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Home Tag: "Stem Cells"

Tag: Stem Cells

11Feb

Medical science continues to advance, and as it does, conditions and diseases once thought incurable, or even inevitably fatal, are now being challenged with new techniques and technologies. Rabies, for example, can now be cured with vaccines, some types of cancer that were once thought to have no chance of recovery from, such as leukemia, now have substantial chances of being treated, sometimes even permanently.

However, medical advances tend to come slowly. This is due to the extensive testing that often needs to be done, frequently over the course of years, to ensure that a treatment is not only viable for people but safe. One of those treatments draws on a resource known as stem cells, and there are currently “banks” available through which people can make use of stem cells. But who benefits from using stem cells, and why is there a need for a stem cell bank?

Pluripotent Potential

One of the most promising developments in medical research is the use of stem cells in treatments. Stem cells are a rare form of cell found in the human body, but at an earlier stage of life, this is far from the case. Upon conception, when an egg has been fertilized by sperm, it’s understood that an accelerated process of cellular replication begins that results in a fully-formed baby nine months later, complete with brain, lungs, hair, eyes and all the other organs required for life. But how does a single, fertilized cell go from not having any organs to being able to grow all of them?

The answer to this problem is stem cells, which are referred to as “pluripotent.” This means that they have within them the ability to become any cell that is “blueprinted” in DNA. This is a trait that most cells in the human body do not have after birth. In the case of cells like the skin, or hair, these cells reproduce in vast numbers, to heal or grow, but they are only capable of producing more copies of themselves. Some cells, like heart muscle, for example, never reproduce, which is why heart disease or any heart damage can be serious unless an equally serious solution—like a heart transplant—occurs since regeneration is impossible.

Stem cells do not have this problem. As they multiply and are introduced into different areas of the body, they can become any cell that might be required. However, this only applies to the pluripotent stem cells used during pregnancy. After a baby is born, no more new pluripotent stem cells are produced although less versatile multipotent stem cells continue to be manufactured in the body. Multipotent stem cells are cells that can grow into any form from the same “family” of cells, which is what happens in the case of blood cells created in the bone marrow from multipotent cells.

The Cord Blood Problem

This is where stem cell banks come in. If pluripotent stem cells are the most valuable and useful cells, then it makes sense that stem cells harvested from a pregnancy would be a viable way to collect them. “Cord blood” is the term used to describe the various amniotic fluids that remain in the umbilical cord after birth has occurred. This cord blood is a rich source of stem cells but doesn’t survive very long once removed from the environment of the human body, the same as blood, or any other fluids.

This means that to preserve the viability of cord blood, the pluripotent stem cells inside it, specialized, laboratory-grade storage is required. This is what a stem cell bank is, preparing cord blood for long term storage in controlled conditions that enforce the temperature, humidity and environmental integrity required for the stem cells to remain viable for decades.

Who Needs A Stem Cell Bank?

Stem cell therapy is a very recent form of treatment where stem cells are introduced into the body of someone with a medical condition, and this influx of new stem cells then creates new, healthy versions of cells to replace cells that are either damaged or no longer reproducing correctly. Stem cell therapy for the treatment of leukemia, and other types of blood cancer, such as lymphoma, are an example of extremely successful stem cell treatment. However, as with a blood transfusion, or an organ transplant, there is a question of compatibility for stem cells.

If a person is diagnosed with blood cancer, or if someone is diagnosed with ASD, or has suffered an injury with nerve damage, it’s possible that stem cell therapy can be a solution to help treat the condition. For anyone who’s parents took the time to store their cord blood in a stem cell bank, this means that there is a viable supply of 100% compatible stem cells that can be used in therapy. In other words, stem cell banks are a good safeguard for anyone that may require stem cell therapy in the future.

19Jan

Autism Spectrum Disorder, better known clinically as ASD, has taken centuries to be properly recognized. In the past, some forms of ASD were misdiagnosed as schizophrenia because some ASD symptoms responded to the use of antipsychotic medication. Even when ASD was finally recognized as a distinct disorder, there were still issues with diagnosis due to the insistence on trying to fit all ASD patients into one of four categories, such as “high functioning Asperger’s Syndrome,” and then restrict treatment to whatever was recommended for that category.

Today, while the understanding of ASD is far from complete, there’s been much more progress and a better understanding of this condition. Unfortunately, one of the largest obstacles to fighting ASD remains, and that is, as with some other medical conditions, there is currently no cure available with the level of medical science available.

