How Can Stem Cell Therapy Heal Patients With Spinal Cord Injury?

Spinal cord injuries are injuries that happen to any level of the spinal cord. Although the hard bones of the spinal column guard the soft tissues of the spinal cord, vertebrae can still be shattered or displaced in a multiplicity of ways and cause harrowing injury to the spinal cord. Spinal cord injuries differ in their severity, but virtually unavoidably result in numerous forms of negotiated functionality as the spinal cord is in effect the chief pathway for info to travel around the human body. Specifically what body functions are compromised by the injury will depend on the region of the spine that has been impaired and the degree to which the spine has been affected. Although serious impacts like falls and motor vehicle accidents account for various spinal cord injuries, tumors budding close to the column can also impair sensitive nerve tissue and have the same effects. For eras scientists have been working to try and find a way to cure the several sicknesses that spinal cord injuries can bring, but with restricted success. However, in recent years a revolutionary new technology has arisen that is helping thousands of individuals globally to regain part, if not all, of their formerly lost flexibility. That treatment is via usage of stem cells.

What are stem cells and stem cell treatments?

Stem cells are found in all multicellular organisms and are categorized by their aptitude to segregate into a varied array of specialized cells when they divide and renovate themselves. They are noteworthy for their aptitude to revive themselves into nearly any other human cell. Their usage in the treatment of several ailments and disorders, from leukemia to multiple sclerosis, is now becoming more common. Contingent on the condition, stem cells can be resettled into the patient to help renew and regenerate formerly impaired cells, giving patients rehabilitated hope when, before, no trustworthy treatment existed. This norm is now being applied to the treatment of spinal cord injuries using stem cells, and in occasions where the patient has not experienced a comprehensive spinal cord injury, i.e. a complete splitting of the spinal cord resulting in a loss of function beneath the ‘neurological’ level. There has been exceptional success in helping patients recover better sensory and physiological capability. If you ask can stem cell therapy heal patients with spinal cord injury, the answer would be an outright yes.

Spinal cord injury: How stem cell treatment works

When there is suffering to the spinal cord, myelopathy (mutilation to the fibers that carry messages to and from the brain) has transpired. These ‘myelinated fibre tracts’ are the emphasis of stem cell treatment, and are the nerve cells that the treatment aids to rejuvenate. The process generally follows three stages and generally necessitates no longer than a period of about five weeks in medical care for monitoring: Phase one encompasses the reaping of stem cells. The cells are mined from a fetus’s umbilical cord. They are then put through a procedure whereby they are isolated and cleansed before they are finally refined to be apt for clinical usage. Phase two is the transfer of the stem cells. This is executed in one of three ways:

1. Lumbar puncture – a process used where stem cells can be injected straight into the spinal column.
2. Intravenous injection- stem cells are injected into the patient’s vein.
3. Tissue injection – straight injection into target tissues.

Phase three encompasses the observing of the patient to make certain there are no adverse side effects. The only side effects reported to date were instigated by the lumbar puncture, and not the stem cell treatment itself, with only 15% of patients reporting mild headaches. During the time, under medical observation, patients go through numerous physiotherapy activities and other treatments as essential.

Stem cell research and treatment in India

India is speedily becoming a world spearhead in stem cell research and is now a major centre for the stem cell treatment of lots of diseases and conditions. The Indian government has poured several millions of rupees into research on regenerative medicine, and that investment has categorically borne fruit in the past some years. Although formerly, treatment in India may have been considered dangerous because of negligent health and security laws, recent years have seen an upsurge in legislation shielding the patient and improving the functionality of clinics. Besides this, India has long held a place at the front of stem cell research to treat all disorders. Various individuals of all ages and with variable degrees of injury have got stem cell treatment in India over the last some years. It is significant to remember that not every patient will react in the same manner and that the age of the patient and the brutality of the injury greatly affect the probabilities of recovery. However, there have been several success stories from both Indian citizens and non-nationals.