by admin | Feb 1, 2019 | Adipose, Exosomes, Mesenchymal Stem Cells, Stem Cell Research, Stem Cell Therapy, Studies, Umbilical Stem Cell
Most organs of the body recover from injury by generating new, healthy cells. Not every organ of the body has the same ability to form new cells, however. The skin is an example of an organ that has an amazing ability to regenerate. Liver and lung also have the ability to form new cells, but not as dramatically as skin. Kidney and heart have even less ability to repair and regenerate. On the opposite end of the spectrum from the skin is the brain, which has very little capacity to regenerate once it has been damaged or destroyed. All of these organ systems, especially those that are relatively unable to repair themselves, could theoretically benefit from stem cells.
Mesenchymal stem cells, also known as stromal cells, are multipotent stem cells derived from bone marrow, umbilical cord, placenta, or adipose (fat) tissue. These cells can become the cells that make up bone, cartilage, fat, heart, blood vessels, and even brain. Mesenchymal stem cells have shown a remarkable ability to help the body to produce new cells. Researchers are now realizing that the substances stem cells release may be more important than any new cells they may become. In other words, stem cells can directly become new healthy cells to a certain degree, but they can also release substances that dramatically increase the number of new, healthy cells.
Mesenchymal stromal stem cells release small packets called exosomes. These exosomes are filled with various substances that promote cell and tissue growth. Some of the most interesting and potentially useful substances are cytokines and micro RNA. Cytokines are the traffic cops of cellular repair, signaling certain events to take place while stopping others. Having the right cytokines in a particular area is critical for new tissue growth. The micro RNA released by stem cell exosomes is potentially even more exciting than cytokines. These tiny bits of RNA can directly affect how healthy and diseased cells behave. Micro RNA has a powerful ability to control the biological machinery inside of cells.
Exosomes exhibit a wide array of biological effects that promote the repair and growth of damaged and diseased organs. They promote the growth of skin cells and help wounds heal. Exosomes can reduce lung swelling and inflammation and even help the lung tissue heal itself (i.e. reduced pulmonary hypertension, decrease ventricular hypertrophy, and improve lung vascular remodeling). These small packets released by stem cells help prevent liver cells from dying (i.e. prevents apoptosis), promote liver cell regeneration, and slow down liver cirrhosis (i.e. fibrosis). Exosomes can also help protect the kidneys during acute injury and reduce the damage that occurs during a heart attack.
Several clinical trials are underway designed to allow these exciting developments to be used to treat patients. As the researchers state, “Extensive research and clinical trials are currently underway for the use of MSCs as regenerative agents in many diseases including spinal cord injury, multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer’s disease, liver cirrhosis and hepatitis, osteoarthritis, myocardial infarction, kidney disease, inflammatory bowel disease, diabetes mellitus, knee cartilage injuries, organ transplantation, and graft-versus-host disease.” We can reasonably expect that exosomes will be used to treat at least some of these conditions in the very near future.
Reference: Rani al. (2015). Mesenchymal Stem Cell-derived Extracellular Vesicles: Toward Cell-free Therapeutic Applications. Molecular Therapy. 2015 May; 23(5): 812–823.
by admin | Dec 20, 2018
Frequently Asked Questions Below is a list of general answers to some common initial questions regarding Regenerative Medicine Therapy. If you have further questions or would like to discuss your eligibility, please feel free to contact us and consult with a Stemedix...
by admin | Sep 7, 2018 | Stem Cell Therapy
Multipotent stem cells have the ability to turn into a number of different cells in the body, making them one of the most versatile solutions in regenerative medicine. They are also characterized by their capacity for self-renewal. Here, we take a look at their current applications, as well as their benefits.
What Makes Multipotent Stem Cells Unique?
To understand the distinguishing features of multipotent stem cells, we must first look at the different types of stem cells. There are three main classifications for the varying degrees of stem cell flexibility:
- Totipotent: These cells can turn into any cell in the body and are only found within the first couple of cell divisions following the fertilization of a female egg by a male sperm.
- Pluripotent: During embryonic development, totipotent cells specialize into pluripotent cells. They can give rise to all cells in the human body but aren’t quite as flexible as totipotent cells.
- Multipotent: Finally, pluripotent stem cells specialize into multipotent stem cells, which have been found in cord blood, cord tissue, adipose tissue, cardiac cells, bone marrow, and mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs).
What Are Multipotent Stem Cells Used for?
Not only are multipotent stem cells able to renew themselves almost indefinitely, their ability to become any other cell makes them a powerful agent in treating patients with tissue damage. From knees to other joints and even the gastrointestinal tract, there are many sites in the body where compromised tissue can benefit tremendously from stem cells. They can even help arthritis sufferers and individuals with tendonitis. Because stem cells can also replenish dying or damaged tissue of specialized cell types, multipotent stem cells can also benefit individuals with chronic illnesses such as COPD, multiple sclerosis (MS), and Parkinson’s disease.
