Category Archives: Stem Cell Therapy

Stem Cell Therapy for Neuropathy

Neuropathy is a condition characterized by pain of the limbs, such as arms, hands, feet, and/or legs. Neuropathic (nerve-related) pain is initiated/caused by dysfunction of the nervous system. Most common symptoms of neuropathy include extreme sensitivity and dramatic response to pain. A new, innovative treatment for neuropathy is stem cell therapy.

Neuropathy and nerve-related pain reduces human well-being and is difficult to manage. Around 100 million people in the United States report chronic pain. The use of stem cells has proven to be effective at lessening the pain associated with diabetic neuropathy and peripheral nerve pain. Clinical evidence shows that stem cell therapy provides the best results and could decrease the use of pain medication.

How do stem cells work to treat neuropathic pain?

Stem cell therapy shows great promise for regenerative medicine in the treatment of peripheral neuropathy. Stem cells help slow the disease progression. In rat subjects, bone marrow-derived stem cells have shown promise in treating neurodegenerative disease, which proves neuroprotective when given intravenously (IV). Stem cell implantation has also been shown to work in the repair of axon regeneration and synapse reformation, which are structures of the nerve cell.

Do stem cells help treat pain?

Stem cell differentiation is thought to be the key to pain control. Serotonergic neural precursor cell grafts reduce hyperexcitability caused by pain. Neuropathic pain causes a decrease in the activity and number of neurons called GABA. The stem cells express anti-nociceptive molecules and/or trophic factors that have been found to relieve neuropathic pain. In addition, stem cells are used as pumps to deliver anti-nociceptive molecules close to the pain processing sites of nerve damage.

Which cells are most used in the treatment of peripheral neuropathy?

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are showing the most promise in pain care research. These cells are a group of progenitor cells of mesodermal origin, which are found in adult bone marrow. These cells give rise to skeletal muscle cells, fat, blood, and connective tissues. MSCs also have a stable phenotype and are easily transported from the laboratory to physician office. These cells also migrate to the site of nerve damage and have good immunosuppressive properties.

Do clinical studies support the use of stem cells for peripheral neuropathy?

In a recent study in The Journal of Pain Research, researchers used stem cells for neuropathy relief successfully. They found that the treatment produced 60% relief at a six month time point. Because neuropathic pain impacts quality of life, it can be quite costly to the healthcare system. Researchers are continuing to study this problem.

Tulane University Center for Stem Cell Research conducted many studies using MSCs. They found these cells were effective and safe for treating inflammatory disease, such as peripheral neuropathy. The cells were found to optimize their anti-inflammatory effects. In mice subjects, researchers noted a 40% improvement rate.

What results can I expect with stem cell therapy for neuropathy?

Response to stem cell therapy usually starts within a few weeks to months. Patients often report effectiveness within 3-6 months. Patients with peripheral neuropathy respond over 60% of the time, according to studies. A second treatment may become necessary depending on the individual and therapy also involves several additional modalities such as light therapy and nutritional optimization.

Resources

Siniscalco D, Rossi F, & Maione S (2007). tem cell therapy for neuropathic pain treatment. J Stem Cells Regen Md, 3(1), 2-11.

A preliminary report on stem cell therapy for neuropathic pain in humans, Vickers et al,J Pain Res. 2014; 7: 255263.

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Stem Cell Therapy For Neuropathy | Stem Cell Therapy

Clinical research regarding stem cell therapy benefits has grown dramatically in recent decades. The most promising thing about stem cell therapy and similar prolotherapy treatments including PRP is that they offer relief for patients with chronic pain and difficult-to-heal injuries, all without medications or risky reconstructive surgeries. Today researchers are also uncovering ways to apply stem cell treatments for common chronic conditions such as heart disease,neurodegenerative diseases and diabetes.

The most common use of stem cell treatments in prolotherapy is managing pain. Most consider stem cell therapy to be a form of interventional pain-management, meaning its a minimally invasive technique. Treatment involves injecting stem cells (along with an anesthetic and sometimes other substances) around painful and damaged nerves, tendons, joints or muscle tissue.

What specific types of conditions can stem cell therapy help treat? Some of the most common include osteoarthritis knee pain, tennis elbow, shoulder pains or rotator cuff injuries, tendonitis, Achilles tendon injuries, ACL injuries and now cardiovascular diseases likeatherosclerosis.

There are now more options available to patients than ever before for various types of prolotherapy treatments, but the type of prolotherapyI recommend the most is the unique approach to stem cell therapy offered by the Regenexxclinic. I have personally visited the Regenexx clinic in the Cayman Islands to receive treatments performed by Dr. Chris Centeno, Dr. John Schultz and Dr. John Pitt for back and tendon injuries. The form of stem cell therapy offered by these doctors is considered to be one of themost thoroughly researched and effective in the world.

Stem cell therapy is a type of treatment option that uses a patients own stem cells to help repair damaged tissue and repair injuries. Its usually performed relatively quickly through injections, and is a simple outpatient or in office procedure.

This type of treatment has also been found to help:

According to the National Institute of Health,

Stem cells are important for living organisms for many reasons. In the 3- to 5-day-old embryo, called a blastocyst, the inner cells give rise to the entire body of the organism, including all of the many specialized cell types and organs such as the heart, lungs, skin, sperm, eggs and other tissues. In some adult tissues, such as bone marrow, muscle, and brain, discrete populations of adult stem cells generate replacements for other cells that are lost through normal wear and tear, injury, or disease.

The California Stem Cell Agency reports that there is no limit to the types of diseases that could be treated with stem cell research. Because of their amazing abilities to help with regrowth, stem cell therapy treatments are now being used (or continuously researched) in regards to treating:

Stem cells are usually taken from one of two areas in the patients body: bone marrow or adipose (fat) tissue in their upper thigh/abdomen. Because its common to remove stem cells from areas of stored body fat, some refer to stem cell therapy as Adipose Stem Cell Therapy in some cases. (1)

Once stem cells from removed from one of these locations, they are placed in a centrifuge machine that spins them very, very quickly and concentrates the substances that are most valuable (including up to seven different types of natural growth factors). The sample of concentrated stem cells is then injected directly into the patients affected, painful area allowing the cells growth factors to go to work immediately, building new skin cells, connective tissue and so on.

