Stem Cell Education Center – Stem Cell Treatment | Arizona …

There are many different sources of stem cells and many different types of stem cells. Stem cell can be derived from umbilical cord tissue, placental tissue, amniotic fluid, peripheral blood, adipose tissue (fat), bone marrow, and embryonic/fetal tissue. Each of these sources has advantages and disadvantages based on several factors.

Umbilical CordThese stem cells come from from healthy, live births delivered by cesarean section and donated by the mothers of these children. Umbilical cord derived-stem cells are by far the most effective type of stem cells that are obtained by ethical means and available today. Their young age makes them far more biologically active and gives them a greater ability to divide and grow tissue than older stem cells (about 10 times as potent). There are also several different types of stem cells (mainly mesenchymal stem cells and hematopoietic stem cells) that can be derived from umbilical cords which allow for treatment of many different diseases and conditions.

Placental TissueThese stem cells are similar to umbilical cord derived stem cells and are obtained in the same manner. A lot of research is looking at these stem cells to aid in burns, abrasions, and non-healing wounds.

Amniotic FluidAmniotic fluid is the fluid in which a newborn baby lives during a womans pregnancy. There are some stem cells floating within the fluid which allow for proper development of a growing fetus, but they are very few in number. There are also many different types of bioactive molecules which aid in tissue growth. This is the least expensive type of stem cell treatment available because it contains the least amount of stem cells, but it is also the least effective. Amniotic fluid stem cell treatment is best used in patients with very mild degenerative conditions or as a supplemental treatment to an umbilical cord derived stem cell treatment to help accelerate tissue regeneration.

Peripheral BloodStem cells derived from peripheral blood are also very few in number. Most clinics use peripheral blood to isolate something called PRP (Platelet Rich Plasma). PRP contains many bioactive molecules such as growth factors, cytokines, proteins, antioxidants, and amino acids. These can aid in tissue repair and have been proven to increase patient results when used in conjunction with stem cell treatment. We always use PRP with all of our stem cell treatments to give our patients the best chance at improvement.

Adipose Tissue (fat)These stem cells are obtained by performing a liposuction on a patient and then separating out the stem cells from the fat that is obtained. This can be a painful and invasive procedure, but it does yield a high amount of stem cells. Unfortunately, these stem cells come from an older source and are much less potent than those obtained from a younger source (such as umbilical cord tissue). Recent research suggests that adipose derived stem cells are much less effective than we once thought and the majority of the scientific community has moved on to other sources which are yielding much better results for patients.

Bone MarrowThese stem cells are obtained by performing a bone marrow aspiration. This is an extremely invasive and painful procedure which involves drilling a hole into the hip bone and sucking out a portion of bone marrow. Bone marrow aspiration does not yield a large amount of stem cells and for this reason they normally need to be cultured (grown) for several weeks to reach a number which will result in an effective (therapeutic) dose. Unfortunately, culturing stem cells is illegal in the United States and therefore you will have to travel outside of the US to receive an effective dose of bone marrow derived stem cells.

Embryonic/Fetal This is a very controversial source of stem cells as they are derived from unwanted (aborted) fetuses. These are currently illegal for use in the United States and have many moral and scientific issues surrounding them. Although these stem cells may contain a higher healing potential than some of the sources mentioned above they also come with substantially more risk. Embryonic stem cells have been linked to several cancers and unregulated tissue growth. For this reason and the obvious ethical concerns, you will have to travel outside the US if you are looking for this type of treatment.

Read more here:
Stem Cell Education Center - Stem Cell Treatment | Arizona ...