Lobbying for the passage of a bill authorizing federal funding for embryonic stem-cell research, Rekha and others who have been affected by Lou Gehrig’s Disease (ALS), were in Washington D.C. earlier this month. On May 18th, Rekha wrote a column titled, “ALS Activists Fight for Research, Cling To Hope”. The material was infuriating and heartbreaking at the same time; Rekha believes that embryonic stem cells “may hold the key to finding a cure.” However, she was mistaken.

For the treatment of injuries and diseases, only adult stem cell have been proven effective.

Even the American College of Pediatricians (ACP) called for an end to embryonic stem-cell research, “which prolongs needless suffering by delaying the development of more promising adult stem-cell treatments and cures.” On May 14th, this entire medical organization backed up the fact that embryonic stem cells are just not necessary.

Exclusive use of adult stem cells has resulted in the successful treatment of dozens of conditions and diseases over the last decade. The ACP cites these strong pro-adult stem cell results further noting, “catastrophic results…producing the wrong tissue, forming tumors and triggering immune rejection,” when describing the abysmal failure that embryonic stem cell trials have produced. Asserting that it, “steals resources away from the established utility and potential of adult stem-cell research”; the medical group denounced embryonic stem cell research as a tremendous waste of money and resources.

Afflicted patients and their families continue their journey on a path that leads to nowhere because of people like U.S. Senator Tom Harkin who is a sponsor of the embryonic stem cell bill.

Heartless and cruel are only a few of the words being used to describe opponents of embryonic stem-cell research. But offering false promises to millions of desperate people who are suffering from diseases and conditions that could be treated with adult stem cells right now may be even more heartless.

Some U.S. researchers warn that much remains unknown, still, local patients are going overseas to put their hopes and spend their money on stem cell treatment.

Currently, adult stem cells are being used in numerous clinical trials worldwide to establish their effectiveness in treating patients with cardiovascular diseases. 67 trials are acknowledged by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute for investigating how to regenerate damaged heart tissue. But a biotechnology firm is saying that they have already accomplished just that.

The company TheraVitae operates in Thailand and Israel, with pre and post treatment care performed by Dr. Zannos Grekos, a Bonita Springs cardiologist.

Stem cell researchers said that before putting their confidence in procedures like the ones Southwest Floridians are seeking, they want to discern much more about stem cells. The cardiovascular experts contacted for this report did not want to discuss TheraVitae directly.

“There are little niches here and there doing various types of treatments without much science,” said Dr. Carl Pepine at the University of Florida. UF is part of the Cardiovascular Cell Therapy Research, a five-member consortium conducting research with the backing of the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute.

Treating those diagnosed with heart failure and those who have had heart attacks using stem cells is the focus of Pepine’s research.

“Nobody knows what the proper dose is,” Pepine said. “How many cells should you give?”

How soon a patient should receive cells following a heart attack will also be investigated by Pepine’s study.

Sonia Skarlatos says that researchers are trying to determine which variety of stem cell is really responsible for tissue regeneration. Sonia is the acting director for the division of cardiovascular diseases at the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute.

“We are still not sure what is the right cell, what is the right delivery and what is the right dose,” Skarlatos said.

Skarlatos says that it is tough to draw conclusions from the small-scale studies that have been conducted all over the world. Various doses of cells and different types have been used on patients who all have varying degrees of heart functionality.

“It makes it very hard to compare all the trials,” Skarlatos said.

But the one thing that Skarlatos does agree with is that stem cell treatment is safe. And that is good news for patients wanting to at least give the cells a shot at healing their ailments.

Part of the explanation that patients see progress could be due to the development of new vessels that stem cells encourage says Dr. Johnny Huard, the director of stem cell research at the Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh. Huard said that too much vascular growth could also be a problem.

Huard is also curious to find out if other parts of the body could also be affected by stem cells injected into the heart.

“One thing is very important: You may inject cells in the heart, but are they migrating?” he said.