What exactly makes stem cells so beneficial and gives stem cell injections the power to do this healing? Stem cells have the following unique characteristics, uses and healing abilities:

The type of stem cells being used in the most cutting-edge orthopedic practices including those offered at the Regenexx clinic mentioned above are called Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). A growing body of research shows that MSCs have the capability of differentiating and forming new orthopedic tissues that make up muscle, bones, cartilage and tendons, ligaments and adipose tissue. (3)

Research suggests that in treating orthopedic problems,fat-derived MSCs tend to under-perform bone marrow derived stem cells, therefore bone derived is the preferred method. (4) This is especially true when bone marrow cells are dramatically concentrated using advanced centrifuge equipment. Certain studies have found that these advanced samples can contain up to 25 different growth factors and other beneficial rebuilding substances.

In studies regarding orthopedic care such as those used for cartilage replacement,bone repairand soft-tissue repair bone marrow stem cells injections have been found to: reduce chronic pain, heal stubborn injuries, improve functionality and return patients to their normal routine sometimes within just one week.

Wondering if MSCs for orthopedic injuries are safe? There is no evidence of overgrowth of MSCs in damaged tissue or reason to believe theres risk for tumor growth. Advanced clinics such as Regenexx actually count cells before injecting them and carefully monitor progress. According to research used by Regenexx, MSCs safely stop proliferating once they physically contact each other, because this signals to them that the affected area has reached its full potential in growth. (5)

Cardiovascular diseases can deprive heart tissue of oxygen and cause scar tissue to form which changes blood flow/blood pressure. Research suggests that stem cells taken from adult bone marrow have the ability to differentiate into those needed to repair the heart and blood vessels, thanks to the secretion of multiple growth factors. Several ways in which stem cell therapy is now being used and further researched in regards to improving recovery of heart disease are:

Although more research is needed to assess the safety and efficacy of this approach, stem cell types used in heart disease treatment include: embryonic stem (ES) cells, cardiac stem cells,myoblasts (muscle stem cells), adult bone marrow-derived cells, umbilical cord blood cells, mesenchymal cells (bone marrow-derived cells) and endothelial progenitor cells (these form the interior lining of blood vessels).

Studies have found that stem cell treatments can help improve the growth of healthy new skin tissue, improve collagen production, stimulate hair growth after loss or incisions, and help replace scar tissue with newly formed healthy tissue.

One of the ways stem cells help facilitate wound healing is by increasingcollagen concentrations in the skin, which shrinks as it matures and thereby strengthens and tightens the damaged area. This same mechanism also applies to treating connective tissue injuries related to collagen/cartilage loss, such as those caused by osteoarthritis or overuses that affect ligaments or tendons.

Recent progress in the treatment of diseases like Parkinsons, Huntingtons, Alzheimers and stroke recovery show that transplanted adult stem cells can be used to form new brain cells, neurons and synapses following cognitive degeneration or brain injuries. (6) Research conducted by the Research Center for Stem Cell Biology and Cell Therapy in Sweden is still underway, but current findings show that stem cells can improve synaptic circuits, optimize functional recovery, offer relief from degeneration symptoms, slow down disease progression and potentially even more.

Some of the ways that stem cell injections/grafts work in neurodegeneration treatment are: normalizing striatal dopamine release, impairing akensia (loss of voluntary movement), replacing neurons destroyed by the ischemic lesions following strokes and halting destruction of nigrostriatal dopaminergic neurons.

Immune rejection is the term used to describe damage to healthy tissue and cells in patients with autoimmune disorders and other inflammatory conditions. In people who suffer from type1 diabetes, for example, the cells of the pancreas that normally produce insulin are destroyed by the patients own immune system; in people with thyroid disorders, the thyroid gland is attacked and damaged.

Research continues to show us that certain adult stem cells are capable of differentiating and producing needed cells, such as insulin-producing cells that eventually could be used in with people diabetes. This strategy is still being researched extensively and is not yet widely available, as scientists continue to experiment with reliable strategies for generating new cells/tissues that will not be rejected or harm the patient once implanted.

Meanwhile, a promising clinical trial led by Dr. Richard Burt of Northwestern University that explores the potential benefits of stem cell therapy for multiple sclerosis is underway as of March 2018. The 110 patients participating either received a drug treatment or hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT).The clinical trial looks promising given that after one year of treatment only one relapse occurred among patients in the stem cell group compared with 39 relapses in the drug treatment. And, after about three years, the stem cell transplants had a 6 percent failure rate compared with a failure rate of 60 percent in the control (drug treatment) group.

The researchers note that stem cell therapy doesnt work for all cases of MS and its not an easy process. First patients must undergo chemotherapy to destroy their faulty immune system. Then stem cells that help make blood through a process called hematopoiesis are removed from the patients bone marrow and reinfused into the patients bloodstream. These fresh stem cells, which are not affected by MS, rebuild the patients immune system. Despite this challenging process, preliminary results demonstrate that this could be an effective treatment in the future. (7, 8)

For decades researchers and doctors primarily used two kinds of stem cells taken from animals and humans, especially when they were still embryos (not yet born). These are calledembryonic stem cells and non-embryonic (somatic or adult) stem cells. In the late 1990s, it was discovered that stem cells could be taken from human embryos and grown inside of laboratoriesfor reproductive purposes, including for in vitro fertilization.

Then in 2006 a breakthrough discovery was made that some specialized adult stem cells could be reprogrammed and used in many other ways to help repair damaged tissue. These are referred to as induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) and are the type used in many of the treatments described above.There remains a lot to learn about the potential uses of stem cell therapies, and how scientists can continue to explore transforming unspecialized adult stem cells into the types of specialized cells needed.

The NIH reports that in future years some of the primary goals of stem cell therapy research are to: identify howundifferentiated stem cells become the differentiated cells that form the tissues and organs, determine how stem cells can turn humangenes on and off, learn to predictably control cell proliferation and differentiation, and investigate more uses for stem cells in serious medical conditions such as cancerand birth defects.

The hope going forward is that stem cells can also be used as a renewable source of replacement cells and tissues to treat common and serious diseases without the need for organ transplants or surgeries, including: maculardegeneration, spinal cord injury, stroke, burns, heart disease, diabetes, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and cancer.

