Watch the video here:

A music student is encouraged by her parents (both of whom are doctors) to get stem cell treatment for her hearing loss with spectacular results.  Is the increase in her ability to hear the results of the stem cell treatment…or is this another example of the placebo effect gone wild?

So far, the deceived include the girl, her parents, the doctors and the measuring devices!  Beware, you may be next!  One of those people that think her improvement is due to the placebo effect was quoted dismissing the results with the comment:  “You gotta be kidding me! From stem cells?  Stop pulling my leg!  She’s just hearing things!”

Read the story here:

An American college student who was suffering from autoimmune hearing loss and she gained her hearing back in two months after (repair stem cell) treatment.

Chloe Sohl, an 18-year old college student who majors in music at University of Arizona was suffering from autoimmune hearing loss since the age of 15.  Although there is no known cause of her diagnosis, it is a serious disease that slowly damages the organs. Chloe's father, Dr. Bertram Sohl is a director of Obstetrics and Gynecology at St. Mary's Medical Center in Long Beach, California and her mother, Dr. Veronique Jotterand is an ophthalmologist and Vice Chief of Staff at Miller Children's Hospital in Long Beach, California.

Even though Chloe's parents are medical doctors, they felt helpless and devastated about their daughter's progressive condition. They tried every possible medication, but Chloe's condition got worse. The only options they had were for Chloe to use a hearing aid and for her to take medication to slow down her autoimmune system. Dr. Tai June Yoo, a professor from University of Tennessee and a medical advisor of (the treatment facility),  explained as specialist in immune diseases, that if Chloe continues to take strong medication like Methotrexate and Humira, there will be high chances for further serious complications without guarantee of improvement. Her doctors even recommended Chloe to receive Cochlea implant that would enable Chloe to hear some sound, but would irreversibly destroy the middle ear, which scared her parents.

The principle of adult stem cell therapy is actually simple because it utilizes the natural healing ability of our own body...

"Every part of our body already contains stem cells that play a key role in maintaining and repairing our own structural and functional system. Due to aging, the amount of stem cells decrease and that's why the time and ability to recover from cellular damage slow down and chronic and degenerative symptoms develop as time goes by. The principle of our stem cell treatment is to make enough amount of stem cells and to bring them back to the patient's own body. Surprisingly, we found that stem cell therapy has great potential to treat autoimmune diseases," explained Dr. Ra.

Many stem cell researchers have demonstrated that mesenchymal stem cells modulate the immune system and suppress inflammation as a major therapeutic effect. Chloe's hearing loss falls into this example. This treatment was supposed to soothe any hypersensitive immune response and repair damaged organs so that she might hear again.

Dr. Sohl was very intrigued for his daughter to receive stem cell treatment, but his wife was skeptical about Chloe getting stem cell therapy at first. Chloe's physicians even discouraged Chloe from receiving stem cell treatment. (What else is new?) However, they were able to decide to try this treatment for Chloe from seeing (the treatment facility’s) successful outcomes. The great safety profile of (the treatment facility’s) stem cell therapy made them comfortable. Chloe felt assured to accept the therapy.

Chloe said, "I felt very good about it. I felt very optimistic. I've had IV's every month since I started to lose my hearing. It was good because I knew this could work unlike the other ones. I just felt very optimistic about the whole procedure."

Currently, stem cell transplant is not allowed in some countries like the United States, some European countries, and South Korea unless it gets a market approval through clinical trials as new pharmaceutical drugs undergo. Chloe had to travel outside of the United States and to Japan or China where (the treatment facility) established stem cell clinics. More than 2,000 patients with various diseases have been treated with stem cell therapeutics through (the treatment facility) since 2008.

Chloe's hearing was tested two months after the procedure was completed on October 16, 2009. The results were spectacular. The left ear improved to 50% from 0%. The right ear gained almost complete hearing.  Dr. Jotterand could not bear her excitement, "Now it's just been a 180 degree turnaround. She's just enjoying life and enjoying being a freshman at the university

She's just having a great time and it's just wonderful to see the joy in her own face and in her life."

