Alzheimer’s is a disease that causes the progressive death of brain cells, which results in the shrinking of the brain. In this condition, many neurons lose their ability to function and self-repair, connections with other neurons are damaged, and then these neurons finally die. The disease firstly affects areas in the brain that are responsible for memory, and then it touches the parts responsible for language and behavior.
Alzheimer’s is a common type of dementia, with the major symptom being the loss of memory. However, in the later stages of the disorder, patients are unable to carry out daily tasks on their own, being unable to act independently, and it can ultimately result in death. In particular, the disease is ranked as the seventh leading cause of death in the US.
For those asking, how can Alzheimer’s be treated, there is no definitive treatment to cure the disease. This leads many people to seek alternative approaches, of which one of the most popular is stem cell therapy for Alzheimer’s. This article will discuss the use of cell-based drugs in the management of this condition and how therapy can help improve symptoms.
How can stem cells help manage Alzheimer’s?
Stem cells provide benefit during treatment through multiple means, such as by regenerating or substituting the damaged cells in the target organ. However, besides this, there are other ways they can improve a disease, including reducing inflammation or releasing certain chemicals that can promote the regeneration of damaged tissue.
In Alzheimer’s, one of the features seen in affected brain cells is the build-up of a substance called an amyloid-β peptide, which forms plaques. When these plaques build up to a certain level, the brain cells underneath them die.
A study that used mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) on brain cells with these plaques was able to show that these cells reduced the levels of amyloid-β peptide in the neurons. As a result of this, the frequency of cell death in the brain is also reduced.
Without the accumulation of this peptide on the neurons, the symptoms of this condition improve, which puts stem cell therapy for Alzheimer’s up as one of the most promising remedies.
There is also evidence that following a cell-based approach for Alzheimer’s disease, MSCs can induce the neural stem cells already present in the brain tissue to differentiate into mature neurons.
What are the therapeutic effects of stem cells?
An animal study using mice showed that when treated with MSCs, besides reduced cell death, they demonstrated improvements in their cognition as well. Memory, the major concern in Alzheimer’s, was also shown to be improved following treatment, as well as learning function being restored.
The major benefit to this is that stem cells, unlike traditional management of this condition, provide a way to stop the progression of the disease and its symptoms, and potentially improve them, instead of merely slowing down the worsening. It also has no serious side effects, unlike drugs prescribed for the condition. For those wondering whether Alzheimer’s is currently a curable disease with cell-based therapy, it is yet to be approved for treatment, but clinical studies and patient results are promising.
What are the possible side effects of stem cells?
Safety is a major consideration when investigating new therapies, and as a result, there are several studies examining whether there are any significant side effects with cell-based treatment.
Among 36 different studies using MSCs, the conclusion made was that treatment with these cells is mostly safe. Apart from temporary fever, there were no serious side effects noted among over 1000 patients. Neither was there any risk of tumors developing as has been seen with other forms of stem cells.
One of the only human trials using MSCs for managing symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease had no major side effects seen, with surgical site pain and headache being the most common complaints.
What type of stem cells are used for Alzheimer’s?
In the studies that have been performed, different stem cell types have been used to examine their effect on the disease. These are embryonic, mesenchymal, and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs).
MSCs are the primary choice for stem cell therapy for Alzheimer’s treatment as they offer many advantages over the other options. For instance, besides their safety, they are able to improve the clinical condition of patients using multiple mechanisms, including amyloid plaque reduction, neuronal regeneration, and immune regulation.
Embryonic stem cells (ESCs) have ethical issues associated with them, and along with iPSCs, have the danger of tumor growth associated with them.
Does stem cell therapy work for dementia?
Dementia as a medical term refers to a collection of symptoms that affect cognition; that is, memory, social skills, learning, and thinking. Alzheimer’s is a type of dementia and a neurodegenerative disorder that cause the gradual death of nerve cells, though many other conditions like Huntington’s and Parkinson’s diseases can also cause this.
In a similar fashion to how stem cells provide promise in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease, the same applies to other health conditions causing dementia. There are several studies that express interest in further trials of this sort, though Alzheimer’s as the main form, gets the most attention.
Improving Alzheimer’s disease with stem cell therapy
Clinical studies have shown that there is promise in treating neurodegenerative conditions like Alzheimer’s disease with MSCs. Not only is there noted a reduction in plaques, but there is also improvement in cognition as well as a very low risk of side effects.
Receiving treatment at a professional stem cell therapy center can give patients suffering from this condition the opportunity to halt the progression of this disorder and move a step closer to improved health and cognitive functions.