Cancer treatment is a particular important area under investigation, as early studies are showing that stem cells are safe and well-tolerated in patients with acute and chronic leukemia, lymphoma, multiple myeloma and other cancers. (9)

Stem cell treatments are offered by various doctors who practice pain-management and other techniques, including orthopedics and anesthesiologists.Depending on the type of treatment needed, its also possible to visit a neurologist, cardiologist, etc.Commonly these treatments are offered at clinics with ateam of doctors who work together to specialize in diagnosing, preventing and/or correcting a range of musculoskeletal, neurological or connective tissue disorders/injuries.

If youre planning on visiting a doctor for pain management, look for a physician who has board certification through an organization like the American Board of Anesthesiology orAmerican Board of Pain Medicine. I recommend viewing this Physician Finder tool to locate a practitioner who performs the advanced type of stem cell applications described above.

Personally, I most suggest checking out Regenexx, one of the only organizations to run large-scale analysis of patient stem cell procedure outcome data. It has published numerous findings from tracking their own patients on their website. Much more detailed information on improvements that can be expected following PRP procedures including those for knee meniscus, arthritis, hip dysfunction, knee pain, wrist/hand injuries, ankle/foot pain and shoulder/rotator injuries can be accessed through Regenexx directly.

Once you find a qualified physician, heres a brief overview of what you can expect from stem cell therapy treatments:

Although stem cell treatment is considered to be very safe, there are also side effects that are possible. Make sure to find a qualified practitioner and let them know if your experience following a treatment does not sound like the typical one described above.Like other types of non-invasive treatments and prolotherapy techniques, some mild side effects after injections are normal. Side effects of stem cell treatments can sometimes include:

Read more:
5 Stem Cell Therapy Benefits, Uses & How It Works - Dr. Axe

Hi @jlsoerensOne of the focus areas on Mayo Clinic's Regenerative Medicine Program is in neuroregeneration. You can read more here: https://www.mayo.edu/research/centers-programs/center-regenerative-medicine/focus-areas/neuroregeneration Scroll down the page and you can read clinical research being done specifically for peripheral nerve regeneration and repair.

Unfortunately, because of the complexity of the brain and spinal cord, little spontaneous regeneration, repair or healing occurs. Therefore, brain damage, paralysis from spinal cord injury and peripheral nerve damage are often permanent and incapacitating.

To learn more, you may wish to contact Mayo Clinics Regenerative Medicine free Consult Service. If you call them, you will talk to a live person who will provide more information, research, and advice on seeking stem cell therapy from reputable providers, even if that provider is not Mayo Clinic. Their primary goal is to educate and help you find effective treatment. Furthermore, you can add your name to a database to be notified when additional studies and information become available. Heres more information about the stem cell Consult Service http://www.mayo.edu/research/centers-programs/center-regenerative-medicine/patient-care/clinical-services/regenerative-medicine-consult-service. Or simply call 1-844-276-2003 to speak with one of our experts.

I also feel it important to add it is so important to do your homework and due diligence when researching new treatment options. Stem cells offer a lot of hope. But where these is hope, there is hype and charlatans. FDA acts to remove unproven, potentially harmful treatment used in stem cell centers targeting vulnerable patients https://www.fda.gov/newsevents/newsroom/pressannouncements/ucm573427.htm

You can read more about stem cells on the FDAs website here: https://www.fda.gov/AboutFDA/Transparency/Basics/ucm194655.htm

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Stem Cell Therapy for Neuropathy | Mayo Clinic Connect

Like everything else, the longer we use something, the faster it wears downeven our bodies! And our knees and other joints are particularly sensitive to this wear and tear.

As the knee wears out youll find it harder to run, walk, bend or even put weight on your knees.

Its okay to be scared. Dont feel bad if your first reaction to maybe we should start exploring knee replacement surgery, is fear!

We know that all surgeriesregardless of typecarry some inherent risks, like adverse reactions to anesthesia, post-op infections, blood clots, your body rejecting the implant, etc. And everybody understands that the recovery time for a total knee replacement is long and frustrating.

To add insult to injury, the likelihood of your experiencing one of these risks increases as you age.

It would be strange if the idea of surgery didnt scare you at least a little bit! It scares me.

Heres some good news . . .

Thanks to advancements in the use of stem cell treatment for knees, surgery is not the only option. Yes, really! There have been many innovations in the use of stem cells for knee injuries and arthritis.

CLICK TO DOWNLOAD

While stem cells may come from various sources, our focus is on using your own cells. Yes, as adults we are constantly regenerating our tissues and organs. In fact, all healing relies on our bodys own natural ability to heal itself.

Lets see how stem cell knee injections might be able to help your knees and keep you out of the surgery suite.

Stem cells are, essentially, building blocks of our body.

Our own stem cells found in our bone marrow, blood, and adipose tissues come from the same family of cells that form joints, cartilage, menisci, ligaments, muscles, and bone. These cells can be utilized to help repair your joints.

When we, as humans, are conceived and growing in utero, we start out primarily as stem cells, then as we grow and develop, those blank cells become liver cells, skin cells, nerve cells, etc.

As we continue to grow, our bodies continue to produce these stem cells to treat and maintain our bodily systems.

This means that these cells can be used to treat like-minded tissues all over the body, including stem cell knee repair.

Currently, using your own cells, we can help repair joint damage from arthritis and sports injuries.

As we learn more about our own stem cells, we expect to treat more and more conditions. Just like the discovery of penicillin almost 100 years ago changed the face of medicine, discovering the potential of our own cells to heal our own bodies will dramatically alter the landscape of medicine in the years to come.

Were excited about stem cell treatment for knees because stem cell knee injections can exponentially reduce a persons need for surgery.

Instead of having to replace a knee with an artificial implant, stem cell therapy in knee-joints can be used to regrow new and healthy tissues that have been damaged or are degenerating.

Were already aware of the several risks associated with knee replacement surgery. Theyre big and scary. When you choose stem cell therapy as an alternative for knee replacement, however, most of those risks evaporate.

The biggest risk youll face is the risk of infection, but thats extremely rare because the procedure is minimally invasive.

The benefits of stem cell treatment for knees, on the other hand, are huge. Check it out.

