by admin | Dec 11, 2017 | Health Awareness, Multiple Sclerosis
Holiday season can be a stressful time especially for those with Multiple Sclerosis (MS). Changes in schedule, travel, and demands of daily routines may add stress that can possibly cause the worsening of symptoms.
Below are some tips offered by health specialists that can help avoid possible disease flares and increase of symptoms.
Set Realistic Expectations
Help set realistic expectations during the merriment that can be easily managed. Avoid activities that are risky and be mindful to not do more activity than what you are normally accustomed to.
Communicate with Family and Friends
Communicate openly on how you are feeling to your friends and family. Some symptoms aren’t visible to them, so it is very important to let them know if you are not doing or feeling well. Don’t hesitate to ask for help.
Pace Yourself
Fatigue can be an impact for those with MS. Help to prioritize your activities during the holiday season. Set a reminder to take a nap or rest to recharge yourself.
Travel Arrangements
Travel may cause disruption in your eating, medication, and sleeping schedules, so plan carefully. Both air and ground travel can also require special type of arrangements to be available, such as easy access to bathroom. Carry a doctor’s letter that shows your need to use injection medicine while traveling on a plane as the Transportation Security Agents (TSA) may require this confirmation.
Challenging Routines
Normal routine disruptions can be expected and may be troublesome for those with a neurological disorder. Consider the possible complications that can arise due to changes in sleeping and eating routines. Family and friends can help maintain lesser disruptions and stress by asking what normal eating and sleeping routines are and try to provide as close to that schedule as possible.
Emotional Outbursts
Holiday season can be, at times, an emotional time for everyone. Due to neurological issues, some MS patients may have emotional outbursts like sudden crying or laughing. Help educate family and friends what may be happening and that it is ok. It is important for them to feel comfortable and know that these emotional outbursts may be involuntary due to extreme reflexes experienced by the patient.
Manage Coordination
Know your physical limitations and be mindful to not overextend yourself. If you love to cook, but due to your condition are unable to stand steady by the stove or struggle with cutting food due to numbness of hands, then try to participate by reading out the recipe to a family member. If in a new environment, it is helpful for family members to remove clutter and other items that may disrupt movements.
Sensitivity to Temperatures
Temperature sensitivity is another common symptom for those battling MS. Friends and family can help to maintain the temperature of the home so it is not too warm nor too cold. Be sure to stay warm if travelling to a colder environment for the holidays.
by admin | Nov 28, 2017 | Studies, Stem Cell Research
A recent publication in BioMed Research International has reviewed the study on the potential benefits of Wharton’s jelly derived mesenchymal stem cells in treating a variety of diseases. According to the authors of the review, these stem cells can be collected during millions of births each year at the time of delivery. A huge advantage of this type of stem cell collection over other methods is that it is not associated with the adverse side effects associated with other collection methods, nor is it particularly invasive. Its collection is also highly efficient.
Other advantages of Wharton’s jelly derived mesenchymal stem cells are that collecting them does not raise ethical concerns and that the cells themselves proliferate rapidly. Some stem cells have a tendency to lead to tumors or are prone to cause immune reactions. Wharton’s jelly derived stem cells on the other hand appear to circumvent both of these problems, making them valuable for a variety of applications in medicine.
Mesenchymal stem cells, which are the basis for a number of stem cell therapies and the relevant research, may be limited in value when they have been collected from older patients. Some reasons for this limitation are disease, DNA damage, and oxidative stress.
The authors also provide information on the regulatory and logistics aspects to stem cells. They explain that quality management systems are already part of the stem cell therapy infrastructure, which ensures that Wharton’s jelly derived mesenchymal stem cells would be donated, processed, stored, and distributed with the same high standards that other stem cells undergo donation, processing, storage, and distribution. The same is also true, they say, for the procurement and testing of these stem cells. While there seem to be clear benefits of Wharton’s jelly derived stem cells, more research on the clinical applications of these cells will help researchers determine the overall value of these cells.
Learn more about the benefits of stem cell therapy here.
by admin | Nov 25, 2017 | Studies, ALS
A recent publication in Stem Cells Translational Medicine described an open-label phase I clinical trial that was designed to assess the safety of a stem cell therapy for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The specific procedure involved two repeated injections of autologous bone marrow derived mesenchymal stem cells into the spinal canal of patients with ALS. The researchers found that the injections were safe during their implementation and that they did not have any unsafe effects during a follow-up period of one year.
The phase I clinical trial included 8 patients whose ALS was either definite or probable. The patients underwent a procedure to have mesenchymal stem cells isolated from their bone marrow, and the stem cells were expanded outside the patients’ bodies for 28 days. Unfortunately, a patient died before treatment, so only 7 of the patients then had the spinal canal injections of the stem cells. The two injections were given 26 days apart.
Conventional tests to evaluate the status of ALS in patients were used to assess the impact of the stem cells on the patients’ disease. In the 6 months following the injections, the disease progression did not accelerate, according to the ALS Functional Rating Scale-Revised (ALSFRS-R) score. There were also no serious adverse events observed over a 12 month follow up. Some adverse side effects occurred but subsided with or without treatment within a few days.
The significance of this study is the observation that this particular stem cell therapy procedure appears safe for ALS patients. Further research will help likely determine how stem cell therapy for amyotorophic lateral sclerosis can be used to slow the disease progression, while maintaining high degrees of safety.
Learn more about stem cell therapy for ALS here.
by admin | Nov 19, 2017 | Studies, COPD
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.
Learn more about stem cell therapy for COPD.
by admin | Nov 16, 2017 | Studies, Stroke
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.
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