by admin | Jul 6, 2018 | Stem Cell Therapy, COPD, Stem Cell Research
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is an incurable lung disorder which makes it difficult to breathe. It includes chronic bronchitis and emphysema and is characterized by a persistent cough and mucus production. While it is not curable, it can be managed through ongoing treatment to provide patients with effective symptom control and good quality of life. There are a few key types of lung damage that can occur in COPD:
- With emphysema, the air sacs (alveoli) in the lungs are compromised. The walls of alveoli are stretched and actually cause the lungs to expand, which makes it more difficult for air to move in and out.
- In chronic bronchitis, the bronchial tubes are constantly inflamed, which limits airflow. In specific, the cilia (hair-like structures in the airways) become damaged. The airway can also become swollen and clogged.
- Refractory asthma is also marked by swelling of the bronchial airways. Even medications cannot reverse the swelling.
Here, we examine a form of COPD treatment which has been gaining attention recently.
Blood-Derived PRP
Blood-derived platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy is increasingly being used to treat a broad range of conditions, including sports injuries and arthritis. The procedure is performed via intravenous blood extraction. After the blood cells are harvested, they are processed, and the platelets are separated from other blood components. With the higher concentration of platelets, the treated blood is then reinserted into the patient with the hopes of reducing inflammation and speeding up the body’s healing process.
The problem with blood-derived PRP is that the evidence illustrating the effectiveness of this treatment for COPD is lacking. While some studies have been performed and suggest the treatment’s ability to support hair regrowth and reduce osteoarthritis pain, the lack of definitive proof supporting PRP therapy’s ability to make a noticeable impact on COPD has spurred criticism.
A Better Alternative
Stem cell PRP takes PRP injections a step further by mixing platelets with stem cells to treat the structural airway issues present in all forms of COPD. In numerous studies, this approach has shown promise. Coupling blood derivatives with stem cell therapy have proven effective in tissue regeneration in areas like the knee and gums, for instance. In one report, researchers concluded that the therapy “offers a promising therapeutic approach that has shown potential in diverse degenerative lung diseases” based on findings across 15 separate studies.
Through traditional PRP treatment, platelets become 5-10 times more concentrated, or 150,000- 450,000 platelets per microliter. When combined with stem cells, however, they become supercharged and platelet counts are much higher. Because research suggests that the therapeutic level for platelet count should be closer to 1,000,000 per cubic milliliter, PRP and stem cells are far more powerful than PRP alone. Moreover, PRP therapy is derived from whole blood alone, meaning it contains very few CD34+ cells – the cells commonly found in the umbilical cord and bone marrow which have the greatest self-renewal capacity – if any.
With stem cell therapy for COPD, it is guaranteed that these cells will be introduced into the body in a higher concentration. They can then promote the healing process, replacing countless cells throughout the entire body, including the lung tissue.
by admin | Jul 2, 2018 | Stem Cell Research
There is a common misconception in the world of regenerative medicine that a patient may reach an age at which stem cell treatment will no longer be effective. In fact, the conditions which respond best to stem cell treatments are most common in elderly populations. Degenerative joint disorders, for instance, are ideal for stem cell therapy. Yet, they are often addressed instead with ineffective treatments such as over-the-counter painkillers or invasive procedures including total knee replacements.
The problem lies in the fact that elderly patients face greater risks for challenges following knee and hip reconstructions or replacements than younger individuals, including increased lengths of hospital stays and postoperative complications. But are elderly patients also more inclined to experience barriers with stem cell treatment? The answer is no – as long as the proper approach is used.
Types of Stem Cells
There are a few different ways stem cells can be used for therapy. Stem cells may be taken from a patient’s own bone marrow or fat deposits (called adipose stem cell therapy); or, they can be harvested from umbilical cord tissues. The latter is the second-youngest stem cells, outside of embryonic stem cells. Thus, they are considered the purest and most capable of functioning effectively and quickly. In elderly patients, the ability to heal completely and efficiently is critical to making a complete recovery from degenerative conditions, which is what makes umbilical cord-derived stem cells ideal for this age group.
