The equivalent of embryonic stem cells have been produced in mice with the use of skin cells. This advance in stem cell research does not entail the controversial destruction of embryos. The findings were reported Wednesday be three independent teams of scientists.

Without the controversial political and ethical debates surrounding the use of embryos, the method could show the way to breakthrough medical treatments if it can be duplicated in humans. However, that would be a considerable leap.

None the less, the achievement impressed many experts.

Helping his significant other with the daily chores would be a dream come true for Andrew. This may seem odd, but running out for groceries, mowing the lawn, even a day spent cleaning the gutters would be ideal.

It was these activities, or work as most would put it, that Andrew took for granted a year and a half ago. Not surprisingly, most of us probably feel the same way. But then a motorcycle crash left the 41-year-old paralyzed, and unable to experience even the mundane things in life.

But a private Indian hospital has accepted him as a patient, and on June 20th he will receive stem cell treatment that will potentially restore his ability to walk.

When a driver changed lanes without checking, he swerved his motorcycle to avoid an accident, but lost control of his bike changing his life forever on October 1, 2005.

“I’ve gone down a big ditch on the shoulder of the round-about and I don’t remember this, but I ran through a tree and came back onto the road. All I remember is coming to and trying to get up and then it was like, ‘hang on, I can’t move my legs’.”

He was told that he would be paralyzed from the chest down after being flown to the Princess Alexandra Hospital in Brisbane. He had damaged his spinal cord between the T6 and T7 vertebrae.

At the hospital Andrew met an important woman. Following stem cell therapy, Sonya regained sensation in her legs and her control over her bowel and bladder as well. After being treated by Dr. Geeta Shroff at the Delhi Nu-Tech Medicare facility, she made international headlines due to her amazing progress.

Sonya’s life was similar to Andrew’s once. She was told that she would need to figure out a way to live with her disability, and Andrew knew her when she was in the same state. After stem cell therapy, when she was once again wiggling her toes, Andrew watched a news story about her on television. By this time, Andrew had already talked to her about her stem cell treatment after tracking her down while she was still in India.

“She told me about Dr. Shroff and her treatment and obviously she was over the moon,” he said.

“She had gone from being in a wheelchair for the rest of her life, to standing again. In two years she has been told she will be walking, unassisted. It may not be a normal gait, but who cares? It’s something.”

Andrew ended up booking his own procedure after doing extensive research on stem cell therapy and contacting Dr. Shroff himself.

He will start his first series of stem cell injections a day after he arrives in India with the rest of his young family. His household partner, Sarah-Jayne Matthews will fly with him as well on June 19th.

He will need to stay in India for 2-3 months to complete the entire course of treatment. They are admittedly a bit short on cash for the entire endeavor despite numerous fundraising efforts and the help of friends and family.

They want to be able to afford a camcorder to track Andrew’s progress. So they can keep in touch with friends and family, a 3G phone would also be nice. And the children need to continue their school work while overseas so purchasing a notebook computer is also in order.

Within the medical community, Dr. Shroff refuses to publish her results and this has drawn criticism from medical professionals. Andrew understands he is taking a risk, but he has seen all the proof he needs.

Andrew has seen and talked to patients who have gotten better, dramatically in some cases. So the fact that Shroff has been labeled as a quack by experts is irrelevant to Andrew, and misleading.

Any chance he has to regain the part of his life he lost is worth taking according to Andrew. He spent his life before the accident being active and will travel to India to potentially restore his body.

“I’ve never ever given up hope that I will walk again and I never will,” he said.

“From day one, I have researched all the different stem cell procedures around the world and this is my best chance. This is the best chance that is available to me.”

“There is a fear factor in everything you do. That’s normal. There could be repercussions from it, but I’m willing to accept that.”

“I don’t expect to go in there and suddenly be able to walk out. That’s aiming too high. But it’s a ‘what if’ situation. What if I didn’t go and what if I was one of the ones who did get out of their wheelchair?”

“For that, I’m willing to take the risk. Because I have nothing to lose and any improvement is 200% on what I have now.”

In a letter published on May 22nd, a man named Greg equated embryonic stem cell research and adult stem cell research. The difference could not be more apparent and thus a correction is in order.

Few news stories today present the two types accordingly and instead fail to distinguish the significant differences between the two. It is crucial to understand the difference and the media has perhaps contributed to the confusion today.

The most important distinction to make is that unlike embryonic stem cell treatment, adult stem cell treatment is effective. As a result of adult stem cell research, more than 70 existing medical treatments have been developed. Even one simple treatment has yet to be yielded as a result of embryonic stem cell research.

Contrary to the comments made in Greg’s letter, the statement “great future potential” can be tied exclusively to adult stem cell research, not embryonic.

The second important point to make note of is the ethical nature of adult stem cells. Without causing harm to anyone, the placenta at birth, umbilical cord blood, and other types of non-embryonic tissue, are all sources of adult stem cells. However, without destroying human embryos, embryonic stem cells cannot be obtained.

Responsible for producing the almost bursting biceps of body builders and the wash board abs of fitness fanatics, a new report confirms the existence of some uncommitted stem cells residing amongst those of the muscle. For people that suffer from muscular dystrophies and an assortment of other muscle-wasting diseases, the discovery could show the way to new muscle-regenerating therapies. These would include stem cell-replenishing drugs and cell transplantation regimens. According to researchers, these treatments could also serve a dual purpose by also keeping people strong as they age.

