A recent study that followed-up on the condition of patients with advanced pulmonary emphysema three years after they had begun a Phase I clinical trial in which they were treated with a type of stem cell called bone marrow mononuclear cells demonstrated improved symptoms and improved pathology. The idea for using stem cells to treat advanced pulmonary emphysema, a form of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) arose because of a need for a treatment that is effective in slowing the progression of the disease. Despite advances in pharmaceutical interventions for COPD, there had not yet been an intervention that was viable in the long-term.
The group who reported these new results had also led the Phase I clinical trial 3 years prior. They had chosen bone marrow mononuclear cells because of evidence that when this type of cell was introduced to the bloodstream, it could later be found in pulmonary tissue. When the researchers used these cells in patients with emphysema, they found that the procedure was safe and did not produce any significant harmful side effects. Further, immediately following the clinical procedure, the rate of degeneration of lung tissue slowed down.
The 4 patients included in the study were males between 40 and 72 years old, had stopped smoking for about 10 years before the stem cells were introduced to their bodies, and had solid family support. They had each previously smoked for more than two decades. None of the patients abused drugs or alcohol or were pregnant, and those suffering from certain infections or other health complications were excluded from the study.
While patients improved immediately following the stem cell procedure, two of the patients developed pneumonia as a result of hospital infections. The other two showed improved lung function at the 3-year follow-up. These patients experienced reduced symptoms and also performed better in the spirometry test of lung function. In addition, they both reported a higher quality of life as a result of the stem cell procedure.
Stem cells are increasingly used in therapies that involve tissue damage because they offer a promising way to replace lost cells and restore lost functions. Another advantage of stem cells over conventional therapies is the ability to use them days, weeks, or months after the stroke. Currently, most therapies for stroke need to be rapidly employed once a stroke starts to minimize the extent of the physical and functional damage.
Research has suggested that a number of different cell types could potentially be used to treat stroke patients, including stem cells from the brain and from bone marrow. In a study published in Stem Cells, researchers showed that a specific type of stem cell – human central nervous system stem cells grown as neurospheres or hCNS-SCns – have the potential to repair the brain after stroke.
The researchers focused on hCNS-SCns because these cells have shown promise in treatments for other disorders of the central nervous system and are currently being used in several clinical trials aimed at identifying the potential use of these cells in treating neurology patients. They neutralized a protein called vascular endothelial growth factor that is found in these cells. Their interest in vascular endothelial growth factor stemmed from the fact that this factor has been shown to be involved in the neurological recovery of stroke patients.
The team found that the vascular endothelial growth factor was a necessary contributor to the functional stroke recovery observed with hCNS-SCns. The use of these cells helped improve the integrity of the blood brain barrier and to suppress inflammation, both of which are critical in stroke recovery. The vascular endothelial growth factor also helped with the revascularization of damaged brain areas. While more research is needed to establish the potential use of hCNS-SCns in stroke, the current study suggests that these cells are a good therapeutic candidate. Further, because of the impact of these cells on inflammation and vascular degeneration, they may also be good candidates for therapies against other brain disorders that involve these types of pathologies.
To learn more about stem cell therapy for Post Stroke Syndrome, click here.
In response to the limitation of current treatments of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), researchers have posted that stem cells may be a good option for patients who suffer from COPD. One of the key characteristics of COPD is inflammation seen in the lungs, and this inflammation leads to tissue destruction. Thus, researchers have tried to zero in on stem cells that could help minimize inflammation. In a recent study published in Scientific Reports, researchers show that certain stem cells can reverse inflammation and also demonstrate, at a molecular level, how the stem cells achieved this challenge.
For the study, researchers chose to use bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells because this type of stem cell has reliably been shown to repair tissue that has been damaged by heart attacks or strokes. Further, clinical trials have shown that these cells can be used in COPD patients safely and are associated with a reduction in C-reactive protein (CRP). CRP is a prognostic marker, with higher levels indicating a worse prognosis in COPD patients.
Given the promise of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells in the treatment of COPD, the researchers aimed to help clarify the mechanism by which these stem cells may achieve their positive impacts on COPD patients. Such information would be useful when developing specific treatment protocols for this group of patients.
The researchers found that the stem cells did, in fact, reduce inflammation of the airway by inhibiting the action of an enzyme called cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2). The suppression of COX-2 is known to be associated with relief of both inflammation and pain. The study also suggests that this suppression may specifically occur within macrophages, which play a role in inflammation.
These results help to solidify the idea that stem cell therapy can be useful for COPD treatment and point to a mechanism by which the use of stem cells could achieve the clinical goal of improved COPD symptoms and pathology. Further research into this mechanism may help researchers optimize stem cell interventions for COPD.
