Limbs saved by menstrual blood stem cells

August 19, 2008

Cells obtained from menstrual blood, termed 'endometrial regenerative cells' (ERCs) are capable of restoring blood flow in an animal model of advanced peripheral artery disease. A study published today in BioMed Central's open access Journal of Translational Medicine demonstrates that when circulation-blocked mice were treated with ERC injections, circulation and functionality were restored.

Critical limb ischemia, an advanced form of peripheral artery disease, causes approximately 150,000 amputations per year in the US. Currently there are no medical or surgical interventions that are effective in the advanced stages of the disease. ERCs are cells taken from menstrual blood that are capable of forming into at least 9 different tissue types, including heart, liver and lung. Their discovery won the 'Medicine Research Award of the Year' award for BioMed Central's Research Awards in 2007.

Dr. Michael Murphy, a vascular surgeon from Indiana University and lead author of this study has already performed clinical trials with adult stem cells for patients with peripheral artery disease. He stated, "The advantage of ERCs is that they can be used in an 'off the shelf' manner, meaning they can be delivered to the point of care, do not require matching, and are easily injectable without the need for complex equipment."

The experiments were performed as a collaboration between University of Western Ontario, Scripps Research Institute, Indiana University, and several other academic centers. The ERC cell population is currently being developed by the US publicly traded company Medistem Inc, who supported these studies.

"We are proud of assembling such a strong, clinically experienced team to contribute to these studies" said Dr. Thomas Ichim, CEO of Medistem. "Dr. Ewa Carrier and Suman Kambhampati are hematologists who use stem cells on a regular basis, Dr. Angle is a vascular surgeon, who like Dr. Murphy sees CLI on a daily basis, and Dr. Amit Patel has performed numerous cardiac stem cell clinical trials. With such a team that understands not only the science, but also the practical implementation, we feel we are well positioned to translate this discovery into a practical therapy in the near future".