This doesn’t mean, however, that there’s no hope for people diagnosed with ASD. The spectrum and intensity of symptoms that make up ASD mean that while no cure exists, there are plenty of treatment options to overcome some issues of ASD. Behavioral therapy, for example, is one way for ASD patients to take control of their lives and train themselves to surpass the limitations that ASD may have imposed on them, such as difficulty in communicating.

Other new forms of treatment are in the wings, such as cord blood treatment. But what is it, and what does it bring to the table for those diagnosed with ASD?

What Is Cord Blood?

Cord blood is a generic term for umbilical cord fluids. These are the substances that are leftover after the birth of a child, that is no longer required in the mother’s body. While a child is growing in the womb, there is no direct eating or breathing through the mouth. Instead, all oxygen and nutrients are delivered “direct” to the baby through the umbilical cord, a literal lifeline that makes it possible for an infant to survive in the liquid environment of the womb without chewing on food, or drowning on fluid.

Aside from carrying nutrients, and carrying waste out, one of the most important substances contained in the mixture of cord blood is stem cells. Stem cells are a unique type of cell that only appear in large numbers during pregnancy. This is why, in modern medical facilities, after a child has been born, it’s common to request that the stem cells remaining in cord blood be harvested for future use. People, similar to organ transplants, can only accept stem cells with a high rate of compatibility, which means either the stem cells used during their growth in the womb or the stem cells of a close genetic relative, such as a sibling.

What Do Stem Cells Do?

Stem cells have, in medical science, earned the nickname “master cells” because they can do something no other human cell can do. Stem cells start “blank,” with no initial function, and can “reprogram” themselves to become any cell in the human body. This means that even heart cells, which normally do not reproduce once a person is born, can potentially heal if introduced to stem cells that can grow into heart cells.

Not all stem cells can do this. Cord blood contains this version of stem cells, known as “pluripotent.” After birth, humans no longer create this type of stem cell within themselves. A less versatile version is produced in bone marrow, but these stem cells confine themselves to becoming different types of blood cells, such as red, or white. Only the stem cells found in cord blood can take on the properties of any human cell.

What This Does For ASD

ASD has behavioral symptoms for the most part, but the underlying causes for those symptoms can be neurological. That is to say; there may be physical neural reasons for some of the behavior shown by children diagnosed with ASD.

This is where cord blood treatment comes in. Though ASD itself has no cure, some of the symptoms may be mitigated—or even removed—if there is a medical issue with the neural network or neural transmitters within a child. The introduction of stem cells into affected neural areas may encourage the growth of newer, uninfected nerve cells and neural transmitters.

This is how leukemia, a form of blood cancer, is already successfully treated through stem cell therapy. In those cases, the less versatile stem cells from bone marrow are usually employed, although since the goal is to replace cancerous blood cells that don’t reproduce properly with new, uninfected healthy ones, the desired outcome is still achieved.

For now, however, at least in the USA, stem cell therapy is only legally authorized for leukemia treatment. Cord blood treatment is being aggressively researched in other areas, including ASD treatment, and even incurable diseases like Alzheimer’s, but these treatments are unavailable to the public. Other countries, however, like Georgia, are offering these stem cell treatments, even if the USA is not.

13Jan

Autism, which is more clinically referred to as Autism Spectrum Disorder, or ASD, is a complex medical condition that has taken to generations to document an even basic understanding. For centuries, ASD was not even recognized as its own distinct medical condition, and even throughout the majority of the 20th century, it was often misdiagnosed as other disorders, such as schizophrenia, and subject to treatments for those conditions.

Today, ASD is now properly recognized as a far-ranging condition with a broad array of different symptoms at different intensities, which is why it is referred to as a spectrum instead of a single disease or disorder with a shortlist of symptoms. The challenge of the 21st century is now in addressing the many unique needs of children and adults diagnosed with ASD. One emerging method of treatment is known as stem cell therapy, which is a new treatment technology that is still being heavily researched.

But can stem cells cure ASD where other treatments can’t? What are stem cells, and what makes them so different?

The Complexity Of ASD

First, it’s important to understand some of the basics of Autism Spectrum Disorder. It is an enormously complex condition that can be contracted by individuals in a few different ways. It’s not as simple as measles or the flu, where exposure to others with the condition leads to illness. ASD can be genetic, where an ASD diagnosed parent has children also diagnosed with the condition. However, ASD can also be prenatal, where a pregnant mother contracting illness such as rubella, may inadvertently have that infection cause neural damage to a developing baby, also resulting in ASD.

ASD, like diabetes, or asthma, is a lifelong condition. It doesn’t respond to antibiotics or vaccines and carries a huge series of different symptoms that range from behavioral to neurological and even physical. As a result, there is no one universal approach or treatment for ASD, and like Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s Disease, or diabetes, there is currently no known cure. The best that can be achieved is that some of the symptoms of ASD can be managed.

