(WGBA/NBC) - It is a story that gives hope to pet owners all over the country stem cell therapy for animals suffering from problems like arthritis or hip displaysia.

Stem cells are taken out of the dog's fatty tissue are harvested then injected into problem areas leaving the dogs completely healed.

"We couldn't take him on walks, he just laid around a lot," said Keith Nosowiak, Deniro's owner.

"We'd hear whimpering overnight, she'd take a few steps and she would sit down," said Luther Kortbein, Shadow's owner.

Until two months ago, Deniro suffered from severe arthritis, Shadow from hip displaysia.

Deniro's owner thought he may even have to put his German shepherd down.

"We felt we had a decision to make with his quality of life and being in pain we didn't want him to be in pain," Noskowiak said.

Shadow's owner was willing to try anything to cure her.

"Whatever the cost needed to get this done we were willing to do," Kortbein said.

Then Packerland Veterinary Center offered them stem cell therapy by using the dogs own stem cells and then injecting them back into the bloodstream joints.

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Stem cells revolutionizing veterinary medicine

MADISON, Wis., June 27, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --Novelos Therapeutics, Inc. (NVLT), a pharmaceutical company developing novel drugs for the treatment and diagnosis of cancer, today announced that Harry S. Palmin, President and CEO of Novelos, will present a corporate update at the LHA Life Sciences & Medical Technologies Virtual Conference on Thursday, June 28, 2012. Mr. Palmin is scheduled to present at 12:30 p.m. Eastern time.

A webcast of the Novelos presentation may be accessed at http://www.novelos.com

The webcast will be archived for 90 days following the presentation.

This day-long virtual conference event includes 30-minute presentations with accompanying slides from seven industry leaders, and begins at 9:00 a.m. Eastern time. The event may be accessed at the PrecisionIR event site http://www.vcall.com/CustomEvent/lipper/index.asp

About Novelos Therapeutics, Inc.

We are a pharmaceutical company developing novel drugs for the treatment and diagnosis of cancer. Our three cancer-targeted compounds are selectively taken up and retained in cancer cells, including cancer stem cells, versus normal cells. Thus, our therapeutic compounds appear to directly kill cancer cells while minimizing harm to normal cells. This offers the potential for a paradigm shift in cancer therapy by providing efficacy versus all three major drivers of mortality in cancer: primary tumors, metastases and stem cell-based relapse. I-124-CLR1404 (LIGHT) is a small-molecule cancer-targeted PET imaging agent. We believe LIGHT has first-in-class potential and Phase 1-2 clinical trials are ongoing. I-131-CLR1404 (HOT) is a small-molecule, broad-spectrum, cancer-targeted molecular radiotherapeutic that delivers cytotoxic radiation directly and selectively to cancer cells and cancer stem cells. We believe HOT also has first-in-class potential. HOT Phase 1b dose-escalation trial is ongoing and we expect HOT to enter Phase 2 trials in the first quarter of 2013 as a monotherapy for solid tumors with significant unmet medical need. CLR1404 (COLD), a pre-clinical cancer-targeted non-radioactive chemotherapy, works primarily through Akt inhibition. Together, we believe our compounds are able to "find, treat and follow" cancer anywhere in the body in a novel, effective and highly selective way. For additional information please visit http://www.novelos.com

INVESTOR CONTACTS

J. Patrick Genn, Vice President of IR

Anne Marie Fields, Senior Vice President

Novelos Therapeutics, Inc.

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Novelos Therapeutics to Present at LHA Life Sciences & Medical Technologies Virtual Conference on June 28

The United States' highest court is about to decide if a universal health care system will be introduced in the country. For families like the Ritters, the ruling will determine how they live the rest of their lives.

Anyone who knows the Ritter family's story might be surprised by how idyllic their house looks. They live in a new neighborhood on the outskirts of a town called Manheim in south-eastern Pennsylvania, occupying a two-story house with a light-brown wooden facade typical for this area. A gray station wagon stands in the driveway; roses and chamomiles decorate the entrance. The family's pet dog, a poodle named Bailey, plays outside. The air smells like freshly mown grass and freshly baked cookies.

Stacie and Benjamin Ritter live here with their four children: Abby, Ethan and twins Madeline and Hannah. The twins are identical but have completely different personalities. "I am the hippie," says outgoing, talkative Madeline. She is dressed in a linen skirt and wooden jewelry. In her spare time she paints pictures and makes earrings. Hannah, meanwhile, is shy and reserved. She wears black eyeliner and writes short stories about vampires and werewolves. "Hannah is a bit of a goth," says Madeline of her sister.

Hannah and Madeline are two typical American teenagers - but they have already lived through a lot more than most other 14-year-olds. When they were four they both developed a rare form of leukemia. They spent eight months in hospital fighting for their lives before a suitable stem cell donor was found in Germany. But they are still not healthy. "The treatment doesn't end when you leave the hospital," explains Stacie.

The cancer therapy stunted the girls' growth. They are smaller than their female classmates and only a few centimeters taller than their sister Abby, who is five years younger. Their survival still depends on expensive medication.

Hannah und Madeline survived cancer, but the therapy is barely affordable

The burden of pre-existing conditions

The twins were lucky to survive cancer, but in the current US health care system they are classified as high-risk patients. The term "pre-existing condition" hangs over them like a dark shadow. For a long time, American health insurance companies did not accept patients who had suffered from serious illness prior to applying for health insurance, or they offered them unaffordable premiums.

President Barack Obama's health care reform plan prohibits this kind of discrimination in the case of children, and it is set to include adults from 2014 onwards. But if the US Supreme Court rejects the reform, the Ritter twins' history of cancer could become their downfall. This could happen if their father lost his job and with it the family's health insurance - but even without this misfortune they would inherit the burden on becoming adults.

"We're talking about thousands of dollars in premiums," says Stacie. She sits at the dining table, speaking slowly as she recalls her daughters' illness and their health insurance struggle. Her words reveal a deep disappointment with her country's health care system. The leukemia treatment resulted in $30,000 in debts for the family. Half a year after the twins were diagnosed with the illness the family had to declare insolvency.

