New Life with Stem Cells 

        Cord blood stem cell transplants have already changed—and saved—thousands of lives around the world. They have already been used to treat more than 75 diseases, including numerous types of malignancies, anemia's, inherited metabolic disorders and deficiencies of the immune system.

        A stem cell is a remarkable cell, as it has the amazing ability to change into a variety of different cell types in the body such as heart muscle cells, brain cells, and skin cells. Stem cells, which are often referred to as one of the body's "master cells," can grow into any one of the body's more than 200 cell types.  Stem cells assist the body in maintaining, renewing and repairing tissue and cells damaged by disease, injury and everyday life. . They have already been used to treat more than 75 diseases. If you think about it, stem cells act as the internal repair system for the body. The magic begins when a stem cell divides. Each new cell has the potential to either remain a stem cell or become another type of cell with a more specialized function such as a muscle cell, a red blood cell, or a brain cell.  Stem cells also have the capability to self-renew, meaning they can reproduce themselves many times over.

         Stem cells can create additional cells and may later be transplanted or used for a variety of medical procedures. This is why stem cells are collected and stored.

Different Types of Stem Cells

        Umbilical cord blood and bone marrow are two sources of stem cells that may sound familiar to people. Both umbilical cord blood and bone marrow contain a type of adult stem cell. Adult stem cells, which come from the tissue of live human beings, are currently the only type of stem cell commonly used to treat human diseases. Now, with cord blood banking, stem cells can be properly preserved if and when they are ever needed. Read about other sources of adult stem cells.

        Embryonic stem cells come from human embryos that are a few days old. Cells from these embryos can be used to create stem cell "lines"- cell cultures that can be grown indefinitely in the laboratory. Embryonic stem cell research can sometimes be considered controversial. Unlike adult stem cells (such as those from umbilical cord blood); embryonic stem cells are not currently used as treatment options for people.

Bone Marrow

        The bone marrow is a soft, spongy tissue found inside the bones. The bone marrow in the hips, breast bone, spine, ribs, and skull contain cells that produce the body's blood cells. The bone marrow is responsible for the development and storage of most of the body's blood cells. The three main types of blood cells produced in the bone marrow include:

• red blood cells (erythrocytes) - carry oxygen to the tissues in the body.
• white blood cells (leukocytes) - help fight infections and to aid in the immune system.
• platelets - help with blood clotting.

Each of these cells carries a life-maintaining function. The bone marrow is a vital part of the human body.

What are stem cells?

        Every type of blood cell in the bone marrow begins as a stem cell. Stem cells are immature cells that are able to produce other blood cells that mature and function as needed.

        Stem cells are the most important cells needed in a bone marrow transplant. Stem cells, when transplanted, find their way to the recipient's marrow and begin to differentiate and produce all types of blood cells that are needed by the body. There is test for bone marrow. It's called as "Bone Marrow Biopsy and Aspiration." Let's see the Bone marrow biopsy and aspiration test.

Bone marrow biopsy and aspiration

        Bone marrow biopsy and bone marrow aspiration are procedures to collect and examine bone marrow — the spongy tissue inside some of your larger bones. Bone marrow biopsy and bone marrow aspiration can show whether your bone marrow is healthy and making normal amounts of blood cells. Doctors use bone marrow biopsy and aspiration to diagnose and monitor blood and marrow diseases, including some cancers.

        Why it’s done?  Bone marrow biopsy and bone marrow aspiration offer detailed information about the condition of your bone marrow and blood cells. Your doctor may order a bone marrow exam if blood tests, such as cell counts, are abnormal or don't provide enough information about a suspected problem. Examining bone marrow gives a detailed picture of the types, amount and condition of forming blood cells.

