Experts have been studying stem cells for a long time, but for a long time it was not possible to create human embryonic stem cells by cloning. And therefore, the report of an international group of researchers led by Masahito Tachibana, published in the scientific journal Cell, provides another reason for wide discussion.
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On the one hand, the result of the study can become a contribution to the development of regenerative medicine, which will make it possible to cure diseases such as Parkinson’s disease with the help of stem cells. But at the same time, a serious question arises: perhaps the employees of the Oregon Research University and their colleagues created the prerequisites for human cloning?
Researchers reassure: a method that is effective for cloning stem cells (therapeutic cloning) is most likely not suitable for cloning people (reproductive cloning). “Yes, breakthroughs in cell nuclear transfer regularly spark widespread debate about the ethics of human cloning. But such cloning was not our task at all. And we don’t think that the results obtained can help anyone in reproductive cloning of people,” says Shukhrat Mitalipov, who took part in the study.
The point is the peculiarity - or, more precisely, the fragility - of human eggs, which for a long time did not allow therapeutic cloning. But experiments with rhesus monkey eggs brought scientists closer to solving this problem and, finally, to creating instructions for using a method that is also effective for human eggs. Oddly enough, in particular, the instructions talk about accelerating cell division when small amounts of caffeine are contained in their nutrient medium.
Dolly the Sheep
The basic technique has been around for a relatively long time - the so-called somatic transfer of the cell nucleus, first carried out by British researcher John Gurdon back in 1962. In general terms, the operation can be described as follows: the cell nucleus is removed from the egg, and along with it most of the hereditary material. Then the nucleus of any other cell, for example, skin, is introduced into the cell. The resulting cell can begin to divide and develop as if it had been fertilized. An embryo appears: a clone of a creature from whose skin a cell with a nucleus was taken. Next, from such an embryo it is possible to create a line of embryonic stem cells capable of developing into all types of cells that exist in the human body.
In the mid-90s, scientists implanted such an embryo into the uterus of a sheep, which resulted in the appearance of a clone - Dolly the sheep. Even then, many feared that soon after this human clones or artificial babies would appear. But so far this has not happened.
And in this regard, the study described in the Cell publication cannot be considered a major breakthrough. However, it represents the progress that was expected in the scientific community in this form. “As you know, this method works with many animals. And the very fact of its applicability for human cells, frankly speaking, does not surprise me,” notes, in particular, the head of the Institute of Neurophysiology at the Cologne University Clinic, Jurgen Hescheler.
“Reprogrammed” cells as an alternative
Rather, the efficiency of the process itself was unexpected for specialists: during the experiment, an unusually large number of eggs were converted into cell lines - according to calculations, the rejection rate should have been much higher. This is indicated, in particular, by Hans Scheler from the Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine in Münster.
“It became obvious that man is not something special in this regard,” says Scheler. At the same time, he warns: “The results of the study have laid the foundation that theoretically allows us to move on to reproductive cloning of people – even with many technological reservations.” He is convinced that a global ban on reproductive cloning should have been adopted long ago.
It is assumed that the cell lines obtained as a result of reproductive cloning can be used in medicine. But this is no longer the only possibility of “manufacturing” cells of the required size that patients need, which could replace destroyed tissue. An option to solve the problem is the so-called induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS) - cells from the patient's body that are processed in the laboratory so that they receive the properties of stem cells and are introduced for further transformation into certain tissues.
iPS cells make it possible to avoid the use of embryos and human eggs, the removal of which from a woman’s body poses a threat to her health. “Reprogramming” is associated with certain restrictions for their medical use; relevant studies have not been completed. However, the discoverer of the method, Japanese Shinya Yamanaka, received the Nobel Prize for this in 2012, together with John Gurdon, who first used cloning.
Stem cells from the umbilical cord (placenta)
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In order for your child to live a full and healthy life, you can insure his life and health, but if an insured event occurs, money cannot always help. It is much more important to prevent a possible serious illness, or more precisely, to take advantage of biological insurance.
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Modern childbirth in Europe means not only the best conditions and doctors, but also the opportunity get stem cells after the end of childbirth, which, if necessary, can be used decades later for medicinal purposes. This breakthrough in medicine was achieved thanks to the development of such areas as cell technologies.
Do not forget that, despite the fact that a person is a single whole, he consists of cells. Some of them, being affected, are not capable of recovery. Such structures are, for example, the myocardium and the brain. But it is possible to simply grow new tissues that will simply replace the damaged parts of the organ with full restoration of its function.
