StemCell Therapy

Peripheral blood stem cell transplantation (PBSCT), also called "Peripheral stem cell support",[1] is a method of replacing blood-forming stem cells destroyed, for example, by cancer treatment. PBSCT is now a much more common procedure than its bone marrow harvest equivalent, this is in-part due to the ease and less invasive nature of the procedure.[2][3] Studies suggest that PBSCT has a better outcome in terms of the number of hematopoietic stem cell (CD34+ cells) yield.[4]

Immature hematopoietic stem cells in the circulating blood that are similar to those in the bone marrow are collected by apheresis from a potential donor (PBSC collection). The product is then administered intravenously to the patient after treatment. The administered hematopoietic stem cells then migrate to the recipient's bone marrow, a process known as stem cell homing, where the transplanted cells override the previous bone marrow. This allows the bone marrow to recover, proliferate and continue producing healthy blood cells.

The transplantation may be autologous (an individual's own blood cells saved earlier), allogeneic (blood cells donated by someone else with matching HLA), or syngeneic (blood cells donated by an identical twin). The apheresis procedure typically lasts for 46 hours, depending on the donor's total blood volume.[5]

Granulocyte colony stimulating factor (GCSF) are naturally occurring glycoproteins that stimulate white blood cell proliferation. Filgrastim is a synthetic form of GCSF produced in E.coli.[6] PBSC donors are given a course of GCSF prior to PBSC collection, this ensures a better outcome, as stem cell proliferation increases, thus increasing the number of peripheral stem cells in circulation.The course is usually given over a 4-day period prior to PBSC collection.[7] Mild bone pain usually results due to the excessive stem cell crowding within the bone marrow.

Since allogeneic PBSCT involves transformation of blood between different individuals, this naturally carries more complications than autologous PBSCT.[8]For example, calculations must be made to ensure consistency in the amount of total blood volume between the donor and recipient. If the total blood volume of the donor is less than that of the recipient (such as when a child is donating to an adult), multiple PBSCT sessions may be required for adequate collection. Performing such a collection in a single setting could result in risks such as hypovolemia, which could lead to cardiac arrest, thus health care providers must exercise careful precaution when considering donor-recipient matching in allogeneic PBSCT[9]

An early example of a successful peripheral stem cell transplant was carried out in the wake of the 1999 Tokaimura nuclear accident. One of the two technicians who received the highest dose of radiation was treated with PBSCT in an attempt to restore his destroyed immune system. Cells from the patient's sister's bone marrow were administered, and in the following weeks successfully began dividing and differentiating into leukocytes, but several weeks later, the cells were found to have been mutated by the radiation still present within the patient's body, and were observed carrying out autoimmune responses.[10] Later studies on the incident and subsequent use of PBSCT found that the transplant had also induced neoendothelialization of the aortic endothelium.[11]

This article incorporatespublic domain material from the U.S. National Cancer Institute document "Dictionary of Cancer Terms".

Originally posted here:
Peripheral stem cell transplantation - Wikipedia

The doctors affiliated with National Stem Cell Centers in Houston, TX specialize in harvesting tissue and having the cells processed at our registered tissue processing lab.

The physicians follow compliant protocols where the tissue is not manipulated and there is no tissue or cell expansion.

We also do not use enzymes as per FDA guidelines.

Stem cell procedures hold great potential for the management of joint pain, arthritis, hair loss, cosmetic and other disorders as well as auto-immune, renal, and neurological disorders.

There are various types of stem cells, particularly as they pertain to potential procedures, including umbilical cord cells, adipose (fat-derived), amniotic cells, placenta, bone marrow, exosomes, and others.

The physician will go over your options during your complimentary consultation.

Dr. Baker is a general surgeon by training and a native of Northeast Texas.

His general surgery training makes him uniquely qualified as an excellent stem cell physician.

After graduating from the University of Arkansas with the highest honors,

Dr. Baker attended the University of Texas Medical School at Houston where he was awarded the prestigious Parents and Alumni Scholarship.

During medical school, Dr. Baker was selected to participate in the competitive summer research program and remained active in research throughout medical school.

Following medical school and research commitments, Dr. Baker moved to Phoenix, Arizona where he began his surgical education. It was in the Scottsdale area that Dr. Baker began to hone his artistic eye for body sculpting. Dr. Baker also garnered broad experience in regenerative medicine around this time as aesthetic improvement and restorative complementary medicine techniques often go hand in hand.

In the six years since Dr. Baker has treated thousands of cosmetic patients and a near equal quantity of functional medicine patients. He strives to remain on the cutting edge through continued education and a meticulous attention to detail for all of his patients with a willingness to think outside the box and look for options that traditional medicine might otherwise not consider.

Dr. Thiele is a General Surgeon with five years of training in general surgery.

He is a Diplomate of the American Board of Management Wound which has helped hone his hair transplant techniques including FUT, graft harvesting, recipient site making, anesthesia, pain management and wound healing.

He has worked as a Physician at the East Texas Medical Center and Mother Francis Hospital in Tyler, and served as a Physician with VOHRA Would Physicians, TeleHealth, Murdock & Applegate Recovery.

He attended medical school at the University of Texas in Galveston and trained at Mercer University in Georgia and Charleston Area Medical Center in W. Virginia.

Dr. Thiele performs the FUT as well as FUE procedures at MAXIM Hair Restoration in Houston and Dallas, Texas.

Schedule your complimentary stem cell therapy consultation today with one of our affiliated physicians in Houston, Texas, by calling (802) 278-5098 or submit the Contact Form on this page.

This location serves Houston, Sugarland, Katy, Heights, Austin, San Antonio and all of Texas.

Address:6910 Bellaire Blvd.,Building 9Houston, Texas 77074

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Stem Cell Therapy in Houston, TX | National Stem Cell Centers

Why havent you heard about this before?

In the grand scheme of things, stem cell therapy is still relatively new. More importantly, its still rapidly evolving.

While its been used by practitioners for roughly 50 years now, it was mostly blood cancer cases that seemed to have a positive response to stem cell treatment.

It wasnt until recently that practitioners have proved how universally effective stem cells can be in regenerating tissue after injuries or restoring the effects of natural wear-and-tear.

Our bodies are made of cells.

Muscle cells construct the muscle tissue. Nerve cells are the building blocks for the nervous system. In other words, all of the cells in our body have a specific set of functions.

Except stem cells. Their job is to regenerate other types of cells, should the need occur.

Stem cells are the silent hero that continuously repairs and regenerates all of our body parts. They act as the source that generates new, specialized cells, which can quickly adapt to an injury or natural wear-and-tear. The firemen who also happen to rebuild the house.

It can be a bit of a confusing subject, so why dont we kick things off with an analogy?

For example, think of a stem cell as a young human being.

As a child, you have complete freedom over what you can become. You can choose to be a physics teacher, play in a professional soccer team, or to head a successful business.

Over time, you make choices based on your decision. Young professors will read a lot of books, aspiring athletes will enroll to their local soccer team, and the entrepreneurs will open lemonade stands.

Enough time passes, and each of these kids will no longer have the same freedom of choicethey will be specialized.

The teacher could never learn to kick the ball as well as the soccer player, who could never build a multi-million dollar business. Each of them would be effective in their own areas, but they would have lost their ability to change function.

Stem cells behave very similarly.

One of the main properties of a stem cell is that they can transform into any other type of cell, taking on its functions and properties.

Namely, there are 7 main types of body cells:

A stem cell can become any one of these cells. Once they do, they reach maturity and function as the designated cell type.

In fact, this regenerative process happens all the time without us knowing.

One of the common myths we hear is that stem cells are some new invention that scientists have mixed in their laboratories, and are now looking to inject them into poor test subjects as a part of their grand experiment with the human race.

While some stem cells used in therapy do come from external sources (read: not from your own body), wed like to emphasize that stem cells are a natural building block of our bodies. Theyve always been therewe just werent aware of what they do and how to use them in therapy.

Current practical and academic research shows that stem cells are present in the:

Given that stem cells are spread all over our body, you might sense that theyre there for a reason.

The reason is that our bodies regenerate all the time without us knowing. Us and lizards, it turns out, were not so different after all.

Skin, for example, we regenerate fully within 2-3 weeks. As in, every month we get a new set of skin. We shed our skin seamlessly throughout the day.

Some of our inner organs also have amazing regenerative capabilities.

Liver, for example, is known to be extremely good at regenerating. So good, in fact, that it could regenerate fully from just a quarter (25%)[7] of the full organ mass.

The inner lining of our intestines, called the epithelium, regenerates fully every 5-7 days, too.

The point ismost of our body parts have innate regenerative abilities, powered by stem cells.

However, were not on par with the reptiles yet in the regeneration game.

Most of our body parts they need help to regenerate properly.

Thats where stem cell therapy comes in.

We wont go all technical about the mechanics of stem cells, but a couple of core things you should know before you read anything else:

In fact, it is three distinctive properties[8] that set stem cells apart from the rest:

If youve heard stories about stem cells, they were probably about how they are harvested.

Namely, you might have heard a notion that in order to get stem cells, you have to kill an embryo.

Let us shed some light on the topic.

What you need to know:

Embryonicor omnipotentstem cells are at the very core of the controversy surrounding the entire area of stem cell therapy.

As their name suggests, they are gathered from embryos in the early stages of growth. They develop in eggs fertilized in in vitro fertilization[9]clinics, and are subsequently donated for research after receiving consent from the donor herself.

Scientists take particular interest in embryonic stem cells because of their vast potential. In theory, they have the ability to transform into most any type of body cell, in unlimited quantities. Ethical or not, it can at least be understood why academics are so fascinated with embryonic stem cells.

In practice, however, these cells are not used.

For one, its illegal to do so[10] in the US and many other countries. Only closely monitored and highly regulated research projects can use specified amounts of embryonic stem cells for experimentation.

But then, you should also know that we have not yet figured out how to use embryonic stem cells in therapy safely. Once that day comes, however, societies across the world will have important ethical questions to solve.

What you need to know:

Adult stem cellsalso known as pluripotent stem cellshave been used in therapy since 1956.

Pluripotent stem cells are more limited in their differentiative and multiplicative abilities. That is, they cannot multiply an infinite amount of times, or transform into any other type of cells. There are limitations.

Major advancements in stem cell therapy are closely linked to these limitations. As we learn more about different sources of adult stem cells and about how to use them in therapy, we find new practical applications to treat diseases and injuries.

At first, scientists and practitioners have operated under the notion that adult stem cells could mostly be found in the bone marrowa soft, spongy tissue inside our bones, responsible for generation of new blood cells.

For this reason, the first stem cell transplants addressed various blood diseasessuch as leukemia. They did so successfully. (Yes, bone marrow transplant is also a stem cell transplant procedure.)

It wasnt until 2010 that adult stem cell therapy was acknowledged as a possible solution to many of our musculoskeletal problems and a viable alternative to surgical orthopaedic treatments. Once the first person received a stem cell transplant[11] to treat spinal injury, the orthopaedic world has changed for good.

What you need to know:

First things first: the ethical question.

Youve got this rightthere are stem cells in the umbilical cord of every newborn, and they can be used in therapy.

Since umbilical cord is no longer needed by the parents after birth, some of them choose to donate the cord for research and therapy purposes.

Certified clinic partners, such as ourselves, receive pre-specified doses of umbilical cord stem cells (in amounts of 5, 15 or 30 million) to be used in therapy.

Why would we want to use umbilical cord stem cells? Arent our own bone marrow and adipose tissue enough?

Well, in some cases, theyre not. This highly varies on a case-by-case basis, but some major considerations may include:

Can umbilical cord stem cells be rejected by your body, given their foreign nature?

While properly tested and securely harvested umbilical stem cells do not pose direct threat to the patients healththey do come in pre-specified amounts from a partner FDA approved clinic. Which means, we do not control the entire process from start to finish.

For this reason, we often steer patients towards autologousor your ownstem cells, since these pose no risk at all.

For now, its safe to say that umbilical cord stem cells are a good alternative to stem cells of your own, when, for some reason, the latter cant be used for therapy.

The science behind stem cells is as complicated as is it exciting.

The therapy itself, however, is remarkably simple. That is one of its major appeals.

There are many cultural references to what stem cell therapy might one day become. The cure-all; an injection of cells that could treat any disease and heal any injury, for anyone.

Heres how it goes in real life.

Depending on the chosen source of stem cellswhether its the patients bone marrow, adipose tissue (fat) or an umbilical cordthe first stage of stem cell therapy is to actually collect them.

With bone marrow stem cells:

With adipose tissue stem cells:

With umbilical cord stem cells:

This part is another source of controversy.

There is a big myth (mouthfed by marketers) that stem cells are somehow modified before transplantation.

