All
mammals begin as two cells -- sperm and egg -- that
combine into a single cell. This single cell will
divide exponentially into specialized cells making
up various organs and systems -- all the tissues
of a new organism.
A
stem cell is an immature cell that can become a
different cell, or perhaps become one of many different
cells. Most stem cells also can renew themselves
-- divide -- indefinitely. These two characteristics
are what present a new pathway to repairing damage
to the human body caused by trauma, degeneration
and disease. The stem cells are the precursors of
all the cells of tissues. The regeneration of the
structures of the nervous system has been considered,
formerly, as impossible. At the present time, the
concepts have changed based on experimental studies
in animals of laboratories and human studies.
There
are different fields in which stem cells are changing
the concepts in tisular regeneration. Spinal cord
injury, Parkinson''s disease, Alzheimer''s disease,
ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) and heart disease
are some of the devastating disorders for which
stem cell research holds the promise of treatment,
and perhaps one day, cure.
The
last more promising advances in the field of research
in the Spinal Cord Injury have been obtained through
the use of stem cells originating from the umbilical
cord or the bone marrow of the patients.
The
Spinal Cord Injury has been considered, for many
decades, as a challenging pathology to the Neurosurgeon.
Millions of dollars have been invested on research
for the treatment of the Spinal Cord Injury through
medical protocols as the use of metylprednisolone,
naloxone, etc., as well as different surgical treatments
like the early decompression, the revascularization
using epiplon, etc. Awfully, none of these therapeutic
alternatives has offered encouraging results for
the creation of a treatment guide.
The
Junta de Beneficiencia de Guayaquil, Department
of Regenerative Medicine at Luis Vernaza Hospital
has begun the research for implantation of Bone
marrow stem cell in different pathologies such as:
Spinal Cord Injury
Parkinson Disease
Esclerosis lateral amyotrophic
And
some other diseases considerated as incurable.
The
preliminary results of the patients with Spinal
Cord Injury show important changes in the patients
soon after implantation and a rigorous program of
physical therapy, mainly at the level of proximal
movement of lower extremities, control of sphincters
and vegetative functions.
These results
have been presented in the Congress of the International
Society for Cellular Therapy (ISCT) carried out
at Sydney, Australia and Congress of Neurological
Surgeons at San Diego, California in September 2007.
Next,
a few more details about this investigation presented
during the 2007 Congress of Neurological Surgeons
celebrated at San Diego, California. Please,
check the following link.