Your doctor may perform a bone marrow exam to:

• ·         Diagnose a disease or condition involving the bone marrow or blood cells
• ·         Determine the stage or progression of a disease
• ·         Check iron levels and metabolism
• ·         Monitor treatment of a disease

Bone marrow biopsy and aspiration may be used for many conditions. These include:

• ·         Anemia
• ·         Bone marrow disorders, such as myelodysplastic syndrome and myelofibrosis
• ·         Blood cell conditions in which too few or too many of certain types of blood cells are produced,   such as leukopenia, leukocytosis, thrombocytopenia, thrombocytosis, pancytopenia and polycythemia
• ·         Cancers of the blood or bone marrow, including leukemias, lymphomas and multiple myeloma
• ·         Cancers that have spread from another area, such as breast, into the bone marrow
• ·         Hemochromatosis
• ·         Infections

        A bone marrow biopsy and a bone marrow aspiration offer different, but complementary, information about your bone marrow cells. The two procedures are most often performed together. In some cases, you may need only an aspiration.

        Bone marrow has a fluid portion and a more solid portion. In bone marrow aspiration, your doctor uses a needle to withdraw a sample of the fluid portion. In a bone marrow biopsy, a larger needle is used to take a sample of the solid part.

        Bone marrow biopsy and bone marrow aspiration are often done at the same time. Together, bone marrow biopsy and aspiration may be called a bone marrow exam.

Risks Bone marrow exams are safe procedures. Complications are rare but can include:

• ·          Excessive bleeding, particularly in people with a low platelet count
• ·         Infection, especially in people with weakened immune systems
• ·         Long-lasting discomfort at the biopsy site
• ·         Penetration of the breastbone (sternum) during sternal aspirations, which can cause heart or lung problems
• ·         Complications related to sedation, such as an allergic reaction, nausea or irregular heartbeats

Umbilical Cord Blood Cells

        After delivery, the umbilical cord is detached from the new-born baby. The blood left in this cord has hematopoietic (blood) stem cells, which can be used for treating many diseases. The collection process is very easy and painless, with no harm to the child or the mother. These cells are very rare; they are also found in bone marrow. The hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) have the ability to make red cells, white cells and platelets in the blood. For the past many years, these cells from bone marrow are used for curing blood diseases.

        With Cryobanks India, more and more expectant parents are now looking forward to saving their baby’s cord blood. Latest technologies are used for storing the blood cells safely for future use. In comparison to bone marrow cells, there are many benefits of cord blood banking. They are easy to collect and store, and are readily available for treatments. Even the problems of Graft versus Host Disease are less with cord blood cells. People can use them against cancerous blood disorders or other genetic diseases. In stem cell therapy, the patient is injected with these blood cells. They start to regenerate new cells while replacing the withered cells in the body. The recovery process might take some time, but the results are long-lasting.

        However, there are certain limitations too. With cord blood cells, treatments on non-blood-related diseases are not done till date. Many researchers are looking out for solutions by doing different experiments. Another limitation is that a single cord blood does not have as many hematopoietic cells as found in bone marrow. Thus, treating an adult patient with cord blood becomes difficult as they require more HSCs. Therefore, different researches are being done for solving this issue. In many laboratories, focus is given in increasing the total count of HSCs by multiplying the cells. Researchers believe that in the future, the use of umbilical cord blood stem cells is going to increase as its potential is very high.

Stem cell banking: Rapid increase in popularity

         Stem cell banking is becoming popular day by day, as people are discovering the power of cells against various diseases. These cells are found in the cord blood that remains in the placenta and in the attached umbilical cord. After the child takes birth, the cord is detached from the newborn as it contains the stem cells. It is saved with proper medication. This facility of storing the cords safely is provided by stem cell banks.

        The cord blood contains all the elements of blood: white blood cells, platelets, red blood cells and plasma as well as hematopoietic cells. Genetic disorders can be cured by these hematopoietic cells. Stem cells have the ability to renew themselves into specific cells through mitotic cell division as per the requirement of the body. Banking cells is a simple, safe and painless procedure in which the cord blood is collected and is then transferred to the laboratory. For long-term preservation, it is stored frozen in cryogenic storage tanks. Storing your baby’s stem cells is like a lifelong investment towards his/her healthy future as well as for the family’s future. This is because not only the child gets benefits, the family member having the same blood group can also use same cells. Families that have hereditary diseases must opt for bank stem cells.

