Apr
25
2020

Exosomes can Regenerate Your Stem Cells

By | Anti-aging medicine, Arthritis, blood brain barrier, Diabetes, exercise, fasting mimicking diet, Fitness, Heart Disease, immune system, Inflammation, kidney disease, lifestyle, mitochondria

Dr. Douglas J. Spiel gave a talk on how exosomes can regenerate your stem cells. In essence, this was at the 27th Annual World Congress on Anti-Aging Medicine in Las Vegas from Dec. 13 to 15th, 2019. His original topic was: “Placental MSC Exosomes for Longevity and Chronic Disease”. Notably, MSC stands for “mesenchymal stem cells”. Dr. Spiel recommended this website to look at applications of exosome therapy.

Essentially, what scientist found is that certain factors from stem cells can activate your own stem cells to regenerate tissues that grow old. These factors are messenger RNA (mRNA) and micro RNA (miRNA), which come as tiny particles of 40‐100 nm.

Advantages of administering exosomes

To emphasize, exosomes can be given systemically as infusion, and they can regenerate your stem cells, if they are in need of treatment. They cross the blood brain barrier, so it is possible to treat brain diseases. That is to say, there is no first-pass removal in the lungs as it is with mesenchymal stem cells (MSC). The potency is related to the age of the donor and his/her stem cells. Notably, exosomes are easy to store, freeze and administer.

Exosomes influence the growth of target cells and promote regeneration. In addition, exosomes stimulate immunomodulation and have anti-inflammatory and anti-fibrotic properties. To clarify, the only limitations are that the strength of the exosomes is related to the age of the blood donor. The exosome fraction comes from mesenchymal stem cells. That is to say, it circulates in the plasma portion of the blood, which is obtained by spinning blood cells down in a centrifuge. To emphasize, exosomes can regenerate your stem cells.

Applications of exosomes for various clinical conditions

Joint inflammation

Mesenchymal stem cells are useful to treat arthritis. But it is important to realize that exosomes from mesenchymal stem cells are doing the same by stimulating the body’s own stem cells situated in the joints. In fact, several target cells have been identified that are stimulated by exosomes. These are chondrocytes, chondrocyte progenitor cells, cartilage-derived stem cells and synovium‐resident multipotent progenitor cells. In addition, other target cells are osteoblasts and osteoclasts in resident MSC within the subchondral bone and chondrogenic cells in the knee joint.

Disc degeneration  

Degenerative intervertebral discs respond to exosome treatments. The IL1 beta cytokine is involved in intervertebral disc degeneration. Exosomes inactivate these cytokines and have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. Exosomes are not all the same. Different sub-fractions were isolated that have anti-inflammatory, immune-stimulating, antioxidant and other effects on the body.

Aging research

Researchers were able to pinpoint aging to various factors that contribute to premature aging. To clarify, when there is a decrease of catabolic processes and an increase of anabolic processes, an older person can combat premature senescence. Another key point, aging is also linked to redox homeostasis. Simply put, oxygenation processes in the body need to be balanced by reduction processes. This keeps the body in a healthy state. ADP/NADH production can be stimulated by exosomes.

Longevity comes from good lifestyles

With the use of exosomes, the aging process slows down, as oxidative stress is neutralized, damaged mitochondria are removed and cellular debris as well. That is to say, this improves inflammation and premature aging.

As has been noted, in the past 200 years life expectancy has doubled in most countries. 4 areas where longevity is particularly common are: Okinawa, Japan; Sardinia, Italy; Nicoya, Costa Rica and Loma Linda, USA. Only 7% of longevity stems from genetic factors, the rest is from lifestyles we adopt. In the final analysis, people who die prematurely followed a very poor lifestyle causing them to develop diseases, which ultimately killed them.

Clinical diseases from aging

Ultimately, advanced aging puts you at risk of getting cardiovascular disease (heart attacks and strokes), cancer and neurodegenerative diseases (Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease). From the third decade onwards, there is the risk of bone loss, which causes osteoporosis. As has been noted, loss of cartilage causes osteoarthritis. Loss of muscle strength and muscle mass is called sarcopenia. With aging there is often an accumulation of abdominal fat. Hormones are disbalanced. Blood pressure is often elevated and blood lipids as well. Insulin resistance can develop and the blood vessels become stiffer. This causes heart attacks and strokes.

The details of the aging process are much more complicated than originally thought of. There is a combination of aging of the DNA, mitochondrial aging, stem cell exhaustion and a change of intercellular communication due to dysregulated endocrine signalling. In addition, there is a decline of the immune system and epigenetic factors that can turn off longevity genes.

Oxidative stress as a cause of premature aging

Dr. Spiel pointed out that reactive oxidative species (also known as free radicals) cause damage to mitochondria and mitochondrial DNA. But we need the energy from the mitochondria for a comfortable life. In essence, antioxidants can neutralize free radicals. Age-related conditions due to oxidative stress are: cardiovascular disease, chronic kidney disease and type 2 diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, cancer, neurodegenerative disease, frailty and sarcopenia. Surely, both reactive oxygen and reactive nitrogen are free radicals. They have one or more unpaired electrons and all aerobic body cells produce them. Reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS) cause oxidative damage to our cells and contribute to the development the diseases just mentioned.

Antioxidants help to prevent diseases

But antioxidants can contain these free radicals in various ways. The body has five built-in enzymatic ways to protect itself and five non-enzymatic ways (bilirubin, vitamin E, beta-carotene, albumin and uric acid). In addition, there are antioxidants that a person can take as supplements to inactivate RONS. These are: vitamin C and E; phenolic antioxidants like resveratrol, phenolic acids, flavonoids, oil lecithin, selenium, zinc and drugs like acetylcysteine.

Without control of the oxidative stress RONS can lead to cellular senescence and chronic inflammation. This leads to a vicious cycle where chronic oxidative stress and inflammation feed on each other leading to premature diseases.

Causation of several diseases

As we age, the body reduces the inborn antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase). Before we can understand how to live longer, we need to be aware what happens in various health scenarios as follows.

