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Celgene Cellular Therapeutics (CCT), a branch of Celgene Corporation (NASDAQ: CELG), announced recently the development of a clinical application of stem cells derived from human placenta (HPDSCs) for use in hematopoietic reconstitution therapies. This important hallmark in the road to achieve therapeutic use of human plancenta stem cells occurred at the LSU Health Sciences Center Children’s Hospital (LSU) on March 28, 2008. The transplant was scheduled to treat a pediatric patient with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL). This is a cancer of the bone marrow and blood.  When the patient’s sibling was born in December 2007, human placental stem cells, along with cord blood, were collected and cryo-preserved and both products were used in the transplant.

CCT employs proprietary technologies for collecting, processing, and storing human plancenta-derived stem cells. This versatile kind of stem cells have a strong potential for developing therapeutic applications in, for example, leukemia and other hematological malignancies, solid tumor cancers, and autoimmune diseases.  The company is also conducting research on other types of stem cells derived from the placenta that are obtained via additional proprietary methodologies. 

The transplant, which is part of a multicenter clinical trial being conducted at LSU, together with other institutions, is using stem cells from placenta for patients with certain disorders including cancers and non-malignancies.  The primary goal of theis study is to assess the safety of transplantation of umbilical cord blood boosted with placental stem cells from the same donor, There is also a secondary objective, which is assessing potential restoration of normal hematopoiesis and immune function with this combination of cells.  The plan of the trial includes careful monitoring post-transplant for up to 24 months to monitor safety outcomes, engraftment, and survival.

“The patient is doing extremely well and, in fact, was discharged from the hospital one-to-two weeks earlier compared to traditional cord blood transplants,” said Lolie C. Yu, M.D., Professor of Pediatrics, Division Chief of the Pediatric Heme-Onc Program, Director of the BMT Program at LSUHSC/Children’s Hospital. “Neutrophil engraftment occurred earlier than anticipated in this proof-of-principle study further raising our hopes regarding the benefits of this treatment.”

Numerous professionals agree that there is considerable anticipation around the potential of placental stem cells. Another study by researchers from UCLA published earlier this year declared that blood-forming stem cells originate in the placenta in laboratory animals.  

“We are excited to advance our study of the placenta as a source of stem cells that have the ability to effectively treat patients worldwide,” said Robert Hariri, M.D., Ph.D., CEO of Celgene Cellular Therapeutics. “We are pleased with this first positive step in our effort to bring this cutting-edge therapy to the clinic to treat sufferers with a variety of devastating diseases.”

“For the first time, we are transplanting human placenta-derived stem cells to treat patients with a variety of cancers and non-malignant diseases,” said Mitchell Cairo, M.D., who leads the clinical trial at Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital and Columbia University Medical Center, and is Chief of the Pediatric Blood and Marrow Transplantation Division at Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital of NewYork-Presbyterian and Professor of Pediatrics, Medicine and Pathology at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons.  “Our hope is that HPDSCs, in conjunction with cord blood stem cells, will expedite engraftment and improve treatment for patients.”

Expectant parents can now cryo-preserve HPDSCs for future use through Celgene’s cord blood bank, LifebankUSA. For more information, vivsit: LifebankUSA Placental and Cord Blood Banking

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Regular exercise and consumption of caffeine protect the body from the destructive effects of ultraviolet (UVA) and therefore may be associated with the prevention of skin cancer, according to a new study by Rutgers  University (New Jersey), whose results are published in the “Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.”

According to this research, caffeine and exercise collaborate in the destruction of precancerous cells whose DNA has been damaged by UVA, causing self-destruction. “If apoptosis takes place in cells damaged by the sun, it will slow down the progression of cancer through them,” explained one of the authors of the study, Dr. Allan Conney.

The investigation was conducted with hairless mice that were exposed to ultraviolet radiation lamps that generated that damage DNA from the cells of their skin. In turn, four groups were established, one that drank water caffeine, another who exercised running on a wheel, a third group did both, while a fourth and final group did not carry out any of these behaviors. Rodents caffeine drinkers showed about a 95% increase in apoptosis induced by UVA, which exercised showed an increase of 120%, while those who made both approached an increase of 400%.

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It may seem surprising, but even the most sophisticated biochemistry and pharmacology industry cannot beat nature’s ability to provide efficient compounds and substances to cure and alleviate disease. Aboriginal tribes from all over the world are excellent sources of information when it comes to discovering natural compounds with curative properties. Such is the case of Buah Merah, a unique tropical fruit found in Papua. Papua people have known about the properties of Buah merah for centuries. They use it for food, craft materials and also as medicine for intestinal worms, skin disease, to prevent blindness and to increase energy.
However, ongoing research has shown that buah merah contains a myriad of natural compounds such as carotenes and other pigments and it is thought that its extracts could be used to cure and prevent many more diseases. Some claim that buah merah constitutes an efficient alternative cancer treatment, but also promising results have been reported when treating immune disorders, viral infections, hepatitis. There are even testimonials about progress on lung cancer and breast cancer. Experts who know buah merah say that with all the antioxidants, multivitamins,  minerals and antiviral compunds, the ability to defeat many different diseases is not at all surprising.
Buah Merah is another example of the power of nature and certainly more research needs to be done to uncover its full potential.
Source: http://www.redfruitoil.com

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Hairy cell leukemia is a disease in which the blood cells and bone cells marrow turn abnormal or cancerous. “hairy cell leukemia” because when examined under the microscope the cells visible as have tiny “hairy” projections.

It is a rare cancer. There are +/- 600 new cases diagnosed every year in the United States. Hairy cell leukemia commonly affects older people, with the average age at diagnosis being 50 years. The disease is four times more common in men.

When this disease develops, the white blood cells become abnormal and accumulate in the spleen, causing it to become enlarged. The cells may also collect in the bone marrow and stop it from producing blood cells. As a result there may not be enough normal white blood cells in the blood to fight infections.

The cause of hairy cell leukemia is not known. It is a slowly progressing disease and the patients may not show any symptoms for many years. As the disease advances, the patients may have an enlarged spleen, because of the accumulation of the abnormal cells in the spleen. The liver may at times become enlarged. The blood tests may show abnormal counts of all the different types of cells. This happens because the cancerous cells invade the bone marrow as well and prevent it from producing normal blood cells. Because of the low white cell count in the blood, the patient may have frequent infections. Fever accompanies the infections. There may also be other symptoms such as unexplained weight loss, fatigue, and night sweats. The low red cell count may cause anemia, and the low platelet count may cause the person to bruise easily.

Diagnosis, if a patient complains of fatigue and has recurrent infections, and if the spleen is enlarged, the doctor may order several blood tests. In these tests, the total numbers of each of the different types of blood cells (CBC) are reported. If the blood tests are abnormal, the doctor may order a “bone marrow biopsy”. During this procedure, a needle is inserted into the bone and a small amount of marrow is withdrawn for microscopic examination. This test will help the physician in identifying the type of leukemia and planning the treatment.

Some people with hairy cell leukemia have very few or no symptoms at all and may not need any treatment. If the spleen is enlarged, it may be removed in a surgical procedure known as splenectomy. This usually causes a remission of the disease.

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