A mix of cells already dedicated to their muscular destiny and other cells that behave more like versatile stem cells make up part of the so called satellite stem cells. The breakthrough was made by an Ottawa Health Research Institute team led by Michael Rudnicki. The cells had commonly been considered by scientists as a homogeneous population of devoted muscle progenitors. In the lab, the regenerative reservoir of cells that mice have was successfully replenished when Rudnicki’s team injected the “satellite stem cells” into the muscles of the mice.

“We’ve found that there are two types of satellite cell–90% that are already committed to becoming muscle and another 10% with characteristics normally attributed to stem cells,” Rudnicki said. “It’s not been shown yet, but these muscle stem cells might even have the capacity to make other tissues, such as bone and fat.”

“We’ve also shown that these satellite stem cells, when transplanted into muscle, can repopulate the regenerative cell niche. This is a very significant advance in our understanding of satellite cell biology that will require us to rethink decades of research. It also opens new avenues for therapeutic treatment of muscular diseases.”

Each of which includes hundreds of nuclei, skeletal muscle fibers are essentially long tubular cells. Satellite cells are found in between the coating of glycoproteins and collagen that surrounds the muscle fiber. Responsible for the repair, growth, and maintenance of skeletal muscle after birth, the existence of satellite cells were first revealed in the 1960’s. When the stress of trauma or weight-bearing presents itself, the cells which are by and large quiet, jump into action.

Still, Rudnicki said that uncertainty still exists in regards to the mechanisms that control the development and identity of the satellite cells. Muscle cells that had changed back into a more primitive state by reverting or dedifferentiating was once thought to be the path that satellite cells followed from their original muscle cell state. This was suggested by earlier studies.

Isolated from mouse muscle, the molecular profiles of the satellite cells was closely observed by researchers in the new study.

Defined by the inactivity or activity of a gene called Myf-5, the satellite cells consist of two classes.

A significant difference in the satellite cells’ behavior was made clear by the genetic difference. A characteristic commonly seen among stem cells, asymmetric division, was observed in the satellite cells without active Myf-5. Exhibiting another Myf-5 positive cell and stem cell-like capacity for self renewal, the lopsided cell division produced one “daughter” like its parent.

The satellite cells continued on the path to becoming muscle tissue when they were injected into the muscles of mice with the Myf-5 switched on.

In contrast, transplantation of Myf-5 negative cells “extensively contributed to the satellite cell reservoir throughout the injected muscle.”

Diseased muscle can be directly transplanted with satellite stem cells. Researchers made this conclusion while noting that the identification of markers enabling their prospective isolation from human muscle tissue could be found in the molecular characterization of satellite stem cells.

“Alternatively,” they added, “understanding the molecular regulation of satellite stem cell symmetric versus asymmetric cell division will lead to identification of biologics or small drugs that specifically target the relevant pathway leading to satellite stem cell expansion.”

Two years ago, Tori suffered brain injury when she was caught up in a car accident. She was left powerless to talk or walk, and her family decided to do anything they could to help her be who she once was. The opted for a trip to China for adult stem cell therapy. It is now three months after her treatment, and 16-year-old Tori can take a cookie out of her father’s hand. A task that would have only been a dream prior to the stem cell treatment.

Tori’s family is not alone with their frustration and impatience towards U.S. scientists. The number of American’s the feel the U.S. is too sluggish in determining whether stem cells are safe and effective is growing, and to get treatment, more are leaving the country as an alternative. Tori’s family chose China because of the limited options in the United States.

Tori’s treatment consisted of acupuncture, aggressive physical therapy, and 50 million adult stem cells which were spread over a course of five injection. The family paid $20,000 in advance for the therapy.

Tori’s father Tim says that it could take up to eight months to see progress. Her last injection was on February 12th. But already her chewing, eating, and swallowing have substantially improved.

The family hopes for even more improvement in Tori, who can now vocalize more and can finish of an entire apple.

Tori was trapped underwater for about 20 minutes when a car she was a passenger in rolled over and ended up in a canal. It was June 2005, and 14 year old Tori had dreams of becoming a Stanford educated doctor. She enjoyed snowboarding and dancing.

Tori’s story has helped other families to make the decision to travel overseas. The website PrayForTori.com prompted at least eight other families to make the decision. On Utah girl who suffered brain injury due to a car accident is currently at the same hospital in China with her family at this very moment.

Tori’s family plans to do another round of stem cells therapy next year.

“It is the thing that will help (Tori) the most eventually, I’m convinced of that,” said Tim, who urges increased funding for research.

“In the end, it’s just going to help so many people. I don’t see how we can not do it.”

Friday, U.S. and British researchers reported that diabetes could be treated by using stem cells taken from the umbilical cords of newborns. The cells could be engineered to produce insulin.

Insulin-producing cells in the pancreas are damaged by diabetes. Researchers were able to take stem cells, expand them into a large number, and direct them to be similar to the insulin producing cells. The cells could potentially be used to fill the void left in the pancreas due to the damage that is caused by diabetes.

A stem cell transplant was the final option that a three-year old girl had to save her life. She is now secluded in an isolation unit of the same hospital she received stem cell treatment in.

A worldwide donor search was initiated when Eva was diagnosed with leukemia 5 months ago.

A compatible match was found in the United States, and bone marrow was created using the stem cells from the donor baby