Chloe's parents invited members of (the treatment facility) to their home in Long Beach to celebrate her miracle. They expressed their gratitude and felt like they received a gift of miracle. Thus, they promised to support (the treatment facility) promoting stem cell business in the United States.

It is a tragedy when someone loses one of their senses. The ability of stem cells to treat mediate hearing loss has generated huge interest! Already within 36 hours of posting the article above on my blog, I helped 5 people with hearing disorders find the right stem cell treatment for their particular condition. Hearing loss from external environmental factors, natural degeneration, autoimmune disease/MS, etc.

I am in close contact with the only stem cell patient advocacy institute in the world and they are willing to help hearing impaired patients find treatments at no cost. The first step to find the best treatment center in the world for treating your particular hearing disorder is to fill out the treatment request form at the Repair Stem Cell Institute website: http://www.repairstemcells.org/Treatment/Treatment-Request.aspx?d=Hearing%20Disorders

Your medical info will be sent to the top 5 treatment centers in the world and they will contact you shortly with information, costs, etc. if they treat your condition.  There is no cost for treatment request and info.

"They call it a really good placebo effect," Lawrence said. "Whatever, if it's a placebo effect, I want some more."

By Erica Molina Johnson / El Paso Times, Posted: 08/07/2009 12:00:00 AM

Lawrence Brown III looks at the number "10" on a family laptop and tells his mother Georgina Brown what the number is as part of a daily exercise to see if his sight is improving. (Ruben R. Ramirez / El Paso Times)

EL PASO -- Lawrence E. Brown III easily spotted and then picked up a bottle of sunblock a friend dropped Wednesday afternoon.

For most people, it is insignificant.

But for Lawrence, 16, who has been blind since birth, it was an exceptional moment.

For him and his family, a gamble on a Chinese stem-cell procedure to treat his blindness is beginning to pay off.

The procedure is not available in this country and is met with skepticism by many American doctors. No treatment exists for Brown's condition, said Dr. Michael Repka, pediatric ophthalmologist at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore.

Brown was born with optic nerve hypoplasia, an underdevelopment of the nerves in his eyes.

Before his family left to Qingdao, China, on June 20, his vision was little more than limited perception of light, color and shadowy masses.

He and his mother and sister spent six weeks in China so that he could undergo nine stem-cell transfusions intended to stimulate the growth of his optic nerves.

The cells were delivered intravenously on his arm or injected directly into his spine. He received acupuncture and electric wave therapy to help stimulate the cells' work.

"I didn't expect for it to go as far as it has, and I'm just wondering what the heck is going to happen in the next nine months," Lawrence said Wednesday.

He jokes that he is part Chinese now that he has received the transfusions.

Doctors in China told him the stem cells would continue to do their work over the next nine to 12 months. He is exercising and taking vitamins to help the umbilical stem cells have the greatest effect possible."Every day for the next year, every time I wake up, I wonder if something new is going to happen," Law rence said. "Every day holds a new possibility."

To measure his progress, Georgina A. Brown shows her son flashcards.

On one card, Lawrence saw six blobs a few weeks ago. Now, he can see six circles.

On another card, a nearly 7-inch-tall letter L that he first saw in China now seems a little too big when held about seven inches from his face.

He can now make out a nearly 5-inch-tall letter B from about the same distance on a computer screen.

His mom quizzes him often with the cards or other objects that happen to be around.

Lawrence has always read in Braille and is just starting to learn the letters by sight.

He is spotting colors more easily and is beginning to discern the different textures and angles of objects.

And his nystagmus, or rapid and involuntary eye movements, has lessened dramatically.

"I didn't expect this (all improvements), but I hoped for it," he said.

He hasn't yet been evaluated by a doctor to gauge his improvement, but he said he didn't need the professional confirmation to know the procedure is working.

The Browns said they're not optimistic that Lawrence's local doctor will declare the procedure a success.

"There's a running joke (in China) with the staff. They call it a really good placebo effect," Lawrence said. "Whatever, if it's a placebo effect, I want some more."

