The Cheney Clinic » Stem Cells

Stem cell results as of April 2010

Paul Cheney — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 01:11:15 +0000

We are now close to 20 CFS patients who have received stem cell transfusions primarily in Panama at SCI and coming up on 8 with 12-18 months of follow-up in June. We have three functional cures (KPS of 75-80) both clinically and by ETM, all under 36 years of age (N=3). A KPS of 75 means they can work full time with accommodation and 80 means they can work full time without accommodation in their job of choice. All three started at KPS’s of 50(2) to 60(1). Two of these functional cures have been sick for almost 20 years, one for 8 years, two are male and one is female.

Stem cell results in a family of three seven months out from treatment

Paul Cheney — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 04:19:41 +0000

Three family members, mother, son and daughter, all with CFS, were evaluated recently in my clinic. They all became sick in Prague, the Czech Republic, on the mothers sabbatical LOA from her college teaching position after all had a chicken-pox like illness. They are all seven months out from stem cell therapy in Panama. They all have improved significantly following stem cell therapy with the daughter claiming a complete cure after 17 years of illness at the age of 29. She is the second stem cell patient claiming a complete cure and includes an unrelated 23 year old male patient, also 7 months out from stem cells. Both cures took at least 90 days to become manifest with the first thirty days exhibiting significant hypersomnolence and with little energy to do much and typical for all the CFS stem cell patients (N=13).

Nine-month post-stem cell follow-up results

Paul Cheney — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 14:12:38 +0000

I recently saw my longest follow-up stem cell patient at nine months out from stem cell treatment. This 57 yr old medically retired nurse was a KPS of 40 prior to stem cell therapy and an invalid with basic ADL assistance provided by her husband in the three months prior to stem cells given in early February 2009. She was essentially bed or couch bound and quite ill at times. Over the first three months post-transfusion, not much happened except notable hypersomnolence which is typical for post-stem cell CFS cases. Her family noted, however, that she looked and acted as if she felt better but she remained largely couch and bed-bound with limited function.

Beginning at three months she began to improve functionally in a slow linear fashion and by early June attended a family reunion and actually water skied, cooked, cleaned and walked daily for the first time in years. She noted to her husband that she was 95% recovered. In the two months after the reunion, she had a mild relapse attributed in part to her over-extension during the reunion. In the last month she has rebounded and now cooks, shops, engages in some limited hobbies and goes out socially with friends. She does feel limited in choice of activities, in part, because she fears a relapse. I estimate her KPS at 65 as she notes she could live alone and engage in regular hobbies. She could not work a regular part-time job, however.

I though she looked great with glowing, pink skin and seemed alert and very relaxed and rested compared to her gray, haggard look in February. Her exam was largely unremarkable except for slightly increased ankle jerks at 3-4+ and a positive augmented Tandem Stance as in her May visit. She failed to desaturate on breath-old. Her B/P was up to 120/82 c/w 90/60 in January.

On echo she demonstrated continued pseudonormal diastolic dysfunction but with a pretty good cardiac output for her size and a normal IVRT for age at 88 msec. Her ETM was spectacularly improved and is the first CFS case with a normalized pLiver and Fructose backflash. The amplitudes of her only two remaining significant backflashes were 40% improved over May and at low, single digits (3%). Of the seven backflashes the typical CFS ETM shows, she only has three left and one of the three is only 2% while the other two are at 3% which is significantly better than any other patient in the practice by far. Her ETM is both quantitatively and qualitatively improved over May and even better c/w January suggesting the stem cells remain active at nine months out.

She was XMRV antigen negative in May. Antibody status is unknown. TGF Beta 1 was significantly improved in February as were many other tests but we are awaiting a whole list of tests from this visit. MSQ and SF-36 SF are pending but should be significantly improved. She takes Artesunate and Wormwood 5-days per week as part of her protocol. Her favorite medicine is Inosine for its punch and not an uncommon statement in my practice.

Stem Cells Update at The Cheney Clinic

Paul Cheney — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 19:29:14 +0000

The Cheney Clinic has now treated eight CFS patients in recent months using adult stem cells derived from the afterbirth of normal, healthy new-born infants. This current research direction is an outgrowth of the clinic’s research efforts over the last nine years using cell associated therapies which can broadly adjust the biological terrain. Dr. Cheney feels that such therapies hold the best chance of success in complex, chronic illness such as CFS. This current treatment approach using adult stem cells is being accomplished off-shore primarily due to financial barriers within the United States.