Compared to surgery, the procedure is quick.

We have our equipment and labs in-house, and the outpatient procedure can be done in a single day (a few hours, to be more precise).

The costs are reasonable.

Your initial consultation, exam, and treatment planning are all done for at a low cost to help reduce your treatment expenses.

Stem cell therapy for knees is natural.

We do not produce synthetic stem cells. We dont even use donor cells from embryos or other adults. Instead, we use your own stem cells. We literally take your stem cells from one part of your body and inject them into your knees or other problem areas. And the treatment is complete in one sitting.

Its as natural as you can get!

Recovery time is minimal.

When it comes to surgery, the recovery time can last for months, many of which you spend immobile or with your mobility severely limited. But with stem cell knee injections, this is not the case. You walk in and walk out of the procedure on your own, and your daily routine should stay the same.

In a few weeks, you begin to increase your activity levels and do more!

Jarvis Green is an NFL player whose knee injury was so bad he ended up having to rent a home with an elevator. He had two surgeries, neither of which helped him. He couldnt do much of anything.

After undergoing stem cell therapy for knees, he saw profound improvement in his knee function. He could run, swim, bike and even go through training with his teammates.

The best way to find out if youd be a good candidate for stem cell therapy is to talk to a doctor. Book an initial evaluation to find out if PreciseCare Cell Therapy is right for you.

There are also great resources that can help you learn more about how stem cell treatments can help reduce pain, help knees repair naturally, and how to take control of your life back from that pesky cartilage.

Watch the video to learn how PreciseCare helped alleviate Gustavos hip pain.

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Stem Cell Therapy for Knees vs Surgery - Which Works Best?

What is Stem Cell Therapy?

The International Society for Stem Cell Research describes stem cells as the foundation cells of our body. Stem cells represent the sites where your organs and tissues started. Stem cells are recruited every day of your life to help repair and replace damaged tissues and cells. Stem cells are found in all of us and play a key role in the bodys healing process. They lie latent in your body until they receive signals that the body has suffered an injury and then they follow your platelets to the injured site. Stem cells are able to transform into the same type of cell that was injured to promote healing. They are tasked to heal injured ligaments, tendons, tissues and bones. Are you suffering from an injury and curious to know how stem cell therapy can help you heal? Scheduling a free consultation can help you learn how you can benefit from this curative approach to healing and injury repair.

Stem cells are not like the other cells in your body. They garnish more attention than average cells because of their unique abilities. Stem cells are divided into two classes: pluripotent and multipotent. Pluripotent stem cells can create any type of cell in the body except those needed to support and develop a fetus in the womb. Multipotent stem cells are restricted to becoming only a small number of different cell types. Stem cells can divide and renew themselves for long periods, they are dynamic in their ability to differentiate, and they can create specialized cell types. This ability stem cells have to self-renew and to differentiate is what sets them apart from the rest. Self-renewing stem cells are able to divide and regenerate more stem cells. Differentiating stem cells can transform into the specialized, mature cells that your tissues and organs need. Stem cells are divided into several different classifications:

Stem cells represent cutting-edge science. Stem cells give new hope to thousands of people with chronic medical conditions. Stem cell therapy has the potential to cure many diseases and conditions. Specialized stem cells have been shown to help treat serious medical conditions from cancer to birth defects. Stem cell research can help us gain ground on discovering how these conditions begin in the first place. Stem cells are also helpful for making cells and tissues for medical therapies. Pluripotent stem cells offer a renewable source of replacement cells and tissues for treating a variety of diseases, conditions, and disabilities such as Parkinsons disease, spinal cord injury, burns, heart disease, diabetes, and arthritis.

While ethical debates have arisen about embryonic stem cell therapy, most everyone agrees that the use of other Stem Cell Therapy raises no ethical or moral questions. Cord-Blood Stem Cell therapy also has an advantage over other methods because these stem cells carry no threat of patient rejection. The stem cells are neutral cells which have no DNA in them making everyone a match.

Stem cell donors go through a rigorous screening process, as determined by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and American Association of Tissue Banks (AATB). We couple the treatment with rehabilitation (if needed) provided by our integrated team, to correct the reason your injury occurred in the first place. Similar to cortisone and steroid shots, stem-cell injections have anti-inflammatory properties but offer far more benefits than those of standard injection therapies. While cortisone and other drugs only provide temporary pain relief, stem cells actually restore degenerated tissue while providing pain relief. The growth factors in Stem Cells may replace damaged cells in your body. Additionally, stem cell injections contain hyaluronic acid, which lubricates joints and tendons, easing the pain and helping restore mobility.

Regenerative medicine targets the bodys innate ability to heal and defend. Regenerative medicine helps to harness that power the body has to heal and then accelerate it and/or distribute it in ways that help the body recover better from injury and disease. One of the goals of regenerative medicine is to restore the structure and function of damaged organs and tissues to find cures for injuries and diseases that have been incurable in the past. Regenerative medicine targets the following key areas:

Stem cell research and therapies represent an exciting time for medical advancement and recovery from injuries and disease like never before. Regenerative medicine is exciting because of its potential to cure failing and impaired tissues. The medical advances of regenerative medicine are just beginning to be discovered. Stem cell therapies and regenerative medicine benefits are here to stay! Call for your free consultation today!

Excerpt from:
What is Stem Cell Therapy - Stem Cell Centers ...

As director-general of the Pharmaceutical Safety and Environmental Health Bureau of Japans Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, I cannot accept your criticism of our approval of stem-cell treatment for spinal-cord injuries (see Nature 565, 535536; 2019 and Nature 565, 544545; 2019).

Your criticism is based on the absence of double-blind studies for this treatment. But in this therapy, known as Stemirac, stem cells from the patients bone marrow are cultured externally and then returned to the patient. A double-blind study is therefore structurally impossible, and performing a sham operation on a control group would raise ethical issues.

In such cases, properly designed clinical studies can still test efficacy as demonstrated for drugs approved by the US Food and Drug Administration as well as in Japan. Given the convincing response to Stemirac by the group of paralysed people under discussion, it could be unethical to withhold approval and deny treatment. The rationale for the safety, efficacy and quality of the product, and for the ethics of its approval, is given in the evaluation report by Japans Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency (see go.nature.com/2uzyqk9; in Japanese).