What can be treated with cell technology?
This is about stem cell treatment. If these techniques are carried out at a high scientific and medical level, for example, in Western European countries, the result is truly surprising. Currently, with the help of stem cell transplantation, success can be achieved in the treatment of, for example, the following diseases:
- malignant neoplasms of the blood (acute leukemia);
- multiple sclerosis and other diseases accompanied by the breakdown of myelin, and inevitably leading to disability;
- consequences of acute cerebrovascular accidents;
- chronic heart failure caused by defects of the heart muscle - myocardium;
- diabetes;
- Currently, research is being conducted on the use of stem cells in Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, other neurodegenerative diseases and lesions of the extrapyramidal nervous system;
- treatment of cerebral palsy, brain tumors, Ewing's sarcoma.
Treatment of diseases with stem cells It’s completely natural, since in this case it’s not devices that are used, but what a healthy body consists of – normally functioning cells. What are we talking about and how can you get your own stem “sprouts” in order to have a “reliable supply” for the treatment of possible diseases in the future?
Stem cells
In our body, almost all organs are constantly renewed. But the tissues of an adult have already passed a period of development when any structure could be created from a small number of cells. This was during intrauterine development, and the active population of stem cells remained only in the red bone marrow, since blood is the tissue that must constantly be renewed much more often than others.
But dormant golden grains, or pluripotent stem cells, exist in adults, for example, in mesenchyme, or connective tissue. It is clear that the “creative potential” for cell proliferation and specialization was very high during intrauterine development, since the time was not far off when all organs developed from a single fertilized structure.
Where to find the most active cells?
But immediately after birth, it is still possible to obtain this cellular material from a newborn, which then, decades later, can save an adult from the disease. We are talking about obtaining and storing cellular material taken from the umbilical blood of a newborn. Conducted in a timely manner stem cell collection in a maternity hospital - this is perhaps the best insurance for the baby against serious illnesses in the future.
There is another opportunity to obtain effective cellular material from a child completely painlessly. And for this you do not need to do any invasive procedures or punctures. Stem cells literally “fall” into your and your baby’s hands. We are talking about fallen milk teeth, or more precisely, about the tissue in them called pulp. It contains those cells that are more active than the “dormant” mesenchymal units in the adult body. Perhaps, obtaining cells from baby teeth is the last chance to preserve the baby’s own genetic material for growth. How to do it?
Stem cell collection
Needless to say, everything related to cell technology must comply with the latest developments in medical science, and even such a simple procedure as collecting material for storage. There can be no trifles in this matter. Therefore, the ideal option is to organize childbirth and blood stem cell collection where concern for human health corresponds to the standard of living and the development of medicine, that is, in the countries of the European Union. This invaluable opportunity is provided to you and your future baby by Cofrance, which has been helping our compatriots in Europe for many years.
Cord blood collection
How it happens stem cell collection during childbirth? For this purpose, the umbilical cord is used, which after crossing becomes a “draw”. It is from this that blood is drawn by trained staff of the maternity hospital, who do this constantly, since such concern for the future health of babies is no longer something unusual.
Stem cell collection happens along with cord blood, which undergoes sequential processing, testing for the presence of diseases (for example, HIV and viral hepatitis), and then enters a special laboratory in which the material is enriched, purified and prepared for storage. Cost of stem cell collection low, because this does not require any special devices, but only a skill that is perfectly mastered by specialists - obstetricians.
How is the procedure for collecting cellular material?
All stages of obtaining cellular material have been worked out at Cofrance Sarl, and in this process, despite its simplicity, there are no “little things”: it all starts simply with your call to the company’s office.
You just have to express your interest, and you can assume that your future babies, or your children who have not yet lost their baby teeth, are already reliably protected. Cofrance Sarl will do everything necessary, and in a short time, since the company has long and successfully been engaged in this service, which is in demand in Europe, namely:
- After your call, a consultation takes place at a time convenient for you. It is possible for a lawyer to visit you, who will explain to you all the points of interest and prepare a set of documents;
- then an agreement is concluded in which all the necessary stages of providing the service will be discussed.
Health and life are priceless. And in this case, the cost of collecting and long-term storage of living stem cells does not exceed the cost of a budget brand of compact city car, but at the same time you get much more than a vehicle that will be sent for scrap in 10 years. This is the health of your children even after decades, when they themselves reach adulthood.
