The Stem Cell Cure. Kerry Johnson MBA PhD
all start our journey as a single cell. This cell then specializes into different types of cells, which further develop into different organs. As we mature, our cells continue to multiply and replace themselves throughout our lifetime. The basic cells that make all of this possible are called “stem cells.”
Stem cells are an integral part of all our organ systems and practically govern our health, disease, and aging. Application of stem cells in the treatment of disease and injury is called “stem cell therapy.”
While our knowledge of disease and injury has improved over the past two decades, mainly due to sophisticated imaging techniques, our treatment methods have remained rather primitive.
Just as the resolution of your phone screen is dependent on the health of the pixels constituting it, your daily life depends on how well your cells are functioning. How your cells respond to disease and injury determines the symptoms you feel. Unless there is healing at the cell level, you are unlikely to feel better. Medications and surgeries, in most cases, have completely bypassed this scientific truth. While they may have a role to play in certain conditions, we have to focus on healing our bodies by healing our cells.
With this brief understanding, let’s answer some commonly asked questions (largely derived from patient consultations) you or your friends and family may have!
1. What are stem cells?
Stem cells are the basic cells that develop and differentiate into different organ cell types. Once our organ systems have matured, stem cells replace old dying cells with new ones throughout the course of our life.
2. What is the role of stem cells?
Cells within every organ of your body have their own life cycle. Stem cells replace those cells. This process is happening 24/7 in your life until your very last moment.
3. Why are stem cells important?
Stem cells make life sustainable. By constantly turning over and replacing old cells with new cells, stem cells make sure our bodies are functioning optimally. They maintain health. When disease or injury strikes your body, your stem cells remove damaged cells and replace them with new cells. This helps your body heal itself and you continue to function.
4. If my body is full of stem cells, why do I need help when I suffer from disease or injury?
Depending on the severity of your condition, your own stem cells may not be able to heal the damage on their own. When the condition is severe and damage is significant, your stem cells need extra help. That extra help so far has been in the form of drugs or surgery.
5. What is stem cell therapy?
If you have a significant disease or injury that your body cannot heal on its own, help is needed. Additional stem cells given to boost your local cells may potentially help you heal. That help (when more stem cells are introduced at the site of disease and injury in an attempt to heal) is called “stem cell therapy.”
6. What are the different types of stem cells?
There are many different types of stem cells. Each specialized organ has its own stem cells that help regenerate and repair local cells specific to that organ system. We are still learning about the different populations of stem cells and their functions. The most commonly studied cells are the mesenchymal stem cells found in most of our organ systems. These tend to reside along the blood vessels. Bone marrow, muscle, pancreas, liver, lung, kidney, fat, dental pulp, and joint lining (synovium) are some of the organs rich in mesenchymal stem cells.
7. What are the different sources of stem cells?
There are many different sources of stem cells. The main categories are your own stem cells (autologous) versus stem cells belonging to another individual (foreign). At any stage of your life, you carry your own stem cells. As an adult, your own body carries stem cells in virtually all your organ systems. These stem cells can be harvested from your own body. Stem cells can also be harvested from another person’s body at any stage of that person’s life. The most common sources are from babies such as embryonic stem cells (pure embryonic stem cells are banned and may involve sacrifice of life). Other sources commercially available are amniotic fluid (fluid surrounding the baby in the mother’s womb), the placenta (the site where the baby is attached to the mother in the womb), and the umbilical cord (the cord that attaches the baby to the mother). These are all sources foreign to your body since they belong to another individual. The big concern with foreign stem cells is whether your body will accept or reject them. Their ability to mount an immune reaction and cause other long-term side effects is largely unknown and poorly understood.
8. I am old; are my stem cells ineffective?
There is good news here. Your stem cells do not age at the same rate as your regular cells. Research has shown that a healthy lifestyle can help maintain the potency of your own stem cells. Your own stem cells can be very effective in tissue repair and regeneration despite your age. Studies have shown that we can slow down the aging process by watching the amount of food we eat, doing regular exercise, and managing stress. Having healthy habits makes your own stem cells stronger. This will help if you ever need them. Despite aging, currently your own stem cells are still your best bet when it comes to treatment. Your own cells can be harvested in large numbers, and they can be delivered fresh back into your body. So both the cell count and the number of live cells from your own source are much higher than most foreign sources can provide.
9. What conditions can be treated with stem cells?
Current stem cell treatments have limited application in athletes and others with sports-related injuries, joint pain, or back pain. Treatments for heart failure, lupus, scleroderma, MS, stroke, macular degeneration, and autism are being offered to selected patients in clinical trials at academic centers. Additional specific stem cells required in conditions such as diabetes, kidney failure, Parkinson’s, ALS, lung disease, and several others are in the process of being developed. When it comes to stem cell treatments, “one type does not fit all.” Many conditions will require their own types of stem cells and their own treatment protocols. This can get very confusing very quickly. If there is no good mainstream treatment option for your condition, you should explore whether stem cell therapy can benefit you. However, beware of the snake oil salesman. Plenty of clinics advertise and claim they have stem cell treatments for various conditions, but there is no proof that the treatments work.
10. Are there conditions where stem cells may not be helpful?
Even though we would like to think of stem cells as the holy grail of medicine, they have their limitations. At such an early stage of stem cell knowledge, we are still trying to grasp their full potential. Also we have little understanding of their limitations. Our current understanding is that stem cells can help regenerate and repair your damaged cells. They are not going to fundamentally alter why you suffered from the disease in the first place. Clearly there are certain genetic or congenital conditions in which stem cells may not have a significant role to play. Future treatments such as gene therapy are investigating why some of us are more likely to suffer from a particular condition than others.
11. How are stem cells prepared for treatment?
A lot depends on the source. If they are your own stem cells, they can be harvested or collected from your body by doing a minor procedure. The next step is breaking your tissue down to filter out your own stem cells. They are then ready to be put back into your body. This entire process can be done in the same day at the same sitting. You have the ability to utilize your own fresh stem cells the same day. Alternatively your tissues can be collected and then sent to a laboratory for isolation. Sometimes this involves expansion and or programming of your own stem cells. Your own stem cells are then administered to you at a later date.
Stem cells from foreign sources (those obtained from sources other than your own body) are collected from another individual. This could be from a baby or even another