You also criticize Japan for marketing products with questionable efficacy and for making patients bear the costs of clinical studies. However, under the terms of the countrys conditional and time-limited approval for regenerative medical products, such products are granted marketing authorization only when efficacy can be demonstrated in post-marketing studies within a specified period. And, because Stemirac is covered by national health insurance, patient payments are fixed at a feasible level.

S.M. is employed by Japans Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, which administers the countrys approval system for regenerative-medicine products.

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Japan responds: stem-cell therapy justified - nature.com

Stem cell therapy is becoming an extremely popular medical treatment, with many doctors recommending it and many patients reaping the benefits. Doctors are even recommending stem cell therapyfor medical issues that once seemed as if they had no option for treatment other than surgery.

But how does stem cell therapy work? To help you answer that question, we'regoing to take a look at what stem cell therapy is, how it works and how it could helpyou.

Stem cells are the bodys own repair kit. When you receive an injury, your bodys stem cells rush to the injured area and start the healing process.

But sometimes, your own stem cells cannot get through to the injured area due to the amount of damage from the injury or surgery.

The net result is an injury that never heals properly or an injury that persists and takes a long time to heal.

Modern stem cell therapy techniques harvest stem cells directly from the patient's own body.This is a quick and safe process that only involves the gathering of fat cells --also known as adipose tissue --from a patient, which are loaded with stem cells.

Once the adipose tissuehas been gathered, the stem cells are separated by spinning them in a centrifuge. They are then injectedback into the injured part of the body.It is important not to confuse these types of stem cells with embryonic stem cells.

Stem cell therapy is the process of using the aforementioned cells to help patients' bodies repair damaged tissue. It can either accelerate an otherwise slow healing process or allow the body to heal tissue that would have otherwise remained damaged permanently because stem cells couldn't get to it.

The medical advancements in stem cell therapy have been remarkable for the advancement of non-invasive medical treatments. Instead of opting for surgery, which is usually the only option many doctors present, patients now have safe, natural and effective alternatives for joint disorders and beyond.

It is also possible to combinePRP (Platelet Rich Plasma) Therapywith Stem Cell Therapy, in certain situations, to provide an additional element that helps in the healing process.

Stem cell therapy is being used for a variety of ailments, from virtuallyuntreatablediseasesto joint injuries. Here is a list of a few of the medical problems being successfully treated with stem cell therapy:

There are many other medical issues that stem cell therapy can treat and this list is expanding every single day. For example, one of the newest stem cell therapies issuccessfully treating osteoarthritis.

Despite the advanced nature of stem cell therapy, the process has a surprisingly short lead time. In most cases, a single treatment will only take about four hours. Depending on the injury, other treatments may be performed in conjunction with stem cell therapy, such as PRP.

As with any medical procedure, stem cell therapy does come with risks. However, advances in stem cell treatment have nullified many of the risks. For example, there was once a high level of concern that a patient's immune system would reject stem cells. The fact that stem cells now come directly from the patient's own body make this, in addition to many otherrisks, either negligible or nonexistent.

The biggest risk most patients undergoing stem cell therapy face is aninfection from the removal of adipose tissue or the injection of stem cells.

The recovery time from a stem cell therapy treatment is virtually nonexistent. A stem cell therapy treatment is an outpatient procedure. Other than some minor discomfort at the injection site for a short time after the treatment, patients can returnto work the next day.

This makes stem cell therapy a great treatment alternative for those who are concerned about the long recovery timeassociated with a surgical procedure.

Stem cell therapy usually costs between 20 and 50 percent less than surgery for treatments of the same ailment; this doesn't even account for the need for surgery revisions. The range of cost is between $4,000 and $6,000, depending on your injury.

If you have a medicalissue that you need resolved, then you should seriously consider stem cell therapy as a treatment option. It is much less invasive than most other types of treatments and it allows your body to heal the way that it was meant to.

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HOW DOES STEM CELL THERAPY WORK?: SoCal Regenerative ...

How much is stem cell therapy? As stated by CBC Canada,the cost of stem cell therapy is $5,000 to $8,000per stem cell treatment for patients. According to a Twitter poll by BioInformant, the cost can be even higher. Our May 2018 poll found that stem cell treatments can cost as much as $25,000 or more. This article explores the key factors that impact the cost of stem cell therapy, including the type of stem cells used within the protocol, the number of treatments required, and the site of theclinic. It also provides pricing quotes from stem cell clinics within the U.S. and worldwide.

In this article:

Stem cell therapy is the use of living cells as therapeutics to treat disease or injury. Read on to learn about the cost requirements of these procedures.

CBC Canadas pricing involves Cell Surgical Network (CSN) following its protocol to remove fat tissue and process it before re-injecting [adipose-derived stem cells] either directly or intravenously into the same patient. Unfortunately, the U.S. FDA and Department of Justice (DOJ) sent this network of stem cell treatment providers a permanent injunction notice in May 2018. Therefore, patients should not seek treatments from the group at this time.Although Cell Surgical Network (CSN) is based in California, it has a network of approximately 100 U.S. treatment centers. They also have three Canadian clinics located in Vancouver, Sudbury,andKamloops.

The controversy such as the one above stirs up questions about the safety of stem cell procedures. Anyone considering stem cell therapy from any tissue or source will benefit from understanding the possible consequences of stem cell therapy and the factors driving costs.

For the patient, a stem cell transplant involves multiple steps, including:

There are also real costs for the doctors who provide stem cell treatments. They have overhead costs, including:

There is also time and expertise required toperform the procedure and offer post-operative care. In some cases, the physician must pay licensing fees to access stem cell sourcing, processing, or delivery technologies.

Stem cell treatment has gained more and more traction over the last decade. It has been helped along by considerable advances in research. In 2017, the number of scientific publications about stem cells surpassed 300,000. The number of stem cell clinical trials has also surpassed4,600 worldwide.

However, stem cell therapy is still expensive. Among the cheapest and easiest options is to harvest adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) those that exist in adult fat layers and re-deliver them to the patient. Unlike harvesting from bone marrow or teeth, providers can feasibly remove fat, separate stem cells, then re-inject them into a patient the same day. This approach is typically less expensive than those that require more invasive procedures for harvesting. Because of its practicality in terms of cost, it has become a common approach to stem cell treatment.