  • The lack of inborn antioxidant enzymes leads to vascular endothelial dysfunction, high blood pressure and premature hardening of the arteries. This can become a precursor to heart attacks and strokes.
  • Elevated blood sugar in the case of type 2 diabetes leads to increased sugar concentration of body cells and formation of free radicals.
  • Oxidants from cigarette smoke activate macrophages and epithelial cells to produce inflammatory cytokines. Continued smoking releases proteases in the process that break down connective tissue and cause emphysema and COPD.

There are more diseases

  • Chronic kidney disease comes from oxidative stress affecting the filter units of the kidney, called glomeruli. With a lack of blood supply to the kidneys secondary high blood pressure develops and endothelial dysfunction. It also leads to chronic inflammation.
  • In the brain oxidative stress leads to cognitive impairment and dementia.
  • Oxidative stress and chronic inflammation are important ingredients for the development of cancer. RONS and cytokines release NF-kB, which activates cancer genes. RONS can also directly attack the DNA of cells and cause cancer through carcinogenesis.
  • Sarcopenia and frailty come from the action of RONS on the skeletal muscles. In old age there are less inborn antioxidants available. This leads to decreased muscle quantity or sarcopenia. Eventually frailty results with the risk of falls and fractures. 

Preventative measures for slowing the aging process

There is a number of steps that in combination help to slow the aging process.

  • A Mediterranean diet combined with a fasting mimicking diet or other calorie restricted diet
  • Regular physical activity
  • Cognitive training
  • Vitamin D3 supplementation
  • Reducing your risk to develop vascular disease
  • Certain drugs turn on the longevity gene (metformin, rifampin)
  • Spiel warned that due to limited compliance and variable response these steps alone may not be enough to prevent age-related problems

How to live longer

It is important to recognize the importance of antioxidants to counteract the development of these diseases. As already mentioned, the following counter the effect of free radicals: vitamin C and E; phenolic antioxidants like resveratrol, phenolic acids, flavonoids, oil lecithin, selenium, zinc and drugs like acetylcysteine. Mesenchymal stem cells can also stop the action of free radicals. In addition, exosomes, which  are products of mesenchymal stem cells can do the same. Mitochondria, the power houses within the cells, create energy, but also release free radicals. In his clinic Dr. Spiel administers intravenous exosomes to counter the oxidative stress. Numerous studies linked mitochondrial dysfunction to various age-related diseases. There are markers in blood tests that the physician can order to analyze malfunctions in the body. Dr. Spiel showed 4 slides that contained a lot of medical information that is too technical. I omitted it for this review.

Intravenous infusions of exosomes

The important thing to remember is that epigenetics can be changed by exosome infusion and lifestyle changes mentioned above. Dr. Spiel said that generally he uses 15 ml of exosomes by intravenous infusion every 12 weeks for longevity and performance enhancement. This treats conditions like infertility, osteoporosis, osteopenia, heart, liver and kidney weaknesses. Here is the dosing for intravenous exosomes by weight:

20-50 lb: 5 ml; 50-90 lb: 10ml; more than 90 lb: 15 ml; more than 220 lb: 20 ml. Unfortunately, one exosome treatment costs between 500.00 and 922.00 USD, an amount that most people cannot afford.

Contraindication to the use of stem cells or exosome therapy

It is important to realize that a person who has cancer should not receive either mesenchymal stem cells or exosomes. Indeed, exosomes do not differentiate between cancer cells and healthy cells, but stimulate cell division. For the same reason people with myeloproliferative disease (sickle cell anemia, bone marrow dysplasia) should also not receive exosomes. To clarify, other conditions where the physician will not order exosomes are primary pulmonary hypertension, acute bacterial infection or an immune-compromised state. In addition, macular degeneration with neovascularization is also a condition where the health professional does not administer exosomes.

Exosomes can Regenerate Your Stem Cells

Exosomes can Regenerate Your Stem Cells

Conclusion

Dr. Douglas J. Spiel gave a talk on how exosomes can regenerate your stem cells. Specifically, this was at the 27th Annual World Congress on Anti-Aging Medicine in Las Vegas from Dec. 13 to 15th, 2019. Dr. Spiel explained how disease processes age our organs. Reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS) cause oxidative damage to our cells and contribute to the development of diseases. This involves the mitochondria in the cells as well. The good news is that a healthy lifestyle can counter these damaging processes to a certain extent. But it takes another step to re-establish the balance of our cells, exosome infusions. Exosomes are tiny particles that are shed by stem cells and that circulate in the blood. They can reenergize stem cells that are ailing to become functional again.

Expensive exosome infusions

He recommended an infusion with exosomes every 12 weeks for maintenance of good health and as a “fountain of youth”. Obviously, there are some limitations. As mentioned, it is not suitable for all patients, like cancer patients, patients with sickle cell anemia, acute bacterial infections or pulmonary hypertension. In addition, it is also not a treatment which many patients will seek out as the cost is prohibitive. One exosome treatment cost between 500.00 and 922.00 USD, an amount that most people cannot afford.

Jun
23
2018

Low-Dose Laser Activated Stem Cell Therapy

By | Arthritis, laser therapy, low back pain, stem cells

Low-dose laser activated stem cell therapy is a treatment solution for those with degenerative joint disease. Degenerative joint disease or osteoarthritis typically affects the major joints like the knees or the hips. Low-dose laser can activate stem cells. In doing so this therapy can also offer a solution for those with chronic back pain due to degenerative changes in the discs or facet joints.

Osteoarthritis in the spine

Last year my family doctor diagnosed osteoarthritic changes in the discs and facet joints of my lower back. I visited Dr. Weber in Germany and he treated me with low-dose laser activated stem cell therapy in November 2017. A prior blog explained the details of this treatment.

New symptoms of back pain in the thoracic spine

During the spring and summer of 2018 I noted that there was some residual back pain in my dorsal spine (also known as thoracic spine). This was just above the previously treated back pain, which had been fine since November 2017. My family doctor arranged for an MRI scan of the thoracic spine confirming moderately severe degenerative changes in the discs and facet joints of the lower thoracic spine. This was not really a surprise because of a family history of these kinds of degenerative problems on my mother’s side. I thought that I should go back to Dr. Weber in Germany. He had given me relief from my back pain in the lumbar spine with low-dose laser activated stem cell therapy.

Additional left knee pain

I also had developed pain in my left knee, which got worse from kneeling or walking on uneven ground. There was definitive grinding in my left knee when my physician palpated the knee joint while moving the lower leg. My right knee did not have any pain, and there was no grinding in it.

