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Home Tag: "Umbilical Cord" (Page 2)

Tag: Umbilical Cord

13Aug

Autism is today, more correctly referred to as Autism Spectrum Disorder, or ASD. The term ASD is a more accurate description of the condition, which is a variety of different symptoms—many behavioral—that express themselves along a spectrum of different degrees of severity. Because of this variety, it took centuries before medical science correctly began to perceive the subtleties of the condition. In fact, it wasn’t until the 1980s that autism was formally recognized. Before that, it was thought to be just a variation of schizophrenia and treated as a mental disorder.

Modern medical science now has the understanding that this is a neurophysiological disorder with a lot of nuance and variance. This is why similar to Lyme disease, ASD could, in the past be difficult to diagnose, as someone could have milder symptoms that rendered them “eccentric” to those around them, while those on the more severe end of the spectrum were alienated, uncommunicative, and could interact with others only with great difficulty.

Because this, finding treatments for the various symptoms of autism hasn’t been easy. It is not a contagious virus-like pneumonia, where a course of antibiotics will clear it. But now more understanding and advances have been made in assessing and treating autism. Umbilical cord blood and the stem cells it contains may be another piece of solving the ASD puzzle.

Stem Cell Therapy’s Potential

ASD is a condition, not a disease, and as such, it cannot be cured. The various symptoms, however, can be treated or managed. Sometimes this means specific behavioral therapy to teach children certain activities, such as learning to tie shoelaces or learning to wait until someone is finished speaking before replying. In other instances, it may mean the usage of medication. Anti-psychotics, for example, have been prescribed for effective results in some cases.

Now stem cell therapy is looking promising, though the full extent of its potential has yet to be fully understood since it is a recent development. While the specific applications with ASD still require further research, the actual techniques and results have already been medically evaluated in other areas. It’s a given that stem call can, and does work. It’s already been proven to do so and is used as an effective treatment in fighting certain types of cancer, like leukemia.

What Do Stem Cells Do?

Stem cells also have the nickname “master cells,” because they are like endlessly configurable “blank slates,” that can adapt themselves to whatever is needed. Unlike other cells, a stem cell can become any cell, even ones that normally don’t reproduce in great numbers.

A typical cell, such as a blood cell or a skin cell, can only reproduce into one thing, and that is a copy of itself. If you get a cut, or you get a burn, new skin cells are formed from existing skin cells. If in a cut, you bleed out a little, that blood loss is replaced by blood cells creating more copies of themselves. However, if you experience damage to your heart, for example, new heart cells can’t come from blood cells. And new liver cells can’t come from brain cells. Stem cells, however, can become any cell that is required to replace missing cells.

Under normal circumstances, small amounts of stem cells remain stored away in the body in hard to reach places. Bone marrow is one of the parts of the human body with a reserve of stem cells. Unfortunately, as you might imagine, retrieving stem cells from bone marrow, while possible, is a complex procedure, and it doesn’t yield huge amounts of stem cells.

Cord Blood Is The Answer

When a fetus is forming and growing in the womb, that is a process that makes extensive use of stem cells. This makes sense when you think about it, as babies grow from a basic collection of cells into more specialized groups that eventually form organs. As a result, the fluids that pass through the umbilical cord, or “cord blood” are saturated with useful stem cells. This is why it’s a good idea to request the collection and storage of cord blood once a baby is born, as this guarantees a supply of 100% compatible stem cells.

These stem cells, when applied as stem cell therapy, have yielding promising results in treating ASD. Depending on the type of ASD symptoms a child manifests, stem cell therapy may reduce inflammation that can be associated with autism, and, in some cases, has been seen to help manage certain ASD behaviors, such as reducing violence and hostility in some patients.

Of course, with such a new method of treatment, this means that research is still ongoing. The full effects and consequences of stem cell therapy for ASD treatment are not completely documented yet. What is known is that an important medically confirmed treatment for some forms of cancer now appears to be having good results with ASD as well.

3Jul

Autism, more correctly known as Autism Spectrum Disorder, or ASD, is a condition that, for many years, was incorrectly diagnosed under a variety of other medical conditions. Part of the reason for this is that, like some illnesses, such as Lyme Disease, the symptoms of ASD are so varied that there may be many other reasons for why the symptoms appear beyond just ASD.

Today, with more research, and a better—though not complete—understanding of how ASD operates, it’s now understood that many of the different symptoms fall within ASD, just to varying degrees, which is why the word “spectrum” is used to describe the disorder. Someone can be diagnosed with very mild ASD, but otherwise function normally throughout life, only feeling a bit introverted or not quite fitting in with the behavior of others. On the more extreme end of the autism spectrum, however, symptoms can be so severe that normal communication is impossible and even everyday tasks, such as tying shoes, requires a special approach and training.

The Promise Of Stem Cell Therapy

The reality is that ASD is something that can only be treated, not cured. While the exact mechanisms of ASD have yet to be fully documented and understood, it’s already well known that an antibiotic or another form of medical treatment cannot make ASD go away in the same way that pneumonia or heart disease may be cured.

Because ASD has a variety of different symptoms at different intensities, it also has different treatments based on an individual diagnosis. Some children diagnosed with ASD, for example, may have more prominent physiological causes for their condition, and so a prescription of medication, such as anti-psychotics may be advised. Other children may find that the most effective approach is a psychological one, and so behavioral therapy is recommended allowing the child to learn certain behaviors while suppressing others.

One new form of treatment in recent years is stem cell therapy. This has been getting some promising results, although more research and comprehensive study needs to be done. The treatment process, however, is sound. Stem cell therapy is already a well established medical treatment alternative for some forms of cancer, such as leukemia.

Why Do Stem Cells Work?

Stem cells are an effective form of treatment because, in a way, they are ultimate “spare” or “blank cells.” Stem cells are sometimes referred to as “master cells” because unlike normal cells in the body, they can be “programmed” to become any cell that is required.

Under normal circumstances, if you experience blood loss, such as donating blood, you eventually have new blood cells grown from your existing blood cells that replace the loss. The same goes for skin that is cut or burned; existing skin cells grow new cells. Heart cells do not grow lung cells and vice versa.

Stem cells can are available in small amounts in people, with reserves located in the bone marrow. However, extracting stem cells from bone marrow is a complex, extensive activity. When no other options are available, this type of harvesting works, but yields are not large compared to some other methods.

The Secret is Cord Blood

Cord blood, however, is an ideal method collecting stem cells, and, like bone marrow, has a high degree of compatibility with the right recipient. As with a blood transfusion, stem cells must be the right “type” to be accepted by someone being treated with stem cell therapy.

For patients born in more recent years, the best source of stem cells comes from their birth itself. Stems cells are the cells used by a mother and child, as the child grows in the womb. This is how embryos develop from a general collection of cells into more specialized organs like the brain and lungs.

Unsurprisingly, because babies experience a steady rate of growth for the entire nine months of development in the womb, massive amounts of stem cells are required. These stem cells are created, and freely move about in the placenta the baby grows within, and the umbilical cord which passes nutrients and waste back and forth, directly between the mother and the baby. As a result, once a baby is born, a massive concentration of remaining stem cells is left in both the placenta and the umbilical cord.

Always Ask For Storage

Because these stem cells were involved in the development of your child, this means that any stem cells administered from “cord blood” as it is called, will be 100% compatible with a child. In other words, cord blood is, potentially, an enormously valuable medical resource for your child. This is why, upon birth, if you are given the option to have cord blood stored, you should do it. If you find there is ever a situation where your child could benefit from stem cell therapy, retrieving previously stored cord blood will be of great help and could eliminate the need to retrieve stem cells from bone marrow.




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