Popularly known for causing mental decline, dementia affects people over the age of 60, with the risk of incidence increasing as one grows older. Starting at 5% risk at the age of 65, the risk of dementia rises every 5 years, going up to 40-50% by the time one turns 85. It starts manifesting itself as the forgetfulness that’s the most common problem in old age. How else can it be identified? Let’s find out!

Symptoms of Dementia

Other than memory loss, other symptoms include:

• Inability to do routine tasks
• Difficulty finding the right words and names for everyday objects
• Abrupt mood swings
• Confusion and difficulty remembering people’s names and faces
• Inability to fully comprehend stories
• Loss of direction resulting in getting lost frequently
• Frequent repetition of stories or questions
• Regression of mental ability
• Difficulty with numbers and simple calculations

Since the first and foremost symptom of dementia involves forgetfulness, many dementia patients and their families attribute that to old age and neglect digging deeper. It needs to be said that some people may experience forgetfulness but not have dementia. Hence, it’s important to undergo neurological exams, lab tests and neuropsychological tests to check for dementia.

Treatment of Dementia

Any complaint of frequent forgetfulness needs to be immediately addressed. The treatment and the success of these depend on the source and severity of the disease. In some cases, the doctor may prescribe drugs that reduce the symptoms and slow down the progression of the condition. In vascular dementia, which causes blood clots in the brain, treatment will stop new blood clots from forming.

How Do Stem Cells Help Treat Dementia?

Stem cells are those from which all the cells in our body are generated. They can become new stem cells or even specialised cells with a specific function, like blood cells, bone cells, heart muscle cells, and in the case of dementia, brain cells.

Due to the small size of the cells, they can get into brain tissue, thereby increasing the recovery rate. The age and weight of the patient will determine how many cells are needed. The frequency of the treatment will be dependent on the extent of the condition. However, current stem cell treatments use baby stem cells or mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) that are harvested from the umbilical cord or cord blood or Wharton’s jelly. These remain in the body and are found in adult stem cells niches including bone marrow or adipose tissue. Since many factors determine the treatment specifics, different patients will receive different treatment intensities. It has been reported that the most lasting promising effects are seen when the condition is in its infancy. However, patients with organic brain lesions also saw positive results. If you’re caring for a dementia patient, and if you’re a family member, you need to know that genetics does play a role in dementia. In fact, about 30% of patients have a family history of dementia. Can it be avoided? There are certain precautions you can take – 1) regular physical exercise can reduce the risk of dementia by 70%, 2) add vitamins B12 and D to your diet; 3) keep your brain active with brain exercises; 4) reduce your intake of alcohol, and 4) avoid nicotine at all costs.

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Unlike other organs in the body, the skin is the most visible part. As we grow older, blemishes, white lines, wrinkles, etc., become more common and prominent due to the wear and tear of the body. Let’s face it, we all have tried to cover up these marks with make-up or tried home remedies like sandalwood paste, rose water and whatnot to get rid of them. Other than these skin problems, stretch marks are also a common complaint, especially amongst pregnant women. Most new moms seek the help of topical ointments and creams to reduce the marks. However, they seldom go away completely. 

Why Do These Spots, Marks, and Lines Appear on the Skin?

Well, it is the role of adult stem cells to maintain healthy skin by self-regenerating regularly. However, as we age, the number of stem cells in our body reduces, and so does their effectiveness. Add to that external factors like UV damage, environmental toxins, pollution, etc., that speed up the skin’s natural ageing process. Skin loses elastin, collagen, and keratin, which is necessary to maintain its youthfulness. The stem cells are unable to repair these damages as rapidly as they occur. Hence, the signs of ageing start appearing on our faces sooner rather than later.

What Treatment is Most Effective?

Several treatments promise to restore your skin’s youth magically. These range from non-invasive to invasive procedures. Here are a few that experts widely speak about:

Skin Creams

There is a range of beauty products, especially skin creams, that promise to repair skin damage caused by environmental factors.

Botulinum Toxin Therapy

You might have heard of Botox treatment. In this treatment, the muscles near your eyebrows, crow’s feet, etc., are tightened using an injection.

Chemical Peels

In this treatment, the dermatologist peels away the topmost layer of your skin using an acid. It removes the wrinkles and fine lines but, the new skin may appear red and inflamed for a week or two. 

Dermal Fillers

This is a popular treatment where the doctor injects collagen into your face to fill out the wrinkles and lines. Although they don’t last for very long, they are quite popular among the rich and famous. 

