University of Nebraska Medical Center

[victoriasamantha]

I spoke with my pulmonologist at length and was very annoyed with him for putting thumbs down to your claim. I thought he was being negative so I decided to search the web for information on stem cell research and have come upon a website for the University of Nebraska Medical Center. I wrote to a doctor there who was awarded UNMC Scientist Laureate for his outstanding work in pulmonary research. The award is the highest recognition given to a UNMC scientist. I asked him how far advanced was this research for COPD and told him what I learned from the stem cell pioneers website and I was shocked at his response. He wrote as follows:
-----------------------
Many thanks for your letter of October 31st. I am not sure that I will be able to help you very much as I do not believe that there are any stem cell therapies for COPD currently in progress in the United States. There are research studies in animals.

Regarding the hospitals and clinics in Mexico, Argentina, and Germany that you mentioned, I know nothing. I have not seen any publications of results from these clinics in any reputable medical journals.

I understand the difficulties of people with COPD and regret that we do not have more to offer at the present time.

Yours sincerely,

Stephen I. Rennard, M.D.
Larson Professor of Medicine
Pulmonary, Critical Care, Sleep and Allergy Medicine
Department of Internal Medicine
University of Nebraska Medical Center

The research here in the states and the rest of the world is unequivocally so far in the future most of us might not even see the results. This is very disappointing and tremendously upsetting that people who have this horrid disease are being taken advantage of and scammed out of their life savings because they prefer living over dying in such a manner that this disease will do. There are NO reputable hospitals/clinics or otherwise in this world that have come up with stem cell therapy for COPD. The furthers they have gone anywhere is through laboratory mice and if they do not reject these stem cells they will be tried on humans years from now.

I am furious with these people who claim they had this treatment and are doing so much better and regaining their lives and weaning themselves off their oxygen and have less shortness of breath. This is a palpable and cruel lie. I want nothing to do with people who take advantage of the desperately ill.

 

[Technocracy]

Which part of that post is you, and which part is the pulmonologist?

If either the pulmonologist or both of you believe that the treatment has not helped the people on this forum as stated by the people receiving treatement, that is your perogative. However you will both be wrong.

My wife was treated with stem cells and it has greatly improved her health. If you don't believe it, that's on you. Go for the conventional known treatments that basically write you off after your health degrades beyond a certain point.

Argue for limitations and soon enough they are yours.


Meanwhile those of us that aren't willing to lay down and die or let our loved ones do the same will persue other avenues.

Some work and some don't but you know what? At least we fought against death and dying as best we can.

 

[victoriasamantha]

Stem Cell

You respond with insults, the post is mine with the exception of the doctor's letter, I trust you can tell where the letter begins and where it ends. Go on their website, see for yourself.

 

[hlichten]

I assume that the last line of the doctor's reply is "University of Nebraska Medical Center"?

I am going to reply only to his comment that:
"I have not seen any publications of results from these clinics in any reputable medical journals"
where he was referring to Mexico, Argentina, and Germany.

Well, he WON'T see any, for a very good reason:

The publications he refers to are "peer reviewed" medical journals. Peer reviewed are articles that scientists write which are then reviewed by other scientists (their peers) who critique the findings and make comments and suggestions about the research.

Mexico, Argentina, Germany and other places offering stem cell treatments are CLINICS staffed by doctors, not scientists. They are clinics offering stem cell treatments to: a.) make money and hopefully b.) with the desire to improve their patient's quality of life.

Again, they are doctors, and are not research scientists in the true sense of the word. They are not doing double-blind studies with peer-reviewed articles because the patients seeing them want stem cell treatment, not to be part of a study where only 50% of the patients get the actual stem cells, and 50% get placebo.

THAT IS THE DIFFERENCE!

Patients such as us are leaving the USA to GET TREATMENT NOW.

In the USA, actual treatment can not be given, except for certain loopholes such as orthopedic conditions, bone marrow treatment for cancer, etc.

It is not surprising in any way that ANY doctor in the USA would say what this one did. It would only be surprising if they didn't! After all, stem cell treatments are NOT FDA APPROVED in this and most countries.