Not only is this incorrect, it is also illegal. FDA has a clear policy[53] that only minimal manipulation[12] can be allowed in stem cell transplantation.

What exactly is minimal manipulation? Here is the answer:

This is very important, because chemically or otherwise manipulating stem cells before transplantation means its virtually impossible to predict how these cells would predict once in the patients body.

Its also important to emphasize that we do not multiply stem cells in the lab through manipulation.

All stem cells are naturally pre-programmed to divide a specific number of times:

The multiplication itself can happen in lab conditions or in the patients bodybut we have nothing to do with that. The cells themselves do the work.

So, then, what do we do before transplantation? Here is a quick rundown:

And thats basically it! We dont do any chemical or biological manipulation. Since stem cells already know what to do, theres no reason to interfere with their biological structure without compromising safety.

This is where the true magic happens.

A concentrated sample of activated stem cells is transplanted right into where theyre needed most: the injury site or chronic illness area. This is what has proven transformative in chronic and acute musculoskeletal diseases, such as arthritis and spinal injury.

Once again, the procedure is really simple:

Since theres no surgical incision (stem cell therapy is a non-invasive procedure), patients usually do not experience any serious side effects. Some soreness and pain are witnessed at times.

Its really that simple.

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Stem cell therapy isnt just a radical improvement in medicine; its a much needed one, too.

See, for the longest time, patients acute and chronic musculoskeletal injuries were faced with two groups of treatment options:

The downsides of surgery are the main reason why stem cell therapy has gained so much attention recently.

Due to the invasive nature of surgical intervention, these types of treatments always put patients at a serious risk.

From catching an infection at the incision site to the formation of blood clots which could lead to a heart attack, surgical intervention poses an entire array of health hazards[13].

Hip surgery, in particular, is an extremely dangerous endeavour.

One 2012 study found that as many as 35% of patients report unfavorable long-term pain[14] within a 5 year period after the surgery.

A more recent 2018 Finnish review discovered that as many as 4.6% of all hip surgery patients and 10% of all hip replacement patients[15] experience significant post-operational complications.

It also concluded that a number of conditionsincluding Parkinsons, osteoarthritis, rheumatic diseases, and a number of mental illnessesincrease the chance of a complication.

What is more, there is an up to 3% chance for nerve damage[16] during hip replacement, and an estimated 18% chance of fracturing one of your musculoskeletal components. Still think its worth the risk?

Spinal surgery also deserves a hall-of-fame spot in the area of surgical complications.

During a 2015 study of 95 test subjects who underwent a lower spine surgery, 23% of them experienced significant complications[17] including infections, blood clot formation and nerve injury.

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Stem Cell Therapy - Cellaxys

The Center for Beta Cell Therapy in Diabetes andViaCyte, Inc., announced that a human stem cell-derived product candidate has been implanted in type 1 diabetes patients at a subtherapeutic dose.

These are the first patients inEuropeto receive PEC-Direct, an encapsulated pancreatic progenitor cell product candidate designed to replace lost insulin-producing beta cells and restore blood glucose control for type 1 diabetes patients who fulfill entry criteria for a beta cell replacement therapy.

In preclinical models, implants of PEC-Direct (also known as VC-02) are capable of forming a functional beta cell mass that controls blood glucose levels.

This potential is now being examined in the first European clinical trial with type 1 diabetes patients who have lost blood glucose control due to beta cell loss in the pancreas.

For this patient population, a beta cell replacement therapy, like PEC-Direct, can potentially provide a functional cure.

This work complements clinical evaluation of PEC-Direct that is underway inNorth America.

During the first phase of the European trial, implants will be evaluated for their ability to form beta cells; the second phase will examine their capacity to produce systemic levels of insulin that establish glucose control.

The implantation in these first European patients is a major step in the development of cell therapy for type 1 diabetes.

The implantation was performed at UZ Brussel, the University Hospital of Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) with the PEC-Direct product candidate from ViaCyte.

The clinical trial and associated preclinical studies inEurope are undertaken by the Beta Cell Therapy Consortium, with the support of a Horizon 2020 grant from the European Commission.

The consortium is composed of clinical, industrial, and research teams at VUB, ViaCyte, San Raffaele Hospital Diabetes Research Institute inMilan, Nestl Institute of Health Sciences in Lausanne, the University Medical Center in Leiden, and Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle Epinire inParis.

Each contributes complementary expertise to the objective of developing a cell therapy with the potential to cure type 1 diabetes.

Type 1 diabetes can appear at any age but is the major form of diabetes diagnosed under age 40. Patients with type 1 disease can no longer produce insulin and therefore become life-long dependent on daily insulin administration.

Treatment with such exogenous insulin does not eliminate the risks for complications, some potentially life-threatening. The disease also has a significant impact on quality of life.

Beta cell implants prepared from human donor pancreases can restore endogenous insulin production and glucose control, but the shortage of human donor organs limits the implementation of this form of cell therapy.

Human pluripotent stem cells may overcome these limitations as they represent a potential large-scale cell source that can be differentiated into pancreatic cells in the laboratory under highly controlled conditions.

The Center for Beta Cell Therapy in Diabetes is a coordination core for studies and interventions that aim the development of prevention and cure of type 1 diabetes. For more information, please visitwww.betacelltherapy.org.

ViaCyte is a privately-held regenerative medicine company developing novel cell replacement therapies as potential long-term diabetes treatments to achieve glucose control targets and reduce the risk of hypoglycemia and diabetes-related complications. The Company is funded in part by the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) and JDRF. For more information, please visitwww.viacyte.com.

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First Human Trial of Stem Cell-derived Implants Underway ...

POSTED ON 03/26/2017 IN Knee Latest News BY Chris Centeno

Given the quite reasonable concerns this past week over the blinding of three womenby a stem cell clinic injecting fat stem cells into eyes, I thought it was time to take a look at stem-cell-procedure complications. All medical procedures have complications. So what bar can we use to see if those complications are reasonable, and how should those be reported and measured?

First, to decide what complications might be reasonable, we need to understand the playing field of common side effects of conventional treatments. So what are some common complications in my world of orthopedic care, and how often do they happen?

So conventional procedures and widely used medications can have big time complications and rates!

To date, I think weve reported the most comprehensive paper on stem-cell-related complications. In more than 2,300 patients and 3,000 procedures, the total complication rate was 2.0%. Of those, four were deemed to be more serious and definitely related to the procedure by at least one independent reviewer not related to our group. Since this is out of 3.012, this is a serious-complication rate of 0.13%. Pretty small compared to the rates reported above for common orthopedic procedures.

This week we saw reported that the complication rate for the fat stem cell clinic that blinded three consecutive patients was approximately 0.01%. That seems about ten times less, despite the significant reported complications. Why? The data is an apples to oranges comparison.

For our reported data, a registry infrastructure was used where questionnaires were sent to every patient, and if they failed to respond, telephone calls were made. Based on conversations I have had with participating physicians, the stem cell outfit with the complications uses a passive system where the doctors are told to report the complications. Its likely that pinging patients about whats wrong can find more complications when compared to relying on a busy physician to report his or her complications.

Regrettably, the stem cell outfit that blinded these patients hasnt published any safety data on the widespread use of fat stem cells, so there is no research to review. This is concerning.

As you can see from the above risks, stem-cell-based orthopedic therapies have low-risk profiles when compared to conventional orthopedic procedures. Hence, when complications do occur, they are rare. However, to determine risk, efficacy is also needed as part of the calculus. So lets look at knee replacement.

So how good is knee replacement compared to garden-variety physical therapy (PT)? Not great. In a recent study (video below), 3 in 4 knee-replacement candidates undergoing PT instead of surgery decided not get a knee replacement after one year.Also you need to amputate 56 knees to find just one patient who reports more than a 15% functional improvement as a result of this maximally invasive surgery.

Looking at the relative efficacy of two procedures is hard without a head-to-head comparison trial. However, in the case of knee arthritis, we can comparetwo different studies that both compare to PT. In the above caseof knee replacement, we know how that invasive procedure fared, and below well look at a same-day stem cell procedure.

For the stem cell procedure, well be looking at the Regenexx bone-marrow-based version. Below is a graphic that discusses that out of more than 5,000 knee stem-cell-treated patients, as of this month, only about 12% went on to get a knee replacement despite their treatment at 12 years. This was based on 100% response rate from a random sample of 100 registry patients.

Below are the yet unpublished results of our randomized controlled trial where knee-replacement candidates were treated with our Regenexx knee stem cell procedure versus physical therapy:

The patients with a stem cell procedure report more knee function more quickly compared to the physical therapy group (listed here as Exercise Therapy). The PT group crossed over to the stem cell procedure at three months, which is why the PT data is only tracked for that long.

So comparing risks and benefits of these two therapies, the risk of knee replacement is significantly greater and the outcome based on a randomized controlled trial is likely no better than a stem cell injection. Hence, the risk/benefit of a Regenexx-protocol knee stem cell procedure is good compared to traditional care.

The upshot? While the risks of stem cell therapy are likely lower than most traditional treatments, for some indications, like injecting fat stem cells in the eye, that equation goes in the wrong direction. The goal with todays review was also to open a debate about when stem cell therapy is likely the better option.So lets have a reasonable discussion about stem cell risks and not throw the baby out with the bathwater!

*DISCLAIMER: Like all medical procedures, Regenexx Procedures have a success and failure rate. Patient reviews and testimonials on this site should not be interpreted as a statement on the effectiveness of our treatments for anyone else. Providers listed on the Regenexx website are for informational purposes only and are not a recommendation from Regenexx for a specific provider or a guarantee of the outcome of any treatment you receive.

Originally posted here:
Outcomes, Complication Rates, and Stem Cell Procedures ...

The procedure lasts about 3040 minutes, using local anesthetic with very little discomfort, and after it is completed you will be able to walk out of the office and drive yourself home.

This is in contrast to prolonged hospital stays with extensive down time and expense associated with various surgical procedures, including total knee replacements. The average cost of a total knee replacement in the U.S. is $40,000, and often associated with mediocre results, especially with regard to functionality.

Stem Cell Prolotherapy offers a much better solution with potentially better results, especially mobility, at a fraction of the cost. There are other treatment modalities sometimes used to lubricate the knee joint, such as Hyaluronate, known by the brand names, Synvisc or Euflexxa.

The problem with these is that they are only a temporary solution, which at best will only last for about six months before the procedure will need to be repeated. This is in stark contrast to the permanent healing and regeneration, which is achieved with the Stem Cell Prolotherapy.

However, Hyaluronate can be used in conjunction with the Stem Cell Prolotherapy so that you can enjoy the benefits of both therapies, if you choose.

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Stem Cell Joint Regeneration | Utah Stem Cells

Overview

For people suffering from Type 2 diabetes, stem cell therapy can offer a respite from the symptoms of the disease. Although stem cell therapy cannot cure it, receiving stem cell therapy for diabetes Type 2 from TruStem Cell Therapy has the potential to improve a patients quality of life significantly by reducing symptoms and complications related to Type 2 diabetes, as well as slowing its progression.

For patients receiving stem cell diabetes treatment, it is possible to see improvements in any one or multiple disease-related complications such as stabilization of blood sugar levels, lower blood sugar levels, frequent urination, fatigue, poor wound healing, etc.

TruStem Cell Therapy provides access to diabetes treatment that utilizes a patients stem cells isolated from his or her own fat tissue. There are multiple benefits afforded by the utilization of adipose-derived stem cells, including their ability to differentiate into a broad variety of cell types (neurons, bone, cartilage, muscle, tendon, etc.), they are present at comparatively much higher levels than other stem cell types; possess higher immunomodulatory capacity; and they do not endanger a patients health the way other stem cells might.

There are three steps to the treatment process:

Approximately 150 to 250 ccs of a patients own fat tissue is harvested through a minimally invasive procedure. Generally, this fat tissue is collected from around the patients belly region.

Typically, patients will experience some soreness and bruising lasting roughly a week as a result of the harvesting procedure. Additional complications from stem cell therapy for diabetes have not been observed. Although the FDA has not approved stem cell therapy for diabetes Type 2 as of yet, more than 100 studies and clinical trials have demonstrated the safety and minimal side effect profile of stem cell therapy.

Because every patient responds differently to treatment, it is difficult to predict the timeline of a patients response. It could take weeks to months for stem cell therapy for diabetes Type 2 to provide noticeable results.

