Cord blood stem cells continue to be an interesting subject especially in treating neurological disorders. They have shown to be helpful in various medical conditions. Can cord blood help Parkinson’s?
Let’s find out here.
Can Cord Blood Help Parkinson’s?
There’s no conclusive evidence yet that cord blood can help Parkinson’s disease. However, a recent study suggests that it can improve motor dysfunction for people suffering from this condition.
Parkinson’s disease is a neurological condition. It affects the nerve cells in the brain causing them to die.
Some of these nerve cells control the body’s coordination and movement. As a result, sufferers experience tremors, stiffness, slowness, and impaired balance and coordination.
When the nerve cells degenerate, dopamine levels are also reduced. Dopamine is a vital chemical that sends signals to various parts of the brain to control body movements.
Insufficient levels of dopamine can result in uncontrolled body movements. Thus, patients jerk. They also lose their sense of smell. Some suffer from sleep disorders or depression.
Because it affects the brain, it’s difficult to combat. The only thing that the doctors could recommend is to advise patients to take medicines to alleviate the symptoms.
Recently, however, the International Stem Cell Corporation has started a clinical human trial on patients with Parkinson’s disease.
According to this report,
“In pre-clinical studies, preliminary results have shown that dual stem cell treatment dramatically enhances neuro-regeneration. Following proof of concept work, the research team plans to complete clinical manufacturing steps in CCBC’s FDA-approved facility to rapidly transition their approach to a Phase I safety clinical trial in patients who have failed standard medical therapy and are undergoing electrode placement for planned deep brain stimulation.”
Stem cell treatment has also been used to improve the symptoms of Ozzy Osborne, the heavy metal icon. It was revealed that one round of this treatment lessened the musician’s symptoms. He’s now building his muscle strength back.
So, can cord blood treat Parkinson’s?
It’s too early to say. But researchers are making advanced progress. The unique ability of stem cells can help the body to self-renew and divide into specialized cells.
What Diseases are Treatable with Cord Blood?
Some diseases are included on the list of cord blood uses. However, it’s important to note that most of these diseases are inherited genetic diseases.
If a child has a genetic disease and requires a transplant, the child can receive a cord blood unit from an unrelated donor or a sibling.
Many children are using their cord blood. This is an area known as regenerative medicine. But there are still clinical trials to treat conditions such as autism and cerebral palsy.
Cord blood stem cells are being used to rebuild new blood and immune system that has been damaged by disease. In regenerative medicine, cord blood is infused into the patient to stimulate the body’s repair system.
Here are some of the medical conditions that can be treated with cord blood stem cells:
- Malignancies, like leukemia, multiple myeloma, bodkin’s disease, solid tumors, etc
- Blood disorders
- Immunodeficiencies
- Metabolic disorders
How Much Does Stem Cell Treatment for Parkinson’s Cost?
Restorative stem cell therapy to treat Parkinson’s disease is a growing practice across the world. Doctors have been using adult stem cells from the umbilical cord to treat cancers.
They are not the same as mature nerve cells. The reason for this is that stem cells can replicate. Because of that, they are a powerful weapon against neurological disorders, including Parkinson’s Disease.
The cost of stem cell treatments, however, can be exorbitant to many. It can run between $10,000 and $35,000. The overall cost will depend on the treatment and other travel costs.
Stem cell therapy is a journey of hope for many people struggling with this medical condition. Sufferers hope that this therapy will provide them with immediate benefits.
Read: How much does cord blood banking cost in the US?
Can Stem Cells Cure Parkinson’s?
As mentioned earlier, there’s no conclusive evidence. Scientists are still investigating how stem cells could treat or prevent this debilitating condition.
But this therapy has shown promising results in various clinical trials. More studies are needed to minimize the side effects while measuring its efficacy.
Stem cells can provide new neurons to replace neurons that have been lost because of the disease. Scientists will continue to study the effects of stem cell therapy in patients with Parkinson’s disease before it can be used widely.
Thus, before you spend thousands of dollars on this treatment, you should talk to your doctor. This type of treatment is still in the early stage.
Read: Is cord blood banking free?
How Can You Reverse Parkinson’s Disease?
Stem cell therapy has shown promising results. But there’s no conclusive evidence yet. There are ongoing studies in patients with PD to transplant pre-made cells into the brain.
In some studies, scientists found that astrocytes could be transformed into dopamine-producing cells in the brain. It paves the way to replace the cells that have been lost without the transplant.
Does Stem Cell Cord Blood Therapy Work?
It’s difficult to know if this therapy does work. The studies are still ongoing to know the effectiveness of this therapy for patients with PD. It will probably take more years before scientists could prove that this therapy does work to cure Parkinson’s disease.
For now, this therapy is still being thoroughly studied. It’s also important to note that safety day data is limited.
Some researchers question whether the number of stem cells harvested is enough to be meaningful in the treatment.
It’s also not clear how this therapy would target the affected cells. For instance, if it is introduced in the nose, it’s not clear how they could find their path to the basal ganglia to make a necessary connection and help the patient with PD.
Again, researchers are still working on the effectiveness of cord blood therapy in treating Parkinson’s disease.
Summary
Can cord blood help Parkinson’s? There’s no conclusive evidence yet. However, various reports are showing that this treatment could help in treating PD. Thus, before you invest thousands of dollars in stem cell cord blood therapy, it’s important to talk to your doctor. Study this option carefully.
To learn more, find out here if cord blood stem cells can be multiplied.
Speak Now ... Or Forever Hold Your Peace