Originally posted here:
US Supreme Court to decide on health care reform

MADISON, Wis., June 19, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Novelos Therapeutics, Inc. (NVLT), a pharmaceutical company developing novel drugs for the treatment and diagnosis of cancer, today announced that the University of Wisconsin Carbone Cancer Center (UWCCC), a leading oncology research institution, has successfully dosed three patients in a Phase 1-2 positron emission tomography (PET) imaging trial of I-124-CLR1404 (LIGHT), a cancer-targeted PET imaging agent, in patients with primary or metastatic brain cancer. The three glioma patients were dosed with LIGHT at 5 mCi. Details of the trial design are available at http://www.clinicaltrials.gov ID: NCT01540513, or at http://www.novelos.com in the 'Clinical Trials' section. Lance Hall, M.D., is the trial's principal investigator. This trial is being funded by the UWCCC and the Institute for Clinical and Translational Research (ICTR). Detailed trial results are expected to be presented at a scientific venue at a later date.

"Despite recent advances in diagnostic and therapeutic techniques, prognosis of patients with many brain tumors, and particularly malignant gliomas, remains dismal. This reflects in part the diagnostic uncertainty in identifying infiltrative tumor growth of malignant gliomas which in turn affects subsequent treatment strategies," said Dr. Hall. "The preliminary results from these three glioma patients are very encouraging. We see strong and sustained uptake of LIGHT in cancerous tumors against very low background and have not observed any adverse safety signals. Interestingly, LIGHT's cancerous tumor to normal tissue uptake ratio exceeded 30:1 in one tumor, which compares favorably with PET agents that are generally considered good tumor biomarkers if tumor to normal tissue uptake ratios are in the range of 3:1 and 5:1."

"Having observed well-tolerated cancer-specific uptake with LIGHT at 5 mCi in three glioma patients, we look forward to evaluating more patients at this dose level in this indication," said Kim Hawkins, Vice President of Clinical Development of Novelos.

"We are very pleased by both the positive initial LIGHT imaging data in brain cancer patients obtained to date, and our continuing collaboration with the UWCCC," said Harry Palmin, President and CEO of Novelos. "We believe these results begin to establish proof-of-concept for LIGHT as a PET imaging agent for brain cancer, and could be used to calculate effective doses for Phase 2 clinical trials of I-131-CLR1404 (HOT) in this indication. HOT is our chemically identical small-molecule, broad-spectrum, cancer-targeted molecular radiotherapeutic that delivers cytotoxic radiation directly and selectively to cancer cells and cancer stem cells."

About LIGHT

LIGHT is a small molecule imaging agent that we believe has first-in-class potential for selective detection of tumors and metastases in a broad range of cancers. LIGHT is comprised of a small, non-pharmacological quantity of CLR1404 (COLD, acting as a cancer-targeted delivery and retention vehicle) labeled with the short-lived radioisotope, iodine-124, a new PET imaging isotope. PET imaging used in conjunction with CT scanning has now become the imaging method of choice in oncology. In studies to date, LIGHT selectively illuminated malignant tumors in 52 of 54 animal models of cancer, demonstrating broad-spectrum, cancer-selective uptake and retention. Investigator-sponsored Phase 1-2 trials of LIGHT as a PET imaging agent are ongoing. The trials include lung cancer, brain cancer and, starting in the third quarter of 2012, other solid tumors. These human trials, if successful, would likely provide proof-of-concept for LIGHT as a PET imaging agent with the potential to supplant the current "gold standard" agent, 18F-fluoro-deoxyglucose (FDG), due to what we believe to be LIGHT's superior cancer-specificity and more favorable logistics of clinical use. Also, tumor uptake data would likely accelerate clinical development of HOT by predicting efficacy and enabling calculation of efficacious doses of HOT for Phase 2 trials.

About the UW Carbone Cancer Center in Madison

The UWCCC is recognized throughout the nation as one of the leading innovators in cancer research, quality patient care and active community involvement. It is the only comprehensive cancer center, as designated by the National Cancer Institute, in Wisconsin. An integral part of the UW School of Medicine and Public Health, the UWCCC unites physicians and scientists who work together in translating discoveries from research laboratories into new treatments that benefit cancer patients. To learn more about clinical studies and other initiatives, visit http://www.uwhealth.org/uw-carbone-cancer-center/for-researchers/uwccc/28373

About Novelos Therapeutics, Inc.

We are a pharmaceutical company developing novel drugs for the treatment and diagnosis of cancer. Our three cancer-targeted compounds are selectively taken up and retained in cancer cells, including cancer stem cells, versus normal cells. Thus, our therapeutic compounds appear to directly kill cancer cells while minimizing harm to normal cells. This offers the potential for a paradigm shift in cancer therapy by providing efficacy versus all three major drivers of mortality in cancer: primary tumors, metastases and stem cell-based relapse. I-124-CLR1404 (LIGHT) is a small-molecule cancer-targeted PET imaging agent. We believe LIGHT has first-in-class potential and Phase 1-2 clinical trials are ongoing. I-131-CLR1404 (HOT) is a small-molecule, broad-spectrum, cancer-targeted molecular radiotherapeutic that delivers cytotoxic radiation directly and selectively to cancer cells and cancer stem cells. We believe HOT also has first-in-class potential. HOT Phase 1b dose-escalation trial is ongoing and we expect HOT to enter Phase 2 trials in the first quarter of 2013 as a monotherapy for solid tumors with significant unmet medical need. CLR1404 (COLD), a pre-clinical cancer-targeted non-radioactive chemotherapy, works primarily through Akt inhibition. Together, we believe our compounds are able to "find, treat and follow" cancer anywhere in the body in a novel, effective and highly selective way. For additional information please visit http://www.novelos.com

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Novelos Therapeutics Announces Positive Initial Imaging Results In Brain Cancer Trial With I-124-CLR1404 (LIGHT ...

