Over the last decade, you have probably heard about stem cell research on the news or online. You are probably wondering what exactly stem cells are and why they are such a popular subject for debate.
In recent years, scientists and medical institutions have been studying many ways stem cell therapy can treat various diseases. Notably, in the field of brain diseases, researchers have been looking into Autism Spectrum Disorder and Alzheimer’s disease.
Therapies based on stem cells show a lot of promise in treating aging-related diseases. Image credit: islandworks via Pixabay, free license
Before delving into how stem cell therapy can help treat these diseases, one must answer the question: what are stem cells?
Stem cells function as the raw materials that make up the human body. These cells generate all other cells that have specialized functions. Under the right bodily or laboratory conditions, stem cells can divide to produce more cells medical practitioners call daughter cells.
Daughter cells can develop into either new stem cells or specialized cells with more definite functions. These include brain, blood, bone, and heart muscle cells. Stem cells are special because no other cell in the human body can organically produce new cell types.
What is stem cell therapy?
Stem cell therapy refers to a form of regenerative medicine intended for repairing damaged cells. It occurs within the human body through the reduction of inflammation and modulation of the immune system. Because of that, stem cell therapy has become a viable treatment of choice for various medical conditions.
Some use stem cell therapy to treat patients suffering from neurological, inflammatory, orthopedic, autoimmune conditions, and traumatic injuries. At the same time, others conduct research on its uses for Lupus, Parkinson's disease, ALS, COPD, Multiple Sclerosis, Crohn's disease, and stroke recovery.
Stem cell therapy is by no means a cure for these conditions. However, its purpose is to enable the human body to repair itself enough to mitigate long-term symptoms from these conditions. In most cases, the effects of stem cell therapy significantly boost the quality of life for patients and slow disease progression.
Alzheimer’s Disease Explained
Alzheimer's disease refers to a progressive neurologic disorder that causes brain cell death and the brain to shrink. Alzheimer’s disease is notorious for being the most frequent cause of dementia.
Dementia refers to the continuous decline in a person’s behavioral, social, and thinking skills that affect their capacity to function independently.
Early signs of Alzheimer's disease include the inability to recall a previous conversation and recent events. As the condition progresses, the person may lose their ability to complete daily tasks and develop severe memory impairment.
Medication may mitigate or slow symptom progression; however, it is only a temporary solution. Treatments of this nature can sometimes help Alzheimer's disease patients by temporarily maximizing their functions and maintaining their independence.
Unfortunately, no treatment that can cure or alter the disease process within the brain exists for Alzheimer’s disease. During its advanced stages, severe brain function loss can cause complications. These include malnutrition, dehydration, or infection that can result in death.
How Stem Cell Therapy Treats Alzheimer’s Disease
Stromal stem cells or Mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) can adapt into various types of cells within the human body. These include cartilage, muscle cells, bone cells, and neural cells.
They are often found within the average person’s bone marrow and stay dormant until signaled to boost healing within the body. As the human body ages, so do these stem cells, and their effectiveness and numbers diminish as time passes.
The medical field has developed the ability to supplement the average person’s stem cell count by transplanting highly competent and younger cells. This procedure is possible through the sourcing of Mesenchymal stem cells that come from donated cord tissue and expanding their numbers.
Stem cell therapy for treating Alzheimer's disease is a unique approach that involves systematically introducing MSC into the body through IV. Introducing large quantities of these stem cells enables them to locate and repair inflammation within the human body. This property of stem cells is why many believe it could become a viable treatment for Alzheimer's disease.
However, further research into this approach has yet to prove its effectiveness in treating Alzheimer’s disease.
Autism Spectrum Disorder Explained
Autism spectrum disorder relates to brain development, which affects how a person interacts with other people. Typically, it impacts how a person socializes with and perceives the people around them, which causes issues with interaction and communication.
Additionally, ASD includes repetitive and limited patterns in the person’s behavior. The term “spectrum” used in ASD refers to the vast range of symptoms and their severity.
Autism Spectrum Disorder covers conditions that were once considered separate. These include conditions like Asperger's syndrome, autism, and childhood disintegrative disorder.
The earliest stages of ASD start from early childhood and slowly cause a person issues in functioning within society. The most basic examples of these social environments include schools and workplaces.
Children suffering from autism usually show symptoms within their first year. A small percentage of them appear to grow normally during this time but eventually undergo a period of regression. The regression period usually occurs when the child is between 18 to 24 months, before they develop symptoms.
Unfortunately, there is currently no cure for Autism Spectrum Disorder. However, early and intensive treatment can make a difference for the many children suffering from it. Patients can also use special education tools and resources to support treatment efforts.
How Stem Cell Therapy Treats Autism Spectrum Disorder
Stem cell therapy for autism is an intriguing treatment approach with two promising cell types for further research. These include stem cells derived from umbilical cord blood and Mesenchymal stem cells derived from fat tissue and bone marrow.
Despite the research still being in the early stages, the approach has released some promising data. As it progresses, the prospect of a genuine and long-lasting treatment for autism may not be that far.
Healing Minds With Stem Cell Therapy
Although the research has yet to make an uncontestable breakthrough, stem cell therapy is undoubtedly making a solid start. Optimistically speaking, further research and development into stem cell therapy could be game-changing in how people handle brain diseases.
Here are some examples of how you can write this section. Ensure you rephrase any passages you intend to use.
- Alzheimer's disease is a progressive neurologic disorder that causes the brain to shrink (atrophy) and brain cells to die. Alzheimer's disease is the most common cause of dementia — a continuous decline in thinking, behavioral and social skills that affects a person's ability to function independently.
- Medications may temporarily improve or slow progression of symptoms. These treatments can sometimes help people with Alzheimer's disease maximize function and maintain independence for a time.