Guest guest Posted November 16, 2002 Report Share Posted November 16, 2002 Good morning all, As most here on the list know, Dr. Levesque’s of Cedar Sinai in Los Angles California, is in the process of his second stage research of stem cell study for Parkinson’s in January 2003 and also he is doing one patient with MSA to see if it works as it did for the one patient of PD who is now completely well and living a normal life. If you don’t remember completely, he actually use’s your own stem cells to generate many more and than reinserts them back into your own brain. In doing so, there is no rejection because they are yours. We just hope he is successful for if so, it will benefit so many. Also if the single trial on the one patient who has MSA works, than the door will perhaps be open. Of course this all takes time but he is a lot closer to the cure than anyone else, so lets pray he has total success. Listed below is an article that relates to fetal stem cell, that is so controversy unlike Dr. Levesque’s procedure. E-MOVE reports from the Seventh International Congress of Parkinson's Disease and Movement Disorders, November 10-14 in Miami, Florida. Poster (P) and page numbers are from Movement Disorders 2002;17(suppl 5). Transplantation of fetal tissue does not improve parkinsonian disability, and can cause off-medication dyskinesias, according to results from a new double-blind study presented in a platform session. The lack of symptomatic benefit occurred despite significant improvements seen with PET imaging. Thirty-four patients were randomized to receive bilateral grafting of 4 fetal tissues per side, 1 tissue per side, or sham surgery (partial burr hole without penetration of the dura), similar to the previous double-blind surgical trial by Freed et al. Unlike that trial, tissues were held for less than 48 hours before transplantation, and all patients received immunosuppression for six months after surgery. Other differences included the number of tissues used (4 or 1 vs. 2), the target site (posterior putamen vs. caudate and putamen), trial duration (24 vs. 12 months), and primary outcome variable (UPDRS motor score vs. quality of life). Fluorodopa uptake was assessed via PET imaging in a subset of patients. Thirty-one patients completed the trial. Two patients died during the trial, and 3 afterward, for causes unrelated to the procedure. Post-mortem examination was performed on all patients. While placebo patients showed virtually no tyrosine hydroxylase staining in the striatum, transplanted patients did, indicating striatal innervation. In patients with 4 tissues " the surrounding striatum was very well innervated, " according to Dr. Warren Olanow, who presented the results. PET results indicated a significant dose-dependent increase versus baseline in fluorodopa uptake, with no change in placebo patients and an approximate one-third increase in patients receiving 4 tissues. Despite these histochemical and imaging improvements, no significant differences were seen in clinical measures. Increase (worsening) from baseline in the UPDRS motor score while off medication was 9.4 for placebo, 3.5 for 1 tissue, and -0.72 for 4 tissues (p=0.096 for 4 vs placebo). Dr. Olanow noted results for treated patients improved for approximately 9 months, then worsened, possibly suggesting a delayed immune response. No differences were seen for on time without dyskinesias, total off time, ADL scores, or levodopa dose required. Patients with initially lower UPDRS scores did respond significantly better to treatment than to placebo, while those with higher scores did not. No placebo patients, but 13 of 23 treated patients, developed off-medication dyskinesias, similar in kind to those seen in the Freed trial. Three patients required surgical treatment to control them. " Despite the hope and promise of open label trials, fetal translation in our study failed to meet its primary or secondary endpoints, " Dr. Olanow concluded. Best Regards, " tenacity's man " See our personal website and photo site: http://www.pdhangout.com http://community.webshots.com/user/tenacitywins _________________________________________________________________ MSN 8 with e-mail virus protection service: 2 months FREE* http://join.msn.com/?page=features/virus Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 16, 2002 Report Share Posted November 16, 2002 Good morning all, As most here on the list know, Dr. Levesque’s of Cedar Sinai in Los Angles California, is in the process of his second stage research of stem cell study for Parkinson’s in January 2003 and also he is doing one patient with MSA to see if it works as it did