Where Can You Access Regenerative Medicine For ALS?

by Stemedix | Apr 10, 2023 | Uncategorized

ALS stands for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, which is a progressive and fatal neurological disease that affects the nerve cells responsible for controlling voluntary muscles. The disease causes these motor neurons to degenerate and eventually die, leading to a loss of muscle control and eventual paralysis. In this article, we will discuss the potential benefits of Regenerative Medicine for ALS.

The initial symptoms of ALS may vary, but often include muscle weakness, cramping, twitching, and difficulty speaking, swallowing, or breathing. As the disease progresses, these symptoms worsen and spread to other parts of the body, eventually resulting in complete paralysis.

There is currently no cure for ALS, but various treatments are available to manage the symptoms and slow down the progression of the disease.

How Do You Diagnose ALS?

Diagnosing ALS can be challenging as there is no specific test or procedure to definitively confirm the disease. Instead, a diagnosis of ALS is typically based on a combination of medical history, clinical examination, and various tests to rule out other conditions with similar symptoms. The diagnostic process for ALS may involve:

• Medical history: The doctor may ask questions about your symptoms, medical history, family history, and any other relevant information.
• Clinical examination: The doctor may conduct a physical examination to check for signs of muscle weakness, spasticity, or atrophy, as well as abnormal reflexes or muscle twitching.
• Electromyography (EMG) and nerve conduction studies: These tests measure the electrical activity of muscles and nerves and can help detect abnormalities associated with ALS.
• Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI): This imaging technique uses magnetic fields and radio waves to produce detailed images of the brain and spinal cord, which can help rule out other conditions.
• Blood and urine tests: These tests can help rule out other diseases that may have similar symptoms to ALS.
• Lumbar puncture (spinal tap): In some cases, a sample of cerebrospinal fluid may be taken from the spinal cord to help rule out other conditions.

It’s important to note that ALS is a difficult disease to diagnose, and the diagnostic process can be lengthy and may require multiple tests and visits to various specialists.

What Treatments are Available for ALS?

There is currently no cure for ALS, but there are various treatments available that can help manage the symptoms and improve the patient’s quality of life. The treatment plan for ALS usually involves a multidisciplinary approach that includes medications, assistive devices, and supportive care.

Medications: Riluzole is the only FDA-approved drug for ALS treatment. It is thought to work by reducing the damage to the nerve cells and delaying the progression of the disease. Other medications may be prescribed to manage symptoms such as muscle spasms, pain, and depression.

Assistive devices: Various assistive devices such as wheelchairs, speech synthesizers, and breathing machines can help patients maintain independence and improve their quality of life.

Physical therapy: Regular exercise and physical therapy can help improve mobility, reduce stiffness and pain, and slow down the progression of the disease.

Speech therapy: As ALS progresses, patients may experience difficulty with speaking and swallowing. Speech therapy can help patients improve their ability to communicate and swallow food.

Nutritional support: As the disease progresses, patients may have difficulty eating and may require a feeding tube to ensure proper nutrition.

Supportive care: Palliative and hospice care can provide emotional and practical support for patients and their families, focusing on improving the patient’s quality of life and managing symptoms.

It’s important to note that the treatment plan for ALS varies from person to person and is based on individual symptoms and needs.

Regenerative Medicine for ALS

Regenerative medicine is an emerging field that holds great promise for the treatment of ALS. The goal of regenerative medicine is to repair or replace damaged or degenerating cells and tissues in the body, including the nerve cells affected by ALS.

There are several approaches to regenerative medicine that are being explored for the treatment of ALS, including:

Stem cell therapy: Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are a type of adult stem cell that can differentiate into various cell types, including neural cells, and have been shown to have immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory properties. MSCs have been investigated as a potential therapy for ALS due to their ability to differentiate into motor neurons and their potential to modulate the immune response and promote tissue repair.

Studies have shown that MSCs can secrete a range of factors that can promote the survival and growth of motor neurons, protect against oxidative stress and inflammation, and promote neuroplasticity. MSCs can be administered via various routes, including intravenous injection, intrathecal injection, or direct injection into the spinal cord or muscle tissue.

