If you have a chronic condition, then you have likely heard about stem cell therapy. Stem cell therapy is the white light in the world of regenerative medicine, sparking hope in patients with chronic pain or degenerative conditions that just get worse and worse.
Stem cell research has come such a long way from its early days, and it’s still considered to be in its early days. In the future cells called induced pluripotent stem cells, which are adult cells that have been reprogrammed back into their embryonic state, may be the norm. We may find new ways to target stem cell treatments to completely reverse big problems like vision loss.
The future of stem cell therapy is bright, but with anything that seems too good to be true, it’s important to ask yourself the costs. Can stem cells damage your body? What are the side effects? To help you understand the short and long-term side effects of stem cells, we first need to get into the types of stem cells.
Stem Cells 101: What Are They?
What are stem cells? They are a master cell. A stem cell can become a white blood cell, bone marrow, or even a red blood cells, for example. In fact, our bodies are already full of them. They are used to replace damaged or sick cells as needed.
In general, there are two types of stem cells:
- Adult stem cells: these are cells sourced from adults. The most potent of them are sourced from Wharton’s Jelly, as these cells don’t have a specific surface protein that immune systems frequently target. We use these cells here at Bioxcellerator since they’re more likely to be accepted by recipient’s immune systems, and put to work.
- Embryonic stem cells: These cells can become any cells in the human body, but are difficult to acquire ethically, so the ones that are in circulation (donated from IVF clinics) are used solely for medical research.
In the future, we may use those cells called induced pluripotent stem cells, but for now, the cost is far too high. Stem cell therapy cost as it is can already run into the tens of thousands. iPSCs can cost hundreds of thousands.
Since most transplants stem cells aren’t covered by the FDA (the exception is with blood stem cell or bone marrow transplants via blood transfusions, which are used to treat conditions like leukemia), the treatment will need to be covered out of pocket.
When you’re paying for your own treatment, you want to know all the side effects and how successful the treatment is.
Can Stem Cells Damage Your Body?
What are potential long-term side effects of stem cell treatment?
There are instances where transplants stem cells can damage your body. Graft-versus-Host Disease (GVHD), for example, occurs when transplanted cells attack their new host, and therefore need to be put down by your immune system.
Those with weakened immune systems may also be more susceptible to infections following a transplantation.
Minor Side Effects
You are more likely to experience one of the short-term, minor side effects of stem cell treatment.
- Following the treatment, some patients experience fatigue and are very tired. Having a clear schedule where you allow yourself to rest while your body puts those stem cells to work is essential.
- Some patients experience a bit of bruising near the injection site, particularly with targeted injections. This clears up quickly.
- Some report experiencing flu-like symptoms for the first few days following the treatment.
All of these symptoms are very minor and easy to manage on your own. That being said, we are here to help advise you through the post-procedure period, so you can get back up on your feet quickly.
How We Minimize the Risks
The good news is that there are many ways to minimize and even eliminate these risks. In hospitals, stem cell or bone marrow transplants are usually taken from the patient themselves, since this removes the risk of rejection and many complicated side effects, and then injected in targeted areas.
Now, what are stem cell injections at clinics like ours? It’s true that we use donor cells. To help eliminate any risk associated with them, however, we run thorough screening processes.
This means we check:
- The health and medical history of the donor patient
- The cells themselves for any abnormalities or diseases
On top of our thorough screening process, we also work to purify the cells, and then store them in cryofreeze until you are ready for them. This means you don’t have to worry about gaining a new disease from the treatment.
We also use stem cells from Wharton’s Jelly, which is preferred in the medical community as it’s less likely for the body to reject the new cells.
Ready to Start Your Treatment?
Stem cell treatments essentially mean you add to your existing stock of stem cells, and that’s it. All told, it’s a very natural treatment that works with your body’s existing system. You are actually more at risk of your own immune system destroying the stem cells before they can do anything, rather than the stem cells causing damage to your body.
There are, of course, exceptions (for example, if you’re currently undergoing radiation). That’s why we give all of our patients a full consultation and then look through our notes together before deciding whether we will take you on or not.
We do this to help increase your chances of seeing success, while also protecting your health. We believe it’s important to give patients that level of peace of mind, since they are the ones investing in their health out of pocket.
If you have any more questions, or are simply ready to see if stem cell therapy is right for you, then check out the locations we cover. You can either visit us by going to your nearest clinic to learn more about stem cell therapy directly, or even start your treatment plan with our friendly team of experts.