for the one patient of PD who is now completely well and living a normal life. If you don’t remember completely, he actually use’s your own stem cells to generate many more and than reinserts them back into your own brain. In doing so, there is no rejection because they are yours. We just hope he is successful for if so, it will benefit so many. Also if the single trial on the one patient who has MSA works, than the door will perhaps be open. Of course this all takes time but he is a lot closer to the cure than anyone else, so lets pray he has total success. Listed below is an article that relates to fetal stem cell, that is so controversy unlike Dr. Levesque’s procedure. E-MOVE reports from the Seventh International Congress of Parkinson's Disease and Movement Disorders, November 10-14 in Miami, Florida. Poster (P) and page numbers are from Movement Disorders 2002;17(suppl 5). Transplantation of fetal tissue does not improve parkinsonian disability, and can cause off-medication dyskinesias, according to results from a new double-blind study presented in a platform session. The lack of symptomatic benefit occurred despite significant improvements seen with PET imaging. Thirty-four patients were randomized to receive bilateral grafting of 4 fetal tissues per side, 1 tissue per side, or sham surgery (partial burr hole without penetration of the dura), similar to the previous double-blind surgical trial by Freed et al. Unlike that trial, tissues were held for less than 48 hours before transplantation, and all patients received immunosuppression for six months after surgery. Other differences included the number of tissues used (4 or 1 vs. 2), the target site (posterior putamen vs. caudate and putamen), trial duration (24 vs. 12 months), and primary outcome variable (UPDRS motor score vs. quality of life). Fluorodopa uptake was assessed via PET imaging in a subset of patients. Thirty-one patients completed the trial. Two patients died during the trial, and 3 afterward, for causes unrelated to the procedure. Post-mortem examination was performed on all patients. While placebo patients showed virtually no tyrosine hydroxylase staining in the striatum, transplanted patients did, indicating striatal innervation. In patients with 4 tissues " the surrounding striatum was very well innervated, " according to Dr. Warren Olanow, who presented the results. PET results indicated a significant dose-dependent increase versus baseline in fluorodopa uptake, with no change in placebo patients and an approximate one-third increase in patients receiving 4 tissues. Despite these histochemical and imaging improvements, no significant differences were seen in clinical measures. Increase (worsening) from baseline in the UPDRS motor score while off medication was 9.4 for placebo, 3.5 for 1 tissue, and -0.72 for 4 tissues (p=0.096 for 4 vs placebo). Dr. Olanow noted results for treated patients improved for approximately 9 months, then worsened, possibly suggesting a delayed immune response. No differences were seen for on time without dyskinesias, total off time, ADL scores, or levodopa dose required. Patients with initially lower UPDRS scores did respond significantly better to treatment than to placebo, while those with higher scores did not. No placebo patients, but 13 of 23 treated patients, developed off-medication dyskinesias, similar in kind to those seen in the Freed trial. Three patients required surgical treatment to control them. " Despite the hope and promise of open label trials, fetal translation in our study failed to meet its primary or secondary endpoints, " Dr. Olanow concluded. Best Regards, " tenacity's man " See our personal website and photo site: http://www.pdhangout.com http://community.webshots.com/user/tenacitywins _________________________________________________________________ MSN 8 with e-mail virus protection service: 2 months FREE* http://join.msn.com/?page=features/virus Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 18, 2002 Report Share Posted November 18, 2002 , I have still not seen a clear description of HOW Dr. Levesque grows (clones) your own stem cells or HOW he harvests live neurons (or stem cells) from your brain. Do you have an article or scientific paper describing this process? The article I read before, implied a SCNT form of growth which does not use " fetal tissue " - HOWEVER it (SCNT) does use stem cells from blastocysts or at least eggs. It was not clear, so I do not know how it worked and I am interested. In any case - it does use cell " cloning " so under laws proposed in Congress at this time by Brownback (R-KA) it would be illegal in the USA if that law