Category Archives: AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center

stem cells

Why stem cell? How significant is it to modern medicine?

August 26, 2016

Stem cells are simple cells that aren’t mature enough, but can grow and change into mature blood cells. Infusing stem cells into the human body involves cell transplants that is much needed when the bone marrow doesn’t produce enough stem cells the body needs. The primary role of the transplant is to enable the body to produce enough red blood cells, white blood cells as well as prevent other complications such as bleeding and anemia.

The transplant of stem cells can also be called the transplant of umbilical cord blood or bone marrow. Stem cell procedure increases the chances of patient’s survival as it allows the physicians to obtain the required cells from the patient’s body, twin or any matched donor. It also enables the body to produce the cells that form the blood.

Cancer treatment using stem cells

A cancer patient has to undergo chemotherapy that destroys the stem cells in the area that it is applied. Stem cell procedure is one way to restore the destroyed cells.

When given a high dose of treatments patients are often at risks of their bone marrow getting destroyed. As a result, their bodies end up not being able to produce sufficient blood cells to transfer oxygen to several parts of their body as well as fight other complications.

Stem cell transplantation has proven to be quite effective in treating complications such as lymphoma and leukemia. It can also treat several types of cancers that include multiple myelomas, neuroblastoma and more.

 

stem cells

The purpose of umbilical cord transplant

The umbilical cord is more applicable when treating adults that have either aplastic anemia or leukemia. It involves extraction, storage and transplantation of the umbilical cord blood. It is hard to come across donors of bone marrow simply because the procedure of extracting a bone marrow is quite painful. Umbilical cord blood has hemopoietic stem cells that can reproduce to form a bone marrow.

Why cord blood transplantation is important

Cord blood transplantation is achievable than bone marrow transplantation. Just like a bone marrow, it can be used to obtain some blood-forming cells.

One of the best things about cord blood is that they are readily available for use and can be stored. Unlike obtaining a bone marrow, it is less painful and as a result, there are more than enough donors who are willing to help. Cord blood transplant has proven to be one of the best strategies for dealing with several complications.

However, there are still some controversies revolving around the procedure and scientist are working so hard to figure out the possibilities.

 

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stem cell therapy

Stem Cell Therapy medical applications

August 24, 2016

It is likely that you haven’t been able to figure out what stem cell therapy is due to several debates that have been going on. According to several research findings, stem cell therapy can treat a variety of illnesses, injuries, and many other health complications.

This has been proven by the fact that blood stem cells have the ability to treat several blood ailments, a therapy that has saved thousands of patients especially kids suffering from leukemia, bone injuries and more.

Despite all the apparent research findings, there are a few individuals who haven’t been able to understand it fully. Scientists are however doing some research to figure out other possibilities.

There are a lot of debates between scientists and ethics enthusiasts who don’t understand the strategy behind this amazing finding and other available limitations. This was one thing that made the former US president, George Bush to put some limitations such as, not funding research that involved an embryonic stem cells.

The good news is, the research is to continue since the restrictions that were initially placed by Bush were overturned by the now US President, Barack Obama.

 

stem cell therapy

How stem cell therapy work

Several embryonic stem cells are obtained approximately six days after they are fertilized from a human embryo. This procedure is always intended to treat infertility, a process called Vitro Fertilization.

One of the reasons use of the embryonic stem cells has led to several debates is the fact that they can renew themselves in a culture dish in a laboratory and can differentiate into different kinds of cells.

This makes them better substitutes for procedures such as organ transplants that need obtaining another person’s organ. They are also known to be quite beneficial in the development of several drugs.

Currently, the research on stem cell therapy is still on its way to maturity due to several unaddressed issues, and it may take up to 10 years to be fully employed. Despite several debates around this procedure such as safety issues and animal experimentations, stem cell therapy has proven to be beneficial to patients who weren’t able to benefit from the previously available therapies.

For example, the University of Pittsburgh used the cells from the embryo transplanted into the brains of up to 12 stroke patients, and the results came out as expected.

It is evident that stem cell therapy stands a chance to handle many serious illnesses. For example, the neurogenerative ailments such as multiple sclerosis, spinal cord injuries, diabetes, heart failure, Parkinson’s and much more.

Other studies have also shown that it can treat muscular as well as retinal degeneration that is known to result in blindness. Up to now, it is placed on the most effective therapeutic approaches that may fully restore and maintain the function of the retina hence stop the blindness. But all this is yet to be implemented provided everyone is more than willing to accept the use of embryonic stem cells.

 

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stem cell medication

Stem cell and future medication

August 23, 2016

Stem cell therapy is undoubtedly the most innovative treatment that is currently available. But it is easy to miss out on some important facts if you base your judgment on the controversies revolving around it.

You need to understand clearly that a lot of research is still going on to find out the limit this treatment can go without leaving out the potential benefits and threats. In this article, I’m going to take you through some few things you need to know about stem cells.

How are embryonic stem cells obtained? Does the procedure defy ethics?

An embryonic stem cell is simply a product of the embryo. But to get a working stem cell, the embryo must be obtained after the egg of a woman is fertilized by the sperm from a man. The fertilization can be achieved either in a laboratory or the body of a woman.

If the embryos that are obtained via a laboratory procedure aren’t placed in the womb of a woman, then they can be used for medical research. Instead of throwing them away, scientists choose to harvest these eggs from which they obtain the stem cells.

What to keep in mind is that stem cells are never acquired from the fertilized eggs that are inside the human body. They are obtained from a laboratory and multiplied using cell cultures. Once obtained, they are frozen and shipped to wherever they are needed for treatment.

