*note: video below shows an actual patient who has had stem-cell therapy.
Case Western is once again in the news regarding Mesenchymal stem-cells and it is looking good for those with multiple sclerosis (MS). This just might be as close to a cure as anyone can ask for when it comes to this disease, although it is looked on as more of a recovery than the cure.
Lima's Richard Roughy said he was more than “thankful” these studies are ongoing and thinks it “is giving a lot of people hope that this disease can be arrested for real within our lifetime.”
Two years ago investigators here at Cleveland's Mellen Center, Case Medical Center and National Center for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, recruited for an Ohio MS trial that was finally able to get off the ground last year; and it was started based on Case Western's Miller, Bai and Caplan's previous work in 2009.
This ongoing research had found them now wanting to see if it was “the presence of stem cells or something cells produce” and they discovered that it was the hepatocyte growth factor that helped the repair take place.
Researchers injected a hepatocyte growth factor, a secretion by mesenchymal cells that has major role in embryonic organ development, into rodent models with multiple sclerosis (MS) showing recovery of the myelin sheath, the covering of nerves in the brain:
“The scientists injected animals with 50 or 100 nanograms of the growth factor every other day for five days. The level of signaling molecules that promote inflammation decreased while the level of signaling molecules that counter inflammation increased. Neural cells grew and nerves laid bare by MS were rewrapped with myelin. The 100-nanogram injections appeared to provide slightly better recovery.”
A more precise cell therapy is needed so further research will be taking place and Miller asks, “Could we now take away the mesenchymal stem-cells and treat only with hepatocyte growth factor? We've shown we can do that in an animal but it's not clear if we can do that in a patient."
It is more than apparent mesenchymal stem-cells are holding up their end when it comes to being able to help those with MS and other diseases; now all we need to do is finish the job and try to keep the FDA out of it.
There is debate regarding whether stem-cells are, or are not, their jurisdiction as the Colorado Centeno-Schultz Clinic has been having a time of it trying to get the Regenexx procedure done for their patients, when certain patients will be traveling over state-lines.
Let's hope it doesn't become that difficult of a problem, at least anymore difficult than it already is, since Canada has approved the first stem-cell drug treatment while we've been fighting our government's over-reach.
First True MS Flare-up Since Having Stem Cell Treatment (video)
For more info: for those who live in Lima, Ohio, the Northwestern Ohio MS Chaptercan be reached at: 401 Tomahawk Drive , Maumee, OH at (419) 897-7263. They are located approximately an hour and a half from Lima, Ohio and 45 minutes from Findlay, Ohio. For directions please click here at Google Maps.
Sources: http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-05-growth-factor-stem-cells-spur.html; http://medicalxpress.com/tags/ms+patients/;http://www.medscape.com/viewa...
Subscribe above for future articles and post your comments, questions and opinions below.
Follow Lori Friend on twitter @: twitter.com/lwilsonfriend
Comments