ROYAL OAK, Mich., June 17, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Woodside Animal Hospital announced they have added both stem cell therapy and cold laser therapy to their suite of services. These two cutting edge treatments are done entirely in-house, no third-party lab work is required. Royal Oak veterinarian Dr. John Simon is the first Michigan veterinarian to provide pets with in-house adult stem cell therapy. The stem cells are derived from the pet's fat deposits and absolutely no embryonic tissue is used.

"As a holistic veterinarian, I am committed to providing high quality, cutting-edge care that combines traditional veterinary care with advanced holistic treatments," said Dr. Simon. "Our in-house stem cell therapy and cold laser therapy procedures alleviate pain in limping dogs and promote internal healing following an injury. I also recommend these procedures for pets with osteoarthritis."

Cold laser therapy is a non-surgical approach to pain management. Holistic equine veterinarians have used the procedure for over 20 years to treat injuries and joint pain. Today, veterinarians are using cold laser therapy to provide natural pain relief for injured pets.

According to Dr. Simon, cold laser therapy works by using a low-level energy beam to penetrate just below the skin's surface. Injured cells use the laser's energy to repair cellular damage. This provides relief for pain and swelling following a soft tissue injury, such as a ligament, tendon or muscle strain.

"Cold laser therapy is a revolutionary treatment for natural pain management in animals," said the Royal Oak veterinarian. "Laser therapy allows for advanced pain management, especially for pets suffering from chronic conditions or soft tissue injuries."

Woodside Animal Hospital also provides in-house pet stem cell therapy. This treatment uses adult stem cells collected from a dog's fat deposits to promote the growth of new soft tissue and cartilage. By performing the whole procedure in the clinic, the stem cells can be harvested and re-injected on the same day.

"Our in-house pet stem cell therapy is an affordable, same-day treatment that helps dogs suffering from joint pain, osteoarthritis, soft tissue injuries and hip dysplasia," said Dr. Simon. "As pets age, it's natural that their range of movement becomes restricted. While oral joint care supplements and prescription painkillers can help, medication alone cannot restore a full range of movement. Our treatments help restore activity and movement."

In addition to cold laser therapy and stem cell therapy, Dr. Simon also provides holistic treatments for cancer in dogs, cat and dog rashes, and dietary needs. The Royal Oak practice is a full-service animal hospital with wellness care, vaccinations and surgical procedures.

Dr. Simon is active in the greater Detroit veterinary community, serving as the past president of the Oakland County Veterinary Medical Association and as a board member for the Southeastern Michigan Veterinary Medical Association (SEMVMA).

Read more here:
Royal Oak Veterinarian Dr. Simon First in Michigan to Offer In-House Adult Pet Stem Cell Therapy

