by admin | Jul 20, 2018 | Stem Cell Research, Stem Cell Therapy
Adipose treatment is a procedure in which stem cells are derived from a section of the abdomen then used for therapeutic purposes. Adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) are less invasive to extract compared to cells derived from other sources, such as bone marrow. In therapeutic applications, adding platelet-rich plasma (PRP) to ADSCs has been shown to have benefits.
What is PRP?
PRP therapy is the process by which a small sample of blood is removed from the patient. The platelets are then separated from other components of the blood via a centrifuge. The isolated platelets are shown to have high levels of diverse growth factors.
Why Are Growth Factors Important?
ADSCs are shown to have reduced proliferative potential. While they do secrete a wide range of growth factors, PRP therapy is coupled with stem cell therapy to maximize their regenerative medicine potential benefits by helping to increase their proliferation and differentiation. PRP essentially empowers the ADSCs, stimulating cell proliferation and cell differentiation when used for regenerative applications.
Which Applications Can the Therapy Be Used for?
Researchers have stated that the therapeutic potential of ADSCs is “enormous,” but by kickstarting the stem cells with PRP, it’s possible that the therapy will unlock even further medicinal possibilities. Anti-inflammatory and anti-apoptotic effects have been demonstrated by ADSCs, and there are many clinical trials which have either been completed or are ongoing to explore the treatment’s effects. Skeletal repair, soft tissue generation, and immune disorders such as Crohn’s disease and multiple sclerosis are just some of the therapeutic targets for this treatment. In specific, using ADSCs with PRP has been shown to aid periodontal tissue engineering, tendon repair, wound healing, and even bone regrowth.
Because the ADSCs are fairly easy to source and blood samples required for PRP are also simple to acquire, combining PRP to adipose stem cell therapy shows promise for delivering a powerful treatment that can address a broad variety of conditions, all with a minimally invasive approach.
by admin | May 5, 2017 | Studies
Patients with multiple sclerosis suffer from an impairment in the function of specific cells of their immune system, known as T regulatory cells. The cause for the disease is not clear, and though treatments do exist, they tend to be expensive and to also carry the risk for toxic effects. To overcome the limitations of current treatment options, researchers have begun to explore the use of stem cells in the development of new treatments.
In a study recently published in the journal Oncotarget, researchers described the preliminary results of a study aimed at identifying the feasibility of using stem cells to improve the functioning of T regulatory cells in those with multiple sclerosis. Umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells were the chosen cell type for the experiment because this specific type of stem cell has been shown to affect the functioning of immune cells.
The researchers confirmed the idea that T regulatory cells are severely impaired in multiple sclerosis and were able to show that umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells could recover the functioning of the T regulatory cells of multiple sclerosis patients. Not only were there more living, active T regulatory cells in conditions that included the stem cells versus those without stem cells, but these cells also demonstrated the normal types of activities that T regulatory cells contribute to the immune system.
Previous research has established the potential for targeting T regulatory cells in the treatment of multiple sclerosis, but these studies have been conducted primarily in animal models of the disease. These newer results are the first to demonstrate the impact of umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells on immune cells of patients with multiple sclerosis.
Read more about how adult stem cell therapy can assist in the reversal of challenging symptoms and damage associated with MS here.
Reference
Yang, H. et al. (2016). Umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells reversed the suppressive deficiency of T regulatory cells from peripheral blood of patients with multiple sclerosis in co-culture – a preliminary study. Oncotarget, 7: 72537-72545.
by admin | Mar 27, 2017 | Studies
A recent case study has reported that the use of human embryonic stem cells has helped two patients: one with Lyme disease and the other with multiple sclerosis. Though Lyme disease and multiple sclerosis occur for different reasons – Lyme disease results from tick bites, whereas autoimmunity is the culprit in multiple sclerosis – the two conditions are hard to distinguish clinically, leading to the idea that they may be able to be treated in similar ways. Both patients with Lyme disease and those with multiple sclerosis display neurological conditions such as problems with cognition, vision, sensation, and fatigue.
Traditionally, these diseases have been treated in different ways. Patients with Lyme disease are generally given antibiotics, but the antibiotics are often associated with adverse side effects or are not fully effective. Multiple sclerosis, on the other hand, is often treated with steroids and immunosuppressants, but unfortunately, the treatment regimens for multiple sclerosis often lead to a number of life threatening conditions. As progress has been made applying stem cell therapies to disorders of the nervous system, it has been theorized that stem cells may be able to help with both Lyme disease and multiple sclerosis.
In these case studies, embryonic stem cells were administered to a 30 year old woman with Lyme disease and a 42 year old man with multiple sclerosis. Following their treatment, both patients showed improvement in neurological performance related to muscle strength, cognition, coordination, and stamina. Further, the nervous system of both patients was assessed with both magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). These imaging techniques demonstrated improvements in the brains of the patients.
That stem cells led to both functional and physiological improvements continue to support the idea that stem cells can be used to treat neurological conditions and that they can specifically support the treatment of Lyme disease and multiple sclerosis. As neither patient experienced any adverse side effects related to the stem cell therapy, it appears that there are safe options for applying stem cells in these conditions. Further research will help to clarify specific protocols that can be used to treat Lyme disease and multiple sclerosis patients with stem cells.