Our focus is on safety, efficacy and patient-centric care when providing access to superior stem cell therapy. We utilize only board-certified surgeons, physicians and accredited clinicians to provide care for patients. Our laboratory protocols are developed and refined by our PhD neuroscientist, and our clinical team has extensive expertise in practicing cellular-based medicine. Our accredited surgical centers are geared toward enhanced procedural and patient safety. Above all, TruStem Cell Therapy has skilled patient advocates who are trained to provide truthful, realistic expectations resulting from stem cell therapy. We do not make outlandish promises of cures, or inaccurate claims related to improvement rates.

Type 2 diabetes is a relatively common disorder that causes high blood sugar levels. Though it may sound innocuous, high blood sugar can lead to symptoms like frequent urination, increased thirst and blurred vision; as well as more severe health-related complications, including fatigue, cardiovascular disease, stroke and kidney failure.

Type 2 diabetes develops when the body becomes resistant to or stops producing insulin: a hormone that helps remove sugar from blood and allows it to be absorbed into various tissue types like muscle and fat. Exactly why this happens is unknown, although genetics and environmental factors such as excess weight and inactivity seem to be contributing factors.

Living with Type 2 diabetes can be difficult, but TruStem Cell Therapy may be able to help you live a more comfortable and fulfilling life through stem cell diabetes treatment. If youd like to learn more about how we might be able to help you, contact us today.

Symptoms/Complications

Frequent urination

Increased thirst and hunger

Blurred vision

Fatigue

Cardiovascular disease

Stroke

Blindness

Kidney failure

Lower limb amputations

Causes

Type 2 diabetes develops when the body becomes resistant to insulin or when the pancreas stops producing enough insulin. Exactly why this happens is unknown, although genetics and environmental factors, such as excess weight and inactivity, seem to be contributing factors.

TruStem Cell Therapy

TruStem Cell Therapy provides access to treatment that utilizes a patients stem cells isolated from their own fat tissue. There are multiple inherent benefits afforded by the utilization of adipose derived stem cells including their ability to differentiate into a broad variety of cells types (neurons, bone, cartilage, muscle, tendon, etc.), they are present at comparatively much higher levels than other stem cell types, possess higher immunomodulatory capacity, and they do not endanger a patients health the way other stem cells might.

Approximately 150-250ccs of a patients own fat tissue is harvested through a minimally invasive, mini liposuction procedure. Generally, this fat tissue is collected from around the patients belly region.

Harvested fat tissue is immediately taken to the onsite laboratory for processing. At this step, an optimized protocol is used to isolate the maximum number of stem cells from collected fat tissue.

TruStem Cell Therapy utilizes both systematic and novel administration methods to fully saturate the body with stem cells while targeting specific areas of injury.

DT2 patients who receive stem cell therapy through us can receive multiple systemic and targeted administration methods:

Intravenously ADSCs are delivered via a vein for distribution throughout the body

Direct site injections ADSCs are delivered to sites that need repair, such asIschemic limbs andNeuropathy or nerve damage to various areas of the body.

Our focus is safety, efficacy, and patient-centric care when providing access to superior stem cell therapy.

We utilize only board certified surgeons, physicians and accredited clinicians to provide care for patients.

Laboratory protocols are developed and refined by our PhD Neuroscientist.

A clinical team with expertise in practicing cellular based medicine.

Accredited Surgical Centers for enhanced procedural and patient safety

Targeted administration methods that direct stem cells toward specific

Skilled Patient Advocates who are trained to provide truthful, realistic expectations resulting from stem cell therapy. We do not make outlandish promises of cures or inaccurate claims related to improvement rates.

FAQ

Unfortunately, not at this time. We are only providing access to stem cell therapy for Type 2 Diabetes. To date there is not enough research or clinical evidence to support the use of adult stem cell therapy as an effective therapy option for patients with type 1 diabetes. However, this may change with future advances so please return for updates on this matter.

It is important for patients and caregivers to understand that current therapies, including stem cell treatment, does not provide a cure for type 2 diabetes. However, TruStem Cell Therapy does have the potential to improve a patients quality of life by reducing symptoms and complications related to type 2 diabetes as well as slowing its progression.

The FDA has not approved stem cell therapy for type 2 diabetes. As noted above, studies have demonstrated the safety and efficacy of stem cell therapy for this condition but additional studies are needed before FDA approval can be secured.

It is possible through these treatments, to improve a patients quality of lifebyminimizing disease relatedsymptoms and complications. For Type II Diabetes patients, it is possible to see improvements in any one ormultipledisease related complications such as: stabilization of blood sugar levels, lower blood sugar levels, frequent urination, fatigue, poor wound healing, etc If you have questions regarding how these treatments may help you, please contact one of our Patient Advocates to learn more.

It is difficult to predict the timeline of a patients response. Every patient responds differently to treatment. It could take weeks to months for the stem cells to provide noticeable results.

Typically patients will experience some level of soreness and bruising lasting roughly a week as a result of the mini-liposuction procedure. Additional complications have not been observed. Over a hundred studies and clinical trials have demonstrated the safety and minimal side-effect profile of stem cell therapy.

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Stem Cell Treatment & Therapy for Diabetes Type 2 in ...

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A review of Limbal Stem Cell Deficiency including its etiology, pathopysiology, diagnosis, and treatment.

Limbal Stem Cell Deficiency

The corneal epithelium is a stratified squamous epithelium from which superficial terminal cells are naturally shed. Limbal stem cell deficiency (LSCD) is characterized by a loss or deficiency of the stem cells in the limbus that are vital for re-population of the corneal epithelium and to the barrier function of the limbus.[1][2] When these stem cells are lost, the corneal epithelium is unable to repair and renew itself. This results in epithelial breakdown and persistent epithelial defects, corneal conjunctivalization and neovascularization, corneal scarring, and chronic inflammation. All of these contribute to loss of corneal clarity, potential vision loss, chronic pain, photophobia, and keratoplasty failure.[2][3]

The etiologies can be genetic, acquired, or idiopathic.

Genetic:

Limbal stem cell deficiency has been associated with PAX6 gene mutations, which are also implicated in aniridia[4] and Peters Anomaly.[5] Other genetic disorders that have been reported with LSCD include ectrodactylyl-ectodermal-dysplasia-clefting syndrome[6], keratitis-ichthyosis-deafness (KID)Syndrome[7], Xeroderma Pigmentosum[8], Dominantly Inherited Keratitis[9], Turner Syndrome[3] and Dyskeratosis Congenita.[10]

Acquired:

Inflammatory:

Other causes include inflammatory insults such as those seen in Steven-Johnsons Syndrome (SJS) [11], ocular cicatricial pemphigoid[12], and graft versus host disease.[13] Chronic ocular allergy such as Vernal Keratoconjunctivitis is another reported cause[14]. Neurotrophic keratopathy, whether neuronal or ischemic, can lead to this disease as well[2], as can bullous keratopathy .[15]

Infectious:

Any infections of the corneal surface such as herpes keratitis[16] and trachoma [17] can predispose to this condition.

Traumatic/Iatrogenic:

Acquired causes also include trauma from chemical or thermal burns, and patients who have undergone prior ocular surgeries or cryotherapies at the limbus may be more susceptible.[16][18] Radiation and chemotherapy are other potential causes, and systemic[19] as well as topical chemotherapeutic medications may be sufficient to cause deficiency.[20] LSCD has also been seen with benzalkonium chloride toxicity with glaucoma medications .[21] Inappropriate contact lens use with consequent hypoxia and ocular irritation with destruction of the limbus may also contribute to both focal and total limbal stem cell deficiency.[22][23]

Tumors/Overgrowth of Other Tissue:

Ocular surface tumors are a known cause of LSCD.[2] Pterygium may also cause a focal acquired absence of limbal stem cells.[24]

Risk factors for LCSD vary according to the underlying cause, as above.

Pathology typically shows conjunctivalization of the cornea which can be indicated by the presence of goblet cells in the cornea. However, lack of goblet cells may be seen in approximately one third of patients.

Limbal stem cell deficiency (LSCD) is characterized by a loss or deficiency of stem cells which are vital for re-population of the corneal epithelium.

Corneal transparency is essential for vision, and thus the outer protective stratified corneal epithelium is under constant, rapid renewal with vigorous repair mechanisms. These mechanisms are essential as the cornea is constantly desquamating, and any trauma or loss of epithelial cells must be repaired quickly. Corneal epithelium completely regenerates every 3 to 10 days requiring constant renewal of cells.[9] The repair is essential to prevent infection and to preserve vision.

Corneal stem cells are located peripherally at the limbus in the basal cell layer, in pigmented crypts called the palisades of Vogt.[25] This pigmentation is thought to help protect the stem cells from ultraviolet light damage. In the normal cornea, renewal occurs from basal cells with centripetal migration of stem cells from the periphery.[26][27] This is a structure deeply related to the function of each cell. The stem cells and their progenitors require the vascular nutrition that is found in the stromal vasculature outside the cornea, and thus they must be at the periphery.[28]

Conversely, the cornea is an avascular structure. It must remain avascular in order to prevent vascular structures from interfering with light transmission and thus vision. The limbus plays an important role in preventing vascularization of the cornea from the conjunctiva; thus with loss of integrity of the limbus, conjunctival cells migrate to the cornea resulting in corneal neovascularization .[29][30]

Primary Prevention for LCSD varies according to the underlying cause. Contact lens overwear can be treated with cessation of lenses and frequent lubrication.[22] Traumatic causes may be avoided with the use of eye protection, for example. Treatment of systemic inflammatory disease is necessary to prevent ocular complications. Similarly, treatment of severe infections before they affect the limbal stem cells is critical to avoid damage in this area.

The diagnosis of limbal stem cell deficiency is largely made on clinical grounds. Patient history and clinical observation of corneal conjunctivalization associated with persistent epithelial defects hints strongly at limbal stem cell deficiency.[31] Loss of the limbal anatomy and irregular staining with fluorescein may also be seen.[32]

Patients usually present with pain resulting from recurrent erosions and decreased vision. Other symptoms may includecontact lens intolerance, photophobia, tearing, and blepharospasm.[16] The history will vary depending on the etiology. For example, a patient with LSCD from chemical burn or trauma will give a history of such an event.

The patient with limbal stem cell deficiency will present with recurrent epithelial erosions that leads to chronic keratitits, scarring, and calcification if untreated.[16] Delayed wound healing and corneal neovascularization occur with loss of limbal stem cells[33], and eventually a process called conjunctivalization occurs. The corneal surface will be covered by conjnuctiva-like epithelium that undergoes transformation into a cornea-like epithelium with loss of goblet cells, a process termed conjunctival transdifferentiation[27]. Patients usually suffer from recurrent erosions and decreased vision as a result of an irregular optical interface, weak tensile strength, and an incompetent barrier function.[27]

Patients present with progressive epitheliopathy with hazy, translucent epithelium extending centrally from the limbus, most commonly from the superior limbus. Epithelial staining, from punctate changes to more confluent staining, is broadest adjacent to the involved limbus and extends centripetally into the cornea to varying degrees in a whorl shape[2]. Patients often have evidence of mild to moderate tear film dysfunction, reduced tear film break-up time, or both[21]. Infectious keratitis is a common complication.[32] In late stages, superficial and deep vascularization, persistent epithelial defects leading to ulceration, melting, and perforation, fibrovascular pannus, and finally scarring, keratinization, and calcification can be seen.[34]

Eye pain and blurry vision are a common complaint in this disease as the epithelial surface breaks down. Eye irritation, contact lens intolerance, and blurred or decreased vision were the most common symptoms in one study.[21]

A diagnosis of limbal stem cell deficiency requires both clinical signs and symptoms of the disease along with cytological evidence.[30] Typical findings of conjunctival changes to the cornea adjacent to the limbus are a hallmark of the disease.[21]

Impression cytology shows conjunctivalization of cornea, and immunohistochemical markers of conjunctiva on impression cytology of the corneal surface (e.g. absence of keratin CK3) confirms the diagnosis.[35] On impression cytology, if the corneal impression is mainly acellular or contains normal corneal epithelial cells then it becomes less likely that limbal stem cell deficiency exists. However, if the impression consists of a mixture of corneal and conjunctival epithelial cells or mainly conjunctival epithelial cells then this is highly confirmative of limbal stem cell deficiency.[31]

On histopathology of the affected area, there is invasion and overgrowth of conjunctival epithelium, neovascularization, disruption of the basement membrane, and prominent inflammatory cell infiltrates.[36] Pathology typically shows conjunctivalization of the cornea which can be indicated by the presence of goblet cells in the cornea. However, lack of goblet cells may be seen in approximately one third of patients.

In vivo confocal microscopy has also been used to help diagnose LSCD. Changes may include absence of the palisades of Vogt in the affected sector, metaplastic wing and basal epithelial cells with significantly decreased basal epithelial cell density and subbasal nerve density, and replacement of normal limbal epithelium by vascular fibrotic tissues in late stages.[37]

See the figure above for the potential causes of LSCD, though any injury or loss of limbal stem cells or their niche may lead to this disease.

