Dr. Grekos offered cardiac nuclear scans, PET scans, and echocardiographs performed at six months and one year post-treatment, which confirm the regeneration of damaged heart tissue, the existence of new blood vessels and a dramatic improvement in heart function in patients treated with adult stem cells extracted from their own blood.

“This is real science, real medicine and real results,” Grekos stated. “We have moved beyond bench research and clinical trials to show that the power of the body’s adult stem cells can be harnessed. Our success rate in reversing ischemic cardiomyopathy and congestive heart failure is extremely high and with our latest technology we’re capturing the same astounding cell regeneration results in other disease classifications.”

Grekos, who is chief medical officer for Florida-based stem cell center Regenocyte Therapeutic, also announced that his team of physicians and scientists successfully treated a patient with Fabry disease - a previously untreatable enzyme deficiency which leads to heart and kidney failure. The patient’s ejection fraction (EF) increased from 28 to 41 in just four months out from Adult Stem Cell Therapy (normal EF is 55.)

According to Dr. Grekos, “The patient no longer needs a heart transplant, which was previously the only means for arresting this disease. His kidney dialysis time has already been reduced by 10 percent, so we are looking at treating his kidney function in the near future.”

Athina Kyritsis, MD and chair of Regenocyte’s medical advisory committee, states, “As a physician I find one of the most exciting things this discovery offers is the potential to address many diseases currently believed to be untreatable. We are leaping off of medicine’s cutting edge; this is no longer just theory.”

Adult stem cells are extracted from a patient via a standard blood draw. This small, naturally occurring stem cell population is sent to a biotechnology laboratory where it is grown into millions of cells which are engineered to migrate to the part of the body needing repair. The patient receives the new cells one week later through an advanced injection and/or infusion delivery system. Unlike surgically implanted devices, medications, or organ replacement surgery, using a patient’s own stem cells to rebuild damaged tissue means there is no possibility of rejection or tumorgenicity (cancer causing).

Regenocyte Therapeutic is currently using Adult Stem Cell Therapy to treat Congestive Heart Failure, Cardiomyopathy, Peripheral Artery Disease, Coronary Artery Disease, Kidney Disease, Ischemic Heart Disease, Pulmonary Disease and Early Senile Dementia. Clinical trials will begin in 2009 for patients with macular degeneration and various neurological diagnoses. Patients can call 866-216-5710 for information or consultation.

Related posts

• Nerve Cells Derived from Embryonic Stem Cells and Transplanted into Mice May Lead to Improved Brain Treatments (0)

On Tuesday, November 11th at 6 pm, - Dr. Bonnie Vulich will be giving a free information seminar to those that would like to learn more about this revolutionary new procedure. “I’m very excited to share my expertise about SmartLipo and how you to finally get rid of stubborn areas of fat that just won’t go away”, says Dr. Vulich.

Dr. Bonnie Vulich is a board certified physician who was trained by the North American Pioneer for Smartlipo, Bruce E. Katz, MD of Juva Skin and Laser Center/Medi Spa in New York. Dr. Katz is the Medical Director at Juva, as well as a Professor of Clinical Dermatology at Mt. Sinai School of Medicine in New York City. “Patients love the fact that they walk in with fat and walk out a couple of hours later without it; and we love it because it works and everyone is happy!”, exclaims Vulich.

The free Smartlipo information seminar will be held on Tuesday, November 11th at 6 pm at Refine Medical Spa, 233 East Erie St., Suite 2500 in Chicago. RSVP by calling (312) 867-0600 or by email info@refinemedspa.com. Attendance is limited to 15 people. There will be BOTOX® giveaways as well as a take home gift and special savings certificates for those who attend.

If someone has tried dieting and exercise, but parts of their body simply refuse to tone up then Smartlipo™ Laser Body Sculpting, a revolutionary, minimally invasive treatment may be the solution with its ability to permanently destroy fat cells. “You have a finite amount of fat cells. With Smartlipo no new fat cells are regenerated and you can finally have that body you’ve always wanted”, says Dr. Bonnie Vulich.

“I’m recommending Smartlipo™ to my patients who want to look and feel great and have had a hard time trying to achieve their goals through diet and exercise,” said Vulich. “Smartlipo™ is excellent for patients with those areas of fat, cellulite and sagging skin that are difficult to spot reduce. Patients are much more comfortable because bleeding, bruising, and swelling are significantly reduced, allowing them to quickly return to everyday life, especially important for those that lead active lifestyles. They may work out, but many still struggle with that one or two areas that don’t look they way they’d like.”

