@A MyCOPDTeam Member:Stem Cell Therapy and COPD

There is much controversy going on in the world of stem cell therapy and COPD. Why? While autologous stem cell treatment without manipulation is legal in the United States, without manipulation, treatments are not likely to be clinically relevant. For stem cell treatments to be clinically relevant, millions of stem cells need to be implanted into a designated recipient. Because generating millions of stem cells is difficult once they are removed from the body, scientists must manipulate them somehow to produce larger quantities. The FDA says that manipulation turns them into prescription drugs, and that this practice must therefore be tightly regulated. Stem cell advocates don't agree with the FDA's stand on this, and are currently fighting to get this changed.

How Do Stem Cells Help the Lungs?

Theoretically speaking, if the regenerative processes in the lungs can keep up with the destructive, inflammatory processes caused by smoking and other airway irritants that ultimately lead to COPD, the lungs would be able to maintain homeostasis, (balance) and lung tissue and function can be preserved.

Recent studies conducted on both animals and humans have revealed that stem cells contribute to lung tissue regeneration and protection, and thus administration of stem cells derived from exogenous sources may be an innovative way to treat COPD. In fact, current research reports that stem cells:

have the potential to better treat and possibly cure, many types of diseases;
protect lung tissue through suppression of inflammation;
trigger production of repairitive growth factors;
improve pulmonary emphysema in rats;
accelerate regeneration of the alveoli and blood vessels of the lungs after lung volume reduction surgery in rats.
Risks Involved With Stem Cell Therapy

While additional research is underway to further assess the safety and efficacy of stem cell treatment for COPD and other diseases, there are certain risks that have been clearly identified, primarily with allogenic stem cell therapy:

graft versus host disease
tumor formation
inappropriate migration of cells to other areas of the body
immune system rejection
Stem cell therapy for COPD is in its infancy, but even so, brings great hope to many patients who have exhausted other forms of COPD treatment. Before considering stem cell therapy, however, do your homework. There are clinics out there just waiting to take advantage of desperate people. No medical clinic in the U. S. will currently provide stem cell therapy with manipulation for COPD, though some medical institutions may enroll patients with COPD into research studies on stem cell therapy. If you participate in such a study, make sure it is approved by the review board of the institution. Learning all you can about the risks and benefits involved will enable you to make an informed decision and one that is best for you and your family.
I would Check it out more.

Mentioned Users

A MyCOPDT...

This is from a member on this sight that has had Stem Cell therapy and would highly recommend. Another on this sight goes April 1st. [[user:Rhonda:549cc5ea86087564a[[phone:5000552]]

(813) 252-1177:]] Is number at lung institute and us s great help and will send you info. Tell her Brad gave you her name babe us ready to help. Please go to U Tube and search for lung stem cell therapy (lots of data) and website LungInstitute.com. Their main office is in Tamps Fla and I was treated in Nashville. They also have a brand new clinic in Scottsdale,Az. After you have done your homework please ask me any questions. My ph # (Phone number can only be seen by the question and answer creators) and my name is Brad Emmett or just ask on this website. It is very exciting. I have met and talked to quite a few at the clinic and convinced it can work. I am a poor individual but took money from emergency fund to pay for this. I firmly believe it is going to help. They only claim 20% increase in use of lungs and 70% success rate but talking to existing nurses, if you do the extra work and do what they suggest ----- it can and will work.

I didn't know we had stem cells in our blood. Is it a big process?

There's nothing being done in the US with stem cells that I'm sure is legitimate. There is a research project that is listed at www.clinicaltrials.gov that I thought was legitimate, but some research by a COPD friend in Florida (where the trial was located) makes it look like another scam. That said, there are lots of places in the US and Mexico where they will be thrilled to take your money, but that's about all you get out of it. Be very careful and investigate all such places very carefully. Remember a fool and his money are soon parted.

Jean

I may be wrong, but my understanding is that stem cells come from umbilical cord.