Stem Cells Working For Peripheral Vascular Disease in FDA Approved Trial

Posted 30 May, 2008 in ADULT STEM CELL VICTORIES! | No comments

It is no surprise to me or regular readers of this blog that adult stem cells have been shown to help peripheral vascular disease patients.  Time and time again we have seen patients who can’t walk or are in danger of amputation of a leg/toe be implanted with adult stem cells and time and time again these patients improve significantly.  Here is yet another example of this, in an FDA approved trial no less:

“The similarity in the recovery of our patients is promising,” said Dr. Lasala. “We find that the stem cells, once re-injected, go about forming new blood vessels, thus increasing circulation dramatically.”

Drs. Lasala and Minguell have developed a treatment where a patient’s own stem cells are taken from the hip, grown in a sterile environment and then re-infused into 38 areas of the leg.

So far, ten patients have received the stem cell treatment for peripheral vascular disease.

“Patients are experiencing increased mobility within weeks of their infusions. The continued improvement throughout their recoveries is a positive sign,” Lasala said.

Carleton Wert could only walk 2 ½ minutes on the treadmill before he underwent the stem cell therapy. At his three week check-up, he clocked 4 minutes. Within two months, his time improved to over 10 minutes.

Similarly, Michael Pearl could not even undergo the treadmill test prior to his infusion in mid-November because his pain was so intense. He went from walking 5 minutes at his one-month check-up to 18 minutes at the three-month mark.

With increased mobility, Dr. Lasala’s patients are resuming their normal routines. Wert, who was on disability because of the ischemia, is now seeking employment. Sharp has gone back to gardening, creating a new antique garden with her husband in their front yard (These people have been given their life back by adult stem cells!- DM)

Perhaps most striking is the transformation experienced by Penny Kibideaux. Running out of options to treat her ischemia, Kibideaux had already scheduled a leg amputation. Under the advice of her physician, Kibideaux went to see Dr. Lasala. Not only has he saved her leg, Kibideaux says he has saved her life. Just weeks after her November infusion, she walked several shopping malls as part of her Christmas shopping. She has also recently taken up line dancing. (Are you kidding me? Fantastic!- DM)

Click here to read the whole article

Look Ma! I’m in the news again!

Posted 29 May, 2008 in DON MARGOLIS | No comments

One day, I hope my International Adult Stem Cell Research and Therapeutic Treatments  Award (see below) will be as valuable as an Oscar, but these doctors have done far more than any Oscar winners to help their fellow human beings:

Professor Shimon Slavin of the International Center for Cell Therapy & Cancer (ICTC) at the Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, and Professor Dimitrios Karussis, senior neurologist at Jerusalem’s Hadassah University Hospital, Ein Kerem, are the recipients of the “International Adult Stem Cell Research and Therapeutic Treatments Award 2008″ by the Worldwide Center for Adult Stem Cell Education (WCASCE; http://www.Adultstemcelleducation.com). The first-of-its-kind award recognizes Professors Slavin and Karussis’ achievements in adult stem cell clinical work and therapeutic treatments. WCASCE is based in Dallas, Texas with offices in Washington, D.C. and Bangkok, Thailand. Its mission is to educate the American public on the potential of adult stem cells for diagnosing, treating, curing and preventing disease.

I know what you are thinking - Who are these guys?:

According to Donald Margolis (that’s me folks), WCASCE Chairman and Founder, “Professor Slavin is an expert bone marrow transplantation scientist and clinician. The former Director of Israel’s National Stem Cell Transplantation Center at Hadassah before establishing the ICTC, Prof. Slavin will soon be among the few experts who also treat bone repair and reconstruction of cartilage in addition to innovative clinical application of stem cells and cell-mediated immunotherapy for the treatment of hematological malignancies, solid tumors and a broad spectrum of non-malignant disorders treatable by stem cell transplantation. Professors Slavin and Karussis’ team are the first in the world to try and help multiple sclerosis and amyotropic lateral sclerosis patients by injecting their spinal fluid with large numbers of adult stem cells (mesenchymal stromal stem cells) taken from their bone marrow and multiplied in culture. Some of the patients’ conditions have improved or stabilized in Phase I and II clinical trials.”