Terms Used Across Specialties Advanced clinical services Availability of specified teams, programs, and resources that address the needs of particular types of patients. The mix of services varies by specialty. See individual specialties below. Advanced technologies Availability of specified technologies for diagnosis and treatment. The technologies vary by specialty. See individual specialties below. Clinical support services Access to selected medical and surgical services. The services vary by specialty. See individual specialties below. Committing to best practices Use of guidelines, registries, and other accepted measures. The measures vary by specialty. See individual specialties below. Committing to quality improvement Participation in activities that can enhance care, such as external review of patient and parent satisfaction, public reporting of quality-related performance data, and participating in national quality initiatives. Engaging parents and family Enlistment of family members in the care process. Having a parent advisory committee; parents or family members on two key standing committees; and involving parents in clinical decisions through family-centered rounds, care conferences, and other participatory programs are examples. Infection-prevention program Indicates diligence and success in reducing hospital-acquired infections through proven measures such as hand hygiene, vaccination, and use of antimicrobials. Nurse Magnet hospital Meets American Nurses Credentialing Center standards for excellence in nursing care. Nurse-patient ratio Relative ratio of fulltime registered nurses to daily average number of inpatients. The higher the ratio, the more nurses caring for patients. In Neonatology, the ratio reflects the number of neonatal ICU nurses and the average daily number of NICU patients. Patient and family services Reflects how many of these services are offered: family resource center, sleep rooms for parents and siblings, school intervention program, Ronald McDonald house or other residential facility, and family access to certified child life specialists, family support specialists, pediatric psychologists, and interpreters. Availability of additional services in Neonatology and Nephrology is shown below. Patient volume Relative number of patients in past year who had certain specified disorders or received specified procedures). Procedure volume Relative number of tests and noninvasive procedures (in Orthopedics, the relative number of tests and surgical procedures. Rank The top 50 hospitals in 10 specialties are ranked by U.S. News Score. Reputation with specialists Percentage of pediatric specialists responding to U.S. News surveys who named hospital as among the best for especially challenging cases and procedures. Responses were combined from surveys in 2010, 2011, and 2012. Specialized clinics and programs Availability of certain defined programs for patients with particular conditions. The programs vary by specialty. See individual specialties below. Success in reducing ICU infections Measures success at minimizing bloodstream infections in pediatric ICU patients. Surgical volume Relative number of patients who had specified operations in past year. Use of health information technology Hospitals received credit for implementation and appropriate use of electronic medical records and computerized physician order entry. U.S. News Score A number from 0 to 100 that sums up a hospital's quality of care as determined by the U.S. News methodology. The top-performing hospital in each specialty automatically received a score of 100. NA Not applicable. NR No response. Specialty-Specific Terms Cancer 100-day BMT survival Survival of patients receiving stem cell transplants at 100 days following transplant. Accredited transplant program Meets standards set by Foundation for the Accreditation of Cellular Therapy for transplanting bone marrow and tissue. Advanced clinical services (out of 18) Examples: primary oncologist participates in more than half of clinical visits with each patient, pediatric cancer pharmacist rounds with care team, consultation with experts in complementary health. Advanced technologies (out of 14) Examples: PET or PET/CT scanner, intraoperative magnetic resonance imaging, intensity-modulated radiation therapy, bone scan. Bone marrow transplant services Number of available bone marrow transplant services, such as transplantation from both related and unrelated donors; recognition by the National Marrow Donor Program; membership in the Pediatric Blood and Marrow Transplant Consortium; transplant volume. Clinical support services (out of 10) Surgical ICU, genetic testing/counseling, pediatric acute pain/sedation service, neonatal ICU, pediatric anesthesia program, pediatric infectious disease program, pediatric pain management program, pediatric ICU, rapid response team, infection control facilities. Committing to best practices (out of 21) Examples: regular morbidity and mortality conferences, quarterly tumor boards, and significant time spent in managing certain conditions. Committing to clinical research (out of 12) Examples: degree of participation in clinical trials and bench-to-bedside research, such as cancer research networks and phase 1 and 2 clinical trials for leukemia, brain tumors, and sarcomas. Fellowship programs (out of 2) Active training programs in pediatric hematology-oncology and pediatric endovascular surgical neuroradiology. Five-year cancer survival Reflects survival of patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia and neuroblastoma five years after beginning treatment. New-patient volume Relative number of new cancer patients in past two years. Palliative care program Formal program for families of children with end-of-life illnesses or with chronic or life-limiting conditions. Additional credit for cancer patients referred to program. Specialized clinics and programs (out of 9) Examples: clinical brain tumor program, clinical bone and soft tissue sarcomas program, clinical leukemia/lymphoma program, comprehensive longer-term survivors program, pediatric limb-sparing surgery program, and fertility preservation program. Subspecialist availability (out of 14) Having certain specialists, surgeons, and other medical staff available for consultation and care, such as a pediatric anesthesiologist and pediatric head and neck surgeon. Cardiology & Heart Surgery Adult congenital heart program Availability of adult heart program for inherited or congenital heart disorders. Additional credit if program was listed with Adult Congenital Heart Association and if program offers formal plan to transition patients from pediatric to adult program, among other features. Advanced clinical services (out of 18) Examples: dedicated cardiac surgical OR, remote patient monitoring, fetal echocardiographic testing, ventricular assist devices, congenital heart disease clinic, heart failure program. Advanced technologies (out of 5) CT angiography, cardiac MRI, transcatheter arrhythmia ablation, ECMO program available 24/7, transesophageal echocardiographic testing during surgeries. Catheter procedure volume Relative frequency of catheter procedures such as stent and atrial and ventricular tachycardia procedures performed in past year. Clinical support services (out of 9) Surgical ICU, pediatric acute pain/sedation service, neonatal ICU, pediatric anesthesia program, pediatric infectious disease program, pediatric pain management program, pediatric ICU, rapid response team, reverse isolation/infection control facilities. Committing to best practices (out of 21) Examples: participation in regular morbidity and mortality conferences, active home surveillance for infants with heart defects, follow-up program for patients with or at risk for neurodevelopmental complications. Committing to clinical research (out of 10) Degree of participation in clinical trials and bench-to-bedside research. Examples: externally audited, national quality improvement research networks such as Pediatric Heart Research Network, Congenital Cardiac Anesthesia Society, and National Cardiovascular Disease Registry. Congenital heart program Credit for tracking and reporting data and for volume and type of procedures performed, including 100 or more congenital heart procedures in past year and treating at least one patient with a Berlin heart or other ventricular assist device. Fellowship programs (out of 2) Active training programs in pediatric cardiology and thoracic surgery. Heart transplant program Reflects recognition by United Network for Organ Sharing as heart or heart-lung transplant program and number of transplants in past three years Norwood surgery volume Reflects number of Norwood Stage 1 procedures in past year. Specialized clinics and programs (out of 11) Certain catheter procedures offered to one or more patients in past year. Examples: balloon angioplasty, stent implantation, transcatheter occlusion of cardiac shunts, transcatheter arrhythmia ablation, ablation for atrial tachycardia. Subspecialist availability (out of 14) Having certain specialists, surgeons, and other medical staff available for consultation and care, such as a pediatric cardiothoracic surgeon, pediatric cardiac intensivist, interventionalist, and electrophysiologist. Survival after heart transplant Reflects one- and three-year post-transplant