50-year-old Neim flew to Bangkok last November for stem cell treatment to heal his deteriorating heart.

He has gotten used to people and their questions about the treatment.

“(My cardiologist) just kept hoping for improvement. Finally, he broke the news. He gave me my time

Rather than have federal and state governments throw money away by funding studies that focus on embryonic stem cells, a national group of pediatric doctors want the money redirected towards adult stem cells research. The significant success adult stem cell research has shown over embryonic research provides data to back their cause.

Exclusive support of adult stem cell research is what the American College of Pediatricians is recommending to public officials.

“Not only does embryonic research require taking the life of human embryos, it also prolongs needless suffering by delaying the development of more promising adult stem cell treatments and cures,” said Michelle Cretella, MD, a fellow of the American College of Pediatricians.

Dr. Cretella cites the use of adult stem cells derived from umbilical cord blood, placenta, amniotic fluid, various organs, adult blood, and fat, as proof. These non-embryonic sources have thus far yielded impressive results.

Cretella explained that certain forms of cancer therapy make routine use of adult stem cells today.

But successful treatments have not been limited to cancer. Parkinson’s disease, diabetes, spinal cord injuries, heart failure, and dozens of other health problems have been treated with exceptional results in human trials over the last decade.

“This has not been the case with any embryonic stem cell trial,” the pediatricians’ group’s spokeswoman said. “Instead, there have been catastrophic results with these cells producing the wrong tissue, forming tumors and triggering immune rejection.”

“Every dollar spent on the failed and unnecessary process of embryonic stem cell research steals resources away from the established utility and potential of adult stem cell research,” Cretella concluded. “This is fiscally irresponsible and medically unconscionable.”

Government entities are not hte only ones who have put an emphasis on embryonic stem cell research spending.

Patients were shown to develop insulin independence when Brazilian scientists treated those suffering from Type 1 diabetes with adult stem cells this past April.

But the study received no funding at all from a leading U.S. diabetes group. This same group helped to almost force taxpayers to fund embryonic stem cell research by funding lobbying efforts to push Congress to approve the bill.

Scientists found that 14 of the 15 patients involved with the diabetes study became insulin free. The findings were published in the most recent issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Working with the scientists was Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago doctor, Richard Burt.

“It’s the first time in the history of Type 1 diabetes where people have gone with no treatment whatsoever … no medications at all, with normal blood sugars,” he says of the groundbreaking study.

For the millions of Americans who suffer from diabetes, the results of the study would be miraculous.

But the Brazilian Ministry of Health and a private corporation had to provide funds to the researchers as the JAMA article reads. American’s should feel dismayed that countless sums of money lobbying Congress to fund embryonic stem cells research have been spent by the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and the American Diabetes Association, and not directed towards the diabetes study conducted in Brazil. The prominent diabetes entities chose to back research that has yet to help even one single patient.

Both organization were asked why they did not help fund the Brazilian diabetes study, but neither organization responded to any e-mails that were sent.

They “were not interested in the approach,” said Burt to the AP when confirming their non-participation.

Another seven or eight months, and Mel would be dead. He was running out of time since he found no sympathy from congestive heart failure.

But then adult stem cells came into the picture, quite literally, as a potential life saving treatment. Mel’s son watched a program on The Discovery Channel about adult stem cells. They were injected to improve heart function and grow new muscle after being harvested from a person’s own blood.

The Bangkok Heart Hospital became the 72-year-old Mel’s destination of choice, since adult stem cell therapy is only in its infancy in the United States in terms of treatment and research.

Thailand became the country where Mel would receive his treatment.

“I feel 100 percent better,” Mel, a retired businessman in Naples, said. “I can walk around and do a lot of things without getting out of breath. Of course, there are a lot of skeptics in the medical field.”

Dr. Zannos, has become an advocate of the procedure; and for those who are skeptical that the procedure really had any effect, the Florida cardiologist is sponsoring a free seminar on adult stem cell therapy for heart failure.

