The Stem Cell Cure. Kerry Johnson MBA PhD
single treatment of Samir’s own stem cells. The injections were made at multiple sites within the plantar fascia. Samir noticed a 50% reduction in his pain two weeks after treatment. He was assessed in follow-up and received one more treatment to the plantar fascia. Samir has been pain-free for the past two years.
CASE STUDY: ALBERT AND HIS MOTHER
Albert has been taking care of his mother, who has suffered from Parkinson’s disease for several years. He’s hired the best caregivers to help his mom deal with this disabling condition. She’s had numerous treatments over the years that have seemed to help her. But she still cannot function independently and needs help with daily activities. Between work and taking care of his mother, Albert has very little time for anything else. He’s completely dedicated to making sure that he can do the best for his mother.
Recently Albert noticed a lot of stem cell advertisements targeting people with Parkinson’s disease. He was curious. During the next visit to his mother’s doctor, Albert inquired about the role of stem cells for her.
Parkinson’s is a condition where there is a loss of dopamine-producing brain cells. Dopamine helps brain cells communicate with each other. The lack of dopamine leads to miscommunication among the brain cells that affect the patient’s movement. As you can imagine, stem cells in Parkinson’s should have the ability to grow new cells to replace the ones that were lost. But as we noted earlier in the book, brain cells do not regenerate readily. The use of stem cells in Parkinson’s is a sophisticated process and will have to be studied in a laboratory. After the right stem cells are found, those stem cells will have to be delivered into the specific area of the brain affected in Parkinson’s. One can imagine how complex and risky that procedure could be. There is also the possibility of negative side effects and complications that we may not be aware of. So even though some clinics advertise using stem cells from the patient’s fat or bone marrow or from a newborn baby’s umbilical cord, these cells do not have the sophistication to grow into brain cells. These cells are administered intravenously and never make it to the area of the brain affected in Parkinson’s. This is a total waste of time and money along with unknown risks.
Still, it is important to know that there is significant ongoing research with stem cells especially derived from an embryonic stage or manufactured stem cells, either of which can then be programmed to grow into the brain cells needed for Parkinson’s disease. This research is at its very early stages. You should inquire about clinical trials conducted at academic centers. This at least will assure that you are getting the right stem cell treatment. You can also make sure the risks and side effects are being adequately monitored.
It is understandable why patients and their families feel the desperate need to ease the suffering of their loved ones. We are often willing and tempted to buy into the hype of stem cells. Unfortunately, this only takes away valuable resources that can be used to improve the patient’s quality of life.
One Size Doesn’t Fit All
When it comes to stem cell therapy, one size does not fit all! A stem cell treatment that can alleviate your joint pain will not cure your blindness, your child’s autism, or your grandpa’s Alzheimer’s! It is appalling how commercial clinics oversell the ability of stem cells to be a cure for a myriad of conditions. Unfortunately, this creates public mistrust and brings on the wrath of regulatory agencies.
Unless cells grow, stem cell therapy will not be effective. How embryonic stem cells are collected, how umbilical cord blood is collected, and how your own tissues are collected can involve different levels of complexity. How stem cells are gleaned or isolated from their sources has a major impact on your treatment. For example, when your own fat or bone marrow is collected, how is it broken down to get a concentrate of your own adult stem cells? Merely putting fat back into the joint is not stem cell therapy! Two patients getting stem cell treatment for a painful joint, using their own fat stem cells, can end up getting two entirely different treatments. In one, the fat will be injected without being broken down. In the other, the fat will be broken down. Your own stem cells will be isolated and then injected into your joint. An important point to understand is that fat contains many different cells, including stem cells. Fat cells are not stem cells. Therefore, it is very important to break down the fat in order to isolate your stem cells, discarding the remainder of unwanted fat cells. Fat is merely acting as an easily available source of your stem cells. Once you have a concentrate of stem cells ready, the next step is to deliver them to the area needing help. How will this be done? Are the cells getting into the joint space? Are they getting to the area of inflammation? Some clinics give intravenous (IV) injections of stem cells. The majority of stem cells given intravenously can get filtered in the lung. It depends on the condition being treated. But don’t expect an intravenous injection of stem cells to heal your knee joint. Unless the cells reach the area of damage, they won’t be effective. Similarly, cells for conditions affecting the brain may have to be implanted directly into the damaged part of the brain. Research is being conducted to answer some of the questions. Delivery routes and methods for different clinical conditions will vary and have to be clearly established. Until then, we may not be able to predict outcomes or compare results. Unfortunately, there is no apples-to-apples comparison among stem cell treatments yet!
CASE STUDY: MR. KAPOOR AND HIS DAUGHTER PRIYA
Mr. Kapoor is a 65-year-old real estate magnate who has traveled the world and loves to golf. He has played at some of the best-known international courses and even carries his own clubs. About seven years ago, his right shoulder started to hurt after playing. It progressively got worse. He was unable to lie on his right side. Shoulder pain kept him up most nights. He had an MRI evaluation that showed a significant, but not complete, rotator cuff tear. He wanted to avoid surgery or any other toxic medications or injections. He started exploring alternatives. After doing thorough research and getting opinions at three different stem cell clinics, Mr. Kapoor underwent stem cell treatment. He received an injection of his own stem cells harvested from his fat and bone marrow. His recovery was uneventful. Over the next two months he gradually resumed playing.
About two years ago, his 21-year-old daughter Priya was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. Diabetes and its treatment take not only a physical toll, but a psychological one as well. This diagnosis impacts not only the patient but close family members. Determined to find a better cure for his daughter, and given that Mr. Kapoor had such a good experience with stem cells for his shoulder, he contacted the clinic he had gone to, inquiring about stem cell treatment for diabetes. He was told that his daughter could undergo a similar stem cell procedure like the one for his shoulder. The cells would be administered intravenously. Mr. Kapoor was quoted a price that was three times the cost he paid for his shoulder treatment. Mr. Kapoor trusted the clinic and took his daughter for the treatments. He was also advised that she could stop her insulin since the stem cell treatment would cure her diabetes.
Ms. Priya Kapoor received three treatments over three months. There was no improvement in her blood sugar level. The Kapoors were advised to pay for more treatments. In the meantime, Priya started having dizzy spells, and her vision became fuzzy. She also developed tingling and numbness in her feet. One day out of the blue, she noted an ulcer on her little toe. Over the next two weeks, the toe turned black; it was then Mr. Kapoor got alarmed and rushed Priya to a local hospital. The diagnosis was diabetic ulcer with gangrene of the toe. The dead toe had to be amputated. Tests showed that Priya had sky-high blood sugar levels. Her A1C was 14 (normally between 4 and 5.6) and she was heading into major complications due to uncontrolled diabetes. She had stopped taking her insulin on the advice of the stem cell clinic.
Mr. Kapoor had shown blind faith in the physicians. This highlights the dilemma you’re likely to face. On one hand, your own stem cells are capable of regenerating tissue like bones, joints, muscles, and cartilage. However, the same cells are not going to increase the production of insulin. They are not going to regenerate and repair diabetes. You need insulin from the outside to control your blood sugar level. Uncontrolled high blood sugar levels can lead to deadly complications, which Priya had started to experience. That is the level of complexity we need to understand.
The questions that need to be answered are: What stems cells are necessary for what condition, and how will they be administered? Cells