STEM CELL THERAPY FOR ALS

 

 Due to their reported ability to differentiate into neurons and astrocytes to replace the  dead or injured  neurons, we utilize Mesenchymal stem cells, as a potential treatment remedy for ALS patients.

 For suitable candidates we offer an  extensive treatment protocols for ALS  patients which includes the option of applying hundreds of millions of umbilical cord tissue cells,  or  harvesting and applying large quantities of   mesenchymal stem cells, usually drawn from the  patient’s own bone marrow.  This treatment  includes other supportive treatments and therapies  with an aim to maximize the treatment effectiveness. Stem cells harvested from the patient’s own bone marrow will also be sent to a specialist COFEPRIS licensed laboratory for further cultivation, and differentiation for further injections.

What is ALS?

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease, Motor Neuron Disease (MND), and Charcot’s disease, is a progressive neurodegenerative disease which attacks motor neurons in the brain and spinal cord. This causes the wasting away of muscle and progressive loss of movement. There is an estimated 30,000 people in the United States living with ALS at any given time and every 90 minutes, someone is diagnosed with the disease. Most people succumb to ALS between age 50 to 70.

There is no known cure for ALS. Around 10 percent of cases are known to be in some way hereditary.

The majority of people with ALS live about 3-5 years after experiencing their first signs of the disease. With At least one in ten people living more than 10 years subsequent to  their diagnosis.

How do we hope stem cells work against this type of disease (ALS)?

It has to be emphasized that ALS is an extremely challenging disease to treat. There is no cure for ALS nor can anyone promise one. At most we can hope to treat the symptoms of ALS and slow down or at best halt its progression.

Stem cells have shown remarkable healing properties in the body. Studies have now shown that stem cells have the ability to reduce the deterioration of nerve cells, restore cell function, reduce symptom-causing inflammation, and even regrow new neurons.

Inflammation is prevalent in disorders ranging from heart disease and diabetes to Multiple Sclerosis and Alzheimer’s. Treatment of these diseases, as well as many other common conditions, usually addresses the reduction of inflammation in the body. Whether through drugs, diet and lifestyle changes, or other natural methods, the goal is to eliminate as much inflammation from the body as possible.

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Types of cells and mode of application

Our stem cell therapies involve the implanting of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) into the body via IV (intravenous), by intrathecal injection (spinal canal/subarachnoid space), or site injection (normally for joint issues). We offer various types of mesenchymal cells, from the umbilical cord, bone marrow or adipose fat. These stem cells can be autologous (originating from the patient’s own tissue) or allogeneic (originating from an outside source, such as umbilical cord tissue).

Researchers claim that Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) work in four main ways

• control inflammation
• Modulate the immune system
• stimulate regeneration
• reduce scarring

For more on MSCs click here.

What type of cells and how they are administered depends on the circumstances of each case.

Period of stay- length of protocol

The period of the patient stay also depends on the circumstances of each case and the condition treated. This can range from as few as 1-2 days or last for several weeks.  Typically, the patient stay lasts for around 5 days. Patients traveling from say Europe will typically come for a longer period due to the issues of jet-lag.  Due to our relative proximity to most parts of the US and Canada our patients can return for further treatments on a fairly regular basis. All patients are given a full medical examination upon arrival. The course of treatment also involves other treatments and techniques aimed at ameliorating and enhancing the effect of the stem cell infusion. We also offer a range of other subsidiary treatments that patients can benefit from during their stay- such as physiotherapy and other alternative therapies. Our IV treatments are minimally invasive.

As we explain at this link– these protocols are simply not available in the US and Canada and this is why we are in Baja California, Mexico.

We offer the option of staying in top rate accommodations either in an urban or beach front setting.

The amount of cells infused can vary- although at this time we typically infuse hundreds of millions of cells thru IVs and by injection.  The state-of-the art licensed laboratories we work with and from whom we source our cells produce huge quantities of cells thru cultivating and expanding harvested cells.  Cell expansion is the process of taking cells extracted from tissue, culturing them in the lab and encouraging them to reproduce. The reproduced cells are identical to the source cells, but this process allows more effective treatment with greater numbers of cells.  This increases the possibility of a positive result.

Additional visits may be advised and as a consequence frequently patients are advised to return over time for more infusions.

All visits are subject to follow up by our team.

Safety of cord and other adult cells

Along with all adult stem cells, including those derived from bone marrow and adipose fat, no significant safety issues have been reported thru clinical trials and thru clinical use.

Researchers and treating doctors are satisfied that they are extremely safe.  The only reported side effects being short term cases of nausea, fatigue etc… associated with all medical procedures. Contrast the situation with embryonic/fetal cell were there are fears that these cell types are potentially tumorigenic- i.e. can evolve into tumors.  Due large part to this, researchers and regulators tend to be wary of them and focus on other stem cells types, such as cord, bone marrow, and fat.

This is one reason why we do not use fetal/embryonic cells.

Researchers have shown over the years that Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSCs) are one of the strongest anti-inflammatory tools available today and many patients are turning to stem cell therapy to meet their needs.

The ALS Association’s Statement on Stem Cell Research of  August 26th, 2014 states in part that,

‘The Association believes that stem cell research is an evolving field that holds the potential to provide benefit to people with ALS in the future.  The pursuit of stem cell research with appropriate scientific review and ethical guidelines directly furthers the mission of The ALS Association in finding a cure for and improving living with ALS.’

See:  www.alsa.org/news/media/press-releases/statement-on-stemcell-research.html

To contact us for an initial consultation email:  info@stem-cells-mexico.com or call  +1 (619) 344 0565.