A new source of stem cells has been discovered reported scientists Sunday afternoon. A readily available supply of these new cells, which are found in amniotic fluid, could solve the ethical problems that surround embryonic derived cells.

The amniotic stem cells are pluripotent, with the capacity to develop into many different types of cells including, nerve, liver, fat, blood vessel, muscle, and bone cells.

“These cells are easier to get, and from acceptable medical procedures [for example, amniocentesis] that are done on a routine basis,” said study senior author Dr. Anthony, director of the Institute for Regenerative Medicine at Wake Forest University School of Medicine.

“This is another source of multi-potential cells,” added Paul, director of the University of South Florida Center for Aging and Brain Repair, in Tampa. “Because the cells can be accessed either post-birth or through amniocentesis, it’s possible that people could store those cells. If the cell lines that are created were available, then people could do some research on a non-embryonic source, which eliminates all the ethical and political issues.”

The January 7th issue of Nature Biotechnology has reported on the discovery of the cells, which are known as amniotic fluid-derived stem (AFS) cells.

The hope is that treatments or even cures for conditions such as spinal injury, stroke, liver failure, diabetes, heart disease, and Alzheimer

Now in his 50’s, Bobby didn’t want to lose his life to congestive heart failure. And his wife Gay, wanted her husband back.

Today, Bobby is a pioneer in a research study that — if the results continue to look promising — might transform heart treatment forever.

In an experimental procedure called myoblast cell transplantation, Bobby received injections in his heart of 100 million stem cells grown from his own leg muscle.

Since he received his own body’s cells, there is no rejection problems.

Many months and perhaps years stand in the way of having a stem cell procedure like this to enter mainstream medicine (after gaining approval by the FDA), but this much is a fact – Bobby’s scarred and dying heart muscle is regenerating.

Bobby, who has had four heart attacks, was the first one to receive 100 million cells out of the 24 people enrolled in the nationwide study. Testing safety through escalating doses, others have received 30 million, 300 million, and 600 million in phase one. Only patients with congestive heart failure caused by heart attacks were eligible for the experiment, keeping the study focus narrow.

Dr. Nabil, who performed part of this research at The Arizona Heart Institute in Phoenix said that Bobby’s results were extraordinary.

“I didn’t expect to see such improvement with 100 million cells. … Patients will respond differently, but the results are extremely encouraging, even with small doses.”

The procedure has nothing to do with embryonic stem cell research and instead uses cells cultured from the patient’s leg muscle.

“Over the last five years, we have developed a method to transplant the cells by catheter, like an angiogram. The patient can be awake and discharged the next day to go home,” Nabil said.

The researchers have proven they can isolate stem cells from the skeletal muscle and, “that the cells survive and make new muscle in a matter of three months,” he said.

The first two research centers in the United States to receive FDA approval to use 3-D guidance technology were The Arizona Heart Hospital and the Arizona Heart Institute. Allowing doctors to pinpoint the damaged areas of the heart with three-dimensional color mapping, the doctors can then inject myobalsts into the specific areas.

Cardiologists from around the world will visit Washington in February where Nabil will present a conference on the early study results.

Bobby traveled to Phoenix to be tested for the study after Gay’s research led her to Dr. Nabil in August of 2005. He was rejected for the study during an initial test due to a bad sunburn, but he was then accepted during a subsequent test and had a heart catheterization to map his heart.

A biopsy of his thigh muscle was taken in March of 2006. The cell culture was grown during the next four to six weeks in Boston from the marble sized sample of muscle.

His cells grew quickly and by April 6, he was back in Arizona for the injection of 100 million cells on April 7.

He doubled the amount he could walk in six minutes during tests last month. He had photos of his heart taken along with a stress test and an echocardiogram (pictured right). “After lunch I met with Dr. Nabil and Bee (a research coordinator) and they gave me my stats. They were as excited as they could be.