        These banks are expensive as they provide a high-quality service. The price rate varies from one bank to the other. So before choosing any one of them, you can compare the rates. Nowadays, for long-term preservation, the umbilical cord is also stored. Some current therapies like bone marrow transplantation are already using stem cells. Stem cell banking gives the assurance of an advanced cord blood repository with an excellent storage conditions for providing precious stem cells. They keep the samples safe and always take proper steps to ensure quality.

I AM WHAT I AM

           This business leader belongs to the Sahu Jain Family, the Industrial family of India. She was born in September 08, 1936(age 76). She is from Agarwal Jain Community and hails from a small town of Najibabad, Uttar Pradesh. A widow with two sons named Samir Jain and Vineet Jain who now control the Times Group, she has taken the Times Group to a new level. This 76 year old Indian women entrepreneur handles the philanthropic genre of the Times Foundation. Indu writes spiritual columns in her papers and is an active supporter of women's rights and fighter for various social problems existing in the country. She encourages budding entrepreneurs and gives them a chance to shine with their abilities and make way for themselves in the world. Recently, Indian Congress of Women (ICW) awarded Indu Jain with an International Lifetime Achievement Award. The Times Group is India's most profitable media company, and enjoys 50 percent urban market share of English dailies. Indu Jain as a Chairperson of Times Group and a true matriarch, acts as the guiding force of the group, and continues to infuse new energy into it, leading ways and heading all.

           Company Profile: Bennett Coleman & Co. Ltd is the nation's largest media group. It was founded in the year 1838, and is based in Mumbai, India. In 1948, Ram Krishna Dalmia sold out the company to the present group, his son-in law, Sahu Shanti Prasad. It provides media publishing services such as Magazines, Internet and newspapers. Huge brand names such as The Economic Times, Times of India, Femina, Sandhya Times, Times FM and Filmfare are under its ownership. Along with this, various television channels such as Times Now, Zoom and ET Now; and FM radio network like Radio Mirchi also constitute its holdings. The Times Group acts as its supreme fame-generating source. It is the most circulated English daily newspaper, and is accordingly headed by Indu's sons Vineet and Samir. It was acquired from a British group, and today sells more than 3 million copies worldwide. It employs over7000 employees, publishes five dailies including two largest in the country, owns fifteen publishing centers, fifteen printing centers and fifty-five sales offices. It further runs two lead magazines, twenty-nine niche magazines, thirty two radio stations and two television channels, producing a turnover in excess of USD 700 million.

Indu, carefully guides every step taken towards the development of The Times Foundation, and has successfully collected national and international acclaim for it. New Delhi is the landmark for its headquarters.

BCCL strives to provide high quality of content in all its spheres of activity. Today, it has risen to the position of India's largest media conglomerate. Initially, it was present in areas of print media, but it's century old policy of innovation and birth of fresh ideas has diversified it into new fields. The company gets its name from the partnership of Thomas Bennett, The Times of India's first professional editor and F M Coleman.

The Bhartiya Jnanipath, which was established in 1944, by the then President of BCCL, awarded excellence in creative literary writing to Indians in any language. Today, this prestigious award lies within the powers of Indu Jain, herself. She is the chairperson of the Bhartiya Jnanipath Trust, and rightfully heads the post being a true patron of art and literature herself.

            

              Indu Jain's Career: A humanist, an Indian women entrepreneur, spiritualist, educationalist and patron of art and culture, Indu Jain is also the founder President of the Ladies Wing of FICCI and Bhartiya Jnanpith Trust which hosts India's most prestigious and highest literary award (Jnanpith Award). She was ranked 317 richest person in the World and India's top 20 richest person. She is a strong believer of oneness among faiths and has spread this message in UN at the Millennium World Peace Summit.

She is a strong believer of oneness among faiths and has spread this message in UN at the Millennium World Peace Summit.