Before the birth, a special container for storing and transporting biological material is personally sent to you at the clinic where the birth is taking place, or if there are signs of imminent loss of a baby tooth, and after receiving it, the container is delivered to the laboratory for isolating a pure culture and its enrichment, and then to a biological bank for storage of stem cells. You can get acquainted with the provision of services to support a comfortable birth in France with the support of Cofrance Sarl on the official site.
After being placed in a stem cell bank, your children can be considered insured against many diseases for life.
Stem cell storage
Undoubtedly, stem cell storage– this is the most important stage, since it can last for many years and decades. All this time, the cell culture “sleeps,” immersed in liquid nitrogen in a special institution called a “stem cell bank.” After processing and preparation in a special way, the cells retain their activity and can be ready for transplantation at any time. Cofrance also takes care of all legal support for the storage and possible use of cell culture.
In conclusion, we can advise those parents who care about the health of their children the following: cell cultures for treatment should also be used in clinics in Europe and the USA, since in the Russian Federation a legislative framework for cell transplantation has simply not yet been created. We hope that such conditions will also appear in our country over time. But at the present stage of healthcare development, perhaps the best offer to our compatriots to preserve the health, and perhaps even the lives of their children, is made by the Cofrance company, which for many years has been helping Russians to freely use the services of French medicine.
What is cellular rejuvenation? Nowadays it is fashionable to be beautiful, slim, and radiate health. Just a few years ago, many people gave themselves Botox injections, today a new trend in fashion is stem cells.
Detailed description
The most basic cells of the human body are stem cells. They are formed immediately after conception in a fertilized egg. The ability to become any cell is their main distinguishing quality, the so-called pluripotency. As the embryo grows, the stem cells form its brain, liver, stomach, and heart. Even after birth, there are still a lot of them in the child’s body, but every year there are fewer of them; by the age of 20, a person has practically no stem cells. This is a scientifically proven fact. But an adult also needs these cells - they always replace those affected in the event of illness of any organ. Throughout life, organs with diseases become much more numerous, but stem cells decrease, so a person ages.
A little history
A breakthrough in cell biology occurred in 1998, when US scientists were able to isolate and clone embryonic stem cell lines. After which cell biology began to develop in two ways:
1. Research for the treatment of serious diseases.
2. In clinical practice, the procedure is “revitalization,” i.e., rejuvenation of the body by injections with stem cells in an integrated approach with other cosmetics.
How does stem cell rejuvenation occur?
Stem cells in beauty salons
In Russia there are no restrictions on the use of embryonic stem cells, so cell therapy is available everywhere. Any beauty salon mentions stem cells in its price list. But in practice, these are injections of extracts from embryonic tissue, and they can cause allergic reactions and even rejection. And if the procedure is not carried out in a laboratory, then there is a risk that the cellular material may be infected.
The body after using the stem cell injection procedure
In Russia, a new technology for stem cell injections is being actively tested on humans, while in the West almost all experiments are carried out on animals. Stem cells are being used more and more often, but what the effect will be in the future is not yet known. None of the scientists could give a forecast for 10-20 years in advance, because the area of application has not been fully studied. For now, stem cell treatment is considered alternative medicine. We'll see what happens next.
Where do stem cells come from for rejuvenation?
Currently, Russian cosmetic centers use several types of stem cells:
1. Embryonic stem cells. They are obtained from the liver, pancreas, and brain of aborted human fetuses, and then cultivated in a material similar in composition to blood serum. After checking for viruses, all obtained biomaterial is stored in liquid nitrogen.
2. Newborn umbilical cord cells, human bone marrow. Umbilical cord cell therapy is especially effective between members of the same family. In Russia there is a stem cell bank that can store cord blood. A bone marrow puncture is taken from the iliac bones of an adult's pelvis, after which a multimillion-dollar colony is grown in the laboratory.
3. Stem cells isolated from adipose tissue.
Delayed reaction
Stem cell rejuvenation is very popular.
Depending on the chosen method, the effect of injections with cellular material begins to appear only after 1-3 months. And for some reason doctors don’t talk about the visual effects of rejuvenation; they focus on improving the well-being of patients. A person simply pays money, gets an injection, and waits for changes within three months. In practice, the patient does not see any special changes in the body or face, but feels that the body behaves differently: the hair darkens, visual acuity appears, and one gets enough sleep within 5-6 hours.