How Stem Cells Change with Age
As we age, our cells (including stem cells) take on different properties. According to a study performed on individuals aged 5 to 80, age was specifically shown to impact the cloning efficiency and proliferation rate of stem cells. In other words, the older cells are, the more limited their cloning potential is. This is important because stem cells’ healing power lies in their ability to proliferate within the joint and create new cartilage.
Umbilical Cells: The Best for Elderly Patients
Researchers note that many of the properties among stem cells derived from adipose and umbilical cord tissues bear strong similarities. Yet, the strong advantages of umbilical cord-derived stem cells, including their ability to outperform other stem cells in terms of proliferation, makes them an attractive option for older adults. More importantly, the critical characteristics of stem cells which change with age are the very factors that make them effective, which is why harvested cells in elderly adults may have limited potential for tissue repair. Thus, while adipose stem cells are highly effective in younger individuals, it is recommended that individuals 65 and older be treated with umbilical cord-derived stem cell sources, as they are more potent in this population for therapeutic applications.
by admin | Jun 26, 2018 | Stem Cell Research
Sarcoidosis is a condition in which granulomas (non-cancerous masses) form in the body. While sarcoidosis can affect any organ, it most often affects the lungs and chest lymph nodes. The cause of sarcoidosis is unknown, but it is thought to relate to problems with the immune system. When sarcoidosis affects the lungs, patients often have coughing and wheezing, shortness of breath, and chest pain. In general, patients with sarcoidosis have a mild fever, joint swelling and pain, and extreme fatigue.
The standard treatment for sarcoidosis involves corticosteroids such as prednisone. While steroid treatment may be effective, patients with sarcoidosis often have relapses unless they stay on steroids chronically. Unfortunately, long-term oral steroid use can cause substantial side effects including weight gain, osteoporosis, a depressed immune system, fluid retention, acne and thinning skin, and possibly diabetes. Therefore, researchers are interested in finding better, safer, longer-acting sarcoidosis treatments.
Since placenta-derived mesenchymal stem cells can modulate the immune system, researchers tested whether they could use these cells to improve symptoms of chronic lung sarcoidosis. Four patients with severe pulmonary sarcoidosis received intravenous infusions of 300 million placenta-derived mesenchymal stem cells. The cells were split into two doses, given one week apart. Patients underwent several tests to evaluate safety and efficacy of the stem cell treatment including X-rays, lung function testing, bronchoscopy, and bronchoalveolar lavage.
Stem cell treatment was associated with a temporary increase in pulmonary artery blood pressure. Two years after treatment, lung function was the same as it was at the beginning of the study. Impressively though, two patients were able to stop prednisone treatment and had visible improvements in their lungs on X-ray. One patient underwent prolonged remission (i.e., had no symptoms from sarcoidosis for an extended time period).
Because of their long-term complications, chronic steroid use is not an ideal treatment for any condition. With stem cell treatment, patients with chronic lung conditions could potentially decrease or minimize their daily intake of prednisone.
by admin | Jun 21, 2018 | Stem Cell Research
Traumatic brain injury is a potentially devastating condition that can that can often lead to permanent disability. While traumatic brain injury can be caused by a stroke, brain bleed, or head trauma, the resulting cascade of activity is similar regardless of the initial cause of the injury. Traumatic brain injury sets off a complex set of changes that causes brain cells to become dysfunctional and die. Consequently, people who suffer traumatic brain injury suffer cognitive, behavioral, and movement disorders depending on the area of the brain that is affected. Despite advances in neurocritical care, there are no effective treatments to reverse the cascade of traumatic brain injury.
Stem cells offer great promise in the treatment of traumatic brain injury. They work to change the harsh, destructive environment caused by this condition into one that can promote nerve cell protection and regeneration. To investigate stem cells as a potential defense against or treatment for traumatic brain injury, researchers have conducted several small clinical studies. Wang and colleagues performed a series of four stem cell transplantations over 5 to 7 days in patients that had suffered recent traumatic brain injury. No adverse effects were observed six months after treatment; however, patients did have a significant improvement in neurological function and a greater ability to care for themselves compared to brain-injured patients who did not receive stem cells. Chen and co-authors similarly showed that stem cells improved neurological function in patients who had suffered a recent stroke. As with Wang’s group, there were no observed side effects from treatment. Impressively, Chen’s group followed patients for up to 20 years after treatment and found no adverse events related to the stem cell treatment over that time.
