Stem cell treatment and AP?

[Misty]

Hello,
Has anyone tried stem cell therapy?.Would very much like to hear your thoughts about this treatment for RA.Latest research has promising results,have understod.

[Maz]

Hi Misty,

What type of stem cell therapy are you researching?

I have had autologous adipose-derived adult stem cell therapy and would be happy to share my experience by phone, if you’d like to PM me for contact deets.

[Misty]

Hello Maz,
Thank you for your response.Yes I am looking into the same treatment and would very much appriciate the chanse to hear of your experience.How do I PM you? Is it through facebook?

Thank you,

[Maz]

Hi Misty,

I just replied to your PM. You will receive an automated PM notification in your email. If you would like to reconnect, be sure to log in to the forum to reply in the PM area, because any replies to the emailed PM notifications aren’t actually received by me and go into an unmonitored Admin box. Thanks!

[richie]

Stem Cell treatment is on the cusp of tremendous advancements for Graft VS host –RA –heart disease -back problems and other applications –In a few years it will be a product off a shelf that is injected !!!!!!! Japan has already approved this Australian drug cos Allogenic Based product for graft vs host disease in children –just two days ago this company anounced phase 2 results of using a mesenchymal precursor cell product in RA patients who have stopped responding to biologics –In a 12 week phase two study 55% of the people met ACR20 standards and 36% of people met ACR 70 standards —I understand it was covered extensively in Australia —I wont mention the name as I have an interest in it –BY the way I have no idea what these scientific names mean !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Maz]

Hi Richie,

“Allogeneic stem cell transplantation” means transferring the stem cells from a healthy person (a donor) to a patient’s body after heavy chemotherapy or radiation to fully ablate the immune system to prevent rejection of donated cells. It is a very risky procedure and usually reserved for those with no other treatment alternatives.

On the other hand, “autologous stem cells” are those taken from the patient’s own body, are either activated or grown, ex-vivo, and re-injected either by local injection or infused via IV. There is no risk of rejection, as the patient is using their own stem cells. Orthopedists are already doing in-office procedures for joint, tendon and muscle injuries with good success and there are a number of clinics now offering IV infusions of your own stem cells for aurimmune diseases, some involved in clinical trials/studies.

Different types of stem cells can be harvested from bone marrow or fat, but other locations are sometimes harvested for stem cells, like the placenta, umbilical cord blood, muscle, cornea connective tissue, or the pulp of baby teeth.

“Mesynchymal” stem cells (MSCs), are a type of stromal (connective tissue) cell that are able to differentiate into a number of cell types, including: osteoblasts (bone cells), chondrocytes (cartilage cells), myocytes (muscle cells) and adipocytes (fat cells). Adipose tissue (fat) is teeming in mesynchymal stem cells and so fat is a good source for harvesting these easily via liposuction. These are generally the type of adult stem cells that are being used for rheumatic diseases and other aurimmune diseases.

In other words, “allogenic” stem cells are risky due to the procedure involved to kill the immune system and the later risk of graft vs. host rejection. On the other hand, the risks involved in using your own (autologous) stem cells is quite minor by comparison, because the immune system is not ablated, and so risks are largely related to anesthesia, the experience of the Doctor doing the procedure, what is done to the stem cells after harvesting, infection from an injection, IV or at the site of the liposuction. Maybe the bigger risk is the financial one and receiving no benefit from the procedure, because it is still in the experimental stages.

[Linda L]

I think it is still very young therapy full of risks.

RA tried everything: Methotraxate, Arava, Humira. Pneumonia three times. Anemia. Very low iron. Hypothyroidism
AP from April 2014 till August 2015. No luck.
Current medications: Natural thyroid, Mobic, supplements,
vitamins and minerals.
MTHFR heterozygous

[Maz]

Linda L wrote:

I think it is still very young therapy full of risks.

Hi Linda,

Yes, the allogenic (donated) form of SCT is quite risky and one has to be well enough to withstand complete immune system ablation, but sick enough to warrant going through it. On the other hand, veterinary surgeons have been doing autologous (self) adipose-derived SCT very safely for animals with injuries for many years with great success. I’m still alive and kicking, so can attest that using my own stem cells was a safe procedure in the right professional hands. It is just very, very expensive and, as there is no guarantee of a successful outcome, one has to view the cost entirely as risk capital.

[richie]

I think I got things mixed up –the broad category is Allogenic regenerative medicine -the product approved in Japan and in their pipeline is actually a Mesenchymal stem cell product –being used in Japan for acute graft vs host –I understand in children the rate is 50% rejection –This is injected where disease happens –its had good results –they are waiting for FDA approval –product is TEMCELL .HS inj –hope you can unconfuse me !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Maz]

richie wrote:

I think I got things mixed up –the broad category is Allogenic regenerative medicine -the product approved in Japan and in their pipeline is actually a Mesenchymal stem cell product –being used in Japan for acute graft vs host –I understand in children the rate is 50% rejection –This is injected where disease happens –its had good results –they are waiting for FDA approval –product is TEMCELL .HS inj –hope you can unconfuse me !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hi Richie,

I don’t think you’re confused, although this stuff is really complex and am not sure that even the scientists working in the field are yet aware of all the actions, variables and potential outcomes of certain classes of stem cells.

I took a look around the site of the company (http://www.mesoblast.com/) producing this allogenic “mesenchymal precursor cell” (MPC) injection and it does appear that initial trials have been very hopeful. The interesting thing about this injection is that it is using a “precursor” to mesynchymel stem cells and as I was reading press releases I wondered if this meant it was a type of regenerative medicine that focuses on upregulating TREGs (T-regulatory cells that down-regulate T-cells) in the body, which are a type of cell that normally regulates inflammatory processes. Taking a closer look at the study on their site, it has two modes of action (MOA) in RA:

1. to modulate immunity by switching off pro-inflammatory cytokine pathways and turning on anti-inflammatory cytokines
2. to inhibit joint destructive synoviocytes

Essentially, it’s inhibiting TNF-alpha, IL-6 and IL-17, which are systemic inflammatory pathways involved in the joint destruction of RA, and switching them to IL-10, a type of “human cytokine synthesis inhibitory factor (CSIF),” or more simply, an anti-inflammatory cytokine….plus other anti-inflammatory pathways specific to protecting joints from destruction.

It seems like a miracle drug, but as it’s an allogenic (donor-derived) form of SCT, I think it bears some watching to ensure that long-term outcomes continue in a safe manner (e.g. no cancer-causing tumorogenicity). Maybe the fact that it is a “precursor” product derived from donor stem cells makes a difference in this respect, as it’s just the growth factors and Tregs they’re using (without the unique donor stamp in the product that could lead to rejection). I couldn’t find a lot of info on the product “constituents” and might not have understood them if I had, but what confused me initially about your comments above was the use of this product for graft-host disease in pediatrics. If children who received donated blood-derived stem cell products were rejecting them and this donated stem cell product was reversing it for them…how, if it was also an allogenic SC product? So, it’s making a bit more sense now, reading that it’s a mesynchymal SC “precursor” product.

Thanks for sharing, Richie…let’s wait with anticipation on this and if you get any updates on your financial investment in this new treatment, let us know! Hopefully, you’re on to a winner for yourself and will be “sharing the wealth” for many others!

[Author]

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