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Stem Cell Treatment for Spinal Cord Injuries: The New Frontier

Knee Stem Cells - Spinal cord injuries are injuries that eventually any level of the spinal-cord. Although the hard bones of the spinal column protect the soft tissues with the spinal cord, vertebrae can nevertheless be broken or dislocated in a number of ways and cause traumatic trouble for the spinal cord. Vertebrae injuries vary within their severity, but almost inevitably result in various forms of compromised functionality since the spinal cord is in effect the main pathway for information to travel around the human body. Exactly what body functions are impaired by the injury will depend on the location of the spine which has been damaged and the extent that the spine continues to be affected. Although serious impacts including falls and motor vehicle accidents account for many spinal-cord injuries, tumors growing near to the column can also damage sensitive nerve tissue and possess the same effects.

Knee Stem Cells - For decades scientists have been trying to try and find a way to remedy the different ailments that spinal cord injuries can bring, however with limited success. However, lately a pioneering new technologies have emerged that is helping many people around the world regain part, it not exclusively, 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 Treatment - Stem cells are found in all multi cellular organisms and are characterized by their ability to tell apart into a diverse array of specialized cells once they divide and renew themselves. They're remarkable for their capacity to regenerate themselves into any human cell. Their used in the treatment of various diseases and conditions, 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 currently being applied to the management of spinal cord injuries using stem cells, and in instances where the patient has not yet experienced a complete spinal cord injury, i.e. a whole severing of the spinal-cord leading to a loss of function beneath 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 vertebrae, myelopathy (damage to the fibres that carry messages both to and from the brain) has occurred. These 'myelinated fibre tracts' would be the focus of stem cell treatment, and so are the nerve cells the treatment helps to regenerate. The procedure usually follows three phases and often requires no longer when compared to a period of around five weeks in medical care for monitoring:

Phase one requires the harvesting of stem cells. Cells are extracted from a fetus's umbilical cord. They're then put through an activity whereby they are isolated and purified prior to being finally cultured to be 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 - an operation used where stem cells may be injected directly into the spine.

2) Intravenous injection- stem cells are injected into 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 up to now were caused by the lumbar puncture, and not the stem cell treatment itself, with only 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 your stem cell management of many diseases and scenarios. The Chinese government has poured many 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 by the contributions of experts in the USA, Germany, Japan and the UK.

The government has also aggressively recruited high-caliber scientists trained abroad in pursuit of its ambition to become world leader within the field. Indeed, the McLaughlin-Rotman Centre for Global Health commented that, "the government's policy of attracting highly educated Chinese nationals to China has contributed significantly for the country's success inside the field." The authors were "amazed that almost all the top Chinese researchers in the regenerative medicine field have been educated in the US as well as the UK and gained extensive working experience there in innovative research."

Although before treatment in China may 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 safety and efficacy through numerous studies is required by China's Ministry of Health for all stem cell and gene therapies, making sure Chinese clinics meet international standards in their qualifications and methodology. At the time of January 2010, about 1,500 patients had received laser hair removal for spinal cord injury at one Beijing clinic alone, including roughly 1,000 foreigners.

Furthermore, China has long held a place at the forefront of stem cell research to take care of all manner of conditions. A number of China's notable contributions to stem cell research are:

By transferring the nucleus of the 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 at that time 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 currently 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 employing cord blood stem cells and oral lithium to deal with about 40 patients with spinal-cord injuries.
Clinical trials are underway about the use of stem cell therapies to take care of 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 to combat aging.
Testimonials from the Treatment of Vertebrae Injuries in China

Lots of people of all ages and with varying degrees of injury have received stem cell treatment in China during the last few years. It is important to understand that not every patient will react and more, and that the age of the sufferer and the severity of the injury greatly affect the odds 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 was unable to control her going number 2. Within 8 months from the treatment she regained movement in the her legs, could bend her knees (although the toes of one foot were still paralyzed) and was even able to walk with crutches.

Razvan Iordache, a Romanian citizen aged 30, travelled to China for many bouts of stem cell treatment following a major accident while diving into a river that left him paralyzed from the neck down. Following his treatments, Razan reported in 2008 that does not only could he now use his arms almost normally, and may feel pain in several of his fingers, he could "even feel warm and cold" sensations. He continued to add the following: "Now I can control my urine for 10 mins and the sensation for both urine and stool is much better. Generally, my physique is more powerful than ever before."

Donald Maricelli, a 54 yr old US citizen, suffered a spinal cord injury carrying out a fall in 2002. He underwent an operation to correct his not enough sensation in his lower body, however there was 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 a treatment, which commenced in November 2007, Donald has made significant improvements. He regained sensation throughout most of his abdomen, and also the sensation in his legs also improved. Particularly crucial, the sensation on the bottom of his feet came back, helping him to walk without tripping. Most critical to Donald was he regained control and strength as part of his left leg, allowing him to walk significant distances and are a symbol of prolonged periods of time.

There are lots of more success stories from patients that have received this pioneering treatment to aid correct varying levels of spinal cord injury. However, it is always important to remember that not all patients recover the identical functions in the same period of time. A lot of hard work adopts 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 job being done by scientists and clinics in China shows time and again that stem cells hold an essential key to the future of helping people who have spinal cord injuries recover their lost functions. Every month, more and more people are travelling to various cities around 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 every month, meaning that those unfortunate enough to get suffered spinal cord injuries need will no longer feel theirs is really a lost cause. There is a very real chance how the standard of living of any patient can 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.