Archive for the ‘Stem Cell Worx’ Category

Major Stem Cell Breakthrough Could Pave Way for a Cure for Blindness

Thursday, July 3rd, 2014

Eye Limbal Stem Cells

Scientists regrow corneas in breakthrough which could pave the way for a cure for blindness. 

  • Scientists in the U.S. have successfully regrown corneas from stem cells
  • Team believe breakthrough could give hope to burns victims, those injured in chemical attacks and people battling eye diseases
  • One of the first known examples of growing tissue from an adult stem cell

Scientists could be on the brink of developing a cure for blindness, after re-growing corneas in the laboratory.

The team behind the study at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Research Institute in the U.S. believe the milestone could help reverse a leading cause of blindness.

A major breakthrough in stem cell research allowed researchers to grow the first known tissue from an adult stem cell.

The scientists say their work offers hope to burn victims, victims of chemical injury and people with damaging eye diseases.

Click this Daily Mail link to read more:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2678112/Scientists-regrow-corneas-breakthrough-pave-way-cure-blindness.html

Source:   Daily Mail UK.

Autologous Stem Cell Treatments Could Edge Out Joint Replacement Procedures

Monday, June 30th, 2014

Stem Cells Alternative for Joint Replacements

A team of doctors from a city hospital have harvested stem cells from a person using bone morrow from the pelvis area to replace some dead tissues in the hip. In this process, they saved the patient from undergoing a hip replacement.

The Apollo Health City team in India, headed by Orthopaedic Specialist Paripati Sharat Kumar, diagnosed a 39-year-old woman to be suffering from Avascular Necrosis, making her writhe with pain in her two hip joints.  Her condition would normally require undergoing a replacement of both hips.

After assessing her condition, the team decided to opt for an autologous stem cell procedure (where donor and the receiver is the same person) to save both hip joints.

“The minimally invasive procedure involved taking bone marrow aspirate from the patient’s pelvis. Stem cells were harvested from the aspirate through a process that takes about 15 minutes. Stems cells were planted in the area of damage under fluoroscopy control following core decompression,” Sharat Kumar said in a statement on Monday.

He felt that autologous stem cell treatments could edge out joint replacement procedures to a large extent in the future. “The scope of this procedure in orthopaedics and sports medicine is enormous. This could be extended to indications that include osteoarthritis of knee, shoulder, hip, elbows, ankle and spine,” he said.

Article Source: This article was published by The Hindu Business Line on June 30, 2014