News concerning pregnancy, newborn babies, developments in science and the storage of umbilical cord blood stem cells and their potential use in treating diseases.
This section is updated according to the news Safetycord deemed relevant for the sector, taking into account families who are considering storing stem cells from umbilical cord blood of their baby.
“Making babies wait too long for the first critical contact with their mother outside the womb decreases the newborn’s chances of survival, limits milk supply and reduces the chances of exclusive breastfeeding,” said France Bégin, UNICEF Senior Nutrition Adviser. “If all babies are fed nothing but breastmilk from the moment they are born until they are six months old, over 800,000 lives would be saved every year.”
Our skin renews, heals wounds, and regenerates the hair that covers it thanks to a small group of stem cells. Now a research team has identified two proteins that are fundamental to conserve skin stem cells and has shown that without these proteins these cells are lost...
Researchers at the University of Colorado report the rate of rejection, infection and hospitalization are lower among patients receiving cord blood than those with a matched, unrelated bone marrow donor. Their recent study´s results, they say, may shift the conventional wisdom when deciding on transplant options for their patients...
Like snake oil salesmen, clinics claiming astonishing curative results from stem cell treatments often do not have licensed physicians administrating the treatments, no scientific evidence supporting their work, and they rely on testimonials for advertising and promoting the value of their product...
“Our research into Nanog is helping us to better understand the process of aging and ultimately how to reverse it,” says Stelios T. Andreadis, PhD, professor and chair of the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering at the UB School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, and the study’s lead author...
An experimental treatment for macular degeneration being tested in a clinical trial has the potential to stop the condition and potentially restore vision, researchers say. Multipotent cells from unbilical cord blood are being tested as a treatment for the most common form of macular degeneration, with the hope the treatment can stop progression of the disease early enough to prevent its worse effects...
Adult stem cells may skirt the pesky theological issues raised by embryonic stem cell research, but their unregulated marketplace is raising ethical issues of its own. A study released at the end of last month found hundreds of clinics across the country that are marketing “unapproved” stem-cell therapies directly to patients...
International stem cell scientists, co-led in Canada by Dr. John Dick and in the Netherlands by Dr. Gerald de Haan, have discovered the switch to harness the power of cord blood and potentially increase the supply of stem cells for cancer patients needing transplantation therapy to fight their disease...
Writing in the March 28 issue of Nature Medicine, researchers at University of California, San Diego School of Medicine and Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System, with colleagues in Japan and Wisconsin, report that they have successfully directed stem cell-derived neurons to regenerate lost tissue in damaged corticospinal tracts of rats, resulting in functional benefit...
In 2013, the Indian Council of Medical research had introduced guidelines that said stem cell for most diseases, excluding cancer and thalassemia, should be considered experimental. The eye specialists are seeking a reversal of that policy. "We have submitted our results to the government, which have been on par with many developed countries, including Europe, where it´s now the standard of care," said senior scientist Dr D Balasubramanian, director of research at LV Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad...
The first few months of your little one´s life can be key in getting them into a good sleeping pattern. Once you become a parent, having the recommended solid eight hours of uninterrupted sleep becomes a distant memory. With babies needing feeds throughout the night, you can find yourself at your wits´ end. And then there´s the baby´s sleeping pattern to consider...
In the new study, researchers at the University of California–Los Angeles analyzed data from 142 women who were participating in a study with the Community Child Health Network – a collaboration of health scientists and community partners that investigates mothers´ and children´s health in poor and ethnic minority families. That study examined how chronic stress affects new parents and their babies...
Using stem cells derived from human skin cells, researchers led by assistant professor of biology Jason Meyer, along with graduate student Sarah Ohlemacher of the School of Science at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, have successfully demonstrated the ability to turn stem cells into retinal ganglion cells (RGCs), the neurons that conduct visual information from the eye to the brain. Their goal is the development of therapies to prevent or cure glaucoma...
Cx601 appeared safe and effective for treatment of complex perianal fistulas in patients with Crohn’s disease refractory to antibiotics, immunosuppressants and/or anti-tumor necrosis factor therapy, according to research presented at the European Crohn’s and Colitis Organization’s Congress.
Nancy Reagan´s funeral will be held Friday, and among those remembering her are some researchers in Rochester. Medical discoveries that would not have been possible when the Reagans were in the White House are happening here today because of a stand the former first lady took. The work is being done in a research lab at U.R. Medicine. Mrs. Reagan never set foot there, but she still has a local legacy...
If this human breakthrough had occurred with embryonic stem cells, the front page stories would have screamed around the world. But it was adult stem cells and so the reporting was muted. You see, the media still–after all these years–tend to judge the newsworthiness of a story based on whether a breakthrough is embryonic. The story is sensational, nonetheless. Adult stem cells have cured blindness and may provide a splendid treatment for cataracts...
Pregnancy can be a glorious time, but it can also be a confusing time, particularly when it comes to matters of beauty. Hormones throw your usual skin balance out of whack, and a glow on some complexions might be a greasy slick on others. Hair is simply different. And then there’s the more pressing matter of whether the products in your medicine cabinet are safe to use; even seasoned beauty editors find themselves squinting at the complex lists of ingredients, trying to discern which formulas are fair game and which aren’t...