passes. We must all look carefully at proposed laws, as they CAN hurt us. The fetal tissue transplant listed in your note sounds like the work (1993-1995) which lead to the discovery of stem cells. The people in that study were for the most part helped for 6-24 months - over 60% were helped somewhat and only about 5% had more dyskinesia. Note that Sinemet gives many people dyskinesia, but they accept dyskinesia in order to keep movement. I know of a dozen people who want the movement allowed by Sinemet and accept dyskinesia in order to keep some movement - as did Charlotte. I also know of two people involved in the fetal tissue transplant study and ASKED for the real cells after hearing of the risks involved, so it was NOT a total failure. Note too, that PET exams showed some increase in dopamine production in the people who actually got the fetal tissue wheras the placebo group did not have the increase, showing it did some good. Take care, Bill Werre ================================================================== Setzer wrote: >Good morning all, > >As most here on the list know, Dr. Levesque's of Cedar Sinai in Los Angles >California, is in the process of his second stage research of stem cell >study for Parkinson's in January 2003 and also he is doing one patient with >MSA to see if it works as it did for the one patient of PD who is now >completely well and living a normal life. > >If you don't remember completely, he actually use's your own stem cells to >generate many more and than reinserts them back into your own brain. In >doing so, there is no rejection because they are yours. > >We just hope he is successful for if so, it will benefit so many. Also if >the single trial on the one patient who has MSA works, than the door will >perhaps be open. Of course this all takes time but he is a lot closer to >the cure than anyone else, so lets pray he has total success. > >Listed below is an article that relates to fetal stem cell, that is so >controversy unlike Dr. Levesque's procedure. > >E-MOVE reports from the Seventh International Congress >of Parkinson's >Disease >and Movement Disorders, November 10-14 in Miami, >Florida. Poster (P) and >page >numbers are from Movement Disorders 2002;17(suppl 5). > > >Transplantation of fetal tissue does not improve >parkinsonian >disability, and >can cause off-medication dyskinesias, according to >results from a new >double-blind study presented in a platform session. >The lack of >symptomatic >benefit occurred despite significant improvements seen >with PET imaging. > >Thirty-four patients were randomized to receive >bilateral grafting of 4 >fetal >tissues per side, 1 tissue per side, or sham surgery >(partial burr hole >without penetration of the dura), similar to the >previous double-blind >surgical trial by Freed et al. Unlike that trial, >tissues were held for >less >than 48 hours before transplantation, and all patients >received >immunosuppression for six months after surgery. Other >differences >included >the number of tissues used (4 or 1 vs. 2), the target >site (posterior >putamen >vs. caudate and putamen), trial duration (24 vs. 12 >months), and primary >outcome variable (UPDRS motor score vs. quality of >life). Fluorodopa >uptake >was assessed via PET imaging in a subset of patients. > >Thirty-one patients completed the trial. Two patients >died during the >trial, >and 3 afterward, for causes unrelated to the >procedure. Post-mortem >examination was performed on all patients. While >placebo patients showed >virtually no tyrosine hydroxylase staining in the >striatum, transplanted >patients did, indicating striatal innervation. In >patients with 4 >tissues > " the surrounding striatum was very well innervated, " >according to Dr. >Warren >Olanow, who presented the results. > >PET results indicated a significant dose-dependent >increase versus >baseline >in fluorodopa uptake, with no change in placebo >patients and an >approximate >one-third increase in patients receiving 4 tissues. > >Despite these histochemical and imaging improvements, >no significant >differences were seen in clinical measures. Increase >(worsening) from >baseline in the UPDRS motor score while off medication >was 9.4 for >placebo, >3.5 for 1 tissue, and -0.72 for 4 tissues (p=0.096 for >4 vs placebo). >Dr. >Olanow noted results for treated patients improved for >approximately 9 >months, then worsened, possibly suggesting a delayed >immune response. No >differences were seen for on time without dyskinesias, >total off time, >ADL >scores, or levodopa dose required. Patients with >initially lower UPDRS >scores >did respond significantly better to treatment than to >placebo, while >those >with higher scores did not. > >No placebo patients, but 13 of 23 treated patients, >developed >off-medication >dyskinesias, similar in kind to those seen in the >Freed trial. Three >patients >required surgical treatment to control them. > > " Despite the hope and promise of open label trials, >fetal translation in >our >study failed to meet its primary or secondary >endpoints, " Dr. Olanow >concluded. > > >Best Regards, > " tenacity's man " > >See our personal website and photo site: >http://www.pdhangout.com >http://community.webshots.com/user/tenacitywins > > > > >_________________________________________________________________ >MSN 8 with e-mail virus protection service: 2 months FREE* >http://join.msn.com/?page=features/virus > > >If you do not wish to belong to shydrager, you may >unsubscribe by sending a blank email to > >shydrager-unsubscribe > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 18, 2002 Report Share Posted November 18, 2002 , I have still not seen a clear description of HOW Dr. Levesque grows (clones) your own stem cells or HOW he harvests live neurons (or stem cells) from your brain. Do you have an article or scientific paper describing this process? The article I read before, implied a SCNT form of growth which does not use " fetal tissue " - HOWEVER it (SCNT) does use stem cells from blastocysts or at least eggs. It was not clear, so I do not know how it worked and I am interested. In any case - it does use cell " cloning " so under laws proposed in Congress at this time by Brownback (R-KA) it would be illegal in the USA if that law passes. We must all look carefully at proposed laws, as they CAN hurt us. The fetal tissue transplant listed in your note sounds like the work (1993-1995) which lead to the discovery of stem cells. The people in that study were for the most part helped for 6-24 months - over 60% were helped somewhat and only about 5% had more dyskinesia. Note that Sinemet gives many people dyskinesia, but they accept dyskinesia in order to keep movement. I know of a dozen people who want the movement allowed by Sinemet and accept dyskinesia in order to keep some movement - as did Charlotte. I also know of two people involved in the fetal tissue transplant study and ASKED for the real cells after hearing of the risks involved, so it was NOT a total failure. Note too, that PET exams showed some increase in dopamine production in the people who actually got the fetal tissue wheras the placebo group did not have the increase, showing it did some good. Take care, Bill Werre ================================================================== Setzer wrote: >Good morning all, > >As most here on the list know, Dr. Levesque's of Cedar Sinai in Los Angles >California, is in the process of his second stage research of stem cell >study for Parkinson's in January 2003 and also he is doing one patient with >MSA to see if it works as it did for the one patient of PD who is now >completely well and living a normal life. > >If you don't remember completely, he actually use's your own stem cells to >generate many more and than reinserts them back into your own brain. In >doing so, there is no rejection because they are yours. > >We just hope he is successful for if so, it will benefit so many. Also if >the single trial on the one patient who has MSA works, than the door will >perhaps be open. Of course this all takes time but he is a lot closer to >the cure than anyone else, so lets pray he has total success. > >Listed below is an article that relates to fetal stem cell, that is so >controversy unlike Dr. Levesque's procedure. > >E-MOVE reports from the Seventh International Congress >of Parkinson's >Disease >and Movement Disorders, November 10-14 in Miami, >Florida. Poster (P) and >page >numbers are from Movement Disorders 2002;17(suppl 5). > > >Transplantation of fetal tissue does not improve >parkinsonian >disability, and >can cause off-medication dyskinesias, according to >results from a new >double-blind study presented in a platform session. >The lack of >symptomatic >benefit occurred despite significant improvements seen >with PET imaging. > >Thirty-four patients were randomized to receive >bilateral grafting of 4 >fetal >tissues per side, 1 tissue per side, or sham surgery >(partial burr hole >without penetration of the dura), similar to the >previous double-blind >surgical trial by Freed et al. Unlike that trial, >tissues were held for >less >than 48 hours before transplantation, and all patients >received >immunosuppression for six months after surgery. Other >differences >included >the number of tissues used (4 or 1 vs. 2), the