As for research papers, there are quite a few published by doctors in clinics who give treatments. Dr. Fernandez Vina in Argentina, for example, has published many stem cell papers. But, as I said, they are not peer-reviewed and are not based on double-blind studies.

I hope that is not confusing, but those are the facts.

 

[sp1d3rdan]

Doctor's cannot and will not recommend in writing that any treatment can help someone that does not have solid documented research backing it up. Stem cell treatment is so new that it has not had the years of research and testing that these doctor's require to recommend its use in humans.

The reality is that it adult stem cells and umbilical cord stem cells have been used in humans to treat several blood diseases and MS and it has been successful and safe. Also it is being used in orthopedics for animals for years by Vet-cell with undeniable results. Let's face it, the amount of research and testing that it will take to become a standard treatment will take another 10 years for most diseases.

10 years is a long time to wait if you are in a great deal of pain. I trust what I see and hear from real sufferers. And if they say that they are truly getting better, then I believe them.

 

[hlichten]

You respond with insults, the post is mine with the exception of the doctor's letter, I trust you can tell where the letter begins and where it ends. Go on their website, see for yourself.

No, you are not being insulted, you are being told the facts.
There are people on this forum who have had stem cell treatments in the countries mentioned. Some have seen a lot of improvement, some have seen less improvement, and others have seen no improvement. The results vary, from case to case, person to person, illness to illness.

Stem cell treatment is in its infancy. That is why this website exists today. That is why it is named Stem Cell Pioneers, because we are pioneers, effectively human guinea pigs.

The doctor is not wrong. Some of us have had treatments which have only been done on animals or even in vitro (test tube) in the USA.

That is why we have to leave the country to have it done.

If you take the advice of almost ANY doctor licensed in the USA, you won't leave the country to have it done.

Some doctors will only say it is advisable to do it in the privacy of an exam room, off the record. That's just the way it is.

 

[rosech44]

I Am Not A Liar

The research here in the states and the rest of the world is unequivocally so far in the future most of us might not even see the results. This is very disappointing and tremendously upsetting that people who have this horrid disease are being taken advantage of and scammed out of their life savings because they prefer living over dying in such a manner that this disease will do. There are NO reputable hospitals/clinics or otherwise in this world that have come up with stem cell therapy for COPD. The furthers they have gone anywhere is through laboratory mice and if they do not reject these stem cells they will be tried on humans years from now.

I am furious with these people who claim they had this treatment and are doing so much better and regaining their lives and weaning themselves off their oxygen and have less shortness of breath. This is a palpable and cruel lie. I want nothing to do with people who take advantage of the desperately ill.


WHO WROTE THE ABOVE STATEMENT????? ESPECIALLY THE ONE THAT SAYS THEY ARE FURIOUS WITH THESE PEOPLE WHO CLAIM THEY HAD THIS TREATMENT----IT IS NOT A PALPABLE AND CRUEL LIE---
EVERYONE HAS A RIGHT TO THEIR OPINION, BUT, I TAKE OFFENCE, AT BEING CALLED A LIAR---
I MENTIONED MY STEM CELL TREATMENT TODAY AT PULMO REHAB, TO THE PHYSICIAN IN CHARGE OF THE PROGRAM--I HAVE KNOWN THIS MAN FOR YEARS, AND I LIKE HIM, HIS RESPONSE TO ME," I DON'T KNOW WHAT KIND OF TREATMENT YOU HAD, SO I CANNOT RESPOND WITH KNOWLEDGE" MUCH BETTER, THAN CALLING US LIARS.

 

[barbara]

Pioneers we are

My point exactly Rose. The doctor doesn't know that much about stem cells so he replied appropriately. I don't like being called a liar either, but some people get confused and they are scared. Doctors can only tell us what they know and many do not know about stem cell therapy that is happening in other parts of the world. Why do they need to know anyway? They probably have very busy practices and they simply do not have time, nor the monetary incentive to learn something new. Patients must fend for themselves more or less when the disease they have can no longer be helped with conventional treatment. My pulmo told me to go for it. Why not? The other alternatives weren't very appealing - a transplant or wait around and die a miserable, horrible death. It was a no brainer for me to try stem cells. My doctor would be the first in line if he had COPD or some other painful, horrible terminal disease. The reaction to this negative post was very good. It shows that our Pioneer spirits are alive and well. Dr. Fernandez-vina does have papers that he published. As Harv says, they are not peer reviewed, but they are available on this forum. Search and you shall find.

