Tag: Stem Cell Therapy

Stem cell therapy is a recent arrival in the world of medical science and treatment. It’s a very promising form of treatment; however it is also very limited in its application, with very few authorized treatments available to the public, at least in the United States. Leukemia, a form of blood cancer, is one of the few treatments in the USA that the Food & Drug Administration has allowed hospitals to offer to patients.

For some, this is an incredibly frustrating decision, as the promise of stem cell therapy shows massive potential in other areas. Stem cell therapy is widely regarded as a viable treatment for many conditions that would be considered otherwise untreatable, such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s disease, arthritis, and even complex conditions like Autism Spectrum Disorder, or ASD.

There may come a day in the future when stem cell therapy is more widely practiced for a variety of different ailments. For now, however, research is largely ongoing. But what is stem cell therapy? Why is it so new, and why is its application so limited? To better understand the situation, let’s take a look first at the nature of the stem cell.

The Blank Slate

For decades the stem cell was a medical concept, but it was unproven. However, medical science knew that something like the stem cell had to exist because otherwise, human reproduction was impossible. In a typical human body, the most that cells can do is reproduce more copies of the same cell. Skin cells, for example, grow new skin cells to replace skin damaged by cuts or bruises. When we get a haircut, hair cells reproduce more hair cells to replace the lost hair. A skin cell can’t grow a brain cell, and some cells, like heart cells, can’t reproduce at all, meaning any damage to a heart is permanent.

However, during pregnancy, this state can’t exist. There are no skin, bones, lungs or blood for normal human cells to come from because a baby isn’t fully formed yet. A baby grows from an egg fertilized by a sperm, and somehow creates cells that eventually specialize into the organs required. That “somehow” is the stem cell, but medical science was unable to locate it.

The Breakthrough

In 1981, researchers finally isolated stem cells in mouse experiments. Martin Evans, researching at Cambridge University in the United Kingdom, became the first scientist to identify embryonic stem cells in his chosen research subject, mice. Evans then took things a step further and isolated the stem cells, modifying them, and then transplanting them into female mice.

The experiment was a success, and the first genetically modified stem cells were carried to term in female mice, resulting in offspring that had been artificially manipulated through science. Now, not only were stem cells identified, they could be used and even altered, at least in rodents.

The Human Equation

It took many more years, but in 1998, the same feat of identifying, isolating, modifying, and growing a new, specifically cultured human stem cell was accomplished. In two different research labs, James Thomson at the University of Wisconsin and John Gearhart of Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore both managed to isolate and grow stem cells.

At this point, however, stem cells, as more awareness of them grew, created some public controversy. While the goal had been to create stem cells through laboratory means, the initial research done utilized embryonic cells no longer required for IVF, or in vitro fertilization, and the extraction of such cells destroyed the embryo.

The Barriers Drop

In 2001, the President of the United States at that time, George W. Bush, put limits on stem cell research due to ethical and religious concerns. Stem cells that had already been cultured and grown from previous experiments were allowed to continue, but no new sources of stem cells for cultivation could be acquired.

This was a setback for researchers since this significantly limited the supply of available material to make research more widespread. The result was that research slowed down.

More Discoveries

However, the promise of stem cell research and therapy could not be denied. Even with the limitations, existing research made great strides forward that excited the medical science community. Stem cells were successfully reprogrammed in 2007, and in 2009, President Barack Obama lifted research restrictions. In 2010 research was conducted into treating spinal injuries with stem cells, and in 2012, blindness treatment research began.

The Current State

While the USA has stem cell treatment largely for research with only leukemia being an available public treatment, other countries, such as Georgia, offer stem cell therapy. This type of stem cell therapy, however, requires an existing, biologically compatible supply of stem cells to treat patients with. The source in this treatment method is either stem cells harvested from a mother’s womb after a child is born, or, if unavailable, stem cells from a close genetic relative, such as a sibling born of the same mother at a later date. It’s also possible to harvest stem cells from bone marrow, but these are not pluripotent, like embryonic cells, and therefore less versatile.

Many individuals have autism. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the prevalence of this disorder seems to be increasing globally. Autism is a range of conditions that begins in childhood and may persist into adulthood.

Through the years, researchers have conducted countless studies to find treatment for autism. One therapy that continues to be a topic of many research studies is stem cell treatment. You might be wondering how does stem cell therapy work for autism, and if it can help.

Autism can limit a child’s capacity to conduct daily activities. It can also have an impact on the social and educational aspects of a person’s life. Some people who have autism can move and live independently. However, there are more severe cases wherein the patient needs lifelong support. Another negative impact of this disorder is the emotional burden on the person who has it and the possible economic burden on their families.

Parents want what is best for their children. If it means trying out new treatments, then they would try it. Stem cell therapy provides an alternative that you can try to help your child who has autism.

History

The idea of using stem cell treatment for autism started with the treatment of cerebral palsy. Meanwhile, stem cell transplants for some metabolic disorders have prompted the study for cerebral palsy.

From 1995 to 2007, a team at Duke University did over 100 cord blood transplants. The subjects were children who have rare metabolic disorders that lead to cognitive or physical impairment and death if left untreated. The results of the study showed that we can now use cord blood transplants to save patients. The positive results include the improvement and the stopping of the decline of cognitive function.

Because of this, many have thought that similar treatment may be able to help those who have neurodevelopmental disorders, such as autism and cerebral palsy. Unlike in the treatment of metabolic disorders, children with neurodevelopmental disorders do not have to undergo chemotherapy. However, they may have to receive pre-treatment that aims to prevent any allergic reaction.