             Beliefs: She is a Strong believer of oneness and follow it in her firm. She is an active supporter of women’s rights.      Under her guidance, the Times Foundation runs community services, research groups and relief funds for various disaster relief such as floods, cyclones, earthquake etc.  She encourages budding  entrepreneurs and believes in their abilities to shine, and make way for themselves in the world.

             Achievements: She addressed the United Nations in 2000 at the ‘Millennium World peace Summit’ of Religious and Spiritual Leaders. The Oneness Forum recently awarded the ‘Mahatma Mahavira awards’. The president of BCCL, awarded excellence in creative literary writing to Indians in any language and the Prestigious awarded lies with Indu Jain. Recently, India Congress of Women (ICW) awarded Indu Jain with an ‘International Lifetime Achievement’ award.

             Failures: Doubts have been raised on the credibility of reports published in the TOI, time and again. Revenue generation through advertisements is amongst the most easy and efficient route, taken up by the media. Although, its usage is inevitable, the ever-rising advertisements in TOI, at times, mislead the reader from the news, and direct him towards the flashy advertisements.

The recession of 2009 acted as a bonanza for its chairperson, shifting her a few places ahead in her billionaire list, like her contemporaries. While the crisis had hit the poor and the working class hardest, the billionaires whose greed and unscrupulousness caused it in the first place, only grew richer; this act became an unethical blotch on Indu, although she might not be blamed for any of it directly.

             Mantra for maintaining work-life balance: Our  inner growth must match Our material growth and achievements. Learning, Living and Actions…. move in Oneness. There is no positive. There is no negative. Simply, there ‘is’. She is the matriarch of the most powerful media group in the country, estimated to be worth over $4-billion (Rs 18,400 crore). Indu Jain, Chairman of the privately-held The Times Group, hardly fits into any prototype of power-women, but she wears her power with a style that is her very own. Known to be an ardent follower of Sri Sri Ravi Shankar and Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev, Jain has pushed through her unique spiritual, cultural and social sensibility into Bennett, Coleman & Company, her group’s flagship. At the same time, she is also known to have pushed through the agenda of internal audit, or, management assurance system, earlier on. She is the founder of The Times Foundation and is also the Chairperson of Bhartiya Jnanpith Foundation.

            The Symbol of Matriarchy: A spiritualist at heart, Indu handles the philanthropic genre of the Times foundation. She also writes spiritual columns for it. She is an active supporter of women's rights, and her passionate fight for various causes is well-known.

Under her guidance, the Times Foundation runs community services, research groups and relief funds for various disaster reliefs such as floods, cyclones, earthquakes and epidemics. She encourages budding entrepreneurs and believes in their abilities to shine, and make way for themselves in the world.

She stressed the need for oneness among faiths, in her speech at the United Nations in 2000, at the Millennium World Peace Summit of religious and spiritual leaders. The Oneness Forum, formally launched by the President of India in 2003, also works under the leadership of Indu Jain.

Recently, Indian Congress of Women (ICW) awarded Indu Jain, an International Lifetime Achievement Award, with women empowerment being the event's backdrop theme. She is the founder President of the Ladies wing of FICCI (FLO).

Today, The Times Group is India's most profitable media company, and enjoys 50 percent urban market share of English dailies. Indu Jain acts as the guiding force of the group, and continues to infuse new energy into it, leading ways and heading all, like a true matriarch.

NATURAL PAIN KILLERS IN YOUR KITCHEN

NATURAL PAIN KILLERS IN YOUR KITCHEN

Make muscle pain a memory with ginger

When Danish researchers asked achy people to jazz up their diets with ginger, it eased muscle and joint pain, swelling and stiffness for up to 63 percent of them within two months. Experts credit ginger’s potent compounds called gingerols, which prevent the production of pain-triggering hormones. The study-recommended dose: Add at least 1 teaspoon of dried ginger or 2 teaspoons of chopped ginger to meals daily.