target >site (posterior >putamen >vs. caudate and putamen), trial duration (24 vs. 12 >months), and primary >outcome variable (UPDRS motor score vs. quality of >life). Fluorodopa >uptake >was assessed via PET imaging in a subset of patients. > >Thirty-one patients completed the trial. Two patients >died during the >trial, >and 3 afterward, for causes unrelated to the >procedure. Post-mortem >examination was performed on all patients. While >placebo patients showed >virtually no tyrosine hydroxylase staining in the >striatum, transplanted >patients did, indicating striatal innervation. In >patients with 4 >tissues > " the surrounding striatum was very well innervated, " >according to Dr. >Warren >Olanow, who presented the results. > >PET results indicated a significant dose-dependent >increase versus >baseline >in fluorodopa uptake, with no change in placebo >patients and an >approximate >one-third increase in patients receiving 4 tissues. > >Despite these histochemical and imaging improvements, >no significant >differences were seen in clinical measures. Increase >(worsening) from >baseline in the UPDRS motor score while off medication >was 9.4 for >placebo, >3.5 for 1 tissue, and -0.72 for 4 tissues (p=0.096 for >4 vs placebo). >Dr. >Olanow noted results for treated patients improved for >approximately 9 >months, then worsened, possibly suggesting a delayed >immune response. No >differences were seen for on time without dyskinesias, >total off time, >ADL >scores, or levodopa dose required. Patients with >initially lower UPDRS >scores >did respond significantly better to treatment than to >placebo, while >those >with higher scores did not. > >No placebo patients, but 13 of 23 treated patients, >developed >off-medication >dyskinesias, similar in kind to those seen in the >Freed trial. Three >patients >required surgical treatment to control them. > > " Despite the hope and promise of open label trials, >fetal translation in >our >study failed to meet its primary or secondary >endpoints, " Dr. Olanow >concluded. > > >Best Regards, > " tenacity's man " > >See our personal website and photo site: >http://www.pdhangout.com >http://community.webshots.com/user/tenacitywins > > > > >_________________________________________________________________ >MSN 8 with e-mail virus protection service: 2 months FREE* >http://join.msn.com/?page=features/virus > > >If you do not wish to belong to shydrager, you may >unsubscribe by sending a blank email to > >shydrager-unsubscribe > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 19, 2002 Report Share Posted November 19, 2002 We here in Southern California are VERY excited about the work that Dr. Levesque is doing. Barbara Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 19, 2002 Report Share Posted November 19, 2002 We here in Southern California are VERY excited about the work that Dr. Levesque is doing. Barbara Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 19, 2002 Report Share Posted November 19, 2002 Bill, Here is information for you and all to read. Some are Scientific and others are News Paper and Journal articles. I hope all of you will take the time to actually read everything that I have found. It is cutting edge w/o religeous or moral problems/issues involved. “tenacity’s man” ====================================================================== Since stem cells divide endlessly, a single sample started from a human fetus could provide all that's needed. But the recipient's immune system might attack these as foreign. Perhaps the patient's own body is a better source of stem cells. At Cedars-Sinai, scientists isolate stem cells from tissue saved during brain operations on Parkinson's patients. In the lab, these stem cells produce new brain cells. These in turn mature into dopamine makers, the specific kind of brain cells that people with Parkinson's lack. Finally, they are put back into the patients' brains. Even if this works, however, the approach has an obvious shortcoming. The only source of these brain stem cells is the patient's own brain, not a particularly accessible reservoir. http://www.cryonics.org/May99.html ====================================================================== Washington, May 24, 2002 Neural Adult Stem Cells Alleviate Symptoms in Parkinson's Disease Tremors and other Parkinson's disease symptoms have largely disappeared from a California man since he underwent a procedure wherein doctors obtained stem cells from his brain, grew them in the laboratory, and injected them back into his brain in an attempt to treat his Parkinson's disease. Levesque and his team at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles