Resources for patients considering adult stem cell therapy

Adult stem cell treatment does not cause allogeneic reaction

Since many of the stem cells used in Vigendo’s stem cell treatment packages are harvested from donor material, concerns are often raised about the risk for a rejection reaction. Recent research has found that stem cells do not cause immune reactions (also referred to rejection reactions) and that some types of stem cell treatment may in fact be able to prevent these types of rejection reactions as well as host versus graft disease when used during a donor (also referred to as allogeneic) transplant.

International research carried out at leading research centers around the world show that mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) originating in umbilical cords, neural tissue, bone marrow or human fat have immunomodulatory effects which means that instead of causing a rejection reaction they can actually help prevent a rejection reaction without the addition of any other immunosuppressants. This is good news for patients going through a transplant, since immunosuppressants often incur severe side effects.

Scientists have also found that umbilical cord stem cells are less prone to rejection because the stem cells have not yet developed the features that can be recognized and attacked by the recipient's immune system.

In fact, because of the immunomodulatory effects that have recently been discovered in MSCs, scientists are currently studying the possibility of using MSC’s to specifically treat graft versus host disease and rejection reaction.

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Adult stem cells do not increase tumor risk

Many people believe stem cell therapy is dangerous because they think it may increase tumor growth and lead to cancer. This is a concern when dealing with embryonic stem cells but not adult stem cells.

A known characteristic of embryonic stem cells is that they may cause a particular type of tumor called a teratoma. This means that with therapy only involving embryonic stem cells, tumors are a justified concern. Also, the cells divide at an extremely fast rate which is an additional worry when dealing specifically with embryonic stem cells.

Vigendo treatment packages utilize technology using only adult stem cells. These adult stem cells are either allogeneic (provided through donors) or autologous (from the patient’s own body) and usually originate from umbilical cords, bone marrow, fat tissue - also known as adipose tissue - or neural tissue. Because adult stem cells do not divide as quickly as embryonic stem cells do, and because they are not as volatile, adult stem cells do not carry the same risks as embryonic stem cells do.

One reason we can be so secure in our assessment of the safety of adult stem cell treatments is that in 1968, doctors performed the first successful bone marrow transplant. Bone marrow contains so called somatic stem cells that in turn produce our blood cells. Bone marrow is routinely used to treat many blood and bone marrow diseases, blood cancers, and immune disorders so with decades of experience and new studies continuously supporting the safety record of adult stem cells, scientists are becoming more and more certain that tumor formation is not an issue when healthy, human adult stem cells are cultured and used in treatment correctly.

Note: Vigendo does however not accept patients with existing tumors due to the fact that if the patient already has an existing tumor, the speed of growth of that tumor can be accelerated by an injection of adult stem cells and any tissue that is damaged by irradiation can harden and become cancerous tissue.

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How to best send an MRI image or large file

For many of our stem cell treatments, our medical teams need to have a look at your MRI images to evaluate your individual condition. Sending us your MRI images, while it may at first seem tricky, can be made very easy through the steps outlined below.

If you already have the files on your computer:

1. Select all the files you wish to send
2. Compress them into one or a couple of zip files
3. Send the files to info@vigendo.com using a free file sending service such as www.transferbigfiles.com or www.yousendit.com.

If you have the files on a CD:

1. Save the files onto your computer (please make sure all the info on the disc is copied)
2. Select all the files you saved
3. Compress them into one or a couple of zip files
4. Send the files to info@vigendo.com using a free file sending service such as www.transferbigfiles.com or www.yousendit.com.

If you have printed x-ray sheets from the hospital:

1. Have a friend hold up the images to a light source (a window or a lamp) so that the images can clearly be seen.
2. Photograph the images using a digital camera, making sure the image is clear and focused
3. Send the .jpg files to info@vigendo.com.

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A basic guide to stem cells

Stem cells exist in all living organisms. They have the unique and remarkable capability to divide indefinitely through a process called miopic cell division and can either remain a stem cell or transform into one of the many different specialized cells that exist in our bodies, helping the body grow and stay healthy.

Fertilization

When a human egg is fertilized, it is stem cells that build the entire human body including specialized cells like heart, lung and skin. Stem cells keep building after birth as well and help us develop and grow into fully developed adults.

Adult cells

As developed, adult humans we continue to make use of the stem cells that exist in our bodies. There, stem cells function as a sort of repair system in the body, replacing and renewing dead or damaged cells and maintaining the circulation of organs that constantly renew themselves such as blood and skin.

In treatments

It is because of the unique properties that stem cells have that make them so interesting for use in the treatment room. Understanding how stem cells work and what needs to be done in order for them to divide and transform into the different cells in our body can help us heal severe injuries and restore damaged tissue to a normal state. Over the last few years, scientists and physicians have learnt more and more about how stem cells work and what they can be used for. They have realized that when stem cells are injected into a damaged body, the cells do not simply replace damaged cells, they initiate a regeneration reaction in the whole body, signaling for the body's own stem cells to replace dead or damaged tissue in organs.

Different types of stem cells

We are still learning about how and why stem cells work but over the last few years, the stem cell promise has become a reality with many doctors offering tested, viable stem cell therapies for patients with a wide range of injuries and diseases. There are a lot of discussions about stem cells as a general term, when in fact there are many different kinds of stem cells. To understand this a little better, here is a short description of some of the different types of stem cells that are used for therapeutic and research purposes and that you may hear about while searching for stem cell news or updates.

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Myth: More stem cells equals a better treatment

Lately, I have noticed that patients at clinics are around China are asking the doctors for an extra shot of stem cells at the end of their treatment, or a double shot of cells before they go. I was puzzled that some clinics seemed to agree to offer patients that option, and wanted to find out if the improvements really are related to quantity or if there are some other factors involved in a successful treatment.

The notion that more stem cells equal more improvements is an idea that at first seems to be fairly logical. Most clinics however, will tell you that the prescribed amount of stem cells is more than enough to start the processes in the body that are needed for a successful treatment. After talking to several top researchers it turns out that the "more equals more" theory is a false idea which may set you back thousands of dollars without providing you with any extra benefit.

One leading researcher and treatment provider told me:

"While it is true that there is a certain amount of cells needed in order for the stem cell treatment to be effective, there are many more factors that have a greater influence on patients than just the quantity of cells we inject. Furthermore, as treatment providers, it is our job to prescribe the right amount of cells in the initial treatment plan as apposed to holding back. It seems to me that many of the clinics who provide patients with booster cells at the end are just trying to make more money."

I asked the researcher to share what some of the important factors for the outcome of the treatment are, he provided the following list:

• The general health of the patient is very important

  If the patient has an infection or is ill or if he is in really bad shape when he arrives, this will most likely influence the outcome of the treatment.

• How long he has gone with the injury

  While some patients have great results after stem cells even years and years after the injury occurred (for example older cerebral palsy patients), we do in most cases see a fairly large correlation between time and effect. So if you are considering stem cell treatment, you should also know that a long wait can be a negative factor for the treatment outcome.

• The quality of stem cells

  This is one of the reasons stem cell treatments are now so strictly regulated in China and why only hospitals with serious research and their own labs are permitted to carry on treating patients.

• The health of the donor when donor cells are used

  This is why we also test the donor before accepting his or her cells for therapeutic purposes. When we use cord cells, we actually test the mother as well before we accept the umbilical cord.

• The method by which you inject the stem cells

  This is also, of course, a key factor when looking at treatment outcome. This is why we spend a great deal of time determining the treatment protocol and constantly try to improve our delivery technique.

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