Scientists have used a new ground-breaking new stem cell technique to enable 12 children with congenital cataracts to see. The treatment involved removing cataracts from the children´s eyes to allow the remaining stem cells to regrow functional lenses. Congenital cataracts are a major cause of blindness in children, as they cause the lens to blur at birth or shortly after. Developed by researchers in the US and China, the therapy was tested in animals as well as in a small trial involving 12 children under the age of two...
You already know that reading to your children is important for their development, but when you have a tiny newborn or a baby that´s only a few months old, it feels like teaching them to sleep and memorizing their feeding schedule is more important. I totally understand, but there are some books every parent should read their baby before they turn one...
Australian children with cerebral palsy will be infused with umbilical cord blood, in a world first medical trial at the Royal Children´s Hospital in Melbourne. The study hopes to find that stem cells from cord blood can repair brain injury that leads to cerebral palsy, the most common physical disability of Australian children. The trial, led by the Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, has started recruiting children with cerebral palsy whose families have chosen to store a sibling´s cord blood at private banks...
A dozen infants who were born with cataracts have regained their sight after scientists used a radical new stem cell therapy to regenerate healthy lenses in their eyes. The children, all aged under two, are the first to receive the treatment for a condition that remains the most common cause of blindness in the world. The small-scale trial on babies and toddlers was approved soon after tests in animals found that the approach should both work and produce better results than conventional surgery...
Doctors say they are hopeful a player for a Chicago-area junior hockey team who suffered a spinal cord injury during a game last month will recover from his injuries. Matt Olson lost his balance and slammed into boards last month while playing for the Chicago Cougars. The 20-year-old, a native of Isanti, Minnesota, couldn’t move his arms or legs following the mishap. Doctors were optimistic Tuesday After Olson underwent surgery and experimental treatments...
Mothers whose diets included increased vitamin D intake gave birth to children who had a reduced likelihood of developing allergic rhinitis at school age, according to recent research...
The study, published in the latest issue of the journal Cell Reports, compared the factors that both types of stem cells secreted, and noticed that many of the substances fetal cells produced were no longer present in the adult cells. Results also showed that when researchers placed adult cells in the molecular soup produced by fetal cells, adult muscle stem cells improved their ability to regenerate muscle...
Delayed umbilical cord clamping has gathered popularity in recent years, with many believing it helps babies receive increased essential nutrients in the first few moments of their lives. When it comes to the type of birth you´re considering, there are many things to think about. But would you be tempted to think about delayed cord clamping? We take a look at what it´s all about...
Dr. Al Romeo shared the good and bad news about skin medications during pregnancy. Calls about exposures to isotretinoin, which people know as Accutane but is also Absorica, Amnesteem, Claravis, Myorisan, Sotret, and Zenatane are very common. The use of isotretinoin in pill form for acne during pregnancy can lead to birth defects that affect the brain, ears, heart, and cause developmental delays. If you are using isotretinoin, the iPLEDGE program requires the use of two forms of contraceptives...
Melbourne medical experts will conduct world-first trials involving the use of stem cells to regrow damaged knee cartilage, making the need for joint replacement surgery unnecessary. Doctors involved claim the procedure has ceased damage caused by degenerative conditions and has even reversed it...
Women who experience severe heatwaves or cold snaps during their pregnancy are more likely to have small and underweight babies, a new study suggests. It is the first time that extreme changes in the weather have been linked to birth outcomes. Babies who are born smaller are more likely to suffer from health problems in later life, such as diabetes, obesity, heart disease and high blood pressure...
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that 47 percent of women gain too much weight during pregnancy. Yet experts agree that in our celebrity-obsessed culture where stars are back in their bikinis two weeks after giving birth, women who cut calories, over-exercise, weigh themselves daily and become obsessed with gaining weight during pregnancy are a real phenomenon...
Our nervous system is involved in everything our body does, from maintaining our breath to controlling our muscles. Our nerves are vital to all we do; therefore, nerve pain and damage can heavily influence our quality of life. In Discovery News latest video, "Why Can´t We Reverse Nerve Damage?" host Lissette Padilla explains the central nervous system (CNS) has certain proteins that inhibit cell regeneration, because each cell in the nervous system has a unique function on the pathway, like a circuit, and can´t be replaced.
University of Pittsburgh Medical Center is conducting a clinical trial testing Newark, Calif.-based StemCells´ neural stem-cell treatment for traumatic spinal cord injury patients, according to Pittsburgh Post-Gazette...
Cord blood, the blood from a human umbilical cord that contains hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (blood stem cells and their offshoots), is used to treat an ever-widening range of diseases. The promise and scarcity of finding compatible cord blood transplants for patients in need had University of Wisconsin-Madison scientists searching for ways to expand these valuable cells in the lab...
Fernando Lavalle-González, MD, an endocrinologist at the Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León in Mexico, and colleagues evaluated 16 children (median age, 12 years) with type 1 diabetes to determine the effect of simplified autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in the outpatient setting on long-term insulin independence, changes in HbA1c and the safety of the procedure. The median follow-up was 34 months.
