Are you or someone from your family suffering from a serious disease? And you have heard about stem cell treatment. You may have heard that some famous athletes or Hollywood stars have stem cell therapy for their wounds and aging. And they are showing promising results. In this article, I will tell you, what is stem cell treatment. What are its advantages and how it can be used to treat different diseases?
What are stem cells?
Stem cells are the undifferentiated cells from which all other specialized cells of the body are generated. They are the natural building block of our body. They are responsible for the generation of new tissue. It means that they can be used to repair damaged tissue caused by disease, injury, or aging. Stem cell treatment is also known as regenerative or reparative medicine. In stem cell treatment, stem cells are used to repair and regenerate damaged or injured tissue.
Types of stem cells
Stem cells are classified into different types. Based on the origin of stem cells, there are two types of stem cell
- Embryonic stem cells (Stem cells are derived from embryos)
- Adult stem cells (Stem cells derived from adults)
Based on the source of stem cells, stem cells are classified as
- Autologous stem cells (Stem cells derived from the patient’s own body)
- Allogenic stem cells (Stem cells derived from a donor)
Stem cells can also be classified into the following types based on their potential to produce different cells
- Multipotent stem cells
- Totipotent stem cells
- Oligopotent
- Unipotent
Stem cells used in stem cell treatment
1. Adult Stem cells
Adult stem cells are mostly used in stem cell treatments. Adult stem cells are undifferentiated cells found in our body that can differentiate into specific differentiated cells. Most common adult stem cells used in hospitals research are
- Hematopoietic stem cells
- Mesenchymal stem cells
- Neural stem cells
- Epithelial stem cells
- Adipose-derived stem cells
Adipose-derived stem cells and hematopoietic stem cells are the most common types of stem cells used in stem cell treatment.
2. Embryonic Stem cells
Embryonic stem cells are derived from blastocysts created by IVF. The role of embryonic stem cells in stem cell treatment is still unclear. They are being extensively studied in clinical trials.
3. Induced pluripotent stem cells
Induced pluripotent stem cells are a new type of stem cells that are genetically engineered stem cells. They are developed in laboratories using both adult and embryonic stem cells. IPS cells are the critical tools that help scientists for testing new drugs. They also help in understanding disease development and progression.
Uses of stem cell treatment
Stem cell treatments are successfully used in the treatment of the following diseases
- Bone marrow stem cell transplant is used in leukemias.
- Chronic wound healing
- Knee injuries and knee pain.
- Corneal grafts for loss of sight
Following are some of the diseases in which stem cell treatments are extensively studied under clinical trials
- Genetic disorders like sickle cell anemia
- Cancer
- Autism and autism spectrum disorder
- Neurological disorders like amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
- Heart diseases
- Diabetes
- Autoimmune disorders
Advantages of stem cell treatment
Currently, the medicine we are using is reactive medicine. It only treats symptoms of the disease. Stem cell treatment in contrast to current medicine has reparative and regenerative properties. So, once there is damage, we can’t repair it, by using current medical practice. But with modern advancements using stem cell treatment, we can repair the damaged tissue. Stem cell therapy is cost-effective and time-saving as well. Let’s take an example of a heart attack. When a patient comes with a heart attack with blockage of all coronary arteries. Instead of open-heart surgery, in the future we just give an injection of stem cells into heart muscles. These stem cells not only repair damaged heart muscle but also regenerate new myocardial cells. In the current medical approach, open heart surgery is done to open the blockage in coronary arteries and to put a graft on damaged heart muscles. The current medical approach cannot repair damaged heart muscles.
Side effects of Stem cell treatment
As with any medical treatment, there are potential risks and side effects of stem cell treatment. These include
- Infection
- Bleeding
- Allergic Reaction
- Failure of stem cells to function in an inpatient
We hope with extensive research, we can overcome these side effects as well. In the future, there is the possibility that stem cells can change the treatment modalities of all diseases.
Who can be benefited from stem cell treatment
Whether stem cell treatment is beneficial for you or not? It’s your personal decision. You must discuss the advantages and disadvantages of stem cell treatment with your regenerative medicine specialist before taking any decision.
Overall stem cell treatment is a breakthrough in modern medicine. It may help to improve and save millions of lives. Not all doctors and practices have the skills to perform stem cell treatment. So, before making a decision, just make sure you have chosen the right regenerative medicine specialist.
