Stem Cells May Improve the Adaptability of Dental Implants

I don’t know how common teeth implants are, but here’s an interesting study done with goats:

Dental implants closely resemble natural teeth, but an implant’s ability to react to patient growth, pressure from chewing, and future orthodontic work is diminished if it is not surrounded by sufficient periodontal tissue.

In this study, the authors engineered this periodontal tissue in a fresh socket of a goat animal model. Each of five goats was fitted with two titanium implants immediately after tooth removal. A poly DL-Lactide-co-Glycolide scaffold was fitted around each implant, but the control received only the scaffolding.

The experimental implant received scaffolding seeded with bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMDSCs). All implant sites showed some level of tissue development at 10 days after the operation.

At one month after, the control side showed no signs of tissue development, whereas the experimental side had developed cementum, bone, and periodontal ligament, the three tissues required for regeneration of periodontal tissue.

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Leukemia Patient Benefits from Donated Stem Cells, Meets Donor

What a wonderful story!

Sheila Kepic, 47, wakes up and breathes in another day now because (Lisa) Guilloty donated stem cells to the Lorain County leukemia patient in 2007. They’re “cell mates” now, joked Kepic. Bound together by DNA.

On Sunday, Kepic’s friends and family celebrated this “match made in heaven” with a party at the Amvets Post 55 in Sheffield Lake. Guilloty received a hero’s welcome after flying in from Seattle with her husband and daughter.

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“Crazy Pete’s Embryonic Stem Cell Emporium!”

I suppose it’s always good to maintain a sense of humor, no matter how unfunny something really is (like creating and killing tiny human beings in the name of science and making taxpayers fund it – all while ignoring advancements in ethical stem cell alternatives):

h/t Rebecca Taylor

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Sweet! Stem Cell Surgury for Brain Injury

News from India:

BANGALORE : The first successful stem cell therapy for traumatic brain injury in the country was conducted by doctors at BGS Global Hospitals.

Through this therapy, bone marrow was transplanted directly into the brain. N K Venkataramana, chief neurosurgeon of BGS Hospitals, confirmed that this is the first such attempt in India and second in the world. “China made the first attempt.”

The therapy was done on Madhumalika, 27, who was admitted to BGS Global Hospitals following a road accident on December 14** last year. She suffered from `diffuse axonal brain injury’ — a severe form of brain injury where the patient remains unconscious for a variable period. The patient needs to be assisted in his or her daily activities. In her case, she remained in a coma for more than three months…

In the surgery done in March, four million stem cells per body weight, which were prepared at Stempeutics Research Pvt Ltd, were injected directly into her brain.

After a month of the transplant, she showed considerable improvement. She became conscious, started talking and could move her limbs. She was also able to recognize family members and friends. But the prolonged stay in bed resulted in stiffness of the joints, for which she is undergoing physiotherapy.

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**interesting – this is the same date of the accident that left me paralyzed in 1999**

Scientists Discover New Way to Enhance Stem Cells to Stimulate Muscle Regeneration

From an article about the study published in the June 5 issue of Cell Stem Cell:

Scientists at the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute (OHRI) and the University of Ottawa have discovered a powerful new way to stimulate muscle regeneration, paving the way for new treatments for debilitating conditions such as muscular dystrophy…

Satellite stem cells are specialized muscle stem cells that live in adult skeletal muscle tissue and have the ability to both replicate and differentiate into various types of muscle cells. Dr. Rudnicki’s team found that the Wnt7a protein, when introduced into mouse muscle tissue, significantly increased the population of these satellite stem cells and fueled the regeneration process, creating bigger and stronger muscles. Muscle tissue mass was increased by nearly 20 per cent in the study.

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Parents of boy cured of sickle cell anemia talk about their experience

Great interview provided by Texas Alliance for Life. Little Joseph had three blood transfusions by the age of three, and his condition was chronically poor. Though his  parents were aware of a cord blood therapy, they were having a difficult time finding a match for their son.  Then they discovered they were expecting another child. Baby brother Isaac’s cord blood cells provided the match needed for Joseph’s therapies. Watch the story:

 

See also: Adios, Sickle Cell Anemia, Disability Advocates Need NOT Support ESC Research

Adult stem cells now to be regulated by FDA

Sue Brinkmann has the story in Philadelphia’s Bulletin:

Unauthorized Change Undermines Most Promising Stem Cell Research

By Susan Brinkmann, For The Bulletin

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

A leading adult stem cell therapy organization is warning the public that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has teamed up with the pharmaceutical industry to declare a person’s own stem cells to be a “drug” which can be regulated, thus slowing down the progress of these promising therapies by requiring years of clinical trials before use.

Dr. Christopher Centeno, of Regenerative Science, Inc. of Broomfield, Colo.,  realized what was happening when he was contacted by the FDA last summer about his work using a patient’s own stem cells to regenerate bone and cartilage. continue

Treating MS with Fat Stem Cells

Video explaining the possible treatment of multiple sclerosis using fat derived stem cells (h/t Rebecca Taylor):

“They Don’t Know What Else is Out There”

Video of Kadi DeHaan from Michigan who was paralyzed in a car accident four years ago and has benefited from treatments using stem cells derived from her own bone marrow:

She really nails it here when she says that when you mention stem cells many people assume you’re talking about embryonic and “don’t know what else is out there.” Either they are totally unaware of any alternatives or they think that ESCs are the only ones capable of treating patients. For example, a survey last year found that more people think that embryonic, rather than adult, stem cells have already resulted in cures and treatments. The reality, of course, is that ACSs have had tremendous success in human patients with various diseases and disabilities whereas ESCs have successfully treated nothing significantly – in mice, let alone humans! And yet the ESCR hype remains. Some now even go so far as to guarantee the disease fighting power of therapeutic cloning It should be quite obvious by now that results don’t really matter so long as it looks like something is being done to maybe, someday, possibly eradicate disease and suffering. Unfortunately in this case that something involves the intentional use and destruction of tiny human beings.