StemCell therapy for Diabetes

If one thinks of a human body as a house, then surely stem cell qualifies as being integral members of its repair and restoration crew. Diabetes which is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality has no complete medical treatment. Stem cell therapy gives an option to improve the lifestyle for such patients. Bone marrow is collected from the patient's iliac crest (hip bone) using thin-needle mini-puncture under local anesthesia. Although some pain is felt when the needle is inserted, most patients do not find the bone marrow collection procedure particularly painful. The entire procedure normally takes about 30 minutes. Once the bone marrow collection is complete, the patient may return to their hotel and go about normal activities.The stem cells are processed from the bone marrow in a state-of-the-art, government approved (cGMP) laboratory. In the lab, both the quantity and quality of the stem cells are measured. These cells have the potential to transform into multiple types of cells and are capable of regenerating damaged cells such as pancreatic beta cells.The stem cells are implanted into the pancreatic artery under local anesthesia using a fine wire (catheter) that is inserted into the patient's right femoral artery. X-ray scanning is used to guide the catheter into the pancreatic artery where the stem cells are injected through a small hole in the center of the wire. This procedure takes about 90 minutes. Afterwards, the patient will spend 2 or 3 hours in the recovery room to ensure that the entry site is not bleeding.Patients who cannot be treated by catheter, such as those with kidney problems, are offered an alternative intravenous stem cell implantation.Patients who are suffering from diabetic peripheral neuropathy will receive a portion of their stem cells via intramuscular injections into the leg muscles.

Follow up statistics from 50 diabetes patients completed in July 2009 show that more than 50% experienced improvements after stem cell therapy. 40% of the patients were insulin dependent (type 1) and 60% were non-insulin dependent (type 2). About 4 of 5 patients were male and the average age was 51 years old.Approximately 1/3 of insulin dependent patients improved following treatment while about 2/3 of non-insulin dependent patients improved.Overall, improvements reported included more stable blood glucose levels, lower fasting blood glucose levels, decreased leg pain, lower blood pressure and the elimination of hypoglycemic episodes.