Stem Cells

Seven Cheney patients are going for stem cells this month. At least one of the patients is getting a portion of them intrathecally (injected into the spinal cord) and then getting the remaining amount of stem cells via IV infusion.

Cheney tried this, but discontinued it.

Thanks Molly

Thanks, Molly and all for this fascinating thread.

And yes, where can I buy the winning lottery ticket?

Or could I put it on Reeves' credit card?

Thanks for the information. I'm not going to buy the stem enhance if it has contaminated blue green algae
I have liked astragalus previously, I think I'll try it again.

Nothing like being a week late in answering this! I've been terribly busy, and sleeping about 2-3 hours more than I used to, which is good.
I took that product for nearly 3 years. I made FANTASTIC progress. I thought I was done with this F&@! illness but no, I got into some stress in my relationship with my boyfriend, had a month of PTSD type symptoms, and crashed big time. The supplement no longer seemed to help. OI worse than ever, in a wheelchair. I stopped taking it, but I may go back to it once I get into rebuilding mode again. I really do think it helps the body rebuild but it isn't strong enough to cut through high oxidative stress and a catabolic state.

If you want to read more about it, I wrote an article called "Stem Cells in Naturopathy" which I posted on Scribd at this link. http://www.scribd.com/doc/14775449/stem-cell-therapy-in-naturopathy

If you read it, let me know what you think I never got a single response, although a few years ago the ANMA journal editor wanted to publish it, asked me to make some changes which I did, and never would respond again to my calls and e-mails. So I put it up here.

I want to respond to PWB's original question. It boils down to the pluripotency of the stem cells, e.g. how capable they are of becoming any kind of cell. You can think of stem cell pluripotency like one of those family trees gathering more and more branches with each generation. The fertilized egg can become any kind of cell. At a certain point, the embryo cells specialize into certain types of tissue, and further down the line of development, they get more and more restricted. So, for example, a stem cell in the scalp stored in the hair follicle will become a new scalp cell if called by the appropriate signals when you cut your scalp. But it won't be able to go backwards, for example, to become a neuron or a bone cell.

Apparently, the mesenchymal stem cells in our fat are too specialized to become any kind of cell in the body. Perhaps the docs in CR or Panama treat them in some way to make them more immature, and therefore more pluripotent. This would be interesting to find out. Surely the body will use those stem cells, but it might only be able to use them to make more skin cells or more fat cells (I don't know) rather than more heart, liver, brain, etc. This field is still in its infancy and while there are lots of great theories, there isn't much clinical experience.

Does anybody know if stem cells from banked umbilical cord blood has been tested for treatment? Is this treatment even possible?

Update from Molly

Hello Everyone!

I know this is long overdue....
Here is my update and will try to answer questions along the way
As always feel free to ask away...
I keep a daily journal still but have neglected it horribly...
This happened when I had my BIG remission in 2005. I stopped journaling too.

dhearns90 and Patrick aka Hubcap_halo
I will try my best to answer your questions!

1) Aside from attending Cheney's lecture, were there any other resources you found particularly helpful in learning about the Stem Cell infusion process?

Cheney's lecture was the stepping stone for me to begin research.
I always knew that stem cells were a very viable cure since 2001.
I come from a family of with alot of Dr.s knowledge. One of my dads best friend is a ID specialist and begged me to try the stem cell process. Do your homework. There are alot of shady establishments out there. Stem cells were NOT something I took lightly. I researched for a long time
Learning about the CD34+ (plus) and mesenchymal stem cells..or MSC as I refer to them. They have many properties that are different from your OWN stem cells. I researched how Cord Blood Stem Cells can help Chronic EBV and many other viruses. They also build many NEW things in the body...new blood vessels and clean out the gunk in your brain, like a mini roto rooter. ( at least definitely did so in my case.) That was the first place I felt them.

I did not have the mini lipo with my own cells as the docs in Costa Rica did not find them to be the right fit for me. The mini lipo and intrathecal MSC's work WONDERFULLY with the MS patients there.

You can also talk to the doctors there in Costa Rica...they are VERY blunt about the process. They discussed reinfection of the new cells, which was my big concern..."highly unlikely if you get a better immune system going" and that's what the Cord Blood is for, to help kick start your immune system.
I probably talked the ear off of 2 doctors down there. BUT it is YOUR body and YOU make the ultimate desicion.
Read and scour the internet. Look up any concern you have and write it all down and discuss it with your primary doctor in the states (if he/she is understanding or agrees to help you) if not then discuss it with the Dr.s in Costa Rica or Panama whichever place you go.

Don't stop researching until you are ready.

2) 90 days on my gut....there were many things I did for my gut, colon and bowels. I use products from Dr. Schulze's Intestinal Formula #1 and #2 and Protect and a few other products. This is NOT meant to be a promotion for his products I just have done so well with them, so I am sharing
and the ingredients I put out there so you can see what you're getting yourself into!

