Stem Cell Therapy for Spinal Cord Injuries Explained

Introduction to Stem Cells

This letter offers a brief introduction to stem cells — what they are, how they work, and why they may be relevant to your situation as a candidate for stem cell therapy. Like all subjects in science, this one can be simplified or made complex. The goal here is to strike a balance between the two extremes.

Stem cells are not like ordinary cells. When we say "ordinary," we mean the kind of cells you are probably used to thinking about — cells that perform a specific function, such as red blood cells, which carry oxygen through the bloodstream. Stem cells are unspecialized. They have no fixed physiological properties that define what they do. What they can do, however, is something quite special: they can replicate. They are unique in the body because of this capacity for self-renewal. A red blood cell or a muscle cell cannot do that (Euro Stem Cell, 2012).

The biology of stem cells is such that they are undifferentiated cells capable of differentiating into specialized cells and, through the process of mitosis, of producing more stem cells. Think of them as repair workers you call when your house is hit by a strong wind — they arrive with the tools needed to rebuild. In adults, stem cells perform this same role by replenishing tissue throughout the body.

Thanks to the scientific method, researchers have been able to identify different types of stem cells and make progress toward using them to help people with severe injuries recover and regain function. The scientific method is a straightforward process, but following it rigorously leads to remarkable discoveries. The first step is to ask a question — which you have done by asking about stem cells. The second step is background research, which is the purpose of this letter. Steps three through five involve constructing a hypothesis, conducting experimental tests, and evaluating whether the procedure is working. Before moving ahead to those later stages, it is worth completing the research stage thoroughly.

Types and Sources of Stem Cells

There are two main types of stem cells: embryonic stem cells and adult stem cells. Scientists in laboratories have also developed other types, such as induced pluripotent stem cells — essentially rebooted adult stem cells that are reprogrammed to behave like embryonic stem cells. This is a significant achievement in the field.

Stem cells can be retrieved from three primary sources: bone marrow, lipid (fat) cells, and blood. Umbilical cord blood is one well-known source from which they are commonly collected.

Stem Cells in Spinal Cord Injury Research

Regarding how stem cells might be used in your specific case, researchers have already provided meaningful answers through ongoing clinical work. Clinical trials are underway around the world, and one method attracting significant attention is the use of neural stem cell transplants — stem cells taken from brain tissue that are used to produce each of the three main neural cell types found in the central nervous system. Another type under investigation is the mesenchymal stem cell, which can be sourced from the patient's own bone marrow and then injected into the spinal cord. These represent just two of the many trial approaches being conducted today (Spinal Cord Injuries, 2015).

The value of stem cells in spinal cord research lies in their ability, once injected, to help regenerate damaged cells. These cells are already being used to treat various injuries and diseases, including leukemia. Neural stem cells in particular are receiving considerable focus because they have been shown to help form new synaptic relays and improve electrophysiological and functional growth (Lu et al., 2012). This body of peer-reviewed research stands in contrast to pseudoscientific claims posted on non-scientific websites, which should be avoided when investigating this subject independently, as such sources do not employ the scientific method.

All of this research indicates that stem cells can be helpful in rebuilding spinal cord tissue after injury — though more studies are still needed. That is precisely where participation in a clinical trial becomes meaningful: it represents a contribution to that ongoing scientific process.

Conclusion and Recommendations

Stem cells are a great thing to look into for someone in your position. They can be used to help repair spinal cords and limit damage by replicating new, healthy cells needed in the damaged spinal cord in order for the body's nervous system to operate correctly.

The science behind this has been in progress for several years, and researchers have made great strides both in understanding stem cell replication and in modifying adult stem cells — thereby avoiding many of the earlier controversies surrounding embryonic cell use.

On that basis, discussing participation in the clinical trial with the research team is worth serious consideration. Not only does it offer the potential to address the damage caused by your injury, but it also contributes to the advancement of scientific knowledge about how stem cells can help people more broadly.

Ultimately, the decision requires balancing the risks against the potential rewards — and that is something only you can do for yourself. Think about where you are now and where you would like to be. Consider whether, if you had the opportunity to contribute something meaningful to medical progress, you would want to take it. Stem cell research continues to evolve, and patients who participate in well-designed trials play a meaningful role in that evolution.

Please feel free to reach out with any questions — further research assistance and additional reading recommendations are available upon request.

References

Euro Stem Cell. (2012). What makes stem cells unique? Eurostemcell. Retrieved from

Herberts, C., et al. (2011). Risk factors in the development of stem cell therapy. Journal of Transplant Medicine, 9, 29–36.

Lu, P., et al. (2012). Long-distance growth and connectivity of neural stem cells after severe spinal cord injury. Cell, 150(6), 1264–1273.

Mothe, A., et al. (2013). Repair of the injured spinal cord by transplantation of neural stem cells in a hyaluronan-based hydrogel. Biomaterials, 34(15), 3775–3783.

Sabelstrom, H., et al. (2013). Resident neural stem cells restrict tissue damage and neuronal loss after spinal cord injury in mice. Science, 342(6158), 637–640.

Spinal Cord Injuries. (2015). Eurostemcell. Retrieved from http://www.eurostemcell.org/factsheet/spinal-cord-injuries-how-could-stem-cells-help