How does Dr. Vulich do it? Smartlipo is a laser-assisted lipolysis procedure that is performed using a tiny one millimeter (1/22 of an inch) tube inserted into the skin. A laser fiber inside of the tube (the cannula) delivers energy directly to fat cells, causing them to melt and drain away as liquid. Simultaneously, tissue around the area coagulates, resulting in overall tighter skin.

Only one treatment is required and results can be seen within one week with continued improvement over three to six months. One of the advantages over traditional liposuction is the skin tightening that occurs with Smartlipo. After the fat is removed from an area, there is excess skin with traditional liposuction; whereas with Smartlipo, the skin contracts and tightens over a period of three to six months.

This is a minimally invasive procedure which Dr. Vulich uses only local anesthesia, not general as required with traditional liposuction. Some light bruising can occur, but you’ll be able to return to work in a couple of days and resume exercise after just two weeks.

The cost varies depending upon the body part being treated. Dr. Vulich offers complimentary consultations for people interested in finding out if they too can benefit from this new procedure.

“As the market leader in providing OEM blood pressure technology to medical equipment manufacturers, we are excited to release our latest achievement,” states Dayn McBee, CEO, “The size and versatility of the Advantage A+ OEM NIBP module provides an extraordinary new platform for future blood pressure products and technology.”

The Advantage A+ OEM NIBP module is the size of a standard business card and includes features such as internal automatic modes, low voltage communication protocols and the lowest power consumption in the industry, making this platform ideal for portable and hand-held applications. The Advantage A+ also offers an exclusive advanced motion-tolerance option with an R-wave gated method of acquiring oscillometric blood pressure readings.

“SunTech Medical has developed the Advantage A+ as the platform that will carry OEM NIBP technologies into the future,” adds Kenny Andersen, Director of Product Management. “This new platform allows our OEM partners to integrate application-specific NIBP technologies for their most challenging environments and patient populations.”

The Advantage A+ is one of a series of three oscillometric OEM NIBP platforms available from SunTech Medical, which also includes the Advantage™ 2.0 and Advantage™ Mini.

Mucositis is a significant side effect in cancer therapy (between 20% and 100% of patients, depending on the type of cancer and treatment). It is characterized by intestinal tissue destruction throughout the GI tract, including painful mouth ulcerations and severe gastrointestinal symptoms interfering with nutrition and treatment. There are currently no effective treatments for GI Mucositis available in the marketplace and treatment for Oral Mucositis is very expensive and limited to a narrow group of eligible patients. In the U.S. alone there are more than 10 million patients undergoing cancer treatments and 1.5 million new cancer cases each year.

The intended product, primarily for the oncology market, will leverage a unique formulation of Anadis’ immune milk-derived anti LPS antibodies, growth factors and other bioactives combined and delivered using Anadis’ patented oral delivery technology. Anadis anticipates a commercial product could reach the market within 2-3 years, due to the product’s excellent safety profile.

Anadis recently announced the receiving a significant grant (see “Anadis Awarded VISTECH grant for Clinical Trial of Polyclonal Antibodies for the Treatment of Cancer Related Mucositis” July 1, 2008) to help fund this important program.

Boone’s surgery will be performed at the Spine Institute of Louisiana in Shreveport on Thursday, June 26, 2008. Spine surgeon, Pierce D. Nunley, M.D., will be the first surgeon in the United States to implant the new device in a research study. Dr. Nunley states: “The instrumentation developed by VertiFlex allows patients only a small scar and a quicker recovery. It integrates a minimally invasive technique that seeks to preserve all the normal anatomical structures of the spine. This is a good option for patients that would potentially be candidates for traditional fusion – a more invasive procedure.”

The Superion device is intended to correct LSS by opening the space in the spinal column that has gradually narrowed over time; resulting in pain and numbness from pressure on the spinal cord and nerve roots. The Superion™ device is implanted through a minimal incision that does not require general anesthesia. The out-patient procedure can be completed in as short as 20 minutes per level.

Compared with traditional fusion procedures, in which patients typically undergo hours of surgery, with extended hospital stays and lengthy rehabilitations, this device hopes to offer patients a much less invasive option, briefer hospital stay and a rapid recovery time. Boone says she can’t believe her luck in being the first patient in the U.S. to receive this revolutionary new device here in Shreveport. “I am so thankful to have this done without a big procedure. This one is so simple.”