Formula #1 PROMOTES regular, healthy and complete bowel movements STIMULATES and STRENGTHENS the muscular movement of the colon.
Herbal Ingredients: Curacao & Cape Aloe Leaf, Senna Leaf & Pods, Cascara Sagrada Aged Bark, Oregon Grape Root, Hawaiian Yellow Ginger Root, Garlic Bulb, Habanero Peppers

Formula #2 is a POWERFUL intestinal vacuum that draws out old fecal matter, toxins, poisons, bacteria, drug residues, mercury and lead A STRONG anti-inflammatory and SOOTHING agent.
Herbal Ingredients: Flax Seed, Pharmaceutical Grade Bentonite Clay, Apple Pectin, Activated Willow Charcoal, Marshmallow Root, Psyllium Seed, Slippery Elm Bark, Peppermint Leaf , Cayenne Pepper Blend

THIS IS WHAT I USED WE ARE ALL DIFFERENT...

And a "PROTECT" pill a day that has herbs used to "protect" the heart, liver and brain Contains the three most POWERFUL herbal antioxidants Herbal Ingredients: Hawthorne Berry, Leaf & Flower, Milk Thistle Seed, Ginkgo Biloba Leaf, Antioxidant Complex: Palm Fruit & Acerola Cherry, Botanical Circulatory Complex: Habanero Pepper, Ginger Root & Garlic Bulb.

Another thing I found to be great was a product soon to be released in March April 2010 in the US... MUTAFLOR....Its expensive but great. Hard to get it to the states but that should be changing soon.

Do research on Mutaflor AND Escherichia coli Nissle 1917
try to also review what probiotics/Mutaflor do with NF-kB...AMAZING.

I also took 2 other probiotics. And used a swish solution Dr. Shulze's Tooth and Gum...which to me is the first line of defense for your mouth.

So....I worked alot with my gut. I think I said in a previous post that one of my docs in CR ( Costa Rica) cured himself of Chrohns. He gave himself a IV of Cord Blood Stem Cells and ....viola!
Also if you do any gut testing (GI(2 ask your dr. everyone is different) you will inevitably find CB stem cells CLEAN UP THE GUT.

3) Finally - one of the worst problems I (and probably most others) have with this disease is the inability to do any intense exercise without crashing for weeks. Are you currently able to do hard exercise without fearing a long crash?

Aaaah...yes. I could do some hard or intense exercise. BUT I DON'T.
I went down that path a long time ago. I encourage everyone to do what THEY want to do for exercise. I myself, find that now walking the dog for 45 minutes and throwing balls and sticks and hiking slowly next to her on high inclines makes ME happy. I am not interested in running the 5 miles a day that I used to too. I broke my body once. Never again. I enjoy the feeling of not being "sick" too much to change that. I did do 2-5 mile hikes and camping before during my remission and probably could work up to that, but it is a fine balance. Only your body knows. I do some sit ups and arm
movements with push ups and my lower body I let the terrain and my dog predict. I don't really like the idea of HARD exercise for me. Younger people ie. under 30 I think could deal better with HARD exercise. Notice how I preface it by "deal better with hard exercise". The only question I ask those persons that have asked me is WHY do you want to do HARD exercise?
Why not gentle stretching and walking? Believe me I played tennis, big swimmer and ran and worked out like a maniac. I understand wanting the body to "perform" but I'm not ever going to compete in the Olympics...so I just live life and move at a pace that suits me. AND I do not suffer.
I get my heart rate up, and little by little I can do more.

Also remember I am not 100%. BUT I am doing even better than my last update.
I am also (as always with this whack illness) doing differently. I can get up in the morning without any problems. No dizzy no fog etc. I start my chores LOL! and keep moving and going, I take my dog out for longer walks now, and then I start business for the day. I am lucky I work from home.
I usually can last now until about 6-7pm depending on how hard I am working with numbers and spread sheets etc. I am also very good on my conf calls now too! BRAIN IS AWESOME! Better than the last time I posted. I do however notice that instead of the trajectory Cheneys patients took (I am not one of his patients) I was VERY up when I returned from CR.
Then I got a full blown flu and 2 eye infections. But sailed along very well. I now find myself at the
end of a work day taking fast naps...30-45 minutes of power out!? I did this right before I went into a remission too. So this is backwards....usually Cheneys patients were hypersomnolence from the get go...I am just continuing to feel better and fast napping. Social life is much better, BBQs for the past 2 weekends and hitting golf balls at the range.
It is still up and down somedays but not the SICK SICK feeling.
One day I did way too much and the next day I felt it. So I rested and was fine the next day. So up and down BUT different up and down. Better in a weird way.
It is like someone said earlier like re learning to live after being so sick so sometimes I have the sick glasses on and can't see as clearly but I usually take them off and TRY to see healthy! I had a 12 hour business day recently so I am happy about the stamina that I CAN SEE....I wish I could "rate" myself but it is so different in all areas.
I am GETTING BETTER...I can work longer hours from home, I can spend more time socializing, I am multi tasking alot with 2 LARGE projects, and just feeling better all around.

