by admin | Feb 14, 2018 | Stem Cell Research
Only a fraction of patients who suffer from ischemic stroke benefit from the currently available therapies. Given the promise of stem cells in therapies developed for brain injury, much research has recently focused on how these cells may be used to treat stroke victims. A recent review published in the Journal of Cerebral Blood Flow and Metabolism provides a comprehensive explanation for why mesenchymal stem cells are likely advantageous for stroke recovery. The authors’ rationale includes data demonstrating the utility of mesenchymal stem cells as a therapy for other diseases, as well as preclinical data on the impact of these cells following stroke.
Mesenchymal stem cells have been transplanted into patients since 1995 and gained popularity in research and clinical communities because of their safety profile. In a number of clinical trials, addressing different diseases, the use of these stem cells led to few adverse side effects. Over the past 20 years, evidence on the safety of these cells has continued to accumulate, while new evidence has emerged to show how effective these cells can be in treating different types of injury and disease. One particularly exciting feature of these cells is their modulatory effect on the immune system, which can prevent life-threatening immune reactions to things like bone marrow transplants.
When it comes to treating stroke specifically, this modulation of the immune system may be one way that stem cells help with recovery. Other mechanisms that could help with tissue repair following stroke include these stem cells’ ability to differentiate into a number of different cell types, to generate new brain cells and blood vessels, and to promote the secretion of chemicals that are important for the growth and protection of cells. Additionally, mesenchymal stem cells may be able to be selectively targeted to whatever area of the brain is injured.
For stroke, most of the mesenchymal stem cells that have been used for transplantation have been bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells, but stem cells from adipose tissue and the umbilical cord have also been used. According to the authors of this review, there is significant evidence to suggest that mesenchymal stem cells could help stroke patients with their recovery.
by admin | Jan 30, 2018 | COPD, Stem Cell Research
A recent review published in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences covers evidence demonstrating that Wharton’s jelly mesenchymal stem cells show promise for treating chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). After analyzing the literature on how stem cells may be applied in COPD treatment, the authors suggest that chronic immune-inflammatory processes are a critical component of COPD that these stem cells may be able to combat.
According to the authors of the study, several characteristics of Wharton’s jelly mesenchymal stem cells make them well suited to therapies against COPD and other immune-inflammatory diseases. These characteristics include their accessibility, their ability to expand and differentiate, and their tendency to avoid the immune reactions that often occur with other types of stem cells. These cells can come from several types of tissue, including adipose tissue, the umbilical cord, and bone marrow, and can differentiate into many different cell types.
Given the inflammatory nature of COPD, the ability of Wharton’s jelly mesenchymal stem cells to avoid serious immune reactions upon implantation may be one of the most important features of these cells. Youthful forms of these stem cells appear particularly promising, as they are agile and even less likely to cause problematic immune reactions. Intuitively, youthful stem cells are healthier in many ways because they have not undergone the biological damage that occurs with aging.
In addition to their relatively low likelihood of causing immune reactions, mesenchymal stem cells have also been shown to relieve inflammation in the airway in some studies. They have done so by producing mucus that can help minimize inflammation, by killing off cells involved in inflammation, by inhibiting the formation of problematic fibrous connective tissue, and by promoting the formation of new blood vessels.
As the reviewers note, the positive results of preclinical investigations justified the initiation of clinical trials using mesenchymal stem cells in COPD. As such, there are currently Phase I and Phase II trials underway and some that have already been completed. One completed study demonstrated the safety of using these stem cells, as no patients experienced serious adverse side effects after stem cell transplantation. The study also showed that the stem cells were associated with a reduction in an inflammatory marker, suggesting that the stem cells may, in fact, help to reduce inflammation in these patients.
Another study also demonstrated safety. It also showed functional improvement in COPD patients. These patients performed better on the breathing spirometry test after stem cell transplantation. This change in performance suggests that the pathological degeneration occurring in the lungs of those with COPD was slowed with the implantation of stem cells. These patients also experienced improved quality of life after the stem cell transplantation.
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 | Oct 16, 2017 | Stem Cell Research
In a study published in Cell Stem Cell, researchers helped to clarify the mechanism by which mesenchymal stem cells achieve their immunosuppressive effects. While immunosuppression is not always appealing, there are certain contexts in which suppressing the immune system is critical. These cases include patients with autoimmune disease, where their immune system begins attacking the body’s organs, as well as skin grafts, where the immune system’s reaction to new skin often leads to graft rejection.
Mesenchymal stem cells have been strategically chosen over other types of stem cells when their immunosuppressive properties are beneficial. Nonetheless, because the specific reasons that these cells lead to immunosuppression are unknown, researchers have begun to investigate potential ways that the immunosuppression occurs.
One critical factor that the researchers considered was that the immunosuppressive effects of mesenchymal stem cells may not be innate. Given that immunosuppression is not always observed when mesenchymal stem cells are employed, the researchers hypothesized that the immunosuppression may depend on the presence of other factors in combination with mesenchymal stem cells.
Nitric oxide was one factor of particular interest to the researchers because nitric oxide is known to suppress the immune system’s T cells. Nitric oxide easily diffuses across barriers and interacts with a number of important proteins, making it an attractive candidate for contributing to immunosuppression that is observed with the use of mesenchymal stem cells.
Consistent with their hypothesis, the researchers found that nitric oxide does mediate the immunosuppression achieved by mesenchymal stem cells and demonstrated a specific mechanism by which this mediation occurs. This new information improves our understanding of how mesenchymal stem cells work and will therefore also enhance our ability to strategically use these cells to achieve the therapeutic benefits for which we strive.
by admin | Aug 7, 2017 | Studies
A recent review in the World Journal of Stem Cells has described the nature of umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells and the clinical advantages of using these stem cells over other types of stem cells. Other mesenchymal stem cells that are used in research come from: bone marrow, peripheral blood, cord blood, placenta, adipose tissue, dental pulp, and fetal liver and lungs.
One of the main advantages of umbilical cord stem cells, for both research and clinical purposes, is its ease of collection. The collection is noninvasive, circumventing the issue of causing pain to extract the cells. Further, as umbilical cord is generally viewed as medical waste, the cells can be collected without the same ethical issues that are raised by the collection of other cell types.
The cells are also plentiful when collected and can be banked for later use. According to the researchers, the only disadvantage of umbilical cord stem cells in this context is that a physician must evaluate the baby donor’s health and confirm that the cells derive from a healthy baby. This requirement stems from the fact that the cells are more likely to develop into healthy cells themselves if they come from a healthy baby. However, in the case of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells, a physician can evaluate the potential donor first and then decide whether to collect the cells.
The immunomodulatory characteristics of umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells also represent a major practical advantage of these cells for clinical applications. The introduction of any foreign agent to the body poses a risk because the immune system may recognize the matter as foreign and deem it threatening. If this immune response occurs, the immune reaction that ensues can cause severe long-term damage to tissues. Given that umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells cause these immune reactions much less frequently than do other stem cell types makes them potentially safer as therapeutic interventions.
More research is needed to determine the best ways to use umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells. However, the evidence that there are clinical benefits to using these cells over other stem cell types is accumulating.
To learn more about the five benefits of stem cell therapy, click here.
Reference
Nagamura-Inoue & He, H. (2014). Umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells: Their advantages and potential clinical utility. World Journal of Stem Cells, 6(2), 195-202.
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