Click here to read the whole thing

Look Ma! I’m in the news!

Posted 28 May, 2008 in DON MARGOLIS | No comments

I don’t like to toot my own horn- Ok, you know me- I love to toot my own horn. Seems as though the folks at the Imperial Valley News in Yuma, Arizona have taken a liking to me:

In America, the term “stem cells” is automatically associated with “embryonic stem cells,” the cells that scientists can only extract by destroying a human embryo. But while American politicians, scientists and religious leaders debate moral issues, the rest of the world uses adult stem cells to treat, and heal patients.

Adult stem cells exist in every human being’s tissues, where they help regrow skin, muscle and nerve cells. Scientists can extract adult stem cells from patients, then multiply the cells in labs. When the cells are injected back into a patient, they help grow healthy tissues.

In countries including the U.K., Thailand, China, Israel and Argentina, adult stem cells have successfully treated patients with everything from Hodgkin’s lymphoma to broken bones.

Don Margolis (That’s me!- DM) created the Worldwide Center for Adult Stem Cell Education LLC (WCASCE) to help Americans locate and use adult stem cell treatment centers. Through Margolis’s Web site, http://donmargolis.com/treatment.php, people can search a list of treatment centers for over 100 different diseases.

Click here to read the whole thing

Adult Stem Cell Therapy Saves Yet Another Multiple Myeloma Patient!

Posted 27 May, 2008 in ADULT STEM CELL VICTORIES! | No comments

No, this isn’t an accidental repost of yesterday’s story (scroll below) where we presented Brother Michael who was saved from the claws of multiple myeloma by an stem cell transplant-  using his own adult stem cells.  Today, I present to you a Mississippi man, William Lee, who was also saved from the clutches of multiple myeloma by stem cell therapy- and just like Brother Michael- from his own adult stem cells.

My hope is a multiple myeloma patient will somehow stumble onto this blog and find that there is still hope for them thanks to the power of adult stem cells- the patient’s own stem cells.   Brother Michael and William Lee are both fine men and fine examples of stem cell treatments saving lives each and everyday.

More on the Clifford Lee story:

It’s been nearly eight years since Attala County Sheriff William Lee was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a cancer of the plasma cell, and with the help of chemotherapy, radiation and a stem cell transplant, he is a cancer survivor today. 

“Then, the process was ready for me to do the stem cell transplant,” Lee said. “They took my blood and separated the good cells from the bad cells. They gave me my good cells back.”

Click here to read the whole happy story. 

Adult Stem Cells Save Life of Multiple Myeloma Patient!

Posted 26 May, 2008 in ADULT STEM CELL VICTORIES! | No comments

And the non-stop hits keep coming– today I present to you a former principal, Michael Samuel, who was suffering from multiple myeloma. That is, he was suffering from multiple myeloma until he received a stem cell transplant- his very own adult stem cells:

Diagnosed in 2003, he underwent chemotherapy three times, had his stem cells harvested and spent three months in near isolation when doctors re-implanted his stem cells into his body.

Now he happily boasts that he is “not on any kind of medication”.

Ironically, Mr. Samuel was helped by one of his former students:

he went to Dr Waveney Charles, former director of the Blood Bank, who put him in contact with the South Florida Bone Marrow/Stem Cell Transplant Institute, Florida, and its director, Dr Dipnarine Maharaj.

Samuel was also pleasantly surprised to learn that this “pioneer in stem cell treatments” was a past pupil of Presentation College.

Samuel speaks highly of Dr Maharaj.

“Everything he forecasted was right on target.”

And how did the stem cell therapy work out for you “Brother Michael?”

“My last set of blood works show that I am in excellent condition. People have told me that I look younger that I did before. I suppose the stem cells are responsible for that,” he laughs.

