Cell-based therapy

The cellular therapy is treatment by method of alive cell transplantation to the man’s body, by means of which the lost, non-active or damaged cells are substituted and a pronounced regenerative effect is achieved: regeneration of work of individual organs, tissues and the body as a whole.

A little bit of history

Term «a stem cell» was first used by Lorenz in 1908 at the conference of the Haematological Society in Berlin. In 1951 Lorenz showed that the allogenic marrow can protect from death due to cessation of hematosis in animals having received a high dose of radiation. In 1960-70 a Soviet scientist A.Ya.Friedenstein studied and cultivated mesenchimal (stromal) stem cells of the marrow. In 1981 Martin Evans first succeeded in isolating undifferentiated pluripotent lines of stem cells from embrioblast (internal cellular mass) of the mice blastocyst. In 1998 James A. Thomson and John D. Gearhart isolated immortal lines of human embryonic stem cells. In 1999 the “Science” magazine acknowledged the discovery of the embryonic stem cells as the third in significance event in biology of the 20th century after decoding of the DNA double spiral and program «Human genome». In early 2004 Korean scientists Woo Suk Hwang and Shin Yong Moon for the first time carried out human cloning – to the ovum with the nucleus having been removed before the nucleus of the somatic cell was transplanted. This ovum was developing to the stage of blastocyst, from which ESC were received.

Where are the stem cells taken from?

According to their origin, the stem cells are subdivided into embryonic, fetal, stem cells of the umbilical cord blood and adult’s stem cells. Science knows several sources of receiving stem cells.

The source of embryonic stem cells is a blastocyst, an embryo which is formed by the fifth day of fertilization. These stem cells can be differentiated absolutely to all types an adult’s cells. But this source of stem cells has some disadvantages.

First of all, these cells can spontaneously regenerate into cancer cells.

Secondly, in the world up to now there is no any isolated safe line of really embryonic stem cells, suitable for clinical application.

Fetal stem cells are derived from the abortive material on 9-12 week of pregnancy. Such cells have already got their direction in the body and are not dangerous from the oncology point of view.

In addition to ethical and legal controversy, use of unverified abortive material is fraught with complications, such as patient’s infection with herpes virus, viral hepatitis and even AIDS. For use of similar technologies a strict clinical and virusologicl control is required.

Nevertheless, there are many articles and studies proving a great potential of this technology as an alternative to the proper SC.

The source of stem cells is also umbilical cord - placental blood collected after the delivery. This blood is very rich in stem cells. Taking this blood and placing it to the criobank of stem cells, in future it can be used for renewal of practically any tissues and organs, as well as for treatment of any disease, oncologic ones included. It is the most available source of stem cells. In the umbilical cord blood there can be differentiated two types of stem cells at once: the first one - hematopoietical stem cells, from which absolutely all the blood cells orignate, and the second one - mesenchimal stem cells which regenerate practically all organs and ftissues.

Why do we need stem cells?

If a man has his own stem cells, then why cannot organs be regenerated after their damage?

The reason is in the process of maturing, diseases experienced, traumas, accidents, intoxications (drug addiction, alcoholism) - a man has a catastrophic decline of the amount of stem cells: at birth - 1 stem cell is met per 10 thousands of all the cells, by 20-25 years - 1 per 100 thousands, by 30-1 per 300 thousands. There is only 1 stem cell per 500 thousands left by 50 years in the body, thus, this is the age when as a rule such diseases as atherosclerosis, stenocardia, hypertension and so on are exhibited.

Depletion of the store of stem cells due to ageing, intoxications or severe diseases, as well as disturbance in the mechanism of their release to blood, disable the body to regenerate effectively, as a result, the vital activity of these or those organs is reduced.

Increase of the amount of stem cells in the body results in intensive regeneration and renewal of the affected tissues and sick organs at the expense of young healthy cells instead of the lost ones.

The current medicine has already such technology. It is called cellular therapy. This technology is actively applied by our Clinic in a close collaboration with the scientists of the Institute of Criobiology and Criomedicine of the National Academy of Sciences in Kharkov.

What is cellular therapy?

The man’s body is evoluting up to 25 years, after that the process of ageing begins, when with every day a man notices not very pleasant changes in his body. Age-specific changes of skin, changes in activity of endocrine and sexual glands, muscular tissues, immune and nervous systems are also related to depletion of the store of stem cells. All these processes of ageing are considerably intensified, if powerful destroying processes - chemical intoxication (alcohol, drugs) affect the body.

The cellular therapy is needed for compensation of this store. There is no necessity for healthy people to begin the supporting therapy before 35 years. On the contrary, for those persons who undergone serious illnesses, traumas, burns or poisonings (intoxications), the procedures are indicated in any age.

By means of the reinversion therapy with stem cells derived from the umbilical cord blood and placental blood, the Centre can treat (or use them as an accompanying therapy) the whole range of diseases which are consequences of chronic drug intoxication - a syndrome of chronic fatigue, chronic trophic ulcers of lower extremities caused by venous insufficiency in our patients, hepatitis and hepatic cirrhosis, toxic lesions of muscles and vessels of the heart and other organs, quasi-ischemia of internal organs (heart, brain and others), diabetes mellitus, atherosclerosis, so on.

By means of cellular therapy the psycho-emotional state of patients is quickly and qualitatively improved; sleeping and mood are also improved, potency rises at the syndrome of chronic fatigue, wounds, ulcers of skin and internal organs are healed, a rehabilitation is carried out after strokes and cranial-cerebral traumas, a complex program of revitalization is provided (improvement of functional capabilities of the body and of quality of life).

The cellular therapy is used as a rehabilitation therapy in case of sexopathology, impotence and infertility in men and women, at syndrome of chronic fatigue.

Undoubtedly, use of stem cells is not a panacea. Thus, their use in oncology will not result in cancer healing. However, there is a number of unique programs directed to rehabilitation of patients in the period of remission and intercourses in chemotherapy or radiotherapy.

List of diseases for therapeutic transplantation of stem cells:

• Syndrome of chronic fatigue
• Primary and secondary immunodeficiency
• Chronic viral hepatitis, toxic hepatitis, hepatic cirrhosis
• Chronic trophic ulcers of lower extremities due to venous insufficiency
• Toxic changes of the myocardium, coronary heart disease, systemic atherosclerosis; accompanying therapy
• Sexopathology, impotence and infertility in men and women; accompanying treatment
• Chronic neurological disorders, rehabilitation after strokes and cranial-cerebral traumas, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheymer’s disease, multiple sclerosis
• Diabetes mellitus of types I and II; accompanying traditional therapy

And especially, we would like to emphasize that a new method of treatment of the secondary immune deficiency is successfully used in our clinic, with use of the tissue therapy elaborated by a group of Russian scientists. The method gives a real hope to patients with this threatening diagnosis.

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