survival. Survival after Norwood surgery Reflects survival from Norwood Stage 1 procedure. Survival after surgery Survival following moderately complex to very difficult heart surgery in past two years. Diabetes & Endocrinology Advanced clinical services (out of 19) Examples: certified trainers in continuous glucose monitoring for families; diabetes and endocrinology support staff with social workers, dietitians, and psychologists; diabetes-specific support group for parents and families. Advanced technologies (out of 10) Examples: PET or PET/CT scanning, diagnostic radioisotope scan, endocrine testing, radiation isolation room, thyroidectomy, fine needle aspiration of thyroid nodule. Clinical support services (out of 9) Surgical ICU, genetic testing/counseling, neonatal ICU, pediatric anesthesia program, pediatric infectious disease program, pediatric pain management program, pediatric ICU, rapid response team, reverse isolation/infection control facilities. Committing to best practices (out of 62) Examples: clinical database for assessing quality of diabetes care, written consensus protocols for inpatient management of diabetic ketoacidosis, high percentage of inpatients seen by member of diabetes program, high percentage of outpatients with documented blood sugar results. Committing to clinical research Degree of participation in specialty-specific research activities such as clinical trials and other bench-to-bedside research. Diabetes management Reflects successful prevention of serious problems in children with type 1 diabetes and keeping blood sugar levels in check. Diabetes options How many of four alternatives are available to patients in a pediatric diabetes program: insulin pump for children age 5 or older, insulin pump for children younger than age 5, pump plus basal insulin injection, and basal insulin injection with rapid-acting insulin analog. Fellowship program Active training program in pediatric endocrinology. Hypothyroid management Relative percentage of treated hypothyroid children who test normal and of hypothyroid infants who began treatment before three weeks of age. Specialized clinics and programs (out of 7) Programs for lipid disorders, hypertension, comprehensive weight management, and Turner syndrome; clinics for outpatients with type 2 diabetes, outpatients with pre-diabetes, and adolescents and young adults with diabetes. Subspecialist availability (out of 11) Having certain specialists, surgeons, and other medical staff available for consultation and care, such as pediatric neurosurgeon and pediatric endocrinologist. Gastroenterology Advanced clinical services (out of 8) Examples: pediatric GI and liver specialists; pediatric interventional radiologists; support groups for inflammatory bowel disease, celiac disease, liver disease and other digestive disorders. Advanced technologies (out of 10) PET or PET/CT scanner, magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography, magnetic resonance enterography, dual-emission X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scan, capsule endoscopy, endoscopic band ligation, esophageal impedance monitoring, endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography, and antroduodenal and full colonic motility studies, esophageal dilation. Clinical support services (out of 10) Surgical ICU, genetic testing/counseling, pediatric acute pain/sedation service, neonatal ICU, pediatric anesthesia program, pediatric infectious disease program, pediatric pain management program, pediatric ICU, rapid response team, infection control facilities. Committing to clinical research Degree of participation in specialty-specific research activities such as clinical trials and other bench-to-bedside research. Fellowship program Active training program in pediatric gastroenterology. Liver transplant program Reflects United Network for Organ Sharing-recognized liver transplant program and relative number of patients receiving liver transplants in the past 2 years. Nonsurgical procedure volume Reflects relative number of tests and noninvasive procedures. Specialized clinics and programs (out of 9) Examples: programs for intestinal rehabilitation, cystic fibrosis treatment, childhood obesity management, inflammatory bowel disease, chronic liver disease. Subspecialist availability (out of 8) Having certain specialists, surgeons, and other medical staff available for consultation and care, such as pediatric general surgeon and pediatric gastroenterologist. Survival after liver transplant Reflects patient survival three years following transplant. Neonatology Advanced clinical services (out of 5) Examples: Level 1 or 2 pediatric trauma center status as certified by American College of Surgeons or state licensing board, neonatal ICU-specific pharmacist who rounds with clinical team, NICU-designated nutritionist, social workers. Advanced technologies (out of 5) PET or PET/CT scanner, continuous EEG monitoring with pediatric neurology support, unsedated MRI, molecular diagnostic/virology laboratory, specialized chemistry laboratory with tandem mass spectroscopy. Clinical support services (out of 7) Genetic testing/counseling, pediatric acute pain/sedation service, pediatric anesthesia program, pediatric infectious disease program, pediatric pain management program, rapid response team, infection control facilities. Committing to best practices (out of 33) Examples: adhering to recommended maximum patient loads, standardized handoff tools, simulation/training laboratories for neonatal intensive care procedures, newborn cardiac patients receiving neonatology consults. Committing to clinical research (out of 4) Degree of participation in clinical trials and bench-to-bedside research. Examples: externally audited, national NICU treatment, quality-improvement research networks such as the Vermont Oxford Network and Extracorporeal Life Support Organization (ELSO) data exchange network. ECMO (heart-lung machine) 24-hour availability of heart-lung machine for newborns (extracorporeal membrane oxygenation), trained ECMO team. Fellowship programs (out of 15) Active training programs in pediatric neonatology. Examples: pediatric neurology, congenital cardiac surgery, neonatal-perinatal medicine, pediatric cardiology. Patient and family services (out of 17) The eight services listed in "Terms used across specialties," above, plus an additional nine. Examples: family support center, breast pumping rooms, lactation specialists, 24/7 parental visitation, sibling visitation, neonatal ICU-specific parent advisory committee, and NICU-specific parent-to-parent support groups. Specialized clinics and programs (out of 12) Examples: craniofacial team, spina bifida team, comprehensive retinopathy of prematurity program, neonatal-neuro intensive care program, NICU specific palliative care program, metabolic team, bowel rehabilitation team, home ventilator management team, and neuro-developmental follow-up clinic for high-risk NICU patients. Subspecialist availability (out of 15) Having certain specialists, surgeons, and other medical staff available for consultation and care, such as a pediatric head and neck surgeon, pediatric neonatologist, and critical care certified registered nurse. Nephrology Advanced clinical services (out of 8) Continuous renal replacement therapy; hemodialysis; peritoneal dialysis; UNOS-recognized kidney transplant program; maintenance dialysis staff that includes clinical nurses, social workers, and dietitians, and level 1 or 2 pediatric trauma center. Advanced technology PET or PET/CT scanning. Catheter procedure volume Relative number of catheter placements in past two years. Clinical support services (out of 9) Surgical ICU; pediatric acute pain/sedation service; neonatal ICU; pediatric anesthesia program; pediatric infectious disease program; pediatric pain management program; pediatric ICU; rapid response team; infection control facilities. Committing to best practices (out of 25) Examples: participation in regular interdisciplinary clinical conferences for urology/uroradiology and renal pathology to review and coordinate patient care, offering formal transition program for kidney transplant patients from pediatric to adult care, maintaining database of kidney transplant patients. Committing to clinical research Participation in specialty-specific research activities such as clinical trials and other bench-to-bedside research. Dialysis patients receiving transplants Reflects percentage of patients on maintenance dialysis who received kidney transplant within two years. Dialysis volume Relative number of patients in past two years who received regular dialysis. Fellowship program Active training program in pediatric nephrology. Kidney biopsy volume Relative number of kidney biopsies during past two years. Kidney transplant volume Relative number of transplants during past two years from deceased or living donors. Managing dialysis patients Reflects percentage of patients on dialysis in past two years with satisfactory lab tests. Patient and family services (out of 12) The eight services listed in "Terms used across specialties," above, and four additional services: programs to support patients in maintenance dialysis such as teachers dedicated to working with patients, standard review of patient's individualized education program, and/or summer camp. Preventing biopsy complications Reflects