Relatively easy harvesting stilldoesnt translate to inexpensive cost, although some are certainly more affordable than others. For orthopedic conditions, the costof stem cell therapy is typically lower, averaging between $5,000 and $8,000. Examples of these types of medical conditions include:

Note that these prices are typically out-of-pocket costs paid by the patientbecause most insurance companies will not cover them. They are considered experimental and unapproved by the FDA. This means patients needing stem cell treatment will need to use their own savings.

Although fat is a frequently utilized source for stem cells, it is also possible for physicians to utilize stem cells from bone marrow. Regenexx provides this service in the U.S. and Cayman Islands. With theRegenexxstem cell injection procedure, a small bone marrow sample is extracted through a needle, and blood is drawn from a vein in the arm. These samples are processed in a laboratory, and the cells it contains are injected into an area of the body that needs repair. On June 19, 2018, ACAP Health, a leading provider in innovative, clinical-based solutions partnered with Regenexx to reduce high-cost musculoskeletal surgeries.ACAP Health is a national leader in employer healthcare expense reduction. It is one of the first healthcare groups to partner with a stem cell treatment group to support insurance coverage to patients.

A recent Twitter poll conducted by BioInformant reported that, on average, patients can expect to spend $25,000 or more on stem cell therapies. According to the poll,

Most likely, those paying lower stem cell treatment costs under $5,000 were pursuing treatment for orthopedic or musculoskeletal conditions. In contrast, those paying higher treatment costs were likely getting treated for systemic or more complex conditions, such as diabetes, multiple sclerosis (MS), neurodegenerative diseases (such as Alzheimers disease or dementia), psoriatic arthritis, as well as the treatment for autism.

In the U.S., treatment protocols vary depending on the clinic and the treating physician. A one-time treatment that utilizes blood drawn from a patient can cost as little as $1,500. However, protocols that utilize a bone marrow or adipose (fat) tissue extraction can run as much as $15,000 $30,000. This is because bone marrow extraction is an invasive procedure that requires a penetrating bone and adipose tissue extraction requires a medical professional trained in liposuction.

For treatments that require a systemic or whole-body approach, the cost tends to be in the higher range, often averaging from $20,000 to $30,000. Examples of the diseases or conditions requiring this type of stem cell treatment include:

These higher costs reflect the complexity of treating these patients and the fact that multiple treatments are often required.

Founded by Dr. Neil Riordan, a globally recognized stem cell expert, theStem Cell Institutein Panama is one of the worlds most trusted adult stem cell therapy centers. Over the past 12 years, the center has performed more than10,000 procedures, making it a widely recognized destination for stem cell treatments.

Working in collaboration with universities and physicians worldwide, its stem cell treatment protocols utilize combinations of allogeneic human umbilical cord blood stem cells and autologous bone marrow stem cells to treat a wide variety of conditions.

A reader of BioInformant was recently treated for psoriatic arthritis at the Stem Cell Institute in Panama in early 2018. The price of his stem cell treatment was $22,000. With travel and lodging included, the total expenses were approximately $30,000.

Because of its proximity to the U.S., Mexico is increasingly becoming a destination for medical tourism.Before choosing a stem cell treatment provider in Mexico, ensure the clinic is fully authorized by COFEPRIS, the Mexican equivalent to the FDA.

One patient who recently shared stem cell treatment quotes with BioInformant found that the treatment for glycogen storage disease, a metabolic disorder that often onsets in infancy and continues into adulthood, would cost $23,900 throughGIOSTAR Mexico.

In contrast, the patient was quoted$33,000 throughCelltex, a U.S.-based company that treats patients in Cancun, Mexico.Celltex follows FDA regulations concerning the export of cells to Mexico and is compliant with the standards and procedures of COFEPRIS. Celltex also has an alliance with a certified hospital in Mexico, which is approved to receive cells and administer them to patients by a licensed physician.

In contrast, the patient was quoted $10,000 from Stem Cell Therapy of Las Vegas and Med Spa, an American clinic. This price difference may reflect regulatory restrictions that prevent U.S. providers from expanding cells. It may also reflect the therapeutic approach used by the clinic, as well as the quality of their expertise.

In Mexico, where certain types of stem cell expansion are allowed that are restricted within the U.S., treatment protocols vary depending on the clinic and the treating physician. A one-time treatment that utilizes peripheral blood from a patient can cost as little as $1,000. In contrast, protocols that utilize more invasive sources of stem cells can run as much as $15,000 $35,000. Examples of invasive procedures includebone marrow and adipose tissue extraction. In some cases, hospitalization may be required, which raises costs. The location of a stem cell facility can factor heavily into thecost of the procedure.

Not every cost associated with treatment gets billed to the patient at the time of the procedure. Hidden costs such as reactions to the treatment, graft-versus-host disease, or disability derived from the treatment can all result in more money to the patient, to insurance, or to the government.

For example, in the case of someone with cancer, it frequently isnt viable to harvest the patients own stem cells because they may contain cancerous cells that can reintroduce tumors to the body. Instead, the patient would receive stem cells by transplant. Treatments that involve cells from another person are called allogeneic treatments. The danger here is that the body may see those cells as invaders and attack them via the immune system, a condition known as graft-versus-host disease (GvHD). The body (host) and the introduced stem cells (graft) then battle rather than coexist.

Transplanted cells often face the risk of being rejected by their host; this article discusses the effect of plasma exchange on acute graft vs. host diseasehttps://t.co/cA3nzFntew

Katie Bunde (@kbuns76) May 29, 2018

In addition to making the stem cell treatments less effective or ineffective, GvHD can be deadly. Roughly30 to 60 percent ofhematopoieticstem cell and bone marrow transplantationpatients sufferfrom it, and of those, 50 percent eventually die. The hospital costs associated with it are substantial.

Another hidden cost is the potential to disrupt a system that formerly functioned adequately. The best current example of this isthe case of Doris Tyler, who received bilateral stem cell injections in her eyes from Drs.RobertHalpernand JamieWalraven of Stem Cell Center of Georgia. According to her, while her vision was failing, it was still good enough to perform various tasks, and now it is not. That means the cost increases for her, as well as potential insurance or disability claims (though again, insurance is unlikely to cover the specific consequences of this action).