Learn more about how adult stem cell therapy can provide an alternative for MS patients who don’t respond to typical drug treatment here.
Reference
Shroff, G. (2016). Transplantation of human embryonic stem cells in patients with multiple sclerosis and Lyme disease. American Journal of Case Reports, 17, 944-949.
by admin | Nov 21, 2015 | Multiple Sclerosis, Stem Cell Research, Studies
At 6 months post-treatment, neurological improvement or stabilization was observed from all (99) patients in the study except one.
In their recently published study, Long-term outcomes of autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation with reduced-intensity conditioning in multiple sclerosis: physician’s and patient’s perspectives, published in the Annals of Hematology Journal, Shevchenko et al. describe the effects of an autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (AHSCT) with high-dose immunosuppressive therapy (HDIT) on 99 patients with multiple sclerosis. That the stem cell transplantation is autologous means that the stem cells derive from the patient’s own body, and the stem cells being hematopoietic indicates that the stem cells give rise to blood cells.
The idea for this type of therapy for multiple sclerosis has stemmed from the fact that multiple sclerosis is characterized by nervous system inflammation. Because inflammation results from activities of the immune system, it has been thought that targeting the immune system to reduce its activity could improve symptoms of the disease. More specifically, this particular combination therapy, using AHSCT and HDIT, has been aimed at destroying the immune system and rebuilding a separate system from hematopoietic stem cells so that the new immune system functions more favorably in those with multiple sclerosis.
AHSCT and HDIT have been used in the treatment of multiple sclerosis for several years, but the specific way these techniques are able to improve multiple sclerosis is not well understood. Further, there is some debate about both the safety and effectiveness of these treatments. Small sample sizes and homogeneous patient groups have plagued many of the studies performed to address these issues. In the present study, however, the researchers studied patients with different types of multiple sclerosis. This experimental structure allowed the scientists to show that AHSCT and HDIT used in combination can help those with both remitting and progressive multiple sclerosis and that the positive effects on the disease appeared to endure over long-term periods. At 6 months post-treatment, neurological improvement or stabilization was observed from all (99) patients in the study except one. The average follow up time for patients was 62 months, or just over 5 years, and up to and at this point, 47% of patients demonstrated significant improvement jumping at least 0.5 points on the Expanded Disability Status Scale EDSS scale. These results are highly informative for physicians treating patients with multiple sclerosis and are a promising demonstration of the potential for stem cells to improve conditions like multiple sclerosis.
Learn more about stem cell therapy for Multiple Sclerosis.
- Reference
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Shevchenko, J. L., et al. “Long-term outcomes of autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation with reduced-intensity conditioning in multiple sclerosis: physician’s and patient’s perspectives.” Annals of hematology 94.7 (2015): 1149.
- Study Abstract
by admin | Mar 8, 2015 | Multiple Sclerosis, Stem Cell Research
Another year has past and Multiple Sclerosis Awareness month is upon us once again. Every month we treat new patients that have been diagnosed with this disease and while it has been a pleasure for us to do so – it is something we wish we did not have to do. While we are seeing significant progress in our patients, the work of the MS and stem cell communities is far from finished. Let this month not only remind us of Multiple Sclerosis and its effects on friends and loved ones but also on treatments, research, and continuing efforts being used to eradicate its existence.
Over 2 million people in the world have officially heard the diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis (MS), but researchers expect the actual number is far more and growing quickly. MS is considered a difficult disease to diagnose and treat due to the variety of symptoms a patient experiences throughout its progression. MS research has resulted in two treatment methods; the first method is preventing the abnormal response of one’s immune system. The second method involves the replenishment of the myelin sheath cells protecting the nerve fibers in your brain. Medications designed today follow the first method in delaying the abnormal immune response. Traditionally, there was a lack of treatment options for the second method. However, with new research and technology, Stemedix, and physicians of regenerative medicine have produced a treatment to assist in replacing the cells damaged by this disease.
Adult stem cell therapy, also known as Adipose-Derived Stem Cell (ADSC) treatment, is a regenerative procedure designed to use your own supply of stem cells to repair and replace diseased tissue in the body. Past treatments have shown that adult stem cells not only have the potential to regenerate lost or damaged myelin sheath tissues, but also have the ability to modulate the immune system, temporarily disabling the abnormal attack and helping to slow its progress.
The physicians and researchers at Stemedix are revolutionizing this treatment to offer relief and continued hope to patients battling with this life altering diagnosis. This procedure includes the harvesting hundreds of millions of stem cells from their most abundant source, the patients adipose (fat) tissue, activating them through an enrichment process, and reintroducing them into the human body. These stem cells are hardwired to target areas of the body following inflammatory signals from your brain telling them where repair is needed most. The newly introduced adult stem cells follow your body’s signals and and begin the necessary repairs. This advancement in using adult stem cell therapy assists the body to regenerate missing or diseased tissue that would not ordinarily be regrown.
This month help us spread the word and assist others in fighting back against this debilitating condition.
Learn more about stem cell treatment for Multiple Sclerosis.
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