cured, not simply treated, with the aid of these marvelous cells. More research is undoubtedly needed to validate these early findings. However, with each passing day, a new breakthrough is discovered. We are but on the shores of a sea of endless possibilities, and the stem cell is our ship.
Arthritis
Arthritis is a disease known all too well by millions of people. The word arthritis is used as an umbrella term to group over 100 known diseases. The most common form of arthritis is osteoarthritis, a type of degenerative joint disease. It can result from a variety of causes, including age, trauma to the joints, and even infection of the joint. Osteoarthritis is characterized by a steady degradation of the cartilage of the joints. Symptoms include bouts of joint pain, rigidity within the joints themselves, and tenderness. In the United States, osteoarthritis is the most prevalent cause of long-term disability, affecting nearly 27 million Americans.
Current therapies for the disease are simply a means to assuage its superficial symptoms. Pain relievers are often prescribed to alleviate the accompanying joint discomfort. However, these medications carry their own risks, resulting in increased rates of cardiovascular disease and, in some cases, gastrointestinal bleeding. The need for a more effective and permanent cure for the disease is at the forefront. Stem cells may provide a means to regenerate the lost cartilage of the joints.
Again, the limitless capabilities of stem cells may prove to hold the key to a cure for osteoarthritis. A study worthy of note has shown the benefits of a stem cell treatment for patients suffering from osteoarthritis of the knee. Researchers injected mesenchymal stem cells into the knees of six patients suffering from osteoarthritis and followed them for one year. The findings were remarkable. The patients experienced a reduction in pain, along with an improvement in function, and significant reformation of the lost cartilage documented via magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). This is just one of the countless number of clinical trials under way targeting osteoarthritis. The injection of stem cells directly into the joints of interest is proving to be a more than effective form of intervention.
In large part, the tangible results of stem cells still seem years away. However, the battle against osteoarthritis is one where a clear sign of victory is just beyond the horizon. The groundbreaking results of the study listed above as well as the plethora of results soon to pour in from clinical trials just like it only reaffirm the stance that stem cells are more than just a mere possibility, they are a legitimate cure. The future is now. It is only a matter of time before the near-limitless potential of these cells is truly extracted.
Conclusion
This review is purely a means to introduce the reader to a very small sliver of the vast world of stem cell research. As stated above, it is by no means, nor does it try to be, a definitive guide. The studies are all very promising in their respective fields of interest. Magnificent strides have been made in the past 20 years and even more advances will be found in the coming years. Research has a compounding effect on the world around it. In this day and age, discoveries made in one part of the world will be known in another part in a matter of seconds, not years. The collaborative effort of researchers all across the world will carry our understanding of stem cells into a new era.
Although all of us do not have the opportunity to actively partake in research endeavors, we can still help in the fight. It is up to us to educate ourselves on these topics. Stem cells have been a point of heated contention for years now. However, the vast majority of the public group all stem cells into only one narrowly defined category. By educating those around us, we are able to break down the walls of stigma that have for so long blocked the eyes of the public to the truth.
At its very core, medicine is simply a means to help those who cannot help themselves. Stem cells are but another tool in the repertoire of modern medicine. However, their full utilization has not yet come to fruition. Stem cells hold the potential to meet the most intractable demands plaguing the human condition. The wealth of research focusing in on these cells is now occurring at an ever-rapid pace. In order for it to proceed to heights unknown, it will need a collective endorsement the world over.
Krishna S. Vyas
University of Kentucky College of Medicine
Rahul Annabathula
University of Kentucky
See Also: Adipose: Existing or Potential Regenerative Medicine Strategies; Alzheimer’s Disease; Blood Adult Stem Cell: Existing or Potential Regenerative Medicine Strategies; Cartilage, Tendons, and Ligaments: Existing or Potential Regenerative Medicine Strategies; Clinical Trials, Ethics of; Heart: Existing or Potential Regenerative Medicine Strategies; Heart Disease; Neural: Existing or Potential Regenerative Medicine Strategies; Parkinson’s Disease.
Further Readings
Koh, Y. G., et al. “Mesenchymal Stem Cell Injections Improve Symptoms of Knee Osteoarthritis.” Arthroscopy, v.29/4 (2013).
Lie, D. C., et al. “The Adult Substantia Nigra Contains Progenitor Cells With Neurogenic Potential.” Journal of Neuroscience, v.22 (2002).
Lumelsky, N., et al. “Differentiation of Embryonic Stem Cells to Insulin-Secreting Structures Similar to Pancreatic Islets.” Science, v.292 (2001).
Makkar, R. R., et al. “Intracoronary Cardiosphere-Derived Cells for Heart Regeneration After Myocardial Infarction.” Lancet, v.379 (March 10, 2012).
Soria, B., et al. “Insulin-Secreting Cells From Embryonic Stem Cells Normalize Glycemia in Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetic Mice.” Diabetes, v.49 (2000).
Clinical Trials Outside the United States: Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
Clinical Trials Outside the United States: Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
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Clinical Trials Outside the United States: Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, is a devastating neurodegenerative disorder characterized by rapidly progressive weakness due to degeneration of motor neurons in the brain cortex, brain stem, and spinal cord. Treatments for ALS have been limited due to the diverse nature and unknown etiology of the disease. Riluzole (Rilutek) is the only FDA-approved treatment known to improve survival in ALS patients, but only by a span of several months. Much of this difficulty in finding treatment relates to the various etiologies and heterogeneity that exist within ALS. In recent years, much interest has been divested into the use of human pluripotent stem cells for the treatment of ALS. While the initial idea was to use the pluripotent stem cells to replace lost motor neurons in ALS, this idea proved impractical given the long-distance projections and complicated functional connections that these new stem cell motor neurons would need to make in order to replace their predecessors.
Another more feasible option would be to use the pluripotent stem cells to re-create support cells in the neuronal environment, nourishing already existing motor neurons to thrive and possibly detoxifying the environment to prevent further cell death. Support cell types in the nervous system can be generated from other tissues such as mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and neural stem cells (NSCs). Mesenchymal stem cells can be derived from existing connective tissue such as bone marrow, cartilage cells, and fat cells, as well as from umbilical cord tissue. Neural stem cells can be derived from the fetal brain. Preclinical studies have shown the ability to use MSCs and NSCs to generate functional support cells to improve motor neuron survival in ALS models. The hope is to determine the safety and efficacy of using mesenchymal and neural stem cell transplantation into patients with ALS and maximize the therapeutic benefit achievable with such treatment.
Most of the current clinical research using an MSC or NSC model for the treatment of ALS is done outside the United States, in countries like Italy, Iran, Israel, and Mexico. The majority of these countries