 

[victoriasamantha]

Stem Cell research is not in its infancy, it's a mere fetus and not tried on humans yet. I have attached for you a small bit of the research that has been performed and how it is being pursued. Dr. Rennard is not a "scientist" he is a pulmonologist a real doctor, please read:

How will Dr. Rennard use embryonic stem cells at UNMC?

In his research, Dr. Rennard proposes to use two of the embryonic stem cell lines that have been approved for use by President Bush. He will get these lines from the University of Wisconsin and the University of California, San Francisco.

In his research, Dr. Rennard will put embryonic stem cells in a petri dish. There, he will stimulate them to differentiate into cells called fibroblasts that are important in tissue repair. He then will inject them into mice and study what happens.

If these cells are not rejected, they could help to regenerate lung tissue that had been damaged, as occurs in diseases such as emphysema. If successful and following much further study, this approach then could be applied to humans with many pulmonary disorders, including asthma, chronic pulmonary obstructive disease and emphysema.

What is the benefit of this research to Nebraskans?

Potentially, this type of research could lead to the restoration of the function of damaged lungs. This is especially important in Nebraska, where agricultural work is an occupation that leads to disproportionately high numbers of lung disorders, including Chronic Pulmonary Obstructive Disease (COPD), asthma, and emphysema. These diseases lead to hours of lost productivity, a lessening of Nebraskans? quality of life and, in some cases, death.

Why is embryonic stem cell research a worthy scientific endeavor?

Embryonic stem cells have tremendous potential because they are "pluripotent," meaning that they have the potential to form all of the different types of cells in the body except those needed to develop the fetus placenta. Stem cells that can give rise to a small number of different cells types, such as adult stem cells, are generally called "multipotent."

Why not use adult stem cells instead of using human embryonic stem cells in research?

UNMC has been a leader in the development of research using adult stem cells, and it will continue to be on the forefront of this type of research.

These cells are being explored for their ability to contribute to lung repair in other studens being conducted by Dr. Rennard. The capability of adult lung cells, however, is limited. Thus, UNMC also believes that there is great potential in human embryonic stem cell research, as these cells are thought to have much greater developmental potential than adult stem cells.

In particular, embryonic stem cells may have the ability to form new structures, a crucial capability that adult stem cells, for example in the lung, may lack.

Are researchers at other universities conducting embryonic stem cell research?

Yes. Researchers at such world-renowned institutions such as Johns Hopkins University, the University of California, San Francisco, and Harvard University are using these cells for research. In addition, researchers are conducting embryonic stem cell research at many Midwestern universities, including the University of Kansas Medical Center, the University of Missouri, the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, the University of Texas Health Sciences Center in Houston, the University of Michigan and the University of Wisconsin.

-------------------------------------------------------

Results I cannot give you because it is research and it is still being done.

------------------------------------------------------


Dr. Rennard to be featured on CBS news tonight


Stephen Rennard, M.D.
A CBS Evening News segment featuring Stephen Rennard, M.D., Larson Professor of Medicine in the UNMC Pulmonary and Critical Care Section, and his research on the nicotine vaccine will air tonight at 5:30 p.m. CST on KMTV Channel 3 (channel 5 on Cox Cable).

Dr. Rennard and his research also will be featured locally at 5 p.m. on KETV Channel 7 (channel 9 on Cox Cable).

A story about Dr. Rennard's research will run in UNMC Today on Thursday.

Dr. Rennard, who in 2006 was named the first UNMC Scientist Laureate, has been a forerunner in smoking cessation research and is deserving of this national recognition, said Tom O'Connor, senior associate director of public affairs at UNMC.


"This is great national exposure for UNMC," O'Connor said. "Dr. Rennard is truly one of our outstanding researchers, and it speaks volumes that CBS sought him out to do this interview."





Date Published: Wednesday, November 7, 2007


Check out the website and you will be able to read it all. don't take my word for it, look for yourself.

