Mechanism of stem cell therapy in diseases

In recent years, stem cells have developed rapidly as an emerging medical technology. Their interventions on various diseases have been remarkable. "What is stem cell? What diseases can it treat?" are often questioned.

In general, stem cells are “seeds of life”, multi-functional cells that can self-renew and regenerate. Under certain conditions, stem cells can differentiate into multiple functional cells, and have the ability to repair various tissue functions and regenerate organs. They are called "universal cells" by the medical community.

Many people have limited understanding on what diseases stem cells can treat. In fact, stem cells are very widely used for clinical applications. Through a variety of stem cell therapy cases, this article brings you to understand how are stem cell therapy related to the following nine diseases:

1. Improve and prevent diabetes

The principle of stem cell treatment of diabetes is mainly to separate, purify and expand the extracted stem cells into patients. The stem cells are differentiated into islet cells under the induction of pancreatic tissue microenvironment, replacing damaged islet β cells and secreting insulin, which can improve diabetes and significantly reduce the use of hypoglycemic agents.

Stem cells can also improve the body's sugar metabolism, effectively lower blood sugar levels, and prevent diabetes.

2. Improve and prevent "three highs"

Experts said that stem cell therapy can improve the body's ability to cope with the metabolism of various lipoproteins; it can effectively lower the concentration of low cholesterol, triglyceride and low density lipoprotein in blood sugar; it can significantly improve the body's sugar metabolism and effectively lower blood sugar levels; it can improve the balance between energy supply and consumption, has the effect to reduce blood fat, lower blood sugar, etc., and has obvious therapeutic effects on essential hypertension, hyperglycemia and hyperlipemia.

3. Improve and prevent heart failure

The heart is an important organ of the human body. With the increase of age and the influence of the external environment, myocardial infarction is prone to occur, resulting in a failure of cardiac function.

Studies have shown that directed stem cells differentiation can regenerate infarcted heart cells and rejuvenate the heart. Stem cells can also keep heart function healthy, without declining or damaging due to aging.

4. Improve brain function decline

The brain is the command that governs the entire body. The decline in brain function is mainly manifested in memory loss, decreased thinking agility, and even severe dementia.

The main reason is that more and more brain cells are apoptotic and aging, leading to a decline in brain function. Infusion of a certain amount of stem cells induced by differentiation into brain cells can replace aging apoptotic brain cells, improve memory, improve thinking ability, and effectively prevent Alzheimer's disease.

5. Improve and prevent liver function decline

The liver is the body's largest detoxification organ. Most of people are busy in modern life, often working overtime, staying up late, drinking alcohol, etc., those bad habits can easily lead to premature liver failure.

The treatment of liver cirrhosis by stem cells is achieved by differentiating stem cells into new liver functional cells according to the surrounding microenvironment; on the one hand, it can “awake” the regeneration of its own liver cells; on the other hand, it can repair nutritionally damaged cells through the various cytokines secreted by stem cells. The combination works to repair and replace the cells in which the developed lesions can gradually restore. Clinical results have showed that the intervention effects are remarkable.

6. Improve and prevent the decline of the immune system

When aging occurs, the immune system is inferior, and is often prone to get infections, such as bacteria, viruses, and fungi. It takes a long time to recover after each illness. More dangerously, due to the reduced function of the immune system, the immune surveillance function cannot be performed normally, and the cancerous cells in the body will not be cleared or killed in time, which may easily lead to cancer.

With stem cell therapy, the immune cells that are induced to differentiate can act on the body's immune function system, which can increase the body's resistance, reduce the chance of bacterial infection and viral infection, and destroy or apoptosis the virus-infected cells and tumor cells. It can protect both normal cells and tumors and virus cells, without side effects.

7. Improve and prevent premature ovarian failure

Premature ovarian failure refers to a disease characterized by a decrease in serum estrogen levels and an increase in gonadotropin levels in women other than pregnancy.

