Understanding Stem Cell Therapy: What It Is

Understanding Stem Cell Therapy: 

What It Is

Stem cells are unique cells in the human body, as they are, in simple terms, the starting cells that can then become any other cell in the human body—from muscle cells to heart or lung tissue. When an injury occurs, doctors can inject these cells into the site of injury to help treat the damaged tissue. This works by replacing the old, damaged cells with new, healthy cells.

There are two main types of stem cells:

•  Adult stem cells: Mesenchymal Stem Cells – These cells are collected from the patient's own adipose (fat) or bone marrow. These cells can turn into a multitude of different tissues, but not every cell.

•  Pluripotent Stem Cells: These are embryonic cells that can become any cell in the body, although there are ethical concerns. Stem cell therapy typically involves harvesting stem cells (from the patient or a donor), processing them, and then injecting them into the targeted pain site.

Why Consider Stem Cell Therapy?

Stem cell therapy is showing promise for treating a variety of conditions, especially those dealing with tissue damage and/or degeneration.

 The most common reasons people seek out stem cell therapy:

•  Regenerative Potential: Stem cells have been shown to repair tissue injuries—both hard and soft—such as conditions like osteoarthritis, heart disease, and meniscus damage.

• Minimally Invasive: As opposed to surgery, which can have long recovery periods, stem cells are injected into the site of injury or pain and have minimal downtime.

•  Treatment for Chronic Conditions: Conditions that stem cells can treat are still being researched. However, chronic conditions such as diabetes, gout, and others are showing promise.

• Personalized Medicine: Using a patient's own cells (autologous therapy) helps reduce the risk of rejecting the treatment.

Examples of Use:

Orthopedics: Treats joint pain in various arthritic conditions, ACL, and other ligament injuries.
Cardiology: Post-heart attack repair or reducing inflammation around the heart.
Neurology: Currently the least explored in research and use. Experimental treatments have begun with humans post-stroke and for neurodegenerative conditions (Alzheimer's).

When Should You Avoid Stem Cell Therapy?  While stem cell therapy treatments have been showing good results, it is not always the best choice for everyone.

•  Unproven Treatments: There has not been enough time or resources to study all the conditions that affect humans. To rigorously research and track side effects and adverse reactions takes time and resources, and stem cell therapy has not had enough of either.

• High Costs with Uncertain Outcomes: Treatment via stem cell therapy can cost thousands of dollars. Not every injection is successful, meaning you can be out tens of thousands of dollars with no decrease in your pain.

•  Risk of Complications: Although uncommon, side effects can be deadly. Immune reactions, infections, systemic organ failure, and tumor formation are adverse reactions that have been reported post-stem cell therapy.

•  Specific Medical Conditions: Patients with certain types of cancer and autoimmune disorders are most at risk for adverse reaction events to take place.

Red Flags:
 Clinics that do not provide transparency of the source of stem cells or risks of the procedure.
 Traveling to countries with more relaxed regulations than the EU or FDA can increase the risk of adverse reactions.

Making an Informed Decision
 If you’re considering stem cell therapy:
 

Consult a Specialist: Talk with your primary care physician about whether stem cell therapy is right for you.
Research the Clinic: Make sure the clinic is reputable and provides transparency about the procedure and where they procure their stem cells.
Check the Evidence: Do at-home research to make sure you understand the risks of adverse reactions for you and that the current evidence is positive for the condition you are being treated for.
 Weigh Risks and Benefits: Talk with your provider about adverse reactions and how they can be mitigated.

Stem cell therapy is still fairly novel and is evolving quickly, but not every injury is appropriate for every therapy.