Management is typically symptomatic in nature early in the disease. When limbal stem cell injury is transient, sometimes termed limbal stem cell disease or limbal stem cell distress, conservative medical measures as above may be sufficient[21][31][38] However, total limbal stem cell deficiency must be surgically managed.

Medical management is aimed at restoring the limbal microenvironment with a stepwise approach based on both stopping traumatic or toxic insults to the limbus and optimizing the ocular surface by improving the tear film, controlling inflammation, and promoting differentiation of healthy epithelium.[21] This includes steps such as discontinuing contact lenses, aggressive lubrication with preservative free artificial tears, and lid hygiene or warm compresses.[22] When the surface does not respond to such treatment, nightly topical Vitamin A ointment, short-term pulse topical corticosteroids such as methylprednisolone 1%, loteprednol etabonate 0.5%, or 0.2%, or prednisolone acetate 1%, and cyclosporine 0.05%. Punctal occlusion may be performed in patients with significant aqueous tear film deficiency, and patients with rosacea may be treated with oral doxycycline.[21] Autologous serum eyedrops may stimulate healing of the corneal surface .[39] A bandage contact lens or the PROSE scleral lens is another option to optimize the health of the ocular surface.[40]

Improvement in the ocular surface may manifest as decreased pain and increased visual acuity on follow-up examinations. Progressive epitheliopathy with hazy, translucent epithelium extending centrally from the limbus may begin to regress, as may the pattern of epithelial staining with fluorescein[21] As above, if the signs and symptoms point to a true limbal stem cell deficiency that is not improving, surgery is necessary.

Prior to surgical intervention, effective assessment of tear film production and eye closure is an important prerequisite to ensure optimal surgical outcomes.[30] Resection of pannus tissue and subsequent amniotic membrane transplant may be helpful with partial or focal limbal stem cell deficiency not responding to these treatments.[41][42]

Penetrating Keratoplasty (PK) alone is not a viable option in LSCD as the donor tissue does not include limbal stem cells in such a transplant. In addition, the pre-existing corneal vascularization and inflammation increases the risk of rejection in these patients.[2] Thus, while the transplanted ocular surface will be temporarily clear, the same problems with its restoration and repair will eventually occur unless a viable source of stem cells to repair the lost cells is found.

Unilateral vs. Bilateral Disease:

Unilateral LSCD can be treated with autologous limbal stem cell transplants from unaffected eyes, and the benefit is that systemic immunosuppression is unnecessary.[30] However, the removal of stem cells from the contralateral eye risks stem cell deficiency in the donor eye. The risk of epithelial problems in the donor eye is low when less than four to six clock hours of limbal tissue and a moderate amount of conjunctiva are removed.[16] Allogeneic transplants from donor eyes are used when the disease is bilateral.[43] Living donor tissue is preferred as cadaveric donor tissue has worse outcomes when transplanted.[44]

Ex Vivo Cultivation:

To minimize loss of donor limbal tissue and the possibility of inducing LSCD in the donor eye, newer techniques use ex vivo cultivated limbal epithelial cells for transplantation. In this technique, a smaller area (generally 2mm x 2mm) of donor cells is grown in the laboratory on fibroblast culture medium or graft tissue/amniotic membrane in order to expand the donor cell population in an attempt to increase success rates and decrease epithelialization time.[45][46] Because using animal feeder cells such a fibroblasts to grow explanted cells may represent an unknown risk in the clinical transplantation of recipients with potentially undetected viral transmission, xeno-free transplants on amniotic membrane have been investigated which only use human tissues and cells.[47]

An even newer technique for unilateral disease called Simple Limbal Epithelial Transplantation (SLET) seeds donor stem cells directly on amniotic membrane placed on the ocular surface of the recipient, altogether bypassing the need for laboratory conditions of expansion.[48] These techniques may be combined with subsequent penetrating keratoplasty to further improve visual outcomes, once the limbal stem cell niche has been restored.[49]

The newest techniques for transplanting limbal stem cells involve hydrogel lenses and plasma polymer-coated contact lenses for in vivo culture and transfer of transplanted cells.[50] These are still in the testing phase in animal studies and some small human studies.

Beyond Limbal Cells:

Other options aside from keratolimbal allograft transplantation include oral mucosal epithelial transplantation. The use of keratoprostheses, such as the modified osteoodonto keratoprosthesis and the Boston Keratoprosthesis[51] are generally a last resort for total LSCD with poor surface and tear quality. Human embryonic stem cells, hair follicle, umbilical cord, and dental pulp stem cells all show potential in recreating the corneal phenotype but none has been perfected to date. [30] Each of these is an attempt to recreate the ocular surface in order to create clear vision.

Postoperative treatment consists of preservative-free topical antibiotic, topical immunosuppressants, and frequent preservative-free artificial tears. Steroids are rapidly tapered in autologous limbal transplantation.[16] Transplantation of an allograft poses a high risk of rejection even in HLA matched recipients. Therefore, graft survival depends on systemic immunosuppression for a prolonged, if not indefinite, period. .[49][52]

During the early postoperative period the limbal explant is carefully monitored for any areas of epithelial loss. Conjunctival epithelium can cross the explant at these sites and gain access to the corneal surface. If conjunctival encroachment is observed, mechanical debridement of conjunctival cells should be promptly carried out.[16]

Similarly, patients should be followed regularly for signs of graft rejection and treated appropriately. Signs of rejection include sectoral limbal injection, edema and infiltration of the graft, punctate keratopathy, and epithelial irregularities and defects, and surface keratinization.[53] [16] Risk factors for failure of a graft include blink-related microtrauma, conjunctival inflammation, increased intraocular pressure (IOP), aqueous teardeficient dry eye, lagophthalmos, and pathogenic symblepharon, all of which should be addressed at follow-up visits should they arise.[54]

Untreated limbal stem cell deficiency causes pain, decreased vision, and recurrent epithelial erosions that predispose to infection and loss of vision. Infectious keratitis is common with this disease, and patients who wear contact lenses for extended periods of time, have persistent epithelial defects, and use topical immunosuppressive medications are at increased risk.[32] After surgical treatment, there is a risk of rejection from allogeneic transplants.[49] It is possible that the cornea will not remain clear and further surgery such as repeat stem cell transplant or penetrating keratoplasty may be necessary[49]

Cultivated Oral Mucosal Epithelial Transplantation (COMET):

Patients with live related stem cell transplantation or cultivated oral mucosal epithelial transplantation (COMET) along with lamellar or penetrating keratoplasty have poor outcomes even with long-term immunosuppression.[54][55][56] The use of fibrin glue rather than amniotic membrane for COMET and optimizing the ocular surface prior to transplant improved outcomes in a recent study, and it is possible that future modifications to technique may improve these outcomes further.[57]

Cultivated Limbal Epithelial Transplantation (CLET):

Studies have shown that CLET is as effective as direct limbal transplantation for LSCD while requiring less donor tissue and thus being safer for donor eyes.[45][58][59][60][61] Studies of CLET have shown a 68-80% success rate.[62][63] In a review of outcomes of cultured limbal epithelial cell therapy published from 1997 to 2011 with data from 583 patients, the overall success rate was 76%.[60] However, this varies by The success rate of a transplant is significantly higher with an increased number of transplanted stem cells and failures tend to happen within the first year.[63]

The largest study of xeno-free explant culture transplants showed a 71% success rate in 200 recipient eyes with a mean follow-up of approximately 5 years and up to 10 years.[46][49] Supplemental corneal transplant (PK) has a survival rate of 1 year, with a median survival of 3.3 years.[49]

In a recent meta-analysis of the outcomes of keratolimbal allografting for LSCD, postoperative corrected distance visual acuity (CDVA) was 2 or more lines better than the preoperative visual acuity in 31%to 67% of eyes .[55]

Simple Limbal Epithelial Transplant:

In a study of 6 patients with total unilateral LSCD, visual acuity improved from worse than 20/200 in all recipient eyes before SLET surgery to 20/60 or better in four (66.6%) eyes, while none of the donor eyes developed any complications. Mean follow-up was 9.2 months.[48]

Boston Keratoprosthesis:

The Boston K-pro has been found to have good short-term visual and anatomical outcome in patients with bilateral LSCD[64] with vision of 20/40 or better at 6 months. One large study found a final postoperative CDVA 2 or more lines better than the preoperative visual acuity in 86% (18 of 21) of eyes and a CDVA of 20/50 or better in more than two thirds of eyes up to 3 years after surgery, though these prostheses should be used with caution in eyes with SJS and other immune causes as there is an increased retention failure rate.[51]

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Limbal Stem Cell Deficiency - EyeWiki

Stem Cell Therapy is a revolutionary medical breakthrough with the potential to treat health problems that have been resistant to other forms of treatment. Stem cell therapy is a form of regenerative medicine that treats the body at the cellular-level. This therapy targets diseased or damaged tissue and organs by introducing cells to replace damaged cells. Stem cells are so effective because of their ability to differentiate into cells that carry out the roles needed in a variety of organs.

Regenerative medicine like stem cell therapy is used to treat a variety of medical conditions across specialties such as rheumatology, orthopedics, neurology, immunology, and cardiology. While stem cell therapy is used to treat pre-existing conditions, it can also be used preventatively. Because of the minimally invasive and potentially beneficial applications of stem cell therapy, many patients take regular stem cell treatments to help prevent against potential future complications.

Stem cells make the most efficient use of the bodys natural ability to heal itself by targeting health issues at the cellular level. This is why regenerative medicine such as stem cell therapy harnesses the ultimate potential for the future of medical treatment.

See the article here:
Cell MD - Stem Cells for Regenerative Medicine

The doctors affiliated with National Stem Cell Centers in Dallas, TX specialize in harvesting tissue and having the cells processed at our registered tissue processing lab.

The physicians follow compliant protocols where the tissue is not manipulated and there is no tissue or cell expansion.

We also do not use enzymes as per FDA guidelines.

Stem cell procedures hold great potential for the management of joint pain, arthritis, hair loss, cosmetic and other disorders as well as auto-immune, renal, and neurological disorders.

There are various types of stem cells, particularly as they pertain to potential procedures, including umbilical cord cells, adipose (fat-derived), amniotic cells, placenta, bone marrow, exosomes, and others.

The physician will go over your options during your complimentary consultation.

Dr. Baker is a general surgeon by training and a native of Northeast Texas.

His general surgery training makes him uniquely qualified as an excellent stem cell physician.

After graduating from the University of Arkansas with the highest honors,

Dr. Baker attended the University of Texas Medical School at Houston where he was awarded the prestigious Parents and Alumni Scholarship.

During medical school, Dr. Baker was selected to participate in the competitive summer research program and remained active in research throughout medical school.

Following medical school and research commitments, Dr. Baker moved to Phoenix, Arizona where he began his surgical education. It was in the Scottsdale area that Dr. Baker began to hone his artistic eye for body sculpting. Dr. Baker also garnered broad experience in regenerative medicine around this time as aesthetic improvement and restorative complementary medicine techniques often go hand in hand.

In the six years since Dr. Baker has treated thousands of cosmetic patients and a near equal quantity of functional medicine patients. He strives to remain on the cutting edge through continued education and a meticulous attention to detail for all of his patients with a willingness to think outside the box and look for options that traditional medicine might otherwise not consider.

Dr. Thiele is a General Surgeon with five years of training in general surgery.

He is a Diplomate of the American Board of Management Wound which has helped hone his hair transplant techniques including FUT, graft harvesting, recipient site making, anesthesia, pain management and wound healing.

He has worked as a Physician at the East Texas Medical Center and Mother Francis Hospital in Tyler, and served as a Physician with VOHRA Would Physicians, TeleHealth, Murdock & Applegate Recovery.

He attended medical school at the University of Texas in Galveston and trained at Mercer University in Georgia and Charleston Area Medical Center in W. Virginia.

Dr. Thiele performs the FUT as well as FUE procedures at MAXIM Hair Restoration in Houston and Dallas, Texas.

Dr. Smith is Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon in Dallas, Texas.

He specializes in all types of aesthetic surgery for the face and performs stem cell procedures.

Dr. Smith received his undergraduate degree from Baylor University. He began his medical education at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas where he received his MD degree.

Dr. Smith completed his internship in general surgery followed by a residency and specialization in Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, including Parkland Hospital System.

Dr. Smith was then chosen for a highly specialized Fellowship in Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery sponsored by the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at the University of California, Los Angeles. During his fellowship at UCLA, his entire experience focused on cosmetic and reconstructive surgery of the face, head, and neck.