percentage of patients without complications after receiving kidney biopsy. Subspecialist availability (out of 8) Having certain specialists, surgeons, and other medical staff available for consultation and care, such as pediatric infectious disease specialist, pediatric anesthesiologist, and pediatric nephrologist. Success in preventing dialysis-related infections Success in minimizing dialysis-related infections. Survival after kidney transplant Reflects one- and three-year survival of patients and transplanted kidneys. Neurology & Neurosurgery Advanced clinical services (out of 18) Examples: pediatric headache clinic with psychologists specializing in headache biofeedback and preventive therapy, specialized epilepsy treatment center, sleep lab, neuroanesthesia program, neurological rehabilitation program. Advanced technologies (out of 7) Examples: PET or PET/CT scan, 3T MRI, neurophysiological intraoperative monitoring, magnetoencephalography. Clinical support services (out of 9) Surgical ICU, pediatric acute pain/sedation service, neonatal ICU, pediatric anesthesia program, pediatric infectious disease program, pediatric pain management program, pediatric ICU, rapid response team, reverse isolation/infection control facilities. Clinic volume Relative number of clinic patients in past year with certain disorders or who received certain specified care. Committing to best practices (out of 15) Examples: neuropsychological evaluations before and after surgery for benign and malignant brain tumors, maintaining a surgical mortality database, regular interdisciplinary care conferences. Committing to clinical research (out of 4) Participation in clinical trials and bench-to-bedside research. Additional credit for belonging to a national Phase 1 neuro-oncology clinical research consortium. Epilepsy management Relative success at treating children and infants with epilepsy. Epilepsy treatment volume Relative number of evaluations and procedures for epilepsy in past year. Fellowship programs (out of 2) Active training programs in pediatric neurology and neurosurgery. Preventing surgical complications Success in avoiding surgical complications and readmissions. Specialized clinics and programs (out of 15) Examples: clinics or programs for cerebrovascular accident, movement disorders, spina bifida, tuberous sclerosis, brachial plexus, and neonatal neurology. Subspecialist availability (out of 12) Having certain specialists, surgeons, and other medical staff available for consultation and care, such as pediatric neurosurgeon, pediatric neurologist, certified neuroscience nurse. Surgical survival Reflects relative number of deaths following surgery for selected neurological disorders such as brain tumors, head trauma, and medically untreatable epilepsy. Orthopedics Advanced clinical services (out of 6) Examples: comprehensive pediatric orthopedic program with dedicated pediatric imaging center, multidisciplinary musculoskeletal oncology program, motion laboratory. Advanced technologies (out of 3) PET/CT scanning, bone scan, remote retrieval of test results, images, and medical records. Clinical support services (out of 9) Surgical ICU; pediatric acute pain/sedation service; neonatal ICU; pediatric anesthesia program; pediatric infectious disease program; pediatric pain management program; pediatric ICU; rapid response team; infection control facilities. Committing to best practices (out of 15) Examples: having one or more active or candidate members of the Pediatric Orthopaedic Society of North America, pediatric imaging center with ultrasonographers having specialized training in hip exams, pediatric imaging center that minimizes radiation exposure, regular multidisciplinary morbidity and mortality conferences. Committing to clinical research Degree of participation in specialty-specific research activities such as clinical trials and other bench-to-bedside research. Fellowship program Active training program in pediatric orthopedics. Preventing surgical complications Reflects percentage of patients without complications following surgery for scoliosis, additional credit for low percentage of infections following spinal fusion surgery. Specialized clinics and programs (out of 8) Clinics or programs for brachial plexus, muscular dystrophy, neurofibromatosis, pain, skeletal dysplasia, spasticity, spina bifida, and sports medicine. Subspecialist availability (out of 16) Having certain specialists, surgeons, and other medical staff available for consultation and care, such as pediatric anesthesiologist, pediatric radiologists specializing in diagnostic and interventional radiology, pediatric orthopedic surgeon. Pulmonology Advanced clinical services (out of 11) Examples: respiratory therapists, certified asthma educators, gastroenterologist and endocrinologist who participate in patient care conferences, cystic fibrosis center accredited by Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, sleep center and sleep lab accredited by American Academy of Sleep Medicine. Advanced technology Availability of PET or PET/CT scanning. Asthma inpatient care Reflects care for asthma patients admitted to hospital based on mean length of stay, percentage of inpatient deaths attributable to asthma, percentage of inpatients readmitted within seven days of discharge for asthma-related symptoms. Asthma management Reflects percentage of patients following specific asthma management protocols. Clinical support services (out of 9) Surgical ICU, pediatric acute pain/sedation service, neonatal ICU, pediatric anesthesia program, pediatric infectious disease program, pediatric pain management program, pediatric ICU, rapid response team, infection control facilities. Committing to best practices (out of 14) Examples: consensus treatment and management plans for asthma exacerbations, bronchiolitis, croup, cystic fibrosis, pneumonia, and tracheostomy or ventilator-dependent patients. Committing to clinical research Degree of participation in specialty-specific research activities such as clinical trials and other bench-to-bedside research. Cystic fibrosis management Reflects success at managing lung function and nutritional status in cystic fibrosis patients. Fellowship program Active training program in pediatric pulmonology. Lung disease of prematurity management Reflects percentage of patients younger than 24 months of age receiving recommended care for this condition. Lung transplant program Reflects United Network for Organ Sharing recognition, number of transplants in past two years, and three-year survival rate. Neuromuscular weakness disorder management Reflects percentage of muscular dystrophy patients age 5 or older who had a lung function test in past year or within 90 days of undergoing general anesthesia. Preventing deaths of patients on ventilators Reflects success at preventing deaths of patients on ventilators as a result of accidental obstruction or other events. Subspecialist availability (out of 10) Having certain specialists, surgeons, and other medical staff available for consultation and care, such as pediatric radiologist, pediatric pulmonologist, pediatric sleep medicine physician. Urology Advanced clinical services (out of 8) Examples: shock wave lithotripsy, ureteroscopy, American College of Surgeons level 1 or 2 pediatric trauma center certification, laparoscopic variococelectomy and orchiopexy, and percutaneously nephrolithotripsy. Advanced technologies (out of 4) PET or PET/CT scan, onsite urodynamic equipment, video pediatric urodynamic fluoroscopy, surgical robot. Clinical support services (out of 9) Surgical ICU, pediatric acute pain/sedation service, neonatal ICU, pediatric anesthesia program, pediatric infectious disease program, pediatric pain management program, pediatric ICU, rapid response team, infection control facilities. Committing to best practices (out of 8) Examples: having a formal program for tracking surgical site infections for major urological procedures and regular mortality and morbidity conferences. Committing to clinical research (out of 3) Degree of participation in clinical trials and bench-to-bedside research. Additional credit for prospective randomized clinical trials, prospective observational studies, or prospective clinical databases on patient care. Fellowship program Active training program in pediatric urology. Minimally invasive procedure volume Relative number of patients in past year who had any of certain minimally invasive procedures such as shock wave lithotripsy, uteroscopy, and laparoscopic orchiopexy. Specialized clinics and programs (out of 6) Clinics or programs for spina bifida, voiding difficulties, kidney and urinary-tract stones, prenatal intervention, disorders of sexual differentiation, and genitourinary reconstructive surgery. Subspecialist availability (out of 12) Having certain specialists, surgeons, and other medical staff available for consultation and care, such as pediatric critical care specialist, pediatric urology surgeon, pediatric urologist. Success in preventing surgical complications Reflects relative success at avoiding surgical complications and readmissions. Complications and adverse events include pyeloplasty failure, orchiopexy failure, reoperation or readmission. Success in reducing urinary tract infections Success in preventing catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTI).

