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

Stem Cells As Used In Treating Rheumatoid Arthritis

February 25, 2015

Stem Cells As Used In Treating Rheumatoid Arthritis

Despite Rheumatoid Arthritis being a common disease many people still do not know much about this disease and therefore it is necessary to begin by shedding light on what rheumatoid arthritis is all about. Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease in which the patient’s immune system generates cellular and antibody responses to various components of the joint such as type I collagen. This immune response causes myriads of problems. First it causes joint destruction but it may also lead to other problems as pulmonary fibrosis, renal damage and even heart damage.

Rheumatoid arthritis is known for its debilitating effects especially since it destroys joints. Currently medical researchers are working on stem cell therapy; the medical fraternity has shown optimism that the stem cells can be used to help patients suffering from rheumatoid arthritis. Stem cells are unprogrammed cells in the human body that have the ability to shift shape; they can be turned into different cells and used to replace the damaged cells causing problems. It is the ability of the stem cells to differentiate into other types of cells that have gave them the medicinal qualities that doctors are taking advantage of. Today, stem cells are at the center of a new field of science called regenerative medicine. Because stem cells can become bone, muscle, cartilage and other specialized types of cells, they have the potential to treat many diseases, including Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, Diabetes, arthritis, cancer among others.

The stem cell Therapy

Stem cell therapy is a strategy that is used in treating disease by introducing adult stem cells into damaged tissues in order to treat the disease, correct the damage and restore the functions of the tissues. there is optimism in medical research fields that the stem cells have the potential to change the face of human disease and alleviate suffering. The ability of stem cells to self-renew and give rise to subsequent generations with variable degrees of differentiation capacities, offers significant potential for generation of tissues that can potentially replace diseases and damaged areas in the body, with minimal risk of rejection and side effects.

Stem cells for Rheumatoid Arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis is not easily treated. The methods that have been used to treat, some of which are still being used are not very effective and pose a great threat in the long term. They may offer momentary relief but these approaches possess long-term adverse effects due to non-specific inhibition of immune responses. In addition, the methods that have been used do not attempt to heal the damage that has already taken place in the joints and other tissues. these methods that have been in use may include immune suppressive agents such as steroids, methothrexate, cyclosporine, gold, and infliximab. It is expected that with advancement in treatment strategies of Rheumatoid Arthritis and use of target therapies, the patients will have a better way to acquire treatment. Stem cell therapy is one of these advancements.

Currently, there are many institutions that are studying the effects of adult stem cell therapy on patients diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis. Stem cell therapy is viewed as a clever way of treating rheumatoid arthritis since the disease causes inflammations and tissue damage, the stem cells can be used as target therapy to replace cells damaged in the inflamed areas of the body by inducing an anti-inflammatory effect. The ability of the stem cells to produce regular T cells is also being studied; T cells are a type of immune cell whose responsibility is to regulate the immune system while maintaining tolerance to self-antigens. By differentiating into these types of healthy cells there is hope that adult mesenchymal cells will be able to address the complications caused by Rheumatoid Arthritis.

In animals, stem cells therapy has shown considerable achievement in healing different forms of arthritis. A company known as Vet-Stem routinely utilizes stem cells in horses with various joint deformities to accelerate healing. There is also another advantage that stem cell therapy brings, the stem cell therapy not only helps in healing of damaged tissues but also modulates the immune system so as to shut off pathological responses while preserving ability to fight off diseases. Stem cells and specifically, mesenchymal stem cells home to inflamed tissue and start producing anti-inflammatory agents. These mediators act locally and do not suppress the immune response of the patient’s whole body.

Various ways of administering Stem cells

As known rheumatoid arthritis affect specific parts of the body, especially the joints where they damage the every tissue. With the stem cell therapy these damaged tissues can be targeted locally by introducing large amounts of stem cells into the areas where they are mostly needed. Here are some of the ways through which the stem cells can be administered into the affected areas of the body.

Full body IV – directed into the vein
Intra Nasal – administration to access a highly vascular pathway of the nose to encourage more stem cells to travel past the blood brain barrier.
Direct site injections – injected directly into the site that needs repair, i.e., muscles and tendons

Where can we harvest the stem cells

For treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, a specific type of stem cells is used. This type of stem cell is known as allogeneic mesenchymal stem cells to treat rheumatoid arthritis. The allogeneic mesenchymal stem cells can be obtained from human umbilical cords donated after normal, healthy births. Finally, you need help to live a life that is free from chronic diseases like rheumatoid arthritis; you will also need help when you are sick of the same. Dr. Dalal Akoury (MD), founder of the AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center Located at Myrtle Beach, North Caroline has unequalled experienced in handling these diseases, call on her for help.