Stem Cell Update

We just recently celebrated the 12th birthday of my Terry, my aptly named Border Terrier, and for the first time in his life Terry is beginning to look a little worse for wear. He has trouble getting up and down the stairs, is always lethargic, and I have a sneaking suspicion that his sight is going. It pains me to see him in this condition, so recently I’ve sought out some products that can slow his signs of aging.

One of my friends suggested that I try stem cells for pets. As animals of all types age, their ability to proliferate and distribute stem cells diminishes. Stem enhancer products work to keep the production of stem cells going, which can lead to a better overall quality of life. After just a few weeks of using the product, I’ve already noticed a marked improvement in Terry.

At their most basic level, stem enhance products are nutritional supplements that support and promote stem cell physiology. As you are undoubtedly aware, scientists and researchers are constantly looking for ways to implement stem cells in treatments, but as of yet there are few tangible ways for the public to benefit from this research. Stem enhance products, however, are available right now and offer amazing results.

By facilitating the release of stem cells from the bone marrow, stem enhancers allow those cells to travel throughout your body. As we get older, it’s harder for our bodies to complete this process, which can contribute to an array of health problems. Stem enhancers ensure the stem cells you need to be healthy are available throughout your body.

Embryonic stem cells have a propensity to develop into unusual tumors, referred to as teratomas. Although these tumors tend to be benign, they still represent a major hurdle in the ongoing quest to develop stem cell therapies. Scientists at UC San Diego, however, recently published a study in which they effectively curbed the formation of these tumors.

During their research, the scientists found the critical signaling pathway utilized in the self-propagation of stem cells. By blocking this pathway, scientists were able to reduce the risk of teratoma formation. Hopefully this will lead to a foolproof means of stopping the development of these tumors entirely.

When most people think of stem cell research, they conjure grandiose ideas of cure-alls medicines and an end to physical afflictions as we know them. And while developing pharmaceuticals is certainly one of the goals of stem cell research, it isn’t its sole purpose: uncovering stem cell research facts is also paramount. Due to their systemic importance in our bodily development, stem cells also help researchers understand the complex processes taking place in our bodies.

A recent study of lab mice, for example, found that when fat it added to stem cells, it helps determine if the cell will become visceral or subcutaneous fat tissue. This distinction may seem superfluous, but it’s of the utmost importance. Visceral fat is the unsightly tissue that forms around the organs and puts people at a great risk of degenerative diseases. If researchers could develop ways to curtail production of these cells, it could help remedy the obesity epidemic.

When most people think of stem cell research, they assume that the advancements will lead to the creation of new healthy cells. A recent study at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine, however, has succeeded in doing precisely the opposite; using differentiated human stem cells, the researchers were able to create heart cells with the condition known as cardiomyopathy. And while the fact that the heart cells that were created had cardiomyopathy may seem like a negative, it was the intent of the study.

This is the first successful attempt at creating new heart cells from differentiated stem cells. By recreating cells in this fashion, researchers will be able to determine the pathology of this and other conditions. As more reproductions of this kind take place, we should continue to discover more about the various genetic diseases that inflict people the world over.

If I asked you to name off organizations who supported funding of adult stem cell research, the Catholic Church probably wouldn’t be anywhere on your list. However, the Vatican is promoting research into the possible uses of adult stem cells as a viable alternative to embryonic stem cells. A few weeks ago, the Catholic Church announced their support of adult stem cell research being conducted at the University of Maryland School of Medicine.

Since embryonic research requires the destruction of embryos, the church has taken a staunch stance against it. All humans have adult stem cells however, so the church is advocating further research into the potential medicinal uses of these cells. One of the main drawbacks to adult stem cells is that they are less versatile than their undifferentiated counterparts are, which is the why much of the research up to this point has centered on the embryonic variety.

Most people are aware that adult stem cells are undifferentiated, meaning that they have the capability of transforming into a vast array of specific cells. This ambiguity in cell development is one of the reasons that stem cells have the potential to treat so many diseases. But this ambiguity has its drawbacks, as scientists and researchers need to develop ways to ensure stem cells develop how they want.

One of the keys to solving this stem cell puzzle is the use of stem cell lines. Stem cell lines are groups of cells that share a single stem cell ancestor. Unlike most stem cells, these lines remain undifferentiated and will hopefully continue to produce more stem cells. Researchers are working to perfect the cultivation of stem cell lines, which may eliminate the need for embryonic stem cells.

Up until recently, many people assumed that manned space exploration was only restricted by our limitations in aeronautical engineering, but the hurdles may be greater. A new study shows that stem cells developed differently in a bioreactor designed to imitate conditions in space. These findings raise new questions about the viability of extended space travel for humans.

Researchers found that nearly two-thirds of the proteins that developed in the cells in the bioreactor were not found in the control group. In particular, proteins that facilitate the breakdown of bone and the body’s regulation of calcium were present in the bioreactor cells and not the control. Of course, more research is needed to determine the extent of differentiation in cell development, but this is certainly a new obstacle for deep space travel.

I have mentioned before that my daughter started her son on the stem cell enhancer, Stem Enhance and that we saw a dramatic improvement in his eczema. When we open a capsule and mix it into his juice daily, his skin stays clear, but within days of stopping it, usually because he decides not to drink his juice, his skin starts to break out again.  What I didn’t mention were some other things we noticed.  He is in preschool and so is around children everyday.  After starting on the Stem Enhance regularly, we saw a big drop in the number of colds and other illnesses he came down with.

Let me tell you about the benefits of stem cell enhancers that I have heard from other parents.  One mom that I know started her 7 year old autistic son on Stem Enhance.  And while his autism wasn’t cured, she did see a major improvement in his ability to concentrate and focus; there were fewer outbursts of anger and he generally seemed calmer.  Another parent who started their son on Stem Enhance wondered if they would see benefits of stem cell enhancers in their 8 year old with ADHD.  They were being pushed by the school and their doctor to begin a Ritalin regimen and they were extremely reluctant to do that.  Three months after starting Stem Enhance there was improvement in their son’s grades, including reading, and there was a marked change in his behavior in the classroom.

This is not an exhaustive list of the children we have heard about that have seen benefits of stem cell enhancers, but it is representative.  It’s clear that children benefit from having increased numbers of circulating stem cells, just as adults do.  And certainly any child who experiences trauma or must undergo surgery would benefit greatly with the improved healing afforded by extra stem cells in the circulation.  If any of you reading this blog have stories to share of someone who experienced the benefits of stem cell enhancers, I’d love to hear about it.

For years, scientists have researched and hypothesized as to why embryonic stem cells are so fragile and difficult to reproduce. When cultivated in a lab, stem cells have a propensity to die at an imperative stage of the process. Recent findings, which will be published an April issue of PNAS, seem to have an answer for this long debated mystery.

Researchers have found two drugs that, when used individually, have been proven effective at preventing the demise of embryonic cells. In addition to solving this longstanding problem, the researchers also have analyzed why the drugs work and how they promote health in stem cells. This new stem cell study is sure to help future researchers in their efforts to find viable ways of utilizing stem cells in medicine.