Treating Autoimmune Diseases with Umbilical Cord Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells
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Nearly 4% of the entire world population lives with one of the more than 70 autoimmune diseases. More than 50 million people currently are living with one or more autoimmune diseases in the United States. Approximately 75% of these individuals are women.
Debilitating conditions caused by autoimmune diseases continue to impact the daily lives of innocent people and, in some cases, prevent them from working. There are many treatment options available to help patients ease their symptoms. However, many of these conditions have no known cures.
Over the last few years, researchers have begun to explore a new approach to treating autoimmune diseases, including umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cell (UC-MSCs) therapy. This groundbreaking therapy has shown promise in both animal and human studies for treating autoimmune diseases with minimal side effects.
What are Autoimmune Diseases?
Autoimmune diseases are conditions in which the body's immune system mistakenly attacks healthy tissue. Treating these conditions can be challenging and expensive due to the complex nature of the disease.
The immune system is designed to protect the body from infection and disease, but in people with autoimmune disorders, it mistakes healthy cells for foreign invaders and begins to attack them. There are more than 80 types of autoimmune diseases, including:
- Lupus
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Type 1 diabetes
- Multiple sclerosis
- Psoriasis
Many of these conditions are chronic in nature, meaning that they often last for years or even a lifetime. Treatment for autoimmune diseases generally focuses on the management of symptoms. Patients are often prescribed immunosuppressive drugs that are designed that suppress the entire immune system. Although these drugs can be effective in managing symptoms for patients, they come with many side effects, including an increased risk for infections and cancer.
Umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells (UC-MSCs) offer a new potential treatment option for autoimmune diseases. UC-MSCs are adult stem cells that can be isolated from the umbilical cord after a baby is born.
These cells can differentiate into many different cell types, including bone, muscle, and fat cells. UC-MSCs also have potent immunomodulatory properties that are ideal for treating autoimmune diseases.
Current Autoimmune Diseases Being Treated with UC-MSCs
This therapy is still in the early stages of research, and there are not yet any large-scale clinical trials testing its efficacy. However, there have been several small studies that have shown promising results. Human clinical trials of UC-MSC therapy are currently underway to treat various autoimmune diseases. Some of the studies surrounding diseases like:
Crohn's Disease
Crohn's disease is a rare condition that approximately 200,000 people are diagnosed with yearly. This debilitating condition impacts any part of the small or large intestine and can cause severe symptoms without any warning. Some of the common symptoms include:
- Fever
- Fatigue
- Diarrhea
- Blood in the stool
- Abdominal pain
- Reduced appetite and weight loss
- Cramping
- Pain or drainage near the anus caused by inflammation
There is no cure for Crohn's disease. Current treatment for this condition includes the use of corticosteroids and Oral 5-aminosalicylates. These medications are used for anti-inflammatory purposes. In addition, immune system suppressors, biologics, and antibiotics are also being used to relieve symptoms.
Umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells are a promising new treatment for Crohn's disease. A growing body of evidence suggests that these cells can help modulate the immune response and reduce inflammation. A controlled, randomized, open-label clinical trial surrounding the use of UC-MSCs to treat Crohn's disease involving 82 patients was conducted between June 2012 and June 2015. At their twelve-month evaluation, studies found that using UC-MSCs effectively reduced the Harvey-Bradshaw index (HBI), Crohn's disease activity index (CDAI), and corticosteroid dosage in several patients with very mild side effects reported sparingly.
Multiple Sclerosis
Although fewer than 200,000 cases of multiple sclerosis are diagnosed in the United States each year, more than 2.3 million people across the globe live with this debilitating condition. Nearly one million patients are here in the United States. People with multiple sclerosis, or MS, often experience symptoms that differ greatly from person to person. Generally, the location of the affected nerve fibers will play a role in the symptoms that patients experience. These can include:
- Numbness or weakness of the limbs
- Electric-shock sensation
- Tingling
- Lack of coordination
- Partial or complete vision loss
- Blurry Vision
- Prolonged double vision
- Inability to walk
- Vertigo
- Fatigue
- Slurred speech
- Mood problems
- Cognitive problems
Current treatment for MS is designed to alleviate the symptoms that patients have. These treatments currently include corticosteroids and plasma exchange, which are designed to reduce the impacts of attacks. In addition, several disease-modifying therapies are used to prevent relapsing-remitting MS symptoms.
