FAQ About Stem Cell Therapies

Here is a sample of the most commonly asked questions about Regenestem's stem cell therapies.

WHY IS THERE SO MUCH CONTROVERSY ABOUT STEM CELL TREATMENTS?

As with any breakthrough medical treatment, there is going to be questioning, we could argue the matter endlessly, but the fact remains that there are millions of people around the world with medical conditions that conventional medicine cannot help who are looking for other options. These conditions range from Parkinson’s Disease to ALS to diabetes to Alzheimer’s Disease and more. The patients with these conditions and their families are rightly not accepting that current medicine has nothing to offer them, but instead, they are looking for alternatives. This makes perfect sense. Our team of highly specialized physicians does not work with embryonic stem cells, only with adult stem cells. Adult stem cells are found in all tissues of the growing human body being and, according to the latest reports, also have the potential to transform themselves into practically all other cell types, or revert to being stem cells with greater reproductive capacity.

WHAT IS STEM CELL THERAPY?

Stem cell therapy is the use of adult stem cells to treat certain diseases. The stem cells are derived from the patient’s own blood, bone marrow, and/or fat.
In general terms, stem cells are progenitor cells that lead to the creation of new cells. They are regenerative in their function; they are regenerative cells.

ARE THESE THERAPIES FDA APPROVED AND ARE THERE GUARANTEED RESULTS?

Not all of our cellular therapies are FDA approved. Results are never guaranteed and all patient outcomes are different.

WHAT CONDITIONS ARE BEING TREATED BY STEM CELL THERAPY?

There is a wide array of conditions being treated worldwide with the use of adult-derived stem cells. Not all treatments are effective nor offer any significant results, but there are numerous conditions that are being conducted and have proven to better the quality of life on patients suffering from chronic diseases.

IS IT TRUE THAT THERE IS NO SERIOUS OR VALID CLINICAL RESEARCH OR DATA TO SUPPORT ADULT STEM CELL THERAPIES?

Stem cell research has been going on in the U.S. and Europe for the past 30 years. Adult stem cell-based therapies are already in widespread clinical use in the form of bone marrow transplants. These procedures are used to treat leukemia, lymphoma, and inherited blood disorders, save many lives every year, and demonstrate the validity of stem cell transplantation as a therapeutic concept. New clinical applications are being explored using stem cells for the treatment of several degenerative diseases. While human clinical trials have begun in many of these applications, we are optimistic that successes will be possible, and that new stem cell-based treatments will become available as they complete clinical trials. Adult stem cell-based therapies do offer hope to some conditions, at this point a valid claim cannot be made of any type of cure, however, there is very solid data demonstrating improvements in many conditions.

CAN OTHER TREATMENTS BE TAKEN AT THE SAME TIME?

Typically, a doctor will review what other treatments and medication(s) the patient is already taking. Any further medical decisions about what should be included or deleted from the patient’s regimen during the stem cell treatment will therefore be made on an individual basis. However, there are not any known contraindications for other therapies during stem cell treatment.

ARE THERE ANY KNOWN SIDE EFFECTS TO ADULT STEM CELL THERAPIES?

Doctors who have treated patients with autologous stem cell implants have not reported any side effects, other than slight pain at the injection site. There could be other theoretical side effects from your treatment. Your physician will go over any potential side effects with you.

HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO GET AN APPOINTMENT?

Regenestem’s specialists will take 2 to 3 days to review the records and consult the patient with the options available to him or her. After the evaluation, the patient is scheduled for the earliest available appointment. The scheduling process takes 1 to 2 weeks from the time of the initial contact to the date of the first appointment.

WHAT ABOUT THE ETHICAL ISSUES INVOLVED WITH STEM CELL THERAPY?

According to several religious denominations, adult stem cells are not encumbered by any ethical or moral dilemmas. Those ethical issues which apply to fetal and embryonic stem cells do not apply to adult stem cells. Both the Catholic Church and the Southern Baptist Church have issued papers that actually encourage research and the use of adult stem cells in the treatment of human disease as an ethically acceptable alternative to the use of the ethically challenged fetal and embryonic stem cells.

IS A SPECIAL DIET REQUIRED?

No.

Are any nutritional supplements or medications taken along with stem cell treatment?

Your treating physician may prescribe specific nutritional supplements that could enhance the potential benefits of stem cell therapy. Such prescriptions will be made on an individual basis, depending on each patient’s particular evaluation.

WHICH TYPE OF STEM CELLS ARE USED IN REGENESTEM TREATMENT PROTOCOLS?

The two primary cell types that we use at Regenestem are:

Mesenchymal Stem Cells– These are applicable for treating systemic autoimmune and inflammatory conditions. MSCs are key in regenerating injured tissue.

Hematopoietic Stem Cells– These are applicable in tissue regeneration due to the compatibility effect of CD34+ cells’ revascularization characteristics in concert with the tissue restoring the function of the mesenchymal stem cells.

WHERE ARE THE CELLS HARVESTED FROM?

The adult stem cells are derived from:

Bone Marrow– An excellent source of hematopoietic stem cells. These cells combined with mesenchymal cells are a very effective way to treat various pathologies.

Peripheral Blood– Great source of all types of cells and growth factors.

Adipose Tissue (fat cells)– the richest source of mesenchymal stem cells, compared to bone marrow, there are more than 500 times more stem cells in one gram of fat when compared to 1 gram of aspirated bone marrow. Fat cells are also an abundant source of T-regulatory cells.