Because of tight regulations surrounding stem cell procedures performed in the United States, many stem cell treatment providers provide both on-shore (U.S.-based) and offshore (international) treatment options.Depending on where a treatment is received, patients may have to pay travel, lodging,and miscellaneous expenditures.

For example, Regenexx offers treatments at a wide range of U.S. facilities using non-expanded stem cells. However, it also offers a laboratory-expanded treatment option at a site in the Cayman Islands, which can administer higher cell doses to patients by expanding the cells in culture within a laboratory.

Similarly, Okyanos (pronounced Oh key AH nos) offers treatments to patients at its Florida location and provides more involved stem cell procedures at its offshore site inGrand Bahama. It was founded in 2011 and is a stem cell therapy provider specializing in treatments for congestive heart failure (CHF) and other chronic conditions. It is fully licensed under the Bahamas Stem Cell Therapy and Research Act and adheres to U.S. surgical center standards.

Similarly, Celltex is headquartered in Houston, Texas, but offers stem cell treatments in Cancun, Mexico. Celltex specializes in storing a patients mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) for therapeutic use.

While no hard evidence yet points to stem cell clinics raising their rates as a result of lawsuits, that is a typical response in industries whose products or services the public perceives as a high risk.

An additional danger to stem cell treatment providers,points out Nature, is the reduction of bottom-line profits through former patients winning suits. If clinics have to pay out the money they earned and then some to individuals suing for damages, they may soon become faced with an unviable business model. That is a definite concern for those hoping to leverage these treatments now and in the future.

As with any other area of medicine, patient evaluations of stem cell providers and treatments run the gamut from extremely satisfied to desolately unhappy. Those like Doris Tyler who have lost their eyesight exist at the negative end of the spectrum. However, many others praise stem cell treatments for their power to heal diseases, boost immunity, fight cancer, and more.

For example, BioInformants Founder and President, Cade Hildreth, had a favorable experience with stem cell therapy. Cade had bone marrow-derived stem cells collected and then had them re-injected into the knee to treat a devastating orthopedic injury. Cade was able to reverse pain, swelling, and scarring to reclaim an elite athletic ability.

As of now, this much is clear. There exists enough interest in America and across the world that stem cell providers are continuing to offer a wide range of treatments. Stem cell treatments also offer the potential to reverse diseases that traditionally had to be chronically managed by drugs. Like most medical practices, stem cell treatments will require further testing to reveal merits and faults. Until then, the public will likely continue to pursue services when medical needs arise.

Although the cost of stem cell therapy is pricey, some patients choose to undergo the treatment because it is more economical than enduring the costs associated with chronic diseases.

Although most stem cell therapy providers do not provide FDA-approved procedures, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) continues to encouragepatients to pursue approved therapies, even if there is a higher associated treatment cost.

Providers rarely post their prices for stem cell treatments in print or digital media because they want patients to understand the benefits of therapy before making a price decision. Additionally, the price of stem cell treatments varies by condition, the number of treatments required, and the complexity of the procedure, factors that can make it difficult for medical providers to provide cost estimates without a diagnostic visit for the patient. However, in many cases, it is not in the patients best interest to make treatment decisions based on the cost of stem cell therapy. The best way to know whether to pursue stem cell therapy is to explore patient outcomes by condition and compare the healing process to other surgical and non-surgical treatment options.

The cost of stem cell therapy is indeed expensive, especially because the procedures are rarely covered by health insurance. However, with the right knowledge and a clear understanding of the treatment process, the risk of undergoing stem cell therapy can be worth it, especially if it removes the requirement for a lifetime of prescription medication. Although stem cell therapy has associated risks, it has improved thousands of lives and will continue to play in a key role in the future of modern medicine.

Download this infographic for your reference:

Are you seeking a stem cell treatment? If so, we have partnered with GIOSTAR to help you acccess medical guidance and advice.

In alignment with what we believe at BioInformant, GIOSTARs goal is to offer cutting-edge, extensively researched stem cell therapy options designed to rejuvenate and improve a patients quality of life.

Click here to Schedule a Consultation or ask GIOSTAR a question.

If you found this blog valuable, subscribe to BioInformants stem cell industry updates.

As the first and only market research firm to specialize in the stem cell industry, BioInformant research is cited by The Wall Street Journal, Xconomy, AABB, and Vogue Magazine. Bringing you breaking news on an ongoing basis, we encourage you to join more than half a million loyal readers, including physicians, scientists, executives, and investors.

Do you think the cost of stem cell therapy is too much? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.

Up Next: Japan to Supply Human Embryonic Stem Cells (hESC) for Clinical Research

Cost Of Stem Cell Therapy And Why Its So Expensive

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The Cost Of Stem Cell Therapy And Why It's So Expensive ...

A person with HIV seems to be free of the virus after receiving a stem-cell transplant that replaced their white blood cells with HIV-resistant versions. The patient is only the second person ever reported to have been cleared of the virus using this method. But researchers warn that it is too early to say that they have been cured.

The patient whose identity hasnt been disclosed was able to stop taking antiretroviral drugs, with no sign of the virus returning 18 months later. The stem-cell technique was first used a decade ago for Timothy Ray Brown, known as the Berlin patient, who is still free of the virus.

So far, the latest patient to receive the treatment is showing a response similar to Browns, says Andrew Freedman, a clinical infectious-disease physician at Cardiff University in the UK who was not involved in the study. Theres good reason to hope that it will have the same result, he says.

Like Brown, the latest patient also had a form of blood cancer that wasnt responding to chemotherapy. They required a bone-marrow transplant, in which their blood cells would be destroyed and replenished with stem cells transplanted from a healthy donor.

But rather than choosing just any suitable donor, the team led by Ravindra Gupta, an infectious-disease physician at the University of Cambridge, UK picked a donor who had two copies of a mutation in the CCR5 gene that gives people resistance to HIV infection. This gene codes for a receptor which sits on the surface of white blood cells involved in the bodys immune response. Normally, the HIV binds to these receptors and attacks the cells, but a deletion in the CCR5 gene stops the receptors from functioning properly. About 1% of people of European descent have two copies of this mutation and are resistant to HIV infection.