While in China, they tried to make the most of the new cultural experience.

With the help of a translator or simply through hand movements reminiscent of a game of charades, the family navigated their way through markets and parks and visited a temple, zoo and aquarium.

They shied away from eating much meat because it often appeared uncovered and not refrigerated at neighborhood markets.

At street markets, they saw displays of animal internal organs, roasted dog heads, bugs on skewers and stinky durian fruits.

Georgina Brown said it was much like being on Anthony Bourdain's "No Re servations" television show that appears on the Travel Channel.

"We were going to eat bugs, but I couldn't do it," Lawrence said.

Georgina Brown said she was excited that her family could have that cultural experience.

"I think it gave them a different outlook on the culture itself to know how much we have here and how fortunate we are," she said.

They learned a little more about the world than many visitors to China by socializing with other families at the hospital who traveled there from countries such as Libya, Switzerland, Ireland, England and Romania.

"This experience also gave my children an experience to see all the different children. There are children with SMA (spinal muscular atrophy). Children who can't see, can't talk, can't walk."

The Brown family returned from China on July 31. Lawrence has spent all day every day this week at band practice at El Paso High School. He will start his senior year of high school there in two weeks.

Meanwhile, the family is looking for someone to continue his acupuncture treatments in El Paso. They're also in the hunt for a power converter that will allow them to plug Lawrence's electric wave therapy machine into American power outlets.

He is hopeful that he can return to China next summer to undergo another round of stem-cell transfusions.

"There is nothing that I'm going to go through that I can't handle," Lawrence said. "You have to look at life that way, or else you can just sit and cry in a corner."

via Stem-cell therapy shows results - El Paso Times.

Mice pups bred from adult stem cells

By David Mark for AMAM | abc.net.au/am

Posted Fri Jul 24, 2009 11:00am AEST

The oldest mice are nine months old and while some are showing abnormalities, they are reproducing.

For the first time, researchers have created mouse pups using adult stem cells.The work of two separate teams, both from China, is described in two papers published today in the journals Nature and Cell Stem Cell.

The breakthrough was made using re-programmed adult stem cells which, like embryonic stem cells, can be turned into any cell in the body.

Dr Andrew Laslett, the group leader of Human Embryonic Stem Cell Technology at the Australian Stem Cell Centre in Melbourne, says it is the first time "induced pluripotent stem cells" IPS cells have been used to make an entire mouse.

Put simply, IPS cells are adult stem cells, in this case taken from the tail or skin of a mouse.The researchers have introduced genes into the cells to reprogram them to become the equivalent of an embryonic stem cell.

and the blind shall see

For Blind Girl, Seeing is Believing After Stem Cell Therapy

Posted 6 May, 2009 in Optic Nerve Hypoplasia | Stem Cell Research Helps Blind Girl See

Hayley Pelletier had been legally blind since birth due to her Optic Nerve Hypoplasia. However, thanks to the wonders of stem cell research using Adult Stem Cells, these days Hayley can now see and in the words of her mother “Basically, her whole quality of life was just bumped up 110 percent.”

No Medications, No Treatments, Nowhere To Go

Before the stem cell research that changed her life occurred, Hayley was learning how to read Braille and how to get around with a cane due to the Optic Nerve Hypoplasia, a leading cause of blindness in children where the optic nerve fails to develop.

Until an amazing new  stem cell treatment developed in China using cord blood stem cells, there was no drugs, no treatments that could improve Optic Nerve Hypoplasia.

Cord Blood Stem Cells- Only Treatment Available

Hayley and her mother Heather went to China for the stem cell treatment in November 2008.  And the results have been amazing.  Before, Hayley could barely only make out the difference between light and dark, but now-

1. She can now draw pictures of people on paper


2. She can identify colors easily


3. She can watch television from 3 feet away.

From the stem cell article:

“It’s been incredible,” Pelletier said. “Basically, her whole quality of life was just bumped up 110 percent. She’s so much happier.”

