Blue Horizon Stem Cells Receive Wright State University IRB Approval for Retrospective Chart Review

Researchers study the benefits of regenerative medicine in spinal cord injury

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Apr 21, 2014, 06:31 ET

NEW YORK, April 21, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Blue Horizon Stem Cells (BHSC), a division of Blue Horizon International, in cooperation with Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine (WSU BSOM), recently received Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval for a retrospective study entitled Spinal Cord Injury Stem Cell Therapy. The study has been determined to meet Federal exemption criteria 45 CFR 46.101 (b).

The approval enables the study team to complete a retrospective chart review of data collected from June to September 2013.

A total of 60 spinal cord injury patients are the subject of this initial retrospective review. Thirty of those patients received three stem cell transplants via intrathecal injection and intravenous infusion with one week intervals with a total of 16 days of treatment. The other 30 received only traditional medicine to treat and manage their spinal cord injury and related symptoms.

The study was conducted at the Stem Cell Centre, Hongqiao Brain Hospital, Wuhan, China and was led by Dongcheng Wu, MD, Ph.D., Professor, Wuhan University School of Basic Medical Science, Director of the Stem Cell Centre, Hongqiao Brain Hospital, and Chief Scientist, Blue Horizon Stem Cells.

"This is a major step forward for our study," said Brian Mehling, M.D., founder and chief medical officer of BHSC. "More importantly, this is an important step forward for all those suffering from spinal cord injury whose quality of life will potentially improve dramatically as a result of the significant work our team is doing."

The research team includes Dr. Mehling; Dr. Wu; You Zhou, M.D., neurologist, Hongqiao Brain Hospital; and Yajuan Gu Qin, M.M.D., Ph.D., Clinical Research Scientist, Blue Horizon Stem Cells. Data analysis and statistical support is being provided by a team of researchers from the WSU BSOM.

"The retrospective chart review will allow us to analyze all the data that has been collected in the past in order to begin to assess whether damaged tissue shows signs of repair and if the functionality of the spinal cord shows signs of repair," said Dr. Wu. "It is our hope that symptoms ranging from pain, to paralysis, to incontinence will be shown to improve."

Uniquely positioned to take advantage of its clinical research, BHI has safely and efficiently performed more than 2,600 procedures, documenting each one while tracking the progress of patients throughout their treatment cycle and follow up. BHI's stem cell therapy program is associated with The Stem Cell Centre, Hongqiao Brain Hospital and Wuhan University School of Basic Medical Science, Wuhan, China and Medissimo Hospital, Bratislava, Slovakia (orthopedic therapies only).

"We are focused on bringing advanced stem cell therapies within reach of a wider audience because we envision a future in which stem cell treatments are preferred over many surgical, pharmacological, and rehabilitative medical services," added Dr. Mehling

Stem cell treatments and therapies also show great promise in the management and treatment of diabetes (Types l and ll), cardiovascular disorders, arthritis, autoimmune disorders, spinal cord injuries, multiple sclerosis, brain trauma, sports trauma, and anti-aging.

Blue Horizon Stem Cell is a division of Blue Horizon International that provides stem cell therapy and research to achieve health benefits. For more information, visit www.bluehorizonstemcells.com.

PRLog ID: www.prlog.org/12310903

SOURCE Blue Horizon International