with healthy cells.

This procedure is not specifically approved to treat MS in the U.S., though it is widely used to manage select MS patients.

In this study, a team of scientists in Mexico reported on outcomes for patients with all types of MS who underwent aHSCT at their center. Out of more than 1,100 patients who underwent aHSCT since 2015, 74 were followed for at least three years.

Among these 74 patients, 55 had been treated previously with disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) — anti-inflammatory medications that can slow the progression of MS — while the other 19 had not. Patients who had been treated previously had generally been living with MS longer and had more advanced disease at the time of aHSCT.

EDSS scores
To compare long-term outcomes, the researchers looked at scores on the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS), a standardized measure of disability in MS. This scale ranges from 0, indicating no disability, to 10, for death. Prior to receiving aHSCT, median EDSS scores tended to be increasing over time, which is consistent with MS progressing to cause more severe disability.

Among patients who had been on prior DMTs, the median EDSS score was 5.5 at the time of aHSCT. This score suggests that patients’ disability caused substantial impairments in day-to-day life, but patients still could walk moderate distances without an aid. At three years after aHSCT, the median EDSS had not changed, suggesting disease had stabilized.

Among the patients who had not been on DMTs before undergoing aHSCT, the median EDSS score was 4.5, meaning patients had significant disability but still were able to do most daily tasks independently. Three years after stem cell therapy, the median EDSS score had decreased to 4, suggesting a slight improvement in functional abilities for most patients.

The researchers stressed that this analysis is limited by the small number of patients. Also, because there was a lot of variability in this group, the researchers were unable to perform analyses to compare outcomes for patients who had been on different DMTs prior to aHSCT.

“Additional studies are needed to further analyze the impact of the use of DMT therapies prior to the aHSCT in MS, as well as the timing of the procedure,” they wrote.

05/29/2023

💥Third patient cured of HIV after receiving stem cell cancer treatment

A man known as "the Duesseldorf patient" has become the third person declared cured of HIV after receiving a stem cell transplant that also treated his leukaemia, a study said on Monday.
Two other cases with both HIV and cancer, patients in Berlin and London, have previously been reported as cured in scientific journals following the high-risk procedure.
Now the details of the Duesseldorf patient's cure have been revealed in the journal Nature Medicine.

The 53-year-old man, whose name has not been released, was diagnosed with HIV in 2008, then three years later with acute myeloid leukaemia, a life-threatening form of blood cancer.

In 2013 he had a bone marrow transplant using stem cells from a female donor with a rare mutation in her CCR5 gene. The mutation has been found to stop HIV from entering cells.
The Duesseldorf patient then ceased antiretroviral therapy for HIV in 2018.

Four years later, consistent testing found no trace of HIV returning in his body.

The study said that "this third case of HIV-1 cure" provides "valuable insights that will hopefully guide future cure strategies".

Celebrating 'in a big way'
The patient said in a statement that he was "proud of my worldwide team of doctors who succeeded in curing me of HIV -- and at the same time, of course, of leukaemia".

He said he celebrated "in a big way" the 10-year anniversary of his transplant on Valentine's Day last week, adding that the donor was the "guest of honour".

The recoveries of two more people with HIV and cancer, the so-called New York and City of Hope patients, were announced at different scientific conferences last year, though research has yet to be published on those cases.
While a cure for HIV has been long sought after, the bone marrow transplant involved in these cases is a severe and dangerous operation, making it only suitable for a small number of patients suffering from both HIV and blood cancers.
Finding a bone marrow donor with the rare CCR5 mutation can also be a major challenge.
One of the study's co-authors, Asier Saez-Cirion of France's Pasteur Institute, said that during the transplant, "the patient's immune cells are completely replaced by those of the donor, which makes it possible for the vast majority of the infected cells to disappear".
"This is an exceptional situation when all the factors coincide for this transplant to be a successful cure for both leukaemia and HIV," he said.
(AFP)

05/29/2023

⚡️Stem cells could be ‘revolutionary treatment’ for swallowing problems after cancer therapy

Researchers at UC Davis Health have initiated a clinical trial using stem cells to address swallowing problems associated with tongue injury from cancer treatment.

