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South Korea back in stem cell spotlight with new treatment
Reuters ^ | Jul 7, 2011 | Heejung Jung and Yi Hyun-young

Posted on 07/10/2011 12:17:47 PM PDT by neverdem

SEONGNAM, South Korea (Reuters) - More than five years after South Korea's scientific reputation was shattered by a cloning research scandal, the country has approved stem cell medication in the form of a treatment for heart attack victims for the world's first clinical use...

--snip--

SHARES SOAR ON GROUND-BREAKING TREATMENT

FCB-Pharmicell specializes in developing stem cell drugs for incurable diseases. Hearticellgram-AMI takes somatic stem cells extracted from the patient's own bone marrow that are then cultured and directly injected into the damaged heart.

"Our first goal is to apply them in patients with illnesses that are not curable through conventional treatment procedures and medications," FCB-Pharmicell Chief Executive Officer Kim Hyun-soo said from the company's headquarters in Seongnam, south of Seoul.

Shares in FCB Twelve Co, which announced a full takeover of its affiliate FCB-Pharmicell on Monday, rose as much as 85 percent in just a week in late June, buoyed by expectations of the KFDA approval of the treatment. FCB Twelve has a market value of around $271 million.

The stem cell medication, if injected into coronary arteries, will help the damaged cells regenerate and recover function, FCB-Pharmicell says.

In the company's clinical trials over the past six years, patients showed a near 6 percent improvement in heart function six months after one dose of the injection, it says.

"Although it's still too early to talk about full recovery rate and survival rate, we can talk about hope for more development and improvements in treatment," said Lee Sung-hwan, a professor at the Yonsei University Wonju Christian Hospital.

Oh said the public should not be misled into...

--snip--

"We're not quite at the stage of picking the fruit of our labor to eat it. The consensus around the world is that we are still very much at the stage of research."

(Excerpt) Read more at reuters.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Extended News; News/Current Events; Testing
KEYWORDS: adultstemcells; hearticellgramami; regenerativemedicine; stemcells
This Hearticellgram-AMI must be some sort of growth factor. A six percent increase in the ejection fraction may not seem like much, but a normal ejection fraction is rarely more than sixty percent. It may be enough to keep a lot of people out of congestive heart failure.
1 posted on 07/10/2011 12:17:51 PM PDT by neverdem
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To: neverdem
Hearticellgram-AMI takes somatic stem cells extracted from the patient's own bone marrow that are then cultured and directly injected into the damaged heart.

Meanwhile, we're killing embryos to get our stem cells, and accomplishing no breakthroughs in the process.

2 posted on 07/10/2011 12:23:13 PM PDT by TwelveOfTwenty (Compassionate Conservatism? Promoting self reliance is compassionate. Promoting dependency is not.)
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To: TwelveOfTwenty

The state of Ca. is looking more stupid than it already is for the epic fail bill to allocate funds for embryonic stems. Neo babies must die and taxpayers must fund the research by LIEberal decree-—science be damned otherwise.


3 posted on 07/10/2011 1:18:59 PM PDT by tflabo ( to have been selected)
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To: El Gato; Ernest_at_the_Beach; Robert A. Cook, PE; lepton; LadyDoc; jb6; tiamat; PGalt; Dianna; ...
Stem cell hope for heart patients refractory angina

Twin study shows lifestyle, diet can significantly influence course of macular degeneration...

Vitamin D lower in NFL football players who suffered muscled injuries, study reports

Discovery of natural antibody brings a universal flu vaccine a step closer

FReepmail me if you want on or off my health and science ping list.

4 posted on 07/10/2011 2:55:24 PM PDT by neverdem (Xin loi minh oi)
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To: neverdem; DvdMom; grey_whiskers; Ladysmith; Roos_Girl; Silentgypsy; conservative cat; ...

Ping


5 posted on 07/10/2011 2:58:43 PM PDT by decimon
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To: neverdem

I’m waiting for some real hope of a treatment for Huntington’s Disease as I have two nephews with the disease.


6 posted on 07/10/2011 3:27:45 PM PDT by Conservativegreatgrandma
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To: Conservativegreatgrandma

Prayers up. That will be a Nobel winner.


7 posted on 07/10/2011 4:00:40 PM PDT by neverdem (Xin loi minh oi)
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To: neverdem

I read recently that a Korean company (at least I think it was a Korean company) had used adult stem cells to treat “nerve damage” hearing loss. The case cited showed extensive recovery (full hearing loss in one ear restored to about 50%, a lesser degree in the other ear restored to close to normal function). The patient was relatively young, so I don’t know if it would work on an old fart like me, but I fit the same “loss” situation. And it looks like I’m still losing some ground in my “good” ear. More hearing tests tomorrow......


8 posted on 07/10/2011 5:15:10 PM PDT by Wonder Warthog
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To: Wonder Warthog

Good luck! I have had a bilateral high frequency hearing loss for decades.


9 posted on 07/10/2011 5:39:36 PM PDT by neverdem (Xin loi minh oi)
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To: decimon

bttt


10 posted on 07/11/2011 3:33:07 PM PDT by TEXOKIE (Anarchy IS the strategy of the forces of darkness!)
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To: TEXOKIE

This will help a lot of people:
http://www.mylifevantage.com/radio/default.aspx


11 posted on 07/16/2011 12:05:55 PM PDT by Cowgirl
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To: Cowgirl

Thank you for the link.


12 posted on 07/16/2011 1:21:25 PM PDT by TEXOKIE (Anarchy IS the strategy of the forces of darkness!)
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To: TEXOKIE

You’re welcome. I’ve been using the Protandim for three months and it is a big help with my sleep and overall health. I even give it to my dog who is getting old and can see a big difference in her. She doesn’t sleep all day!


13 posted on 07/16/2011 1:26:47 PM PDT by Cowgirl
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