Stem Cell treatment in Orange, CT
In the ever-changing world of medical research, one area of treatment consistently remains among the most misunderstood and controversial: stem cell therapy.
Stem cell therapy shows so much promise for treatment of a variety of otherwise deadly and terminal diseases, but it has been negatively associated with cloning and the abortion debate. On top of that, it’s still in the earliest experimental stages, and very little is still truly understood about these uniquely undifferentiated cells.
What are Stem Cells?
Stem cells are unique cells that can undergo a process known as differentiation, in which they transform into other kinds of specialized cell. This powerful ability is what makes it possible for a tiny early-stage embryo that consists of no more than a hollow ball of cells, to develop into a complex organism. It also allows stem cells to regenerate damaged cells and tissue that otherwise can’t be replaced, or are difficult to replace in adults.
Research into Regeneration
The extent of a cell’s ability to transform into other cell types is known as its potency; this ranges from totipotency, describing stem cells that can become any kind of cell in the body, all the way to unipotency, which describes stem cells that can only differentiate into one.
Stem cells, just as importantly, are also able to indefinitely divide into more stem cells while remaining undifferentiated, allowing them to multiply en masse and help regenerate or even grow new tissue.
Stem Cell Treatment For Medical Conditions
Due to their regenerative capabilities, stem cells are ideal topics of research for treatments of many degenerative diseases and genetic disorders, as well as for severe injuries.
One of the most common available treatments involving stem cells is bone marrow transplants, which are used to treat blood and bone marrow cancers such as leukemia. Bone marrow is where most blood cell production takes place, containing stem cells that differentiate into blood cells.
Ethically Sourced and Safe
Stem cells can be categorized according to where they can be harvested from.
One kind is adult stem cells, also known as somatic stem cells, which despite their name can be found in the tissues of both adults and children. These are often taken from bone marrow, fat cells, and umbilical cord blood. Adult stem cells do not represent an ethical problem because they’re harvested from adult tissue.
However, the other kind, embryonic stem cells, is the centerpiece of the majority of controversy, because they are harvested from early-stage human embryos prior to implantation. During the extraction procedure for these, stem cells are taken from the inner cell mass of fertilized embryos that are created for the purpose of stem cell harvests.
Unfortunately, extracting embryonic stem cells results in the destruction of the fertilized embryo, triggering ethical concerns similar to those raised by the abortion debate regarding the potential for human life, the stage at which life begins, and other issues.
How Could Stem Cell Treatment Help You?
At New England Neurogenerative Center, we utilize somatic stem cells to ensure that our treatments do not cross any moral lines and are safe for all kinds of patients. We believe in holistic, alternative medicine that’s well-researched and 100% ethical. In other words, a new and improved approach to stem cell therapy!
To learn more about how stem cell therapy is being used to treat common medical conditions, and to explore your own treatment options, contact us today for a consultation.