Her self confidence has soared, too. Pelletier managed to say a few words at a Lions Club banquet, but she admits she was intimidated by the hundreds of people in the room. Hayley wasn’t.

“I brought a different child home from China. She stood on a chair and told them all about her experiences there,” said Pelletier, astonished. “Then she thanked them for honoring her with their support.”

Hayley Joins the Stem Cells for Optic Nerve Hypoplasia Club

Hayley now becomes the latest addition to our “club” of children who have been to China for stem cell therapy for their Optic Nerve Hypoplasia and the closely related Septo-Optic Dysplasia and then come back to the United States, UK and  Canada with better vision and other benefits to their development.

Before that there was Jakob Bielski from Canada

Just last week, we added Dakota Clarke , her mom said “It’s been worth every single penny to see the changes in her.”

A few weeks ago we added Macie Morse who can now see well enough to drive after her stem cell therapy.

And before that Coby Fend’s mother said ““We are talking about going back — we’d almost be crazy not to, because right now it’s the best thing going in the entire world.”

And we also had Connor Corkern - He’s doing great. He is doing wonderful. It’s like we’ve got a totally new baby, Coye Corkern said

We had Cameron Petersen - Grandma Petersen said “There was nothing for Cameron before this treatment. Now, his world is limitless.”

Lydia Black- From her father - “the treatment is already having a huge effect on her life, and he is glad that she was able to receive stem cell treatment in China. ”

Lydia Olmstead and Rylea Barlett - “After her second treatment, we started to notice a change,”

Savannah Watring - “She said hello to herself in an elevator (after seeing her reflection). It blew everyone away. We weren’t expecting that.”

Xavier Carballo- Xavier’s ophthalmologist, Dr. Jack Guggino of Tampa, said he did a baseline exam on the boy before the trip to China and after his return. He said before the treatment Xavier could only detect hand motion at 1 to 2 feet, and after the treatment he could count fingers at 3 to 4 feet.

“As far as Xavier is concerned, there has been definite and measurable improvement, neurologically and ophthalmologically,” Guggino said.

If you or someone you know has a similar condition or perhaps another disease,  please go to our Repair Stem Cell Institute website and we will provide stem cell treatment information.

Posted By: Don Margolis Apr. 17, 2009 at 5:48 PM

Plenty to smile about: Rosanne de Gregorio (left) with Corey and dad Mark are pleased with the results of the stem cell therapy.Picture: CHRIS HYDE

Adult Stem Cells Improve Young Boy with Cerebral Palsy

Corey de Gregorio, a 3 year old boy from Gordonvale, Australia has improved tremendously after going to a Stem Cell research company which implanted Adult Stem Cells from cord blood into him.

Corey's parents, Mark and Roseanne had doubts before going to China for the stem cell treatment, but they  wanted Corey to have every chance to live a better life and therefore, they made the journey to China for the stem cell therapy which used only Adult Stem Cells.

The miracle treatment consisted of six "therapies" of cord blood stem cells.

Before the Adult Stem Cells for Cerebral Palsy

• Had very little use of his left arm/hand


• Little movement in his torso

After the Stem Cell Treatment

• Can now use his left hand, can use it to drink a cup by himself


• Increased flexibility in torso

Amazed by the Stem Cell Research

According to the stem cell article:
More than six months after the stem cell treatment, Mr de Gregorio said the family was amazed at the improvements in his torso and his left arm.

Corey de Gregorio is not the only Aussie to go abroad for stem cell research using Adult Stem Cells. Last month, I featured Sierra Rose Hill, another young toddler from Australia who went to Germany for a successful stem cell treatment for her Cerebral Palsy as well.

Adult Stem Cells do seem to work well for Cerebral Palsy as I have posted many stories about children going to Duke University for stem cell research where they were treated with their own cord blood stem cells.

I am happy for Corey de Gregorio and a special kudos for his parents for taking an educated "risk" and going to China for stem cell treatment where hundreds of others have been helped as well.   It paid off for them.

http://donmargolis.com/blog/2009/04/stem-cell-research-miracle-cerebral-palsy/

http://repairstemcells.org