Some patients noted that within a month they began to read without glasses, the general fatigue of the body disappeared, and wrinkles began to disappear. But those who talked about such changes within a month usually underwent a comprehensive rejuvenation procedure, which included mesotherapy with skin-smoothing injections. In all cases, the patients completely trusted the clinic and doctors and did not think about the consequences in the future. How much does stem cell treatment cost?
The price of youth
All researchers agreed that the effect of cell injections lasts a year, after this period it is better to repeat the procedure. As they say, if you turn to specialists for a cell injection every 1.5 years, then a person can at least live to be 150 years old. To be fair, it should be said that rejuvenation with stem cells is a very expensive procedure, and doing it once every 1.5 years is very expensive. It costs a minimum of 17 thousand euros, and this is if the patient is young, healthy and just wants to slow down the aging process a little. The older a person is and the more diseases he has, the more expensive cell therapy will be, due to the fact that he will need a larger number of stem cells.
How does it depend on age?
If a young body needs approximately 20-35 million cells to maintain tone, then 200 million may not be enough for a lady of pre-retirement age with a bunch of diseases. According to experts, such a high price is justified, because growing cells is a process that requires knowledge and high technology, and is therefore very expensive. If you are offered such procedures at a lower price, then most likely these drugs are not related to stem cells.
There are, however, state scientific institutes where injections are cheaper, but the price still starts from 5 thousand US dollars. They use bone marrow stem cells. Scientific institutes also use special cell growth factors - peptides. Since stem cells, when injected, cannot find a damaged organ, proteins show them the way, which turn on the work of the body’s cell, forcing it to work and look for means of self-healing.
results
Those patients who underwent stem cell rejuvenation courses at research institutes noted that after just three weeks, fatigue disappeared, body tone increased, visual acuity appeared, wrinkles smoothed out a little, men experienced increased libido and improved potency. As you can see, the results of body revitalization therapy in cosmetic clinics and research institutes are the same, although their methods are completely different.
Research institutes use a special cell growth factor protein, and beauty salons use additional mesotherapy. All these additional injections and procedures that come along with stem cell injections, according to doctors, are aimed at insuring clinics against the lack of results of stem cell treatment, since mesotherapy and additional protein have long been known as an excellent and effective way to smooth out wrinkles.
Cell therapy specialists are silent about whether there were negative results or no result at all. And there are such cases, patients did not notice any changes even after 3-6 months, but neither the clinic nor the research institute reimburses the costs in any way, because they do not guarantee that the body will find the strength to recover.
Cellular technologies. Their development in modern medicine
Despite the fact that there are positive results, doctors and the scientific community are extremely skeptical about such therapy. Many believe that, yes, the discovery of stem cells and the possibility of growing them is the largest discovery in genetics since the deciphering of the structure of DNA, but it should not be used for everyone, but only for the treatment of very serious diseases. Stem cells contain encrypted information about the entire body, which means that from them it is possible to grow not only a colony of cells, but even some kind of organ.
Therefore, it is unacceptable to use this technology for profit, since it has not been fully studied, clinical studies and experiments are being conducted. Currently, in addition to cosmetic procedures, medical clinics also offer treatment of serious diseases with stem cell injections. The price lists say that diabetes and cancer can be cured with injections. But there is no confirmed data on such recoveries. On the contrary, there are expert opinions that stem cell rejuvenation causes cancer.
Positive effect
Stem cells are of great help in the treatment of ischemic diseases, hormonal and immune diseases, and some developmental disorders in children. At the end of 2015, American scientists saved the life of a young man who suffered a myocardial infarction. They took his own mesenchymal stem cells and introduced them into the body. There are positive results of cell therapy in the treatment of Parkinson's disease, arthritis, arthrosis, and rheumatism. Of course, given such scientific advances, stem cell injections simply for rejuvenation look lackluster.
What is even more depressing is that the budget does not provide for funding for the development of cell biology and the development of methods for treating serious diseases in leading research institutes and laboratories in Russia. Private clinics do not engage in development; they, as a rule, work for the purpose of making a profit. Therefore, in Russia, cellular technologies are associated only with rejuvenation, in contrast to the West, where research into cellular technologies in the treatment of serious diseases is actively funded.
Clinics providing stem cell transplantation services
There are not many such centers in Russia, but the main ones are the Center for Obstetrics, Gynecology and Perinatology of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences, or rather their clinical immunology laboratory, headed by Gennady Sukhikh, the Commercial Stem Cell Institute, also the Pyramid group of clinics, headed by Alexander Teplyashin.