First day of my treatment in May 2018

I will not explain in detail the process of the treatments. You can read about it in my prior blog.

However, I will describe the overall treatment schedule.

1. General assessment by Dr. Weber

Before any treatment Dr. Weber went over the history of my thoracic spine pain and the pain in my left knee. He projected the result of the MRI scan of my thoracic spine onto a large TV screen. I could see the degenerative changes of many discs and facet joints on both sides in the lower 6 levels of my thoracic spine.

2. Liposuction to remove fat as a mesenchymal cell source

The treatment started with anesthetizing the area where the physician intended to harvest fat from my right lower buttock area. Next the fat went into a cell separator to separate stem cells and fat. The fat is not necessary for the procedure, only the stem cells.

3. Venipuncture to harvest blood for PRP

Blood was drawn from one of my arm veins for preparing PRP (platelet rich plasma). This fraction of the blood is necessary to activate the stem cells from either fat cells or bone marrow.

4. Left knee and lower thoracic spine injections

Dr. Weber used an intraarticular needle to inject a mixture of the fat derived (mesenchymal) stem cells and PRP. After the injection into my left knee, the physician removed the syringe but left the needle in place.

Through the needle the doctor inserted very fine sterile glass fibers for intraarticular laser treatment. This consisted of five laser colors using low-dose laser beams. The colors were yellow, blue, green, infrared and red. The significance of the various colors and how deep they penetrate into tissues was discussed under this blog.

Stem cell therapy of lower thoracic spine

Stem cell therapy of lower thoracic spine

Thoracic spine injection

Next Dr. Weber determined first the depth of the lower thoracic spine. An ultrasound machine showed him that he could not exceed 18 mm in length when injecting needles into my back. This would ensure that he did not puncture my lungs. Dr. Weber explained to me that some people had a 2- or 4-inch subcutaneous fat layer. Dr. Weber used 12 interstitial injection needles to inject 6 levels of my lower thoracic spine (6 on each side). This step is depicted in the image on the left, where my wife took a photo of the low-dose laser treatment after the insertion of the 12 interstitial needles . This was stimulating the injected mesenchymal stem cells.

At the end of the first day I received an infrared light treatment over my thoracic spine for 20 minutes, followed by a treatment in a light therapy bed for 20 minutes. These latter treatments were necessary in addition to the laser treatments to stimulate the stem cell activity further.

Second day of my treatment in May 2018

The second day was only a half-day treatment. Dr. Weber had kept half of the fat-derived stem cells and of the PRP preparation in the fridge overnight.

Another injection of a mixture of fat-derived mesenchymal stem cells and PRP into my left knee followed, as well as an injection along the lower thoracic spine. Essentially, this was a repetition of the treatments of the previous day for both my left knee and the lower thoracic spine. Dr. Weber explained that there is merit in doing it this way. He said it would increase the success rate of the low-dose laser activated stem cell therapy.

The reasons behind low-dose laser activated stem cell therapy

A group of dentists have shown that mesenchymal stem cells from bone marrow, dental pulp, periodontal ligament or adipose tissue showed stimulation by low-dose laser therapy.

Detailed research from Japan has shown that low-dose laser therapy releases various growth factors from mesenchymal stem cells, from osteoblast cells and other cells including skin cells. This can promote wound healing and helps stem cells to build up cartilage in joints.

Bone marrow stem cell stimulation

The stimulation of bone marrow by low dose laser therapy also releases bone marrow derived stem cells into the blood. This way these stem cells can contribute to the healing process in joints. Dr. Weber used this method to stimulate release of bone marrow-derived stem cells into my system. He punctured my pelvic bone with an interstitial needle. Subsequently he introduced glass fibers through the interstitial needle into the bone marrow space. Five colors of laser, namely yellow, blue, green, infrared and red were used to stimulate the stem cells of my bone marrow. Dr. Weber explained that low-dose laser activated bone marrow stem cells can easily leave the bone marrow and travel via the circulatory system. This is how they reach the area where they are needed.

History of stem cell therapy

Dr. Michael Weber published a book entitled “Medical low-level-laser therapy, foundations and clinical applications”, 2nd edition, June 2015. On page 541 he explains the beginning of stem cell research by Dr. James Till and Dr. Ernest McCulloch in Toronto/Ont in 1961. He explained further how activation of mesenchymal stem cells by low-dose laser light improved cell viability and cell growth. Barboza et al. also researched these topics.

How do I feel about low-dose laser activated stem cell therapy?

Within only 1 ½ weeks I noticed that my thoracic spine pain disappeared. My left knee pain disappeared within 2 weeks. I am aware that there is a consolidation phase of possibly 3 to 6 months which is necessary to build up the full amount of cartilage. But it is the relief of pain that I was hoping for. Rather than treating my osteoarthritis with pain pills and wait until a total knee replacement, I have now a second chance to regain full mobility without pain. Now I feel more confident about aging without the “usual aches and pains” and staying free from disease.

Low-Dose Laser Activated Stem Cell Therapy

Low-Dose Laser Activated Stem Cell Therapy

Conclusion

I described how Dr. Weber treated my mid back and left knee with mesenchymal stem cells. These were activated by platelet rich plasma (PRP) and low-dose laser therapy. Stem cells from fatty tissue are called mesenchymal stem cells. They are useful for building up lost hyaline cartilage, the coating of bone in joints. With degenerative arthritis, also called osteoarthritis, this layer is getting thinner, sometimes to the point where bone rubs on bone. But stem cell treatment with mesenchymal stem cells can rebuild hyaline cartilage. This is part of regenerative medicine where the body’s own stem cells can help to cure disease.

My family has a strong history of osteoarthritis. But fortunately I seem to respond to regenerative medicine using low-dose laser activated stem cell therapy.

Dec
09
2017

Stem Cells Cure Back Pain

By | Arthritis, osteoarthritis, Pain

A person with chronic back pain has several treatment options, but only stem cells cure back pain. Stem cell treatment has been available in the US and Canada and many other countries for approximately 10 years.

I come from a family with a strong history of back pain (mother, maternal grandmother and maternal grandfather). They all got their back pain in their mid to late 40’s. From my growing up years I remember that they complained about chronic back pain on and off. Sometimes they had to cancel events they wanted to attend because they could not tolerate sitting. In those times there were no CAT scans or MRI scans. If you had back pain, you just had to put up with it.