To find out more about stem cell therapy for COPD treatment, click here.
A recent study published in Clinical and Experimental Medicine provides new evidence that mesenchymal stem cell transplantation may be a safe treatment option for patients who suffer from systemic lupus erythematosus and who do not respond to conventional treatments like immunosuppressive drugs and steroids. Previous studies that have examined the efficacy and safety of mesenchymal stem cell therapy for lupus patients have suggested that the procedure is safe. In those studies, few if any adverse side effects have been observed.
Given the promise of mesenchymal stem cells for treating systemic lupus erythematosus, the scientists conducting the current study wanted to more comprehensively evaluate the technique’s safety. They studied 9 patients with systemic lupus erythematosus who were not responding to immunosuppressive drugs or steroids. The patients underwent umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cell transplantation and were evaluated immediately following the procedure and again 6 years earlier.
To evaluate safety, the researchers performed tests of the blood, urine, and liver. They also checked the heart with electrocardiograms, did chest radiography, looked at white blood cell and platelet counts, and checked for markers of cancer. None of the tests the researchers performed demonstrated adverse side effects of the umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cell transplantation either immediately after or 6 years after the procedure. One patient experienced a warm sensation with dizziness following the transplantation, but no patients experienced headaches, nausea, or vomiting.
These results help to bolster the idea that mesenchymal stem cells may provide a safe therapeutic option for systemic lupus erythematosus patients who do not respond to conventional therapies. Studies that evaluate both longer-term safety of the procedure as well as its efficacy in improving the symptoms and progression of lupus will help scientists and clinicians better understand how stem cell regiments can be used to help lupus patients.
To learn more about stem cell therapy for lupus patients, click here.
A recent study that was undergone to determine how effective – and how safe – a stem cell transplant for lupus patients found that the approach was both effective and safe. The results were published in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases.
The researchers specifically targeted patients with systemic lupus erythematosus who did not respond to conventional treatments for lupus. Certain types of stem cells have been used to treat these types of patients before. In this study, researchers used mesenchymal stem cells because these cells have advantageous properties that make them likely to be effective in the treatment of systemic lupus erythematosus, as well as properties that make them likely to be safer than hematopoietic stem cells.
There were 15 patients who underwent mesenchymal stem cell transplantation as part of this study. The researchers followed up with the majority of these patients for over a year following the procedure. When assessing the patients, the researchers tested them on the systemic lupus erythematosus disease activity index (SLEDAI) and for proteinuria, as these tests can be used to evaluate lupus status and kidney function. The researchers found that every patient who had received the stem cell transplantation showed clinical improvement in their lupus.
Once a year had passed since the stem cell transplantation, all but 2 patients continued to experience an improvement in their lupus, while the other 2 patients had a relapse in their proteinuria. The researchers looked at other signs of kidney and non-kidney function and found evidence of improvement from those tests as well. The researchers did not observe any serious adverse side effects from the stem cell transplantation.
These results demonstrate the promise of mesenchymal stem cell transplant for lupus patients who do not respond to conventional treatments. Given that the stem cells appear to be safe for this application and also to improve lupus, further research will likely help clarify the best way that these stem cells may be used to help patients who suffer from lupus.
To learn more about stem cell transplant for lupus patients, click here.
Recent research has found that stem cells may offer a promising new solution for treating Achilles tendon ruptures. Conventional treatment options for Achilles tendon ruptures have significant limitations. Some treatments work only to combat the symptoms related to Achilles tendon ruptures but do not work to repair the damage. These options are also time-consuming and often ineffective. Surgical interventions, on the other hand, involve high degrees of risk related to complications due to things like infection and nerve damage.
Given the opportunity for stem cells to help repair tissue damage, physicians and researchers have begun to focus on how stem cells may be specifically applied to treat Achilles tendon ruptures. The current study assessed two different types of stem cells in Achilles tendon rupture repair. These cells, called bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells and tendon-derived stem cells, have advantages over other stem cell types in their potential to help with Achilles tendon rupture. For instance, both stem cell types proliferate quickly.
Because tendon-derived stem cells are specific to the tendon, the researchers hypothesized that these cells would be more effective in Achilles tendon rupture repair than bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells. To test their idea, they implanted the two stem cell types into ruptured Achilles tendons and look at the impact of each stem cell type.
The researchers found that both types of stem cells were effective in improving the potential for ruptured Achilles tendons to heal. Consistent with their hypothesis, however, they found that the tendon-derived stem cells were more effective than were the bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells. Further research will likely help the medical community understand how best to use stem cells to address issues like ruptured Achilles tendons.
To learn more about the benefits of stem cell therapy, click here.
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