by admin | Apr 14, 2017 | Studies
When cochlear cells within the ear are damaged from exposure to high levels of noise, long-term, permanent hearing loss can occur. Because this hearing loss is associated with damaged cells, researchers have reasoned that replacing those cells with stem cells may provide a means for reversing noise-induced hearing loss. A recent study, published in the journal Neurobiological Disorders has shown that the transplant of epithelial stem cells can in fact help with this type of hearing loss.
The stem cells that were used in the study were isolated from the tongue and were shown to have the ability to survive and proliferate outside the body. Once transplanted, they were also shown to survive and to integrate themselves appropriately.
The auditory brainstem response (ABR) threshold test was used before and after transplantation to determine whether the stem cells actually impacted hearing loss level. The ABR test is a neurological test that assesses whether the brainstem responds to auditory clicking sounds. The test was developed in 1971 and is now the most widely used test for evaluating responses to auditory stimuli. The test reveals the threshold at which noise can produce a response, with lower thresholds indicating better auditory functioning.
Compared to before the transplantation, tests performed 4 weeks after transplantation showed that the stem cell transplants were associated with lower ABR thresholds. Thus, not only did the stem cells survive, proliferate, and integrate normally within the ear, but they were also associated with improved auditory abilities.
These results indicate that stem cells are a promising candidate for reversing long-term hearing loss that is caused by noise-induced damage to cells of the inner ear. Further research will help to clarify the best ways these cells may be used to reverse hearing loss and to what extent their application can benefit those who have suffered noise-induced hearing loss. It is also possible that the relevant research will help reveal ways that stem cells can be used to help those who suffer from other types of hearing loss as well.
Read more about how stem cells treated with morin hydrate can protect against hearing loss here.
Reference
Sullivan, J.M., Cohen, M.A., Pandit, S.R., Sahota, R.S., Borecki, A.A., & Oleskevich, S. (2011). Effect of epithelial stem cell transplantation on noise-induced hearing loss in adult mice. Neurobiological Disorders. 41(2), 552-559.
by admin | Mar 20, 2017 | Studies
Specifically, the umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells were able to inhibit the proliferation of fibrolast-like synoviocytes cells from rheumatoid arthritis patients. These fibroblast-like synoviocytes are critical components of rheumatoid arthritis. In addition, the umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells reduced levels of cells that promote inflammation and increase the levels of those that fight inflammation.
Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease, meaning that the immune system of those who suffer from rheumatoid arthritis starts to attack the patient’s own body because it mistakenly perceives the body’s own cells as harmful foreign agents. The disease specifically involves the T-cells of the immune system and mainly attacks synovial joints like the knees and elbows.
Stem cells have been proposed to help with the treatment of a number of diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis. Because the current approaches for treating rheumatoid arthritis are expensive and none of them lead to long-term remission, new treatment options are actively sought. There has been evidence to suggest that bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells can help with rheumatoid arthritis, but recently, researchers theorized that umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells may have its own advantages for the use in treating the disease.
The idea for using umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells arose because of the ability of these cells to suppress the immune system. Specifically, these cells have been shown to affect the number of active T-cells, making them an appropriate candidate for opposing the physiological basis of rheumatoid arthritis.
The current study made strides in the technical use of umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells for treating rheumatoid arthritis and also provided evidence that these cells are particularly well-suited for this particular purpose. Specifically, the umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells were able to inhibit the proliferation of fibrolast-like synoviocytes cells from rheumatoid arthritis patients. These fibroblast-like synoviocytes are critical components of rheumatoid arthritis. In addition, the umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells reduced levels of cells that promote inflammation and increase the levels of those that fight inflammation. Finally, these cells also reduced the severity of the disease in a model of arthritis.
These promising results highlight the potential of umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells in medicine – and particularly their potential to aid in the development of treatment options for rheumatoid arthritis. Further research will likely help clarify exactly how these cells can be used in the disease and to what extent they can help rheumatoid arthritis patients.
To find out more about the new research clarifying how stem cells help Rheumatoid Arthritis patients, click here.