My personal experience

Given my family history of back pain I was surprised that my back pain was only a more persistent problem in the last 1.5 years, but not earlier. Normally a monthly chiropractic adjustment would keep my back symptoms under control. But in the last 1.5 years I needed to see a chiropractor more often than that. I took omega-3 fatty acid supplements for the past several years (two capsules twice per day) thinking that this should halt the development of degenerative arthritis in the lower back joints. When I turned 71, it was clear to me that I was now at the point where my immediate relatives were when they were in their late 40’s. Therefore, diet, exercise, weight loss, good nutrition and supplements can only do that much for you. If there is a familiar disposition, it will eventually catch up with you.

Conventional medicine’s approach to lower back pain

I have practiced as a general practitioner for 16 years in the past. In addition I joined Workers’ Compensation for another 16 years as a medical advisor. From this clinical activity I knew of hundreds of cases first hand what the steps were in the treatment of chronic back pain. First of all, physiotherapy treatments or chiropractic treatments were the treatment protocol. In minor back pain cases this would often help the pain symptoms. Furthermore, if residual pain persisted, the patients received anti-inflammatory medication (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or NSAID’s). Finally, if symptoms continued to persist, a CT scan or MRI scan was necessary for assessment. If it showed moderate changes like my findings, the patient received intermittent physical therapy, chiropractic therapy or acupuncture therapy. 

Surgical procedures for chronic lower back pain

If there were more severe degenerative changes or spinal stenosis with severe degenerative changes, a referral to an orthopedic surgeon or neurosurgeon would be necessary. But this was often the point of no return. If the surgeon felt that the condition was severe enough to do back surgery, various procedures could follow. For disc herniations irritating one of the nerve roots, laparoscopic discectomy was the treatment of choice. For severe spinal stenosis or intractable pain from end stage facet joint disease instrumentation was an option.

Fusion surgery

Under a general anesthetic the surgeon makes an incision in the patient’s back over the lumbar spine. The surgeon identifies the diseased disc level and places stabilizing stainless steel plates over the affected facet joints or the narrowed disc space. Many people think that fusion surgery would be the end of their trouble. In many cases this can actually be the beginning of chronic back trouble. The problem is that the body is designed to move. If the surgeon takes movement away in one area of the spine, the levels above and below have to work harder. It often takes only a few months or a couple of years, and the patient is back with excruciating pain from degenerative changes in the levels above and below the previous surgery. What does the surgeon usually do? He does more fusion surgery above and/or below the previous area of surgery.

Alternatives to back surgeries

New treatment options have opened up new possibilities. On the one hand there is prolotherapy treatment that I have described under this link. On the other hand stem cell therapy is another popular regenerative technique. Prolotherapy strengthens tissues, relieves pain and increases the range of motion in joints. There is 80 to 85% full pain relief and more than 80% improvement in range of motion. Prolotherapy promotes the healing of torn ligaments and tendons. There are many suitable conditions that lend themselves to the treatment with prolotherapy like the hip, knee, shoulder, ankle, neck, lower back and elbow. With prolotherapy the physician uses hyperosmolar dextrose injections into the affected area. Current thinking is that this irritates the tissues, which mobilizes local stem cells to heal the area.

In my case I had two prolotherapy treatments of my lower back, but it did not change my lower back pain.

MRI scans of my lumbar spine

We needed to find out what was happening in my lower back. My general practitioner ordered MRI scans of my lower back in summer of 2017. There are 5 levels of the lumbar spine from L1 to S1. In my case one level of 5 was normal. The other levels showed bulging of the discs. The scans also showed signs of arthritis in the small joints adjacent to the spine. Lucky for me, there was no sign of spinal stenosis. It was not good news: overall 4 levels of my lumbar spine showed signs of  degenerative disc changes. At the same levels I also had arthritic changes in the facet joints. This was enough to consider some intervention, or I would be headed for trouble in the future.

Stem cell treatment for chronic back pain

Following the failed prolotherapy for my lower back pain I needed to figure out what to do next. The MRI scans had shown degenerative changes in the discs of the lower 4 levels of the lumbar spine. There also was arthritis in eight facet joints (two on each side of each of the four L2 to S1 levels). Conventional medicine would have offered corticosteroid injections into the facet joint areas. My experience with many patients who had this procedure was that the effect of the corticosteroid injections wore off after 3 to 6 months. If a patient had more than 3  injections, there usually was a point of no return, and fusion surgery would be next.

Best therapy for my own chronic lower back condition

For me there was no question that stem cell therapy would be the best fit for treating my back condition. In addition platelet -rich plasma and low-level laser therapy could activate the stem cells. This would be the ideal non-invasive treatment option to treat my chronic lower back pain. I had met Dr. H. Michael Weber before. He is a well-known laser expert from Germany who has a double certification as an engineer and as an internist treating various clinical conditions with laser and stem cell therapy. In addition he is an expert of regenerative medicine methods. Also, he invented and designed the laser machines himself. I set up an appointment in the fall of 2017 at his clinic in Lauenförde, Germany.

First day of stem cell treatment

On the first day fat tissue was removed under a local anesthetic from my lower left buttock area. Next a cell separator divides the tissue into connective tissue, fat cells and mesenchymal stem cells. Two blood samples were also taken from me for processing platelet rich plasma (PRP). PRP is a natural stem cell activator. Growth factors and anti-inflammatory cytokines were also part of the mix together with the stem cells.

The very same afternoon I received the stem cell mix by injection. Eight needles, four on each side, were necessary to administer the stem cell combination. I also had a treatment on a light therapy bed with red light to activate stem cells in general. The stem cell injection was a pain free procedure, as I received a shot of a  local anesthetic in the area before. After that the physician inserted laser applicators through the interstitial needles.

Laser activation of injected stem cells

The next step was to use laser treatments with 5 different colors (infrared, blue, red, yellow and green) for 10 minutes for each of the 8 interstitial needles. The laser activation and the PRP mixed with the mesenchymal stem cells were the two main stem cell activators. They are crucial for activating the stem cells. But growth factors and anti-inflammatory cytokines also aided stem cell activation.

