With so much research being published about stem cells and their potential to cure a range of conditions, from autism to arthritis, not to mention controversy about some stem cell sources and treatment programs, here are the basic facts you need to know in order to understand stem cells and how they work:
Stem Cell Properties
- Stem cells are unspecialised cells, meaning that they have not yet turned into specific cells.
- Through a process call differentiation, stem cells can turn into specialized cells, for example, heart or liver cells.
- Stem cells can self-renew, dividing over and over again to make more stem cells.
Stem Cell Potential
- Potency is the term used to describe a stem cell’s potential to become another cell.
- Totipotent stem cells can differentiate to become any cell in the body, including:
- Pluripotent stem cells which can differentiate into any type of cell except totipotent cells. Pluripotent stem cells also make:
- Multipotent stem cells which can make new cells within a specific tissue type and produce:
- Unipotent stem cells which are created to make a specific single cell.
Stem Cell uses
The healing potential of stem cells is massive, which is why it is such a big area of study today. Conditions that can be treated with stem cell therapy include:
- COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease).
- Heart Conditions.
- Joint Conditions such as osteoarthritis, cartilage and tendon damage.
- Autoimmune Conditions such as Lupus and rheumatoid arthritis.
- Neurodegenerative Conditions such as MS, Stroke, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, cerebral Palsy and brain damage.
- Type II diabetes.
Stem Cell Sources
Historically, stem cell research was conducted on embryonic stem cells, which are the cells taken from a fertilized egg around ten days after fertilization. Unsurprisingly, this form of research was controversial with many organizations objecting to the use of embryos for scientific research. Now the use of embryonic stem cells is almost obsolete as scientists find rich sources of pluripotent cells in the body after birth. Sources of stem cells are;
- Embryonic stem cells have great potential as they are designed to turn into almost any other cell.
- Adult stem cells, found in abundance in tissues such as the brain, blood, bone marrow and adipose (fat), are less controversial than embryonic stem cells with potentially equal healing abilities.
- Cord blood stem cells are taken from umbilical cord and placenta after a baby is born. They have lower potential to react with the patient’s existing cells and great potential to differentiate into other tissue cells.
Stem Cell Therapy Types
- Autologous: A patient’s own stem cells are used to treat the condition.
- Allogeneic: where donated adult stem cells are used to treat a condition.
At Stem Cell Therapy Mexico we use autologous stem cells wherever possible, as we believe that every patient has the right to be able to heal using their own cells. We are a BioHeart Stem Cell Center of Excellence, meaning that you can guarantee our ability to heal using stem cells and our credibility in the world of stem cell medicine. We have years of experience and are proud to be leaders in the world of stem cell therapy.
If you would like to speak to a specialist about how we can help you with stem cell therapy contact us now using the form to the right of your screen.