Orthopaedic & Autoimmune Stem Cell Treatments

Orthopaedic Conditions

Orthopaedic stem cell treatments have been used for the following conditions:

Shoulders:

• Acromio-Clavicular Joint Dysfunction/Pain
• Biceps Tendon Inflammation
• Chronic Glenohumeral Ligament Sprains
• Levator Scapulae Tendinosis
• Rotator Cuff Tears

Elbow:

• Distal Biceps Tendon Partial Tear
• Tendonitis
• Tennis/Golfer’s Elbow
• Ulnar Collateral Ligament Injury

Wrist/Hand:

• Chronic Sprain
• Tendonitis

Spine:

• Degenerative Changes
• Facet Joints
• Iliolumbar Ligaments
• Interspinous Ligaments
• Sacroiliac Joint Dysfunction
• Sciatica
• Stenosis

Hip/Pelvis/SI/Arthritic Joints:

• Bursitis
• Hamstring Strain
• Piriformis Syndrome
• Sacroiliac Joint Dysfunction
• Symphysis Pubis Pain

Knee Joint:

• Chondromalacia Patella
• Enthesopathy
• Osgood Schlatter Disease
• Patellar Tendon Inflammation
• Quadraceps Strain or Partial Tear
• Tendon Sprain/Tear (ACL, PCL, MCL, LCL)

Ankle/Foot:

• Achilles Tenonitis/Tear
• Chronic Ligament Strains
• Plantar Fasciitis

Some of the hard to treat conditions such as ACL and rotator cuff repairs have been successfully treated.  If you seek an orthopaedic stem cell treatment for a condition that is not mentioned above, please kindly contact us. 

Damage and Injury Conditions

• Achillodynia
• Cervical disk damage
• Contusions
• Filament and bundle fissures
• Golfing arm
• Injured tendons and ligaments
• Insertion tendinitis
• Muscle fibre and muscle bundle tears
• Post ligament and other surgeries warranting orthopaedic stem cell treatment
• Skin regeneration
• Sports injuries
• Tennis elbow
• Tissue regeneration
• Traumatic injuries
• Wound regeneration

Degenerative & Autoimmune Conditions

Autoimmune stem cell treatments have been used for the following conditions:

• Achillodynia
• Ankylosing Spondylitis
• Arthritides
• Arthrosis
• Cervical disc degeneration
• Chronic tendinitis
• Degeneration of muscle fibre
• Degenerative effects of aging
• Inflammation and pain
• Osteoarthritis
• Osteonecrosis of the Femoral Head
• Rheumatoid Arthritis

Aging Conditions

• Autoimmune diseases that respond to autoimmune stem cell treatments
• Cognitive diseases
• Degenerative diseases
• Neurological diseases

Aesthetic Conditions

• Acne
• Collagen depletion
• Dermatitis
• Neurodermatitis
• Psoriasis
• Scalp inflammation and hair loss
• Scar treatment
• Skin inflammation
• Wrinkle treatment

Diseases That Have Been Treated Using Stem Cells

Trials continue so as to extend the range of treatments using stem cells [particularly MSCs] both singly and in combination with other forms of treatment.  Examples include: 

• Alzheimer’s
• Asthma
• Autism
• Cerebral Palsy
• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
• Congestive Heart Failure
• Crohn’s disease
• Diabetes, Type 1, mellitus (IDDM)
• Dry eyes
• Emphysema
• Fibromyalgia
• Glaucoma
• Hashimoto’s Thyroditis
• Hepatitis
• Immunological diseases and dysfunction
• Liver Diseases
• Lung Diseases
• Lupus
• Macular Degeneration
• Multiple Sclerosis
• Muscular Dystrophy
• Myocardial Infarction
• Optic Neuritis
• Parkinson’s Peyronies
• Pulmonary [lung] diseases
• Rectal Fistula
• Renal Failure
• Rheumatoid Arthritis
• Stroke
• Traumatic Brain Injury and Concussion

The above lists are not exhaustive.

Merits of Stem Cell Treatments

Merits include the capacity to:

• Prolong active life as we age.
• Stem the principal diseases of aging.
• Help the body heal itself without the need for drugs and associated side effects.
• Treat pain without drugs, coupled with associated healing for long-term relief or cure.
• Treat degenerative diseases that are otherwise being stabilised via a pain management regime.
• Treat diseases otherwise non-treatable or involving high-risk side effects such as osteoporosis.
• Avoid or delay surgery in some circumstances, thereby reducing cost and improving outcomes.
• Where surgery is unavoidable, use post-operatively to accelerate and enhance recovery. 
• Facilitate speedy recovery from sports injuries or wounds.
• Rebuild collagen, elasticity and natural fillers in the face. 
• Enable facelifts without being put under the knife.
• Treat a range of disfiguring conditions.
• Reduce or reinstate hair loss.