The Superion Interspinous Spacer is a titanium metal implant that is delivered through a small 12-15 millimeter incision in the patient’s back. A small delivery tube is placed through the incision and the device is then opened underneath the patient’s skin. As the implant is opened the wings embrace the spinous processes of the lower and upper level vertebra of the affected level. Once the device has been opened the delivery tube is removed and the incision is closed.

“Superion is available only through this clinical trial at selected sites in the U.S., including the Spine Institute of Louisiana,” says Medical Research Director Ajay Jawahar, M.D. He adds, “This implant procedure may be a solution for elderly patients who are suffering with LSS, and have been reluctant to have surgery to correct it.”

Earl Fender, President and Chief Executive Officer for VertiFlex®, stated: “This is a significant milestone for VertiFlex. The Superion™ Interspinous Spacer may be a contribution to treating an aging population suffering from spinal stenosis. VertiFlex® looks forward to demonstrating clinical success in the trial so that Superion™ can soon be offered to the general public.”

Superion has already had considerable success in Europe. To date hundreds of Superion devices have been implanted in eight countries by over 30 surgeons.

The viral video, starring Akerman, shows a couple performing skin self checks to demonstrate how easy it is to engage with a loved one for early detection of skin cancer. The goal of the video is to empower consumers to take control of their health and encourage both men and women to check themselves for skin cancer.

“The viral video shows how skin examinations can be fun, while communicating the seriousness of the skin cancer message,” said Jim Colleran, President, Neutrogena Corporation. “This video is meant to create buzz, spark conversation and serve as a ‘wake-up call’ to consumers about the importance of self-examination in detecting skin cancer.”

“This video and message is something I have a passion for because I understand the importance of checking your skin for suspicious moles,” says Malin Akerman. “I recently had a suspicious mole removed from my face; I noticed it was changing shape and asked my dermatologist to examine it. I was one of the luckier ones because it wasn’t cancerous.”

Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the US; one in five Americans will develop skin cancer during his or her lifetime. The Neutrogena(R) Partnership for Skin Health set out to create a viral video that would reach a wide-scale audience, including both men and women. Having a loved one check your moles (especially on areas of your body that are harder for you to see and reach) aids in the early detection of skin cancer.

Related posts

• Revolutionary Advances in the Treatment of Cancer and Macular Degeneration (0)

“If you are going to do an event that is going to have an impact on the way many people live their lives worldwide then you need to make it big,” says Colin Davidson Read, one of the two brave hearts to embark across the vastness of America. “So where else should we do this ride than the largest and friendliest country on earth, the United States? We are looking for the biggest possible send off from our Celtic cousins across the pond and I know that they won’t let us down.”

Why would anyone in their right mind decide to embark on a journey across the U.S. in kilts and on motorcycles to boot, and in the middle of summer? Why, because one of those men, Colin Read, is the father of a child with the very rare Moebius Syndrome. People keep asking me why my son is so sad,” says Colin, organizer of this journey of discovery and hope. “My son, George is a very happy little boy, but he suffers from Moebius Syndrome which means he will never be able to smile, he can’t blink, and he has little facial expression at all.”

Colin and his wife, Dionne are the founders of the Moebius Syndrome Research Trust, a Scottish charity. Their goal is to create awareness of this tragic condition in a most unusual way.

“Two guys in kilts on motorcycles will be quite a sight, especially if the wind blows,” smiles Colin Read. Colin, his friend Iain Whyte and little George have all been outfitted by celebrity kilt maker Howie Nicholsby of 21st century kilts in Edinburgh, Scotland. Nicholsby has outfitted such guys as Sean Connery, Vin Diesel, James Bond star; Robert Davi, Alan Cummings and Ozzy Osbourne, in all manner of fabrics and colors.

But for the first time, Nicholsby has taken into consideration the aerodynamics and challenges in riding a bike at 70 miles per hour. He has designed a special kilt that, ahem, protects a man’s modesty. Hence his new design will be a first for motorcycle riding, kilt wearing men. “People often ask what’s worn under a kilt and in this case the answer is courage,” says Nicholsby. And quite a sight they were as they flew down the Mass Pike at 70 miles per hour, kilts lifting in the updraft, cars slowing down, video cameras and cell phones popping out of windows, cars speeding up to get in front of the two in order to find out what is worn under a kilt. A sight to see and America will see plenty.

So get ready America! Here come the Scots in their leather kilts doing what no Scot has ever done before. “As we ride across the U.S. in our kilts, we know that we will make many friends.” Both Colin and Iain feel that along their journey they will encounter many who have never heard of the condition. They hope people will offer to help in the cutting-edge research that is taking place around the world from the United States to Scotland looking for the cause of Moebius Syndrome.

