![]() Why aren’t there more legitimate stem cell therapies available? Then there's the emotional cost associated with raising false hope, and the financial loss that comes from exorbitant fees charged for ineffective, potentially harmful therapies. In cases where stem cells have been delivered into the eye, blindness has been reported, and when they have been delivered to the central nervous system through lumbar puncture (spinal tap), adverse outcomes including serious infections of the central nervous system and tumors have occurred. When using cells that are not the patient’s own, umbilical cord cells for example, immune responses can occur – often triggering inflammatory conditions. Reports of physical harm have included infections and the development of tumors. What is the risk of trying an unproven stem cell treatment? The problem is that patients will receive a treatment, and then, within a month or two, they'll notice that the aches and pains in the joints are improving, and they will attribute the improvement to the stem cell therapy, when in fact it would've happened regardless. Many of the conditions that the testimonials address are the kinds that normally improve or fluctuate over time, such as joint pain, low back pain, arthritis, or multiple sclerosis. The clinics often advertise through testimonials from patients who've received their therapies. In addition to fat cells, some clinics administer bone marrow stem cells or umbilical cord or placental stem cells, which come from unrelated donors. These are usually autologous cells, which means that they are taking the patient's own tissue and extracting cells to re-administer to the same patient, usually through an intravenous route. The majority are using fat tissue for their stem cells, obtained through liposuction. Many clinics claim that they can treat untreatable illnesses like Alzheimer's disease, autism, muscular dystrophy, or stroke. There has been an explosion of so-called clinics offering stem cell treatments for a wide range of ailments, none of which have been shown to be effective. We asked Arnold Kriegstein, MD, PhD, director of the Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, about what’s real and what’s not in stem cell medicine. No one knows how many clinics there are, but California reportedly has more than any other state. The procedures can cost thousands of dollars out-of-pocket, and regulators have warned that patients have developed tumors, suffered infections and even lost eyesight after unapproved procedures. They claim that injections of stem cells (naturally occurring “blank slate” cells that can grow into any type of cell) can help alleviate pain or illness by replacing or regenerating diseased tissue – claims that are not supported by existing research. Transplantation of MSCs in humans for a variety of conditions has, to date, been generally well tolerated.Many for-profit stem cell clinics advertise therapies that are not backed by science and may actually cause harm.įor-profit stem cell clinics have popped up around California in recent years, advertising that they can treat everything from arthritis to Alzheimer’s, without FDA approval. It is of interest to explore MSCs for treatment of ALS clinical symptoms given their neurotropic properties and their ability to reduce neuroinflammation, and research is underway to validate this and determine the best conditions to maximize the potential therapeutic response. MSCs may also produce an extracellular matrix to support neural cell attachment, growth and extension. MSCs under certain conditions may release brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), glial-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) and basic growth factors (bFGF) to protect injured neurons, inhibit neuron apoptosis, induce neuron survival, and stimulate endogenous neural progenitor proliferation and differentiation, as well as encourage synaptic connection from damaged neurons. Under certain conditions, the injected MSCs may release neurotrophic, pro-angiogenic, anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory factors. The therapeutic potential of stem cells, including neural stem cells derived from embryonic stem cells and autologous injected mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), are being explored to improve function and slow decline. According to the ALS Association, stem cells represent both an important tool to discover the origins of ALS and to generate new therapeutics. Stem cell therapies for ALS are actively being explored. Stem Cell Therapy Research How Can Celltex Stem Cell Therapy Help?
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