Other sources for stem cells

Adult stem cells are also useful but are only used to reproduce cells of their kind. For example, if the adult stem cells are muscle cells, they can only differentiate to form muscle cells. However, some studies have shown that contrary to what the scientist are claiming, adult stem cells just like embryonic stem cells can differentiate into other cells, but this is yet to be confirmed. On the other hand, embryonic stem cells have the ability to differentiate into all kinds of cells.

Why is the world so concerned about stem cells?

Simple, stem cells have the ability to differentiate into other kinds of cells. This makes them quite useful in solving many other health complications affecting humans today. However, there are a few of those who don’t fully accept the use of embryonic stem cells due to other ethical issues. Due to this, President Bush decided to restrict the research to stem cell sources that are existing.

 

stem cell medication

The objective of stem cell research

Scientists are more interested in their ability to differentiate. The main reasons embryo makes the main target is the fact that it can create all kinds of human body cells. But to achieve this procedure, scientist are trying to figure out how genes make a decision of creating specific kinds of cells.

They are also more interested in the information targeting the change in cell development. Figuring out all these will help them come up with cures for birth defects as well as cancers. However, all this depends on several issues that need to be addressed by both the government and the scientists.

 

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stem cell therapy

Stem Cell Therapy: What is the right treatment for your condition?

August 22, 2016

If you’ve been doing some medical research lately, then it is likely that you’ve come across stem cells as well as regenerative medicine. You might also have heard about its possibility to cure the incurables, ethical criticisms, fraud warnings and its potential dangers.

With the research still going on, you can easily stumble upon updated information based on theories, innovations, and breakthroughs via the Internet or academic centers.

If you have an illness that seeks a particular treatment, you’ll have to cope with a lot of irrelevant information, but vital for the success of your treatment.

Among the things you’ll have to understand are the new genes that control the development of varying types of stem cells, a unique kind of stem cells that exists in the menstrual blood, overcoming blindness using a new technology, the importance of storing the stem cells of your baby and more. You can also benefit by checking out what some medical centers, universities, and blogs have for you.

One question is, will these kinds of information help you handle your present health complication? Sadly, all the data obtained from the internet, health centers and universities won’t suffice your needs. If you are dealing with life-threatening illnesses, you can benefit from what is being offered by stem cell therapy that includes both established and experimental treatments.

 

stem cell therapy

The most important thing is the relevant information that addresses health complications and the possibility of a cure. You can also benefit a lot from additional information from hospitals, clinics, Regenerative medicine, immunotherapy and the new fields of stem cells.

This information will help you as a patient judge and wisely choose a treatment that will work for your condition. As a patient, you are required to base your judgment on your medical condition without focussing too much on irrelevant scientific details. You should be more concerned with the available therapies in clinics and research approved by FDA.

One of the most accepted clinical use of stem cell is the transplantation of the bone marrow to treat hematological malignancies. There are also procedures applied by several hospitals to treat autoimmune illnesses.

The next popular breakthrough is the treatment of cardiovascular complications. The currently available, but controlled FDA approved clinical tests targets treatment of peripheral arterial and heart diseases.

Others include muscular dystrophy, diabetes type 1, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis as well as other neurogenerative illnesses. Several studies are still being conducted to find out other possible conditions that need attention and their effective treatments availed by clinics around the globe.

Conclusion

It is vital to put in place a relevant source that will keep the patients updated with all the important information on stem cell therapy development. These should not only be based on academics but may also work best when conveyed as general information.

 

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stem cells

Stem cells versus health industry

August 21, 2016

The many controversies revolving around stem cells has encouraged many people to focus on the potential drawbacks instead of the obvious benefits. Apparently, stem cells have proven to be quite beneficial in testing new drugs and curing serious illnesses. Some studies have proven that it can also cure several types of cancers.

Despite all this, its application has resulted in raging debates for some years. Initially, it was illegal and was only accepted by a few after a realization that it could be a solution to several complications including illnesses that had no cure. One question is, where do all these controversies come from? Are there other possible stem cell research application in future?

You may wonder why some people are against a medication that has proven to be a cure for several illnesses that were assumed to be untreatable before.

The main issue here is abortion. According to those who are opposing stem cell research, obtaining stem cells from a living embryo is indifferent to abortion simply because the embryo will be useless after testing. On the other hand, the proposers claim that incorporating stem cell therapy in the medical industry is promising to both the patients as well as families around the globe. This is because of stem cell therapy, unlike other previous ineffective treatments, has proven to work for several incurable illnesses such as Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s as well as other cancer types.

What are stem cells and how do they help cure diseases?

Stem cells exist in human bodies. Their role is to maintain as well as repair the cells of the tissues. To do this, they only divide and repair when they are required to, for example when there is an injury to the tissues. They can also be found in other sources such as skeletal cells, bone marrow, blood vessels, teeth and bone marrow.

 

stem cells

It was not until recently when the scientists figured out a way to reprogram stem cells that can treat several complications and diseases. This has made it possible to use the stem cells to cure several illnesses that include cancer, blindness, and many others. Realization of this has encouraged even the pharmaceutical firms and consultancy to agree with the claims made by the scientists behind it.

Despite this, there are still some steps needed to improve the usefulness of the research. Stem cells can also be extracted from the organs, or the living blood of adults eliminating the issue of abortion hence encourage the research to continue. The drawback in using this method is that scientists claim that they are not as useful as the living embryos.

Even with the raging debates, it is clear that stem cell has revolutionized medicine. They have been used in testing new drugs that include tumor drugs; they also work best in regenerating damaged cells of the tissue and the best part, they can completely restore damaged tissue. The point is, stem cell research is promising to health sectors, but until it is fully accepted, there is a lot to be discovered.

 

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