On June 28th, these two intrepid Scots will mount up outside of St. Andrews Restaurant New York 120 West 44th Street in New York City at 2PM and set out across America. The fearless bikers will leave St. Andrew’s pub to the sound of pipes and the roar of hundreds of motorcycles as they head across the river and into the wilderness. There will be a silent auction from 12 to 2PM on Saturday to send the boys off in style.

“We want to raise a minimum of $400,000 dollars, which works out to be about $150.00 per mile. If we can get people to RIDE FOR A SMILE on this once in a life time adventure and donate dollars for miles I know we can raise the money that will help ultimately to lead to the cause of Moebius Syndrome and from there to a possible cure,” says Iain Whyte.

Join the adventure, follow the route at www.kiltsacrossamerica.co.uk and register to ride for smiles.

The new Fun Centers feature a Sharp AQUOS flat-screen television, a DVD player, a Wii system and a selection of family-friendly Wii games like Super Mario Galaxy, Wii Sports and Mario Party 8. The Fun Centers were created specifically to offer children an entertaining respite during difficult hospital stays.

To help mark the introduction of the new Fun Centers, two units, donated by Nintendo, will be presented to Childrens Hospital Los Angeles at a special Super Mario Galaxy-themed launch event on June 25. Child star Allen Alvarado, of Discovery Kids’ Flight 29 Down, and video game icon Mario™ will be in attendance. Allen has had personal experience with Fun Centers, which kept him company and aided in his recovery when he was hospitalized for several weeks at Childrens Hospital after an automobile accident last fall.

Previous versions of the Fun Center, most recently featuring Nintendo GameCube video game systems, earned praise from families, doctors and hospital staffers alike for their ability to brighten moods, boost morale and reduce feelings of isolation among ailing children. Since the first model was created in 1992, more than 5,000 units have been distributed to over 1,000 hospitals across North America. The new Fun Center offers an enhanced entertainment experience by incorporating the Wii console’s distinctive motion-sensing controls and an array of popular games.

“We’re extremely proud to make Fun Centers a part of our collaboration with Starlight,” said Don James, Nintendo of America’s executive vice president of Operations. “The inclusive fun of Wii is especially valuable for families in need of a tension reliever while dealing with serious pediatric illness. We hope the new Fun Centers will give kids and their loved ones an opportunity to play, laugh and connect with each other amid trying circumstances.”

“Our patients at Childrens Hospital benefit greatly from the Fun Centers,” said Linda Garcia, Manager, Child Development Services, for Childrens Hospital Los Angeles. “The Fun Centers serve as a diversional tool for Child Life Specialists to provide to patients and families in the playrooms, at bedside and throughout the hospital, including medical units, clinics and waiting rooms. The Fun Centers promote socialization, mastery and fun. Through this play, children learn about cooperation, positive thinking and problem-solving skills. The Fun Centers also provide opportunities for hand strengthening and finger dexterity, an important therapeutic value for our patients undergoing physical rehabilitation.”

“Everyone who has spent time in a hospital knows how scary and lonely it can be,” said Paula Van Ness, CEO of Starlight. “Our Fun Centers transform the hospital experience for children, bringing enjoyment and laughter to an otherwise daunting experience. And as an added benefit of this new Fun Center model, the Wii technology can be used to encourage children to do physical therapy and motor coordination exercises.”

People who want to help support the mission of Nintendo and Starlight Starbright Children’s Foundation can visit the Nintendo of America Galaxy on Starlight’s Site of a Million Stars – just visit www.millionstars.org and do a keyword search for “Nintendo.” Starlight’s goal is to unite 1 million caring people and organizations to bring seriously ill children and their families out of the dark. Placing a star in Nintendo of America’s Galaxy is free and includes space for a message about the nature of your support and a link to your favorite Web site. You can also choose to add special features to your star or upgrade to a constellation for a tax-deductible donation of $5 to $100.

The team was led by Stuart A. Lipton, M.D., Ph.D., professor and director of the Del E. Webb Neuroscience, Aging, and Stem Cell Research Center at Burnham. Dr. Lipton is also a clinical neurologist who treats patients with these disorders. Collaborators included investigators from The Scripps Research Institute.

“We found that we could create new nerve cells from stem cells, transplant them effectively and make a positive difference in the behavior of the mice,” said Dr. Lipton. “These findings could potentially lead to new treatments for stroke and neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s disease.”

