In recent years, there have been many important discoveries in medicine. And one of them is stem cell therapy. Doctors hope that this treatment option will help patients with incurable diseases in the future.
Characteristics of stem cells
Stem cells are cells without specialization. They have such abilities:
- Divide and make numerous copies of themselves.
- Transform into various types of cells — blood, muscles, nervous ones, etc.
There are several types of stem cells. For example, pluripotent stem cells are able to transform into any type of specialized cell. These cells are only present in embryos (i.e. embryonic stem cells).
In many countries, the use of embryonic cells is limited due to ethical reasons. Therefore, researchers have focused on finding new sources of pluripotent stem cells. Eventually, they succeeded in this. Scientists have learned to transform adult cells back into the pluripotent state. These “induced pluripotent stem cells” have the same properties as embryonic cells.
Another type of stem cells — multipotent cells are able to transform only into definite types of specialized cells. Every adult organism contains these stem cells, but their number decreases with age.
The sources of adult stem cells are bone marrow and peripheral blood of adults. Also, cells can be harvested from a cord blood of a newborn child.
Pluripotent stem cells research
Scientists think that in the future stem cells may be an effective treatment option for various incurable diseases. In clinical trials, specialists use induced pluripotent stem cells and transform them into the required specialized cells. After that, new adult cells replace damaged tissue.
Currently, scientists perform such types of research:
- Transform pluripotent stem cells into pancreatic beta cells, that produce insulin. That would be a chance for healing from diabetes mellitus.
- Create neurons for the treatment of stroke and injures of nervous structures.
- Create retinal cells for healing from visual impairment.
- Produce cartilage cells for damaged cartilage recovery.
- Grow organs for transplantation.
In theory, stem cells can replace any tissue that is damaged.
Researchers continue studying features of induced pluripotent stem cells. Primarily scientists have implanted cells to animals with certain human diseases. Then they assess the results of such implantation. It may take a long time before this experimental treatment will be used in humans.
When stem cells therapy can help?
Pluripotent stem cells are not used in humans yet. Currently, many world’s clinics offer patients to undergo treatment with adult stem cells. This is not a new treatment. Adult stem cells have long been applied in clinical practice. A classic example of their use is the transplantation of bone marrow for treating leukemia and lymphoma. This procedure has been performed since the 1960s. In this case, transplantation allows restoring normal synthesis of blood cells.
Currently, adult stem cells are also applied in the treatment of other diseases. It is known that these cells are present in most tissues of a body. The main task of adult stem cells is to substitute tissues damaged by various diseases. This fact is the basis of stem cell therapy.
Adult stem cells cannot be a panacea and guarantee to heal from all pathologies. Nevertheless, they can be effectively applied as an additional treatment for such diseases as:
- Neurological diseases (Alzheimer’s disease, multiple sclerosis).
- Chronic pancreatitis.
- Diabetes mellitus and its complications: retinopathy, neuropathy.
- Ischemic cardiomyopathy.
- Immunodeficiency disorders.
- Liver cirrhosis.
- Pulmonary fibrosis.
- Oncological diseases.
- Optic nerve atrophy.
- Lyme disease.
How to undergo stem cell therapy in Germany?
Stem cell therapy is becoming more popular. More and more stem cell clinics are opening in Europe and America. Many foreign patients prefer to undergo cell therapy in German clinics, where they receive medical services of high quality. In particular, the Clinic of advanced biological medicine in Frankfurt am Main offers customers alternative methods of treatment, including cell therapy.
Foreigners can undergo stem cell therapy in German clinics with the assistance of Booking Health. Booking Health is a company that offers diagnostic and treatment in the best hospitals in Germany. The company also takes care of the comfort of customers during a trip to Germany. We help to issue visas, translate medical documents, book the flight and accommodation, take care of transfer from the airport, offer translation and interpreter services. We also provide communication with the clinic after treatment completion.
You can read more about German medical centers and find the prices of stem cell therapy on our website BookingHealth.com.