Stem Cell Treatment

Still being reviewed in several countries, stem cell treatment for skin rejuvenation holds a lot of promise. In this treatment, the mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are used in combination with blood platelets and amino acids to repair and regenerate the skin. Since the stem cells used in this treatment are unspecialized, they can morph into the type of cell needed to repair the damaged skin tissue. The newly formed cells restart collagen production in the skin and increase the elasticity and hydration of the skin. They also assist in inhibiting melanin production, which helps in lightening an existing scar on the face or other parts of the skin.

The chances of yielding a greater number of MSCs is more with cord blood or Wharton’s jelly – contributing to one of the many umbilical cord preservation benefits. Stem cell therapy is believed to aid younger appearance, supple and fuller skin, reduced spots and blemishes, and fewer lines and wrinkles. Not only is it being studied for its anti-ageing properties, but also for the treatment of burn marks, trauma scars, etc.

These things considered, it is sensible to bank your baby’s stem cells so that they can naturally treat their skin-related issues in the future. If these treatments are not for you, worry not. Wear your wrinkles and scars with pride, and it only makes you that much more beautiful.

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Muscular Dystrophy (MD) is a genetic condition that causes the muscles in your body to weaken and degenerate over time. There are several types of Muscular Dystrophies that can occur, like Becker’s Muscular Dystrophy, Limb-Girdle Muscular Dystrophy, etc. Of these, Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) is known to be the most fatal one. However, researchers are exploring novel techniques like stem cell treatment to alter the genetic mutations causing the illness and improve the patient’s quality of life.

What Happens in Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD)?

This condition occurs when there are mutations in the dystrophin gene that code specific muscle proteins. Dystrophin is responsible for the proper functioning of the muscles, and the lack of it can cause the muscle fibres to be in disarray and degenerate. As a result of improper functioning of the muscles, there is progressive and rapid muscle weakness and loss.

The Dystrophin gene found in the X-chromosome affects men, while most women only remain dormant carriers of the gene. Hence, the condition is typically passed on from either parent to the child. However, in some cases, this is due to a new, spontaneous genetic mutation that occurs during pregnancy.

What Are The Signs of DMD?

The muscle weakness caused by this condition starts manifesting during early childhood days. Delay in achieving developmental milestones like sitting, walking, and even talking are signs that the child could be suffering from DMD. The condition usually starts with a loss of strength and function in the pelvis and thigh region, followed by the arms. The child has trouble standing up as a toddler and loses mobility by the time they are teenagers. Increased convex curvature of the spine and change in gait are also noticeable signs of DMD. Even the heart and lung functions are affected due to the weakening of the muscles in the region, causing breathing and other issues for the child as they grow older. This leads to a respiratory or cardiac failure by the time the patient reaches their twenties.

Future of DMD Treatment With Stem Cells

Although there is no cure for DMD at present, the advancement in medicines, gene therapy, stem cell treatments, etc., are providing greater hope for patients to live longer and feel better.

Ongoing research indicates that mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) can help relieve the DMD symptoms by aiding muscle cell regeneration and repairing damaged muscle cells. Since umbilical cord stem cells are at an early development stage, they can take the form of any cell. Therefore, using Umbilical Cord Mesenchymal Stem Cells (UCMSCs) increases the muscle cells’ functionality and replenishes the stem pool.

In a study conducted on mice by a team of Harvard Stem Cell Institute researchers, the outcome looks promising. The researchers transplanted healthy stem cells into the muscles of mice with muscular dystrophy and observed that these new cells improved the damaged muscles’ functions and made them contract. They also noticed that the healthy stem cells replenished the diseased stem cell pool, which could repair any damage to the muscles during future injuries.

This study further demonstrates the potential of stem cell therapy in treating patients with muscular degeneration caused by DMD or other types of muscular dystrophy. The banking of stem cells can prove to be a blessing for your family as well as the field of medical science.

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Shingles a viral infection, also known as herpes zoster is a painful rash and found in the nerves as well as surface of the skin. Shingles is mainly caused by the virus which causes chickenpox.

Along with the pain it also causes peripheral neuropathy resulting in the damage of the body’s peripheral nerves. The damage of the nerves is the main reason for pain in the body and is life-threatening.

There are some vaccines that can prevent the occurrence of shingles but unable to cure completely. However, it can be treated with stem cell therapy. Although being costly, stem cell therapy can help in treating shingles and also provide a new way of hope for the patients.