He received his training in stem cell therapy with Dr. David Mayer at National Stem Cell Centers in New York City.

Schedule your complimentary stem cell therapy consultation today with one of our affiliated physicians in Dallas, Texas, by calling (972) 865-8810 or submit the Contact Form on this page.

This location serves Dallas, Fort Worth, Arlington, Euless-Bedford-Hurst, Plano, and surrounding areas.

Phone: (972) 865-8810

Address:8111 LBJ Freeway, Suite 655Dallas, TX 75251

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Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis. This degenerative joint disorder affects mainly the lower back, small joints in the hands, the knees, hips, and neck. Osteoarthritis mainly occurs due to repetitive actions which then cause injury. The injury eats away cartilage which cushions the joints and causes friction to occur between these joints. Osteoarthritis can be painful and could even immobilize the patient.

Rheumatoid Arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis mainly affects the ankles, feet, knees, elbows, shoulders, wrists and fingers. This is an autoimmune inflammatory condition which occurs when the bodys enzymes attack their healthy tissue. These enzymes destroy the synovial membrane which lubricates and protects the joints leading to inflammation, swelling and pain. Joint erosion could also come about if the condition is left untreated.

Osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis are different conditions, but for some reason people keep confusing the two. The causes are different and so are their symptoms. Diagnosis of the conditions is conducted differently and doctors also pursue different treatment options with both conditions. In other words, despite the fact that they affect the joints the conditions have no similarities.

Different Characteristics of Osteoarthritis and Rheumatoid Arthritis

One of the major differences of osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis is the age that that the conditions start. Osteoarthritis mainly affects the aging while rheumatoid arthritis can begin at any stage in life. Rheumatoid arthritis develops rapidly and patients can identify the symptoms within a few weeks or months while osteoarthritis slowly develops over the years. Patterns of the joints affected are also different.

With rheumatoid arthritis, small and large joints are affected symmetrically. In osteoarthritis, the symptoms mainly affect one side before gradually spreading to the other side. Systemic symptoms of illness are evident with rheumatoid arthritis and the patient will experience fatigue. On the other hand, osteoarthritis symptoms do not affect the entire body.

Treatments for Osteoarthritis and Rheumatoid Arthritis

Like we mentioned, these conditions are treated differently and we will begin with osteoarthritis treatment. To relieve pain and inflammation, cold and heat packs are used. Physical exercises are also recommended. Swimming is especially recommended on osteoarthritis patients and this is because buoyancy helps soothe achy joints.

Muscle strengthening exercises are also encouraged as well as stretching exercises. Pain relief medication could also be recommended and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are prescribed. Cortisone injections could also be used to provide pain and inflammation relief. Though the relief is temporary it can last for a few months or weeks.

Rheumatoid arthritis has no cure but there are several treatments that can help provide relief from the symptoms. Certain diets have been known to be useful in treating rheumatoid arthritis and fish oil is one of them. Curcumin which can be sourced from turmeric has anti-inflammatory properties and can help reduce the symptoms.

Pain relief medication could be prescribed and just like in osteoarthritis certain exercises could help swimming being one of them. The joints affected by rheumatoid arthritis are individually treated with cortisone injections and other medications. Joint replacement is a surgical procedure that could be pursued.

Stem Cell Therapy for Osteoarthritis and Rheumatoid Arthritis

Stem cell therapy is now been used to treat degenerative conditions such osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. Research shows that adult stem cells can produce healthy cartilage and this can help to accelerate the bodys natural healing process. Stem cell therapy could reduce the number of knee replacement surgeries. The treatment is safer and comes with fewer complications.

Published research has shown excellent results for stem cell therapy for rheumatoid arthritis (Snowden et al, Journal Rheumatology, 2004). Stem cell therapy for rheumatoid arthritis may be used directly into the painful joints. This treatment helps to decrease inflammation significantly. For RA affecting numerous joints, IV stem cell therapy may be very effective as well.

The same can be said for osteoarthritis. Numerous studies, such as the recent one out of Hospital for Special Surgery, are showing that stem cell therapy and platelet rich plasma therapy are effective for osteoarthritis. Pain is often relieved and cartilage is preserved. Larger studies will show us the extent of cartilage restoration, while animal studies show it is impressive.

Contact R3 Stem Celltoday for an Appointment regarding osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis treatment with stem cell therapy!

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Stem Cells for Arthritis | Stem Cell Treatment

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More and more athletes are turning to stem cell treatments, because the pressure to get back on the field is high and access to these experimental therapies is continuing to increase. Athletes commonly suffer serious injuries that could potentially end their careers and cause them serious long-term health complications. Most of them turn to surgery to resolve those injuries.

However, some of them are pursuing stem cell treatments, because these procedures are less invasive than surgery and have the potential to speed and augment repair.

This article outlines 38 athletes who have undergone stem cell treatments for their knees, hips, ankles, shoulders, and more.

In this article:

Stem Cell Therapy for Knees

The 14 athletes below pursed stem cell therapies to resolve knee injuries and complications.

In 2010, the NFL player Jarvis Green went to Regenexx to seek stem cell treatment for his knees. The treatment involved extracting stem cells from his bone marrow and then injecting it into his knees. Prior to this, Green had two knee surgeries, which both resulted in complications and long recovery periods.

The running back for the Denver Broncos also had stem cell treatment for his knees. He had his treatment in 2013 but has yet to disclose which stem cell clinic he used.

Sidney Rice went to Switzerland for stem cell injections. The Seattle Seahawks wide receiver underwent Regenokine injection treatments for his knees.

Hines Ward was among one of the first athletes who turned to stem cell treatment for a speedy recovery. He had joint regeneration therapy using cell prolotherapy at Intermountain Stem Cells. The treatment was for a knee medial collateral ligament sprain.

The defensive lineman for the Falcons underwent a knee surgery and used stem cell therapy to speed up his recovery. The surgery was for a torn medial collateral ligament in his left knee.

Jamaal Charles had a torn anterior cruciate ligament on his knee and had ligament-repair surgery. His stem cell therapy involved extracting stem cells from his bone marrow and injecting them into his knee.

Rolando McClain had been experiencing chronic pain in his knees for two years, and then he suffered a high ankle sprain. During his offseason, McClain went to USA Precision Stem Cell and had liposuctioned fat cells autologously injected into his knees.

The Raiders linebacker injured both of his knees and then underwent stem cell treatment during his offseason.

When Alex Rodriguez sustained a knee injury, he went to Germany for stem cell treatment. The procedure was a platelet-rich plasma therapy that was injected into Rodriguezs knee. They also injected it into his shoulder to prevent future inflammation.

Josh Hamilton of the Texas Rangers had experienced swelling on his knee for a long time before he finally consulted with Dr. James Andrews to then received a stem cell and platelet-rich plasma injection.

The pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers didnt want to risk his career by allowing surgery on his knees. Instead, he went to joint Intermountain Stem Cells for regeneration therapy using stem cell prolotherapy.

Kobe Bryant traveled to Germany to seek stem cell treatment from Dr. Peter Wehling for the degeneration of his knees.

Pau Gasol had an autologous stem cell injection on his knee to remove degenerated tissue without surgery. The procedure was a focused aspiration scar tissue removal done by Dr. Steve Yoon at the Kerlan-Jobe Orthopaedic Clinic.

Chris Johnson sustained a meniscus injury on his left knee, but he continued to play through the season. The injury worsened and Johnson lost a lot of cartilage throughout the remainder of the season. He sought out Dr. James Andrews and had stem cell therapy to accelerate his recovery.

The three athletes below pursed stem cell therapies for ACL and MCL repair (ligaments within the human knee).

The famous golfer confirmed in 2010 that he had undergone a stem cell treatment. He received joint regeneration therapy with platelet-rich injections.

Stephen Curry had a grade-1 MCL sprain and consulted with Dr. Russ Riggs from the Reflex Clinic in Tigard regarding stem cell treatments. Dr. Riggs advised Curry to have PRP injections to help his recovery by reducing the inflammation and pain.

The former NFL player went to South Koreas Chaum Anti-Aging Center to seek treatment for an ACL injury. There, he had bone marrow-derived stem cell injections for ligaments, tendons, and joints.

Stem Cell Therapy for Cartilage, Tendon, & Muscles

The six athletes below pursed stem cell therapies to resolve cartilage, tendon, and muscle complications.

The Jacksonville Jaguars guard sought stem cell treatment for cartilage regrowth in 2013. However, Uche Nwaneri has not yet gone public about which clinic he underwent treatment at.

Marquis Maze, the former University of Alabama receiver, had stem cell therapy for a muscle injury at USA Precision Stem Cell. The procedure was an autologous operation for his damaged joints and muscles.

LaRon Landry missed a lot of games in 2012 due to an injury to his left Achilles tendon. Instead of seeking surgery, he went to AminoMatrix and had PRP treatments for his torn tendon.

Cliff Lee is one of the many athletes who has gone to Intermountain Stem Cells. According to their website, Lee had a joint regeneration therapy using stem cell prolotherapy.

The Olympic swimmer had mild arthritis in her knees, which worsened due to her training. In 2009, she had an autologous chondrocyte implantation to regrow the cartilage cells on her kneecap.

The veteran rugby player took a break from his career due to damaged knee cartilage. With the hope of reviving his career, he had stem cells injected into his right knee at a clinic in Queenstown.

Elbow Stem Cell Treatments

The three athletes below pursed stem cell therapies to resolve elbow injuries.

Among the major league athletes, Bartolo Colons stem cell treatment has had some of the most coverage. He was sidelined due to a torn rotator cuff and elbow injury in 2005. He was then one of the first athletes to receive a stem cell transplant on his arm from his fat and bone marrow.

Andrew Heaney went public about having stem cell treatments in 2016. He had a torn ulnar collateral ligament and received stem cell therapy to aid his recovery.

Garrett Richards had a torn elbow ligament and wanted to start surgery right away. Instead, the teams physical therapist Bernard Li advised Richards to try stem cell treatments. In May 2017, stem cells were extracted from his bone marrow and injected into his elbow.

Leg and Foot Stem Cell Treatments

The four athletes below pursed stem cell therapies to resolve leg and foot injuries.

The Real Madrid forward sustained a hamstring injury and tried stem cell treatment to hasten his recovery for their next game in Manchester. The procedure involved harvesting stem cells from his own bone marrow and injecting it into his hamstrings.

The Giants running back Ahmad Bradshaw underwent a foot surgery that involved having screws inserted into his foot for two fractures, which he regretted within the year. It wasnt until 2011, when a new fracture occurred, that he decided to seek a different form of treatment. Instead of following through with the surgery, he tried stem cell injections to promote bone regrowth in his foot. In 2012, he had the screws taken out and played for the rest of the season.

Prince Amukamara of the New York Giants sustained a broken bone in his left foot from training camp. For bone regeneration, he had stem cells harvested from his bone marrow and injected into his foot.

The Olympic athlete David Payne suffered a shin injury while he was training for the Olympic trials in 2011. In an attempt to reach his optimum for the trials, he had stem cell therapy with PRP as a regenerative procedure.

The two athletes below pursed other types of stem cell treatments for athletic injuries.

Ray Lewis is another high-profile athlete who received a stem cell treatment for a sports-related injury. Lewis traveled all the way to Europe for stem cell therapy on his triceps.

The football star Peyton Manning suffered a neck related injury while playing ball. He traveled to Germany to undergo stem cell treatment, where stem cells from his fat cells were harvested and injected into his neck.

The six individuals below pursed stem cell therapies for conditions beyond sports-related injuries.

The hockey player Gordie Howe experienced a number of small strokes in 2014. At the age of 86, his right side had become paralyzed. Dr. McGuigan from Stemedica, a stem-cell manufacturer, offered Howe and his family an experimental stem cell treatment. The procedure involved millions of neural stem cells injected into his spinal column. He started exhibiting results within days.

Jose Contreras was suffering from chronic pain in his joints, and was among one of the first high-profile athletes to try PRP therapy as an alternative to surgery and other invasive procedures.

Daisuke Matsuzaka was the highly fought-for pitcher in 2006. He is also one of the major league athletes who had PRP therapy for painful joints.

The 82-year-old Nascar driver joined his wife in seeking stem cell treatments to better their health and regain some youth. Foyt had adult stem cells injected into his blood, ankle, and shoulder.

Jack Nicklaus is a golf legend with 120 professional tournament victories. He went through various medical procedures to help with his chronic joint pain and inflammation. In 2016, he tried stem cell therapy at the Isar Klinikum in Germany. The procedure used liposuctioned abdominal stem cells stained with Matrase to break down the fat tissue.

The tennis player Rafael Nadal had stem cell treatment for back ailments. Stem cells were injected into a joint in his spine to help repair the cartilage. He had also received a similar procedure for his knee the year before.

