Stem Cells for Thumb Arthritis
The carpometacarpal (CMC) joints are five joints in the wrist that articulate the distal row of carpal bones (the ones that connect the hand to the forearm) and the proximal bases of the five metacarpal bones (the bones leading up to just before the fingers). Some of the most common injuries occur to the first CMC joint, or the one associated with the thumb. Also known as the trapeziometacarpal (TMC) joint, it plays an irreplaceable role in the normal functioning of the thumb. Osteoarthritis of the thumb can occur a number of ways. While the term “texting thumb” is often used since so many patients suffer from the condition due to frequent texting, it can occur a number of other ways. Softball injuries can result in thumb arthritis. Being active on a computer, playing frequent video games, or engaging in any number of other activities that put a strain on the thumb can also result in thumb arthritis. Thumb Arthritis Studies Recent studies have shown that injuries to...
Stem Cell Therapy Cures Second HIV Patient
The New York Times reported that a second patient was cured of HIV after undergoing a form of allograft stem cell therapy. The news broke earlier this month on the 4th when papers like the ‘Times’ and The Wall Street Journal began reporting on the miraculous recovery of whom is being referred to as the “London Patient” (the first patient to be cured of HIV almost exactly 12 years ago was referred to as the “Berlin Patient”). Ironically, the bone marrow stem cell transplants that cured both patients of the virus were actually intended to treat cancer in each case. While there is still much more to be done to find a reasonable way to replicate the results for the more than 70 million people infected with the disease, this success proves that a cure for H.I.V. infection is possible. Bone-marrow transplantation on the scale necessary to treat patients with HIV is unlikely to be adopted as a realistic treatment option in the future....
Stem Cell Therapy for Multiple Sclerosis
In recent clinical trials, umbilical cord allograft stem cells were found to not only be effective in treating symptoms of multiple sclerosis but were found to be safe and even lead to sustained improvements in disability and brain lesions. This report was released on March 20th, 2018 on the website Multiple Sclerosis News Today. The original article titled, “Clinical feasibility of umbilical cord tissue-derived mesenchymal allograft stem cells in the treatment of multiple sclerosis” was published in the Journal of Translational Medicine in January of 2018. Current treatments of MS, while able to reduce the frequency of flare-ups and slow disease progression, are not able to repair damage to nerve cells or the protective layer around nerve fibers known as the myelin sheath. As we discussed in our article, “Not All Stem Cells Are Created Equal”, allograft stem cells must at least be multipotent in order to have the ability to differentiate into multiple cell types. Mesenchymal stem cells, or MSCs,...
Treating Hair Loss with Stem Cell & PRP Therapy
Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy has been known for years to be a viable and strong treatment option for a variety of orthopedic conditions. PRP contains growth factors, meaning it can stimulate the regeneration of cells. In recent years, trials have been conducted to measure the efficacy of PRP therapy as a treatment option for hair loss. In 2015, Stem Cells Translational Medicine released an article on the usage of platelet-rich plasma injections to the scalp and the resulting hair growth measured against a placebo subject control factor. They found that PRP therapy could effectively stimulate follicular and perifollicular angiogenesis. This means PRP therapy stimulates one of the major factors in active hair growth. Additionally, PRP therapy during this trial was found to have a positive impact on male androgenic alopecia (male pattern baldness) without any major side effects. Mesenchymal allograft stem cells have been a hot topic in the medical community due to their ability to differentiate and take on the functions of multiple cell...
Not All Stem Cells Are Created Equal
Researching allograft stem cell therapy can be a daunting task for those wanting to learn more about how it might be beneficial. On one hand, allograft stem cell therapy carries the potential to be a revolutionary treatment option when used correctly for certain conditions. On the other hand, there is a lot of misinformation out there about allograft stem cells. Some clinics are not up-front about the source of their allograft stem cells and others exaggerate or outright lie about their effectiveness for any given condition. Even if a clinic is up-front about the source of their allograft stem cells, how do you know if these allograft stem cells are the right kind of allograft stem cells and if they will be useful for you? In this article, we discuss the different kinds of allograft stem cells and which ones are useful in medical applications for given conditions. Types of Allograft Stem Cells The definition of an ‘allograft stem cell’ is an undifferentiated...
Can Stem Cells Treat Diabetic Neuropathy?