The Stem Cell Alternative

Some forms of ASD treatment, like behavioral therapy, teach ASD patients important skills that help them to overcome some ASD symptoms consciously. Learning to maintain eye contact through behavioral therapy, for example, may be a more effective and overall more valuable long term treatment strategy than relying on medication. Some forms of treatment, however, do use medication, such as antipsychotics for more extreme forms of ASD behavior.

Where stem cell therapy differs is that it does not suppress or overcome symptoms, it goes to one of the possible causes. One element of ASD is that it may be a neurological disorder, with nerve cells, neurotransmitters, or other components of the nervous system not working as intended. This can result in some symptoms like hostility, inability to pay attention for sustained periods, or communication difficulties. Stem cell therapy can repair some of the neurological damage and reduce or eliminate some of these symptoms.

How It Works

Stem cells have the nickname in medical science of “master cells” because they are pluripotent, a unique property not found in other cells in humans. A pluripotent stem cell can change or “reprogram” itself to become any cell in the body. This can mean very common cells, such as skin or hair cells that reproduce all the time, or even heart cells, that, once formed, can never reproduce, meaning that heart damage is permanent damage.

Stem cells are generated during pregnancy, and it is because of stem cells that a fertilized egg can divide continuously. Then, unlike hair or skin cells, which can only produce copies of themselves, the stem cell can branch out and specialize into the hair, brain, heart, lung, liver, eye, kidney, and many other cells required to create the organs that make up a baby.

Stem Cell Therapy

Stem cell therapy uses stem cells harvested from “cord blood,” the fluids left in the umbilical cord after a child is born. This ensures maximum biological compatibility with a recipient if the option is available. If a child being treated for ASD with stem cell therapy does not have stem cells available, a supply from a sibling, if available, can also be used. If that option is also unavailable, the less versatile “multipotent” stem cells in bone marrow can be harvested from the patient, but this involves some surgery to access and collect the stem cells.

Once the stem cells have been acquired, they are injected, usually intrathecally, into the spinal column. From there, the stem cells can repair any compromised or faulty neurological cells by growing new, undamaged ones. However, this type of treatment is currently unavailable in the United States. Only other countries, such as Georgia, for example, currently offer a legal option for these treatments. The USA only authorizes stem cell therapy for the public in blood/leukemia related medical situations.

26Nov

Autism is today, more correctly known as Autism Spectrum Disorder, or ASD. For generations, this was a largely misunderstood condition, due to its size and complexity, and it wasn’t until the 1980s that medical texts even recognized it as a distinct condition on its own. Before that time, some of its symptoms were classified as unique conditions on their own, like Asperger’s Syndrome, while other symptoms were misdiagnosed—and mistreated—as completely different conditions, like schizophrenia.

Today, medical science has a better understanding of both the nature and scope of ASD, and it’s proving to be a far larger, more complex condition that medical professionals initially suspected. While more research is now uncovering more details about this condition, fighting it is still an ongoing battle with many unknowns. Of course, one of the biggest concerns with ASD is, whether it can be cured or not, and some people, having heard of new developments like stem cell therapy, wonder if this might be the answer. But is it? Let’s take a closer look.

What Is ASD?

One of the biggest challenges with tackling ASD is how multi-faceted the disorder is. It’s not purely behavioral, like depression or anorexia. It’s not entirely neurological like cerebral palsy, but it’s not completely organ-related either, like cancer.

Instead, ASD takes a little of all three of these characteristics for its symptoms and adds a vast range of different behaviors, and these behaviors are also at varying intensity levels. This is why there was so much confusion for years about what ASD was, and which symptoms constituted ASD. For example, one common physical symptom ASD is gastrointestinal complications, but medical science is currently unsure as to why GI symptoms are so commonly paired with ASD.

On the other hand, the behavioral symptoms of ASD are so wide and so varied that some of them were thought to be individual conditions. It wasn’t until ASD was formally recognized in the 1980s, for example, that Asperger’s was correctly included as just a variant of ASD and not a distinct condition. Conversely, some symptoms of ASD were so severe in terms of hostility, intensity, or unresponsiveness that ASD patients were sometimes misdiagnosed as being schizophrenic. This misdiagnosis was further complicated by the fact that some schizophrenic treatments, such as prescribing antipsychotics did work, and are still one possible treatment alternative even today.

ASD As A Condition

One of the greatest challenges when it comes to addressing ASD is the fact that little is still known about its causes. There is a definite genetic component to ASD, as someone diagnosed with it can pass the condition on to children. However, even if a person doesn’t have ASD, certain pre-natal and post-natal factors can also cause ASD to manifest. A pregnant woman who contracts rubella, for example, can then give birth to a child that is later diagnosed with ASD.

