Stroke Patients Show Promising Signs Of Recovery After Stem Cell Therapy

Stroke patients who took part in a small pilot study of a stem cell therapy have shown tentative signs of recovery six months after receiving the treatment.

Doctors said the condition of all five patients had improved after the therapy, but that larger trials were needed to confirm whether the stem cells played any part in their progress. Scans of the patients' brains found that damage caused by the stroke had reduced over time, but similar improvements are often seen in stroke patients as part of the normal recovery process.

At a six-month check-up, all of the patients fared better on standard measures of disability and impairment caused by stroke, but again their improvement may have happened with standard hospital care. The pilot study was designed to assess only the safety of the experimental therapy and with so few patients and no control group to compare them with, it is impossible to draw conclusions about the effectiveness of the treatment.

Paul Bentley, a consultant neurologist at Imperial College London, said his group was applying for funding to run a more powerful randomised controlled trial on the therapy, which could see around 50 patients treated next year.

"The improvements we saw in these patients are very encouraging, but it's too early to draw definitive conclusions about the effectiveness of the therapy," said Soma Banerjee, a lead author and consultant in stroke medicine at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust. "We need to do more tests to work out the best dose and timescale for treatment before starting larger trials."

The five patients in the pilot study were treated within seven days of suffering a severe stroke. Each had a bone marrow sample taken, from which the scientists extracted stem cells that give rise to blood cells and blood vessel lining cells. These stem cells were infused into an artery that supplied blood to the brain.

The stem cells, called CD34+ cells, do not grow into fresh brain tissue, but might work by releasing chemicals that may dampen down inflammation and help other cells to grow where brain tissue is damaged. Some of the cells might also grow into new blood vessels, Bentley said.

Four out of five of the patients had the most serious type of stroke. Normally only 4% of these patients survive and are able to live independently after six months. In the pilot study, published in Stem Cells Translational Medicine, all four were alive and three were independent six months later.

"Although they mention some improvement of some of the patients, this could be just chance, or wishful thinking, or due to the special care these patients may have received simply because they were in a trial," said Robin Lovell-Badge, head of developmental genetics at the MRC's National Institute for Medical Research in London.

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Stem Cell Therapy Cuts Down On Orthopedic Surgery Recovery Time

Stem cell therapy is an emerging biologic approach that Mead and other proponents expect will dramatically alter the practice of orthopedics.

What’s needed are more clinical studies to validate the regenerative capabilities of stem cells for damaged joint surfaces caused by trauma or wear and tear. The therapy uses patients’ own stem cells drawn from bone marrow.

“I think this is the future of orthopedics and a really bright tool,” Mead said. “This isn’t the answer to everything. It is going to help us do a lot of things we could not do before.”

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The Revolution Of Stem Cell Therapy And Facts To Know About It

Stem cells are presently being used for creating functional as well as living tissues for repairing or renewing organs and tissues of human body, which are damaged because of chronic illness, accidents, or aging. Stem Cell therapy has revolutionized the treatment of blood related ailments, especially treatment of children suffering from leukemia. This therapy is also used for the purpose of tissue grafts to cure bone injury, or injury to eye surface or skin. Ongoing research on Stem Cell therapy helps to explore new possibilities to use stem cells for treating many other health conditions.

Taking organ transplants to another level

Stem Cell therapy helps to promote the repairing of damaged or diseased tissues with the use of stem cells. This therapy takes organ transplantation to the next level. In place of organ from a donor, this therapy makes use of stem cells. In times, where huge number of patients has to wait for organ transplantation due to lack of donor, stem cells can lend a hand in their treatment. These cells are grown in labs and are of different types like blood cells, never cells, or cardiac muscle cells. The cells once implanted in the patient can help to repair the damaged muscle or tissue of the body.

Advent of the therapy in India

Treatment and research on Stem Cell therapy is going on in many countries including China, Mexico, Middle East, Thailand, Ukraine, and even in India. Of late, Stem Cell therapy in India has gained popularity and trust. There have many successful cases where Stem Cell therapy has successfully treated spinal injuries, nerve damages, and blood disorders. The country is ready to explore the immense potential of this new treatment method. Earlier, the country has witnessed several stem cell transplants, which is also called bone marrow transplant. Recently, adult stem cells are being tested for treating other conditions.

Limitations to consider

Despite of all the constant research going on in the field of Stem Cell therapy in India and its success stories, there are a few limitations, which one should keep in mind. Only some of the treatments are considered effective and safe presently. The treatment of an ailment depends on the type of stem cell being used, as different kind of stem cells are used for different purposes. Different conditions calls for different kinds of stem cell therapies. Therefore, a Stem Cell therapy used for treating blood disorder might not work for heart ailments. It is very important to understand the science behind Stem Cell therapy, instead of being misguided by huge claims.

The possibilities to explore

As far as Stem Cell therapy in India is concerned, it is used in treating conditions such as leukemia, sickle cell anemia, thalassemia, spinal cord injury, diabetes, muscular dystrophy, autism, cerebral palsy, liver ailments, and many other conditions. Accredited stem cell research labs has also surfaced in India, along with preservation banks, and approved therapy centers. This has brought the therapy within the reach of common people. Not only the labs are dedicated to continuous research, but also the centers offering Stem Cell therapy in India makes all possible attempts to provide the treatment at a reasonable price.

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