Peripheral neuropathy occurs when your peripheral nervous system is damaged. Your peripheral nervous system sends information from your brain and spinal cord (central nervous system) to the rest of your body. Peripheral neuropathy can occur as a result of injuries, infections, and exposure to toxins, but is commonly a result of having diabetes. In this case, it is referred to as diabetic neuropathy. In recent studies, mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have shown promise in treating diabetic neuropathy (DN). It was discovered that MSC treatment reverses manifestations of diabetic neuropathy, possibly due to the important role MSCs have in repairing tissue and lowering blood glucose levels. The role MSCs take in regeneration may show promise for other forms of peripheral neuropathy as well. Diabetic Neuropathy has no known cure. DN is only treated with goals such as slowing the progression of the disease, relieving pain, managing complications and restoring function where possible. Current treatment includes anti-seizure drugs to ease nerve pain and antidepressants which also help with the...
The Future of Anti-Aging & Stem Cell Therapy
Connections have frequently been made between aging and the loss of stem cells. As you get older, the total number of your own, naturally-occurring stem cells decreases. The question then has been simply if you increase the number of stem cells in the body, can you combat aging? New studies show that stem cell therapy with mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) may help certain individuals showing signs of aging. One such study was performed by researchers at the Interdisciplinary Stem Cell Institute (ISCI) at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. The goal was to determine the effectiveness of MSC’s in reducing the effects of frailty due to aging. Phase 1 and 2 trials demonstrated no adverse health effects from the treatments. Joshua M. Hare, M.D. described the results as surprising, exciting and confidence-building in utilizing allograft stem cell treatments for this application in antiaging. Functional loss of allograft stem cells plays an important role in organismic aging processes. Recent research discoveries have uncovered the...
Stem Cells Treating Orthopedic Diseases
Over the past 20 years, there has been a great deal of research and application of allograft stem cells in the treatment of orthopedic diseases. The regenerative properties of mesenchymal allograft stem cells, found in umbilical cord allograft stem cells, have been utilized in tissue engineering techniques in orthopedic surgery. Allograft stem cells may be particularly effective when managing special and compulsive injuries within the musculoskeletal system. During the course of much research into the efficacy of allograft stem cells in treating orthopedic conditions, the Medline and PubMed library databases were studied and referenced. In multiple documented research and clinical trials, multiple sources of allograft stem cells had been studied for orthopedics clinical care practice. The results found that allograft stem cell therapy has successfully been used for major orthopedic procedures such as bone-joint injuries (fractures, bone defects, nonunion and spinal injuries), ligament-tendon injuries, osteoarthritis-cartilage defects, osteogenesis imperfecta, and femoral head osteonecrosis. When combined with bone tissue engineering utilizing the scaffolds,...
Erectile Dysfunction & Stem Cell Therapy
Per the European Association of Urology, new clinical trial results show that allograft stem cells can restore erectile function to allow previously impotent men to have spontaneous intercourse, or without any other medications, injections or implants. This is the first time in a clinical trials allograft stem cell therapy has produced patients who have recovered sufficient erectile function to enable intercourse. Within 6 months of the treatment, 8 of the 21 patients reported that they had recovered sufficient erectile function to achieve penetrative sexual activity. However, the IIEF questionnaire (standard for measuring erectile function) score of all the patients increased following the trials. This means that even if it wasn’t enough to not still need the support of medications or other options alongside the treatment, all the patients reported an improvement in their erectile function. Erectile dysfunction is a huge problem for men, affecting nearly half of men between the ages of 40 and 70 to some degree. Erectile dysfunction is...
Stem Cell Therapy for Heart Disease
About 610,000 people die of heart disease in the United States every year accounting for 1 in every 4 deaths. It is the leading cause of death for both men and women. While lifestyle changes, medications and surgery can help, there is still much to be discovered in the treating of conditions impacting the heart. Research into allograft stem cell therapy as a beneficial treatment for individuals suffering from various heart conditions has been promising. Preclinical studies of allograft stem cell therapy for cardiovascular disease indicate that cell therapy promotes cardiac repair. The quality of this research has improved over the past 10 to 15 years due to the amount of time it has been a serious subject of study. While allograft stem cells are not argued to provide for complete cardiac recovery, the research is still promising for individuals who are undergoing other treatments and lifestyle changes and are considering adding allograft stem cell therapy as a treatment option. Considered a regenerative treatment option,...