Safe Autologous Stem Cell Transplant for Diabetes

March 1, 2015

According to a recent WHO report, diabetes is one of the top ten leading causes of death worldwide; in 2012 the global prevalence of diabetes was estimated to be more than 10% among adults. The most prevalent type of diabetes is the type 2 and it is rampant in adult population. It is reported that diabetes is the leading cause of renal failure and blindness in developed countries, a person suffering from diabetes also has high chances of having a limb amputated. The risk of limb amputation is 10 times higher in diabetic patients. It is also known that most diabetic patients develop hypertension and cardiovascular diseases, which account for high rates of morbidity and mortality among adult patients. Most patients receive treatment through oral medication but this is also dangerous since after sometime they become insulin dependent. Oral insulin medication is also not so effective since exogenous insulin cannot provide the tight glycemic control exerted by the pancreas-derived insulin secretion. Due to these myriad problems stem cell therapy can be very useful in replacing the affected cells and restore normal cell function normalizing insulin levels in the long run.

What is autologous stem cell transplant?

The body has stem cells in the bone marrow, in muscle tissues and also in the adipose tissues. These stem cells turn into red blood cells, white blood cells, or platelets to help your body stay healthy. However there are situations when the amount of stem cells in the body is not enough to keep you healthy. This may be caused by some diseases like multiple myeloma or by aging. When this happens there will be need for supplementing the amounts of the stem cells so that they can be able to offer protection to your body. This calls for stem cell transplant which may be done by placing healthy stem cells in your body through an IV to restore the normal functions of the stem cells. at times the stem cells may be harvested from outside the body especially from placentas after successful normal delivery, however when this stem cells are sourced from within the body of the patient then it is referred to as autologous stem cell transplant. Autologous stem cell transplant is safer since the cells are from the body and therefore there is no risk of them getting rejected neither to induce unpleasant allergic reaction.

autologous stem cell transplant

How stem cells collected

In autologous stem cell transplants, the doctors use peripheral blood stem cell transplantation. With peripheral blood stem cell transplantation, the stem cells are taken from blood. The growth factor G-CSF may be used to stimulate the growth of new stem cells so they spill over into the blood. G-CSF is a protein that is produced naturally in the body. The blood is removed from a vein and passed through a machine that separates the stem cells. The machine then returns the remaining blood through a needle in the person’s arm or through a central venous catheter. This way of collecting stem cells is called apheresis. In adults, most autologous transplants use stem cells from blood. In a child, the decision whether to use cells from the bone marrow or the blood depends on the size of the child.

Mesenchymal stem cells work best for diabetes

In the past cell based therapy as used in treatment of diabetes began by use of islet transplantation have been successful in providing a source for insulin secreting cells. However this method has had its share of failures and disadvantages that created a vacuum that doctors hoped to be filled by a better cell based therapy. Some of the downs of the islet transplantations included; limited donors, graft rejection, the need for continued immune suppression and exhaustion of the donor cell pool. the search for a more reliable and sustainable source of insulin secreting cells made stem cell therapy a target as a promising alternative for islet transplantation in diabetic patients who fail to control hyperglycemia even with insulin injection. Autologous stem cell transplantation may provide the best outcome for those patients, since autologous cells are readily available and do not entail prolonged hospital stays or sustained immunotoxic therapy. Among autologous adult stem cells, mesenchymal stem cells therapy has been applied with varying degrees of success in both animal models and in clinical trials.

autologous stem cell transplant Cell-based therapies for diabetes mellitus had achieved lots of success with the application of islet transplantation from cadaveric donors, and the success of the Edmonton protocol back in 1999. Despite the success of islet transplantation in fighting diabetes more so for type 1, there were some drawbacks for example there was need to use immunosuppressive regime so as to favor graft acceptance and prevent rejection. It is with these loopholes that researchers sought to find better treatment with mesenchymal stem cells. Stem cell therapy is a solution to some of the drawbacks of islet transplantation especially the shortage of donors. Autologous stem cell therapy allows for a person’s on organs to be used in the transplant.

In autologous stem cell transplant the most effective mesenchymal stem cells are used to differentiate into insulin producing cells. The mesenchymal stem cells can be harvested in the bone marrows or in the adipose tissues where they are found in plenty. The mesenchymal stem cells have very many advantages when used as they have a high capacity to self-replicate and differentiate to bone and fat-forming cells and other tissue cells. They maintain the capacity of multilineage differentiation potential, both within and across lineage barriers. They are easy to cultivate and expand, and maintain pluripotentiality after prolonged culture conditions. For more information on diabetes, Visit us at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Centre at Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Dr. Dalal Akoury (MD) an expert in integrative and regenerative medicine will be able to help.