We are seeing several studies being conducted regarding the use of UC-MSCs for treating MS. Current studies have found that these stem cells combat inflammation within the body and help regulate the immune system. These cells can differentiate into various cell types, including neurons and glia. In animal models of MS, UC-MSCs have been shown to migrate to sites of damage in the CNS and reduce inflammation. Additionally, UC-MSCs appear to promote myelin repair by differentiation into oligodendrocytes.
Type 1 Diabetes
Type 1 diabetes is a chronic disease that affects more than 9 million people across the globe. More than 1.45 million people with this condition live in the United States. Type 1 diabetes is when the pancreas produces little to no insulin. This can result in various symptoms for patients, including:
- Urinating a lot
- Feeling extremely hungry
- Extreme thirst
- Losing weight without having to try
- Having blurry vision
- Feeling extremely fatigued and weak
Current treatment for this condition includes both medication and dietary changes. Patients are required to count their protein, fat, and carbohydrate intakes. They are also required to take insulin, which can be short-acting, rapid-acting, intermediate-acting, long or ultra-long acting.
There is no cure for type 1 diabetes. However, scientists have begun studies surrounding the use of UC-MSCs to treat this condition. Research has shown that UC-MSCs can help to regenerate damaged pancreas tissue and improve insulin secretion in animal models of type 1 diabetes. Injected UC-MSCs have also been shown to survive and function long-term in the diabetic mouse model.
The use of UC-MSCs to treat type 1 diabetes is still in the early stages of research. However, the results so far are promising and suggest that this may be a potential treatment option for people with type 1 diabetes in the future.
Rheumatoid Arthritis
Rheumatoid arthritis, or RA, is a chronic inflammatory disease that impacts the lives of more than 14 million people across the globe. Nearly 1.3 million patients in the United States currently live with RA, representing approximately .6 to 1% of the entire population of our country.
People who suffer from rheumatoid arthritis experience chronic inflammation in the lining of their joints. This disease occurs when the immune system mistakenly attacks tissues in the body. This can lead to various symptoms for sufferers, including:
- Fatigue and fever
- The loss of appetite
- Joint stiffness, which can be worse in the morning or after being active
- Warm, tender, and swollen joints
In addition to having joint pain, nearly 40% of sufferers also experience problems with various organs and other parts of their bodies. These include problems with:
- Hair
- Skin
- Eyes
- Heart
- Lungs
- Kidneys
- Blood vessels
- Nerve tissues
- Salivary glands
- Bone marrow
There is no cure for RA. However, medications are often used to alleviate the symptoms of the condition. In some cases, the symptoms associated with this disease can be chronic and incredibly painful. In severe cases, patients may undergo surgery for this condition. Doctors and physicians also prescribe therapy to people with RA to alleviate some of the pain and suffering they feel. In most cases, medication is used to lessen the condition's symptoms. These often include steroids, biological agents, NSAIDs, conventional DMARDs, and even targeted synthetic DMARDs.
More recently, we have seen scientists utilize umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells to treat patients suffering from this condition. Studies have shown that MSC therapy can effectively reduce pain and improve joint function in patients with RA. Studies have also found that patients who were treated with UC-MSCs showed a reduction in markers of inflammation. This suggests that UC-MSCs could be an effective treatment for reducing inflammation in patients with RA.
Overall, umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells have demonstrated effective therapeutic potential in treating autoimmune diseases. While there is still much to be learned about the exact mechanisms of action and safety profile of these treatments, the evidence thus far shows a promising future for this novel approach to treating autoimmune disorders. With further research, umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells could become an increasingly important tool in treating patients with various autoimmune conditions.
Stem cell therapy could change your life. Find out how by reaching out to Cellebration Wellness at 1.800.601.8290 today.