For further information, visit our YouTube channel [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClC7J4ncxw2yEJ_o_ogijPw]

Some Notable Stem Cell Developments

Adult Pluripotent Stem Cells

APSCs were first discovered in mice in 2005 and then in humans in 2006 by Professor Ratajzcak at the University of Louisville, Kentucky.  They are found in infants, children and adults rather than in embryos. Since then, many scientific studies have explored their potential to regenerate diseased organs and tissue as well as their ability to slow the aging process and onset of cancer.  Types of APSCs include “Very Small Embryonic Like Cells (VSELs), Multi Lineage Differentiating Stress Enduring Cells (MUSEs), Marrow Isolated Adult Multilineage Inducible Cells (MIAMIs), StemBios Cells (SBs) and others.  Below are a few highlights:

• 2016
  • Researches at Hamadan University found that APSCs have the capability to migrate and localize in an injured spinal cord.
  • Scientists from India recognized the potential for APSCs as an infertility treatment.
  • Scientists from France discovered that APSCs persist throughout life in similar numbers, indicating that their role as a stem cell reserve for tissue repair is not diminished with age.
• 2015
  • Researchers from Iran discovered the potential for APSCs as a treatment for diabetes.
  • Researchers from France found that APSCs can help recover from lack of blood supply in the legs through healing and rebuilding of the blood vessel wall.
• 2014
  • Scientists from the University of Texas, Houston proposed that APSCs provide an alternative to embryonic stem cells for research purposes of human disease.
  • Researchers from Korea found evidence that APSCs repaired brain tissue damage.
• 2013
  • Researchers from the University of Michigan were able to use APSCs to create bone tissue in the skull.
• 2011
  • Scientists at the University of Louisville identified APSCs for their potential to repair nerve tissue.
  • Scientists at the University of Louisville found evidence that APSCs were able to repair heart tissue and improve heart function following a heart attack.
• 2010
  • Scientists at the University of Louisville found evidence that APSCs can repair pancreatic tissue which could have an impact on diabetes treatment.
• 2009
  • Researchers in Poland found evidence that APSCs are involved in repair of the retina of the eye.
  • Scientists from Poland found that APSCs are released into the blood stream after a stroke as a potential repair mechanism.
• 2008
  • Scientists from the University of Louisville realized that APSCs likely have the potential as an anti-aging treatment due to their known ability to repair and regenerate tissue.

Adult Multipotent Stem Cells

Adult multipotent stem cells are found in our bone marrow, blood, fat, organs and other tissues.  Typically, the offspring of multipotent stem cells give rise to certain cell types whose specialization potential is limited to the range of cells in its lineage.  Examples include adult mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs).  Below are a few highlights:

• 2010’s
  • Trials continue to extend the range of treatments using MSCs, both singly and in combination with other forms of treatment.  Examples include many of those listed above under, “Diseases That Have Been Treated by Stem Cells”.  Studies are also ongoing for the use of MSCs as drug delivery vehicles.
• 2000’s
  • Trials of MSC transplants to treat immunological diseases are conducted with good success.
  • Groups around the world investigate MSC transplantation for the treatment of myriad diseases based on a new-found appreciation for MSCs’ pleiotropic functions that enhance endogenous repair and attenuate immunological dysfunction.  Examples include Crohn’s disease, type I diabetes mellitus (IDDM), myocardial infarction (MI), and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). 
  • Early trials established a good record of safety for direct MSC injection.  
  • MSCs were granted expanded access for use in paediatric steroid-refractive GvHD by the US FDA.
• 1990’s
  • First human trials of MSC conducted for patients having bone marrow transplants.  First evidence of MSCs avoiding immune rejection and the potential held for a broad range of treatments.  
  • Human trials were commenced to evaluate the safety and efficacy of MSC therapy. Initially, autologous [persons own cells] MSCs were explored to aid in the formation of blood cells after bone marrow transplants for the treatment of cancer.  Concurrently, researchers conducted a number of groundbreaking studies that leveraged the therapeutic potential of allogeneic [other person’s cells] MSC transplants.  The focus of these early studies was predicated upon the fact that MSCs functioned as stromal stem cells and therefore might be best suited to treat diseases and conditions afflicting connective and blood tissue.  
  • These first studies were important because they provided preliminary evidence of the safety of MSC therapy as well as the basis for good manufacturing processes to generate MSCs for clinical use.
• 1980’s
  • Maureen Owen, Arnold Caplan elaborate on Friedenstein’s work to further refine isolation methods and identify mesenchymal stem cell markers.  Caplan coined the term, “mesenchymal stem cell”, to describe the subtype of bone marrow cells involved in the process of mesengenesis.
• 1970’s
  • Friedenstein and associates isolate adherent cells from whole bone marrow culture.
• 1960’s
  • Friedenstein and associates demonstrate bone marrow formation by transplanting bone marrow stromal cells. These experiments illustrated an “organizing” function of MSCs similar to other lymphoid stromal cells, thereby suggesting that MSCs were a precursor to bone marrow connective-tissue cells.