Facts for using stem cells to treat shingles:

• If any person had ever suffered from chicken pox, the virus does not get eliminated and remains in the nerves. At a later age, this virus shows up its symptoms causing shingles. Rashes caused by this disease filled with fluid and are too much painful. It leads to the occurrence of fever as well as fatigue and the symptoms gets worse by the increase in the age especially after age of 50^[4].
• Scientists from American journal of preventive medicine stated that most of the patients cannot use the vaccines due to high cost and scarce in availability. Also, these vaccines are not so much cost effective.
• Although there is no cure for shingles, some antiviral drugs can be used to for reducing the pain. Sometimes Opioids can help in getting relief from the pain but it may cause addiction.
• As there are no such treatment to cure shingles, so Stem Cell Researchers Organization of California, found that stem cells are the only option to treat shingles. This treatment can be done without any side effects and addiction of Opioids.

Prof. Ron Goldstein of Bar-Ilan University explains that stem cells are the type of cells which can be regenerated into any type of cell of the human body. He also said that the stem cells are successfully infused into the human body to regenerate into peripheral neurons.

In addition, the researchers of Cleveland clinic had done some experiments with the animals and explained that the stem cells can regenerate the peripheral neurons. Thus they concluded that stem cells are proved to be viable for treating shingles.

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People suffering from week bones could recover with the help of stem cells, derived from pregnant women, according to a new study. The research has shown us the stem cells harvested from the amniotic fluid of the pregnant women is the answer to osteoporosis, even though it was conducted on a mice model. The researchers had come to this conclusion after observing 78% lower bone fractures among animals, who were suffering from fragile bone structures.

This finding has truly evoked hope for the children, who are going through various rare bone conditions since birth as well as adults, who are suffering from osteoporosis. Not only that! This finding may also prove beneficial for the astronauts, who lost bone mass in orbit. Pascale Guillot, the lead of the study, conducted by the University College London, said, “The stem cells we’ve used are excellent at protecting bones. The bones become much stronger and the way the bone is organised internally is of much higher quality.”

Previous studies have proved that mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) collected at an early stage are more effective than that collected at a later stage. It has several other advantages as well. Early taken MSCs have the ability to expand into greater numbers when required in clinical therapies. They don’t form tumors. They make sure not to attack the immune system of the receiver. They are small thus can move easily. And last but not the least, these cells are easier to reprogram, so they can grow into different types of cells.

The researchers’ team at the University College London experimented with MSCs that were collected from the amniotic fluid of pregnant women. They injected the MSCs into mice with fragile bone conditions. Another interesting finding of the study was the way the team completed the research. Anyone might think that the stem cells, injected into the mice, must have done the healing effects as well as helped to create new bones primarily. But this is a wrong notion. The study shows that the stem cells released growth factors which stimulated the bone cells to build stronger bones in the mice model.

Guillot confirmed, “The discovery could have a profound effect on the lives of patients who have fragile bones and could stop a large number of their painful fracture.” Following the successful study with mice, Guillot and the team are hopeful to apply the method in treating brittle bone disorders and osteoporosis that affected more than 44 million patients in the US. Guillot said, “The discovery could have a profound effect on the lives of patients who have fragile bones and could stop a large number of their painful fractures.”

The team is hoping to go about with the human trials within the next two years. If the technique proves effective for humans as well, it could help kids, affected in the womb and during birth. This process will truly help them build healthy bones. And what makes it all the more interesting is, the stem cells used in this research can be transplanted from one patient to another without MSCs matching between the donor and the receiver.

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This is the story of Doug Oliver, who suffered from macular degeneration or progressive blindness for more than two years. His medical team conducted a stem cell treatment on him and now he has recovered his eyesight and is leading a healthy life.

Doug started losing his vision at the age of 32. When consulted with doctors, they told him that this was the result of macular degeneration and he would gradually lose his vision. Doctors did not give him any hope and said nothing could be done to regain his sight.

To make the situation worse for him, he met with an accident after the diagnosis, which made his stand in front of another devastating news. He might lose his vision completely. Some tests were done on him that revealed his vision was as 20/2000 in the left eye and 20/400 in the right eye.

However, having found out about his condition, Doug was not willing to give up. He was not ready to succumb to the prediction that his sight could not be cured. So, he started screening latest clinical studies, databases, and trials related to macular degeneration. This was the time when Doug discovered Dr. Jeffrey Weiss’s clinical trial with stem cells in order to treat macular degeneration.