This means, unfortunately, that like diabetes or asthma, ASD is a lifelong condition. There is no vaccine or surgical technique that be done to make ASD go away. ASD’s various symptoms can, however, be managed. In some cases, a psychological approach works best, such as behavioral therapy. With therapy treatments, and ASD patient recognizes and confronts the issues of concern, such as not looking people in the eye during a conversation, or being unable to tie shoes correctly. Through careful training and positive reinforcement, the ASD patient consciously confronts the symptoms, and trains to overcome them.

The Stem Cell Alternative

So if ASD is a permanent, lifelong condition, with no cure, what do stem cells bring to the table? Stem cells are a very special type of “master cell” that can “reprogram” themselves to become any cell in the body. Whereas hair cells can only reproduce to grow more hair, and skin cells can only create more skin cells, a stem cell can become a hair cell, brain cell, nerve cell, bone cell, or any other type of cell in the body, even ones that normally don’t reproduce in large numbers after birth, like heart or kidney cells. Because of this, stem cells have been used in a treatment known as stem cell therapy, and they have proven to be very effective at fighting some forms of cancer, such as leukemia, which affects blood cells.

While the exact mechanisms are not fully understood, and research continues, stem cell therapy is set to be a promising form of treatment for many other disorders and has already shown some good results with ASD. Some of the symptoms of ASD that therapy may not be able to address, such as hostility, inattentiveness or the ability to focus, are improved through stem cell therapy. This indicates that while stem cell therapy, like other forms of treatment, isn’t a cure, it can be effective at suppressing or eliminating some of the symptoms of ASD that other treatments may not be as effective at addressing.

17Nov

Many different medical advances have occurred throughout the years, and they do everything from making our minor illnesses easier to deal with, such as medication for cold and headaches, to saving lives, and allowing people with serious medical conditions to still function, such as people with asthma or diabetes, being able to participate in modern life with relatively few barriers.

One such advance in recent years is the greater understanding and effective utilization of stem cells. Unlike some other discoveries, such as new medications, this is not the result of a new formula being conceived and manufactured. Rather, stem cells and their usage come from a much greater understanding of how these building blocks of life work and technology that now allows stem cells to properly used in a variety of different situations.

But what are stem cells? Why are they so useful? And if they are so useful, why aren’t we using stem cells more often for a variety of different medical situations?

What Stem Cells Do

The value of stem cells comes from their versatility, which arises from the role they play during pregnancy. Under ordinary circumstances, most cells in the human body can only reproduce new versions of themselves. Hair cells, for example, only grow more hair, while skin cells can only regrow skin. A brain cell can’t create new lung cells, and a nerve cell can’t produce liver cells.

Stem cells, however, have the nickname “master cell” because they can, potentially, transform into any cell in the human body. This is how babies grow in the uterus after conception. By itself, a fertilized egg cell can divide over and over again. But it is the stem cells created after conception that let the division of cells go from being one unspecialized, fertilized egg into eventually forming bones, a heart, a brain, lungs, and the other organs and system of the body. As long as the “blueprint” is in the DNA, a stem cell can follow that blueprint and become whatever is required.

The Value Of Stem Cells

Because of this “master cell” ability, stem cells are now being scrutinized closely for use in many other areas of medical science, specifically when it comes to “regeneration,” or replacing systems or parts of the body that ordinarily can’t replace or heal. A human that suffers from limb loss, for example, can’t regrow the hand or leg that was lost, because bone, muscle and nerve cells don’t grow back, only blood and skin cells do.

Currently, stem cells are one of the most effective forms of treatment for certain types of cancer, such as leukemia. Cancer is a medical condition in which cells fail to reproduce correctly, and each subsequent reproduction is flawed, not working correctly. However, the cancer cells reproduce at a high rate, eventually outnumbering the healthy hells.

Stem cells are currently used to fight leukemia, a type of blood cancer. Many forms of cancer treatment, such as chemo and radiation therapy tend to wipe out all cells, including cancerous cells. By using stem cells, healthy, normally reproducing blood cells can quickly be reintroduced into the body, aid in recovery.

The Compatibility Issue

Stem cells, however, have one very severe limitation. They can only be accepted and used by the body if there is an identical or very similar genetic relation. In other words, the stem cells will only be accepted by the body if there’s a strong genetic resemblance. This is one reason why, for leukemia treatment, if no other stem cells are available, cells within the bone marrow of the patient can be surgically harvested and then redeployed in transplantation to treat cancer.