I have not jumped to any conclusions nor am I reading it negatively, this is not ready to be tried on humans yet. What would they have to gain by my death; nothing. I do choose not to believe this now because I have read these articles and no one has heard of these people you speak that are performing miracles. To say they are not educated is a major insult. How can you say that these countries, Mexico, Argentina, Germany are treating people with COPD when doctors such as Rennard say it is not ready to be tried on humans. My cardiologist says they are making progress on the heart with stem cells but never heard of it being used on patients with COPD. don't ask me for specifics, read the articles and look at the website. How can you dispute it.

What is shocking, is that it is not true. These doctors/researchers are not in caves they are extremely intelligent people.

 

[Technocracy]

Stem Cell research is not in its infancy, it's a mere fetus and not tried on humans yet. I have attached for you a small bit of the research that has been performed and how it is being pursued. Dr. Rennard is not a "scientist" he is a pulmonologist a real doctor, please read:

How will Dr. Rennard use embryonic stem cells at UNMC?

In his research, Dr. Rennard proposes to use two of the embryonic stem cell lines that have been approved for use by President Bush. He will get these lines from the University of Wisconsin and the University of California, San Francisco.

In his research, Dr. Rennard will put embryonic stem cells in a petri dish. There, he will stimulate them to differentiate into cells called fibroblasts that are important in tissue repair. He then will inject them into mice and study what happens.

If these cells are not rejected, they could help to regenerate lung tissue that had been damaged, as occurs in diseases such as emphysema. If successful and following much further study, this approach then could be applied to humans with many pulmonary disorders, including asthma, chronic pulmonary obstructive disease and emphysema.

What is the benefit of this research to Nebraskans?

Potentially, this type of research could lead to the restoration of the function of damaged lungs. This is especially important in Nebraska, where agricultural work is an occupation that leads to disproportionately high numbers of lung disorders, including Chronic Pulmonary Obstructive Disease (COPD), asthma, and emphysema. These diseases lead to hours of lost productivity, a lessening of Nebraskans? quality of life and, in some cases, death.

Why is embryonic stem cell research a worthy scientific endeavor?

Embryonic stem cells have tremendous potential because they are "pluripotent," meaning that they have the potential to form all of the different types of cells in the body except those needed to develop the fetus placenta. Stem cells that can give rise to a small number of different cells types, such as adult stem cells, are generally called "multipotent."

Why not use adult stem cells instead of using human embryonic stem cells in research?

UNMC has been a leader in the development of research using adult stem cells, and it will continue to be on the forefront of this type of research.

These cells are being explored for their ability to contribute to lung repair in other studens being conducted by Dr. Rennard. The capability of adult lung cells, however, is limited. Thus, UNMC also believes that there is great potential in human embryonic stem cell research, as these cells are thought to have much greater developmental potential than adult stem cells.

In particular, embryonic stem cells may have the ability to form new structures, a crucial capability that adult stem cells, for example in the lung, may lack.

Are researchers at other universities conducting embryonic stem cell research?

Yes. Researchers at such world-renowned institutions such as Johns Hopkins University, the University of California, San Francisco, and Harvard University are using these cells for research. In addition, researchers are conducting embryonic stem cell research at many Midwestern universities, including the University of Kansas Medical Center, the University of Missouri, the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, the University of Texas Health Sciences Center in Houston, the University of Michigan and the University of Wisconsin.

-------------------------------------------------------

Results I cannot give you because it is research and it is still being done.

------------------------------------------------------


Dr. Rennard to be featured on CBS news tonight


Stephen Rennard, M.D.
A CBS Evening News segment featuring Stephen Rennard, M.D., Larson Professor of Medicine in the UNMC Pulmonary and Critical Care Section, and his research on the nicotine vaccine will air tonight at 5:30 p.m. CST on KMTV Channel 3 (channel 5 on Cox Cable).

Dr. Rennard and his research also will be featured locally at 5 p.m. on KETV Channel 7 (channel 9 on Cox Cable).

A story about Dr. Rennard's research will run in UNMC Today on Thursday.

Dr. Rennard, who in 2006 was named the first UNMC Scientist Laureate, has been a forerunner in smoking cessation research and is deserving of this national recognition, said Tom O'Connor, senior associate director of public affairs at UNMC.