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Best Children's Hospitals 2012-13: Guide to the Terms

Sanford, FL (PRWEB) May 01, 2012

Veterinarians at Val-U-Vet are performing adipose stem cell therapy on dogs and cats suffering from arthritis, hip dysplasia and more. After treatment, severely arthritic pets experience substantial decrease in pain, and have significantly increased mobility.

These are not the controversial embryonic stem cells of the past. Adipose stem cells are harvested from a pets own fat tissue. According to MediVet, the patented technology provider, adipose stem cell treatment can actually reverse some degenerative diseases previously thought to be incurable. The documented before and after video footage of the patients is quite compelling.

All animals have billions of dormant stem cells in their bodies. Adipose tissue (fat) has the highest concentration of dormant stem cells. The treatment begins with the vet surgically removing a small amount of fat from the patient. The fat is then processed on-site with MediVets LED technology to awaken the hibernating stem cells.

The activated stem cells are injected back into the patient by the millions, where they go to work like heat-seeking missiles, repairing tissue. The stem cells also have an anti-inflammatory effect, which reduces the pets pain almost immediately stated Brandon Godwin, Marketing Director for Val-U-Vet.

Within 30 days of the procedure, the patients have significantly increased mobility and little or no pain in their knee and hip joints. In many cases the benefits remain throughout the rest of the pets life, but occasionally more injections are beneficial. Since the procedure is all natural and uses the pets own cells, there is no chance of bodily rejection.

Val-U-Vet has performed over 60 stem cell procedures in Central Florida. About 95% of our cases have shown lasting improvement and no longer need to take their daily pain medication. Our goal is to fix the problem, not mask the symptoms, said Godwin.

The results of the procedure are partially determined by the age and overall health of the pet. Stem cells taken from a young and healthy pet will typically be the most effective. The doctors at Val-U-Vet recommend banking a young pets potent stem cells in combination with their routine spay or neuter. The stem cells can be stored at sub-zero temperatures until they are needed.

There are two important tests that a pet must pass to qualify for the procedure. The pet is screened with blood work and full body x-rays to assure there is no cancer or active infections and that the pet is healthy enough to undergo anesthesia. Val-U-Vet offers a free consultation for any pet suffering from arthritis, hip dysplasia or ligament/cartilage damage. The all-inclusive cost of the same-day procedure is $1800, and they do offer payment plans.

For more information about the procedure, visit: http://www.valuvet.com/stem_cell_therapy.html

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Stem Cell Treatment Helps Pets with Arthritis and Hip Dysplasia

Helping Out highlights some of the many charitable events and activities going on in the Charleston area. Submissions should be sent to dailyjournal@scbiznews.com.

Trident Literacy Association will have a ribbon-cutting ceremony and open house at 11:30 a.m. Thursday for the re-opening of its Summerville location. Trident Literacy, an adult education program that serves the tri-county area, closed two locations in Summerville two years ago because of the difficult economy and its effect on the organizations finances. The Summerville location is at 907-2 Miles Jamison Road.

Tony the Peanut Man, the moniker for Joseph P. Riley Jr. Parks long-time peanut vendor Anthony Wright, got some help from the RiverDogs. After a fire at his home, Wright reportedly suffered about $10,000 in damages to his peanut-boiling equipment that included steel pots and other gear located in the backyard of his West Ashley home. During its games last weekend, the RiverDogs donated a portion of the clubs peanut sales to Wright and set up donation stations at guest services areas.

The Charleston Concert Association is hosting a Moulin Rouge themed auction Thursday with food, drinks and live entertainment by Chamber Music Charleston and Theatre Marvelosa. The event is at 6:30 p.m. at the Mills House Hotel, 115 Meeting St. in Charleston. Silent and live auction items include Bernie Horton paintings, a cooking class with Nathalie Dupree, a week stay at Cabo San Lucas, chefs table at McCradys and fine jewelry from Croghans Jewel Box and Nice Ice. For more information, call 843-727-1216.

In 2007, the Charleston Crab Shacks established The Purple Crab Foundation as a way to support the Hollings Cancer Center. Founders Ryan Condon and Dan Doyle decided to donate all of the profits from their she-crab soup to the foundation. At the same time, they coordinated with South Carolinas Smart State Program to use funds available through the Education Lottery to match these donations dollar for dollar. Since 2007, The Crab Shacks have contributed $17,500 and with the matching program have been able to donate $35,000 to the Hollings Cancer Center. The donations help tobacco-related malignancy research and cancer stem cell biology and therapy.

The Push-Up & Up Challenge Charleston is 9 a.m. to noon Saturday in Marion Square. The first push-ups are set to begin at 9:20 a.m. Push-Up & Up is a nonprofit organization that raises money to support proven programs in dropout prevention. In its fifth year with a push-up competition, Push-Up & Up is partnering with Communities In Schools of the Charleston Area, a nonprofit whose mission is to surround students with a community of support, empowering them to stay in school and achieve in life. Each teams goal is to raise at least $1,000 for CIS dropout prevention programs. Teams of six from the Tri-county community will compete to complete as many push-ups as possible in 30 minutes. Team registration is $150.