Stem cell therapies now offer novel alternatives to many surgical procedures. With more and more athletes exploring these types of treatments, they will play an increasingly important role in the future of sports injuries at both the amateur and professional level.

Do you know of other athletes who have undergone stem cell treatments? Mention them in the comments section below.

Up Next:Cost Of Stem Cell Therapy

38 Pro Athletes Who Have Had Stem Cell Treatments

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38 Pro Athletes Who Have Had Stem Cell Treatments ...

We Are Seeking Stem Cell Patients Who Have Experienced Complications or Adverse Medical Events

Injured by Stem Cell Products or Suffering from Complications? You May Be Entitled to Compensation.

The future of medicine is upon us stem cell therapy. Using stem cells to regenerate or replace damaged tissue or diseased cells is a technique that is offering new life to millions of patients.

Like any other medical treatment, stem cell treatments come with a number of risks and side effects, including stem cell rejection, Graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), fatigue, bruising or other minor side effects associated with stem cell procedures.

But some stem cell products carry greater, life-threatening risks.

Most Americans feel that stem cells are safe as long as they are FDA-approved or authorized for use in clinical trials. And this absolutely should be the case.

However, stem cell companies feeling pressured to keep up with a highly competitive market may skimp on quality control and ignore safe manufacturing requirements. Corrupt stem cell companies and clinics may use unsafe manufacturing conditions to save on costs, resulting in dangerous stem cell contamination and deadly patient infections.

Stem cell manufacturers and distributors who produce dangerous, defective, or contaminated stem cell products face criminal and civil penalties. Harmed stem cell patients have the right to file a lawsuit for damages, including past and future medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, and other damages.

In an effort to crack down on this dangerous practice, our stem cell litigation firm is currently seeking reports of stem cell complications and adverse reactions. Working alongside the FDA, Department of Justice (DOJ) and Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG), we are actively investigating cases of potentially dangerous stem cell products.

Stem cells are cells found naturally in the body. But they are different from the majority of our bodys cells in that stem cells come from our own embryonic development. They exist throughout our lives, acting as a preliminary supply of cells from which new cells are derived.

As our bodys cells are damaged or die, stem cells are triggered to become or help create new, healthy cells to replace them. Many types of tissues contain stem cells:

Stem cells vary depending on the tissue they are taken from. Some can become any type of cell in the body, while others can become only one type of cell. This variation is grouped into five categories:

Injecting stem cells, implanting stem cells or growing stem cells to make artificial tissues have proven effective against numerous diseases.

Doctors currently use umbilical cord cells and adult stem cells to treat diseases like leukemia, multiple myeloma, lymphoma, neuroblastoma, and sickle cell anemia. Researchers are currently testing stem cell therapies to treat other types of cancers, heart disease, spinal cord injuries, stroke, type I diabetes, Alzheimers disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Parkinsons disease, severe burns, and osteoarthritis.

Scientists are also working on developing tissue regeneration techniques to grow organs and tissue for transplant, making everything from skin grafts and new blood vessels to healthy brain cells, heart cells, and kidney cells.

Currently, the FDA has approved the following stem cell-based products for use in the United States. All come from cord blood and function to produce various blood cell types.

As part of the 21st Century Cures Act (Dec. 2016), the FDA gives several unapproved stem cell therapies Regenerative Medicine Advanced Therapy (RMAT) designation. RMAT designated products, though not FDA-approved, have some preliminary clinical evidence of effectiveness against serious or life-threatening diseases for which no alternative treatment is available.

In addition to FDA-approved and RMAT-designated stem cell products, stem cell companies across the globe are currently developing and testing stem cell therapies for use in humans. Some of the primary stem cell companies include:

Like any other medical treatment, stem cell therapy comes with a number of risks and side effects. There are indirect risks, associated with other associated procedures like radiation or chemotherapy. Then there are direct risks that come with receiving the cells themselves.

Direct risks associated with stem cell therapies are relatively minor and temporary, typically lasting until the treatment takes and the cells become established in the body. The main risk is developing GVHD, when the bodys immune system tries to reject the cells, attacking healthy cells in the process. Symptoms include rash, jaundice, fever, diarrhea, cramping and nausea.

Other side effects of stem cell therapies may include fatigue (from temporary anemia), bruising (from temporarily low platelet counts), infection (from a temporarily weakened immune system).

Doctors will evaluate a patient for any potential risks up front and plan to address these issues accordingly, delivering medications before, along with, or soon after the stem cells to alleviate any problems.

However, when stem cells are not prepared or marketed correctly, serious, and life-threatening illness can result. Poor stem cell manufacturing practices can easily lead to contaminated cells. If contaminated cells are injected, the patient may develop sepsis, leading to loss of limbs, organ failure or death.

If stem cells are marketed as one type of cell but actually contain a different type of cell, those injected stem cells may cause organ failure, develop into tumors, or simply wont work as marketed allowing the patient to progress in their illness.

Even if you receive your own stem cells (autologous stem cell therapy), you can still suffer from a laboratorys poor cell acquisition process and bad preparation techniques. Your own stem cells can still become contaminated with viruses or bacteria during improper handling, causing highly dangerous infections after injection.

As the FDA ramps up its fight against unsafe stem cell companies, more and more stem cell clinics and laboratories are being disciplined for dangerous stem cell manufacturing practices.

Some stem cell products have received FDA approval and are already on the market. Others have obtained FDA investigational new drug (IND) approval or RMAT designation. According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), more than 1,000 clinical trials examining stem cell therapies are currently underway.

All manufacturers of FDA-regulated stem cell products must adhere to strict FDA safety guidelines regarding manufacturing practices to ensure safety, potency, and purity. When they dont, they face both criminal and civil penalties.

Injured patients have the right to file a stem cell lawsuit for financial compensation, including money to pay for past and future medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, and other damages.

Since properly prepared stem cell therapies rarely cause serious complications, you may be eligible to file a stem cell lawsuit if you suffered serious injury due to a stem cell product.[See our contact information at the end of this post.]

To meet FDA current good manufacturing practices (cGMP) requirements, stem cell companies must maintain a sterile facility to prevent risk of contamination. Live stem cells must be irradiated to ensure no bacterial or viral contamination is present.

Stem cell companies must also only market their cells for uses approved by the FDA. Telling patients or doctors that a stem cell line FDA-approved for lymphoma treatment is also useful for Type I diabetes treatment is dangerous and illegal.

Many stem cell products are manufactured overseas, making efficient FDA regulation difficult. With an FDA staffing shortage, overseas stem cell companies arent worried about surprise inspections and have no reason to maintain a sterile facility or sufficient quality control testing.

Most stem cell companies know an FDA inspection is coming months in advance, giving them time to clean up equipment, falsify quality control data and hide violations.

Because of the significant threat to public health, the FDA, DOJ and HHS-OIG rely on patients, doctors, nurses, stem cell laboratory technicians and pharmaceutical sales representatives to report cases of adverse reactions to stem cell treatments, stem cell contaminations and poor manufacturing practices.

Our stem cell litigation firm is currently working with the federal government to uncover potentially dangerous stem cell products. We are interested in hearing from anyone who has experienced serious complications after stem cell therapy.

Working with our national network of dangerous drug lawyers, we can help you receive answers and compensation. Stem cell products may be the future of modern medicine. Unfortunately, there are far too many companies rushing into the field with untested or dangerous products and making wild claims of miracle cures.

Recently FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb M.D. said,

The potential health benefits of regenerative medicine have spurred major progress in stem-cell biology over the past several decades. But we continue to see bad actors exploit the scientific promise of this field to mislead vulnerable patients into believing theyre being given safe, effective treatments; when instead these stem cell producers are leveraging the fields hype to push unapproved, unproven, illegal, and potentially unsafe products. This is putting patients health at risk.

Until the industry and regulators can insure that all medical products are safe and used properly, we will continue to protect patients and step in when drug companies push dangerous products or make unsupported claims. If you are suffering from an adverse reaction from stem cell products, contact us right away.

We are also seeking anyone with information on FDA cGMP violations, even third-party agents, outsiders, and international parties.

Present or former stem cell laboratory technicians, quality assurance (QA) professionals, pharmaceutical representatives, stem cell company executives, other stem cell safety or quality control specialists, physicians and nurses may be eligible for significant whistleblower awards under federal and state False Claims Acts.

You need not be a U.S. citizen or even a resident to report your concerns and receive a cash award.

For more information, visit our Dangerous Drug and Defective Medical Products page. If you have information on potentially dangerous stem cell preparations or are ready to file a stem cell lawsuit, Contact Us by Email at

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Suffering Complications or Adverse Reactions to Stem Cell ...

TY - JOUR

T1 - Complications and risks in hematopoietic stem cell transplant patients.

AU - Smith, L. A.

AU - Wright-Kanuth, M. S.

PY - 2001/3

Y1 - 2001/3

N2 - Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation is a recognized treatment for hematological diseases such as leukemia and lymphoma, certain solid organ tumors, and a limited number of immunologic disorders. The major risks associated with this procedure are infections and development of graft-vs-host disease. Bacterial or viral agents are the most common cause of infections, but fungal and protozoan organisms may also be isolated. Bacterial infections occur most frequently in the first 30 days after transplant, whereas the onset of viral infections usually occurs later during the first three months posttransplant. Studies have demonstrated that there are a variety of predisposing factors that influence the type of infection a patient develops. These include underlying disease, type of chemotherapy regimen, type of antimicrobial and antiviral regimen, presence of graft-vs-host disease, and period of severe neutropenia posttransplant. Of these, the period of neutropenia appears to be the most significant. Graft-vs-host disease is seen in those patients who have received allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplants. New antimicrobial and antiviral agents and manipulation of the hematopoietic stem cell transplant to select specific cell types for infusion have provided some methods to prevent or decrease the number and severity of infections or to prevent/control graft-vs-host disease.

AB - Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation is a recognized treatment for hematological diseases such as leukemia and lymphoma, certain solid organ tumors, and a limited number of immunologic disorders. The major risks associated with this procedure are infections and development of graft-vs-host disease. Bacterial or viral agents are the most common cause of infections, but fungal and protozoan organisms may also be isolated. Bacterial infections occur most frequently in the first 30 days after transplant, whereas the onset of viral infections usually occurs later during the first three months posttransplant. Studies have demonstrated that there are a variety of predisposing factors that influence the type of infection a patient develops. These include underlying disease, type of chemotherapy regimen, type of antimicrobial and antiviral regimen, presence of graft-vs-host disease, and period of severe neutropenia posttransplant. Of these, the period of neutropenia appears to be the most significant. Graft-vs-host disease is seen in those patients who have received allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplants. New antimicrobial and antiviral agents and manipulation of the hematopoietic stem cell transplant to select specific cell types for infusion have provided some methods to prevent or decrease the number and severity of infections or to prevent/control graft-vs-host disease.

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Complications and risks in hematopoietic stem cell ...

Overview

A bone marrow transplant is a procedure that infuses healthy blood stem cells into your body to replace your damaged or diseased bone marrow. A bone marrow transplant is also called a stem cell transplant.

A bone marrow transplant may be necessary if your bone marrow stops working and doesn't produce enough healthy blood cells.

Bone marrow transplants may use cells from your own body (autologous transplant) or from a donor (allogeneic transplant).

Mayo Clinic's approach

A bone marrow transplant may be used to:

Bone marrow transplants can benefit people with a variety of both cancerous (malignant) and noncancerous (benign) diseases, including:

Bone marrow is the spongy tissue inside some bones. Its job is to produce blood cells. If your bone marrow isn't functioning properly because of cancer or another disease, you may receive a stem cell transplant.

To prepare for a stem cell transplant, you receive chemotherapy to kill the diseased cells and malfunctioning bone marrow. Then, transplanted blood stem cells are put into your bloodstream. The transplanted stem cells find their way to your marrow, where ideally they begin producing new, healthy blood cells.

A bone marrow transplant poses many risks of complications, some potentially fatal.

The risk can depend on many factors, including the type of disease or condition, the type of transplant, and the age and health of the person receiving the transplant.

Although some people experience minimal problems with a bone marrow transplant, others may develop complications that may require treatment or hospitalization. Some complications could even be life-threatening.

Complications that can arise with a bone marrow transplant include:

Your doctor can explain your risk of complications from a bone marrow transplant. Together you can weigh the risks and benefits to decide whether a bone marrow transplant is right for you.

If you receive a transplant that uses stem cells from a donor (allogeneic transplant), you may be at risk of developing graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). This condition occurs when the donor stem cells that make up your new immune system see your body's tissues and organs as something foreign and attack them.

