What is Stem Cell Therapy?
Over the past decade research and medical professionals have been looking deeply into stem cell therapy and its benefits.
According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine
Stem cells are cells with the potential to develop into many different types of cells in the body. They serve as a repair system for the body. There are two main types of stem cells: embryonic stem cells and adult stem cells.
Stem cells are different from other cells in the body in three ways:
- They can divide and renew themselves over a long time
- They are unspecialized, so they cannot do specific functions in the body
- They have the potential to become specialized cells, such as muscle cells, blood cells, and brain cells
” Stem Cell Research is the key to developing cures for degenerative conditions like Parkinson’s and motor neuron disease from which I and many others suffer. The fact that the cells may come from embryos is not an objection, because the embryos are going to die anyway. ”
What is Stem Cell Therapy (Regenerative Medicine) and How Does it Work?
“Stem cell therapy, also known as regenerative medicine, promotes the repair response of diseased, dysfunctional or injured tissue using stem cells or their derivatives.” – The Mayo Clinic
Facilities such as Villa Health Center utilizes stem cell therapy to assist the body to initiate the regenerative process to produce new “platelet rich”, plasma cells. Because these cells are produced by the body there is no issue of rejection. This allows damaged areas to quickly regenerate new cells and repair the damaged tissue without the patient having to resort to invasive intervention.
Some of the current areas being treated are hip, knee, shoulder, ankle, and other joints, plus soft tissue issues such as tendonitis, muscle sprains/tears and ligament injuries. Common conditions of “tennis elbow”, “Rotator cuff” tear, knee “menisci” issues are being repaired.
Have you heard about PRP Therapy?
Platelet Rich Plasma therapy is a treatment that repairs skin and cell growth. PRP is a simple, non-surgical treatment that uses progressive technology with the body’s natural aptitude to heal itself. It encompasses extraction and centrifugation of the blood that allows platelet-rich plasma to separate. Platelets contain hormones that promote growth and healing. The plasma is then injected under the skin to begin the cell growth and repair.
Cosmetic PRP stem cell technology promotes healthier, younger looking skin for clients to look and feel revitalized.
What Insights do we Hope to Gain from Stem Cell Research ?
While government and corporate research is being done worldwide, the general public has increasingly become open to the idea and knowledgable of such research. The studies are extremely informative and educational for researchers, medical professionals, policy makers, and the public as a whole.
The Mayo Clinic shares what insights may be gained through stem cell research:
- Increase understanding of how diseases occur. By watching stem cells mature into cells in bones, heart muscle, nerves, and other organs and tissue, researchers and doctors may better understand how diseases and conditions develop.
- Generate healthy cells to replace diseased cells (regenerative medicine). Stem cells can be guided into becoming specific cells that can be used to regenerate and repair diseased or damaged tissues in people.People who might benefit from stem cell therapies include those with spinal cord injuries, type 1 diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Alzheimer’s disease, heart disease, stroke, burns, cancer and osteoarthritis.
Stem cells may have the potential to be grown to become new tissue for use in transplant and regenerative medicine. Researchers continue to advance the knowledge on stem cells and their applications in transplant and regenerative medicine.
- Test new drugs for safety and effectiveness. Before using investigational drugs in people, researchers can use some types of stem cells to test the drugs for safety and quality. This type of testing will most likely first have a direct impact on drug development first for cardiac toxicity testing.
Where Do We Go From Here ?
On February 18, 2019, The Asahi Shimbun reported, “Ministry [ of Health, Labor and Welfare in Japan ] OKs 1st iPS [ induced pluripotent stem ] cell therapy for spinal cord injuries.” This announcement disseminated at a press conference has been viewed as an exciting clinical trial on the use of stem cells to treat spinal cord injury.
The world seems to be eager in finding new solutions towards regenerate care. As more studies are performed and education is opened up to the public about stem cell research it is almost certain that we will be seeing an evolution in the medical field that will transcend the our current outlook on disease and the neurological functions of the body.
