Article Translation for the one Arcy posted 6/5/2011:
Transplantation of bone marrow stem cell held last April 14 in Salvador, brings results that motivate doctors. A military police officer of 47 years, who declined to be identified, a paraplegic after an accident and spent the last nine years in a wheelchair. After undergoing treatment, he returned to move the legs.
The police made no movement from the waist down. He also had improvement in muscle that controls the flow of urine and feces and no longer needs diapers and other equipment. The hope of returning to a normal life has never been greater.
"Before I had a trunk that was alive and legs that did not respond. Now I realize that they are alive, they belong to me and depends on me for what they agree, "he says.
Now the police can already move your knees up, a feat for anyone who has the muscles atrophied from disuse. Another shows the impressive recovery of leg strength is an exercise, which still requires balance. For the physiotherapy team on the most amazing recovery of the patient is that he is pedaling.
For a patient to undergo a stem cell transplant, a survey was conducted for five years before being used in humans, the technique has shown good results in animals.
Cells used in treatment can
turn into tissue (Photo: Play / TV Globo)
In treatment, doctors use mesenchymal stem cells, which have greater capacity to develop into multiple tissue types. They are taken from the hip bone from the patient and injected directly into the place where the column was achieved. The pioneering technique was developed by scientists at the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation and the St. Raphael Hospital, where one of the most modern cell therapy centers in the country. Researchers are amazed by the rapid evolution of the patient.
"Basically in a week he began to have clinical outcomes, an improvement in sensitivity, an improvement in sitting posture and this patient has been evolving," says Marcus Vinicius Mendonca, neurosurgeon.
But doctors believe early to say whether he and 19 other people with the same problem will also receive stem cells will again walk normally Ricardo Ribeiro, coordinator of the program.
"This patient may have still other improvements and other improvements may be larger or the same or worse. So we have to wait."
For now the police are excited by early results and make plans. "I always liked the beach, go to the beach, be able to take a swim in the sea without anyone hold you, right? Could go to a stadium, I always liked football, to play a football, go shopping, do what I always did, "wait.
November 2010
The Center of Biotechnology and Cell Therapy, Hospital São Rafael, Salvador, opened last week in a pioneering study to test the efficacy of adult stem cells in people with paraplegy.
The cells will be applied in the injured spinal cord - in previous studies, were inserted into an artery to the spinal cord.
The purpose of the initial stage, which involves 20 volunteers, is to test the safety of the procedure. Researchers, however, expect that it is already possible to notice an improvement in sensitivity, reflexes and sphincter control.
"The problem of the paraplegic is so serious that if we get an improvement in quality of life, with control of the anal and urethral sphincters, it will be fantastic," said research coordinator, Ricardo Ribeiro dos Santos, Fiocruz.
In tests on dogs and cats it was noticeable improvement in these items in less than a month. In almost half the cases, the animals partially recovered movement, according to Santos.
The doctor is cautious in predicting outcomes in humans. "The expectation is not a miracle," he says. "Nobody wants to turn anybody into one marathon runner."
In the initial phase, tests will be restricted to people who became paraplegic at least six months ago - mostly from traffic accidents.
The selection of volunteers is ongoing. Interested applicants can send an email to the researchers (ticiana@cbtc-hsr.org).
Last week, the first four volunteers were subjected to a collect of bone marrow cells.
The material went to a laboratory where the concentration of stem cells will go from 1% to 99%.
Then a surgery will remove the scar tissue in the damaged area. With the free area, the application of stem cells will be done in the exact location of the trauma.
According to Santos, the procedure should encourage the growth of injured nerves. At surgery, the patient will receive blood plasma rich in platelets. "This causes a clot structure that keeps stem cells in the lesion site."
The survey is conducted in partnership with the Hospital Espanhol, Fiocruz and University Center of Bahia, with funding from the Ministry of Health. In the next phase, patients will be divided into two groups for comparison of results.
SAFETY
For experts, this research procedure is safer than those made with embryonic cells, as the one authorized by the U.S. government in July.
"The embryonic cells are more efficient, but offer higher risk of tumors," says the head of the National Laboratory of Embryonic Stem Cells, USP, Lygia da Veiga Pereira.
Santos notes that sometimes the process of cultivation in the laboratory also gives rise to tumor cells.
He says the team is aware of this. "Our monitoring work is very careful not to inject in the patient anything that can harm him."
Success with animals does not guarantee good results in humans, says Tarcisio Eloy Pessoa de Barros Filho.
Researchers at the Center of Cell Therapy, Hospital São Rafael, Bahia, partnership with Fiocruz, will start this month, the initial trials of stem cells in paraplegic patients.
The research is carried out at a hospital in Salvador, where is one of the most modern cell therapy centers in Latin America.
Dogs and cats with paralysis in the hind legs were injected with mesenchymal stem cells, which have great capacity to develop into various tissue types. All had improvement in muscle that controls the flow of feces and urine and recovered more than half the sensitivity and strength in the affected paws.
Now, scientists at the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation begin to realize the same treatment in 20 patients with paralysis. The mesenchymal stem cells are removed from the hip bone from the patient, separated and enriched in a solution of hormones and vitamins.
In the incubator, under special conditions of temperature and humidity, the mesenchymal stem cells multiply. They are kept for up to a month. It is this process that gives scientists the amount of stem cells they need for research.
For this first study, researchers selected only those who had broken the spinal cord in the chest region. They will undergo a surgery similar to those performed in animals.
"By injecting directly into the spinal cord at the point where you want, on your target, you have a higher concentration of cells, that is our differentiator over other studies," said the neurosurgeon Marcus Vin*cius Mendonça.
The first surgery should be performed later this month. After surgery, patients will have physiotherapy for six months and shall be accompanied by the team over the next two years.
Scientists are excited but cautious: "There's no expectation that a patient will be treated with stem cells and will leave here running. If they have improvement in some movements, that will bring already a great improvement in quality of life", said the Fiocruz researcher Ricardo Ribeiro.
December 2010
Rio - Twenty brazilian paraplegic will be the first ones to test a treatment with stem cells that promises to recover part of the sensitivity and reflexes of the patients. The pioneering study began last week and is being developed by the Center of Biotechnology and Cell Therapy, Hospital São Rafael, Salvador, in partnership with Fiocruz and Hospital Espanhol.
According to the study coordinator, Ricardo Ribeiro, the first phase will test the safety of the procedure, risks and side effects. In the second phase - which has no start date - the number of volunteers should increase to about 60 patients.
"In the first phase, we already expect that the quality of life of these patients improves, especially regarding the control of anal and urethral sphincters. If we get they have this improvement, it will already be a gain,” said Ribeiro. "We're not preparing anybody to run a marathon", mused the specialist.
According to Ribeiro, in tests with paraplegic dogs and cats, it was noticeable improvement in less than a month. In almost half the cases, the animals partially recovered movement.
At principle, the tests will be restricted to people who became paraplegic at least six months ago due to traffic accidents. However, the selection of patients for the second phase is still ongoing. Interested parties should send an email to ticiana@cbtc-hsr.org.
http://www.cbtc-hsr.org/en/index.php
Reply With Quote
Originally Posted by Christopher Paddon
