Stem Cell Therapy Cures Rheumatoid Arthritis
Stem cell therapy that was a theoretical option to treat human diseases has become a great innovative treatment modality due to its effectiveness and safety. Truly, it is a stem cell age and everything seems possible and easy with it. Research has made stem cell therapy more acceptable and feasible for the treatment of a number of diseases including those which were previously thought incurable. It addresses the basic defects present in a disease and thus cures that disease by eradicating the root cause. Utility of stem cell therapy in curing rheumatoid arthritis (a debilitation disease of joints) is also among the success stories of stem cell therapy.
Rheumatoid arthritis is an auto-immune disease mainly affecting joints but it may also involve lungs, heart, kidneys and other systems of the body. In United States, 1.5 million people are suffering from rheumatoid arthritis that makes around 0.5 to 1% of total population of America. The basic defect present in rheumatoid arthritis is auto-immunity i.e. our own immune system makes anti-bodies that acts against antigens present in connective tissues of joints. This is the reason a chronic inflammation begins that leads to joint pain, joint swelling, loss of joint function and in the long run permanent joint deformities.
Most common sufferers of rheumatoid arthritis are females but significant number of males also contract rheumatoid arthritis. When present in male, it is considered a bad prognostic factor. Usually the disease begins in middle aged women with complaints of joint pain, stiffness, joint swelling of small joints of the hands. As the disease progresses more and more joints are involved. The patient experiences severe pain and affliction with every passing day. Cost of treatment, follow-up and management of complications is in the billions of dollars and it disrupts the everyday life of sufferers.
CONVENTIONAL TREATMENT FOR RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS; IS IT SAFE AND EFFECTIVE?
Commonly used treatments of rheumatoid arthritis are aimed at two things
- Relieving pain by non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or other pain-killers
- Suppressing the immune system by immuno-suppressive drugs and steroids.
When we assess the efficacy and safety of these treatments we come to know that even a patient who follows A-Z of medical advice and treatment, is not fully cured of the condition. Convention medical treatment of rheumatoid arthritis has following limitations:
- Although the drugs are effective but the side effect profile may limit their use in many patients
- Frequent use of pain killers leads to gastric erosion, gastric bleeding and anemia
- Immune-suppressive drugs and steroids may lead to serious consequences like diabetes mellitus, reactivation of tuberculosis, osteoporosis, rashes, blood dyscrasias, renal dysfunction and glomerulonephritis (kidney disease of losing proteins).
- Many patients go on experiencing joint pains and joint destruction in spite of optimal medical treatment; medical treatment is not uniformly effective for all the patients.
All these shortcomings of conventional treatment for rheumatoid arthritis create a need for a more reliable, safe and effective treatment. In the search of such a successful treatment; stem cell therapy is becoming strongly recommended and shows great promise.
EFFECTIVENESS AND SAFETY OF STEM CELL THERAPY IN RHEUMATOID ARTHRITS
Stem cell therapy is replacing many old-fashioned, less effective and hazardous conventional treatments for rheumatoid arthritis. It treats the disease by treating the root cause i.e. autoimmunity. The culprit immune system that reacts against our own body tissues needs to be changed. In stem cell therapy the immune system of the body is first ablated with chemotherapy or radiotherapy after which stem cells are injected in to the body intravenously. The newly implanted stem cells settle in the bone marrow and make a new defense system for the body which does not react against its own structures. All of the procedure of inducting a new defense system in the body is much safer and effective than some of the previous treatments. The patient gets relief of the symptoms in a short time.
Stem cell therapy for treatment of rheumatoid arthritis is a tested and well travelled road to success: many clinical trials and data of hospitals are evidences in this regard. In a published research journal: Arthritis and Rheumatism, April 2001, Robert J. et al. selected 14 patients with refractory severe rheumatoid arthritis. Hematopoitic stem cells were collected from 12 patients from leukopharesis after injecting cyclophosphamide and philgristim. After collecting sufficient numbers of stem cells, high dose chemotherapy was given to the patients to ablate their self-reacting lymphocytes and immune system. It was followed by transplantation of autologus stem cells. The results amazed the researchers; it was found that 8 patients out of 12 got more than 50% improvement in their arthritic symptoms and disease activity on follow up visits. Two patients, who were refractory to TNF therapy, also were considered in remission by autologous stem cell transplantation. The researchers concluded “High-dose chemotherapy followed by autologous HSCT is feasible and safe, and can result in long-term improvement of disease activity in patients whose condition previously did not respond to conventional anti-rheumatic drugs or TNF blocking agents”
WHY CHOOSE MEXICO FOR STEM CELL THERAPY?
It has been found that many countries of the world are advertising themselves as good centers for stem cell therapy but which one is better needs certain clarification. Centers in China are not reliable in a sense that most of these are not regulated by any government agency. Likewise centers in Germany and other countries don’t have stellar reputations regarding success. Quality of stem cells is also doubtful at such centers. When we see Mexico, it is far better due to many reasons. Some of the reasons Mexico is a better place for stem cell therapy are,
- 100% ethical source of stem cells is present in our hospitals in Mexico i.e. cord blood. In addition adult stem cells are also used which also have no ethical issue
- Our hospitals in Mexico have good quality stem cells with proven results and reliability. A large bank of cord blood stem cells are available to suit almost every patient.
- Results of stem cell therapy in our hospitals in Mexico meet the level of satisfaction for the patients and are better than any other center in the world.
- Cost of treatment is low when we compare it with other centers in the world.
- Mexico is extremely friendly and in close proximity to the US; very handy for patients who need stem cell therapy from all over the world.
All of these and many other qualities make our hospitals in Mexico a perfect place for stem cell therapy. We provide stem cell therapy for treatment of diabetes mellitus, Parkinsons, multiple sclerosis, systemic lupus erythmatosis, leukemias, rheumatoid arthritis and many other diseases. Our hospitals are open to serve any patient from any country of the world with best stem cell therapy.