Click here to read the whole article

Cord Blood Stem Cells Save Texas Woman’s Life

Posted 25 May, 2008 in ADULT STEM CELL VICTORIES! | No comments

Another day, another life saved by adult stem cells.  Today, I present to you Amanda Swink, a Texas native who was suffering from what sounds like leukemia, although the reporter fails to mention that, instead saying she suffered from “cancer of the white blood cells.”  Maybe I am nitpicking here, but this does seem a little strange so I thought I would point it out:

For 20 years, Swink had taken daily injections to beat a blood disorder that robbed her of natural immunity. But because of the treatment Swink developed cancer of the white blood cells, Dr. Edward Agoura of Baylor University Medical Center said.

However, in the grand scheme of things, that is meaningless because Amanda Swink still has a life thanks to her stem cell treatment:

A newborn’s umbilical cord blood is typically thrown away but it can save lives. Amanda Swink is one patient who overcame a life-threatening disease because of cord blood treatment

Swink is now back to working full-time, is cancer-free and is cured of the immunity-robbing disease that kept her sick all her life.

Click here to read the whole wonderful story 

Vet’s Stem Cell Work May Lead to Human Stem Cell Treatments!

Posted 24 May, 2008 in ADULT STEM CELL VICTORIES! | 1 comment

This isn’t exactly a scoop I have here. The good folks at Vet-Stem have done it again. I promised if they keep helping improve the lives of pets (and in turn, their owner’s lives as well) using the pet’s own adult stem cells, I would keep posting the news stories about them:

Twyla Waters, a paralegal instructor at Southwest Tennessee Community College, opted for stem cell therapy for her 4-year-old German shepherd, Blue, in late January. Depending on the extent of disease, stem cell therapy costs about $4,000, comparable to a total hip replacement.

“Blue was always active; we go to Shelby Farms three times a week to run in the no-leash area,” Waters said. “One day in November I noticed she was limping on her back left leg. I thought it was muscle strain.”

X-rays showed Blue had a serious case of hip dysplasia, a degenerative disease so crippling that many dog owners ultimately choose euthanasia as the most humane treatment. Waters decided to fight the disease with stem cell therapy, believing Blue still had plenty of life in her.

Within a few days the dog was sitting better and had a stronger gait.

Another dog saved by their own adult stem cells! Wonderful! However, I found this very interesting too:

However, a double-blinded, placebo-controlled study funded by Vet-Stem last year found that dogs treated with stem cells do, indeed, have improvements in lameness, pain and range of motion.

This is the first I have heard of a double blind study on dogs. One of the obstacles of getting people to accept adult stem cell therapy as an everyday treatment is the lack of double blind studies done for any disease- animals or humans. If anyone has more on this study- results, details, etc. please send them to me.

Update: Ask and you shall receive.  “Reader” was kind enough to point out the results of Vet-Stem’s double blind study.  Thank you “Reader.” Click here to see!

Click here to read the whole article

Carlos Boozer’s Son Receives Stem Cell Therapy!

Posted 23 May, 2008 in ADULT STEM CELL VICTORIES! | No comments

To continue our sports theme this week, I’d like to introduce you to this story about Carlos Boozer’s son, Carmani Boozer.  Now, to you sports fans, Carlos Boozer didn’t have a great series when his Utah Jazz lost to the Los Angeles Lakers last week 4 -2.  However, I’m sure Carlos has put that in perspective when compared to the plight of his son, Carmani, who received a stem cell transplant to treat his sickle cell anemia.  6 months after his stem cell treatment, Carmani is doing great.  However, doctors say it will be about 6 more months before he is “in the clear.”  Although I’m not a Utah Jazz fan, I am cheering for Carlos and Carmani in this more meaningful series:

Carlos Boozer has had to recover from a host of injuries that come with being a power forward in the NBA, yet he can only imagine what his son has endured in the last year.