performed the work. They removed 50 to 100 cells from the brain of Dennis , a San Clemente, CA man with Parkinson's, grew them in the laboratory for several months, and then in March 1999 injected about six million of the cells into the patient's brain. Dopamine, a chemical neurotransmitter, is lacking in Parkinson's disease patients. With this treatment, there was an initial increase in the man's brain of dopamine, which leveled off again a year later, to pre-surgery levels. Still, an 83 percent reduction in symptoms has persisted. " It's not just psychological. His motor improvement is real. And the improvement is beyond the level for placebo effects, " Levesque said. Mr. , the patient, has great praises for the procedure: " Two years ago I couldn't put my contact lenses in without a big problem. Now it's no problem. And I don't have to take any anti-rejection medication because the cells are myself. " Because the cells are derived from the patient himself, such a procedure precludes any need for anti-immune-rejection medication, with its strong side effects. With such a treatment, patients could " essentially grow their own cures from a few starter cells taken from their own brains. " This research shows that human embryos need not be killed in order to treat the diseases of others. Sources: Weiss, Rick, " Stem Cell Transplant Works in Calif. Case; Parkinson's Traits Largely Disappear, " Washington Post, April 9, 2002, Page A8; http://www.newsnet5.com/health/1488252/detail.html http://www.techtv.com/news/scitech/story/0,24195,3381344,00.html http://www.theratech.com/english/products/cell/neuro.html http://www.neurosurgery.org/health/news/detail.asp?PressID=178 Medscape Medical News Autologous Neural Stem Cells Improve PD Symptoms NEW YORK (MedscapeWire) Apr 10 — Autologous neural stem cells improved motor function and reduced levodopa requirements in a single patient with Parkinson's disease (PD), according to data presented on April 8 at the 70th annual meeting of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) in Chicago, Illinois. " One of the most significant findings of this study was the patient's combined clinical improvement over time, " study author Michel F. Lévesque, MD, FRSC, says in a news release. " After six months of the transplantation culture in vitro, the number of neural stem cells exceeded several millions. " Lévesque is the director of Cedars-Sinai Medical Center's Neurofunctional Surgery Center. The patient was a 57-year-old man diagnosed at age 46 years with idiopathic PD, initially responsive to dopaminergic agents. When his severe tremor became disabling, neural stem cells were removed during a single stereotactic craniotomy, expanded in vitro over several months, then transplanted in the left putamen. At 3 months after transplantation, the patient's motor scores on his usual medications improved by 37% on blinded neurologic examination, and fluoro-DOPA PET studies showed a 55.6% increase in dopamine uptake. At 1 year posttransplantation, his Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) improved by 81% while on medication and 83% while off medication. Equivalent levodopa intake was reduced by 50%. Potential advantages of autologous neuronal transplantation as a treatment in PD include avoidance of ethical concerns surrounding embryonic stem cells, absence of immune reactions at the site of transplantation, improved survival of grafted cells, lower risks of transmission of infectious disease, and no need for immunosuppressants or steroids. " This form of treatment has the potential for making neural stem cell therapy acceptable and available to a large number of patients, " Lévesque says. Reviewed by D. Vogin, MD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 19, 2002 Report Share Posted November 19, 2002 Bill, Here is information for you and all to read. Some are Scientific and others are News Paper and Journal articles. I hope all of you will take the time to actually read everything that I have found. It is cutting edge w/o religeous or moral problems/issues involved. “tenacity’s man” ====================================================================== Since stem cells divide endlessly, a single sample started from a human fetus could provide all that's needed. But the recipient's immune system might attack these as foreign. Perhaps the patient's own body is a better source of stem cells. At Cedars-Sinai, scientists isolate stem cells from tissue saved during brain operations on Parkinson's patients. In the lab, these stem cells produce new brain cells. These in turn mature into dopamine makers, the specific kind of brain