Benefits Of Adult Stem Cells
Most people have heard the wide variety of controversial opinions surrounding the scientific use of embryonic stem cells. However, what you might not realize is that not everyone discussing stem cell research is talking about using embryonic stem cells. Adult stem cells are in your bone marrow and peripheral blood, as well as in a pregnant woman's placenta, umbilical cord, and amniotic fluid. These stem cells are also beneficial in the medical research field, and adult stem cell therapy has the potential to be used to treat diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, diabetes, and heart disease. Learn more about the benefits of using adult stem cells.
Lower Rejection Rate
When adult stem cell therapy is used to treat a disease, it lowers the rejection rate because the patient is typically treated using their own stem cells. For example, adult stem cells are often used to treat cancer patients via a bone marrow transplant. The stem cells are gathered from the patient's bone marrow, and then used to treat the same patient as needed.
Easy to Harvest
Medical experts can harvest adult stem cells from various places in the body, including the bone marrow, blood, and fat. Pregnant women can also donate stem cells for research or treatment needs by allowing medical experts to collect cells from the placenta and umbilical cord after the baby is born. If a pregnant woman requires immediate adult stem cell therapy treatment, her stem cells can also be collected by extracting some of the amniotic fluid surrounding the baby. All of these options allow doctors to collect the stem cells needed without destroying a human embryo. In fact, the process tends to have little effect on the individual donating the stem cells if any effect at all.
Potentially Used to Treat Several Conditions
Adult stem cell therapy can potentially be used to treat several different diseases and/or conditions. For example, cells derived from the bone marrow stroma can possibly be used to regenerate bone. Adult stem cell therapy could also be used to develop insulin-producing cells that can be used to treat patients with type 1 diabetes or to repair damaged portions of the heart muscle after a heart attack. Additionally, cancer research focuses on adult stem cells that they can retrieve from malignant cancerous tumors, which researchers from the University of Michigan hope help them develop better treatment options for people with breast cancer.
There are several benefits to procuring and using adult stem cells in medical research and treatments. Not only are they easily harvested, they don't carry the ethical concerns that come with embryonic stem cells and adult stem cell therapy can be used to treat several different diseases. To learn more, contact a clinic like Glory Wellness Center and Weight Loss Clinic.