Stem cell therapy is a pop in of regenerative medicine used to treat and study disease.
This article will cover stem cells, which conditions they treat, and their safety.
It will also discuss stem cell therapy’s side effects and risks.
Westend61 / Getty Images
Westend61 / Getty Images
What Are Stem Cells?
Stem cells are unspecialized cells in the body.
They can develop into any cell and in some cases can renew themselves an unlimited amount of times.
Stem cells are found inembryosand adultcells.
There are two types of stem cells pluripotent and somatic.
Pluripotent stem cells are embryonic stem cells or induced pluripotent stem cells.
These cells can become any of the cells in the body.
Somatic stem cells, also known as adult stem cells can form tissue or an entire organ.
How Does Stem Cell Therapy Work?
Stem cell therapy is the use of stem cells as a treatment for a condition.
Stem cells are given to people to replace cells that have been destroyed or have died.
In people withmultiple myelomaand certain types of leukemia, stem cell therapy is used to destroy cancer cells.
Stem Cell Treatment Cost
Stem cell treatments are very expensive.
It is a new therapy and in some cases is still considered experimental.
It’s important to know how much insurance will cover before undergoing stem cell treatment.
Learn more: Medicare and Stem Cell Therapy: What’s Covered?
What Can Stem Cell Therapy Treat?
Stem cell therapy is a newer treatment that is still being researched.
Researchers are studying how stem cells can treat many other conditions than those listed above.
Companies that claim to use stem cells to treat other conditions are doing so illegally.
Products that claim to treat arthritis, joint pain, or fight the signs of aging are not FDA-approved.
The transplants can be:
Is Stem Cell Therapy Safe?
While stem cell therapy has many great benefits there are risks to the therapy.
One of the greatest risks isgraft-versus-host disease(GVHD).
It occurs in one-half to one-third of allogeneic transplant recipients.
This is when the body does not recognize the donor’s WBCs and attacks them.
This can cause problems throughout the body.
Treatment involves medications to suppress theimmune systemto stop the body from attacking the donor cells.
Other potential risks to stem cell therapy include:
What Is the Future of Stem Cell Therapy?
The future of stem cell therapy is bright.
Talk to a trusted healthcare provider about where to find a reliable stem cell therapy provider.
American Cancer Society.How stem cell and bone marrow transplants are used to treat cancer.
National Institutes of Health.Stem cell basics.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Stem cell and exosome products.
National Cancer Institute.Stem cell transplants in cancer treatment.
Aly RM.Current state of stem cell-based therapies: an overview.Stem Cell Investig.
2020;7:8. doi:10.21037/sci-2020-001
American Cancer Society.Stem cell or bone marrow transplant side effects.
National Institutes of Health.Putting stem cell-based therapies in context.
