Rufus,
Was just reading an article and the stem cells that they are using are
"adult mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs)", though I still wonder, as you, if
your own stem cells would work???
When I speak to the RN in the future I will ask about that as I am hoping
to
be in Phase III of the trial here in Kansas (Topeka).
Ken
"xUSNFlyer" <xnavyflyer1996@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote in message
news:2r6dnUF32_pEavrVnZ2dnUVZ_szinZ2d@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> Rufus,
>
> From what I have read and what the RN told me if it is approved it will
be
> a treatment, but as with virtually everything else it would depend on
the
> individual and severity of their Crohn's. The RN said that you might
need
> an injection of the stem cells every 6 months or maybe a year. I wish
the
> data from the Phase 2 study that anon referenced was available, but they
> are now accepting applications for Phase 3 and it is on the "Fast Track"
> for FDA approval. For myself, I would prefer an injection or infusion
> once a year instead of my current regimen of 100mg of Immuran and 1gram
of
> Pentasa daily. The RN I spoke with that though this is just a treatment
> now, she feels that it could lead to replacing the NOD-2 gene (the one
> that causes Crohn's) through stem cells.
>
> Hope this helps.
>
> Ken
>
>
>
> "Rufus" <not@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote in message
> news:%KR9k.231260$yE1.156323@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>> This would be another therapy, right? Not a "cure"?..
>>
>> --
>> - Rufus
>>
>> anon wrote:
>>> For some reason, my original post of this article came with an
>>> attachment, so I am reposting it--this time, without any attachments,
I
>>> hope.
>>> Newsday.com
>>> Researchers to test stem cells to treat Crohn's
>>> BY DELTHIA RICKS
>>>
>>> delthia.ricks@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>>>
>>> June 18, 2008
>>>
>>> Stem cells may force Crohn's disease into retreat, say Long Island
>>> medical investigators who are embarking on a pioneering analysis that
>>> targets patients who've failed other therapies.
>>>
>>> Cases of Crohn's disease have skyrocketed since World War II, jumping
>>> tenfold in the United States and raising questions about the disease's
>>> genetics and demography. It is one of two disorders - the other is
>>> ulcerative colitis - that are known as inflammatory bowel diseases.
>>> Before the 20th century there was no recorded evidence of either.
>>>
>>> Dr. Robert Richards, director of clinical research in the
>>> gastroenterology division at Stony Brook University Medical Center, is
>>> embarking on a clinical study involving the infusion of adult stem
>>> cells, which he and other researchers theorize may force the condition
>>> into retreat. His analysis is part of a multicenter trial nationwide,
>>> focusing on patients with moderate to severe forms of the disease.
>>>
>>> Patients had "basically tried all of the medications that are out
there
>>> for Crohn's and have not done well or have become intolerant to
>>> [standard] treatment," Richards said.
>>>
>>> The stem cells are drawn from the bone marrow of adult donors and
>>> processed into an infusible preparation. Because stem cells are
>>> essentially blank slates capable of morphing into any kind of cell,
>>> researchers believe that when infused into the intestinal tract, they
>>> will help remodel cells there and relieve symptoms.
>>>
>>> Inflammation caused by Crohn's disease can occur anywhere along the
>>> tract from the mouth to the anus. Symptoms may wax and wane but the
>>> inflammation can lead to scarring, which dramatically disrupts
>>> intestinal function. Some people are racked with painful diarrhea
tinged
>>> with blood.
>>>
>>> Current therapies include anti-inflammatory drugs and antibiotics.
>>> Additional treatments include those that quell the activity of certain
>>> parts of the immune system. Among the theories explaining the cause of
>>> Crohn's is that it is triggered by turncoat cells, so that the body is
>>> at war with itself.
>>>
>>> Two weeks ago the Food and Drug Administration announced an
>>> investigation into three drugs that tamp down the immune system,
>>> following 30 re****ts of children and young adults who developed
cancer.
>>>
>>> Edda Ramsdell, executive director of Long Island's division of the
>>> Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America, said the stem cell research
>>> could provide a new avenue. "This is exciting but there probably isn't
a
>>> single answer. People react differently to treatments," she said.
>>>
>>> Dr. R. Balfour Sartor of the University of North Carolina, scientific
>>> adviser to the foundation, said it's always im****tant to explore new
>>> therapies, including stem cells. "I am frustrated by the lack of
current
>>> medical and even surgical cures of this disease," said Sartor, who
will
>>> speak next month on Long Island about his new dietary theory.
>>>
>>> Richards' stem cell study will run for a year. Patients will range
>>> between 18 and 70.
>>>
>>> CROHN'S DISEASE EXPLAINED
>>>
>>> Crohn's tends to run in families, and susceptibility genes have been
>>> identified. People of Ashkenazi Jewish descent have a higher incidence
>>> compared with other ethnic groups. The disorder is not especially
>>> prevalent among Sephardic Jews.
>>>
>>> First described in 1930 by Dr. Burrill Crohn of Mt. Sinai Hospital in
>>> Manhattan. Before the 20th century there was no recorded evidence of
>>> Crohn's or ulcerative colitis, both inflammatory bowel diseases.
>>> Generally, colitis is viewed as serious, but not as devastating as
>>> Crohn's.
>>>
>>> Crohn's is diagnosed more often in industrialized countries where
sugar
>>> consumption is very high, and less so in underdeveloped countries,
>>> though scientists note an increase worldwide. Some scientists think
>>> excessive sugar consumption may affect the genetically susceptible to
>>> Crohn's by altering the balance of bacteria that inhabit the
intestinal
>>> tract.
>>>
>>> Long Island is dispro****tionately affected by people with Crohn's
>>> disease, based on genetics and demographics. The Crohn's and Colitis
>>> Foundation of America estimates 30,000 Long Islanders have Crohn's
>>> disease, or ulcerative colitis. Nationwide, more than 1 million people
>>> have an inflammatory bowel disease.
>>>
>>> Copyright © 2008, Newsday Inc.
>>>
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