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Stem Cell Strategy to Spinal Cord Injuries: The New Frontier
Knee Stem Cell Treatment - Spinal cord injuries are injuries that occur to any level of the spinal-cord. Although the hard bones from the spinal column protect the soft tissues of the spinal cord, vertebrae can nevertheless be broken or dislocated in many different ways and cause traumatic trouble for the spinal cord. Spinal cord injuries vary in their severity, but almost inevitably cause various forms of compromised functionality as the spinal cord is in effect the key pathway for information to visit around the human body. Just what body functions are impaired by the injury will depend on the region of the spine which has been damaged and the extent to which the spine may be affected. Although serious impacts including falls and car accidents account for many vertebrae injuries, tumors growing close to the column can also damage sensitive nerve tissue and have the same effects.
Knee Stem Cell Injections - For many years scientists have been trying to try and find a way to remedy the various ailments that vertebrae injuries can bring, however with limited success. However, recently a pioneering new technologies have emerged that is helping thousands of people around the world regain part, if not completely, of their previously lost mobility. That treatment solutions are the use of stem cells.
What exactly are Stem Cells and Stem Cell Treatments?
Knee Stem Cell Injections - Stem cells are found in all multi cellular organisms and therefore are characterized by their ability to tell apart into a diverse selection of specialized cells when they divide and renew themselves. They are remarkable for their capacity to regenerate themselves into almost any other human cell. Their use within the treatment of various diseases and scenarios, from Leukemia to Ms, is now becoming more common. Depending on the condition, stem cells can be transplanted into the patient to aid renew and regenerate previously damaged cells, giving patients renewed hope when, before, no reliable treatment existed.
This principle is now being applied to treating spinal cord injuries using stem cells, as well as in instances where the patient has not yet experienced a complete spinal cord injury, i.e. a complete severing of the spinal-cord leading to a loss of function underneath the 'neurological' level. There has been great success in helping patients recover greater sensory and physiological ability.
Spinal Cord Injury: How Stem Cell Treatment Works
If you find trauma to the spinal cord, myelopathy (damage to the fibres that carry messages back and forth from the brain) has occurred. These 'myelinated fibre tracts' would be the focus of stem cell treatment, and therefore are the nerve cells how the treatment helps to regenerate. The task usually follows three phases in most cases requires no longer than the usual period of around five weeks in medical care for monitoring:
Phase one necessitates the harvesting of stem cells. Cells are extracted from a fetus's umbilical cord. They are then put through a process whereby they are isolated and purified prior to being finally cultured being suitable for clinical use.
Phase two may be the transplantation of the stem cells. This is achieved in one of 3 ways:
1) Lumbar puncture - an operation used where stem cells may be injected directly into the spinal column.
2) Intravenous injection- stem cells are injected to the patient's vein.
3) Tissue injection - direct injection into target tissues.
Phase three necessitates the monitoring of the patient to make sure there are no adverse side effects. The only side effects reported up to now were caused by the lumbar puncture, rather than the stem cell treatment itself, with simply 15% of patients reporting mild headaches. During the time under medical supervision, patients undergo various physiotherapy activities and other treatments as necessary.
Stem Cell Research and Treatment in China
China is quickly becoming a world leader in stem cell research, and is now a major centre for that stem cell treating many diseases and types of conditions. The Chinese government has poured millions of dollars into research on regenerative medicine, and that investment has really borne fruit during the last few years. As a result of this expanded investment, Chinese contributions to scientific journals on regenerative medicine topics leapt from 37 in 2000 to 1,116 in 2008, exceeded only through the contributions of experts in america, Germany, Japan and also the UK.
The government has also aggressively recruited high-caliber scientists trained abroad in pursuit of its ambition to become world leader in the field. Indeed, the McLaughlin-Rotman Centre for Global Health commented that, "the government's policy of attracting highly educated Chinese nationals back to China has contributed significantly for the country's success within the field." The authors were "amazed that most the top Chinese researchers inside the regenerative medicine field ended up educated in the US and the UK and gained extensive practical knowledge there in leading edge research."
