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).

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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

BYRAM, MS (WLBT) -

9 year old Pretty Girl, a Rottweiler- Lab mix, has been the center of the world for Eugene and Theresa Marble. Eugene in fact, credits her with adding ten years to his life."She's a big part of it. She really is. She actually runs the house."

Theresa also adores Pretty Girl. "She's Saints fan. She has a microchip in case she gets lost."

The much loved pet has brought a lot of joy to the Marbles. And now, as Pretty Girl struggles with osteoarthritis, the couple wants to do something veryspecial for her. "Watching her struggle to walk has been heart wrenching," Theresa said.

Pretty Girl is one of the first two dogs in Mississippi to undergo a stem cell transplant. Dr. Mike Randall performed both procedures at Randall Veterinary Hospital in Byram.

Pretty Girl gets an I-V, anesthesia, and a close shave to the fatty part of her shoulder. Dr. Randall is removing a portion of fat, which is rich in stem cells. "We take the fat, process the fat. We get the stem cells out. We also get blood from the dog. We pull platelet rich plasma which is growth factors for these stem cells. That will cause the stem cells to adhere to those and have them proliferate and become the tissue they need to be," Dr. Randall said.

The debilitating effects of osteoarthritis in Pretty Girl's hind legs are obvious. In the weeks ahead, the stem cells taken from the fat in her shoulder will give her remarkable improvement."Most of your pain is due to inflamed areas of the joint. So these stem cells can go ahead and adhere to the inflamed areas of the joint and begin to repair those," Dr. Randall explained.

Pet owners who opt for stem cell therapyare also encouraged to bank the unused stem cells for later use. That eliminates the need for another fat extraction from the canine patient if the injections need to be repeated.

The success rate of stem celltherapy in dogs for osteoarthritis is about 97 percent. The cost is roughly $1,800.00 andbanking stem cells for later use costs about $150.00 a year.

Copyright 2011 WLBT. All rights reserved.

Originally posted here:
Dog receives first stem cell transplant in Mississippi

Columbia, SC (WLTX) --What if your pet couldn't walk anymore? One Midlands vet is using stem cell therapy to help.

For Beth Phibbs it's almost like a turning back of the hands of time.

"I call her my little miracle dog, because she's doing things she used to do," said Phibbs. "Now she's not on any medication, and she can go up and down the steps and she runs and jumps and things that she used to do when she was five."

Phibbs has spent the last 13 years loving and looking after her pet dog Maggie, and when she pet began to develop arthritis and a limp she had to take action. But when the first treatments stopped working, Phibbs and Maggie had to look to another options, dog stem cell therapy.

"I had no idea that animals were able to have they type of procedures," she said.

Dr. Kenneth Banks a veterinarian with the Bank Animal Hospital, performed the surgery for Maggie using her own stem cells in the one day procedure.

Banks said the stem cell therapy not only cost less than some other options, but was less invasive and had a quicker recovery time as well.

Still with about three similar procedures under his belt, even he didn't expect to see a such change in maggie just 40 days after the surgery.

"I wasn't sure we were gonna get the results this fast, we were expecting results, maybe not a good as she's done. We're real happy with her results," said Banks.

Now, after three years on medication and walking with a limp, Maggie's getting used to a new way of life -- one with out pain in her golden years.

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Midlands Vet Uses Stem Cell Therapy for Pets in Pain

SUNRISE, Fla., March 22, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Bioheart, Inc. (OTCBB:BHRT.OB - News), a company focused on developing stem cell therapies for heart disease, previously announced that they entered into an agreement with Stemlogix, LLC, a veterinary regenerative medicine company, to provide additional cellular products and services to the veterinary market. Under this agreement, the companies are offering stem cell banking for veterinary patients (pets). WPLG, channel 10 featured this exciting technology in a news segment which aired in the South Florida area. A small sample of tissue can be obtained from the animals during a routine procedure such as a spay or neuter. The stem cells are isolated and cryopreserved for future use as needed.

"We are excited to bring our expertise in stem cell therapy to the veterinary community," said Mike Tomas, Bioheart's President and CEO. "Stem cell therapies represent new opportunities for various types of patients and the ability to bank a pet's cells when they are young and healthy could be very valuable for future use."

WPLG, Channel 10 in Miami/South Florida featured this new technology in a news segment which aired March 15, 2012. Please see the link below:

http://www.local10.com/thats-life/health/Pet-stem-cells-frozen-banked-for-future-use/-/1717022/9285894/-/apcx9rz/-/index.html

About Bioheart, Inc.