On April 18, Eurasia Cafe & Wine Bar prepared the midday meal for East Cooper Meals on Wheels recipients as part of Charleston Chefs Feed the Need. Recipients enjoyed marinated and grilled pork loin, local red potatoes, steamed sugar snap peas and an artisan baguette, all prepared by executive chef Meredith Adams.

Hidden Ponds Nursery & Garden Center in Awendaw is hosting the seventh annual benefit weekend for East Cooper Meals on Wheels. Ten percent of all sales Friday through Sunday will be donated to East Cooper Meals on Wheels. Lunch will be available on Saturday and the grounds will be open all weekend. Hidden Ponds is located at 4863 Highway 17 North.

The BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina Foundation presented a check for $84,700 to The Dorchester Children's Center to honor the group's commitment to protecting and supporting children in crisis in Dorchester County. Dorchester Children's Center will use the grant for the Direct Clinical Services Program, which provides a coordinated, evidence-based response to child abuse that reduces the effects of trauma and administers treatment to victims and their families.

Homeowners falling behind on their mortgage or worried about foreclosure can get help at a program from 1-4 p.m. Saturday at the Otranto Road Regional Library. An approved housing counselor from the S.C. Homeownership and Employment Lending Program will guide residents through the process of saving their home. The program is part of Money Smart Week at your library, a national initiative conducted in partnership with the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago. Celebrating its 11th year, Money Smart Weeks mission is to promote personal financial literacy.

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Helping Out for April 25, 2012

Novelos ( NVLT ): Initiating with an Outperform

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By Grant Zeng, CFA

We are initiating coverage of Novelos ( NVLT ) with an Outperform rating. Our 12-month price target is $2.50.

Novelos is a development stage pharmaceutical company. The Company's unique technology specifically targets cancer and cancer stem cells through interaction with lipid rafts which are enriched in cancer and cancer stem cells.

The advantages the Company's technology lie in its selectivity of cancer-targeting as well as broad spectrum of anticancer activity. Since the lipid rafts are enriched in cancer and cancer stem cells, the Company's three candidates all selectively target these cancer and cancer stem cells. Because lipid rafts are overexpressed in most of cancer and cancer stem cells, this makes the Company's candidates target many types of cancers.

LIGHT has the potential to become the new standard of care for cancer PET imaging due to its selectivity for cancer/cancer stem cells over FDG, current standard of care for cancer PET imaging. LIGHT also has the advantage of delivery range due to its four-day half-life versus F-18 labeled FDG's 110 minutes half-life.

The specific targeting of both cancer and cancer stem cells makes NVLT's HOT/COLD with the efficacy potential to target all three major drivers of mortality in cancer - primary tumors, metastases and stem cell-based relapse , which distinguishes HOT/COLD from all other cancer therapy modalities.

As a new systemic radiotherapy, HOT has the advantage over existing systemic radiotherapeutic Zevalin and Bexxar. The selective interaction with lipid rafts makes HOT a broad spectrum cancer targeting agent since lipid rafts are overexpressed in most of cancer and cancer stem cells. Selective uptake and retention of HOT in cancer stem cells compared with normal cells also offer the prospect of longer lasting cancer remission.

We believe development risk is relatively less for HOT than other early stage cancer therapeutics. HOT exploits a new cancer-selective delivery and retention mechanism, but is paired with a proven and effective radioisotope (I-131) for therapy. Because the therapeutic properties of the iodine-131 are well known, the risk of non-efficacy in human clinical trials is less than that of other cancer therapies at this stage of development. Furthermore, LIGHT PET imaging data is expected to predict efficacy and enable calculation of efficacious doses of HOT for Phase II trials (i.e. LIGHT serves as an ideal and personalized biomarker for HOT).

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Novelos (NVLT): Initiating with an Outperform - Analyst Blog

These days, cancer has a harder time hiding out. With modern imaging tools, inquiring researchers can ogle its every move, from a tumors growth to its inner workings to its effects on surrounding tissues.

Imaging, I think, is made for cancer, says Zaver Bhujwalla, director of the In Vivo Cellular Molecular Imaging Center at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore. You can study so many different aspects of cancer.

For example, scientists can observe metastatic cells changing location in real time or watch for days and weeks as a tumor attracts new vasculature. Utilizing an abundance of tracers and reporter genes, researchers can visualize a cancers biochemistry, including its off-kilter metabolism. They can also monitor where a potential new cancer drug goes and what it does.

With techniques based on radioactivity, light, and sound, an important task for cancer researchers is to make sure we have the correct instrument, says Samuel Achilefu, director of the optical radiology laboratory at Washington University in St. Louis. Lately, one instrument is often not enough, and researchers are combining two or more kinds of images to acquire a picture that includes both anatomical and functional information.

Here, The Scientist takes a look at five imaging options for the cancer researcher, ranging from old standbys to up-and-coming technologies.

REAL-TIME TRACKING OF TUMOR GROWTH: Justin Lathia of the Cleveland Clinic uses intravital microscopy to observe labeled tumor stem cells (green fluorescence) as they induce new vascular growth (yellow fluorescence). The tool allows him to study tissue of a living animal over weeks. Jim Lang

User Justin Lathia, assistant professor of cell biology at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio

Project In collaboration with Jeremy Rich at the Clinic and Alex Huang at Case Western Reserve University, Lathia studies how cancer stem cells drive tumor growth. Using intravital microscopy to view human brain tumors implanted into mice, the team was able to observe what scientists had previously only inferred: that stem cells indeed build the tumor mass (PLoS ONE, 6:e24807, 2011).

Method The researchers cut a window into the skulls of living mice and mounted a glass coverslip in the opening. They took multiple images of the brain over time, using blood vessels as a guide so they could line up their fluorescence microscope over the same spot for every picture.

Applications Intravital microscopy offers a window into many types of cellular activities, such as different cell populations moving around in a tumor, cancer cells interactions with endothelial tissue, and their migration in and out of the bloodstream, in addition to cell division and growth. Intravital microscopy is best suited for observing a small area.

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Eyes on Cancer