Gene therapy: Gene therapy involves introducing a healthy copy of the defective gene responsible for ALS into the patient’s cells, which can help prevent further damage to the nerve cells. Gene therapy is still in the experimental stage for ALS and requires further research.

Neuroprotection: Neuroprotective therapies aim to protect the motor neurons from further damage and degeneration. Various drugs and compounds are being studied for their potential neuroprotective effects in ALS.

Biomaterials: Biomaterials are materials that can be used to support and enhance the function of tissues and organs. In ALS, biomaterials may be used to deliver drugs or stem cells directly to the affected area.

While there is no cure for ALS yet, research into regenerative medicine and other potential treatments is ongoing, and progress is being made in the field.

Where Can You Access Regenerative Medicine For ALS?

Stem cell therapy for ALS is still considered an experimental treatment, and it is not widely available or approved by regulatory agencies such as the FDA for this indication. Therefore, it is important to approach any stem cell therapy for ALS with caution and to thoroughly research any treatment centers or clinics that offer such therapy.

Currently, there are only a few clinical trials investigating the safety and effectiveness of stem cell therapy for ALS. These trials are being conducted at research institutions and hospitals, and participation is typically limited to patients who meet specific eligibility criteria. The treatment will be overseen by a team of healthcare professionals, including neurologists, stem cell researchers, and other specialists in ALS management.

If stem cell therapy is being administered outside of a clinical trial, patients should seek out healthcare professionals who have extensive experience in the field of stem cell research and who are knowledgeable about the use of stem cells for the treatment of ALS.

It’s important to note that patients should only seek treatment from licensed and reputable healthcare professionals who follow appropriate regulatory guidelines and ethical standards. Before undergoing stem cell therapy for ALS, patients should discuss their options with a qualified healthcare professional.

How to Get Relief from Diabetic Nerve Pain

by Stemedix | Mar 13, 2023 | Uncategorized

Diabetes is a chronic condition that can progress in severity if left unmanaged. In many cases, untreated diabetes can lead to severe nerve pain. When you suffer from diabetic nerve pain, you may find yourself looking anywhere and everywhere for some relief. Find out how you can address your diabetic nerve pain.

What Causes Diabetic Nerve Pain?

Also known as diabetic neuropathy, diabetic nerve pain is the result of unstable blood sugar levels. When you have diabetes and allow your blood sugar to rise continuously, it can do damage to the nerves that send signals throughout your body. 

The blood flow to these nerves is reduced, and they are no longer able to function properly. This leads to nerve pain, most often in the hands, feet, and legs.

Treating Diabetic Nerve Pain

If you develop diabetic neuropathy, there are several treatment options that can alleviate your pain. Learn more about each of these treatments below:

Blood Sugar Maintenance

The best way to stop nerve pain from progressing is by controlling your blood sugar. Practicing proper blood sugar maintenance and keeping your levels in a healthy range will stop the progression of neuropathy and prevent additional nerves from being damaged.

INF

INF, or intraneural facilitation, is another way to treat diabetic nerve pain. INF is an innovative treatment that does not involve any medications and is completely non-invasive. During INF treatment, blood supply is restored to the damaged nerves, alleviating pain and discomfort.

Medication

Sometimes, over-the-counter medication is the best way to relieve diabetic nerve pain. Medications like ibuprofen, acetaminophen, and aspirin can all reduce the severity of your nerve pain when used for short periods. In severe cases, prescription pain medications may be needed to provide comfort.

Physical Therapy

Another way to address diabetic nerve pain is with physical therapy. Certain exercises and stretches can relieve the discomfort caused by neuropathy. These exercises include swimming, walking, and other low-impact exercises. 

Regenerative Medicine

Regenerative medicine is a developing field that aims to restore or replace damaged or diseased tissues. Diabetes is a chronic metabolic disorder characterized by high levels of blood sugar (glucose) due to the body’s inability to produce or properly use insulin. 