Second day of stem cell treatment

On the second day I received an infrared light treatment over my back for 20 minutes. Following that I received light therapy bed treatment for 20 minutes. The physician told me  that all of this was to activate the stem cells further. The next step was a bone marrow low-dose laser therapy.

Bone marrow stem cell activation by low-dose laser therapy

Often stem cell therapists mix mesenchymal stem cells from fat tissue with bone marrow stem cells which they harvest before from pelvic bone marrow. Dr. Weber told me that he would do a direct bone marrow laser activation of the pelvic bone marrow instead. He anesthetized the tissue above the pelvic bone. Following this he made a small hole into the pelvic bone through which he inserted a laser applicator into the bone marrow cavity. 5 different colored lasers were again applied for 10 minutes each to activate the bone marrow stem cells. Studies have shown, as Dr. Weber stated, that low-dose laser activates bone marrow stem cells. They can be found in the blood circulation within 1 hour. This is similar to mixing stem cells in a Petri dish and then injecting it as a mix, except it is a less invasive approach.

Further activation of stem cells

Following these procedures Dr. Weber felt that another light bed therapy was necessary for 20 minutes. He also gave me a Weber medical laser watch called “Regenerate+”. This device fits on the wrist. It is programmed to generate a number of different lasers to shine against the underside of the wrist. This is the area where the ulnar and radial arteries run close to the surface. This device will shine the laser lights for 30 minutes, and the laser light reaches the arterial blood. The circulating stem cells from the stem cell therapy are receiving a further boost this way. Dr. Weber told me to use this device twice a day on an ongoing basis. The Weber medical laser watch stimulates the immune system.  Jet lag also responds to, and it can stimulate stem cells as they circulate in the blood.

Stem Cells Cure Back Pain

Stem Cells Cure Back Pain

Conclusion

Medical tourism is flourishing. I have become a medical tourist myself because I did not want to get crippled by conventional medicine regarding my lower back pain. Two days after my stem cell treatment my back pain was significantly improved. There was mild pain in the area of the fat liposuction site. Four days after the treatment the lumbar spine pain was gone. Innumerable chiropractic treatments and two prolotherapy treatments had not given me relief. Now stem cell therapy in Germany has taken my chronic back pain away in only a few days. I realize that the healing process will take 3 to 6 months to complete, but as a patient what counts most is pain relief.

What, if someone criticizes me for choosing stem cell treatment?

It is difficult to argue with success. Whether somebody criticizes me for having followed a non-conventional treatment protocol does not matter to me. My question back would be: what do you do when conventional methods fail? Are you willing to suffer chronic pain and swallow pain pills that could either get you addicted or have serious side effects? I would try stem cell therapy again, if I had a problem that does not respond to conventional therapy.

Jul
08
2017

Stem Cells For Osteoarthritis

By | Arthritis, low back pain, osteoarthritis, Pain, stem cells

Many clinicians have used stem cells for osteoarthritis of the knee or other joints for some time. However, objective publications about the effectiveness of stem cells are only coming out now. Both stem cell types, derived from fat or stem cells from the bone marrow, are effective. Most doctors are using stem cells from fat (mesenchymal stem cells), because they are so much easier to harvest.

CNN reported about a man, Bill Marlette who had lost one of his arms in the past. He ended up overusing the other arm and as a result developed end-stage osteoarthritis in his wrist. He could not find relief with conventional methods of anti-inflammatories and pain pills. Next he went to a stem cell expert in Munich, Germany who treated him with mesenchymal stem cells from his fatty tissue. Only one treatment took away his chronic pain and helped him regain his wrist mobility.

Approval of stem cell therapy in Germany

Prof. Dr. Eckhard Alt, an expert in regenerative medicine has previously treated patients with end stage osteoarthritis and had good clinical outcomes with it. As a result the German regulatory agency has approved his treatment protocol.

Dr. David Pearce, executive vice president for research at Sanford Health in South Dakota said that Prof. Dr. Eckhard Alt was the first one to use fat cells as a source of mesenchymal stem cells to treat osteoarthritis. He went on to say: ”Those stem cells don’t have to be programmed in any way, but if you put them in the right environment, they will naturally turn into what the cell type around them is.” The physician harvests the stem cells through liposuction. An enzyme mixture is necessary to separate the stem cells from fat cells, oil and connective tissue. A cell separator can also help separating the stem cells from the rest of the cells and tissue.

A case of wrist osteoarthritis

As I mentioned before only one injection was necessary to relieve the chronic pain of Bill Marlette’s wrist. Since his return the doctors in the US have followed Bill closely. They took MRI scans and noted that the bony cysts associated with the severe arthritis have disappeared. His wrist and hand strength have returned to normal. The pain almost disappeared. There were no side effects whatsoever. Because the stem cells are of the same tissue type as all his other cells of his body, one would not expect any tissue rejection by the immune system. Bill Marlette did not need any pain pills following the procedure in August 2016. And he says: “I have more range of motion with my wrist, shaking hands didn’t hurt anymore,” he said. “My wrist seems to continue to improve, and there’s less and less pain all the time.”

Past experiences treating osteoarthritis with mesenchymal stem cells

A 2014 clinical trial from Korea involved 18 patients with osteoarthritis of the knee where adipose mesenchymal stem cells were injected. The high dose group did best. After 6 months there was significant improvement, also confirmed by arthroscopy. The previous cartilage defect in the femoral and tibial condyles had decreased in size. Range of motion in the knee joints and pain had also improved. There were no adverse effects from the treatment.

Chinese study

Mesenchymal progenitor cells have the propensity to develop into cartilage. At the Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University Shanghai, China the following experiment took place in 2015. The researchers grew human adipose mesenchymal cells in vitro. Later they injected these mesenchymal progenitor cells into the knees of rabbits with experimentally produced osteoarthritis. Despite doing xenotransplants (human cartilage to rabbits) with known HLA differences the cartilage grew and cured the osteoarthritis of the rabbits. The new cartilage had human HLA markers while the rabbit cartilage underneath had rabbit HLA markers. At 16 weeks the researchers examined the tissues under the microscope and another exam involved the HLA marker testing.

