StemCell RegenMed Targets Incurable Eye Diseases

AVENTURA, July 25, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- via PRWEB - Dr.Burton Feinerman of StemCell RegenMed announces the recruitment of patients diagnosed with Retinitis Pigmentosa, Age related Macular Degeneration and Stargardt Macular Degeneration. Patients with these diseases face the development of blindness at varying age levels.

Burton Feinerman, M.D., a graduate of New York Medical College and a post Fellow at the Mayo Clinic, is the lead scientist who has developed this innovative combined stem cell and gene therapy. In addition, Gregg Kokame, M.D., who trained at the famous Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, Miami, Florida and Jose Fernando Rocha, M.D. who trained at the Stein Eye Institute in L.A.,California, both retina eye specialists, will be involved with insertion of stem cells and gene agents in the subretina space of the affected patients.

The first patients include an eleven year old girl; a nineteen year old woman, both with Stargardt disease (juvenile macular degeneration) and a man who is sixty years old with blindness due to Retinitis Pigmentosa.

Retinitis Pigmentosa is the most common inherited disease of the retina. There is initially night vision loss, followed by peripheral vision loss then tunnel vision and later central vision loss. The genes most commonly associated with RP are RHO, RP2, RPGR and USH2A. Age related Macular Degeneration is the leading loss of vision in older people and affects the central area of the retina (macula) and occurs in the dry and wet form. Drusen deposits form beneath the retina. Genes associated with this are ARMS2, CFH and HTRA1. Stargardt disease is the juvenile form of macular degeneration affecting the macula and forming fatty yellow pigment (lipofuscin) behind the macula. Central vision, night vision, color vision are gradually lost and children are limited to only peripheral vision while the disease continues to worsen. Genes associated with Stargardt are ABCA4 and ELOVL4.

StemCell RegenMed has developed a protocol in which the abnormal gene mutations are first knocked out with a specific shRNA agent and then retina pigmented epithelial cells, optic neurons and mesenchymal stem cells are administered into the subretina space(an immunologically privileged space). This will be the first time that the focus of the treatment is to knockout the causative gene mutation. The treatment is done at our high bio-technology center in Lima, Peru. The treatment is performed by two USA trained internationally known retina specialists.

StemCell RegenMed continues to treat ALS, Alzheimer's, Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson, Autism, Cerebral Palsy, Brain Damage, Spinal Cord Injury, COPD, Pulmonary Fibrosis, Pulmonary Hypertension, Heart Disease, Chronic Kidney Disease, Osteoarthritis, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Lupus, Scleroderma, Crohn's, Ulcerative Colitis, Advanced Forms of Cancer, Huntingon Disease, Tay-Sachs, Metachromatic Leukodystrophy, Aging, Cosmetic stem cells for the aging skin.

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StemCell RegenMed Targets Incurable Eye Diseases