Stem cells are “non-specialized” cells that have the potential to form into other types of specific cells, such as blood, muscles or nerves. They are unlike "differentiated" cells which have already become whatever organ or structure they are in the body. Stem cells are present throughout our body, but more abundant in a fetus.
Medical researchers and scientists believe that stem cell therapy will, in the near future, advance medicine dramatically and change the course of disease treatment. This is because stem cells have the ability to grow into any kind of cell and, if transplanted into the body, will relocate to the damaged tissue, replacing it. For example, neural cells in the spinal cord, brain, optic nerves, or other parts of the central nervous system that have been injured can be replaced by injected stem cells. Various stem cell therapies are already practiced, a popular one being bone marrow transplants that are used to treat leukemia. In theory and in fact, lifeless cells anywhere in the body, no matter what the cause of the disease or injury, can be replaced with vigorous new cells because of the remarkable plasticity of stem cells. Biomed companies predict that with all of the research activity in stem cell therapy currently being directed toward the technology, a wider range of disease types including cancer, diabetes, spinal cord injury, and even multiple sclerosis will be effectively treated in the future. Recently announced trials are now underway to study both safety and efficacy of autologous stem cell transplantation in MS patients because of promising early results from previous trials.
History
Research into stem cells grew out of the findings of two Canadian researchers, Dr’s James Till and Ernest McCulloch at the University of Toronto in 1961. They were the first to publish their experimental results into the existence of stem cells in a scientific journal. Till and McCulloch documented the way in which embryonic stem cells differentiate themselves to become mature cell tissue. Their discovery opened the door for others to develop the first medical use of stem cells in bone marrow transplantation for leukemia. Over the next 50 years their early work has led to our current state of medical practice where modern science believes that new treatments for chronic diseases including MS, diabetes, spinal cord injuries and many more disease conditions are just around the corner.
There are a number of sources of stem cells, namely, adult cells generally extracted from bone marrow, cord cells, extracted during pregnancy and cryogenically stored, and embryonic cells, extracted from an embryo before the cells start to differentiate. As to source and method of acquiring stem cells, harvesting autologous adult cells entails the least risk and controversy.
Autologous stem cells are obtained from the patient’s own body; and since they are the patient’s own, autologous cells are better than both cord and embryonic sources as they perfectly match the patient’s own DNA, meaning that they will never be rejected by the patient’s immune system. Autologous transplantation is now happening therapeutically at several major sites world-wide and more studies on both safety and efficacy are finally being announced. With so many unrealized expectations of stem cell therapy, results to date have been both significant and hopeful, if taking longer than anticipated.
What’s been the Holdup?
Up until recently, there have been intense ethical debates about stem cells and even the studies that researchers have been allowed to do. This is because research methodology was primarily concerned with embryonic stem cells, which until recently required an aborted fetus as a source of stem cells. The topic became very much a moral dilemma and research was held up for many years in the US and Canada while political debates turned into restrictive legislation. Other countries were not as inflexible and many important research studies have been taking place elsewhere. Thankfully embryonic stem cells no longer have to be used as much more advanced and preferred methods have superseded the older technologies. While the length of time that promising research has been on hold has led many to wonder if stem cell therapy will ever be a reality for many disease types, the disputes have led to a number of important improvements in the medical technology that in the end, have satisfied both sides of the ethical issue.
CCSVI Clinic
CCSVI Clinic has been on the leading edge of MS treatment for the past several years. We are the only group facilitating the treatment of MS patients requiring a 10-day patient aftercare protocol following neck venous angioplasty that includes daily ultrasonography and other significant therapeutic features for the period including follow-up surgeries if indicated. There is a strict safety protocol, the results of which are the subject of an approved IRB study. The goal is to derive best practice standards from the data. With the addition of ASC transplantation, our research group has now preparing application for member status in International Cellular Medicine Society (ICMS), the globally-active non-profit organization dedicated to the improvement of cell-based medical therapies through education of physicians and researchers, patient safety, and creating universal standards. For more information please visit http://www.neurosurgeonindia.org/
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If you are unlucky enough to suffer from chronic lower back pain you’ll know how this debilitating condition can make everyday life miserable and frustrating. An obvious question to ask when the pain becomes unbearable is “Where can I get the best treatment”? Unfortunately the answer is sometimes hard to find because nowadays both neurosurgeons and orthpaedic surgeons compete to treat and operate lower back disorders.
At this point many patients typically become confused. Surely neurosurgeons traditonally operate on the brain, spinal cord, nerve and cervical (upper) spine should be able to operate on the lower lumbar spine as well? I asked Khai Lam from the London Bridge Hospital to explain.
The fact is that over the last decade, and with the advent of stenting of cerebral aneurysyms, neurosurgeons lost a lot of this work because there is a much reduced need to operate them. They therefore started to venture south from their traditional area of expertise and began to operate on the lower lumbar spine. Until recently surgery to the bony aspects of the spine, i.e. vertebral bodies, laid in the exclusive domain of Orthopaedic Spinal surgeons. This is because Orthopaedic Surgeons spend all their time mending broken bones and therefore are experts in the areas of bone fixation and healing, akin to lumbar spinal fusion.
Now it’s true that in today’s environment there is quite a lot of crossover, but, there is still a general perception that neurosurgeons lack an appreciation of spinal biomechanics and bone biology, e.g. spinal fusion. This is partly due to their somewhat lacking neurosurgical postgraduate training curriculum. Orthopaedic Surgeons however simply never stop thinking about bone stability and bone healing. In addition, most Orthopaedic Spinal Surgeons work a lot more closely with physiotherapists when treating lower back disorders.
So which type of surgeon should you seek out when you suffer from chronic lower back pain? The answer still isn’t obvious….
The fact is that if you have debilitating chronic lower back pain, it is perfectly possible to seek treatment from either an Orthopaedic Spinal Surgeon or a Neurosurgeon. However, the key question to ask is whether your surgeon has a special interest in treating patients with lower back disorders, and the number of procedures that he has undertaken to indicate his level of competence. Only a genuine and well seasoned spinal specialist will be able to treat your chronic lower back pain condition effectively.
Hopefully that clears up the confusion!
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Tags: disc replacement, lumbar spinal fusion, lumbar spine, orthopaedic surgeons, sciatica, spinal biomechanics, spinal cord