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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 with the spinal cord, vertebrae can nevertheless be broken or dislocated in a variety of ways and cause traumatic injury to the spinal cord. Spinal cord injuries vary in their severity, but almost inevitably result in various forms of compromised functionality because the spinal cord is in effect the main pathway for information traveling around the human body. Just what body functions are impaired through the injury will depend on the area of the spine which has been damaged and the extent to which the spine has been affected. Although serious impacts for example falls and motor vehicle accidents account for many spinal cord injuries, tumors growing close to the column can also damage sensitive nerve tissue and also have the same effects.
Knee Stem Cell Injections - For decades scientists have been attempting to try and find a way to remedy the various ailments that vertebrae injuries can bring, however with limited success. However, in recent years a pioneering new technology has emerged that is helping lots of people around the world regain part, if not all, of their previously lost mobility. That treatment is 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 array of specialized cells after they divide and renew themselves. They may be remarkable for their ability to regenerate themselves into just about any human cell. Their use in the treatment of various diseases and types of conditions, from Leukemia to Multiple Sclerosis, is now becoming more common. Based on the condition, stem cells could be transplanted into the patient to help renew and regenerate previously damaged cells, giving patients renewed hope when, before, no reliable treatment existed.
This principle is now being applied to the treatment of spinal cord injuries using stem cells, as well as in instances where the patient has not yet experienced a complete vertebrae injury, i.e. a complete severing of the spinal cord leading to a loss of function underneath the 'neurological' level. There has been good success in helping patients recover greater sensory and physiological ability.
Spinal-cord Injury: How Stem Cell Treatment Works
When there is 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 are the nerve cells the treatment helps to regenerate. The process usually follows three phases and usually requires no longer when compared to a period of around five weeks in medical treatment 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 procedure whereby they are isolated and purified before they are finally cultured to become suitable for clinical use.
Phase two will be the transplantation of the stem cells. This is done in one of three ways:
1) Lumbar puncture - a procedure used where stem cells could be injected directly into the spinal column.
2) Intravenous injection- stem cells are injected in to the patient's vein.
3) Tissue injection - direct injection into target tissues.
Phase three requires the monitoring of the patient to make certain there are no adverse side effects. The only side effects reported thus far were caused by the lumbar puncture, and never the stem cell treatment itself, with simply 15% of patients reporting mild headaches. In the period under medical supervision, patients undergo various physiotherapy activities along with other treatments as necessary.
Stem Cell Research and Treatment in China
China is quickly becoming a world leader in stem cell research, and it is now a major centre for that stem cell treating many diseases and scenarios. The Chinese government has poured many millions of dollars into research on regenerative medicine, understanding that investment has really borne fruit in 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 by the contributions of experts in the USA, Germany, Japan as well as the UK.
The government has additionally aggressively recruited high-caliber scientists trained abroad in pursuit of its ambition to turn into a world leader inside 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 towards the country's success in the field." The authors were "amazed that almost all the top Chinese researchers in the regenerative medicine field had been educated in the US as well as the UK and gained extensive experiences there in innovative research."
Although before treatment in China might have been considered risky because of lax health and safety laws, recent times have seen an increase in legislation protecting the sufferer, and improving the functionality of clinics. Since 2009, proof of safety and efficacy through many studies is required by China's Ministry of Health for all stem cell and gene therapies, making certain Chinese clinics meet international standards in their qualifications and methodology. At the time 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 location 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 your rabbit, researchers from the Shanghai hospital successfully produced embryonic human cells.
China to date has created at least 25 human embryonic stem cell lines (some estimate over 70 stem cell lines), four that are of a specialized type that in those days only two other groups worldwide had managed to create.
Harboured several human tissue types, created artificially, including circulation system, tendon, bone, cartilage, skin, cornea and muscle fibre.
Furthermore, Chinese researchers are involved with a myriad of projects to help aid patients through regenerative medicine and stem cell therapy. Below are several projects underway within Chinese institutions:
ChinaSCINet, a consortium of 27 medical facilities, are starting phase 2 clinical trials to test the efficacy and safety of utilizing cord blood stem cells and oral lithium to take care of about 40 patients with vertebrae injuries.
Clinical trials are underway about the use of stem cell therapies to take care of patients of heart attacks, artery obstruction, and liver and neural diseases.
Studies are underway on the potential use of stem cells to take care of heart, liver and blood diseases, eye cataracts, and to combat aging.
Success Stories from the Treatment of Spinal-cord Injuries in China
Many people of all ages and with varying levels of injury have received stem cell treatment in China throughout the last few years. It is important to remember that not every patient will react as well as others, and that the age of the sufferer and the severity of the injury greatly affect the chances of recovery. However, there have been 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 underneath the injury site, and was unable to control her bowel motions. Within 8 months with the treatment she regained movement in both her legs, could bend her knees (even though the toes of one foot remained as paralyzed) and was even in a position to walk with crutches.
Razvan Iordache, a Romanian citizen aged 30, travelled to China for several bouts of stem cell treatment following a major accident while diving right into a river that left him paralyzed from the 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 will control my urine for 10 mins and the sensation both for urine and stool is more preferable. Generally, my physique is more powerful than ever before."
Donald Maricelli, a 54 year old US citizen, a break down spinal cord injury carrying out 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 was left in a worse state than before. Before arriving for treatment in China, he was still unable to walk unaided. Following the treatment, which commenced in November 2007, Donald has made significant improvements. He regained sensation throughout most of his abdomen, as well as the sensation in his legs also improved. Particularly significant, the sensation on the bottom of his feet came back, helping him just to walk without tripping. Most significant to Donald was which he regained control and strength as part of his left leg, allowing him simply to walk significant distances and stand for prolonged periods of time.
There are lots of more success stories from patients who've received this pioneering treatment to aid correct varying degrees of spinal cord injury. However, it will always be important to remember that not all patients recover the same functions in the same time frame. A lot of hard work goes into the post treatment rehabilitation, and it takes great drive, determination and ambition to allow the body to get back to more regular functionality. However, the work being done by scientists and clinics in China indicates time and again that stem cells hold an essential key to the future of helping people with spinal cord injuries recover their lost functions. On a monthly basis, more and more people are going to various cities around the country that offer different packages of treatment according to precisely what injury may be inflicted. The level of service has improved greatly lately, and continues to improve monthly, meaning that those unfortunate enough to possess suffered spinal cord injuries need no longer feel theirs is a lost cause. There's a very real chance that the standard of living of any patient could be improved with little pain, little hospital time, along with a little motivation. The current evidence shows that stem cell therapy for spinal-cord injuries is the solution.