cells that people with Parkinson's lack. Finally, they are put back into the patients' brains. Even if this works, however, the approach has an obvious shortcoming. The only source of these brain stem cells is the patient's own brain, not a particularly accessible reservoir. http://www.cryonics.org/May99.html ====================================================================== Washington, May 24, 2002 Neural Adult Stem Cells Alleviate Symptoms in Parkinson's Disease Tremors and other Parkinson's disease symptoms have largely disappeared from a California man since he underwent a procedure wherein doctors obtained stem cells from his brain, grew them in the laboratory, and injected them back into his brain in an attempt to treat his Parkinson's disease. Levesque and his team at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles performed the work. They removed 50 to 100 cells from the brain of Dennis , a San Clemente, CA man with Parkinson's, grew them in the laboratory for several months, and then in March 1999 injected about six million of the cells into the patient's brain. Dopamine, a chemical neurotransmitter, is lacking in Parkinson's disease patients. With this treatment, there was an initial increase in the man's brain of dopamine, which leveled off again a year later, to pre-surgery levels. Still, an 83 percent reduction in symptoms has persisted. " It's not just psychological. His motor improvement is real. And the improvement is beyond the level for placebo effects, " Levesque said. Mr. , the patient, has great praises for the procedure: " Two years ago I couldn't put my contact lenses in without a big problem. Now it's no problem. And I don't have to take any anti-rejection medication because the cells are myself. " Because the cells are derived from the patient himself, such a procedure precludes any need for anti-immune-rejection medication, with its strong side effects. With such a treatment, patients could " essentially grow their own cures from a few starter cells taken from their own brains. " This research shows that human embryos need not be killed in order to treat the diseases of others. Sources: Weiss, Rick, " Stem Cell Transplant Works in Calif. Case; Parkinson's Traits Largely Disappear, " Washington Post, April 9, 2002, Page A8; http://www.newsnet5.com/health/1488252/detail.html http://www.techtv.com/news/scitech/story/0,24195,3381344,00.html http://www.theratech.com/english/products/cell/neuro.html http://www.neurosurgery.org/health/news/detail.asp?PressID=178 Medscape Medical News Autologous Neural Stem Cells Improve PD Symptoms NEW YORK (MedscapeWire) Apr 10 — Autologous neural stem cells improved motor function and reduced levodopa requirements in a single patient with Parkinson's disease (PD), according to data presented on April 8 at the 70th annual meeting of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) in Chicago, Illinois. " One of the most significant findings of this study was the patient's combined clinical improvement over time, " study author Michel F. Lévesque, MD, FRSC, says in a news release. " After six months of the transplantation culture in vitro, the number of neural stem cells exceeded several millions. " Lévesque is the director of Cedars-Sinai Medical Center's Neurofunctional Surgery Center. The patient was a 57-year-old man diagnosed at age 46 years with idiopathic PD, initially responsive to dopaminergic agents. When his severe tremor became disabling, neural stem cells were removed during a single stereotactic craniotomy, expanded in vitro over several months, then transplanted in the left putamen. At 3 months after transplantation, the patient's motor scores on his usual medications improved by 37% on blinded neurologic examination, and fluoro-DOPA PET studies showed a 55.6% increase in dopamine uptake. At 1 year posttransplantation, his Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) improved by 81% while on medication and 83% while off medication. Equivalent levodopa intake was reduced by 50%. Potential advantages of autologous neuronal transplantation as a treatment in PD include avoidance of ethical concerns surrounding embryonic stem cells, absence of immune reactions at the site of transplantation, improved survival of grafted cells, lower risks of transmission of infectious disease, and no need for immunosuppressants or steroids. " This form of treatment has the potential for making neural stem cell therapy acceptable and available to a large number of patients, " Lévesque says. Reviewed by D. Vogin, MD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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