What Are the Benefits of Multipotent Stem Cells?
Multipotent stem cells are advantageous because they can be sourced from a number of locations, including the Wharton’s Jelly which lines umbilical cord vessels, as well as fat tissue (adipose stem cells) and bone marrow aspirate. These cells can then be delivered via non-invasive regenerative therapy to replace damaged cells with new ones, which have the ability to help increase energy and control symptoms in chronic conditions. The treatment can also potentially spur healthy tissue development in musculoskeletal injuries, and when injected directly into the joint, it has the potential to promote healing of ligaments, tendons, and cartilage to help return functionality and in some cases could delay the need for joint replacement.
by admin | Mar 13, 2017 | Studies
Researchers have recently shown how a specific type of stem cell, called umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells, can improve the neurological function of patients who have experienced traumatic brain injury (TBI). When TBI occurs, the trauma to the head leads the immune system to send cells to the area of injury. The resulting swelling often overwhelms the site of injury, which can cause significant damage to the tissue as a number of brain cells, or neurons, die. The rationale for using stem cells to treat TBI is therefore that by replacing these lost neurons, the functions that are lost as a result of TBI may be restored.
In the current study, published in the journal Brain Research, scientists studied 40 patients who had experienced TBI. Half the patients were selected to act as a control, receiving no treatment, while the other half was given 4 transplantations of umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells through the spine. All 40 patients were evaluated both before any treatment was administered, as well as 6 months later. Specifically, each patient underwent the Fugl-Meyer Assessments (FMA), which assesses balance, motor functioning, and sensation, as well as the Functional Independence Measures (FIM), which tests both motor and cognitive functioning.
Though the control group of patients who did not receive any medical intervention did not improve in their FMA and FIM assessments over the 6 month period, the patients who received the stem cell transplants improved on both measures of functioning. In the FMA, improvements were observed in scores for upper extremity and lower extremity motor performance as well as for balance and sensation. In the FIM, a number of scores increased over the 6 month period for the treatment group, including those for self care, mobility, locomotion, communication, and social cognition.
These results demonstrate the great promise of stem cells generally – and of umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells specifically – for the treatment of symptoms resulting from TBI. Further studies will be needed to help clarify the specific ways that these stem cells may be able to help patients who have suffered a TBI, and studies that involve multiple centers and larger sample sizes of patients are likely to occur in the future to help in the development of relevant treatments.
Both Hyperbaric Oxygen (HBO) treatment and Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSC‘s) have been used as interventions for patients suffering from Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). Find out more in this article.
Reference
Wang, S. et al. (2013). Umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cell transplantation significantly improves neurological function in patietns with sequelae of traumatic brain injury. Brain Research, 1532, 76-84.
by admin | Jan 11, 2017 | Studies
A group of scientists, led by Jin Nam at the University of California-Riverside, have found a new way to optimize the use of stem cells for orthopedic purposes. The technique involves strategically using biomechanical forces to create the specific cell type needed to repair orthopedic tissues.
The normal development of bone and cartilage critically depend on mechanical stimulation, yet the ideal level of mechanical stimulation differs for cells that make up bone and cells that make up cartilage. The researchers therefore reasoned that employing the right level of mechanical stimulation could help stem cells differentiate into the cell type needed for specific individual injuries.
A certain type of stem cell, called the mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) has been shown to be capable of regenerating musculoskeletal tissues. In addition, when MSCs obtained from the patient are used to regenerate that patient’s musculoskeletal tissues, tissue rejection tends to be prevented because the immune system recognizes the transplanted cells as the body’s own cells. Nonetheless, stimulating the stem cells to form tissue has relied mainly on biochemical and biophysical phenomena, which can present a variety of challenges. To avoid those challenges, scientists hoped that they could use biomechanical stimulation for the same purpose.
In their experiment, Nam and his colleagues showed that different levels of biomechanical force could indeed lead MSCs to differentiate into osteoblasts and chondrocytes, the cells that make up bone and cartilage, respectively. These promising results suggest that combining these types of stem cells with targeted biomechanical stimuli will enable better repair of a variety of types of orthopedic damage.
Going forward, researchers hope to better understand the details of how biomechanical cues can determine the fate of stem cells and to use this information to induce stem cells to differentiate into the desired cell type, according to the particular injury. This experiment conducted at the University of California-Riverside helps shed more light on the continued value of stem cells in medicine, as well as the potential benefits of combining these cells with approaches that can help personalize the treatments offered.
Stem cells could revolutionize therapeutic strategies for cartilage repair. Find out more.
Reference
Horner, C.B. et al. (2016). Magnitude-dependent and inversely-related osteogenic/chondrogenic differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cells under dynamic compressive strain. Journal of Tissue Engineering & Regenerative Medicine. doi: 10.1002/term.2332
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