Conditions such as stroke, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and Huntington’s disease destroy brain cells, causing speech and memory loss and other debilitating consequences. In theory, transplanting neuronal brain cells could restore at least some brain function, just as heart transplants restore blood flow.

Prior to this research, creating pure neuronal cells from ES cells had been problematic as the cells did not always differentiate into neurons. Sometimes they became glial cells, which lack many of the neurons’ desirable properties. Even when the neuronal cells were created successfully, they often died in the brain following transplant—a process called programmed cell death or apoptosis. In addition, the cells would sometimes become tumors.

Dr. Lipton solved these problems by inducing ES cells to express a protein, discovered in his laboratory, called myocyte enhancer factor 2C (MEF2C). MEF2C is a transcription factor that turns on specific genes which then drive stem cells to become nerve cells. Using MEF2C, the researchers created colonies of pure neuronal progenitor cells, a stage of development that occurs before becoming a nerve cell, with no tumors. These cells were then transplanted into the brain and later became adult nerve cells. MEF2C also protected the cells from apoptosis once inside the brain.

“To move forward with stem cell-based therapies, we need to have a reliable source of nerve cells that can be easily grown, differentiate in the way that we want them to and remain viable after transplantation,” said Dr. Lipton. “MEF2C helps this process first by turning on the genes that, when expressed, make stem cells into nerve cells. It then turns on other genes that keep those new nerve cells from dying. As a result, we were able to produce neuronal progenitor cells that differentiate into a virtually pure population of neurons and survive inside the brain.”

The next step was to determine whether the transplanted neural progenitor cells became nerve cells that integrated into the existing network of nerve cells in the brain. Performing intricate electrical studies, Dr. Lipton’s investigative team showed that the new nerve cells, derived from the stem cells, could send and receive proper electrical signals to the rest of the brain. They then determined if the new cells could provide cognitive benefits to the stroke-afflicted mice. The team executed a battery of neurobehavioral tests and found that the mice that received the transplants showed significant behavioral improvements, although their performance did not reach that of the non-stroke control mice. These results suggest that MEF2C expression in the transplanted cells was a significant factor in reducing the stroke-induced deficits.

The work was supported in part by National Institutes of Health (NIH) grants and a Senior Scholar Award in Aging Research from the Ellison Medical Foundation.

Related posts

• Successful Treatment of Cardiovascular Disease Using Stem Cells (0)

Existing safety engineered peripheral IVs have mechanisms to protect the needle that has been contaminated but do not usually address the problem of blood leaking out of an open hub. The VantageCath utilizes a closed-hub system that eliminates the need to tamponade above the site while connecting tubing or saline lock.

“We are delighted to receive the FDA clearance for VantageCath and take the next step towards bringing this important product to the healthcare industry,” said Gaylene Fisch, President of Advantage Medical Devices. “The results of the Simulated Clinical Use study for VantageCath™ confirmed that healthcare professionals want a product that ensures their safety and combines ease of use with versatility.”

Most needlestick injuries can be prevented with the use of safety devices, which, in conjunction with worker education and training and work practice controls, can reduce injuries by over 90 percent. One out of five healthcare workers sustain a needlestick injury every year. It is estimated that more than 800,000 injuries occur annually in the United States from needles and other sharps, according to the Premier’s Safety Institute brochure “Preventing Needlestick Injuries.”

Blood safety devices are one of the fastest growing market sectors in healthcare, driven by regulatory enforcement proceedings regarding bloodborne pathogen exposure, and the overall need to contain healthcare costs, including the cost of follow-up treatments for health care professionals exposed to communicable diseases through such exposure.

The VantageCath™ comes with built in, needle-free access to empower the clinician with primary needle stick injury prevention and can immediately be used to deliver push meds, connect to an extension tubing or standard IV or pump tubing. The VantageCath™ utilizes a push button retraction mechanism for shielding the used needle that is similar to existing devices to minimize the learning curve for clinicians and has been well received by nurses, paramedics, and physicians who used the device during the Simulated Clinical Use study.

Advantage Medical Devices is pursuing a market presence in the US and abroad as well as continuing to develop innovative technologies for the healthcare industry.

Related posts

• Medtronic Announces FDA Clearance of New OneTouch UltraLink Blood Glucose Meter (1)
• FDA Clears First Medical Product Made From Yulex Natural Rubber (0)
• Novel Antipsychotic Drug for Patients with Schizophrenia (0)
• Alcon’s PATANASE Nasal Spray Approved by FDA for Treatment of Nasal Allergy Symptoms (0)