Doug enrolled himself in the Florida-based trial in 2015. And only after two days of stem cell therapy, he started to feel a difference in his vision. The stem cell therapy involved extracting his own stem cells from his marrow of the hip bone. The stem cells then were injected directly into both of his retinas. Two days later, his vision showed an improvement to 20/40 in his left eye and 20/30 in the right eye.

The joy of seeing the world again in its full glory was evident in his confession that he made while he was going back home. He said, “I could see the boats and the little wake lines that you see from 30,000 feet. I acted like a 6-year-old and loved it.”[1]

Doug was an IT specialist and a social policy consultant. His job demanded a lot of traveling by car. During one of those drives, he realized that his vision was not as same as before. Moreover, the accident cost him his driving license as well, which eventually led him to lose his job. He was not only going through physical issues but also through a mental turmoil. An active person like him needed to rely on a monthly disability check. But stem cells helped him bounce back and how!

Doug has not only got his vision back, but he also gained his position back in the community. He said, “I went back to the DMV and got my license in Tennessee in December.”[2] He is currently in talks with Lamar Alexander, the Senate Health Committee Chairman, so his can share his experience and story with others. Doug’s story may also play a crucial role in passing the 21st Century Cures Act, which focuses on the advanced regenerative therapy and the required funding for clinical trials, similar to one he was a part of.

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Doctors of the University of Illinois Hospital & Health Sciences System have successfully conducted a stem cell transplant to cure a rare blood disorder, named congenital dyserythropoietic anemia (CDA). It’ a rare condition, in which the body does not create enough red blood cells, which leads to organ damage and even early death.

This is the story of David Levy, who started experiencing the unbearable pain of CDA when he was 24. The pain was so severe that he had to leave his studies. He stated, “I spent the following years doing nothing – no work, no school, no social contact -because all I could focus on was managing my pain and getting my health back on track.”[1]

David Levy used to receive regular blood transfusions for more than 30 years, so that his tissues and organs keep receiving enough oxygen. When he was 32, he lost his spleen and developed an enlarged lever. As the results of regular blood transfusions, he was suffering from other illnesses such as fatigue, palpitations, and iron poisoning. At last, a desperate David wrote to Dr. Damiano Rondelli, the Michael Reese Professor of Hematology at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

He recollected, “It was bad. I had been through enough pain. I was angry and depressed, and I wanted a cure. That’s why I started emailing Dr. Rondelli.”[2]

Dr. Rondelli stated that many institutions had rejected the possibilities of stem cell transplant on Levy just because of his physical condition was not stable enough to agree to chemotherapy and radiation. But Rondelli performed transplant on Levy in 2014. He said, “This procedure gives some adults the option of a stem cell transplant which was not previously available.”[3]

He also stated that Levy’s condition created the optimum situation for the transplant. He added, “For many adult patients with a blood disorder, treatment options have been limited because they are often not sick enough to qualify for a risky procedure, or they are too sick to tolerate the toxic drugs used alongside a standard transplant.”[4]

After the surgery, Levy, now 35, is back to his normal life, even though he still feels the pain. He is pursuing his doctorate in psychology and runs group therapies at a behavioral health hospital. He said, “The transplant was hard, and I had some complications, but I am back to normal now. I still have some pain and some lingering issues from the years my condition was not properly managed, but I can be independent now. That is the most important thing to me.”[5]

The specialty of the transplant is, no chemotherapy and radiation were administrated in order to prepare the body for the surgery. The process involves the donor’s cells taking over the patient’s bone marrow slowly to avoid usage of any toxic agents to discard the patient’s cells. Rondelli said, “The protocol can be used even in patients with a long history of disease and some organ damage because of the minimal use of chemotherapy.”[6]

Rondelli believes that the procedure has a great potential to treat severe congenital anemias. He concluded “The use of this transplant protocol may represent a safe therapeutic strategy to treat adult patients with many types of congenital anemias – perhaps the only possible cure.”[7]

The story of David Levy truly evokes a raw of hope for many such patients!