Tehran study

A study from Tehran, Iran was carried out on 18 patients with ankle, knee and hip osteoarthritis in 2015. Physicians injected stem cells from the bone marrow into the osteoarthritic joint. The doctors followed the patients and ordered occasional MRI scans for 30 months. All of the patients had improved significantly with regard to their joint function and pain. The MRI scans also showed thickening of the joint surfaces from new cartilage production.

French/German study

In a 2016 joint French/German study 18 patients with end stage knee osteoarthritis were treated with stem cells. The stem cells came from adipose tissue that went through a cell separator. Physicians injected the mesenchymal stem cell fraction into the osteoarthritic knees. This was a phase I study to rule out any adverse reactions, but none were evident. It also established that there were significant positive improvements in pain and mobility with regard to the affected knees.

General remarks about how stem cells heal osteoarthritis

The example above with end stage osteoarthritis of the wrist was just one example of where osteoarthritis can strike. Perhaps the more common other locations are hips, knees and the facet joints of the lower lumbar spine (causing chronic lower back pain).

The same treatment procedure, which Bill Marlette’s wrist benefitted from is useful for all these other locations. The common factor in osteoarthritis is that the cartilage is getting thinner and thinner until bone rubs on bone causing excruciating pain. It is here where mesenchymal cells can come to the rescue. The stem cells will assess what requires a repair after injection into an affected joint. They recognize that there is a lack of cartilage. Then they transform themselves into chondrocytes, which are cartilage-forming cells. How can stem cells do that? They come with a program to replace missing cells, particularly cartilage and bone cells. But if they are within fatty tissue, they cannot act within a joint that has osteoarthritis. The doctor has to transport the mesenchymal cells into the joint where they can then begin their healing function.

Other methods to treat osteoarthritis

Stem cells are only one of several regenerative treatment modalities for osteoarthritis. Another method are platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections. Platelets have a lot of anti-inflammatory substances in them and also growth factors that can stimulate stem cells contained in the synovial membrane, the lining of any joint. To get PRP plasma, it is necessary to spin down blood and harvest the PRP fraction with a syringe. After three PRP injections were given into the knees of 90 patients with end stage osteoarthritis these patients were followed for two years.

In the beginning before treatment 100% of the patients had symptoms. After one year following the treatment with PRP their knee functions were normal in 67% of them. After two years only 59% had normal knee function. The investigators pointed out that this treatment modality initially helped to a certain point, but then the effects were slowly fading away.

Stem cell treatment of osteoarthritis of the knee

The literature on either bone stem cells or fat stem cell use for osteoarthritis of the knee in man is still sparse. Nobody has done larger clinical trials. Part of the reasons could be that total knee and total hip replacement in orthopedics is very lucrative. We are still in a symptomatic treatment mode. Physicians treat osteoarthritis conservatively with anti-inflammatories and pain pills. When bone rubs on bone, there can be excruciating pain. The physician refers the patient to an orthopedic surgeon who likely will do invasive surgical procedures. My own impression in general practice in the past is that these procedures do not always turn out the way they are supposed to work. Following total hip or knee replacement joint swelling often remains; pain issues are still there. There can be unequal height issues, balancing problems and so on.

Here is a review of mesenchymal stem cell therapy for osteoarthritis.  This publication is very conventional medicine. An attitude change by conventional medicine would be useful to catch up with what is happening in real life. Some patients will travel abroad to Munich as Bill Marlette did. But others may travel to other places like India, Mexico or wherever medical tourism takes you. Regenerative medicine is there to stay.

Stem Cells For Osteoarthritis

Stem Cells For Osteoarthritis

Conclusion

We have learnt about a case of severe osteoarthritis of the wrist that has been cured in Germany with one injection of mesenchymal stem cells. More common than wrist osteoarthritis is osteoarthritis of the hips, knees and the facet joints of the lower lumbar spine. The same stem cell therapy can be given for osteoarthritis in these locations. I find it very strange that progress in stem cell treatments is so slow in the US. The FDA has decided to be open to clinical trials with stem cell treatments, but progress seems to be much slower than in other countries. Why? We may never know. In the meantime, patients may seek treatments in other countries where such treatments are offered. In real estate sales there is a saying: “Buyer beware”.

Be cautious, if you get treated abroad

The same goes for stem cell treatments in another country. Should you contemplate doing this, do your homework; ask about the qualification of the treating physician, about safety records and whether the local authorities have approved this procedure. In the case of Bill Marlette’s osteoarthritis of the wrist the procedure in Munich, Germany had been accepted by the European equivalent of the FDA, the European Medicines Agency. Safety is top priority, effectiveness is next.

Apr
25
2015

Rejuvenate With Stem Cells

By | Arthritis, Diabetes, heart attack, laser therapy, Multiple sclerosis, Orthopedics, Parkinson’s disease, stem cells, Stroke, telomeres

We all age; but can we rejuvenate with stem cells? There is a limit to detoxification, to eating organic food, to exercising, to the effects of vitamins and supplements and even to the effect of bioidentical hormone replacements. The limit comes from our telomeres and from stem cells that get depleted in our body as we age. Some researchers report that in regions where we suffer from a disease stem cells are even more depleted than in the rest of the body.

We do not have all the answers yet. We would like to know why our stem cells in the fatty tissue or in the bone marrow do not migrate on their own into an aching back or a sore shoulder. There are all the aches and pains associated with old age. So, why do our own stem cells not help us? They seem to be locked away in fatty tissue and in bone marrow.

At the 22nd Annual World Congress on Anti-Aging Medicine in Las Vegas (Dec. 10-14, 2014) I learnt that there is a group of stem cell experts in California with affiliates all over the US. They simply take stem cells from the fatty tissue and sometimes also from the bone marrow, isolate the stem cells through a stem cell separator and infuse the stem cell rich fraction (minus fatty and connective tissue) in a bit of saline solution back into the vein of the patient. When the stem cells are in the blood stream, they get activated by the growth factors that are present in blood and can now find where they are needed and start the healing process.

Studies have shown that when stem cells are in circulation in the blood, they are very sensitive to signals from tissues that indicate that there is an inflammatory process. This is why stem cells will repair arthritic changes. The can repair a torn meniscus, a rotator cuff tear in the shoulder or repair a weak immune system. The interesting observation is that stem cells from fatty tissue, also termed mesenchymal stem cells, are pluripotent. This means they can develop into cartilage building cells (chondrocytes) and build up cartilage; this is badly needed in a person with severe osteoarthritis. But stem cells are flexible: they can turn into meniscus cells in a knee with a torn meniscus. They also can repair the damage and relief the patient of the chronic pain. In a shoulder with a rotator cuff tear they can turn into a tough ligamentous material mending the tear.