Guptas team describes the results in a paper due to be published in Nature on 5 March. The researchers report that the transplant successfully replaced the patients white blood cells with the HIV-resistant variant. Cells circulating in the patients blood stopped expressing the CCR5 receptor, and in the lab, the researchers were unable to re-infect these cells with the patients version of HIV.

The team found that the virus completely disappeared from the patients blood after the transplant. After 16 months, the patient stopped taking antiretroviral drugs, the standard treatment for HIV. In the latest follow-up, 18 months after stopping medication, there was still no sign of the virus.

Gupta says that its not yet possible to say whether the patient has been cured. This can only be demonstrated if the patients blood remains HIV free for longer, he says.

But the study does suggest that Browns successful treatment ten years ago wasnt just a one-off. Gupta says that the latest patient received a less aggressive treatment than Brown to prepare for the transplant. The new patient was given a regimen consisting of chemotherapy alongside a drug that targets cancerous cells, while Brown received radiotherapy across his entire body in addition to a chemotherapy drug.

This suggests that, to be successful, stem-cell transplants in HIV patients would not necessarily need to be accompanied by aggressive treatments that might have particularly severe side effects, says Gupta. The radiation really does knock the bone marrow and make you very sick.

Graham Cooke, a clinical researcher at Imperial College London, points out that this kind of treatment wouldnt be suitable for most people with HIV who dont have cancer and so dont need a bone-marrow transplant, which is a serious procedure that can sometimes have fatal complications. If youre well, the risk of having a bone-marrow transplant is far greater than the risk of staying on tablets every day, he says. Most people with HIV respond well to daily antiretroviral treatment.

But Cooke adds that for those who need a transplant to treat leukaemia or other diseases, it seems reasonable to try and find a donor with the CCR5 mutation, which wouldnt add any risk to the procedure.

Gero Htter, who led Browns treatment and is now medical director of the stem-cell company Cellex in Dresden, Germany, agrees that this kind of treatment could only ever be used for a small group of patients. But he hopes that the paper will stimulate a renewed interest in gene therapies that target CCR5, which could be applied to a much broader group. The real breakthrough, we are still waiting for, he says.

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Second patient free of HIV after stem-cell therapy

Maintaining a Healthy Sex Life

Most men between the ages of 30 and 65 will experience some degree of erectile dysfunction.

Whether you are looking to start a family or maintain a relationship, erectile dysfunction can drive a physical and emotional wedge between you and your partner. If you are dealing with erectile dysfunction or perhapsPeyronies disease, youre not able to live your best life. According to the latest clinical research, stem cells could be the key to reclaiming your healthy sex life.

Stem cells are the most powerful healing solution, arguably, in the history of medicine.

They have the ability to form completely new and healthy tissue, and in the case of Peyronies disease patients, it can completely eliminate the plaque that causes penile curvature in the first place.

If youre tired of pumping your body with risky or ineffective medications, stem cells can provide long-term relief and help you feel like youre in your 20s again!

At HealthGAINS, we exclusively use Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSC). They are unique in that they are unspecialized and have the ability to morph into any specialized cells as needed.

Mesenchymal stem cells also have a self-renewing ability in which they continuously divide to make more of the cells that they transform into.

For years, doctors have utilized the unique nature of stem cells to produce renewed, healthier tissue and organs for patients in need of serious medical relief.

All stem cells carry three properties:

These properties, when applied to an area of the body, allow for the newly introduced stem cells to take on the function of surrounding cells. This addresses the deteriorating effects of aging. When applied to the groin, stem cells provide men with these key benefits:

For those suffering from moderate to severe erectile dysfunction, stem cell therapy is a viable solution. By introducing stem cells into the body, their regenerative effects work to restore and repair the blood vessels and tissues that are preventing the ideal blood flow that creates strong and lasting erections.

With renewed blood vessels, men can achieve harder and longer erections as well as improved sensation for a reinvigorated sexual experience. Men will be able to perform better, more often and with more ability and enthusiasm.

A unique behavior of stem cells is their innate ability to seek out and remove foreign particles from the body. For those suffering from Peyronies disease, little has provided you relief from the physical and sexual discomfort that comes with the condition. However, the plaque build-up that creates the uncomfortable bend, can be removed through stem cell treatments. The stem cells will identify the plaque as an issue and eliminate it entirely and permanently from the body.

Patients can, in as little as 8 weeks, experience lasting relief from their Peyronies disease and accompanying Erectile Dysfunction. Patients can resume or experience for the first time their healthy and satisfying sex lives.

If you arent familiar with our GAINSWave therapy, it utilizes the healing effects of sound waves that are pulsed into the penis to pump up its performance by improving blood flow. The results are impeccable, long lasting and produce no side effects.

Because GAINSWave therapy and stem cell treatments are surgery-free, they can be utilized to enhance each others effects on your sex life.

These treatments work together through GAINSWave creating a stimulant that triggers the body to generate growth factors and send them to the treated area. The stem cells then come in to assist in the creation of more growth factors (proteins) as well as become the building block for more tissue. From soft tissue to new blood vessels, these two treatments work together to regenerate and reinvigorate your sexual capabilities completely.

Are There Any Side Effects?

The Mesenchymal Stem Cells we utilize are donated from the umbilical cords of healthy, full-term infants after childbirth. These cells are the healthiest and strongest version of stem cells that have been extracted for medical use.

This, combined with the fact that mesenchymal stem cells are inherently immune privilege (meaning they contain no allergies and will not react negatively with the body), gives patients peace of mind. No side effects have been found in our stem cell treatments.

Stem cells are a very powerful solution to many medical issues. If you want the most out of your sexual health treatment or you have a serious case of Erectile Dysfunction, utilizing a combination of stem cells with a GAINSWave treatment will give you the most potent healing results that modern sexual health medicine can provide.

We recommend speaking with one of our mens health specialists. Our medical experts will review your medical history, current sexual health, and overall wellness goals to develop a treatment plan tailored to you.

If you want to drastically improve your sex life through natural treatment methods, call the experts at HealthGAINS at (866) 540-3555.

Link:
Stem Cell Therapy for ED in Miami, FL - HealthGAINS