Challenges of cell medicine
Stem cells(conventional name) – is unique group of cells of an organism, that is able to proliferate and give rise to the main cell components of all organs and tissues of a body. It is immature cell able to self renew and to develop into specific cells of the organism. All cells of a human come from the only cell that is formed at impregnation. When a human is adult the stem cells are localized basically in bone marrow and in small quantities in all organs and tissues to provide restoration of the damaged organs and tissues.
The stem cells having received from the regulating system the signal about any disorder, home to the damaged organ. They can restore practically any damage turning into the cells necessary for the organism (bone, smooth muscle, liver, heart muscle and even neural cells) and stimulating inner reserves of the organism to restore organ or tissue. Unfortunately the stem cells store of an adult organism is not so big. So it frequently happens that the body is unable to restore itself as the injury is too big, the body is weak, the age has changed.
Now medicine can “grow” stem cells but cannot predict with a 100% guarantee their universal differentiation into necessary cells compatible with any patient. Before the solution for this problem is found stem cells use in medicine is individual, as it is essential to provide maximal gene compatibility of the “grown” stem cells with the cells of the patient’s organism. Qualified doctor must check the probability level of the individual efficiency of the therapy. For safety reasons it is absolutely necessary that the patient be thoroughly examined, special individual culturing of the cells, development of individual plan of treatment combined with conventional methods to restore the damaged functions, stay in the Clinic during period of risk under the supervision of the doctors.
Besides thorough medical examination that involves modern radiopaque methods (Computer tomography, magneto-resonant imaging, cerebral and spinal angiography, computer myelography etc.), neurofucntional (elecrtoneuromyography, duplex scanning, ultrasound dopplerography, main head arteries, EEG, cerebral mapping EEG etc.) and neuropsychological testing permits to maximally clarify the diagnosis and with maximal probability (according to our statistics in 17,8% cases) and to suggest to the patient the scheme of treatment that provide the same result as stem cell technologies.
"... Presentation of any medication as a cure-all is unacceptable. Also it is time legally fix the procedure of receiving the informed consent of the patient to participate in the medical trial. One cannot deprive the patient of the right to decide for himself/herself – to die from the disease, incurable by conventional methods or to risk and to try a new method though not finally tested. The matter is that this consent must be truly informed."
Academician of RAMS, deputy of the State Duma Sergey Kolesnikov
The History of stem cells’ application in neurology and neurosurgery
- V.G.Tomson (1850) pioneer works in transplantation of pieces of neural tissues of cats into dog brain
- А.Maksimov (1908) discovery of hematopoietic stem cell
- R.Matthey(1926) transplantation of neural tissue in to the brain of a newt
- L.Stone,L.Farthing (1942) ) transplantation of neural tissue in to the brain of an eft
- R.Spery (1945) ) transplantation of neural tissue in to the brain a frog
- L.Stevens (1970)- discovery of embryonic stem cell
- A.Friedenstein et al (1974)- discovery of mesenchimal stem cell
- A.Bjorklund (1979) transplantation of neural tissue in experimental parkinsonism in rats
- E.O.Backlund et al (1985) transplantation of adrenomedullar tissue of the patient in his striopalidar area
- O. Lindval et al (1988) transplantation of embryonic neural tissue in the patients with Parkinson’s disease
- Ch.Vacanty et al (1995) pioneer works in tissue engineering of brain
- O.V.Kopyov et al (1998) - transplantation of embryonic neural tissue in Huntington’s chorea
- D. Kandziolka (1999) transplantation of stem cell line in acute stroke
Basic Research Programs in Cell Medicine
- European project "NECTAR" Network of European CNS Transplantation and Restoration – transplantation of neural tissue in Parkinson’s disease - 550 patients
- Scientific program LUND (Sweden)-1012 patients (XVII Word Congress of Neurology , 2001)
- European program Transplantation of neural cells in Huntington’s chorea - 112 patients (O.V.Kopyov et al., 1998)
- Transplantation of neural stem cells in stroke (USA) - 24 patients (D. Kandziolka .,1999)
- Neurotransplantation in diseases and injuries of brain, spinal cord and locomotor system” - 624 patients (V.I.Schumakov et al 2000)
- Transplantation of neural cells of a blue shark in spinal cord injury - 123 patients (Mexico)
- Russia: Complex program of surgical and therapeutical treatment of chronic ischemia of brain.
- Joint project of urological assistance of Russian State Medical University, Blokhin’s Russian Cancer Research Center of RAMS and NeuroVita Clinic.
