Encouraging results have been observed in the last few years in patients suffering from various NO OPTION neurodegenerative disorders ranging from:
Autism
Cerebral palsy
Spinal cord injury
Stroke
Parkinson’s
motor neuron disease
optic atrophy
How It Works
1- HOMING
As Chemokines are secreted by Damaged tissue, neurotrophic Growth factors added along with stem cells.
Neurotrophic Growth factors added along with stem cells.
Blood-Brain Barrier:
Avoided using the Intrathecal approach
Also made permeable by the selective use of drugs
2-THERAPEUTIC ANGIOGENESIS
The presence of endothelial stem cells population in a cocktail along with platelets and growth factors.
Stem cell treatment induces angiogenesis, predominantly responsible for tissue repair.
Intravenous injection of MSCs after induced stroke resulted in augmented levels of endogenous VEGF as well as increased angiogenesis in the transition zone.
3-REJUVENATION
It secrete growth factors which modulate the locoregional milieu:
After homing and subsequent survival of MSCs, their differentiation into neurons and astrocytes, leads to enhanced neural function(The concept of plasticity of stem cells or trans differentiation).
The Research behind the methodology
Intensive animal research and encouraging results from proof of concept studies support the concept;
How It Is Done
Patients are evaluated clinically, radiologically by MRI, PET scans, electrophysiological by EEG, evoked potentials.
As a daycare procedure, 240 ml of Bone marrow and 100 ml of fat is aspirated and processed for stem cells isolation and finally 5 ml of stem cells processed as per GMP is injected:
1. INTRA-ARTERIAL (BBB)
2. INTRATHECAL (CSF BRAIN BARRIER)
3. DIRECT ONLY IN PATIENTS WITH SPINAL CORD INJURY
UNDER FLUOROSCOPIC GUIDANCE
OPEN-LIMITED LAMINECTOMY
OPEN SURGERY
What To Expect
AUTISM
80% (8 of 10) experienced improvements.
Direct correlation between positive outcome and age, number of stem cells administered and frequency.
Results were significantly better in kids less than 8-year of age.
CEREBRAL PALSY
Overall, 60% improved.
Cognitive improvements materialized after about 3 months and physical improvements started after 6 months.
SPINAL CORD INJURY
Nearly 65-70% of the treated patients experienced improvements.
Up to 65% of patients recovered certain motor functions, increased muscle strength, better stamina during physical exercises, pelvic organ functions and improved bladder control as well as the sensitivity.
VOLUNTARY TRUNK MUSCLE CONTROL
Sitting without back support and being able to stand with support is experienced by 85% of patients with upper thoracic injury within 4 months.
Better coordination and walking ability with sensory improvement though motor scores did not improve much as observed in 90% of patients.
USEFUL MOTOR AND SENSORY RECOVERY
Getting back sensation(feeling warm or cold sensations/ touch) was reported in 67%, overall enhanced strength 65%.
Improved muscle function and strength, including some ambulation seen in 60% of the patients till about 2 years.
PARKINSON’S
Total reversal of symptoms in one patient.
60 % of patients showed up to 50% improvement in motor function.
STROKE
Overall 75% patients experienced improvements.
MRI showed 25% improvement in thickness of cortex in 60 % of patients.
OPTIC ATROPHY
In sub-acute phase success rate exceeds up to 75%.
improvement in the visual acuity(58%) of eyes.
Multiple Sclerosis –
Treatment decreased tissue damage in the patients, and had the capacity to completely suppress further tissue damage.
Upto 65 % of patients showed improved MS functional rating scale (EDSS) scale by at least 2 degree.
Total volume of lesions in the brain or spinal cord showed reduction of up to 25% in 40% of patients (MRI).
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis / Motor Neuron Disease
Patients showed improvement in 55%, manual muscle testing of 34 muscle groups of the upper and lower limbs showed improvement by at least one grade in 60% of patients.
Electromyography assessment of key muscle groups of the upper and lower limb showed improvement in 50% of the patients.
Somatosensory evoked potentials (SEPs) following tibial nerve stimulation showed improvement in 55% of the patients.
MRIs – the spinal cord diameter at the level of engraftment showed an increase in 80% of the cases.