Deborah Scott used stem cells to walk the beach again.
Deborah Scott tore her meniscus. Her doctors gave her cortisone and Orthovisc injections for the next ten years, but her pain was still there. She decided she’d had enough and saw an orthopedic doctor. He said she would need bilateral total knee replacements. She got a second opinion and a third and a fourth and a fifth.
“I didn’t want the excruciating process for one knee replacement surgery, recover, and then do the other one. I’d subject myself to a long recovery process with all the PT and medical bills. I’d be filing for bankruptcy.”
That was when she discovered a doctor using stem cells in her native Virginia. She opted to have stem cell therapy. Five months later, while on vacation in Florida, she was walking on the beach and picking up shells. No surgery.
FDA regulation regarding stem cell therapy
The FDA regulates stem cell technology. The FDA continues to pursue and reduced the number of “unscrupulous” providers who offer dangerous procedures. FDA officials support a future for stem cells when they are in the hands of highly skilled researchers and doctors.
One such doctor is Timothy Henry MD, FACC. He is the Chief of Cardiology at Cedars Sinai Heart Institute in Los Angeles, California, and a principal investigator for 1 of the 7 Clinical Cardiovascular Stem Cell Centers in the control of the National Institute of Health.
Dr. Henry sees much promise in stem cells’ ability to repair the scar tissue created in heart attacks or strokes. His research shows hope that we will be able to take stem cells from a young donor, culture them, and use them when needed to repair the heart cells in older patients. In a study of 1,000 patients, he is finding it possible to direct stem cells to the heart muscle and improve the scar tissue.
His take? Stem cells are promising. Dr. Henry agrees that people need to know if the FDA has reviewed the treatment they seek. It is our responsibility to dig out scam artists. Henry supports continual enrolment in studies. Over time, they will reveal more about how our bodies can genuinely heal themselves – the area of Regenerative Medicine.
The Mayo Clinic sees a bright future in stem cells.
The Mayo Clinic agrees. They expect stem cells will help people with Spinal Cord Injuries, Type 1 Diabetes, Parkinson’s Disease, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), Alzheimer’s Disease, Heart Disease, Strokes, Burns, Cancer, and Osteoarthritis. Further, they are excited to test new drugs on stem cells instead of patients. Cardiac toxicity is a good example. The cells can be programmed to become tissue-specific targets for medication. Measurements for quality and effectiveness would come from the stem cells. No humans used.
What does that mean for you – the patient on hormone replacement therapy?
Research in the area of orthopaedics, joint diseases and soft tissue injuries has a long history now, and treatments with stem cell therapy have become a preferred option to surgery.
Robert Ortiz MD, Director of Clinical Research and Patient Education at the New York Institute of Hormone Replacement, has seen benefits of stem cells in patients. He’s met people who respond well to hormone replacement. If they push themselves too fast they may tear a ligament, a tendon or even a muscle. Stem cell therapy can often prevent surgery.
Many tears of ligaments, tendons and muscles may require surgery. But a skilled doctor will first evaluate the damage in an MRI. If the tear is right, stem cells can eliminate the need for surgery.
Ms. Scott would agree.
How do you know what’s right for you?
The easy answer is to speak with your doctor or a hormone replacement specialist about your situation. Dr. Neil Neimark, a professor at the University of California, Irvine has a simple test to get you started. Ask yourself if you’re still in pain by the time you should have healed. If you are, then treatment with stem cells may provide the solution. Let your exploration begin.
