Stem cells are the type of cells which have the potential to differentiate into several types of specialized cells. This ability is used to treat several conditions. The cells are treated under laboratory conditions to let the cells divide to form the daughter cells and then inserted into the affected part. The top stem cell transplant specialists in India say that the cells can get differentiated into brain cells, heart muscle cells, bone cells or blood cells.
Some of the most common diseases for which stem cell therapy is used are explained before:
Parkinson’s disease
This is a neurodegenerative disorder that affects body movement. The cause is damaged motor function as a result of lack of dopamine-producing cells in the brain. It is manifested as tremors, stiffness, impaired balance, anxiety, depression, and abnormal gait. The causes may be genetic or environmental. Some people may also have a loss of memory, which is known as dementia. The most common age group of people suffering from Parkinson’s disease is above 60 years. These days the patients are advised stem cell therapy because these cells have the ability to differentiate into the dopamine-making neurons which are needed for the cure.
Diabetes
This is a condition in which the body fails to utilize sugar or glucose in the blood completely. This happens because the beta cells, which produce insulin are lost. It is the insulin, which is responsible for stimulating other cells to absorb the sugar. The main objectives of stem cell therapy in diabetes is to relieve the symptoms and prevent complications like loss of vision, kidney failure, etc. It is used to treat both type 1 and type 2 diabetes. The embryonic stem cells are cultured in the laboratory, which has the potential to grow into insulin-producing beta cells. This will eventually increase insulin levels and cure the disease. The beta cells can also be stimulated for self-renewal in which they divide further to make more copies.
Rheumatoid Arthritis
This is an autoimmune systemic disease which most commonly affects joints such as hip joint, knee joint, elbow, etc. This is a condition where the body’s immune cells start attacking their own cells. When the immune system responds, it causes inflammation in the tissues. The symptoms may include pain, swelling, stiffness in one or more joints, joint deformity, difficulty walking, fever, weight loss, etc. The stem cells help in the production of anti-inflammatory cells. They also stimulate the production of T regulatory cells, which protect the body from self-attack of the body.
Sickle cell anemia
This is a condition in which there is a genetic mutation in the chromosomes leading to change in the shape of Red Blood Cells. The cells become sickle-shaped. This can lead to the obstruction of blood in the blood vessels due to which it cannot reach to some parts of the body. This can cause major illnesses such as kidney disease, heart attacks, etc. The doctors usually advise bone marrow transplant to treat sickle cell anemia to replace the mutated bone marrow with a normal one.
Alzheimer's disease
This is the most common cause of dementia that is a loss of memory. The symptoms may start with difficulty in remembering new things. The later stages involve symptoms like disorientation, mood swings, behavioral changes, increased confusion, etc. The embryonic stem cells to treat Alzheimer’s disease are used to replace the damaged cells with the healthy cells, which grow on their own later. This leads to the production of new brain cells. Since the stem cell transplant is autologous, there are lesser chances of any immune-rejection.
Spinal cord injury
These days the stem cell replacement is also being used for the repair of spinal cord injury. The stem cell transplant helps in replacement of nerve cells that die due to injury and producing new cells to insulate the nerve sheath. They also act as a bridge to induce regrowth of damaged axons. Moreover, the cells help in the prevention of the injury spreading to other areas by suppressing the inflammation occurring after the injury.
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