Stem cells along with injections of peptides (growth factors) are practiced by the Institute of Biological Medicine. They, according to the experts of this institute, activate the action of stem cells.
"Korchak" - a clinic of cosmetology and plastic surgery - also has stem cell therapy as one of its areas. Here, cell material from a 3-month pig embryo grown on a nutrient medium is used. 3 days before administration, cultivation is stopped. Thanks to the “living” material, the effect of rejuvenation and healing is achieved in a couple of months and lasts for 1-2 years.
Placenta injections at the Japanese clinic Rhana are also called cell therapy, although this is completely different. They believe that the placenta is capable of rejuvenating the body, but it has a narrow range of action: relieving chronic fatigue syndrome and increasing libido and sexual activity.
Versage is also a clinic that uses stem cells in its work. But she specializes in anti-aging programs that include holistic treatments.
In Russia, cell therapy is actively used at the Novosibirsk Research Institute of Clinical Immunology of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Also, for the treatment of heart diseases and cardioplasty in Vladivostok, Irkutsk, Tomsk and Novosibirsk, treatment and restorative procedures with human stem cells are used. Their use in rejuvenation and cosmetic procedures has become widespread in clinics in St. Petersburg.
Serious choice of clinic
In Russia, quite a few clinics currently offer anti-aging procedures using stem cells. But we need to understand whether these are really the same cells. Often, simply cellular material is used. Therefore, before deciding on a procedure, you need to collect more information about the clinic, its specialization, does it have a laboratory, if not, which one do they cooperate with, how effectively do they work, try to find patients of the clinic who have already received these procedures .
Next, in the clinic itself, ask to be provided with a “Cell Passport” certifying that the stem cells are free of viruses. Before the cells are administered, you must be asked to undergo an examination. Even if the procedure is successful, you will be able to see the effect only after 1-3 months and not on the face or body, but in the general condition of the body. You will feel cheerfulness and a surge of strength. But this may not happen, because usually clinics do not take any responsibility for the consequences of stem cell rejuvenation. Neither the clinic nor the research institute provides guarantees.
Throughout life, human tissues and organs are damaged many times due to external factors (physical, chemical, etc.) and internal (diseases), but nature has given the body the opportunity to recover and renew itself. An important role in this process is played by stem cells, which renew themselves and stimulate the activity of surrounding cellular tissues.
Stem cells are a tool for a kind of “repair” of the internal system and replace worn out or damaged tissues. This type of cell reproduces by differentiation (division), and when a stem cell divides, each new one can either remain a stem cell and stimulate regeneration, or become another type of cell with a more specialized function, such as building different types of tissue.
General principles of stem cell treatment
The essence of the treatment is to extract stem cells and transplant them into the patient, which is called transplantation. The transplanted donor cells perceive disease-infected cells as foreign and extraneous, and then, destroying them, begin to fight them. It should be noted that there are two types of this type of transplantation:
- Autologous transplantation. The process involves transplanting one’s own stem cells, when biomaterial is extracted from the patient’s own bone marrow. This type of transplant applies exclusively to cases where the bone marrow has not been damaged by disease.
- Allogeneic transplantation. The process involves transplanting stem cells from a donor, and the material itself must be compatible, so in the most favorable cases the donor is a blood relative (especially siblings, which implies 100% compatibility). In addition, a transplant can be performed from an unrelated donor if the donor material is tissue compatible with the recipient.
Sources that provide stem cells
The main type is hematopoietic stem cells, mesenchymal cells are secondary in this technique. The most generous organic materials that contain them are:
- Bone marrow (the most used material).
- Peripheral blood (vascular blood).
- Umbilical cord blood (an alternative to bone marrow, recognized as equivalent to it in terms of stem cell resource).
- Adipose tissue.
- Placenta.
- Umbilical cord tissue.
- Amniotic fluid (amniotic fluid).
- Embryo (prohibited! ESCs – embryonic stem cells).
- Pulp of baby teeth.
Bone marrow along with peripheral blood are the most used materials. Recently, umbilical cord blood has been recognized as an alternative to bone marrow, equivalent in terms of the available volume of stem cells. Placenta and adipose tissue are also of practical use. Other sources are characterized by high levels of trauma during material extraction, and the use of ESCs is often limited due to ethical reasons.