"This is great national exposure for UNMC," O'Connor said. "Dr. Rennard is truly one of our outstanding researchers, and it speaks volumes that CBS sought him out to do this interview."





Date Published: Wednesday, November 7, 2007


Check out the website and you will be able to read it all. don't take my word for it, look for yourself.

I have not jumped to any conclusions nor am I reading it negatively, this is not ready to be tried on humans yet. What would they have to gain by my death; nothing. I do choose not to believe this now because I have read these articles and no one has heard of these people you speak that are performing miracles. To say they are not educated is a major insult. How can you say that these countries, Mexico, Argentina, Germany are treating people with COPD when doctors such as Rennard say it is not ready to be tried on humans. My cardiologist says they are making progress on the heart with stem cells but never heard of it being used on patients with COPD. don't ask me for specifics, read the articles and look at the website. How can you dispute it.

What is shocking, is that it is not true. These doctors/researchers are not in caves they are extremely intelligent people.

How we dispute it is very simple....

People on here have had the treatments, and have been helped by them.

A fact you apparently choose to ignore.

The United States is not the only country with doctors. And to be perfectly frank, we as a country are missing the boat in this field.

 

[barbara]

Reply to Victoria-Samantha

Victoria-Samantha - The last time I checked, I was human and I have had a stem cell transplant. I would suggest you follow your heart however and check back with us in about 10 years and give us a full report. You do not want facts from us because we are not well known doctors, just patients who have put our lives on the line to help others. The U.S. is not the only place in the world where good medical treatment is available. You are insulting those of us who have had stem cell treatment. What good is reading some website going to do? I have had stem cell treatment which is far more than you or your doctors you quote can say they have done. I don't usually get upset, but when someone who knows very little calls me a liar and the other stem cell recipients on this forum liars, then it is time to speak up. I wish you well with conventional medicine. You are not Pioneer material.

Victoria - I am also wondering about your statement that says no one has heard of these people that are performing miracles. Who is no one? Do you include the world or only people from Nebraska or just what does this mean? Also, you are discussing embryonic stem cells. I did not have this type of stem cell treatment and at this point, I don't feel that enough research has been done on embryonic cells that I would want to try it. I will write your doctor friend tomorrow and ask if he would like to do some checking up on me. You almost sound like you are associated with the University or with him. Are you?

 

[Howard]

Former Nebraskan with COPD

I was raised in Nebraska and it was there that my daddy taught me that a man''s word is his bond. My word is that I have had stem cell treatment and would recommend it to anyone and my 2nd month report is due November 20. More then.

Let us ALL hear, on the forum, from the good Doctor in Nebraska.

 

[sp1d3rdan]

You are wrong about there being no clinical evidence of it helping COPD patients. Many of the cardiac patients that were initially treated with stem cells also had pulmonary issues. After treatment with stem cells some of them had both cardiac and significant improvement in pulmonary function. This was why doctor's started considering COPD for stem cell treatment.

There are articles posted on the forum to this affect. Also the studies on large animals shows real tissue regeneration for all sorts of tissues. Stem cells simply work. But naturally the initial approach by doctor's has to be cautious as little is known about the long term affects of embryonic stem cells.

Naturally doctor's are not going to start injecting them tomorrow as to little is known.

 

[Jeannine]

Fellow Pioneers

I am wondering what purpose has this victoria samantha's accusations served?

My pulmonary doctor told me that stem cell therapy did not exist when I brought it to his attention. I went anyway because all he had to offer me was cutting off the damaged parts of my lungs or replacing them - both procedures would be far more serious to go through than a stem cell treatment. In my mind I had nothing to lose. At my last checkup in Oct my doctor has now changed his viewpoint after seeing how much improved I am. He asked me a dozen questions about the clinic where I had this done, the doctors, etc. I wouldn't be suprised if he send other patients there.

victoriasamantha appears to be quite ignorant about the different types of stem cells. She should check out Osiris Biotech located in Maryland where stem cells are being fast tracked by the FDA for heart disease where the results also showed that these same patients showed a 17 point improvement in their lung function.

I'm not sure what we have to gain by lying about receiving treatment?

