by admin | Oct 17, 2019 | Aesthetics, Hair Regrowth, Stem Cell Therapy
Androgenetic alopecia is the medical term for pattern baldness. Pattern baldness can manifest in several ways such as a receding hairline, a bald spot in the crown of the head, and/or generalized thinning hair. Pattern baldness is the most common form of hair loss. Approximately 4 out of 5 men will experience some degree of androgenetic alopecia by the time they reach age 70. Androgenetic alopecia affects a substantial number of women as well. Pattern baldness is not lethal, but it can create substantial amounts of psychological suffering and greatly diminishes the quality of life for both men and women.
The two first-line treatments for androgenetic alopecia in men are finasteride or minoxidil. Finasteride is an oral medication, while minoxidil is topical, i.e. it is placed on this directly on the scalp. These baldness treatments are modestly effective in a certain percentage of men. Patients may also be treated with dutasteride, light therapy, platelet-rich therapy, or surgery. Minoxidil is the main form of treatment for women with androgenetic alopecia. If minoxidil fails to help regrow hair or stop the balding process, women may alternate treatments including spironolactone, finasteride, cyproterone acetate, or flutamide. As with male pattern baldness, female pattern baldness is somewhat resistant to treatment, leaving most women to cover their baldness with wigs or concealers.
One important observation about androgenetic alopecia is that while the number of hair follicle stem cells remains the same in people who are balding, the number of more actively proliferating progenitor cells drops dramatically. In other words, it is theoretically possible to treat androgenetic alopecia with hair follicle stem cells that contain actively proliferating progenitor cells.
Indeed, researchers recently tested this hypothesis in a group of 11 patients with androgenetic alopecia. The researchers collected a bit of tissue from each patient and then purified the sample to collect hair follicle stem cells with actively proliferating progenitor cells. The doctors then injected those stem cells into balding areas on the patients’ scalps. For comparison, some were treated with a placebo injection, i.e. saltwater.
Patients treated with hair follicle stem cells enjoyed a 29% increase in hair density over the treated area. by contrast. Patients treated with placebo had less than a 1% increase in her density over the same time period. The researchers also noticed that they were substantially more stem cells in and around hair follicles in balding areas.
The authors of this research concluded that isolated cells are capable of improving hair density in patients with androgenetic alopecia. While additional, larger studies are needed to confirm these results, the current study provides strong evidence that bald and balding patients may benefit from autologous stem cell treatment.
Reference: Gentile P. et al. (2017). Stem cells from human hair follicles: first mechanical isolation for immediate autologous clinical use in androgenetic alopecia and hair loss. Stem Cell Investigation. 2017 Jun 27;4:58.
by admin | Oct 9, 2019 | Stem Cell Research, Age Management, Stem Cell Therapy
Frailty is a syndrome of weight-loss, exhaustion, weakness, slowness, and decreased physical activity. These features combine to make frail individuals more susceptible to physical, psychosocial, and cognitive impairments. Unfortunately, frailty is rather common among elderly individuals. In one study of over 44,000 elderly adults living in the community estimated the overall prevalence of frailty was 10.7%. While the risk of becoming frail increases with old age, frailty is not a normal part of aging. Instead, the syndrome of frailty is driven by biological processes such as inflammation and stem cell dysfunction.
No specific treatment can prevent or reverse frailty. Indeed, the goal of treatment is to maximize the patient’s functional capacity and overall health. The most widely accepted way to manage frailty is a multimodal and multidisciplinary approach. Frail individuals or those at risk for becoming frail are encouraged to participate in strength training and aerobic exercise to build up a cardiovascular reserve and physical fitness. At the same time, substantial efforts are devoted to helping patients consume enough calories to maintain lean muscle and support their immune function. As appetite diminishes, malnutrition can become an issue, so supplemental nutrition may be needed. Physicians can help patients by optimizing medical treatments and reducing the total number of medications prescribed (i.e. avoiding polypharmacy).
Despite these multimodal treatments, most frail patients tend to get worse over time. One hope of treatment is to slow the rate of decline; however, this is not always possible.
Since frailty is driven by stem cell dysfunction, a reasonable way to prevent or treat frailty could be to provide patients with healthy stem cells. Researchers recently conducted a randomized, double-blind, clinical trial in 30 elderly patients with frailty. Frail patients received an IV infusion of either human mesenchymal stem cells or placebo. The researchers then followed the patients for 6 months to assess the safety and efficacy of the stem cell treatment.
Stem cell treatment resulted in a rather remarkable set of benefits for frail patients. Compared to placebo, patients treated with stem cells performed significantly better on tests of physical strength and stamina. Stem cell-treated patients used calories more efficiently, which is a sign that they were more physically fit than those in the placebo group. Moreover, patients who received stem cells had better lung function at the end of the trial than those in the control group. Interestingly, women who received stem cell treatment reported a substantial increase in sexual quality of life compared to those in the placebo group. Lastly, no patients experienced any treatment-related serious adverse events.