Many people who have an allogeneic transplant get GVHD at some point. The risk of GVHD is a bit greater if the stem cells come from an unrelated donor, but it can happen to anyone who gets a bone marrow transplant from a donor.

GVHD may happen at any time after your transplant. However, it's more common after your bone marrow has started to make healthy cells.

There are two kinds of GVHD: acute and chronic. Acute GVHD usually happens earlier, during the first months after your transplant. It typically affects your skin, digestive tract or liver. Chronic GVHD typically develops later and can affect many organs.

Chronic GVHD signs and symptoms include:

You'll undergo a series of tests and procedures to assess your general health and the status of your condition, and to ensure that you're physically prepared for the transplant. The evaluation may take several days or more.

In addition, a surgeon or radiologist will implant a long thin tube (intravenous catheter) into a large vein in your chest or neck. The catheter, often called a central line, usually remains in place for the duration of your treatment. Your transplant team will use the central line to infuse the transplanted stem cells and other medications and blood products into your body.

If a transplant using your own stem cells (autologous transplant) is planned, you'll undergo a procedure called apheresis (af-uh-REE-sis) to collect blood stem cells.

Before apheresis, you'll receive daily injections of growth factor to increase stem cell production and move stem cells into your circulating blood so that they can be collected.

During apheresis, blood is drawn from a vein and circulated through a machine. The machine separates your blood into different parts, including stem cells. These stem cells are collected and frozen for future use in the transplant. The remaining blood is returned to your body.

If a transplant using stem cells from a donor (allogeneic transplant) is planned, you will need a donor. When you have a donor, stem cells are gathered from that person for the transplant. This process is often called a stem cell harvest or bone marrow harvest. Stem cells can come from your donor's blood or bone marrow. Your transplant team decides which is better for you based on your situation.

Another type of allogeneic transplant uses stem cells from the blood of umbilical cords (cord blood transplant). Mothers can choose to donate umbilical cords after their babies' births. The blood from these cords is frozen and stored in a cord blood bank until needed for a bone marrow transplant.

After you complete your pretransplant tests and procedures, you begin a process known as conditioning. During conditioning, you'll undergo chemotherapy and possibly radiation to:

The type of conditioning process you receive depends on a number of factors, including your disease, overall health and the type of transplant planned. You may have both chemotherapy and radiation or just one of these treatments as part of your conditioning treatment.

Side effects of the conditioning process can include:

You may be able to take medications or other measures to reduce such side effects.

Based on your age and health history, your doctor may recommend lower doses or different types of chemotherapy or radiation for your conditioning treatment. This is called reduced-intensity conditioning.

Reduced-intensity conditioning kills some cancer cells and somewhat suppresses your immune system. Then, the donor's cells are infused into your body. Donor cells replace cells in your bone marrow over time. Immune factors in the donor cells may then fight your cancer cells.

Your bone marrow transplant occurs after you complete the conditioning process. On the day of your transplant, called day zero, stem cells are infused into your body through your central line.

The transplant infusion is painless. You are awake during the procedure.

The transplanted stem cells make their way to your bone marrow, where they begin creating new blood cells. It can take a few weeks for new blood cells to be produced and for your blood counts to begin recovering.

Bone marrow or blood stem cells that have been frozen and thawed contain a preservative that protects the cells. Just before the transplant, you may receive medications to reduce the side effects the preservative may cause. You'll also likely be given IV fluids (hydration) before and after your transplant to help rid your body of the preservative.

Side effects of the preservative may include:

Not everyone experiences side effects from the preservative, and for some people those side effects are minimal.

When the new stem cells enter your body, they begin to travel through your body and to your bone marrow. In time, they multiply and begin to make new, healthy blood cells. This is called engraftment. It usually takes several weeks before the number of blood cells in your body starts to return to normal. In some people, it may take longer.

In the days and weeks after your bone marrow transplant, you'll have blood tests and other tests to monitor your condition. You may need medicine to manage complications, such as nausea and diarrhea.

After your bone marrow transplant, you'll remain under close medical care. If you're experiencing infections or other complications, you may need to stay in the hospital for several days or sometimes longer. Depending on the type of transplant and the risk of complications, you'll need to remain near the hospital for several weeks to months to allow close monitoring.

You may also need periodic transfusions of red blood cells and platelets until your bone marrow begins producing enough of those cells on its own.

You may be at greater risk of infections or other complications for months to years after your transplant.

A bone marrow transplant can cure some diseases and put others into remission. Goals of a bone marrow transplant depend on your individual situation, but usually include controlling or curing your disease, extending your life, and improving your quality of life.

Some people complete bone marrow transplantation with few side effects and complications. Others experience numerous challenging problems, both short and long term. The severity of side effects and the success of the transplant vary from person to person and sometimes can be difficult to predict before the transplant.

It can be discouraging if significant challenges arise during the transplant process. However, it is sometimes helpful to remember that there are many survivors who also experienced some very difficult days during the transplant process but ultimately had successful transplants and have returned to normal activities with a good quality of life.

Explore Mayo Clinic studies testing new treatments, interventions and tests as a means to prevent, detect, treat or manage this disease.

Living with a bone marrow transplant or waiting for a bone marrow transplant can be difficult, and it's normal to have fears and concerns.

Having support from your friends and family can be helpful. Also, you and your family may benefit from joining a support group of people who understand what you're going through and who can provide support. Support groups offer a place for you and your family to share fears, concerns, difficulties and successes with people who have had similar experiences. You may meet people who have already had a transplant or who are waiting for a transplant.

To learn about transplant support groups in your community, ask your transplant team or social worker for information. Also, several support groups are offered at Mayo Clinic in Arizona, Florida and Minnesota.

Mayo Clinic researchers study medications and treatments for people who have had bone marrow transplants, including new medications to help you stay healthy after your bone marrow transplant.

If your bone marrow transplant is using stem cells from a donor (allogeneic transplant), you may be at risk of graft-versus-host disease. This condition occurs when a donor's transplanted stem cells attack the recipient's body. Doctors may prescribe medications to help prevent graft-versus-host disease and reduce your immune system's reaction (immunosuppressive medications).

After your transplant, it will take time for your immune system to recover. You may be given antibiotics to prevent infections. You may also be prescribed antifungal, antibacterial or antiviral medications. Doctors continue to study and develop several new medications, including new antifungal medications, antibacterial medications, antiviral medications and immunosuppressive medications.

After your bone marrow transplant, you may need to adjust your diet to stay healthy and to prevent excessive weight gain. Maintaining a healthy weight can help prevent high blood pressure, high cholesterol and other negative health effects.

Your nutrition specialist (dietitian) and other members of your transplant team will work with you to create a healthy-eating plan that meets your needs and complements your lifestyle. Your dietitian may also give you food suggestions to control side effects of chemotherapy and radiation, such as nausea.

Your dietitian will also provide you with healthy food options and ideas to use in your eating plan. Your dietitian's recommendations may include:

After your bone marrow transplant, you may make exercise and physical activity a regular part of your life to continue to improve your health and fitness. Exercising regularly helps you control your weight, strengthen your bones, increase your endurance, strengthen your muscles and keep your heart healthy.

Your treatment team may work with you to set up a routine exercise program to meet your needs. You may perform exercises daily, such as walking and other activities. As you recover, you can slowly increase your physical activity.

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Bone marrow transplant - Mayo Clinic

Your doctor may recommend astem cell transplantationto treat your acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Stem cell transplantation isn't an option for everyone, especially because of the high, sometimes life-threatening risks associated with it.

Allogeneic stem cell transplantation is the most common type of stem cell transplantation used to treat AML.Studies show that allogeneic stem cell transplantation may benefit high-risk and intermediate-risk patients who are younger than 60 and have an HLA-matched sibling donor. Timing of an allogeneic stem cell transplantation is one of the most important factors influencing transplant outcomes, so it is very important to start a donor search as soon as possible in order to identify a suitably matched related or unrelated donor.

Autologous transplantation is sometimes used for patients who do not have an HLA-matched donor. Autologous transplants are used less frequently than allogeneic transplants for AML patients mainly because of the lack of a graft-versus-leukemia effect and the risk of returning some leukemia cells back to the patient.

Allogeneic stem cell transplantation involves transferring stem cells from a healthy person (the donor) to the patient. The procedure follows high-intensity chemotherapy, potent drugs that must be toxic enough to kill leukemic cells. Unfortunately, the drugs also take aim at normal stem cells in the bone marrow.

The main reasons for doing an allogeneic stem cell transplant are:

The decision to do a stem cell transplant depends on:

Allogeneic stem cell transplantation is used to treat certain AML patients. It is a curative treatment option for some AML patients in first remission.Allogeneic transplantation is associated with a higher rate of side effects and mortality than autologous transplant. However, it may be considered for patients with higher-risk AML, based on cytogenetic and molecular test results. The decision to perform an allogeneic transplant also depends on the age of the patient and the patients (or his or her familys) understanding of the potential benefits and risks.The upper age limit for transplantation varies by treatment center; many centers use age 60 or 65 years for allogeneic transplantation and 70 or 75years for reduced-intensity allogeneic transplantation.

Reduced-intensity allogeneic stem cell transplantation may be a treatment option for patients who are too old or who may have other medical conditions that prevent them from having a standard allogeneic stem cell transplant. The conditioning therapy used for a reduced-intensity transplant is of lower intensity than that for a standard stem cell transplant; it does not completely inactivate the patients immune system or treat the AML as intensively. Thus, if a suitable donor is available, patients up to age 75 may benefit from this form of treatment.

A serious risk of allogeneic and reduced-intensity allogenic stem cell transplantation is graft versus host disease (GVHD), which develops if the donor's immune cells attack your normal tissue. GVHD's effects can range from minor to life threatening.

Autologous stem cell transplantation involves "harvesting," or retrieving, noncancerous stem cells from the patients own body and freezing them. The cells are returned to the patients body after receiving intensive chemotherapy. The procedure is only appropriate for certain patients.

The question of which patients are likely to benefit from transplantation after their first complete remission is under study in clinical trials. The decision to do a stem cell transplant depends on whether the patients AML is favorable risk, intermediate risk or high risk. The doctor also considers:

Autologous transplantation is relatively safe for many patients, including older patients. For some AML patients who do not have an HLA-matched stem cell donor, therapy can be further intensified with very-high-dose chemotherapy followed by an autologous transplant.

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Stem Cell Transplantation | Leukemia and Lymphoma Society

Stem Cell Therapy dangers and risks December 13, 2013 December 13, 2013

I received a disturbing call from a woman in Texas recently. She was having some complications from the stem cell treatment that she received in her hometown.

In what is becoming a more common email or call from people not our patients, she revealed that she believed that her doctor was inexperienced in the Stem Cell procedure and did not know how to address her complications.

Even though I did not have the luxury of examining her, I tried to ask some questions to help her with her situation.

It seems, that she had received placental cells.They were injected into her knee and it caused a severe inflammatory response that left her with a great deal of pain. I did wish her the best and try to offer some advice, but also let her know that it is not legal nor recommended to inject placental cells into a patient.

While we have found the use of stem cells for the symptomatic treatment of arthritis and pain to be very helpful in our practice, one must be very cautious as to know what they are receiving.

As I mentioned, placental cells are not only illegal, but are immature cells that can have mutagenic properties. That is, they have the ability to turn into cancer cells and furthermore it is uncertain if the body can reject them since they are not harvested from the person who is receiving the treatment. These cells, also differentiate to form both blood cells and tissue cells so there is a great deal of insufficiency if you are looking to heal damaged tissue.

Bone marrow derived stem cells also have this same property of containing cell lines that turn into blood cells. There are certain areas, like the tibia, where the bone marrow contains many more blood cells then areas such as the hip, which contain more mesenchymal cells. Certain doctors have recommended tibial bone marrow draws for the use of bone marrow prolotherapy from the tibia, but this has very little scientific backing to be included as a stem cell source. There is also no research whatsoever showing its efficacy.

Many other doctors use bone marrow from the hip in their stem cell procedure. While this is a richer source of mesenchymal cells when compared to the tibia it is still a very poor source of stem cells.

Results from stem cell procedures not only depend on the cell type and where they are injected, but also the diagnostic skill and approach of the physician. While stem cells may have amazing properties, they are not so magical where we can just inject stem cells into a joint and hope for good results. As a physician, it is our job to evaluate and treat any problem surrounding, above and below the joint using a very careful physical examination. A comprehensive approach, not a single sided approach, will yield the best results for the patient.