Stem cell treatment for cerebral palsy patients was a success. Thus, it has inspired the use of the same therapy for other conditions like autism.

How Does Stem Cell Therapy Work for Autism?

Studies have shown that there is no single cause for autism. Experts and professionals believe that a large number of factors can cause it. Despite this, the world of science has gone a long way.

You may have heard of stem cell therapy, but you may not be aware that it can work for autism. Generally, stem cells replace the cells in a patient’s body that are not working well with cells that can function properly. Inflammation is among the main symptoms found in autism patients. Stem cells can reduce inflammation. Thus, replacing unhealthy cells with healthy ones can help promote the proper functioning of one’s immune system. In turn, it can help reduce the effects of autism.

Sources

To treat autism using stem cells, experts harvest them from the umbilical cord tissue. It is also known as allogenic mesenchymal. Mothers who have had normal and healthy births may donate these human umbilical cords. Experts screen and test them for the possible existence of viruses and bacteria.

These cords are ideal for autism treatment because they allow the administration of uniform doses. They also do not require the harvesting from the patient himself. Some parents are concerned about this and think it can be an invasive procedure to the body of their child with autism.

Another procedure that experts can do is the transplantation of bone marrow stem cells. The patient will be under general anesthesia while the surgeon collects bone marrow from the patient’s ileum bone. The medical professional will take around 50 to 100 ml of bone marrow. After this, they will separate the mononuclear cells.

Generally, most autism treatment processes take around five days. It includes a physical examination and blood tests.

Finding Treatment Facility

Some parents are having a hard time finding a place where they can get stem cell treatment for their child with autism. Access to the treatment may not be as good for some people. That is why others tend to look for medical facilities that offer the treatment even in other countries.

Autism, more correctly referred to as Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), has taken generations to be properly understood and diagnosed, and it is only in recent years that a more comprehensive understanding of this disorder has become more common in medical science. That doesn’t mean, however, that ASD is now understood and that there is an effective common cure for its many symptoms.

The sad fact of the matter is that this is a very complex disorder, one with its roots in behavioral, physical, and neurological symptoms, making it difficult to track. In fact, because of ASD’s many behavioral symptoms and the spectrum of number and intensity that those symptoms can appear in, many people with ASD symptoms are were diagnosed as having unique, entirely different conditions.

At one time, for example, Asperger’s Syndrome was thought to be a unique disorder, while some people with ASD were misdiagnosed as being schizophrenic. Today, however, there’s a greater understanding that this huge spectrum of different behavioral symptoms all have a single root cause that allows for multiple forms of expression.

As a result of the huge variance in symptoms for ASD, there are also several different treatments. ASD currently has no known cure. Once someone is diagnosed with it, then, like asthma or diabetes, this is going to be a lifelong condition. However, as with those other conditions, just because there is no cure, that does not mean that this condition can’t be managed.

Treatment Options

There are a variety of different treatments for ASD. For some severe behavioral problems, antipsychotics or other forms of medication may be prescribed to help keep certain tendencies under control. In other cases, psychological treatment, like behavioral therapy, may be the most effective means of consciously teaching someone with ASD to identify, manage, and overcome their symptoms.

Another alternative for treating symptoms is stem cell therapy. This is a technique that has already been well-established for fighting specific types of blood-related cancer, like leukemia. As a result, stem cell therapy is widely regarded as a promising new method for treating many different conditions. However, at the moment, the Food & Drug Administration in the USA only legally recognizes the use of stem cell therapy for leukemia. Usage for other disorders is not currently legal, though they are being researched.

How It Works

Stem cells are a very special, very versatile type of cell that can only be collected through two means. If a family has the foresight after childbirth, the baby’s stem cells can be preserved from the umbilical cord, known as “cord blood,” and this can be cryogenically stored for later use if required years down the road.

The other way to harvest stem cells if no cord blood is available is to collect a less potent version of stem cells that are created and stored in the bone marrow. This requires surgery to facilitate, so is the more complex, invasive method.

Once the stem cells have been collected, they are injected into the patient. This can either be done intravenously, through a typical hypodermic needle in the arm, or some other vein, or it can be done through intrathecal injection into the spine.

The reason that stem cells are only viable in these two ways is because of compatibility. Unlike blood, if stem cells from another person are introduced into a patient, they will be rejected.

The Cost Considerations

Because stem cell therapy for ASD treatment is not legal in countries like the United States, that means the USA neither offers treatment for it nor recognizes medical insurance claims that request coverage for stem cell ASD treatment.

This already means that families interested in stem cell therapy must rely on their savings. On top of this, additional costs must be considered for travel, because while the United States does not have safe, legal medical centers for stem cell therapy for ASD, other countries do.

Mexico in North America, and Georgia, in Eastern Europe, for example, both have modern 21^st-century medical facilities, and in both countries, the practice of stem cell therapy for treatment of conditions other than leukemia is completely legal.

The Final Cost

Depending on where you go and what kind of currency fluctuations are at play in the currency market, the cost of the stem cell therapy treatment itself will vary. The average cost of stem cell therapy globally is about USD$12000-$15000, but much of that is dependent on the diagnoses, and the individual patient requirements.

People who come to Georgia for their stem cell therapy treatments can expect to pay, on average, about $USD 12000 + VAT, even for procedures that may involve harvesting bone marrow. However, it’s important to consult medical professionals first before seeking stem cell therapy for autism treatment. Not every ASD symptom is appropriately dealt with through stem cell therapy. Diagnosis and medical recommendations should always be sought before taking this route.