Although there are no accurate data for concordance rates of leukemia in infant twins, anecdotally it seems to be exceptionally high, perhaps approaching one hundred percent that is, if one twin has it, unfortunately so will the other. If correct, this suggests that MLL gene fusion in utero has a dramatic impact, ensuring subsequent leukemia. But for children aged two to six years with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, the concordance rate is considerably lower at around five percent. This still represents a one hundred fold extra risk of leukemia for the twin of a patient with acute lymphoblastic leukemia but also indicates the need for some additional postnatal event for which there is a one in twenty chance, or ninety five percent discordance. This suggests, at a minimum, a ?two hit? model for the natural course of childhood leukemia.
If this model of leukemia development is correct, then, for every child with acute lymphoblastic leukemia diagnosed, there should be at least twenty healthy children who have had a chromosome translocation, a functional leukemia fusion gene, and a covert preleukaemic clone generated in utero. This possibility has been investigated by screening unselected samples of newborn cord blood for fusion genes. About six hundred samples have been screened, and around one percent have a leukemia TEL?AML1 fusion gene. This one percent represents a hundred times the cumulative rate or risk of acute lymphoblastic leukemia, indicating that the frequency of conversion of the preleukaemic clone to overt disease is low. The real bottleneck in development of acute lymphoblastic leukemia therefore seems to be a stringent requirement for a second ?hit? after birth?that is, exposure and additional chromosomal or molecular abnormality.
A key issue to resolve is what exposures or events might precipitate the chromosome breaks whose improper repair initiates or promotes childhood leukemia. Given the biological diversity of leukemia, it is highly unlikely that there is a single cause. Even for a defined biological subtype of the disease, there probably is not one cause as such but a causal mechanism. As with other cancers, this is likely to involve an interaction of exposure, exogenous or endogenous, with inherent genetic susceptibility, and chance. Epidemiological evidence suggests that ionizing radiation; certain chemicals such as benzene, viruses, and bacteria may play a part in the development of some subtypes of leukemia and lymphoma in adults and children. Whether any of these exposures have a major role in childhood leukemia is uncertain, but large scale case control molecular epidemiological studies in Britain and the United States may provide answers. The United Kingdom children's cancer study (UKCCS) seeks to address several hypotheses on different exposures, combined with definition of biological subtypes of disease and genetic studies. It and a parallel US study have already ruled out electromagnetic fields as a major factor in leukemia aetiology.
Having extracted from the cord blood at birth and stored in a or a is a way to protect your child from future diseases. It can be very useful as it contains hematopoietic stem cells, progenitor cells. The stem cells in the cord blood are mainly used to treat blood and immune system related genetic diseases, cancers and blood disorders like diabetes or leukemia.
BANGKOK, Thailand 9 January, 2007 - Peter Irwin from Surfers Paradise in Australia looks the picture of health. He and his Thai partner are in Bangkok for a check-up and a holiday a time to relax and for his pregnant partner to visit family. He sounds both positive and optimistic as he recounts his dramatic story.
After a twenty year history of admissions to ICU wards I was finally advised that at 55 years of age I had Dilated Cardiomyopathy with some Ischaemic Heart Disease. I was given a fifty to sixty percent chance of lasting ten years, he recounts. Then my condition became far worse. Two years ago, after an Angiogram that had to be stopped due to severe chest pain, I was told there was nothing more that could be done for me. The odds lowered to a fifty percent chance of living two years. The cardiologist, almost as an aside, mentioned that my only hope lay in stem cell therapy but he knew little about it. I contacted St Vincents Hospital in Sydney who were doing a clinical experimental group, but I fell outside their entry criteria as they were only treating arterial diseases.
Rather than accept his future Peter took action and did an Internet search for any help he could find. He discovered a Thai -Israeli company called Theravitae who were treating end-stage cardiac patients in Bangkok with startling levels of success and contacted them. I emailed and also spoke with their staff, who were endlessly patient of my many questions. I also spoke with several local Australian cardiologists who were mainly negative but who knew little about stem cell therapy for the failing heart, but what did I have to lose? So I went ahead and on October 4, 2005 I had some 250cc of my blood withdrawn which was flown to the laboratory. Five days later I had the blood, now mightily enriched with millions more stem cells, injected by catheter into my damaged and struggling heart. This simple and safe procedure took place at the Bangkok Heart Hospital.
I was very impressed with the hospital staff and facilities and the very high level of professionalism they all displayed. For three months nothing much seemed to be happening, but an MRI at four months showed my Ejection Fraction (a measure of the hearts pumping efficiency) had risen 50 percent. By six months I was feeling much better and I have continued to improve. My whole life has changed and despite having to cope with many personal problems my attitude and outlook are very positive. I now have a purpose for living which I had lost due to my health problems, so I am very thankful, he said.
Not content with simply having stem cell therapy Peter also made changes to his diet, lifestyle and attitude to gain the maximum benefits from his medical treatment. He's now a vegetarian, 20kg lighter and looking forward to becoming a parent again. He believes that all these factors, combining with his VesCell stem cell therapy's work in repairing his heart, have given him a new lease on life.
I'm deeply in love and have been given a second chance at life. Who could ask for more? he said. I've just had a complete medical check-up and all my vital statistics have improved markedly. But for me the greatest improvement has been that I can enjoy a far better quality of life and I have high expectations of a very positive future, he added. If you are beyond hope of treatment because of heart disease all is not lost. Almost every day research is being published that shows just how many seriously ill heart patients can be returned to a life they thought they had lost.
Both Wayne Chadse & Jon Whyte are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Wayne Chadse has sinced written about articles on various topics from Cancer, Stem Cell. Wayne Channon, Director of Cells4Life Ltd, a and . T. Wayne Chadse's top article generates over 1900 views. to your Favourites.
Jon Whyte has sinced written about articles on various topics from Stem Cell. Jon Whyte is a freelance journalist working in Bangkok. He writes mainly about travel and health and is also a copywriter and editor. is a private, m. Jon Whyte's top article generates over 1900 views. to your Favourites.