Bioheart is committed to maintaining its leading position within the cardiovascular sector of the cell technology industry delivering cell therapies and biologics that help address congestive heart failure, lower limb ischemia, chronic heart ischemia, acute myocardial infarctions and other issues. Bioheart's goals are to cause damaged tissue to be regenerated, when possible, and to improve a patient's quality of life and reduce health care costs and hospitalizations.

Specific to biotechnology, Bioheart is focused on the discovery, development and, subject to regulatory approval, commercialization of autologous cell therapies for the treatment of chronic and acute heart damage and peripheral vascular disease. Its leading product, MyoCell, is a clinical muscle-derived cell therapy designed to populate regions of scar tissue within a patient's heart with new living cells for the purpose of improving cardiac function in chronic heart failure patients. For more information on Bioheart, visit http://www.bioheartinc.com.

About Stemlogix, LLC

Stemlogix is an innovative veterinary regenerative medicine company committed to providing veterinarians with the ability to deliver the best possible stem cell therapy to dogs, cats and horses at the point-of-care. Stemlogix provides veterinarians with the ability to isolate regenerative stem cells from a patient's own adipose (fat) tissue directly on-site within their own clinic or where a patient is located. Regenerative stem cells isolated from adipose tissue have been shown in studies to be effective in treating animal's suffering from osteoarthritis, joint diseases, tendon injuries, heart disorders, among other conditions. Stemlogix has a highly experienced management team with experience in setting up full scale cGMP stem cell manufacturing facilities, stem cell product development & enhancement, developing point-of-care cell production systems, developing culture expanded stem cell production systems, FDA compliance, directing clinical & preclinical studies with multiple cell types for multiple indications, and more. For more information about veterinary regenerative medicine please visit http://www.stemlogix.com.

Forward-Looking Statements: Except for historical matters contained herein, statements made in this press release are forward-looking statements. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, words such as "may," "will," "to," "plan," "expect," "believe," "anticipate," "intend," "could," "would," "estimate," or "continue" or the negative other variations thereof or comparable terminology are intended to identify forward-looking statements.

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Bioheart Labs and Stemlogix Veterinary Products Featured in Media

FREEHOLD, NJ--(Marketwire -03/21/12)- United Health Products, Inc. (OTCQB: UEEC.PK - News) (Pinksheets: UEEC.PK - News), which develops and markets products and technologies in the healthcare sector, today announced that Epic Wound Care Inc., its wholly-owned subsidiary, has executed a Distribution Agreement with BioVentive Inc. for the exclusive rights to distribute its Hemostyp product line into the veterinarian market both domestically and internationally.

In the United States, the American Pet Products Association estimates that 62% of all households own a pet (i.e., dog, cat, horse, bird, fish or reptile) which equates to 72.9 million homes. The American Veterinary Medical Association estimates that the number of procedures performed on animals, whether due to injury or health related issues exceeds 10 million, annually. Hemostyp gauze technology is designed to absorb exudate/drainage from superficial wounds and assists the veterinarian in expediting the delivery of service.

Dr. Phillip Forman, United's CEO, said, "I am very excited about Epic entering into this agreement with BioVentive to promote our products in the veterinarian market. The absorption quality inherent in our Hemostyp products can now be implemented in numerous fashions in the treatment of pets including tooth extractions and superficial trauma."

"Hemostyp is the key product line that helps position our company to offer advanced life saving technology, at the right price, to achieve significant market share in the worldwide veterinarian market over the next 12 months," says Brett Nauta, President of BioVentive, Inc."

About United Health Products, Inc.United Health Products, Inc. (UEEC) develops, manufactures and markets products and technologies in the healthcare sector. UEEC's operating subsidiary Epic Wound Care, Inc. produces hemostatic gauze, derived from regenerated oxidized cellulose, which is all natural and designed to absorb exudate/drainage from superficial wounds. UEEC is focused on identifying emerging healthcare products and technologies for strategic partnership or acquisition.

About BioVentive, Inc.BioVentive is a private company based in California that sells and distributes products to the medical and veterinary markets. BioVentive markets products that consist of enhanced infection prevention solutions, stem cell therapies and collection, and specialized wound care products and solutions. Its over 100 member sales force includes specialists to service the genetic therapy and wound care management in the veterinarian market. The company works both as a direct re-seller and channel partner of major worldwide distributors.

Safe Harbor StatementSafe Harbor Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: This news release may contain forward-looking information within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, including statements that include the words "believes," "expects," "anticipates" or similar expressions. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements.

Continued here:
United Health Products Announces Distributor to the Veterinarian Market