However, there are problems in using bone marrow as a source of stem cells - it is often very difficult to find a compatible donor for transplantation, and the procedure for extracting biomaterial is complex and requires general anesthesia and recovery time. Thus, umbilical cord and peripheral blood are considered excellent alternative options that deserve equal consideration.
Today, cell therapy pays special attention to umbilical cord blood, which contains a huge number of hematopoietic stem cells. Cord blood extraction occurs when the baby is first born and the umbilical cord is then separated from the baby.
It is then placed in public or private cord blood banks, where it is stored at low temperatures (cryogenic conditions). There are several such banks in Russia, for example, “Stem Cell Bank DZM”, “Clinical Center for Cell Technologies”, etc. A huge advantage is the possibility of using umbilical cord blood even with incomplete compatibility. If you compare bone marrow and umbilical cord blood, the latter is much less often rejected by the body.
Treatment of arthritis and arthrosis
Due to aging, infections, autoimmune diseases (rheumatoid arthritis) and injuries, the cartilage tissues of the joints undergo a process of degeneration in the form of arthrosis. Stem cell treatment is recognized as the only therapy that can completely cure the disease.
Treatment usually occurs on an outpatient basis, the patient is given injections directly into the joint for 10 days, the procedure must be repeated after six months.
As a result, the cartilage tissue of the joint is regenerated. Moreover, the procedure for treating arthrosis does not require a stem cell donor - they are extracted from the patient’s bone marrow or adipose tissue, grown in the laboratory, and then used in treatment.
The treatment process is observed by a doctor during routine examinations.
Treatment of diabetes
Type 1 diabetes mellitus
The main problem of patients with the first is the lack of insulin production in the body. Treatment of this type of disease with the help of stem cells occurs by replacing the beta cells of patients with cells from healthy donors. The problem is that these cells need to be extracted from the pancreas of a healthy person, but the demand for such biomaterial significantly exceeds the supply.
Type 2 diabetes mellitus
With type 2 diabetes, patients experience a disruption in the cells' response to the insulin produced by the body. Medical scientists propose a one-time injection of stem cells and accompanying this type of treatment with medications as an adjuvant. In the process, the pancreas is supported, the sensitivity of insulin perception by cells is stimulated, and immune stimulation is strengthened. It should be noted that statistics report 97% of complete recovery of patients.
Treatment of multiple sclerosis
Damage to the nervous system and therefore the appearance of neurological symptoms is called multiple sclerosis.
However, treatment involves transplantation of hematopoietic and mesenchymal cells in large volumes, as well as accompaniment with immunosuppressive drugs.
In addition, doctors offer a course of chemotherapy before using the stem cell injection method. The course of chemotherapy is carried out in low doses, which reduces a number of side effects and improves the performance of the transplanted cells that are released into the bloodstream.
We must remember that stem cell treatment for such a disease is still in the process of study and research, because the process of destruction of the nervous system has enormous negative consequences.
Treatment of liver cirrhosis
Cirrhosis of the liver today is a widespread disease, since the liver takes on a huge burden in the functioning of the body, which is why, under the influence of certain factors, it suffers and begins to deteriorate.
The best cure is a liver transplant, but it is usually very difficult to find a donor.
The greatest advantage of treating cirrhosis with stem cells is the ability to use the patient’s own cells. The material is extracted from the bone marrow and grown to the required volumes.
The liver itself is functionally capable of regeneration. When stem cells are planted in dead parts of the organ, it itself starts the process of restoring the previous volume and condition due to the division of healthy cells. Thus, the planted biomaterial promotes the growth of new liver tissue. It is necessary to take into account that treatment should be started as early as possible, which gives a greater chance of regeneration of tissue elements.
Treatment of cerebral palsy
Cerebral palsy, by its nature, is most often a physical illness, and patients are forced to constantly undergo courses of treatment. The disease is quite complex, and usually, even with all the necessary treatments, motor dysfunction is completely incurable. Stem cell treatment for cerebral palsy involves replacing damaged brain cells with healthy transplanted cells. Thus, the process of regeneration of nerve tissue is activated, which triggers an improvement in the functioning of damaged areas of the brain.
Although the method of treating cerebral palsy in this way has not yet been fully approved, doctors say that it is absolutely possible to treat the disease in this way, moreover, it is necessary to start as early as possible.
However, there is a problem here: up to 1.5–2 years of age, it is strictly forbidden to use transplanted stem cells, since the child’s body can still resume development processes on its own, and foreign cells can disrupt them.