- Branch program of Russian Academy of Medical Sciences “New cell technologies to Medicine”
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Frequently asked questions
Applied methods. Down-to-earth
We tried to sum up the most frequently asked questions about the therapy used in the Clinic and to describe in every detail the peculiarities of the stem cell treatment. The Clinic uses the technique of autologous stem cells harvest from peripheral blood, cryopreservation and then infusion into spinal canal as well as cell transplantation into the tissue of brain or spinal cord
Applied methods. Scientifically
Realizing our concept we attempted to use only the state-of-the-art surgical methods approved in the USA and Europe according to the implemented ideology of brain/spinal cord tissue engineering They permit to reconstruct morphological structure of the tissue in pathological area, to remodel its vascular and vegetative supply by algorithmic application of low invasive transplantation, information and telesurgical methods.
Choice of the Clinic
When you come to the clinic, that suggest you such therapy, first you should check if it has a license for medical activity and registration certificate, issued by Roszdravnadzor for the stem cell medical technology. If these documents are not available then the clinic you came to works illegally.
To date the method has not official approval for universal clinical use. There is only one institution – CJSC “NeuroVita” that received registration certificate for the medical technology “The method of treatment of traumatic disease of brain and spinal cord by autologous hematopoietic stem cells” from Roszdravnadzor in summer 2005 for one year..
The Head of the Authority of registration of medicinal preparations and medical equipment of Rozdravnadzor Sergey Tkachenko
",,,It is necessary to learn if the clinic has got an in-patient department what diagnostical capacities it has. Cell therapy demands very thorough testing of hormonal, immune, genetic statuses, testing for viral infections, bacteria, cancer markers. Even if you have no complains for your health and just simply want to collect the cells to be on the safe side, the doctor must foresee everything. “
"... the fashion for public discussion of stem cells discredit cell medicine as science. Stem cells are able to work and they will work. The technology passed a hard way – form euphoria of the first successes to absolute negation.
Now everybody is ready to discuss this issue, but those who are really knowledgeable and do real things are very few. Unfortunately only 2-3 laboratories in this country are able to grow standardized stem cell culture of a good quality.
Professor Andrey Bryukhovetskiy,
director of Neurovita Clinic
"One is better to refer to RAMS for the expertise of the doctors and their scientific potential and to have a look at the equipment. Stem cells’ injection is not a cheap procedure. Every high tech device cost from tens to hundreds thousand euros. If the clinic does not have this equipment then it should have agreements with big laboratories. But in this case the administration is obliged to present the cell passport with accompanying documents to the patient. ".
Every clinic has its own specialization. For example Bakulev’s Institue specializes in cardiology, NeuroVita – in neurology and neurosurgery, network of clinics “Pyramid” – in beauty issues. Skin problems are efficiently solved on the Institue of Biology and Evolution. Revitalization programs are suggested by such clinics as “Klazko”, Lege Artis, Yury Zakhrov’s Clinic, Ostmedconsult (Saint-Petersburg). None of them promises eternal youth but guarantees that the injected material is clear. Code certificates are widely spread in Germany and Switzerland. In Russia only the group “Pyramid” gives “passport” that confirms that the cells are yours and no viruses have been found in them. Also in this paper weak places of the organism that require cell renewal are pointed.
Professor Alexander Teplyashin,
the president of “Pyramid’
Clinics network, director of the Institute of Stem Cell
We recommend to read
Topic of the issue – Biotechnologies. Newsweek. 02-08 August 2004, #9
Современная медицина в тупике - даже самые развитые страны не в силах побороть
такие недуги, как рак, сахарный диабет, сердечно-сосудистые заболевания.
Вся надежда на стволовые клетки - теоретически с из промощью можно даже
заменять пораженные органы ...
Stem cells: doubts and hopes. Robert Lanza and Nadya Rosental. In the world of Science. September 2004
Какие препятствия нужно преодолеть, чтобы использование стволовых клеток в медицине перестало быть только мечтой?
Стволовые клетки таят в себе невиданные возможности: от регенерации поврежденных органов и тканей до лечения заболеваний,
не поддающихся лекарственной терапии. Но реально ли применение этих клеток в медицине? Сумеют ли врачи
приступить к лечению больных с их помощью сразу же после отмены соответствующих ограничений?
Stem cells: the desired and the real. Olga Dyubankova, “Arguments and Facts”, July 08, 2004.
В новостях постоянно мелькает: со дня на день начнут выращивать органы из собственных клеток пациентов.
Англичане уже пообещали через пять лет вырастить для всех желающих зубы взамен выпавших. В общем,
что ни день - то праздник на улице клеточных технологий. Во многих клиниках мира предлагают
с их помощью омоложение и лечение безнадежных заболеваний. О том, что такое стволовые клетки
и можно ли вылечиться с их помощью, рассказывает директор Республиканского центра репродукции
человека и планирования семьи МЗ РФ, доктор мед. наук Андрей Степанович Акопян.
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