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,...
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...
Treating Neurological Disease with Stem Cells
A report from the World Health Organization shows that neurological disorders, ranging from epilepsy to Alzheimer’s Disease, affect up to one billion people worldwide. This report, having originally come out in 2007, can only look more daunting today with no apparent advancements in treating many common neurological diseases. At that time, an estimated 6.8 million people died every year as a result of neurological disorders. Research indicates that allograft stem cell therapy may prove effective in treating various neurological conditions. Conditions such as Parkinson’s Disease, Huntington’s Disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Alzheimer’s Disease, multiple sclerosis (MS), and spinal cord injury are caused by a loss of neurons and glial cells in the brain or spinal cord. In recent years, neurons and glial cells have successfully been generated from allograft stem cells such as mesenchymal stem cells (found in the umbilical cord allograft stem cells provided at Stem Cells LA). Such research supports the hope for allograft stem cell-based therapies in the...