Stem Cell Therapy has the capacity to differentiate into multiple cell lineages in the body which facilitates tissue repair and regeneration. Even though stem cell therapy or regenerative medicine has not yet been acknowledged as a standard treatment option for various diseases such as neurological disorders and musculoskeletal disorders, future treatment practices will ensure that stem cell therapy is included as an assertive prescribed treatment for these conditions. This blog summarizes the therapeutic use of stem cells in diseases like cardiovascular, neurological, spinal cord injury and dentistry.
Cardiovascular
Cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of mortality directly or indirectly, such as in the case of heart diseases linked with diabetes, etc. Therapeutic use of stem cells for treatment, research has shown positive results in the case of heart tissue damage repair, restoration, and regeneration. Studies have shown that bone marrow stem cells can repair myocardial damage and improve heart function by myocardial regeneration. Owing to the significant positive results, clinical trials in patients with ischemic heart disease have been started using bone marrow-derived stem cells. Researchers are looking for optimized standard ways for cell harvesting and delivery procedures for a better understanding of the basic mechanisms underlying successful stem cell therapy for clinical implementation.
Neurological
Although theoretical explanations easily normalize the differentiation of stem cells into neurons, oligodendrocytes, and astrocytes, the switch mechanism for specific differentiation of stem cells into different cells of the central and peripheral nervous system are yet to be clinically elucidated for a better grasp of treatment understanding in the clinical trial scenario for the patients. Nevertheless, it is widely believed that stem cells infused in the patient body can help in improving the conditions of disorders like Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, Huntington’s disease, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), and stroke. Animal studies have encouraged these beliefs and research has shown that stem cell therapy can help in reducing dementia and improve neurological functions after injury.
Cosmetic Dentistry
Dental stem cells can significantly help in repairing tooth tissue damage including dental pulp, dentin, and periodontal ligament. Dental stem cells can not only function in case of teeth related issues but they can also differentiate into nervous and bone tissue as the dental stem cells are believed to originate from the neural crest cells and thus behave like generic mesenchymal stem cells. However, for a better understanding of the differentiation properties and specifications of these stem cells, further studies are required to find out the switch mechanisms of dental stem cells into cells of other body tissues.
Spinal Cord Injury
Spinal cord injury is damage to the spinal cord causing loss of neural sensation, muscle function, reflex, and other movement-related functions. In the case of cell therapy for spinal cord injury, neural stem cells have shown the potential to replace the lost tissue after spinal cord neural damage. These stem cells can help in neural repair by promoting growth factors and anti-inflammatory activities. Preclinical studies are showing significant positive results and pilot cases have also given good results in spinal cord injury patients upon treatment with stem cells and regenerative medicine.