When one considers how difficult it is to treat frailty or even alter its progressive decline, these results are remarkable. Stem cell treatment not only stopped the progression of frailty, but patients actually improved in several important measures including physical strength, physical endurance, lung function, and sexual quality of life. We anxiously await a pivotal clinical trial to confirm these results.
Reference: Tompkins, BA. (2017). Allogeneic Mesenchymal Stem Cells Ameliorate Aging Frailty: A Phase II Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial. The Journals of Gerontology, Series A, Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences. 2017 Oct 12;72(11):1513-1522.
by admin | Oct 3, 2019 | Exosomes, Stem Cell Therapy
Much of the medical research and clinical applications of stem cell therapy have thus far focused on stem cells and their potential to repair damaged or diseased tissue that has not responded to conventional therapies. Though there has been a lot of evidence to suggest that the use of certain types of stem cells can be safe, experts have suggested that strategies for therapy using exosomes that can avoid the use of living stem cells may provide an even better opportunity to slow the progression of various diseases.
Paracrine secretions have been shown to play a significant role in the ability of stem cells to improve disease conditions, and exosomes are a key element of these secretions. From a functional standpoint, exosomes enable stem cells to transfer their genetic information to other cells residing in the damaged tissue.
Because these are responsible for some of the critical benefits of stem cells, researchers have speculated that the use of exosomes rather than stem cells may provide specific advantages in some therapeutic contexts. A review in Stem Cells International has provided a comprehensive overview of what is known so far about the potential role of exosomes in stem cell therapy.
Exosomes are released from a wide variety of stem cell types and influence the functioning of nearby cells and tissues. Their use alone may offer better therapeutic results. Indeed, they have shown particular promise in addressing symptoms of many conditions.
Researchers are hopeful that exosomes will be able to help patients in new and innovative ways, more research is needed to determine the best way to apply them in stem cell therapy.
Reference: Han, C. et al. (2016). Exosomes and their therapeutic potentials of stem cells. Stem Cells International, 1-11.
by admin | Oct 1, 2019 | Aesthetics, Stem Cell Research, Stem Cell Therapy
You don’t need a microscope to recognize aging skin. Aging skin has fine lines and wrinkles; it sags because it has lost elasticity; it is discolored and blotchy. But if you did look at aging skin under a microscope, you would notice that it lacks collagen, elastin, and many other helpful proteins. There would be many old cells and a few young ones. Indeed, old skin looks different under a microscope than new skin, and it is these differences at the cellular level that causes the aging we see on people’s faces. Stem cell facial therapy may be an option for one seeking to improve or prevent the signs of aging.
Fortunately, these cellular changes may not be a curse. Stem cell therapy may be able to replace the proteins that are lost during aging and replace old cells with newer, healthier cells. In short, stem cell facial therapy may be able to can rejuvenate skin and reverse the signs of aging.
The team of Korean stem cell researchers recently completed a study in which they collected mesenchymal stem cells from various sources and used them to rejuvenate human skin. The researchers collected stem cells from fat tissue (adipose), bone marrow, and umbilical cord samples. Umbilical cord tissue is tissue that is normally discarded after childbirth as medical waste. In the laboratory, the scientists then cleaned and purified each of these types of mesenchymal stem cells.
In laboratory studies, the researchers found that mesenchymal stem cells produced substantial amounts of skin rejuvenating factors including collagen type I, collagen type IV, fibronectin, and elastin. Interestingly, they found that umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells produced a 100-fold greater amount of GDF-11 than adipose or bone marrow stem cells. This is important because GDF-11 is a cytokine that stimulates the production of collagen and elastin. GDF-11 also attracts human dermal fibroblasts (i.e. healthy skin cells) that then, in turn, produce their own collagen and elastin. These substances make skin healthy, elastic, vibrant, plump, and full.
Given the remarkable amounts of GDF-11 that umbilical cord-derived stem cells produced, the researchers decided to conduct a clinical trial to test the effect of these cells on aging skin. The scientists created a cream that contained the substances produced by the stem cells, including exosomes and beneficial proteins. The women who volunteered for the study applied the cream to their faces once per day. Within 2 to 4 weeks, the women had increased skin density (i.e. thickness/fullness) and substantially reduced wrinkles, especially around the eyes. Moreover, treatment with the stem cell-derived cream did not cause irritation, stinging, or any other adverse reaction.
This clinical study will need to be repeated in larger numbers of volunteers; however, the results are quite remarkable. Researchers were able to collect stem cells from umbilical cord tissue and prepare a cosmetic that reversed some of the signs of facial aging. Conveniently, this treatment did not require injections but could be applied topically. If future research confirms this work, treatment with a cosmetic/cosmeceutical made from umbilical cord stem cells could be a painless way to achieve facial skin rejuvenation.
