Archive for the ‘Tissue Transplant’ Category

Active teenager defies the medical odds thanks to tissue donor

Thursday, August 26th, 2010

We are pleased to introduce our 2011 Tournament of Roses Donate Life float rider 

In 2006 Parker Simpson was an active teenager, ambitious academically and involved in a number of sports including football, lacrosse and wrestling. It was that year, as a high school sophomore, that a sports injury to his ankle soon landed him on the doctor’s table. Parker discovered that he had developed osteomyelitis, a staph infection of the bone, in his tibia and fibula. But he couldn’t have foreseen that this was the beginning of a trying medical journey that would test the resolve of both him and his family for years to come.

Parker was faced with possible amputation of his leg several times as a result of the infection. A successive back injury was further complicated due to the existing illness in his bones. He underwent numerous operations to combat the ankle and back afflictions, resulting in a fused ankle and foot, and yet his young body was just beginning its battle to survive. Read more

AlloSource perspective on use of amniotic membrane to repair human articular cartilage

Monday, July 26th, 2010

I found this article very interesting and intriguing as it relates to the repair of articular cartilage utilizing amnion tissue, the membrane that encases the placenta.  As the article conveys, it is a versatile tissue that has the potential to serve as a solution to the challenges of healing wounds and other soft tissue ailments.  What is also great is that it makes use of the placenta following c-section births, when it would otherwise be discarded.  Most recently, several companies have begun manufacturing and distributing amnion to assist surgeons with procedures involving neurology, spine and orthopedics.  I look forward to providing the medical community with new ways to use amnion.  Check out the article I read to learn more about how amnion tissue could be used in the future. 
- Tom Carter, Product Manager

Association of Organ Procurement Organizations Annual Meeting: First-person account from AlloSource Rep

Tuesday, July 13th, 2010

AOPO Logo

The theme of this year’s 27th annual meeting of the Association of Organ Procurement Organizations (AOPO) was Focus on the Future.

The Tissue Council Meeting headed up the agenda on day one. The Tissue Council membership is made up of representatives from many different OPOs and tissue banks across the country.  The highlight of the council meeting was a panel discussion held between attendees and senior representatives from the major tissue processors in the US.  The panelists discussed the changing landscape of tissue banking and what they foresee the course of tissue transplantation will be in the future, including cells/live cell grafts as the future of tissue donation. 

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Transplant Speakers International highlights tissue transplantation, AlloSource allograft recipient

Tuesday, May 18th, 2010

Frank Bodino, President of Transplant Speakers International, called attention to the importance of tissue donation this week in the company’s newsletter.  The newsletter also features the moving story of Manuel Salazar, a quadruple amputee who received life-saving allografts from AlloSource. To read more about tissue donation and Manuel’s story, check out the newsletter here.

Giving the Gift of Life – A Story from Illinois

Thursday, April 15th, 2010

National Donate Life Month is the perfect time to stop and think about the gift of organ and tissue donation and peruse the real-life stories of the people it touches every day. 

One man in St. Rockford, Illinois recently showed the boundless limits of human generosity by giving the ultimate gift of life: he decided to donate one of his kidneys to a cashier he hardly knew. Read their heartwarming story here.

Letter from the CEO

Friday, April 9th, 2010

National Donate Life Month

Reminder: April is National Donate Life Month. It is a great time to reflect on the miracles made possible here at AlloSource thanks to generous donors and their courageous families. Because of their decisions to register as donors, each day we are able to save and enhance the lives of patients in need: providing allograft skin to patients who are severely burned, generating fresh articular cartilage allografts to promote joint restoration for patients who have suffered disease or trauma, processing live cellular bone growth substitutes for patients with broken bones or spinal fusions, and so much more. 

Although still lesser understood than organ transplantation, approximately 1.5 million tissue transplants are performed each year. Celebrate this Donate Life Month by reading some of our touching stories of donor families and tissue recipients. Their chronicles truly bring to life the miraculous possibilities of tissue donation.

And please remember, if you’re not already a donor, register to become one. And pass the word on to your friends and families.

Sincerely,

Tom Cycyota

China’s Strides, and Pitfalls, in Regenerative Medicine

Tuesday, February 23rd, 2010

China is quickly becoming a powerhouse in the field of regenerative medicine; however, despite the country’s obvious commitment to the cause and rapid successes in the field, they are also being questioned by worldwide authorities on regenerative medicine for their willingness to use unverified stem cell techniques in Chinese clinics and hospitals. Though they are continuing to make great strides, the lack of governmental regulation places a burden on the burgeoning research. A recent article on ScienceProgress.org details the intricate struggle.

What do you think about the Chinese approach to regenerative medicine? What, if any, are the implications for the US?

Donate Life Float at 2010 Rose Parade

Monday, January 18th, 2010

Check out a few photos from the stunning float, featuring AlloSource’s float rider Manuel Salazar, a courageous quadruple amputee and tissue recipient.

For a third consecutive year, Donate Life was among the Rose Parade float award winners. This year’s “New Life Rises” entry won the prestigious Theme Trophy for Excellence in Presenting the Parade Theme, “A Cut Above The Rest.”

Additionally, ABC conducted a text-message poll allowing their millions of viewers to select their favorite float. The winner: Donate Life!

Family reflects on miracle of giving, receiving organ and tissue gifts of hope

Monday, December 7th, 2009

Julie Prangl has experienced the heartbreak, loss, hope and awe that come from being on both sides of organ and tissue donation. Her 17-year-old son became an organ and tissue donor after losing his life in a car accident. Shortly thereafter, Julie’s daughter became the recipient of an ankle transplant that relieved her from a lifelong debilitating condition.

“It’s ironic,” Julie said. “All of the sudden you’re looking at something from the exact opposite side. The fact that these things are possible on both ends … it really is a miracle.”

Julie Prangl and her children, Christmas 2006. Son Nick died 6 weeks later in a car accident and became an organ and tissue donor. Daughter Lindsey later received an ankle transplant. (Photo courtesy Julie Prangl)

Julie Prangl and her children, Christmas 2006. Son Nick died 6 weeks later in a car accident and became an organ and tissue donor. Daughter Lindsey later received an ankle transplant. (Photo courtesy Julie Prangl)

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The Science of Tissue Transplantation: Professional Presentations

Wednesday, December 2nd, 2009

Discover the variety of clinical applications for bone and tissue allografts, including orthopaedic, spine, sports medicine, oral maxillofacial, podiatry, periodontal, urology, oncology and trauma.

 

Or, learn more about skin allografts used for the treatment of burns, including function, structure, donor recovery and clinical application.

Patient Stories

Witness the power of tissue donation go full circle with inspiring stories from donor families and tissue recipients More

What’s New

Discover the latest research on allograft tissue and updates from AlloSource More

Patient News

Join nurses around the country in allograft education and inspiring patient stories