When treatment begins, the use of the technique actually improves the child’s condition; some body functions begin to resume or appear, such as speech, reaction, movement and others.
Clinics in Russia
In Russia you can find quite a lot of clinics for stem cell treatment. The main thing is that this treatment method exists and operates in the country, which gives hope to many patients. Among the most popular are the Moscow clinics “Newest Medicine” and “Stem Cell Clinic”.
Also noted are Clinical Hospital No. 1, National Medical and Surgical Center named after N.I. Pirogov, Treatment and Rehabilitation Center of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, etc. All such medical institutions have good technical support, reliable medical care and can offer cellular methods for curing a large number of diseases.
Results
To summarize, it can be emphasized that stem cell treatment belongs to regenerative cellular medicine, and also recognize that it is effective in the treatment of many severe pathologies and diseases.
The ability of stem cells to renew is explained by their natural function of transforming into other cells. The technique can cure more than 80 diseases, improve health, and is even recognized as an excellent way of rejuvenation and other cosmetic procedures. In collaboration with cryobanks, regenerative cell medicine clinics are not only a reliable future of medicine, but also the present, which gives many patients with various types of disease a chance for recovery and a happy future.
Nowadays, the technique of stem cell transplantation has become widespread for the treatment of serious pathologies. In particular, immature hematopoietic cells are used to restore hematopoietic function in patients with leukemia and lymphomas. The first successful transplantation was carried out back in 1988. A child suffering from anemia was injected with cells taken from umbilical cord blood, which resulted in complete healing.
Stem cells are immature cells that have the ability to self-renew as well as differentiate. The essence of self-renewal is that after mitotic division, these cells retain their phenotype, i.e., differentiation does not occur. Differentiation is the transformation into specific cells of a wide variety of tissues and organs.
Stem cells are characterized by an amazing ability to divide asymmetrically, after which one of the new cells remains a stem cell and the other becomes differentiated.
Note:The development of an organism begins with one stem cell - a zygote. During repeated division and differentiation, all other types of cells characteristic of a particular biological species are formed. In particular, humans and primates have more than 220 cell types.
Stem cells are a universal “building material” for body tissues. They contain all the genetic information. Thanks to immature cellular elements, regeneration processes are carried out in the body. As we age, the number of undifferentiated cells steadily decreases. If a fetus (embryo) has 1 stem cell for every 10 thousand differentiated ones, then by the age of 60 the ratio changes many times, falling to 1 in 8 million. It is for this reason that damaged tissue regenerates much more slowly in elderly patients.
Note:To preserve such unique biological material as umbilical cord blood, special banks have been created in a number of countries. The results of many years of research suggest that in the near future universal immature cells will help cope with severe pathologies that are currently not treated either with medication or surgery.
Important:The best source for obtaining stem cells is blood obtained from the umbilical cord immediately after the birth of the child. These cells are also present in the placenta and fetal tissues. In an adult, such cellular elements are found in the bone marrow. 
To date, researchers have been able to isolate the following types of stem cells:
- hematopoietic;
- endothelial;
- nervous;
- myocardial stem cells;
- skin;
- mesenchymal;
- muscular;
- intestinal cells;
- embryonic.
A very large number of immature cells can be obtained from blood taken from the umbilical vein. The unique biomaterial is stored in a special jar at a temperature of -196 °C (in liquid nitrogen). It can be used when it is necessary to restore almost all tissues of the human body. Banks enter into an agreement with the relatives of the newborn child to store the biodeposit for 18-20 years. All this time the material remains fully active.
Note:There are an order of magnitude more undifferentiated cells in the placenta than in umbilical cord blood. However, storing biological material of this kind requires special conditions, which is associated with enormous material costs.
Hematopoietic cells from umbilical cord blood have the following advantages:
- the material is obtained easily and completely painlessly;
- the biomaterial is infectiously safe;
- transplantation is possible at any time;
- cells are suitable for transplantation to close relatives (ideal biological compatibility);
- transplantation to other patients is possible (provided there is no antigen conflict).
Important:the use of this biological material, as well as its disposal, do not lead to ethical and legal problems.
The source of stem cells in an adult is red bone marrow. Stromal elements are obtained by puncture. In a special laboratory, entire colonies are grown from them, which are then transplanted into the patient. Once in the body, they migrate to the affected area, where they replace the dead highly differentiated elements.
Important:stem cells in adults are characterized by relatively low functional activity when compared with embryonic material. In addition, stromal cells can only be transplanted into the person from whose bone marrow they were obtained; otherwise, a rejection reaction almost inevitably develops.