Reference: Kim, YJ. (2018). Conditioned media from human umbilical cord blood-derived mesenchymal stem cells stimulate rejuvenation function in human skin. Biochemistry and Biophysics Reports. 2018 Oct 25;16:96-102.
by admin | Sep 26, 2019 | Stem Cell Therapy
Reflex sympathetic dystrophy (RSD), now also known as Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS), is a condition that is thought to arise for a combination of reasons, but its etiology is not clear. People with the disorder experience changes to their skin, swelling, and bone loss. One hallmark of the condition is the experience of nonspecific pain that is sensitive to weather. Unfortunately, managing RSD is often difficult. Patients with RSD/CRPS may have a hard time walking because of pain and may need assistive devices.
Clinical management of RSD/CRPS often involves things like pharmaceutical medications and restorative therapies, but these strategies are limited in their effectiveness. As a result, most patients with RSD experience chronic pain and a lower quality of life than those without the disorder. A case report has described the innovative use of stem cells to treat a patient with Stage 3 RSD. The rationale for using stem cells against RSD is that stem cells have provided regenerative benefits in a variety of other disorders and are capable of promoting the generation of blood vessels, which can support healing.
The patient, who was a female Registered Nurse, had been experiencing pain in her left lower extremity after an operation aimed at fixing a complex fracture. Following the surgery, the patient had been suffering from nonspecific pain and was diagnosed with a form of RSD/CRPS. She subsequently underwent months of aggressive therapy, but the therapy failed in helping her to walk. Instead, she was left unable to bear weight on her left leg.
Given that the patient’s problems persistent despite conventional treatment options, the patient was given stem cell therapy. Specifically, cells were harvested from the bone marrow and grafted to the calf in the hopes that blood flow would be enhanced, and the symptoms would be eliminated. According to the author of the report, the results of this stem cell therapy were excellent.
After just 2 weeks, skin symptoms were already going away, as was the patient’s pain. Critically, the patient was also able to put some weight on her left leg. By 30 days post-procedure, she was able to rid herself of assistive walking devices. These results demonstrate the promise of stem cells to help with complex and difficult-to-manage medical conditions like RSD/CRPS. Further research will help to determine the best way that stem cells may be used to treat other RSD patients.
Reference: Schwartz, R.G. Stem cells for the treatment of complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS)/ reflex sympathetic dystrophy (RSD): A case study Pan American Journal of Medical Terminology, 1(2), 89-92.
by admin | Sep 24, 2019 | Adipose, Stem Cell Research, Stem Cell Therapy
Crohn’s disease is a chronic illness that can affect any part of the gastrointestinal tract but mostly affects the small and large intestines. People with Crohn’s disease often have inflammation of the large bowel (Crohn’s disease is an inflammatory bowel disease or IBD). This colitis causes abdominal pain, cramping, diarrhea, along with bleeding and infections in the gastrointestinal tract. Crohn’s disease can interfere with a person’s ability to absorb nutrients, leading to malnutrition and weight loss. The medical community is debating whether it is possible to treat experimental colitis with fat-derived stem cells.
The standard medical treatment for Crohn’s disease involves one or more powerful drugs. When the disease flares up, patients usually must take steroids either orally or intravenously. They may also receive disease-modifying therapy such as immunomodulators and biologic medications. Many patients do enjoy remission once they receive these powerful drugs; however, side effects can be difficult to tolerate. Patients who cannot tolerate these powerful drugs or do not achieve disease remission may have to take steroids every day. Chronic steroid use has many severe and sometimes permanent side effects. If these treatments fail, patients may need to have surgery to remove a portion of their intestines that have been damaged by Crohn’s disease.
In an effort to find safe and effective treatments for Crohn’s disease, researchers have been testing stem cells in laboratory animals. In one study, scientists used a chemical to cause colon inflammation (colitis) in mice. This chemical causes many of the symptoms of humans with Crohn’s disease experience such as diarrhea, tissue damage, and weight loss. The researchers then treated some of the mice with mesenchymal stem cells gathered from human fat tissue (adipose) to see if stem cells could improve the symptoms.
Remarkably, human stem cell treatment reduced diarrhea, inflammation, and disease severity in mice with colitis. The chemical colitis caused mice to lose approximately 15 to 20% of their body weight. Mice that received stem cell treatment regained most of the weight they had lost. Researchers also noted that mice treated with adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells lived significantly longer than those that did not receive stem cell treatment.
Of course, this research was performed in laboratory animals, but it lays important groundwork for testing in humans. Indeed, since the publication of this report, researchers have been able to show that adipose-derived stem cells helped patients with Crohn’s disease. This exciting work will no doubt lead to future studies that may help pave the way to wider use of stem cells in the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease, such as Crohn’s disease.
Reference: Gonzalez, M. (2009). Adipose-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells Alleviate Experimental Colitis by Inhibiting Inflammatory and Autoimmune Responses. Gastroenterology. Volume 136, Issue 3, March 2009, Pages 978-989
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