Some data even indicates that circulating stem cells can repair vital organs like the brain, heart, liver, kidneys and bone marrow; these latter observations were mostly done in animal experiments, but human data is starting to be published in the medical literature.

So, let’s examine what has been found useful with regard to stem cells that are taken from your fatty tissue or your bone marrow and injected into one of your veins.

Here is a website from Arizona that I am only showing as a typical example (I have no conflict of interest and no commercial connections to this group) of what I described above.

With websites like this it is also important to read the disclaimer: “Even though our treatments are done using autologous cells, our Stem Cell Therapies are not approved by the FDA. Stem Cell Treatments are not a cure for any condition, disease or injury, nor a substitute for proper medical diagnosis and care…” Another website from La Quinta, CA describes the use of mesenchymal stem cells for regenerative therapies.

Stem cell treatments are in flux. There is a large body of knowledge that has accumulated showing that with proper technique and aseptic conditions it is a safe procedure. The FBA has been watching this. There are publications regarding the safety of procedures with adipose mesenchymal stem cells; here is one example.

The next step is to show in clinical trials that a certain procedure with stem cells is effective in treating a certain condition.

Below I did a literature review, which are only a few examples, but does not claim to be complete; it highlights some of the problems with stem cell treatments.

Stroke treatment with intravenous administration of bone marrow mononuclear stem cells

This study from India showed no statistical difference of stroke patients treated intravenously with bone marrow derived mononuclear stem cells (the experimental group) and the control group that did not receive such treatment. The investigators examined both groups with functional brain tests and performed PET scans to look at the healing of the brain lesions. Unfortunately the tests showed no statistical difference, but did show that the stem cell procedures were safe. It may be that the wrong stem cells were used (mononuclear bone marrow stem cells) when adipose derived mesenchymal stem cells may have done better. In stark contrast to the study from India is the stem cell treatment for a severe stroke in the former hockey player, Gordie Howe that has gone through the media recently. His procedure was done in Mexico. The stem cells were administered via a lumbar puncture approach as well as intravenously. As you can see from this case, stem cell treatment is even possible in patients who are in their mid 80’s with impressive results.

Parkinson’s disease

Here is a feasibility study from March 2014. A 71-year-old Asian man with progressive supranuclear palsy, an aggressive form of Parkinson’s disease was treated with adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells that were administered intravenously and intrathecally (to get stem cells into the cerebrospinal fluid that bathes the brain). A remarkable functional recovery took place.

Possible side-effects

This is a report of pulmonary embolism after administering intravenous adipose tissue-derived stem cell therapy. The blood clots in the lungs were treated with anticoagulant therapy. Repeat CT scans of his lungs showed later that the emboli were dissolved spontaneously. It is not clear whether this was a case where familial clotting problems pre-existed as a relative of this patient experienced a similar occurrence after stem cell therapy as well.

A case of chronic autoimmune thrombocytopenic purpura

A rare form of autoimmune disease exists where the body forms antibodies against platelets that help your blood to clot. Here is a paper from June 2009 that describes how a man with this disease was cured using adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells that were injected intravenously.

Renal transplant survival in type 1 diabetes patient

This case report from India shows that adipose tissue derived mesenchymal stem cells that were given at the time of a kidney transplant to treat end stage kidney disease. The treatment stabilized the condition of this patient after a kidney transplant. At the same time some of the mesenchymal stem cells differentiated into insulin producing cells, which made it much easier to control this patient’s diabetes. In this case stem cells were providing stability following an organ transplant (kidney) and some stem cells turned into insulin producing pancreatic cells.

Osteonecrosis of hip treated with adipose tissue derived MSC

In this study from South Korea dated January 2012 two cases of osteonecrosis of the hip, where the hipbone died (osteonecrosis) are described. The following stem cell protocol helped: The fraction that contained the stem cells (called stromal vascular fraction) was mixed with platelet rich plasma and hyaluronic acid. Using a long needle this mixture was injected into the affected hip joint. Conventional medicine has nothing to offer except a total hip replacement. But here are two cases that showed complete resolution of their pain, regained hip function completely, and healing could be documented with the help of MRI scans.

Treating heart attack patients with stem cells

Here is a paper from The Netherlands, published in June 2014 that describes the problems with stem cell treatment in humans. It points out that much has been learnt from animal experiments. The problem following a heart attack is that there is a massive inflammatory response in the infarcted heart muscle, which makes it difficult for stem cells to establish themselves in the injured heart muscle. However, stem cells have been shown to prevent the development of cardiomyopathy that follows a massive heart attack and often is the cause of death. More refinements are needed for successful treatments, such as the ideal timing of stem cell injections in relationship to the time of the heart attack, the best treatment approach and what number of stem cells to inject are all questions that still need to be answered.

MS model in mice shows promise with adipose mesenchymal stem cells

Experimental encephalitis in mice is used as a model for MS in humans. It helps to preselect potentially effective treatments for MS in humans. In this 2013 paper from Australia researchers used mesenchymal stem cells from adipose tissue and injected them intravenously. To their surprise the mesenchymal stem cells were able to penetrate the blood/brain barrier and end up in the myelin lesions inside the brain. In contrast, bone marrow derived stem cells were unable to do that. The researchers stated that adipose mesenchymal stem cells should be considered “as a cell therapeutic that may be used to treat MS patients”.

A group from Iran published this paper in February 2015 further emphasizes that mesenchymal stem cells would be a logical way to treat MS in humans.

Immunosenescence

As we get older the immune systems weakens because of a process called immunosenescence.

A research group from Austria published a paper in December 2011 that is typical for the thinking that mesenchymal stem cells from fatty tissue have properties that help the immune system to get stimulated. Based on this human data it should be possible to stimulate the immune system by giving stem cells from the fatty tissue to the same person intravenously. This publication shows that this process, which would benefit people above the age of 50 or 60 when the immune system gets weaker, will indeed stimulate the immune system. However, at this point we do not have the data of large clinical trials where this would have been done with measurements of the immune function before and on several occasions after stem cell injection to get a feeling for how long the effect would last. We also do not know whether this procedure is associated with longevity.