Carmani has had chemotherapy, made countless trips to the doctor and spent weeks in the hospital before and after a bone-marrow (this means stem cell- DM) transplant that his parents hope wiped out his sickle cell anemia.

Six months later, Carmani is still free of the blood disorder, but Boozer and his wife, CeCe, have another six months of angst before knowing whether the procedure was a success.

Also worth noting- the Boozers have formed their own network for those affected by Sickle Cell Anemia.  It is called Boozer’s Buddies, and you can find them here.

And as always, you can read the whole article here 

Cliff Lee’s Son Got Adult Stem Cells Too!

Posted 22 May, 2008 in ADULT STEM CELL VICTORIES! | No comments

Cliff Lee, a pitcher for the Cleveland Indians is off to one of the best starts in major league history.   Why is that pertinent to this blog you may ask?  An early Cy Young candidate, Cliff is no stranger to adversity (or adult stem cells) since his son had been suffering from Leukemia:

 But Lee was able to maintain perspective throughout the ordeal given the health issues each of his two children had overcome. Jaxon, 7, the couple’s oldest child, was diagnosed with leukemia when he was 4 months old and needed chemotherapy and a stem-cell transplant to beat the cancer, and daughter Maci, 5, was born three months premature.

“That brought us back to reality and helped us remember what is really important,” Kristen Lee says. “The season wasn’t all that bad. We know what real struggles are when you have a child that almost dies of leukemia. He wasn’t pitching well, but compared to everything else, it was minor.”

This is primarily a baseball story rather than about stem cells, but click on this link if you are interested.

Veterinarians Are Making Great Progress with Adult Stem Cells

Posted 21 May, 2008 in ADULT STEM CELL VICTORIES! | No comments

I don’t mean for this blog to become an ongoing commercial for the good folks at Vet-Stem, but I continue to find these fantastic stories about how they are saving dogs, cats, and horses using their adult stem cell technology.

And memo to Vet-Stem-  if you keep saving and improving the lives of your animals (and making their human owners happy as well) using your adult stem cell therapy, I will be happy to keep posting your stories.  Keep up the good work:

Veterinarians are making stunning progress with adult, animal stem cells.

Nearly crippled dogs are suddenly walking, even running again. And there’s hope that it will work on humans, too.

When you hear stem cells, you may instantly think controversy. Embryonic stem cell research has been fiercely debated because those cells can be derived only from human embryos. But what we’re talking about here is taking adult stem cells from your own body. It’s already being done with great success in horses, cats and dogs (It’s also being done with great success in humans although not in the United States- DM).

 ”I’ve seen animals that have gone from barely being able to walk to trotting and running down the driveway,” said Dr. Cheryl Adams.

Adams is a pioneer of stem cell therapy. One of only two vets in Illinois certified to do it, she’s treated 30 dogs so far. She extracted stem cells from River, an 8-year-old German Shepherd mix who may look familiar because of how he got his name.

he vials are then packed up and shipped overnight to a company called Vet Stem in San Diego. The fat cells are put into a centrifuge that separates the stem cells. And two days later, they’re re-injected into the dog’s joints.

“This science actually gives a chance to rejuvenate tissue, tendon, ligament and bone. So the dog can actually get better,” said Gantz. “It really is cutting edge stuff, it’s pretty exciting stuff.” It costs about $3,000, but Adams says River’s results, as in most cases, have been spectacular and almost immediate. “His energy level went through the roof, and we increased his range of motion by 20 degrees on his right hip,” said Adams. As hopeful and exciting as this is for canines, imagine if they could do it for humans. Well, you won’t have to imagine much longer. It’s already in the works. Vet Stem is already testing treatments for repairing damaged livers, kidneys and hearts in dogs and cats.

The hope is someday soon, stem cells will not only help humans suffering from arthritis, but also stroke and heart attack victims, maybe even regenerate damaged spinal cords.(”someday soon” is NOW,  adult stem cells are helping humans with arthritis, stroke, heart and spinal cords! BUT not in the US! - DM )

 Click here to read the whole article