Advances in the Use of Stem Cells for Spinal Cord Injuries

The research on stem cells and how to treat specific medical conditions can be frustrating and long, but there are moments when discoveries or improvements are made that gives us hope and reason to continue. Recently, there has been such progress made in the research to heal spinal cord injury that results in decrease motor function (ability to move) and pain.

At the University of California San Diego School of Medicine, Dr. Yasuhiro Shiga, MD, PhD combined laboratory rat stem cells with a modified form of tissue-type plasminogen activator (tPA), which is a drug that is used to treat non-hemorrhagic stroke. He then injected this back into the patient to look for any effects. Dr. Shiga found that the tPA treated cells help nourish the progenitor stem cells so that they stay in the body longer than cells that were not combined with tPA. Some of these stem cells have even begun to differentiate into actual neurons which helped laboratory mice have more motor function that rats that were not treated with this method. So far, this method seems to improve the rat's ability to move; however, Dr. Shiga reports that it doesn't seem to influence pain.

While use of this kind of technology is years away from legal application in humans, it's an exciting milestone for what stem cells can do for us and our health. While we cannot cure spinal cord injuries yet, we are able to alleviate pain from tendonitis, bursitis, and other joint discomforts.

At Hero Medical Center, we specialize in transforming your own stem cells into a remedy for your pain. Call us for more information and visit us for a free consultation and get to know our knowledgeable and professional medical team.

Source: https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2019-12/uoc--sdb121319.php