Will try to answer some of the other questions I just read in the STEM CELL POST.
Feel free to post or PM and I will answer whatever I can?!!!

Molly
PS. Yes I am going back for another round of Stem Cells haven't scheduled it yet.
Will keep you posted for Round 2!

Hi Molly can I ask you before you started on the gut programme did you have any food/supplement intolerances? Mine are so bad I react to almost every single thing I've tried to take. I agree with you that it is essential to start with these issues before anything else if you are ever to improve though. So glad to read of your improvements, it certainly gives us hope.

Hello MaryB!

Thank you MaryB HOPE is what we all need!
In the very beginning I did have intolerances to alot of supplements and not too much to food.
I suggest you try a softer approach of maybe one GOOD probiotic. I got a little "koo koo" from the probiotics. I experienced a whole new level of cleaning the bowels. I was bloated and constipated etc.
I NEVER had it like that before...I took baby steps. So I started with some Pearls (can't remember the name) then Jarrow 50 billion and then moved to The Mutaflor and then added Align....I saw a big difference with the Mutaflor and the Align too. Mutaflor is great... contact: mutaflor@medfutures.com send them an email just saying "I wish to be notified as soon as Mutaflor probioitic is launched in the US." It is such good stuff. You will be amazed from the internet info!
I hope I can help a bit?! Let me know if I can answer anything else!

Molly

Reeves Credit Card!

Definitely expense it to Reeves credit card...BIG TIME!!!
As for the winning lottery ticket...I think George ate it?!!!

There are good programs in the US for a tax deductible funding of this adventure.
Good to hear from you again!
Molly

Thankyou so much for sharing this great news.
So they've stopped using one's own cells and are using animal sources..correct?

Al...

They use CORD BLOOD from the umbilical cord of a baby or afterbirth which is rich in STEM CELLS!!!!
OR for some they use YOUR OWN CELLS from YOUR blood! Hope this clears it up a little....this whole process is really wild!!!

Molly

Molly,
www.cellmedicine.com says the clinic is in Panama, but you say you went to Costa Rica for the treatment. I am a bit confused.

Molly,

Thanks again for sharing another wealth of information on stem cells.
Your method of intensive research and then pre-treatment prep seems a great model.

There was an acupuncturist in Minnesota who practiced a similar gut cleansing protocol with all her CFS and MCS patients
with good results. It might be worth trying even if one isn't going for stem cell treatment. Isn't 70% of the immune system in the gut?

For SaraM.
I know from patients that have gone for treatment that the Panama and Costa Rica Clinics are directly affiliated. I don't know why only Panama City comes up
under "Locations." A good reason to contact them and segue into asking lots of other questions maybe.

Here's an article about using stem cell transplantation using cryopreserved cord blood to treat chronic EBV.

http://www.springerlink.com/content/88mv458178446556/

Abstract A 56-year-old woman with a poor-prognosis chronic active Epstein-Barr virus (CAEBV) infection underwent reduced-intensity stem cell transplantation (RIST) using cryopreserved cord blood (CB). Administration of EBV-seronegative CB cells following a reduced-intensity conditioning regimen was effective and well tolerated. Complete remission with no symptoms, low titers of EBV-related antibodies, and an undetectable level of EBV DNA in peripheral blood mononuclear cells continued for 16 months after RIST This report is the first of successful RIST with CB for an adult with CAEBV infection. The results also show that a graft-versus-CAEBV effect can be achieved in an allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation setting.

If we went as a group maybe we'd get a better rate.
I was going to see a LLMD but seeing that this method can also help your body deal with Lyme...I'm getting confused.
It does seem amazing.

Hey alice,

Several lymies have already gone to india for embryonic stem cells (with astounding results):

http://healthcarehacks.com/channel/the-india-story
http://monicasindiaadventure.blogspot.com/

Great idea about the group rate. I think for many of us, cost is going to be a challenge. Maybe we could hold a creative fund raiser--like a bank heist.
(joke!)

Seriously, stem cell treatment for CFS is producing results and deserves much more study. I know many of us would GLADLY be research subjects if we could only convince a foundation or group to offer funding. May we all proceed as if it's going to happen, and then find a way. Would love to hear more ideas like the group rate.

I am currently talking with a company in Dallas that does stem cell treatments (very hush hush though due to US law) and Molly is helping evaluate their protocol. So we'll keep this in mind, perhaps looking for a Sugar Daddy or trying to negotiate a group rate. The treatment cost and transportation cost is lower than CR or Panama but hotel and meals in the US are higher and I think the time involved is somewhat longer.

Are you talking about US tax deductible medical expenses....or what?

Once again, thanks so much for all this wonderful information!