 

[barbara]

Post #7 Stem Cells in the News

For anyone interested in Dr. Fernandez-vina's report on his treatment of COPD patients, it can be found at the above location on the forum. This is not a peer reviewed paper as Harv points out, but quite frankly, it was good enough for me to realize that I could quite possibly benefit from stem cell treatment for COPD. It seems very strange to me that a well known doctor from Nebraska would not know of any of this work whatsoever. He may not be wanting to acknowledge it at this time or he may feel that more studies need to be done, but to not know of it at all would mean that he is not keeping up with bio technology in my opinion. I am going to write him and we will see if he responds. I did a simple search using Fernandez as my key word to find this post that I made several months ago. Dr. Fernandez-vina's website will also produce information on his treatments and studies. I am feeling terrific again today. I am so glad that I was born to be a Pioneer and not a skeptic.

 

[barbara]

Dr. Rennard and chicken soup

While searching for a complete address to write Dr. Rennard at, I found some interesting articles about him. He has done an extensive study on how chicken soup can make us feel better. He even rates the brands of soups. Unfortunately, some of his peers said that just because Dr. Rennard found chicken soup to work wonders in his lab work, it didn't mean that it would work that well in an outside environment with humans. I am pleased that he is studying chicken soup, but I would hope he might put that aside for awhile and concentrate on bio technology so that he will be aware of what is going on in the world. He sounds like an interesting person and I hope he will find time to respond to us on our forum.

 

[hlichten]

Well, I just gave myself an IV of Lipton, but some of the chicken and stuff keep plugging up the needle!

While searching for a complete address to write Dr. Rennard at, I found some interesting articles about him. He has done an extensive study on how chicken soup can make us feel better. He even rates the brands of soups. Unfortunately, some of his peers said that just because Dr. Rennard found chicken soup to work wonders in his lab work, it didn't mean that it would work that well in an outside environment with humans. I am pleased that he is studying chicken soup, but I would hope he might put that aside for awhile and concentrate on bio technology so that he will be aware of what is going on in the world. He sounds like an interesting person and I hope he will find time to respond to us on our forum.

 

[rosech44]

chicken noodle soup

I have been eating chicken noodle soup, (all forms)---and it hasn't helped my lungs one bit--maybe I should have enhaled it----

Seriously---I worry about people like victoria samantha--She will probably not get help, like we did, and therfore suffer needlesly, she is my age, so shouldn't be too set in her ways---I sincerely hope, she finds the answers she is looking for, but in the future, would hope that she not attack people who are willing to try something new, rather than sit and wait to die----

to each his , or her own---

 

[hlichten]

... Seriously---I worry about people like victoria samantha--She will probably not get help, like we did, and therfore suffer needlesly, she is my age, so shouldn't be too set in her ways---I sincerely hope, she finds the answers she is looking for, but in the future, would hope that she not attack people who are willing to try something new, rather than sit and wait to die----

to each his , or her own---

Well, you never know the real circumstances.
It could be very simple.
Some people could never come up with the money for a treatment in another country, so they try to come up with all the reasons why it would be a bad thing to do.
Actually, there could be hundreds of reasons.

Also, all forum members should be aware of internet types known as "trolls". They have been around since the days of electronic bulletin boards, known as bbs's which preceded the days of the internet. Trolls are people who go onto discussion groups such as this and try to make trouble. It is a fishing term, where you just cast your line and bait off the back of the boat and hope to catch something. Trolls will go onto a Honda forum and say how horrible Honda's are, or onto a IBM laptop forum and say how SONY laptops are better than IBM's. They are just trying to stir up trouble.

As the forum grows, we will see more and more of these types.

Seriously, some people are just better off ignored.
We don't have to get defensive about our treatments, but then, I forget about this myself all the time.

Good health to us all!!

 

[Bev12452]

my 2 cents

Victoria I also had treatment although just recently but am hopeful you should do what you feel safe doing but you also have to listen to the people that have been through it I was so scared but the other alternative was surgery with someone Else's body part someone would have to die to get me well this deal is a gift from a newborn so it is not a moral issue the baby is born and the cord is taken if you want for Bush to allow us to have treatment you will wait a long time there is no money to be made by this treatment and the FDA can't get their cut big business runs this country please don't let the Dr's scare you off try it you may be surprised