The REVIVE trial will evaluate a new technique where researchers inject stem cells from a biopsy of patient’s thigh muscle into the patient’s tongue. The researchers hypothesize that the stem cells will fuse with existing muscle fibers to strengthen tongue muscles and improve ability to swallow.

The trial follows positive data from a phase 1 study of this approach, according to Johnathon David Anderson, PhD, assistant professor at UC Davis Institute for Regenerative Cures.

“The phase 1 data looked very promising, and if that trend in the data holds true for the phase 2 and phase 3 trials, we would be looking at a revolutionary treatment for patients with dysphagia that would be unparalleled,” Anderson told Healio. “That’s the big hope — that’s the promise of stem cell therapies.”

Anderson spoke with Healio about the positive phase 1 results, the current challenges to enrollment in the phase 2 study, and the potential of this approach to mitigate this unpleasant adverse effect of cancer treatment.

05/26/2023

Stem Cell Therapy Could Help Restore Vision

Researchers from Singapore and Sweden have developed a potentially viable stem cell therapy approach in preclinical models that can help replace lost photoreceptors.

AsianScientist (May. 12, 2023) –While you are reading this, photoreceptors—specialized light-sensing neurons in your retina—are busy translating light into electrical and chemical signals for the brain to assemble the image you perceive. The deterioration of photoreceptors in retinal disorders like age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and the rare inherited condition, retinitis pigmentosa, is one of the primary causes of declining vision and eventual blindness worldwide. No current treatment options are available yet that can help regenerate these essential cells. Although scientists have been making progress toward developing different therapeutic methods for these debilitating conditions, limitations in their reproducibility and feasibility have hindered their clinical application.

Recently, scientists from Singapore and Sweden reported a promising stem cell therapy approach that could potentially restore vision by replacing photoreceptors lost in patients with degenerative retinal disorders. The study was published in Molecular Therapy.

Researchers from Duke-NUS Medical School, the Singapore Eye Research Institute and the Karolinska Institute in Sweden have joined forces to meet this challenge. Together, they devised a highly-reproducible approach to transform stem cells into progenitor cells of photoreceptors, which were found to partially restore vision upon transplantation into animal models having damaged retinas.

The team grew human embryonic stem cells in the presence of a specific version or isoform of laminin—a protein that is typically enriched in the retina. In under 32 days, the stem cells differentiated into photoreceptor progenitors and began expressing markers that are characteristic of these cells.

“We hypothesize that the recapitulation of the human retina matrix by the use of laminin isoforms could help support and drive the differentiation of human embryonic stem cells into photoreceptors,” said Tay Hwee Goon, Assistant Professor from Duke-NUS’ Centre for Vision Research and lead author of the study, to Asian Scientist Magazine.

Four weeks after transplanting these stem cell-derived photoreceptors into the damaged retinas of rodents , the cells began to express markers similar to those of mature photoreceptors. Visual behavioral assessment using the water maze swimming test showed a significant improvement in vision. The team also performed an electroretinogram to demonstrate a significant recovery in the damaged retinas by measuring electrical activity in the retina in response to a light stimulus. Moreover, studies conducted over a longer period of 20 weeks revealed that the transplanted cells formed connections with nearby host cells and survived effectively for several weeks after the transplant.

In addition to these promising results, Tay and her team chose to deviate from the conventional approach to cell culture for boosting the likelihood of this therapy being approved for clinical use. Unlike common cell differentiation media that contain bovine or calf serum which can lead to variations in different batches, they used a unique growth medium made from chemically defined and animal product-free ingredients.

“The high-quality control of the cell product which results from consistent cell manufacturing is highly sought after because that would translate to more consistent test outcomes. Taken together, it may positively impact the reviewing process of the regulatory bodies for clinical approval,” said Tay.

These findings imply an exciting first step toward a potentially viable regenerative therapy that can reverse retina damage and treat declining vision caused by photoreceptor loss. The protocol of the procedure developed by Tay and her colleagues at Duke-NUS has been licensed to Alder Therapeutics, a Swedish biotech start-up. Tay shared that Alder Therapeutics will focus on quality control in the manufacturing of clinical-grade stem cell-derived photoreceptor progenitors.

“These cells will subsequently be tested for safety and efficacy extensively in pre-clinical models within these 5 years before advancing towards human clinical trials. These steps are important to shape and optimize the final cell product to be used commercially if the clinical trial is successful,” said Tay.