Cure a toothache with cloves

Got a toothache and can’t get to the dentist? Gently chewing on a clove can ease tooth pain and gum inflammation for two hours straight, say UCLA researchers. Experts point to a natural compound in cloves called eugenol, a powerful, natural anesthetic. Bonus: Sprinkling a ¼ teaspoon of ground cloves on meals daily may also protect your ticker. Scientists say this simple action helps stabilize blood sugar, plus dampen production of artery-clogging cholesterol in as little as three weeks.

Erase earaches with garlic 

Painful ear infections drive millions of Americans to doctors’ offices every year. To cure one fast, just place two drops of warm garlic oil into your aching ear twice daily for five days. This simple treatment can clear up ear infections faster than prescription meds, say experts at the University of New Mexico School of Medicine. Scientists say garlic’s active ingredients (germanium, selenium, and sulfur compounds) are naturally toxic to dozens of different pain-causing bacteria. To whip up your own garlic oil gently simmer three cloves of crushed garlic in a half a cup of extra virgin olive oil for two minutes, strain, then refrigerate for up to two weeks, suggests Teresa Graedon, Ph.D., co-author of the book, Best Choices From The People’s Pharmacy. For an optimal experience, warm this mix slightly before using so the liquid will feel soothing in your ear canal.

Tame chronic pain with turmeric
Studies show turmeric, a popular East Indian spice, is actually three times more effective at easing pain than aspirin,ibuprofen or naproxen, plus it can help relieve chronic pain for 50 percent of people struggling with arthritis and even fibromyalgia, according to Cornell researchers. That’s because turmeric’s active ingredient, curcumin, naturally shuts down cyclooxygenase 2, an enzyme that churns out a stream of pain-producing hormones, explains nutrition researcher Julian Whitaker, M.D. and author of the book, Reversing Diabetes. The study-recommended dose: Sprinkle 1/4 teaspoon of this spice daily onto any rice, poultry, meat or vegetable dish.

End Endometrial Pain with Oats
The ticket to soothing endometriosis pain could be a daily bowl of oatmeal. Endometriosis occurs when little bits of the uterine lining detach and grow outside of the uterus. Experts say these migrating cells can turn menstruation into a misery, causing so much inflammation that they trigger severe cramping during your period, plus a heavy ache that drags on all month long. Fortunately, scientists say opting for a diet rich in oats can help reduce endometrial pain for up to 60 percent of women within six months. That’s because oats don’t contain gluten, a trouble-making protein that triggers inflammation in many women, making endometriosis difficult to bear, explains Peter Green, M.D., professor of medicine at Colombia University .

Relax painful muscles with peppermint
Suffering from tight, sore muscles? Stubborn knots can hang around for months if they aren’t properly treated, says naturopath Mark Stengler, N.D., author of the book, The Natural Physician’s Healing Therapies. His advice: Three times each week, soak in a warm tub scented with 10 drops of peppermint oil. The warm water will relax your muscles, while the peppermint oil will naturally soothe your nerves -- a combo that can ease muscle cramping 25 percent more effectively than over-the-counter painkillers, and cut the frequency of future flare-ups in half, says Stengler.



Give your back some TLC with grapes
Got an achy back? Grapes could be the ticket to a speedy recovery. Recent studies at Ohio State University suggest eating a heaping cup of grapes daily can relax tight blood vessels, significantly improving blood flow to damaged back tissues (and often within three hours of enjoying the first bowl). That’s great news because your back’s vertebrae and shock-absorbing discs are completely dependent on nearby blood vessels to bring them healing nutrients and oxygen, so improving blood flow is essential for healing damaged back tissue, says Stengler.




Heal sinus problems with horseradish
Latest studies show sinusitis is the nation’s number one chronic health problem. And this condition doesn't just spur congestion and facial pain, it also makes sufferers six times more likely to feel achy all-over. Horseradish to the rescue! According to German researchers, this eye-watering condiment naturally revs up blood flow to the sinus cavities, helping to open and drain clogged sinuses and heal sinus infections more quickly than decongestant sprays do. The study-recommended dose: One teaspoon twice daily (either on its own, or used as a sandwich or   meat topping) until symptoms clear.