“He’s keeping an eye on me because they can’t figure out how I have so much stamina. I’m healthier than other patients he’s been working with,” Bobby said.

Bobby was referred to Vanderbilt University in 2002 where he met with Dr. Stacie, who was head of the cardiology and heart transplant unit at Vanderbilt. She said that Bobby was, “judged too weak for a heart transplant and his heart’s ejection fraction was down to 18 percent.” The ejection fraction is the rate at which the heart pumps.

55 percent is the average rate that a heart contracts.

His ejection fraction is up to 25 percent since his stem cell injections – a major improvement. “He’s in the early phases of something really big, and I view him as a pioneer,” Stacie said. “What Bobby is doing will help every patient who comes after him.”

According to a study on how to repair the effects of cardiac failure, stem cells taken from a patient’s own body could help restore the health of a malfunctioning heart.

To replace damaged heart tissue, scientists have shown that it is possible to grow cardiac stem cells in the laboratory prior to transplanting them back into a patient.

Offering an alternative treatment to a complete heart-transplant operation, the findings demonstrate the prospect of rebuilding cardiac muscle that had been destroyed during a heart attack.

Since a pig’s heart is so similar to the human heart, the experiment was conducted on pigs. But the researchers involved said that clinical trials on people could begin in 12 months’ time.

The technique involves taking a small biopsy – a sample of living heart muscle – that is no bigger than a grain of rice said Professor Eduardo, head of cardiology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, Maryland.

Using a standard method of accessing the organ through a catheter inserted into an artery in the leg, an infusion of stem cells was put into the animal’s heart. The stem cells were derived from a biopsy and then grown in the laboratory prior to infusion.

“This is a relatively simple method of stem cell extraction that can be used in any community-based clinic, and if further studies show the same kind of organ repair that we see in pigs, it could be performed on an outpatient basis,” Professor Eduardo said.

“Starting with just a small amount of tissue, we demonstrated that it was possible, very soon after a heart attack, to use the healthy parts of the heart to regenerate some of the damaged parts,” he said.

The stem cells in the experiment were labeled with a colored dye so that the scientists could see where they became integrated into the structure of the heart. The cells were cultured for up to a month in the laboratory.

About 10 million cells were injected back into the heart after growing them in the laboratory. The preliminary biopsy extracted about a million stem cells initially. After infusion, the stem cells were still embedded in functioning tissue two months later.

Professor Eduardo said that rather than measuring the physical benefits, the purpose of the experiment was to see whether or not the integration occurred. An examination of the therapeutic qualities of the infusion will form the next stage of the experiment.

“But we have proof of principle, and we are planning to use larger numbers of cells implanted in different sites of the heart to test whether we can restore function as well,” Professor Eduardo said.

“If the answer is yes, we could see the first phase of studies in people in later 2007,” he said.

As the undifferentiated cells of the body, stem cells are capable of forming specialized tissues, such as cardiac muscle.

Taking adult stem cells from a patient’s own heart could provide an alternative to using stem cells taken from a cloned human embryo.

Among other advantages, the transplanted tissue will not be rejected by the body’s immune system since the patient will be using his or her own cells. This will eliminate the need for potentially damaging drugs.

“The goal is to repair heart muscle weakened not only by heart attack but by heart failure, perhaps averting the need for heart transplants,” said Peter of the Hopkins’ Heart Institute.

“By using a patient’s own adult stem cell rather than a donor’s, there would be not risk of triggering an immune response that could cause rejection,” he said.

The results of the study were released yesterday at the American Heart Association’s annual meeting in Chicago.

Routine stem cell therapies for certain types of heart disease will become a reality in 3-5 years according to Dr. Amit of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. All he has to do is succeed in his ongoing clinical trials using cell therapy in congestive heart failure.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has made Amit the only individual in the entire nation to gain its endorsement to undertake clinical trials for treating heart patients by directly injecting adult stem cells into the heart. Bone marrow is the source of stem cells for the experiment.