NSCs were found in certain areas of the brain of a still maturing or already fully formed organism. They are characterized by a high ability to transform into other cells and can be cultivated in the laboratory. However, they are not currently used for treatment. To obtain them, brain destruction is necessary, so autotransplantation is out of the question. The possibility of using tissue from the recipient is currently being explored, but this may be fraught with ethical issues.
Unique stem cells that have the ability to transform into cardiomyocytes were discovered at the end of the last century. It is not yet possible to treat humans with their help, since the destruction of the myocardium is required to obtain the material, and the possibility of using recipient cells is only being studied.
Skin cells
This type of stem cells is obtained from the skin of an embryo or an adult. Such biological material has already been successfully used in specialized centers for the treatment of patients with extensive burn lesions.
Mesenchymal stem cells are taken from the bone marrow stroma. They are also found in blood obtained from the umbilical cord. Treatment through MSC transplantation is considered very promising. The material can be obtained from the patient himself; cultivation is carried out in laboratory conditions on nutrient media. After transplantation, these cells turn into elements of various tissues and organs. If necessary, the material is frozen and stored for a long time. The undoubted advantage of treatment with mesenchymal cells is the absence of complications in the form of the development of malignant neoplasms. The only disadvantage of this technique is the need for strict infection control.
The source of the material is striated muscle tissue. These elements have the ability to transform into nerve and fat cells, as well as into chondrocytes and myocytes. It has been established that they represent a separate population of mesenchymal cells, and therefore can be obtained from umbilical cord blood or the patient’s own bone marrow.
Cells from abortive material
So-called fetal cells are isolated from abortion material during artificial termination of pregnancy at a period of 9 to 12 weeks. The use of this source is associated with many technical problems, not to mention the ethical side of the issue.
The main disadvantages of the embryonic stem cell treatment method:
- high risk of rejection when transplanting material;
- the presence of a risk of infection with other diseases of infectious origin;
- legal problems.
The source of ESCs is embryonic material taken in the first week of intrauterine development.
Advantages of embryonic stem cells:
- ability to transform into a wide variety of cells;
- minimal likelihood of cultural rejection.
Disadvantages include:
- there is a risk of benign neoplasms;
- ethical issues;
- legal obstacles.
Important:In the Russian Federation, the use of ESCs is now prohibited by order of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation. The use of this biological material is regarded by opponents of the technique as an attack on the life of an unborn child.
To date, tens of thousands of successful transplants have already been performed in different countries on patients of various ages.
Transplantation of stem cell cultures is recognized as a very effective method for treating the consequences of brain and spinal cord injuries, extensive burns, strokes and heart attacks. Cell therapy makes it possible to cure a child suffering from a serious blood pathology.
Note:Now 75% of patients in dire need of organ transplantation die before waiting their turn for a transplant. Scientists believe that cell therapy will give them a chance of cure in the near future.
Stem cell transplantation is effective in treating the following pathologies:
- immunodeficiency states;
- resistant juvenile arthritis;
- leukemia;
- non-Hodgkin's lymphoma;
- Fanconi anemia;
- thalassemia;
- idiopathic aplastic anemia;
- amegakaryocytic thrombocytopenia;
- collagenoses;
- myelodysplastic syndrome;
- neuroblastoma.
The introduction of stem cells helps restore and improve the condition of the skin.
Important:Patients who want to undergo a course of anti-aging procedures using stem cells are recommended to use only the services of well-established cosmetology centers. A huge number of counterfeit drugs have appeared on the market, which can cause irreparable harm to health. There are already known cases of death of patients due to oncological diseases that developed after procedures.
Cosmetic problems that can be eliminated through cell therapy:
- scars on the skin;
- wrinkles;
- traces of chemical burns;
- consequences of laser therapy.
Note:mesotherapy with the introduction of drugs containing stem cell cultures makes it possible to significantly improve the tone of the skin and promotes the growth of healthy hair and nails.
A course of treatment requires the introduction of 100 million undifferentiated cells. The cost of a course of therapy is about 300 thousand rubles, which is due to technical difficulties in cultivating material for transplantation.
A mesotherapy session in a cosmetology center is much cheaper (on average, about 20 thousand rubles), but to achieve a noticeable and lasting effect, 5 to 10 procedures are required, so their total cost is quite comparable to the cost of treating a serious disease.