Sources:

[1] First patient cured of rare blood disorder  – https://eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2017-03/uoia-fpc032017.php

[2] First patient cured of rare blood disorder  – https://eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2017-03/uoia-fpc032017.php

[3] First patient cured of rare blood disorder  – https://eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2017-03/uoia-fpc032017.php

[4] First patient cured of rare blood disorder  – https://eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2017-03/uoia-fpc032017.php

[5] First patient cured of rare blood disorder  – https://eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2017-03/uoia-fpc032017.php

[6] First patient cured of rare blood disorder  – https://eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2017-03/uoia-fpc032017.php

[7] First patient cured of rare blood disorder  – https://eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2017-03/uoia-fpc032017.php

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A look at World AIDS Vaccine Day and the promise that stem cells hold in treating AIDS.

Today is May 18, observed all over the world as World AIDS Vaccine Day. It is also known as HIV Vaccine Awareness Day, and it reiterates the need to find a lasting cure for the dreaded virus so that the HIV infection may be eliminated altogether. The day marks the continued contributions of doctors, health professionals and researchers all over the world who are involved in looking for a vaccine to rid the human race of the AIDS epidemic for the last several years and who will continue to do so in the years to come.

The day was chosen in response to a speech made on May 1, 1997 by the then US President Bill Clinton, who spoke about the need for an ‘AIDS vaccine’ at a commencement speech at Morgan State University. In his speech, President Clinton had urged the medical community and corporations invested in health care to merge the best in science and technology to develop an effective AIDS vaccine in the next decade. Accordingly, the first World AIDS Vaccine Day was observed on May 18, 1998.[1] This tradition continues to this day, with organisations involved in AIDS care, medical professionals and communities coming together to debate and discuss ongoing technologies and new medical breakthroughs in curing AIDS.

On this momentous occasion today, it is time to take stock of the progress modern medicine has made in seeking and enforcing an AIDS vaccine. There have already been several clinical trials launched all across the world to study the nature of HIV and the many allied – and potentially fatal – disorders that occur in those suffering from AIDS. An extremely promising trial in the year 2009 actually proved that a vaccine that reduces the risk of HIV infection may indeed be possible using novel approaches such as using antibodies to neutralise a wide range of HIV strains.[2]

Are Stem Cells Beneficial in Curing AIDS?

While efforts to find such an AIDS vaccine are ongoing for years now, newer frontiers are being explored in the area of stem cells in effecting a cure for HIV and AIDS infections. Two noted studies in this connection – both conducted in the US and tabulated in 2015 – show promise by approaching the issue from two perspectives in stem cell treatment.

The first technique, developed by scientists at the UCLA Centre of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research, works on the premise that the regenerative nature of haematopoietic stem cells may help the compromised immune system to generate sufficient immunity to fight the virus. Since the HIV is a rapidly mutating virus that cannot be controlled by the normal responses of white blood cells in the human body, the scientists engineered a Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) to be ‘carried’ by infection-fighting T cells so that they may find and destroy the cells infected by HIV. The team was successfully able to prove that the CAR-carrying haematopoietic stem cells regenerated into T cells that killed the HIV virus up to a significant 85%.[3]

Haematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) also form the basis for the second largely lauded clinical trial that also uses engineered stem cells to suppress the HIV infection. This trial used HSCs to study their application in treating lymphoma, which kills a large number of people detected with AIDS. The premise of the trial rested on the efficacy of blood-forming HSCs to help control both HIV and the spread of lymphoma in AIDS patients. Patients requiring stem cell transplants to control the lymphoma would be injected with HSCs engineered to increase the body’s fighting response to antigens in an already compromised immune system. After the transplant, the HSCs would help in the creation of new disease-fighting cells. This would help in reducing the viral load of the disease and eliminate the need for other associated treatments such as radiation and chemotherapy.[4]

The most ambitious trial in this connection commenced in Spain late in 2015, with the National Organisation of Transplants announcing its plans to cure five HIV patients within three years of umbilical cord blood transplants. The trial selected 157 donors with a specific gene mutation that helped them resist HIV. The trial will map the progress of the patients who will receive umbilical cord blood transplants to test the application of stem cells in combating the spread of disease in HIV patients suffering from lymphoma or leukaemia.[5]

[1] https://anydayguide.com/calendar/1994

[2] http://www.avac.org/prevention-option/aids-vaccines

[3] http://newsroom.ucla.edu/releases/stem-cell-gene-therapy-developed-at-ucla-holds-promise-for-eliminating-hiv-infection

[4] http://www.hivequal.org/hiv-equal-online/stem-cell-research-on-functional-hiv-cure-advances-to-human-trials

[5] http://www.ndtv.com/health/first-trial-to-use-umbilical-cord-stem-cells-to-cure-hiv-1236452

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