As research continues, these initial results are particularly exciting because they are administered after—not before—brain injury. Based on these studies, stem cell treatment can be viewed as an intervention that can potentially be used to improve the outcome of traumatic brain injury it has occurred.
by admin | Jun 19, 2018 | Stem Cell Research
In a recent publication in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Braiteh and colleagues describe the treatment of a 35-year-old white man who had suffered from psoriasis vulgaris and psoriatic arthropathy for 15 years before being diagnosed with multiple myeloma. Approximately 4 months after his initial treatment for the multiple myeloma, his disease relapsed. The patient was then treated with hematopoietic stem cells.
Before the stem cell treatment, the psoriasis plaques covered half of the patient’s body, with most of its coverage on the scalp, forehead, chest, abdomen, back, and ears. His elbows, knees, and nails were also affected. Following the treatment, the patient had a full year of remission of his myeloma and a complete regression of his psoriatic arthropathy and skin lesions. He was able to maintain this progress even without corticosteroids and phototherapy.
At the time of this publication, 15 months after his treatment, his myeloma had relapsed, but he was still psoriasis free and arthralgia free. These results demonstrate the possibility that hematopoietic stem cells could be an effective treatment option for patients suffering from psoriasis. Indeed, treatments with these types of stem cells have shown positive therapeutic effects in psoriasis and other autoimmune diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, scleroderma, and systemic lupus erythematosus.
One reason it is thought that hematopoietic stem cells may help treat autoimmune disorders like psoriasis is that these cells may help the immune system to reduce its autoimmune activity. In autoimmune disorders, the immune system begins attacking one’s own body when it mistakes parts of the body as foreign and threatening. While this type of action by the immune system is favorable when the body has harmful foreign invaders like bacteria, it is problematic when the immune system mistakes innocuous stimuli as dangerous. Treatments that enable the immune system to recognize that non-threatening stimuli are safe or that they can reduce the negative reaction to the immune system as a result to these stimuli can be valuable when approaching autoimmune disorders.
With a better understanding of what stem cells can do to help these specific patient populations, it will be easier to develop treatment options that have a long term positive impact on individual patients.
by admin | Jun 11, 2018 | Stem Cell Research
Researchers have recently published their results from an experiment conducted to determine if a certain type of stem cell, called the umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cell, has the potential for treating primary biliary cirrhosis. Primary biliary cirrhosis is a disease of the liver in which the bile ducts of the liver are increasingly destroyed over time.
In this disease, as the bile ducts are destroyed, bile and other toxins in the liver accumulate and lead to cholestasis. At this point, bile cannot flow out of the liver. Damage then occurs to the tissue of the liver, leading to scarring. As the scarring collects, excessive amounts of fibrous connective tissue form on the liver in what is called fibrosis. The late stage of fibrosis is known as cirrhosis, where the liver ceases to function properly.
The disease is autoimmune in nature, and because stem cells have shown promise for treating other types of autoimmune disease, presumably by impacting the activity of the immune system, researchers have reasoned that stem cells may also be beneficial for those suffering from primary biliary cirrhosis. In primary biliary cirrhosis, the body mistakes the liver, or aspects of it, as foreign and harmful and begins to attack it.
In their experiment, the scientists found that using umbilical cord-derived stem cells inhibited the problematic immune system activity associated with primary biliary cirrhosis. As a result, using umbilical cord-derived stem cells led to lower levels of problematic immune system components, as well as lower inflammation.
These results are a promising first step toward understanding how stem cells could potentially be used to treat primary biliary cirrhosis. As the research advances, it will become clearer how these cells can best be used to treat patients and how the cells have the impact they do on the liver and on disease progression.
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