I recently wrote a story about anti-aging ingredients that are a waste of money, and stem cells were at the top of the list. Although stem cell science is exciting -and could potentially change the face of medicine by giving doctors the ability to treat life-threatening illnesses and create new organs for those who need them -this area of research still has a long way to go as far as skin rejuvenation is concerned.
According to the study published by the Centres for Disease Control (CDC) on February 4, it is not only the Zika virus that can cause physical abnormalities and intellectual disabilities but also drinking alcohol when pregnant. CDC noted that drinking alcohol during pregnancy can cause foetal alcohol spectrum disorders, which are physical, behavioural and intellectual disabilities that last a lifetime...
When it is absolutely necessary to travel to these places while pregnant, such as for urgent family or business issues, mosquito bite prevention is key. You can avoid bites by using insect repellent, wearing appropriate attire to shield your extremities, and staying in places with windows, screen doors, or air conditioning. EPA-registered insect repellents that contain ingredients such as DEET, picaridin, and IR3535 are safe for use during pregnancy. The CDC website contains detailed information on how to avoid mosquito bites...
A record number of 40.829 hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) in 36.469 patients (15.765 allogeneic (43%), 20.704 autologous (57%)) were reported by 656 centers in 47 countries to the 2014 survey. Trends include: continued growth in transplant activity, more so in Eastern European countries than in the west; a continued increase in the use of haploidentical family donors (by 25%) and slower growth for unrelated donor HSCT.
Dr. Andrew Goodman of the University of Rochester discussed the latest research and perspectives on stem cell strategies for people with multiple sclerosis (MS), saying in a presentation at the Americas Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ACTRIMS) Forum 2016 that such therapies, while promising, are not yet ready for widespread clinical use.
The data comes from the first cohort of a phase II trial of its mesenchymal precursor cell (MPC) product, which recruited RA patients who were refractory to treatment with biologic therapies including...
Stem Cell Meetings by International Society for Stem Cell Research on 2016...
Select Biosciences South East Asia is pleased to present the Second Annual Clinical Applications of Stem Cells, taking place on the 24-25 February 2016. Working in partnership with Duke-NUS and The Stem Cell Society Singapore, we look forward to again bringing together researchers, clinicians, the regulatory bodies, academia and industry to discuss translating basic discoveries in the stem cells field into applications for regenerative medicine and cellular therapy...
The most vulnerable among us are in danger when it comes to advances in scientific genetic modification. The Human Fertilization and Embryology Authority in England this month gave researcher Kathy Niakan - who is with London’s Francis Crick Institute - the approval to modify human embryos for research purposes. In the past, the technology has been used to genetically tweak plants and animals, but it is now aimed squarely at humanity...
Stem cell therapy is the use of stem cells to treat or prevent a disease or condition. Stem cells are undifferentiated cells of an organism which are capable of giving rise to indefinitely more cells of the same type...
Diabetes affects around 400 million people across the world. But a potential new treatment has now been identified that tricks stem cells from the stomach into becoming insulin-producing mini organs. The discovery could one day enable such mini organs to be transplanted into a diabetic's body, effectively curing them of the condition...
Schizophrenia, a disorder that affects more than 21 million people worldwide, has a complex set of symptoms and manifestations but among them, damage to memory is a key and difficult to treat component. For decades, scientists have known where in the brain the problems lie, but not the underlying cause or how to fix it. But researchers at Columbia’s Zuckerman Institute have unearthed a potential treatment for the disease’s toll on memory: A drug that disrupts a tiny genetic mutation that makes communication within the brain less efficient...
Research has shown that nutrition plays an important role in the rapid structural development of the brain during the first few months of life. Scientists at the University of Illinois interested in this connection have studied the neonatal piglet as a model of human brain and cognitive development for nearly a decade. Though human breast milk is generally considered the optimal source of nutrition for infants, in some cases, breastfeeding is not possible. Therefore, makers of pediatric nutrition products have sought to understand more about...
A baby monitor ended up being a life saver for one mom´s newborn. Stephanie Sjogren´s new son Andrew was born premature, so she ordered a special baby monitor that monitors the baby´s vitals, like heart rate and breathing. Sjogren gets alerts on her phone if something is wrong, and one night, an alert work her up. She ran into baby Andrew's room and found him struggling to breath...
Samantha Meltzer-Brody, director of the Perinatal Psychiatry Program at the University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill, thinks this is a move that’s long been needed in the US. The US Preventive Services Task Force made the new recommendations. "Mental health is often left off the table" Meltzer-Brody says...
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a major cause of death and disability in the United States, contributing to about 30% of all injury deaths. Every day, 138 people in the United States die from injuries that include TBI. Those who survive a TBI can face effects lasting a few days to disabilities which may last the rest of their lives...
Microvesicles can transfer their contents, proteins and RNA, to target cells and thereby transform them. This may induce apoptosis or survival depending on cell origin and the target cell. In this study, we investigate the effect of leukemic cell microvesicles on umbilical cord blood hematopoietic stem cells to seek evidence of apop-tosis or cell survival...