05/25/2023

From burns to acne, stem cell therapy can help you deal with these skin problems.

Stem cell therapy is a great way to deal with skin problems, including acne, burns, wounds, and more. Read on the know everything about this technology that can work wonders for your skin.

Stem cells are precursor cells that can develop into numerous types of cells. Stem cell therapy has been widely accepted as a treatment option for a variety of ailments, including skin and hair problems. Stem cells can be differentiated based on where they come from and how well they can differentiate. They are found in the skin’s inter-follicular epidermis, hair follicle, dermis, and adipose tissue, where they support normal skin homeostasis as well as wound healing and regeneration.

Two key properties of stem cells are their capacity for long-term self-renewal and their ability to give birth to specific cell lineages or cells. Somatic stem cells and embryonic stem cells are the two categories into which stem cells are often divided. The categorization of somatic stem cells includes skin stem cells as well. However, many kinds of skin stem cells have been discovered throughout the years due to the skin’s cellular heterogeneity. With the use of molecular techniques, great progress has recently been achieved in identifying several skin stem cell types.

How does stem cell therapy act on the skin?
Every stage of the healing process for wounds is mediated by mesenchymal stem cells. They can coordinate the effects of inflammation during the inflammatory phase by promoting anti-inflammatory cytokines and reducing the harmful effects of pro-inflammatory cytokines.

05/25/2023

Stem cell therapy may be better than some DMTs for highly active RRMS

Stem cell therapy is better than Gilenya (fingolimod) or Tysabri (natalizumab) at reducing relapse rates and easing disability for people with highly active relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), a new analysis suggests.

In contrast, findings suggest that the efficacy of stem cell therapy is not significantly different from treatment with Ocrevus (ocrelizumab). Yet, this analysis had a shorter follow-up time so researchers urged caution in interpreting the results.

“We show that over 5 years, [stem cell therapy] is associated with a lower risk of relapses and a higher chance of recovery from disability in highly active relapsing-remitting MS when compared with” Gilenya and Tysabri, researchers wrote. “Over the limited follow-up 3 years, we did not find its clinical effect superior to that of” Ocrevus.

(Analysis finds clinical benefit similar between stem cell therapy and Ocrevus)

05/11/2023

SUCCESS RATE OF STEM CELL THERAPY IN FACIAL SKIN CARE

Stem cells are the natural part of the human body, and they have the unique ability to find and repair the damaged tissues. It usually takes up to four months after the stem cells therapy, to get the fully developed results. Meanwhile, in this time, the patient observes new improvements continuously. There is also no risk of rejection or side effects. The whole procedure is completed within only a few hours and it is very quick, painless, simple and safe.

MedAcess has developed the Stem Cell Therapy program to treat various conditions. During our stem cell treatment, each patient receives 200 – 300 million stem cells. The quantity of the stem cells not only covers daily losses but exceeds them a million times. Thus, the source of the stem cells which is practically lost for the last 15 – 20 years, is recovered and restored. After our stem cell infusion, various organs get rejuvenated and they get renewed because the new and active stem cells completely replace the old and damaged ones.

After stem cell therapy for Arthritis, the patient gets significant Changes and excellent results. Till now, we have observed that around 80% of Arthritis Disease patients who are treated using Stem Cell Therapy have shown well-improved results like a complete stoppage in the progression of Arthritis. Regeneration of damaged cartilage, enhanced joint movement, better control on movement, no Need of regular painkiller, refined quality of life, improved lifestyle, reduced inflammation, etc.

05/11/2023

STEM CELL APPLICATIONS IN HUMAN HAIR GROWTH

Scientists have developed novel approaches to try to use stem cells to improve the result of baldness. The studies described above show promise that stem cells have the potential to enhance medical treatment options currently available for alopecia. Although these studies are in their infancy, there are over 4700 NIH-sponsored clinical trials underway to understand all the pathways and possible application of stem cell therapy. The combination of old techniques and stem cell could eventually allow physicians to better treat disorders such as male pattern baldness or alopecia areata. With further development of this treatment, feelings of confidence among the millions of balding males and females in the United States of America could be restored if the effects are to be permanent.

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