Adult Stem Cells Help Those With Immune Disorders, Heart Disease

A new U.S. analysis has shown that adult stem cells may be an effective treatment for autoimmune diseases and cardiovascular disorders.

Adult stem cells are different from embryonic stem cells which are collected from an embryo four to five days after fertilization and are able to differentiate into any type of cell in the body. Adult stem cells, on the other hand, are found in several types of tissue in different parts of the body and function to help replace damaged and aging cells. Adult stems cells are limited in the cell types into which they can differentiate.

Researchers have found that transplantation of hematopoietic stem cells into individuals during the active, inflammatory stage of an autoimmune disease results in a disease-remitting effect. The disease remission duration, however, remains unclear.

In studies of 1,498 patients with cardiovascular disease, it was found that “adult stem cell transplantation may lead to modest improvements in cardiac function.”

This finding is exciting news because it presents evidence that adult stem cells may be an effective treatment method for autoimmune disorders and cardiovascular disease. One must also wonder what other disorders could be successfully treated with stem cells. Clinical trials are necessary in order to “determine the most appropriate cell type, dose, method, timing of delivery, and adverse effects of hematopoietic stem cells.”

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_61587.html