One approach of regenerative medicine is the use of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) to replace damaged or dysfunctional cells in the pancreas that produce insulin. These cells can be derived from a patient’s own body (such as bone marrow or adipose tissue) or from umbilical cord tissue (Wharton’s jelly). Although more research is needed to optimize these approaches, several studies have shown promising results in using stem cells to generate new insulin-producing cells in the pancreas.

Diabetic Neuropathy Treatment

Are you struggling with chronic pain and discomfort due to diabetic neuropathy? Diabetic nerve pain can occur when blood sugar levels are not managed properly. To stop the progression of your neuropathy or to prevent nerve pain in the first place, you must keep your blood sugar under control. 

Establishing a reliable medical team and having doctors whom you trust can help you manage your diabetes and keep your blood sugar at healthy levels. To learn more, contact a care coordinator today at Stemedix!

Mesenchymal Stem Cells for Traumatic Brain Injury

by admin | Jan 18, 2023 | Uncategorized

Worldwide, an estimated 10 million people suffer some form of traumatic brain injury (TBI) severe enough to result in either death or hospitalization each year. Nearly 20% of these TBIs occur in the United States and over 50,000 of those affected die as a result of their injury. 

Characterized by a wide range of physical, psychological, and emotional impairments that range from mild memory and mood disorders to severe loss of body control and coma, TBIs are most often caused by a serious blow to the head or neck area^[1].

Research has confirmed that the initial trauma resulting from the TBI is not the only factor causing damage to the brain. After sustaining an initial injury, the brain initiates a series of complex biochemical responses that significantly influence the overall severity of the damage caused as a result of the injury.

TBIs come with a tremendous cost, with direct and indirect costs estimated at over $60 billion per year in the United States alone. Additionally, there has been limited success in identifying therapeutic or pharmacological treatments that improve the long-term prognosis of moderate to severe TBI.

Considering the recent success of regenerative therapies in the treatment of a number of serious health conditions, researchers are optimistically exploring the potential benefits of using stem cells, specifically mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), as a possible way to restore functionality to damaged neurons in and around the brain.

In this publication, Hasan et al. review numerous studies investigating the effects of the infusion of MSCs into animal models of TBIs and summarize the advances in the application of MSCs in the treatment of TBI. MSCs are multipotent stromal cells and are available for extraction from all tissue in the body. 

Adding to the potential benefits offered by MSCs, they have been found to differentiate into a wide range of cell lines (not just mesenchymal cells) making them an easily accessible and potentially highly effective option for use in the regenerative treatment of TBIs.

In addition, MSCs have been observed selectively migrating and settling within injured tissue, which adds additional benefit for treatment within previously undeliverable or difficult-to-deliver sites such as the brain and the heart.

The growing evidence supporting the efficiency of using MSCs to alleviate the long-term and debilitating effects of TBI has been further bolstered by recent research highlighting the potential for the genetic modification of MSCs as a way to enhance the survival of stem and neuronal cells. Coupled with additional findings in human trials demonstrating that oxidative stress production can be manipulated by MSCs and therefore contribute to the brain’s recovery after injury, researchers are increasingly optimistic that MSC-based approaches offer significant benefits for the treatment of TBIs.

Hasan et al. also point out several concerns and potential challenges of using MSCs in the treatment of TBIs that need to be further explored and better understood before regular use in clinical settings can be approved. Among these concerns, the authors point out, is that a better understanding of the mechanisms of MSC homing in TBI-affected regions of the brain is important in order to employ them efficiently in clinical settings. Another area requiring further research is a better understanding of the respective roles of paracrine effects, transdifferentiated cells, and other factors related to tissue repair. The authors also identify a recent concern over the potential role of MSCs in the development of cancer and autoimmune diseases as a cause for further study of this potential treatment.

Despite the areas identified as in need of further research, the authors conclude that MSCs continues to demonstrate great potential in the field of regenerative medicine and specifically with respect to their use in the treatment of TBI.

Source:  Mesenchymal Stem Cells in the Treatment of Traumatic Brain Injury.” 20 Feb. 2017, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5316525/.

^[1] “Traumatic brain injury – Symptoms and causes – Mayo Clinic.” 4 Feb. 2021, https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/traumatic-brain-injury/symptoms-causes/syc-20378557.