Rejuvenate With Stem Cells

Rejuvenate With Stem Cells

Conclusion

Stem cell therapy is definitely coming and many applications are already established as I discussed in a prior blog. It is only recently that physicians are no longer worried about creating tumors with stem cell transfer. Now we are in a phase where various stem cell transfer methods (intravenous, intrathecal, interstitial) are being tested as a treatment for various illnesses. It looks like stem cells from fatty tissue may soon be used intravenously, but I have not seen any such trials when checked on PubMed. The activation of stem cells by laser light has only been mentioned sparingly in the literature. This combination (laser activated, intravenous mesenchymal injection) has the potential for being useful for a multitude of chronic illnesses like fibromyalgia, MS, generalized arthritis, just to mention a few. Mesenchymal stem cells are anti-inflammatory, and they can mend defects without leaving scars.

Feb
12
2013

Stem Cell Treatments That Are Currently Available

By | Arthritis, Cosmetic surgery, Heart Disease, kidney disease, Orthopedics

In the first place I am discussing stem cell treatments that are currently available. By the same token stem cells got a bad reputation in the beginning of stem cell research. As a matter of fact, researchers at that time thought that embryonic stem cells were necessary to treat degenerative conditions. Be that s it may, immediately this raised an ethical flag, as physicians would harvest embryonic stem cells from a dying fetus. Similarly, this created a lot of unnecessary division among the public and scientists. To put it another way, it turns out that for most treatments there are enough stem cells in the body. As I will explain below,  this was not general knowledge in the beginning.

Dolly, the sheep

With this in mind, the next bad rep came from Dolly, the sheep that was born on July 5, 1996. She only lived for 6 years, because the telomeres were short like that of an old animal and she died of a progressive lung disease. It is important to realize that researchers used a complicated stem cell technique to create Dolly. The method went under the name of “somatic cell nuclear transfer”. Three animals were necessary to achieve this. Researchers used an unfertilized egg from one animal from which they extracted the nucleus. The second animal donated a cell nucleus of a breast gland cell. A third animal served as a surrogate mother. After some cell divisions the researchers introduced the blastocyst into the uterus of the surrogate mother who carried baby Dolly until birth.

Mesenchymal stem cells and bone marrow stem cells

Fast forward to 2013. We now know that stem cells are fragile cells that do not like too much manipulation. Stem cells have long telomeres so they are younger than the typical cells of the body. Stem cells are present in the bone marrow, in fatty tissue and many other organs. In the last few years research has shown that this has already translated into practical applications. Originally researchers thought that stem cells were cells that could develop into any variety of body cell. Physicians at that time thought that stem cells would derive from bone marrow or from fetal tissue. Scientists called these cells “pluripotent cells”.

Induced pluripotent stem cells and mesenchymal stem cells

In the last years researchers could show that it was possible to turn off the SP100 gene could also prompt a body cell to become such a versatile, pluripotent stem cell. They are called “induced pluripotent stem cells” to distinguish them from embryonic stem cells, which have been highly contentious with religious groups. In recent years matters have been simplified with the observation that mesenchymal stem cells are distributed freely throughout the body and can be harvested fairly easily from fatty tissue by liposuction. Physicians prefer this latter technique, as it does not involve any manipulation of the stem cells themselves.

 

Stem Cell Treatments That Are Currently Available

Non-Surgical Space Lift, Before and After

Here are a few examples of what is happening now and what developments are probable in the future:

Minimal invasive face-lift, called “space lift”

Mesenchymal stem cells are freely available in fatty tissue. Plastic surgeons in the US and elsewhere are using mesenchymal stem cells for a minimal invasive plastic surgery. In this “space lift” procedure the surgeon removes fat by liposuction. A cell separator separates the fat graft into a fat cell fraction and into a mesenchymal stem cell rich fraction. The physician injects fat cells and stem cell rich fraction together into various areas of the face where subcutaneous tissue is needed.

Facial rejuvenation

The mesenchymal stem cells enable the fat cells that were transplanted to latch on to the small vessels in the transplanted area so that they survive permanently. The result is a more youthful appearance of the face (see image). This is the secret of film stars in Hollywood. Nowadays the plastic surgeons in Beverly Hills do not do the conventional facelifts so much as they lead to artificially looking faces. They rather do the minimal invasion space lift for the natural look.

Knee problems, hip problems and lower back problems

Why wait with degenerative diseases of the knees, hip or of the lower back until there is permanent scarring and disabilities? Physicians can inject the mesenchymal stem cell rich fraction (without the fat cells this time) into diseased joints. This is a useful tool for degenerative changes in knee joints, hips and facet joints along the spine. The result is that the transferred mesenchymal stem cells recreate cartilage and the patient becomes pain free and regains mobility! But as with other diseases it is important to intervene early enough before permanent damage has set in.

Organ failures

Another exciting development is intravenous injection or injection via an arterial catheter into failing organs. Heart failure is an end-stage heart disease, where conventional medicine has nothing to offer other than symptomatic supportive medication. In contrast, physicians can inject mesenchymal stem cells into the blood. The pluripotent stem cells will find the weak areas in the heart muscle.  It is there that they transform into heart cells and give the existing heart cells a boost.

The result is that the heart pumps more forcibly and the symptoms of heart failure disappear.

Parkinson’s disease and liver failure

Similarly, there are trials that show that Parkinson’s disease can be positively influenced with injections of the mesenchymal stem cell rich fraction.

Treatment of patients with liver failure using mesenchymal stem cells is being investigated, but is still in its infancy.

Chronic kidney failure

With regard to mesenchymal stem cell treatment of chronic kidney failure early human experiments on 30 patients showed very encouraging results.

Although this field is very promising, more caution is in order with regard to laboratory-manufactured stem cells. Researchers need to do more trials to show that they are ready for use in regenerative medicine. They have to show similar or even better successes as the present results achieved with mesenchymal stem cells. Physicians harvested mesenchymal stem cells directly and did not change them as described above.

More information on:

1. stem cells for stroke victims: http://nethealthbook.com/news/stem-cells-help-stroke-victims/

2. stem cells for knee osteoarthritis.