Reference
Liu et al.. (2010). Therapeutic potential of human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. Arthritis Research and Therapy, 12(6), R210.
by admin | Jan 16, 2017 | Studies
In recent years, there have been a number of advances in stem cell research and in the various ways that these cells can be best employed to improve the health of patients. One of the medical areas that shows promise for stem cell therapies is orthopedics, with stem cell therapies being developed to help with tissue, cartilage, and bone repair. A recent review by Anish Majumdar and colleagues conveyed the progress that has been made specifically in the use of stem cells for the repair of cartilage in osteoarthritis.
Patients with osteoarthritis experience degeneration of their connective tissues, which progresses as they get older. While osteoarthritis is often diagnosed in older patients, athletes also often endure osteoarthritis after injuring themselves while playing sports. In osteoarthritis, tissue known as articular cartilage is particularly susceptible to injury and unfortunately does not heal as well as other tissues because it does not have the vasculature required to supply the tissue with the nutrients required for significant growth and recovery.
When articular cartilage is damaged, surgery is often employed in an attempt to correct the damage, and pharmaceuticals are sometimes prescribed for discomfort. However, these interventions do not tend to achieve satisfying results. Because bone marrow stromal cells, or bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells, naturally differentiate into the cells that make up cartilage, it has been suggested that these stem cells could improve outcomes for those with osteoarthritis.
These particular stem cells have other advantages, including that their isolation is relatively simple and that they easily proliferate, adds to their attractiveness as a candidate for cartilage repair. Their ability to suppress the immune system and prevent inflammation makes them more likely than many other cell types to be safe when added to the cartilage. As such, according to this review, a number of researchers have reported that their injections of these stem cells in patients with osteoarthritis have not caused any problems related to safety.
These findings include stem cells leading to improvements in clinical symptoms and quality of life in those with osteoarthritis, as well as the filling of the defect area and reduction in pain.
Researchers have also reported that these stem cells are effective from a therapeutic standpoint when administered to osteoarthritis patients. A number of specific findings on the success of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells in cartilage repair demonstrate that stem cells could revolutionize therapeutic strategies for this type of tissue damage. These findings include stem cells leading to improvements in clinical symptoms and quality of life in those with osteoarthritis, as well as the filling of the defect area and reduction in pain.
See why more and more athletes are turning to stem cell therapy here.
Reference
Gupta, P.K., Das, A.K., Chullikana, A., & Majumdar, A.S. (2012). Mesenchymal stem cells for cartilage repair in osteoarthritis. Stem Cell Research & Therapy, 3(25), 1-9.
by admin | Sep 13, 2015 | Stem Cell Research, Studies
In their article, Neurogenic differentiation of murine and human adipose-derived stromal cells, Kristine Safford and colleagues provide evidence for a new candidate for brain therapies. Much of our body’s tissue is able to regenerate to repair itself following injury. However, brain tissue, or neural tissue, does not have this capacity. It has therefore been a priority for medical researchers to identify strategies for repairing damaged brain tissue.
Certain cells, such as embryonic stem cells, can be treated so that they turn into brain cells. However, because it is difficult to access these types of cells, there has been an ongoing search for other ways to create neural tissue for therapeutic purposes. In this publication, the researchers share their finding that fat tissue, or adipose tissue, from adults, may be able to serve this function. Here, the researchers demonstrate that they were able to induce adipose-derived stem cells to undergo alterations that resulted in cells resembling brain cells, or neurons. The researchers were able to change both the shape and chemical features of adipose-derived stem cells so that these aspects of the cells were consistent with those of normal neurons.
This study provides a new therapeutic candidate for brain injury. Ongoing research that aims to determine whether adipose-derived stem cells can be used to develop mature neurons that function appropriately as neurons will clarify whether adipose-derived stem cells will indeed eventually be able to be used to treat specific brain injuries or abnormalities.
Learn more about treating brain disorders with stem cells.
Source
Safford, K.M. et al. Neurogenic differentiation of murine and human adipose-derived stromal cells. Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 294, 371-379
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