Stem cell treatment for Multiple sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis is a disease of the Central Nervous System that is characterized by demyelination and inflammation. In a nutshell, MS is often described as an inflammatory demyelinating condition. Myelin is a layer of fatty that covers the nerves maintaining their health and flexibility. It is demyelination that causes spasms that are common with MS patients. MS occurs when the body’s own immune system attacks the cells that surround and protect neurons. As people lose myelin surrounding their nerves they start feeling weak or having trouble walking. Over time the disease progresses and people may end up with more severe symptoms included paralysis. About 400,000 people are living with MS in the U.S and the figures may continue to grow if better treatments are not availed in good time to help treat the disease.

To help those debilitated by this disease researchers have been pursuing more effective methods of treating this disease. One of the areas that have attracted attention of many researchers is the possibility of stem cells treating the disease. the fact that researchers have been speculating that stem cells can be effective in treatment of multiple sclerosis does surprise me and so it shouldn’t surprise you too as these “shape shifters” have the rare ability of forming every tissue that is vital in the body and so can be used to replace any defective or malfunctioned tissues in the body. The use of stem cell therapy has been successful in the past in treating other diseases and hence has been viewed as a viable approach in treatment of MS and is being studied for its efficacy in improving the complications in patients with MS, through the use of stem cells. The stem cell therapy may help patients who don’t respond to typical drug treatment, want to reduce their reliance on medication or are looking to try stem cell therapy before starting drug treatment that they are afraid may lead to other complications like dependence.

What are stem cells?

Stem cells are special cells that are unprogrammed cells in the human body and are able to change shape and form other tissues. they can replicate several times giving rise to differentiated cells and this continues as the daughter cells have equal chances as the parent cells to replicate into even more complex tissues. Due to their ability to shift shape and form different types of cells, the stem cells have been targeted by doctors for treatment of various diseases. Today the stem cells biology is the center of a new science called regenerative medicine. These stem cells can be harvested in the bone marrow and in the adipose tissues and they can form neurons, bone, muscle, cartilage and other specialized types of cells. They have the potential to treat many diseases, including Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, Diabetes and some many more.

Can stem cells work in multiple sclerosis patients?

Multiple sclerosis is an autoimmune disease where the body’s immune system attacks and then subsequently damages the ‘myelin sheath’ protecting the nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. This damage causes messages to and from the brain to be slowed, distorted or stopped altogether. This is what leads to the symptoms of multiple Sclerosis. It is the damage to the myelin sheath that is believed to cause relapses or other known as MS attacks. The symptoms of MS attacks can last for between 24 hours to several months. After sometime the nerve fibers become damaged and are destroyed completely and this escalates the symptoms of the multiple sclerosis and this leads to debilitation.

The stem cell therapy aids in treatment of multiple sclerosis by targeting the myelin sheath by introducing adult mesenchymal stem cells past the blood brain barrier so they may differentiate into and repair the myelin sheath nerve cells. This process is called remyelination. Further, being that Multiple Sclerosis is an auto-immune condition, adipose derived mesenchymal stem cells have the ability to repair the immune system inhibiting its ability of attacking itself. This process is referred to as immunomodulation. Through remyelination and immunomodulation, there is hope to work toward improving the quality of lives of patients dealing with Multiple Sclerosis.

Stem cell therapy helps rebuild myelin sheath and boost recovery

Multiple sclerosis According to a research done at the Royal Hallamshire Hospital in Sheffield and Kings College Hospital, London, participants who were part of the research had their immune systems effectively ‘rebooted’ after stem cell therapy. The stem cell treatment is said to be the first to reverse the symptoms of MS, which has no cure, and affects around 100,000 people in Britain. Stem cells are so effective because they can become any cell in the body based on their environment.

“Since we started treating patients three years ago, some of the results we have seen have been miraculous,” Professor Basil Sharrack, a consultant neurologist at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, told The Sunday Times.

“This is not a word I would use lightly, but we have seen profound neurological improvements.” the professor concluded.

The stem cell therapy as used in treating MS involves harvesting the stem cells and stored after which aggressive medicine that are often used in treatment of cancer patients to completely destroy the immune system. After the immune system has been completely damaged then the doctors are infused into the patient’s body where they start to grow new red and white blood cells within just two weeks and hence help rebuild the myelin sheath. A month after treatment the patients’ immune system is fully rebuilt and hence boosts recovery.

Here at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center we are committed to availing the best integrative approaches to treatment of diseases. We advocate for dietary as well as natural healing to diseases wherever possible. Visit as at Myrtle Beach, South Carolina where Dr. Dalal Akoury (MD) will be of help.