However, another rich—and even more potent—source of stem cells can be used, if there were enough foresight and planning, and that is from umbilical cord blood, or “cord blood.” Stem cells are used heavily during pregnancy, and after a baby is born, stem cells are still in abundance in the placenta and umbilical cord. Because these stem cells, in the growth of a baby, they are 100% compatible with the child or adult intended as a recipient of stem cell transplantation.

Siblings Count Too

However, if a recipient doesn’t have stem cells harvested from birth, if there is a younger sibling for whom the parents did decide to harvest and cryogenically preserve stem cells, there is a very strong chance that the genetic relationships in this case will make compatibility a strong likelihood.

This means that for parents who want a stem cell transplant, but aren’t sure about surgically harvesting stem cells from a child’s bone marrow, there’s still an alternative. Provided that parents decided to store the cord blood of a sibling born at a later date, those stem cells may be used on the recipient and still for transplant. A diagnosis by a medical professional should be sought in situations like this.

10Nov

Medical science continues to advance, with new techniques and technologies that help to fight off the disorders and diseases that would have been crippling or even lethal in the past. Vaccines, for example, now help the entire world to resist epidemics that would have otherwise infected children and adults alike. Medications can now help people with asthma to manage their conditions and live normal lives, with only the use of an inhaler as a lifestyle adjustment.

But medical advances have always been a mix of new technologies developed in the lab and discoveries of new existing substances and compounds that science has a better understanding of. Prosthetic limbs are an example of synthetic solutions built from the ground up in a lab. Umbilical cord blood, on the other hand, is the use of one of the oldest substances of all, directed to help people in new ways thanks to an increased understanding of medical science.

But what is umbilical cord blood, and how can it be used?

Not 100% Blood

While it is called “umbilical cord blood,” this is more a label of convenience than one of medical accuracy. Umbilical cord blood, or “cord blood” as it is more commonly referred to, is a mix of different liquids, although blood is one of those components.

When a woman becomes pregnant and grows a child within her uterus, the process of pregnancy starts as a single fertilized cell that then splits into two, then four, then eight, and so on. However, to keep dividing, these cells need “fuel” to grow. In a child who has already been born, this fuel would come in the form of food the child eats in order to break down nutrients for use in the body. This, however, is not possible at this early stage, since the cells have no mouth with which to eat, at least, not at first, and so the nutrients must come directly from the mother.

Once a fertilized egg has lodged itself in the uterus, the walls of the uterus transfuse the nutrients carried by the mother’s bloodstream not just to her own body, but to the cells that are growing into a baby in her womb. As the cells grow and specialize, eventually becoming eyes, ears, lungs, a brain, and a baby, that baby continues to depend entirely on food, oxygen, and even waste removal through the placenta. However, as the baby grows, it’s no longer possible for the entire collection of cells that is the baby to remain directly connected to the uterus as limbs form and growth continually occurs. The solution to this is the umbilical cord, a literal “lifeline” that carries everything the baby needs to grow, as well as transferring out the water materials, such as carbon dioxide or digested nutrients.

It is only when a baby is finally born that this umbilical cord is cut, and the infant becomes a self-sustaining organism that eats food through the mouth and breathes air through lungs.

The Value Of Stem Cells

Cord blood is now considered an incredibly valuable substance in medical science, and this is because of the greater understanding—and application—of stem cells. Stem cells are a very specific type of cell that is reproduced by the human body in huge numbers during the pregnancy phase, but the number—and quality—of stem cells drop off dramatically in humans after birth.

Stem cells have the nickname “master cells” because, unlike other cells in the human body, they are capable of becoming whatever cell is required. Under ordinary circumstances, if a person is injured and sustains a cut, for example, that cut heals because skin cells grow new skin cells to replace the damage. Skin cells are “locked” into only being able reproduce new skin cells. In the same way, hair can only reproduce more hair cells. A skin cell can’t grow a new nerve cell, and a hair cell can’t grow a new brain cell.

Medical Usage

Because medical science is now in a position where stem cells can be harvested and used, much research is now being done on the various medical areas that stem cells can be usefully deployed. In the United States, however, the Food & Drug Administration, or FDA, has already medically approved the use of stem cells in one key area; treatment of blood cancer and related illnesses.

Of course, because stem cells can become any cell, the applications for it are extremely promising beyond just curing blood-related cancer disorders. Cerebral palsy is one condition which has been researched intensely for a possible cure. Autism, or ASD, is another area where stem cell therapy in other countries, such as Georgia, are already in effect, although the FDA still doesn’t approve the use of such treatments in the USA at this time.

However, the potential umbilical cord blood to be useful has already proven itself and will continue to grow in value in the years to come.




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