Stem cells are being used to treat some really horrible health conditions. You’ve probably heard the debate over the use of embryonic stem cells, but that seems to be a bit of a distraction. Information that sidesteps the ethical arguments and focuses on the efficacy of treatments in real life seems to be lacking due to the love of controversy in traditional media. Stem cell therapy for medical tourists seems to be expanding at a quickening pace. So, what are stem cells, what are they used for, who’s using them, and do they work? I hope to provide some answers.
Stem cells are amazing little critters. What sets them apart from regular cells, like those in your liver or big toe, is that they don’t have any specialized characteristics, and can be grown through cellular division outside the body for long periods of time. They do this naturally inside the body, but with a little coaxing they can do it in the laboratory as well. The most interesting part is that they are employed as the repair crew for the many different kinds of specialized cells. Without stem cells we wouldn’t be here because these cells create all the specialty cells that make up the rest of our bodies in the first few days after conception. 3 to 5 days after sperm meets egg these cells start to build every organ in the body. Stems cells were derived from the embryos of mice in 1981 and then in 1998, a method for deriving stem cells from human embryos in the lab was discovered and used for research into human reproduction. Embryonic stem cells do not come from eggs fertilized in a woman’s body, but from eggs that have been removed from a woman and fertilized with sperm for use in in-vitro fertilization. Fertilized eggs that aren’t used for in-vitro fertilization were donated for stem cell research with, of course, informed consent of the donors. 2006 brought another discovery. Researchers discovered a way to genetically manipulate adult cells to take on the characteristics of embryonic stem cells(source). The difference is that embryonic stem cells can specialize into more types of cells than adult stem cells, but carry the risk of causing tumors in the recipient.
Stem cells have been in play for quite a while. The first successful Bone Marrow Transplant was done by Dr. Robert A. Good at the University of Minnesota on a 5 month-old boy suffering from profound immunodeficiency. The boy grew to be a healthy adult (source). Those with leukemia are treated with high doses of chemotherapy and radiation to kill off the cancerous blood cells. Peripheral Blood Stem Cells(PBSCs) are used to replace those cells that are destroyed by the chemo and radiation to help the patient fight infection and renew their own blood supply. This is done in a number of ways. Patients can have their own PBSCs removed and then put back in their blood stream in a procedure called Autologous Transplant. PBSCs can also come from a relative or a matching donor (Allogenic Transplant) or from an identical twin (Syngeneic Transplant). There are other sources which include from the bone marrow of a donor, umbilical cord blood, or from adipose tissue (i.e. fat).
Stem cells are being used to treat a wide variety of conditions; the most common are diseases of the blood, like cancer. Doctors in other countries (India, Panama, Germany, Ukraine, China, Thailand, etc.) are using them to treat nasty conditions like Multiple Sclerosis, Cerebral Palsy, Rheumatoid Arthritis, and damage to the heart. Suzanne Hart of Patients Without Borders just returned form Panama where she visited Cell Medicine. Doctors there are using stem cells extracted from adipose tissue (fat) to treat a host of ailments. I asked her if there was anything folks should know about the process. She told me that stem cell therapy is not for everyone. People hoping to use stem cells must go through a rigorous screening process before they will be accepted for treatment. She also said that while we humans are just beginning to use stem cells for treatment, one aspect has become increasingly clear; that the risk of side effect was virtually zero with the use of autologous stem cells. There is no matching because it is the person’s own tissue that is being used. The biggest risk as that no improvement would occur.
People who have had stem cell therapy are reporting improved quality of life, and are seeing improvements in function. Here is one story, and another, and another and another. These are just a few, but some searching will pull up many stories. I’m not trying to make any political statement with these links, but I do want to emphasis that successes are occurring.
If you are looking to take advantage of this emerging technology, please make sure that you learn everything you can before you make a decision. Patients Without Borders is committed to providing in depth answers to your questions and seeing to it that you are well informed. Also, understand that this blog in no way recommends any medical treatment. It is for informational purposes only. It’s your life and you alone are responsible for the decisions you make. We here at World Health Traveler wish you the best in your pursuit of good health.
Here’s to your good health and safe travel,
Meditrekker
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