BioMed Central

---

---

	100 Questions & Answers About Peripheral Artery Disease by III, Emile Mohler (Author), Alan T. Hirsch (Author) One in every 20 Americans over the age of 50 has peripheral artery disease, or P.A.D., a disease that affects the arteries outside the heart. If you or someone you know suffers from this painful and often debilitating condition, this book can offer help and hope. 100 Questions and Answers About Peripheral Artery Disease (P.A.D.) provides clear, authoritative answers to common questions raised by patients and their families as they navigate the world of P.A.D. Renowned experts Drs. Alan Hirsch and Emile Mohler, III have written an accessible and informative book for patients who want to understand their illness more clearly. Featuring information about common symptoms, the diagnosis process, treatment options, and risk factors for related conditions such as atherosclerosis and...
	Peripheral Artery Disease and Genetics: Is There a Cause-and-Effect Relationship? (Postgraduate Medicine) by JTE Multimedia Abstract: Peripheral artery disease (PAD) is a major health problem worldwide, affecting millions of patients. Although cardiovascular risk factors, such as diabetes, tobacco use, hypertension, and hypercholesterolemia have been associated with the development of PAD, the possible existence of an inherited genetic predisposition to PAD has been investigated in numerous familial aggregation studies. A link between genetics and PAD may open new avenues for the prevention of this morbid and mortal disorder. This is an overview of the potential association between genetics and PAD. Original Publication Date: July 2010
	The Burden of Peripheral Artery Disease and the Role of Antiplatelet Therapy (Postgradaute Medicine) by JTE Multimedia Along with coronary artery disease and cerebrovascular disease, peripheral artery disease (PAD) is primarily caused by atherosclerosis. In fact, PAD is a marker of advanced atherosclerotic disease, as evidenced from several studies that suggest approximately 60% of patients with PAD have polyvascular disease or manifestations of atherosclerosis in the coronary or cerebrovascular territories as well. However, despite a PAD prevalence that is > 15% in patients with cardiovascular risk factors aged 60 to 69 years and > 35% in patients aged 70 to 82 years, there is a lack of disease awareness on the part of both physicians and patients. This lack of awareness most likely contributes to the high cardiovascular risk associated with a diagnosis of PAD. For example, in the Reduction of...
	THE DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT OF DISEASES OF THE PERIPHERAL ARTERIES. by Saul S. Samuels (Author)
	Dx/Rx: Peripheral Vascular Disease by Alvaro Alonso (Author), Daniel D. McManus (Author), Daniel Z. Fisher (Author) Peripheral vascular disease (PVD) affects more than 30 million people worldwide, most often individuals over age 65. Despite this, PVD remains a disease with which many clinicians are unfamiliar. This guide to peripheral vascular disease will help medical professionals of different backgrounds and training apply resources adequately to benefit individual patients. The authors provide a description of relevant vascular anatomy and pathophysiology, a focused review of diagnostic modalities used in screening for PVD, and contemporary medical and interventional treatments used for PVD. Generous use of bullet points, condensed tables, high-quality figures, and diagrams facilitate easy comprehension of a multifaceted and serious condition.
	Handbook of Endovascular Peripheral Interventions by Christopher D Owens (Editor), Yerem Yeghiazarians (Editor) The Handbook of Endovascular Peripheral Interventions has been written to serve as  a comprehensive guide for both the beginner and advanced interventionalist.  Covering all aspects of percutaneous peripheral vascular interventions, each chapter of this highly illustrated book provides a brief background, etiology, clinical presentation, imaging, and percutaneous treatment of different vascular conditions. Importantly, Tips of the Trade and How I Do It sections within each chapter make the handbook practical for daily use. These invaluable pearls are provided by contributing chapter authors who are experts in the field. Edited by Dr. Christopher D. Owens  (Division of Vascular Surgery) and Dr. Yerem Yeghiazarians (Division of Interventional Cardiology), from the University of...
	Effects of Low-Intensity Exercise on Patients with Peripheral Artery Disease (The Physician and Sportsmedicine) by JTE Multimedia Abstract: Background Peripheral artery disease (PAD) is one of the many unhealthy conditions that may get worse with age. Its most common symptom is intermittent claudication (IC). Intermittent claudication is the exercise-induced ischemic pain caused by the reduced blood flow to the lower extremities. Objectives To investigate the effects of low intensity treadmill walking on the functional capacity of PAD patients with IC. Walking ability (time, rate, and distance), heart rate, and blood pressure responses were recorded before, during, and after each exercise session. Only the initial and final values recorded were used for data analysis. This 6-week program of lowintensity, pain-free endurance training was designed to keep the exercise level low enough to minimize ischemic leg pain....
	Doctors Often Miss Peripheral Artery Disease Diagnoses.: An article from: Family Practice News by Mitchel L. Zoler (Author) This digital document is an article from Family Practice News, published by International Medical News Group on January 15, 2001. The length of the article is 427 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser. Citation Details Title: Doctors Often Miss Peripheral Artery Disease Diagnoses. Author: Mitchel L. Zoler Publication: Family Practice News (Magazine/Journal) Date: January 15, 2001 Publisher: International Medical News Group Volume: 31 Issue: 2 Page: 13 Distributed by Thomson...
	Test diabetic patients for peripheral artery disease: American Diabetes Association guidelines.(Clinical Rounds): An article from: Family Practice News by Miriam E. Tucker (Author) This digital document is an article from Family Practice News, published by International Medical News Group on January 1, 2004. The length of the article is 673 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser. Citation Details Title: Test diabetic patients for peripheral artery disease: American Diabetes Association guidelines.(Clinical Rounds) Author: Miriam E. Tucker Publication: Family Practice News (Magazine/Journal) Date: January 1, 2004 Publisher: International Medical News Group Volume: 34 Issue: 1 Page: 34(1) Distributed by Thomson...
	Food Bar May Eat Away at Peripheral Artery Disease.: An article from: Family Practice News by Mitchel L. Zoler (Author) This digital document is an article from Family Practice News, published by International Medical News Group on May 15, 1999. The length of the article is 1711 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser. Citation Details Title: Food Bar May Eat Away at Peripheral Artery Disease. Author: Mitchel L. Zoler Publication: Family Practice News (Magazine/Journal) Date: May 15, 1999 Publisher: International Medical News Group Volume: 29 Issue: 10 Page: 11 Distributed by Thomson...