Gordie Howe's Stem Cell Treatment Brings 'Miraculous' Results

[big_dog]

Source: The Huffington Post

Gordie Howe's family says the hockey great has made a dramatic improvement after he participated in a stem cell clinical trial.The 86-year-old Howe had a serious stroke in late October, but in a statement released through the Detroit Red Wings on Friday, his family said his physical therapists have been "astonished" by his progress.

"The treatment included neural stem cells injected into the spinal canal on Day 1 and mesenchymal stem cells by intravenous infusion on Day 2," the family said. "His response was truly miraculous. At the end of Day 1 he was walking with minimal effort for the first time since his stroke. By Day 2 he was conversing comfortably with family and staff at the clinic."

Executives from Stemedica Cell Technologies contacted the family and facilitated Howe's participation in the clinical trial. He had a two-day, non-surgical treatment earlier this month. The family says Howe has been able to help out with daily household chores, and when tested, his ability to name items has gone from less than 25 per cent before the treatment to 85 per cent.

"Although his short-term memory, strength, endurance and co-ordination have plenty of room for improvement, we are hopeful that he will continue to improve in the months to come," the family said. "As a family, we are thrilled that dad's quality of life has greatly improved, and his progress has exceeded our greatest expectations.

Read more: http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2014/12/19/gordie-howe-stem-cell-recovery_n_6358012.html

[MannyGoldstein]

1. Awesome! nt

[big_dog]

3. if anyone can beat dimentia its Mr. Hockey!

[davidpdx]

2. That is very encouraging for him and for stem cell research

[big_dog]

4. he went from 25% memory recognition to 85% in one month.

and this stuff is still in medical trials??

[davidpdx]

5. That is great

There are so many diseases and injuries that could be helped by stem cell research.

[7962]

6. Agreed. We take WAY too long to get things approved

I understand the need for safety in drugs and treatment, but sometimes the FDA seems to have a different agenda than the patients

[Bluenorthwest]

8. That's the fact, the patients' agenda is to stay alive and functioning...

Have you seen Dallas Buyer's Club? That's what that movie is about.

[7962]

12. Heres an example I know of concerning colon cancer:

A big killer worldwide. A company now called Navidea was developing a drugs called RIGS. It would mark all cancerous tissue so that nothing would be left behind in surgery. They did trials in the 90s when they were called Neoprobe. All the trials were successful and no side effects, but the FDA decided they needed "more information". Well, Neoprobe ran out of money. Meanwhile, as the years passed, 70% of the people who had used RIGS were still alive, compared to 20% of those who didnt. Neoprobe became Navidea and finally got some cash, finished deveoping another cancer diagnostic, Lymphoseek, which is better and safer at finding cancerous lymph nodes in breast cancer patients, as well as other cancers. They got approval for that earlier this year.
RIGS, meanwhile, stayed on the sideline because the FDA wanted trials to start all over again instead of continuing where they left off. How many people could possibly still be alive with the earlier success rate? Who knows.
But why would the FDA insist on new trials when this is a diagnostic used once? the safety would likely be fine since its not something taken continuously
The company hopes to restart the program sometime in the future.

[BrotherIvan]

13. Because as Chris Rocks said, the money isn't in the cure

The money's in the medicine.

The Cancer Industry is over $95 billion a year. That's a nice profit for a 100 year old model.

I have bookmarked this thread for your information in case anyone I know needs it. Having gone through the circus of cancer with nothing but added pain and suffering because the "experts" wouldn't budge, I know how important information is. Thanks for sharing.

[7962]

25. You're welcome. There's more to this story too, since you've been through the fight

I'm not very well versed on it, but the company is now trying to develop a way to use their current drug to deliver medication directly to the site of cancer, something called a "macrophage". I think this would eliminate having to radiate the entire body. I'm not positive about that though. If so, it could also be used in other illnesses as well. You may be interested in reading further and may understand better than I do about what it is.
I should also say I bought some stock in this company some years ago as an investment, but also because I thought it was very interesting what they were trying to do. Its still a cheap stock; been thru ups and downs.