Nowadays, stem cells have become a new way to treat premature ovarian failure. Scientific research has found that the use of stem cells to treat premature ovarian failure can restore ovarian function; promote the repair of damaged tissues; protect the damaged ovaries. Stem cells directly reach the injured site, differentiate into some vascular endothelial cells, and provide nutritional support; improve ovarian promotion follicle hormone microenvironment, restore the function of ovarian damage; prevent follicular atresia, promote follicular renewal, thereby enhancing reproductive capacity.

8. Improve and prevent male sexual function decline

Male sexual function will gradually decline with age. Through stem cell therapy, it can target the restoration of aging and degeneration of the reproductive system, restore or enhance sexual function; young people who have no sexual dysfunction can be treated by stem cells to maintain good sexual ability.

After entering middle-age, the male prostate will gradually proliferate, and nocturia will increase. In severe cases, the urinary tract will be blocked. Through stem cell therapy, it can target the promotion of sex hormone balance, reduce the number of nocturia, and improve the symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia. It also has preventive and health effects on the male reproductive system, making it less prone to symptoms such as prostatic hypertrophy.

9. Improve and prevent muscle function decline

As the age increases, the muscle function of the human body diminishes or even disappears. The strength and tension of the muscles, the muscle relaxation function, etc. will decrease, and the body will gradually become swollen. Through the treatment of stem cells, it can improve muscle function, increase strength, improve body shape, and make people more youthful.

Why can stem cells fight aging?

Stem cells can differentiate and regenerate various body cells, tissues and organs with specific functions, replace and repair dead, damaged cells, tissues, organs, etc., at the same time, stem cells can continuously secrete various growth factors/immunity regulators necessary for human body to directly stimulate and activate the body's self-cell, tissue, organ repair and regeneration functions, thereby achieving the purpose of repairing damage, treating diseases, and delaying aging. Fundamentally, cells are the smallest unit of the human body. And stem cells are the "builders".

Generally, stem cells are classified into the following categories based on the developmental stage:

1. Embryonic stem cells

A highly undifferentiated cell with a developmental omnipotent type that can differentiate into all tissues and organs of an adult;

2. Adult stem cells

Many tissues and organs of the adult have the ability to repair and regenerate, adult stem cells play a key role in it. Under certain conditions, adult stem cells either produce new stem cells or differentiate according to certain procedures to form new functional cells, thereby maintaining the dynamic balance of growth and decay of tissues and organs.

Adult stem cells include:

(1). Hematopoietic Stem Cells: researchers have a long study history on them. Hematopoietic stem cells have the potential to differentiate into various blood system cells, and have great application potential in the fields of disease treatment and anti-aging health care;

(2). Germline stem cells: have the potential to differentiate into various supporting cells of germ cells and gonads, so that adults can play a reproductive function and delay the senescence of the gonads;

(3). Mesenchymal stem cells: have the potential to differentiate into bone, cartilage and various organ cells, and also have unique immune regulation functions;

(4). Neural stem cells: have the potential to differentiate into various cells of the nervous system;

(5). Retinal stem cells: have the potential to differentiate into various cells of the retina;

(6). Cardiac stem cells: have the potential to differentiate into various cells of the heart;

(7). Liver stem cells: have the potential to differentiate into various cells of the liver;

(8). Pancreatic stem cells: have the potential to differentiate into various cells of the pancreas, and under certain conditions, can differentiate into islet cells;

(9). Lung stem cells: have the potential to differentiate into various cells of the lung;

(10). Kidney stem cells: have the potential to differentiate into various cells of the kidney.

And stem cells are classified into the following categories according to the differentiation and development potential:

1. Totipotent stem cells: can differentiate into intact individuals, such as embryonic stem cells (ES cells).

2. Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC): can differentiate into a variety of cellular tissues and organs, such as hematopoietic stem cells, germline stem cells, mesenchymal stem cells, neural stem cells, liver stem cells, pancreatic stem cells.

3. Unipotent stem cells: refers to the potential to differentiate into one or two related cell types, such as myoblasts in muscle and stem cells in the basal layer of epithelial tissue.