By Grant Mya
While stem cells are naturally present within the human body, they are found in lower concentrations as individuals age. This decrease has wide-reaching impacts on overall health, including the performance of the immune system. These effects are compounded in individuals who are suffering from autoimmune conditions.
Fortunately, recent research has shown that stem cell therapy may have the potential to help strengthen the immune system. Stem cell therapy may fortify the immune response of aging patients, as well as those that have been diagnosed with progressive autoimmune ailments like lupus.
Stem cells can be harvested from several locations, including adipose (fat) tissue, bone marrow, and the Wharton’s Jelly found in umbilical cords. Stem cells are a unique type of cell that can divide and produce a wide variety of different cells. These unspecialized cells can replace or repair damaged tissue, including those that power the immune system.
Research on hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) from bone marrow, showed that stem cells could only relay instructions to specialized daughter cells and trigger a response isolated to these cells. However, scientists eventually determined that stem cells could produce various immune cell subtypes on demand. This process relies on the immune system’s memory of past ailments and infections.
The memory of the immune system marks specific genes within the patient’s DNA. Stem cells can readily access these markers and signal an effective immune response when a similar infection is encountered.
Treatment Applications
Stem cells can be used for a wide array of medical applications. They can potentially benefit patients suffering from neurodegenerative conditions, immune system-related ailments, and physical injuries.
Specifically, current research focuses on the effectiveness of stem cells for treating Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and lupus. The early results of this research have been promising, both in treating the effects of these conditions and slowing their progression.
Patients who are immunocompromised should consider this treatment option, especially if traditional interventions have not been effective. As research continues to evolve, more benefits of stem cell therapy become apparent.
This post was written by a medical professional at Stemedix Inc. At Stemedix we provide access to Regenerative Medicine for multiple sclerosis, also known as stem cell therapy for multiple sclerosis. Regenerative medicine has the natural potential to help improve symptoms sometimes lost from the progression of many conditions.
