A very large amount of research is ongoing globally. The most well-established and widely used stem cell treatment is the transplantation of blood stem cells to treat diseases and conditions of the blood and immune system, or to restore the blood system after treatments for specific cancers. Further, since the s, skin stem cells have been used to grow skin grafts for patients with severe burns on very large areas of the body.
A new stem-cell-based treatment to repair damage to the cornea the surface of the eye after an injury like a chemical burn has recently received marketing approval in Europe. Currently, these are the only stem cell therapies that have been thoroughly established as safe and effective treatments. It is still too early to know whether any of these applications will work.
We need the evidence gathered through a clinical trial process to determine whether a proposed treatment is safe, effective AND better than existing treatments. There are several ongoing or completed clinical trials involving pluripotent stem cells. The main areas of progress are highlighted below:. The following list highlights progress in new, ongoing or completed clinical trials involving tissue stem cells.
Despite an enormous amount of research being undertaken there are still disappointingly few new safe and effective treatments available to patients. There is high expectation on stem cell research but not yet high delivery of stem cell treatments. Partly this is because complex diseases which are currently incurable require complex treatments often with a personalised aspect.
As with any breakthrough technology, all treatments should be considered experimental until they have successfully passed the stages of clinical trials required to demonstrate safety and clinical benefit. Only then can a treatment be approved for widespread use. Stem cell treatments are all specialist procedures. They should be performed only in specialized centres authorized by national health authorities. Some advertise so-called stem cell products that have not been through rigorous national and european regulatory approval and are not based on sound scientific rationale.
Extreme caution is advised when paying for treatments in Europe or beyond. More than 26, patients are treated with blood stem cells in Europe each year. Since the s, skin stem cells have been used to grow skin grafts for patients with severe burns on very large areas of the body. Only a few clinical centres are able to carry out this treatment and it is usually reserved for patients with life-threatening burns.
Researchers hope stem cells will one day be effective in the treatment of many medical conditions and diseases. Stem cells have been called everything from cure-alls to miracle treatments.
Some unscrupulous providers offer stem cell products that are both unapproved and unproven. The facts: Stem cell therapies may offer the potential to treat diseases or conditions for which few treatments exist. They have the potential to repair, restore, replace, and regenerate cells, and could possibly be used to treat many medical conditions and diseases. But the U. Food and Drug Administration is concerned that some patients seeking cures and remedies are vulnerable to stem cell treatments that are illegal and potentially harmful.
And the FDA is increasing its oversight and enforcement to protect people from dishonest and unscrupulous stem cell clinics, while continuing to encourage innovation so that the medical industry can properly harness the potential of stem cell products. To do your part to stay safe, make sure that any stem cell treatment you are considering is either:. Today, doctors routinely use stem cells that come from bone marrow or blood in transplant procedures to treat patients with cancer and disorders of the blood and immune system.
With limited exceptions, investigational products must also go through a thorough FDA review process as investigators prepare to determine the safety and effectiveness of products in well-controlled human studies, called clinical trials. The therapeutic uses of stem cells as a potential therapy for a variety of diseases has been immensely explored, the number of clinical trials conducted with Mesenchymal Stem Cells has increased exponentially over the past few years.
Stem cells have a unique, intrinsic property that attracts them to inflammation in the body. Studies have shown that stem cells can regenerate damaged or diseased tissues, reduce inflammation and modulate the immune system promoting better health and quality of life. Mesenchymal stem cells do this by influencing tissue repair via paracrine effects cell signaling in order to change the behaviour of existing cells or direct cell-to-cell contact. Stem cells are the body's raw materials — cells from which all other cells with specialized functions are created.
Mesenchymal stem cells are adult stem cells that have self-renewal, immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory, signaling, and differentiation properties. Mesenchymal stem cells MSCs , self renewal capacity is characterized by their ability to divide and develop into multiple specialized cell types present in a specific tissue or organ. Mesenchymal stem cells MSCs can be sourced from a variety of tissue including adipose tissue fat , bone marrow, umbilical cord tissue, blood, liver, dental pulp, and skin.
MSCs are widely used in the treatment of various diseases due to their self-renewable, differentiation, anti-inflammatory, and immunomodulatory properties. In-vitro performed in a laboratory setting and in-vivo taking place in a living organism studies have supported the understanding mechanisms, safety, and efficacy of MSC therapy in clinical applications.
According to Biehl et al. A stem cell can become many different cell types in the human body. The process of stem cells maturing into new types of cells is called differentiation. Stem cells are also self-replicating; this ability allows the cells to multiply into identical copies of themselves.
For example, if stem cells were used to treat a neurological injury, cells administered during treatment could become nerve cells, and then replicate to create exponentially more nerve cells on their own.
This ability to duplicate drastically increases the effectiveness of stem cell treatments over time. Mesenchymal stem cells are multipotent stem cells that can self-renew and differentiate into different cell types. According to a study conducted by Almalki et al.
Mesenchymal stem cells contribute to tissue regeneration and differentiation, including the maintenance of homeostasis and function, adaptation to altered metabolic or environmental requirements, and the repair of damaged tissue. Stem cell numbers and effectiveness begin to decrease as we age exponentially. For example, stem cells from a person in their twenties are not nearly as high quality as the brand new cells sourced from umbilical cord tissue.
Stem cells do not necessarily provide a cure for these conditions. The premise is allowing the body to heal itself well enough to mitigate the symptoms of the conditions for long periods. In many cases, this alone allows for a substantial increase in quality of life for patients. Cord-tissue derived mesenchymal stem cells do not have any risk of rejection within the body.
There are no blood products associated with them either, removing the need for a donor match; they are universally accepted. These cells seek out inflammation in the body and begin to heal the damaged tissue.
Mesenchymal cord tissue-derived stem cells have been administered thousands of times at clinics around the world without instances of rejection graft vs. For an in depth comparison about different cell types please review t his article.
As a commonly discarded tissue, the umbilical cord contains a rich source of mesenchymal stromal cells, which are therefore obtained non-invasively 5. As soon as a stem cell transplant is being considered as a treatment option, patients should discuss financial issues with their treatment team.
Transplant centers have staff members who can help patients to get answers for financial questions concerning health insurance and financial assistance. Most insurance plans cover some of the costs of transplantation for certain cancers or diseases. Before undergoing transplantation, patients should contact their medical insurance providers and determine which costs the insurance provider will cover.
If their insurance company denies coverage for a recommended treatment, procedure, or prescription medication, patients may be able to get the decision overturned by filing an appeal with their insurance company. High doses of chemotherapy and radiation can affect cells in both male and female reproductive systems. Recovery from stem cell transplantation may take months to years, and patients of childbearing age may not be physically or psychologically ready to think about parenthood for several years after transplantation.
Patients who may want to have children in the future should discuss options to preserve fertility before transplantation. Insertion of a Central Venous Catheter. During the transplantation process, a patient will need to have a number of intravenous administered directly into a vein infusions. In addition to the infusion of stem cells, patients may also receive other infusions, including fluids, chemotherapy, antibiotics, other drugs and transfusions of red blood cells and platelets.
Patients will also need to have blood drawn frequently for testing to monitor their progress. These injections, if given individually, would be painful and the veins in the hands and arms could not sustain so many frequent needle pricks. Therefore, prior to the transplantation, patients will have a central line central venous catheter [CVC] inserted if they do not have one already.
0コメント