The clinical trial for ‘Autologous Bone Marrow Progenitor Cell Treatment for Heart Failure,’ at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center is lead by Dr. Amit. He is the director of the Center for Cardiac Cell Therapy at the university.

Amit has taken 5 volunteers who would eventually undergo heart transplantation after a few months and injected adult stem cells into the patients’ hearts. As routine as it is to harvest hearts from animals that are under trial, the same is close to reality for humans as well. Removing and studying the hearts that have been injected with adult stem cells a few months prior to transplantation is a possibility.

“This will give an opportunity to evaluate the mechanism of the cells delivered into the human heart,” he noted. “This is the primary endpoint of the study.”

In an earlier study he had shown that “Autologous stem cell transplantation led to significant improvement in cardiac function in patients undergoing off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting for ischemic cardiomyopathy.”

Hearts that were removed 3-6 months after the stem cells were injected showed, “significant angiogenesis,” said Dr. Amit. Four hearts have been removed and examined since the trial started. “We are seeing growth of new blood vessels — angiogenesis,” he said.

So far all FDA approval has been for using adult stem cells for treating heart patients due to the ethical dilemmas surrounding embryonic stem cell research.

Millions of individuals exercise to get rid of unwanted body fat every single day. But that same fat that so many try to burn off, may one day save their lives.

The very fat that many try to rid themselves of contains baby fat cells. Those stem cells can be isolated form the tissue, cultivated in a laboratory dish and molded into the type of cells you want to grow. Singapore doctors are planning on doing just that. Clinical trials will soon be in progress to develop techniques that will take a patient’s fat tissue and create new cartilage, bone, and fat stem cells.

Promising results from animal experimentation has pushed ahead human clinical trials which should begin in 18 months.

The research team knows that the potential for new treatments is limitless, despite the dream still being quite young. The fat stem cells could help diabetics produce their own insulin, or help in breast reconstruction for cancer patients.

Renowned surgeon Dr. Susan is closely involved with this particular project, and for the past three years has been deeply involved with stem cell research at the National University of Singapore.

In 1990, the first successful liver transplant in South-East Asia was performed by Dr. Susan, and she says that stem cell research could revolutionize even that particular field in the future.

Whole organs like the pancreas or the liver were initially used during a transplant procedure. But as Dr. Susan explained, new procedures were put in place to split an organ and share it around instead due to short supply.

Islet cells to treat diabetes and liver cells to address liver failure will be the ultimate solution.

Cell rejection was once a possibly hurdle, but a person’s own stem cells can be used to treat him with adult stem cell research she said.

“This does not even pose any ethical questions, unlike the use of stem cells from embryos,” said Dr. Susan. “It is a very exciting and promising field.”

Multiple varieties of cells can be formed from stem cells. And since fat is something that most would be glad to part with, there is good reason for Dr. Susan to target fat tissue in her research.

“If someone says that he needs to take your liver cells for example, most patients will be hesitant,” she said. “So you must look for something that the patient is ready to part with. And everyone’s ready to part with fat.”

Dr. Susan’s team just has to build on the recipe for fat, cartilage, and bone cells, since there has already been a great deal of global research on how stem cells can be cultivated.

“The aim is to produce lots and lots of these particular cell types to treat the specific disease and in the end to transplant these cells back to the person,” said Susan.

She says that the current cost of whole organ transplantation is more than what the stem cell procedures will cost.

Even more ambitious plans that exceed breast reconstruction for cancer patients are being tested for future application. Stem cells could be used by diabetic patients to generate islets so they can produce their own insulin. Generating heart muscle cells are also on tap for the future.

“We are greatly inspired to continue this work as there are many patients to-date with spinal cord injuries and other degenerative nerve injuries who desperately need new treatment options,” she said.

All that is needed is for individuals to be willing to part with those parts of the body that may be a little to curvaceous for their own taste.