[Sunlei]

20. every single person with brain injury/dementia/Alzheimer's should be in that 'trial'

[tweeternik]

23. Yep ...

but, but .... there's no money!! But there's always plenty of money whenever it's time to fight!

[longship]

7. The greatest ice hockey player ever.

Howe, Lindsay, Delvecchio, an awesome front line.

[ClusterFreak]

9. Gordie went in the corner as usual with his elbows up, got his stem cell injections...

...the stroke didn't have a chance.


Great news for Mr. Hockey!

[sulphurdunn]

10. If God wanted stem cell research,

he would have given us stem cells. Oops.

[Paladin]

11. Bush 43 did everything he could to prevent stem cell research.

Never forget that.

[BrotherIvan]

14. And so are the Evangelical and Catholic Churches

They're happy to see (other) people die for their beliefs.

[Archae]

15. I am happy for Gordie Howe, BUT...

First off, I don't trust Huffington Post to be accurate about this, since they have a reputation for pushing woo.

Besides, the treatment may have helped Howe, but can it help the next person?
That's what needs to be confirmed.

[IDemo]

17. It's an Associated Press story reprinted by HP

https://www.google.com/search?q=Gordie+Howe%27s+Stem+Cell+Treatment&ie=UTF-8#q=Gordie+Howe%27s+Stem+Cell+Treatment+ap

[RobinA]

29. Well, My Question

is, how do we know how he would have improved without the treatment? I'd be a little suspicious of n=1 results.

[Sunlei]

16. In their clinic in mexico they grow each persons own stem cells & infuse. It is 'miraculous'

Our American 'for profit' insurance/medical care will fight this tooth & claw, or charge a million for a $10 'tissue culture'

[Archae]

18. You lost me at "clinic in Mexico."

There is a long history of flat-out quacks setting up their "clinics" in Mexico.

[Sunlei]

19. treatments in mexicos clinics are the Stemedica Cell Technologies, who treated Mr. Howe.

The USA is very behind in medical treatments using stem cells.

[Archae]

21. Just as I thought.

Quackery.

http://sctmonitor.blogspot.com/2012/05/stemedica-thrives-on-neglect.html

[Sunlei]

22. They didn't neglect Mr. Howe? Why is his treatment quackery?

[Archae]

24. Because we have no independent confrmation of the treatment working.

Remember Terry Schiavo?
Her parents had "VIDEO PROOF" that Terry was responding to visual signals, and trying to talk.

The video turned out to be severely edited, Terry Schiavo was given an autopsy after she died and the video was proven to be a fraud.

These "stem cell clinics" are all operated in third-world countries where regulation is lax, at best.

If Howe is improving, for real, all the better.
But these treatments and clinics run on testimonials.
And testimonials are worthless in medicine.

[TBF]

28. You have any evidence to back

that up or just stereotyping in general today?

[CanSocDem]

30. Tell us the history....

...meanwhile, my friend who spends much of his winters in Mexico, had a stroke a little more than a week ago. He paid a thousand dollars for a cat-scan, bought some medication and some household help and is now resting comfortably rejoicing in the fact that it didn't happen in the USA.


"People who live in glass houses, shouldn't throw stones."



.

[Orrex]

31. Random anecdotes are indeed helpful in these cases.

I know a guy who suffered an apparent stroke in October, paid under $1000 for a three-day hospitalization including CAT scans, MRIs, X-rays, ultrasounds & blood work, bought some medication and returned to work two days after that

All right here in the good ol' USA.


What was your point about the stroke-guy, and in what way does it relate to the fairy tale about the miraculous Gordy Howe?

[Thinkingabout]

26. There is lots of hope in stem cell treatments, the US could be well ahead in the

Game but I have to agree George W worked hard against stem cell research. I know the Reagan family has worked hard to get the research started on stem cells. I hope soon this will be accepted and many other conditions can get relief.

[1StrongBlackMan]

27. Posted to for later.