Development of a multifunctional needle for percutaneous heart biopsy and cell therapy. a technical note

Abstract Validation of transendocardial injection as a method for delivering therapeutic agents to the diseased heart is increasing. Puncture heart biopsies should re-emerge as a possible alternative method to allow access to the myocardium and implantable biomaterial for cell therapy. Therefore, this work aims to present a percutaneous puncture device for biopsy and intramyocardial biomaterial injection, standardize the technique and attest to the safety of the method. The adaptation consists of creating myocardial microlesions that allow for better fixation of stem cells. The objective of this technical note covers only the development of the needle and the histological quality of the biopsies. It has not been used in humans yet.

Medicina regenerativa: posibles aplicaciones de la medicina regenerativa en las afecciones del aparato locomotor. protocolo de investigación clínica. Informe preliminar / Regenerative medicine: possible applications of regenerative medicine in locomotor system diseases. Clinical research protocol. Preliminary report

El deterioro funcional de un órgano o tejido es un problema médico grave y de alto costo, ya que la sustitución de estas estructuras involucra, entre otros, múltiples factores de orden científico, económico y ético. La medicina busca en la actualidad convertir en realidad la regeneración de los tejidos mediante el desarrollo de terapias para restaurar, en el cuerpo humano, las células y los tejidos envejecidos o dañados. En esta comunicación preliminar presentamos una serie de pacientes donde se utilizaron células mesenquimales, mononucleares, autólogas, obtenidas de la médula ósea de la cresta ilíaca del propio enfermo, para tratar distintas afecciones. Desde noviembre de 2005 hasta mayo 2011, tratamos 23 pacientes, con un promedio de edad de 55,39 años. Once pseudoartrosis; 2 retardos de consolidación; 3 alargamientos óseos; 1 defecto osteo-tegumentario de tibia; 3 pacientes con necrosis óseas asépticas; 1 quiste óseo de cuello femoral; 4 artrosis incipientes de rodilla; 1 lesión del manguito rotador del hombro y 1 entesitis crónica aquiliana. El procedimiento se realizó en todos los casos en forma ambulatoria. Todos los procedimientos se realizaron en quirófano bajo anestesia general breve y con rigurosa asepsia. Utilizamos métodos reglados para cosechar células madre mesenquimáticas mononucleares de médula ósea del propio enfermo. Igualmente de manera reglada se cosecha sangre periférica del paciente para obtener, una vez procesada, plasma enriquecido con plaquetas y lisado de plaquetas. Logramos consolidación clínica y radiológica en 10 de los 11 casos de peudoartrosis (90,90 por ciento), en los 2 casos de retardo de consolidación, en los 3 alargamientos óseos y en el defecto osteo-tegumentario de tibia...

The functional impairment of an organ or tissue is a serious and high cost medical problem. The replacement of these structures involves multiple scientific, economical and ethical issues. All medical physicians and researchers are working nowadays to make possible tissue regeneration by developing therapies to restore damaged, aged or dead cells and tissues of the human body. At this preliminary report we present a series of patients, with various pathologies, in which we used autologous mononuclear mesenchymal cells, harvested from the bone marrow of the patient's iliac crest. Since November 2005 until May 2011, 23 patients, with an average age of 55,39 years, were treated: 11 non unions; 2 delayed unions; 3 bone lengthening; 1 tibia severe lesion of soft tissue and loss of bone; 3 aseptic osteo necrosis; 1 femoral neck bone cyst, 4 mild knee osteoarthritis, 1 rotator cuff injury and 1 chronic Achilles enthesitis. All were ambulatory patients. Performed in an operating room, with strict aseptic conditions, under short general anesthesia. The autologous bone marrow with mesenchymal mononuclear stem cells was harvested under predetermined protocols. Also, pre determined protocols were used to collect the patient's peripheral blood to be sent to the laboratory to obtain platelet rich plasma (PRP) and concentrated lyses platelets in plasma. We achieved clinical and radiological osseous union in: 10 of 11 non unions (90, 90 percent), in 2 delayed unions, in 3 bone lengthening and also in the tibia's severe soft tissue and bone defect. Based on this experience we can conclude that the stimulation of bone consolidation with a concentrated autologous mesenchymal stem cells, obtained from the patient's iliac crest, resulted to be a safe, reliable, minimally invasive procedure with a high rate of success...

Policy roadmap for stem cell technology in Thailand.

Policy and technology roadmaps have been long and widely used in industry and business sectors. The primary objective of the roadmap is to be a policy and technology planning tool helping to deal with an increasingly competitive environment. The obvious benefit of roadmapping is to provide information to make better technology investment decisions by identifying critical technologies and technology gaps and identifying methods to improve research and development (R&D) investments. It can also be used as a marketing tool. Roadmapping is critical and necessary when the technology investment decision is not straightforward. This occurs when it is not clear which alternative to pursue, how soon the technology is needed, or when there is a need to coordinate the development of multiple technologies. Stem cell technology is still in its nascent stage and one of the technologies with obvious uncertainties. Moreover it involves many issues from bioethical, legal and public policy perspectives. Then, development of national policy and technology roadmap for stem cell technology is definitely required and crucial to make most benefit from this promising technology for Thailand. The present article will provide perspectives on stem cell policy roadmap and propose critical action plans for the next five-year period.