Safe Autologous Stem Cell Transplant for Diabetes

Hormones and Neurotransmitters in Sex Health

September 1, 2014

Role of Hormones and Neurotransmitters in Sex Health

A healthy sex life is something that every couple needs. Sex forms an important part of every marriage as it the most intimate way of expressing love to your best half. However sex is a rather complicated issue as very many factors come to play in order for sex to be satisfactory to both sex parties. One of these factors is the hormonal functions. As you know by now there are androgens which are the sex hormones that enables effective sex performance and give a healthy sex life to us. This hormones concentration in the body varies and this may be caused by age as well as other factors like diseases. In young people especially between 18 to 30 years of age these hormones are very active as they are still produced by the body in large quantities that are enough to enable a person’s sexual activities to be at the peak. Sex drive becomes high and a person’s appetite for sex becomes heightened. At this age sex performance is also very satisfactory to both parties. However the production of these hormones will be reduced at later stages in life resulting in sex hormone deficiency. When this happens a person will not be active in sex as he was in the earlier years and his performance becomes less satisfactory. This is a natural process and may not mean that you are sick. It is different for erectile dysfunction that may affect even a person who is in his twenties. This is often solved by hormone therapies like the testosterone replacement therapy. Testosterone s the most active sex hormone in men and so its levels in the body are critical for sex health.

Neurotransmitters in Sex Health

Another important player in sex health is the brain. The brain plays various roles in relation to hormonal regulation in the body. Testosterone is produced in the testes whose functions are controlled by the pituitary glands in the brain. Therefore brain health is critical in sex health. Basically the brain is the engine of the body that when maimed by any disease can cause various negative alterations in the general body functions. The brain plays a major role in the neuron system. The pituitary gland is a small part of the brain positioned bellow the hypothalamus yet it has very crucial role when it comes to production of hormones. The hormones which are also crucial part of the endocrine system are chemicals that control various biological functions. They are made in your endocrine glands, secreted in small amounts directly into your bloodstream, and travel to other organs where they induce an action in the organ’s cells. They function as chemical messengers without which some crucial processes of the body cannot be accomplished. Sex involves the coordination of the pituitary glands that controls the production of testosterone in the testes and other hormones that are produced by other glands to ensure the sexual functions of a person are at optimum level. However the functions of the neurological functions can be altered by diseases resulting in a condition referred to as neurological disorder which maims the normal functions of the hormones and the entire endocrine system.

Neurological disorders affect the brain health which in turn affects the sex functions of a person due to poor sex hormone production that is normally controlled by the pituitary glands in the brain. However not all sex problems are caused by neurological disorders in a person. Some of the neurological disorders that may cause sex problems include the following; stroke, Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson disease and spine injuries. These diseases severely affect the functions of the endocrine system and may cause paralysis which may inhibit the coordination between the sex hormones and the brain leading sex problems. It is therefore evident that a healthy brain is essential for a healthy sex life.

Hormones and Neurotransmitters

For body to accomplish its functions and processes there must be some messages that must be sent to responsible organs and tissues. The body therefore relies on messengers to signal these organs to do their duty. The messengers are the Hormones and the Neurotransmitters. These are very crucial chemical messengers that determine how we think and feel. They influence how we are motivated, our eating patterns, sleep cycle, sexual desire, ability to learn and concentrate. However they work in different systems. The hormones are messengers of the endocrine system while the neurotransmitters are messengers of the nervous system. However their functions are synergistic towards accomplishment of some processes.

Neurotransmitters in Sex Health

Hormones and Neurotransmitters are therefore very crucial in our bodies that without them most bodily processes cannot be accomplished. However there are diseases that might interfere with the both the functions of the hormones and neurotransmitters making the organs in the body unable to work effectively. These messengers are crucial in sex health and so when they are affected sex drive in a person becomes low. It is therefore essential for Neuroendocrine Restoration. Dr. Dalal Akoury has a Neuroendocrine Restoration program that can help you restore your sex drive and perform better. He has helped many patients regain their sexual vigor and spice their sex life.

Dr. Dalal Akoury (MD) is an experienced doctor that has helped many cancer patients in their fight against the disease. She has also helped many people regain their sex appetite and add more fun into their sexual life. She founded AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center which is home to many people seeking health breakthrough. Call on her now and learn more on how to enhance your sexual health.