Growth hormone has also been touted by one physician as useful in a stem cell mixture. That physician is conducting a study on this, but it still remains unproven. We had used this in power injection solution well over 10 years ago and stopped because it did not produce any significant clinical benefit. Furthermore, stem cells do need to be combined with a variety of growth factors in order to further their differentiation into new tissue. This can be achieved by using specialized forms of PRP along with the stem cell mixture. Both ourselves with our partners at Kensey and Dr. Centeno from Regenexx has done laboratory tests to look at the importance of this. There is a large variation in how stem cells perform based upon the environment that they are given with the PRP.

In summary, while these procedures have tremendous potential, we need to follow in the best of our knowledge base and follow our outcomes. Eventually, our technology will expand, and in the future we will have the capability to harvest stem cells in less than a half hour But this will take several years of development.

Scott Greenberg MD

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Stem Cell Therapy dangers and risks - Magaziner Center for ...

Stem cell therapy can be described as a means or process by which stem cells are used for the prevention, treatment or the cure of diseases. Stem cells are a special kind of cells that have features other types of cells dont have. As an illustration, stem cells are capable of proliferation. This implies that they can develop into any type of cell, and grow to start performing the functions of the tissue. In addition, they can regenerate. This means they can multiply themselves. This is most important when a new tissue has to be formed. Also, they modulate immune reactions. This has made them useful for the treatment of autoimmune diseases, especially those that affect the musculoskeletal system such as rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus and so on. Stem cells can be derrived from different sources. They can be extracted from the body, and in some specific parts of the body. This includes the blood, bone marrow, umbilical cord in newborns, adipose tissue, and from embryos. There are 2 main types of stem cell transplant. These are autologous stem cell transplant, and allogeneic stem cell transplant. The autologous stem cell transplant means that stem cells are extracted from the patient, processed, and then transplanted back to the patient, for therapeutic purposes. On the other hand, allogeneic stem cell transplant means the transplant of stem cells or from another individual, known as the donor, to another person, or recipient. Some treatments must be given to the receiver to prevent any cases of rejections, and other complications. The autologous is usually the most preferred type of transplant because of its almost zero side effects. Below are some of the stem cell treatments. Our goal is to provide education, research and an opportunity to connect with Stem Cell Doctors, as well as provide stem cell reviews

Adipose Stem Cell TreatmentsAdipose stem cell treatment is one of the most commonly used. This is because large quantities of stem cells can be derrived from them. According to statistics, the number of stem cells in adipose tissue are usually hundreds of times higher than what can be obtained from other sources, such as the bone marrow stem cells. Adipose stem cells have taken the center stage in the world of stem cell therapy. Apart from the ease that comes with the harvesting of these cells from the adipose tissue, they also have some special features, that separates them from other types of cells. Adipose stem cells are capable of regulating and modulating the immune system. This includes immune suppression, which is important for the treatment of autoimmune diseases. In addition, adipose stem cells can differentiate to form other types of cells. Some of them include the bone forming cells, cardiomyocytes, and cells of the nervous system.

This process can be divided into four parts. These are

Stem cell joint injection is fast becoming the new treatment of joint diseases. Stem cells derived from bone marrow, adipose and mesenchymal stem cells are the most commonly used. The stem cells are injected into the joints, and they proceed to repair and replace the damaged tissues. The cells also modulate the inflammatory process going on. Overall, stem cell joint injections significantly reduce the recovery time of patients and also eliminates pain and risks associated with surgery. Examples of diseases where this treatment is used include osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and so on. Researchers and physicians have rated this procedure to be the future of joint therapy.

Losing a tooth as a kid isnt news because youd eventually grow them back, but losing one as an adult isnt a pleasant experience. Youd have to go through the pains of getting a replacement from your dentist. Apart from the cost of these procedures, the pain and number of days youd have to stay at home nursing the pain is also a problem. Nevertheless, there are great teeth replacement therapies available for all kinds of dental problems. Although there are already good dental treatment methods, stem cell therapy might soon become the future of dental procedures. Currently, a lot of research is being done on how stem cells can be used to develop teeth naturally, especially in patients with dental problems. The aim of the project is to develop a method whereby peoples stem cells are used in regenerating their own teeth and within the shortest time possible. Some of the benefits of the stem cell tooth would be:

The quality of life of those that underwent serious procedures, especially those that had an allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation done was studied. It was discovered that this set of people had to cope with some psychological problems, even years after the procedure. In addition, allogeneic stem cell transplantation often comes with some side effects. However, this a small price to pay, considering that the adverse effects are not usually life-threatening. Also theses types of procedures are used for severe disorders or even terminal diseases. On the other hand, autologous stem cell transplantation bears the minimum to no side effects. Patients do have a great quality of life, both in the short term and in the long term.

This is one of the many uses of stem cells. The stem cell gun is a device that is used in treating people with wounds or burns. This is done by simply triggering it, and it sprays stem cells on the affected part. This kind of treatment is crucial for victims of a severe burn. Usually, people affected by severe burns would have to endure excruciating pain. The process of recovery is usually long, which might vary from weeks to months, depending on the severity of the burn. Even after treatment, most patients are left with scars forever. However, the stem cell gun eliminates these problems, the skin can be grown back in just a matter of days. The new skin also grows evenly and blends perfectly with the other part of the body. This process is also without the scars that are usually associated with the traditional burns therapy. The stem cell gun is without any side effects.

There is one company that focuses on the production of stem cell supplements. These stem cells are usually natural ingredients that increase the development of stem cells, and also keeps them healthy. The purpose of the stem cell supplements is to help reduce the aging process and make people look younger. These supplements work by replacing the dead or repairing the damaged tissues of the body. There have been a lot of testimonials to the efficacy of these supplements.

It is the goal of researchers to make stem cell therapy a good alternative for the millions of patients suffering from cardiac-related diseases. According to some experiments carried out in animals, stem cells were injected into the ones affected by heart diseases. A large percentage of them showed great improvement, even within just a few weeks. However, when the trial was carried out in humans, some stem cells went ahead to develop into heart muscles, but overall, the heart function was generally improved. The reason for the improvement has been attributed to the formation of new vessels in the heart. The topic that has generated a lot of arguments have been what type of cells should be used in the treatment of heart disorders. Stem cells extracted from the bone marrow, embryo have been in use, although bone marrow stem cells are the most commonly used. Stem cells extracted from bone marrow can differentiate into cardiac cells, while studies have shown that other stem cells cannot do the same. Even though the stem cell therapy has a lot of potential in the future, more research and studies have to be done to make that a reality.

The use of stem cells for the treatment of hair loss has increased significantly. This can be attributed to the discovery of stem cells in bone marrow, adipose cells, umbilical cord, and so on. Stem cells are extracted from the patient, through any of the sources listed above. Adipose tissue stem cells are usually the most convenient in this scenario, as they do not require any special extraction procedure. Adipose tissue is harvested from the abdominal area. The stem cells are then isolated from the other cells through a process known as centrifugation. The stem cells are then activated and are now ready for use. The isolated stem cells are then introduced into the scalp, under local anesthesia. The entire process takes about three hours. Patients are free to go home, after the procedure. Patients would begin to see improvements in just a few months, however, this depends largely on the patients ability to heal. Every patient has a different outcome.

Human umbilical stem cells are cells extracted from the umbilical cord of a healthy baby, shortly after birth. Umbilical cord tissue is abundant in stem cells, and the stem cells can differentiate into many types of cells such as red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. They are also capable of differentiating into non-blood cells such as muscle cells, cartilage cells and so on. These cells are usually preferred because its' extraction is minimally non invasive. It also is nearly painless. It also has zero risks of rejecting, as it does not require any form of matching or typing.Human umbilical stem cell injections are used for the treatment of spinal cord injuries. A trial was done on twenty-five patients that had late-stage spinal cord injuries. They were placed on human umbilical stem cell therapy, while another set of 25 patients were simultaneously placed on the usual rehabilitation therapy. The two groups were studied for the next twelve months. The results of the trial showed that those people placed on stem cell therapy by administering the human umbilical cell tissue injections had a significant recovery, as compared to the other group that underwent the traditional rehabilitation therapy. It was concluded that human umbilical tissue injections applied close to the injured part gives the best outcomes.

Stem cell therapy has been used for the treatment of many types diseases. This ranges from terminal illnesses such as cancer, joint diseases such as arthritis, and also autoimmune diseases. Stem cell therapy is often a better alternative to most traditional therapy today. This is because stem cell procedure is minimally invasive when compared to chemotherapy and so on. It harnesses the bodys own ability to heal. The stem cells are extracted from other parts of the body and then transplanted to other parts of the body, where they would repair and maintain the tissues. They also perform the function of modulating the immune system, which makes them important for the treatment of autoimmune diseases. Below are some of the diseases that stem cell therapies have been used successfully:

A stem cell bank can be described as a facility where stem cells are stored for future purposes. These are mostly amniotic stem cells, which are derived from the amnion fluid. Umbilical cord stem cells are also equally important as it is rich in stem cells and can be used for the treatment of many diseases. Examples of these diseases include cancer, blood disorders, autoimmune diseases, musculoskeletal diseases and so on. According to statistics, umbilical stem cells can be used for the treatment of over eighty diseases. Storing your stem cells should be seen as an investment in your health for future sake. Parents do have the option of either throwing away their babys umbilical cord or donating it to stem cell banks.

The adipose tissue contains a lot of stem cells, that has the ability to transform into other cells such as muscle, cartilage, neural cells. They are also important for the treatment of some cardiovascular diseases. This is what makes it important for people to want to store their stem cells. The future health benefit is huge. The only way adults can store their stem cells in sufficient amounts is to extract the stem cells from their fat tissues. This process is usually painless and fast. Although, the extraction might have to be done between 3 to 5 times before the needed quantity is gotten. People that missed the opportunity to store their stem cells, using their cord cells, can now store it using their own adipose tissues. This can be used at any point in time.

Side effects often accompany every kind of treatment. However, this depends largely on the individual. While patients might present with side effects, some other people wouldnt. Whether a patient will present with adverse effects, depends on the following factors;

Some of the common side effects of stem cell transplant are;

Stem cell treatment has been largely successful so far, however, more studies and research needs to be done. Stem cell therapy could be the future.

Stem cells are unique cells that have some special features such as self-regeneration, tissue repair, and modulation of the immune system. These are the features that are employed in the treatment of diseases.

Our doctors are certified by iSTEMCELL but operate as part of a medical group or as independent business owners and as such are free to charge what the feel to be the right fit for their practice and clients. We have seen Stem Cell Treatment costs range from $3500 upwards of $30,000 depending on the condition and protocol required for intended results. Find the Best Stem Cell Doctor Near me If you are interested in saving money, try our STEM CELL COUPON!

Travel Medcations are becoming very popular around the globe for several reasons but not for what one might think. It is not about traveling to Mexico to save money, but to get procedures or protocols that are not yet available in your home country. Many procedures are started in your home country, then the tissue is set to the tissue lab where it is then grown in a process to maximize live cells, then sent to a hospital in Mexico designed to treat or provide different therapies for different conditions. If you're ready to take a medical vacation call 972-800-6670 for our"WHITE GLOVE" service.

Chen, C. and Hou, J. (2016). Mesenchymal stem cell-based therapy in kidney transplantation. Stem Cell Research & Therapy, 7(1).

Donnelly, A., Johar, S., OBrien, T. and Tuan, R. (2010). Welcome to Stem Cell Research & Therapy. Stem Cell Research & Therapy, 1(1), p.1.

Groothuis, S. (2015). Changes in Stem Cell Research. Stem Cell Research, 14(1), p.130.

Rao, M. (2012). Stem cells and regenerative medicine. Stem Cell Research & Therapy, 3(4), p.27.

Vunjak-Novakovic, G. (2013). Physical influences on stem cells. Stem Cell Research & Therapy, 4(6), p.153.

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The stem cell procedure for the treatment of knee pain is minimally invasive, takes about 3 hours, and patients walk out of the office on their own following treatment. To start, stem cells are harvested from your abdominal or love handle fat using high tech, minimally-invasive liposuction equipment. Stem cells from your bone marrow are also utilized. The bone marrow concentrate is harvested using a specially designed, low-trauma needle which is placed into the posterior iliac crest under live x-ray guidance.

Mild IV sedation, in combination with local anesthetic, is used to provide patient comfort during the procedure. The harvested cells are then prepared for injection using an advanced separation and centrifugation process.

With the use of live x-ray guidance, the cells and growth factors are injected into the affected knee joint under sterile conditions. Dr. Brandts extensive experience with knee injections, along with the aid of the appropriate image guidance, ensures the cells are reaching their targeted area so you have the best chance for improvement.

To complement the high stem cell count achieved with the use of adipose derived stem cells, we often utilize PRP, A2M, and placental derived growth factors during our knee procedures and follow-up treatments.

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Stem Cell Therapy for Knees: Definitive Guide [with ...