Although previously treatment in China could have been considered risky due to lax health and safety laws, the past few years have seen an increase in legislation protecting the patient, and improving the functionality of clinics. Since 2009, proof of safety and efficacy through clinical trials is required by China's Ministry of Health for all stem cell and gene therapies, making sure Chinese clinics meet international standards within their qualifications and methodology. As of January 2010, about 1,500 patients had received botox cosmetic injections for spinal cord injury at one Beijing clinic alone, including roughly 1,000 foreigners.
Furthermore, China has long held a spot at the forefront of stem cell research to treat all manner of conditions. Some of China's notable contributions to stem cell research are:
By transferring the nucleus of your human skin cell to the immature ovum cell of a rabbit, researchers from your Shanghai hospital successfully produced embryonic human cells.
China up to now has created at least 25 human embryonic stem cell lines (some estimate over 70 stem cell lines), four which are of a specialized type that in those days only two other groups worldwide had were able to create.
Harboured several human tissue types, created artificially, including circulatory, tendon, bone, cartilage, skin, cornea and muscle fibre.
Furthermore, Chinese researchers are presently involved with a myriad of projects to aid aid patients through regenerative medicine and stem cell therapy. Listed here are several projects underway within Chinese institutions:
ChinaSCINet, a consortium of 27 medical facilities, are beginning phase 2 numerous studies to test the efficacy and safety of utilizing cord blood stem cells and oral lithium to treat about 40 patients with spinal cord injuries.
Clinical trials are underway around the use of stem cell therapies to deal with patients of strokes, artery obstruction, and liver and neural diseases.
Research is underway on the potential use of stem cells to take care of heart, liver and blood diseases, eye cataracts, and also to combat aging.
Successes from the Treatment of Spinal-cord Injuries in China
Lots of people of all ages and with varying levels of injury have received stem cell treatment in China over the last few years. It is important to keep in mind that not every patient will react and more, and that the age of the sufferer and the severity of damages greatly affect the likelihood of recovery. However, there were many success stories from both Chinese citizens and foreigners.
Before her treatment began in January 2006, Ms. Pai, 38, from Shenyang couldn't move her body beneath the injury site, and it was unable to control her bowel motions. Within 8 months with the treatment she regained movement in the her legs, could bend her knees (although the toes of one foot remained paralyzed) and was even in a position to walk with crutches.
Razvan Iordache, a Romanian citizen aged 30, travelled to China for a number of bouts of stem cell treatment following an accident while diving into a river that left him paralyzed from your neck down. Following his treatments, Razan reported in 2008 that not only could he moved to his arms almost normally, and could feel pain in many of his fingers, he could "even feel warm and cold" sensations. He proceeded to add the following: "Now I'm able to control my urine for 10 minutes and the sensation for urine and stool is way better. Generally, my entire body is more powerful than ever before."
Donald Maricelli, a 54 year old US citizen, suffered a spinal cord injury following a fall in 2002. He underwent a surgical procedure to correct his insufficient sensation in his lower body, however there have been complications and Donald remained in a worse state than ever before. Before arriving for treatment in China, he was still being unable to walk unaided. Pursuing the treatment, which commenced in November 2007, Donald has created significant improvements. He regained sensation throughout the majority of his abdomen, and the sensation in his legs also improved. Particularly significant, the sensation on the bottom of his feet returned, helping him just to walk without tripping. Most significant to Donald was that he regained control and strength as part of his left leg, allowing him simply to walk significant distances and are a symbol of prolonged periods of time.
There are numerous more success stories from patients who've received this pioneering treatment to help correct varying degrees of spinal cord injury. However, it is always important to remember that not all patients recover the identical functions in the same time frame. A lot of hard work adopts the post treatment rehabilitation, and it takes great drive, determination and ambition to enable the body to get back to more regular functionality. However, the work being done by scientists and clinics in China shows time and again that stem cells hold a very important key to the future of helping individuals with spinal cord injuries recover their lost functions. On a monthly basis, more and more people are visiting various cities across the country that offer different packages of treatment depending on precisely what injury has been inflicted. The level of service has improved greatly in recent years, and continues to improve each month, meaning that those unfortunate enough to possess suffered spinal cord injuries need will no longer feel theirs is really a lost cause. There is a very real chance that the standard of living of any patient can be improved with little pain, little hospital time, and a little motivation. The current evidence shows that stem cell therapy for vertebrae injuries is the answer.
