Stem cell therapy

What it is

• There are two main types of stem cells: embryonic stem cells and adult stem cells.
• Stem cells can divide and renew themselves over a long time.
• Stem cells are unspecialized, so they cannot do specific jobs in the body.
• Stem cells have the potential to become specialized cells, such as muscle, blood and brain cells.

Source: MedlinePlus (NIH): Stem Cells: MedlinePlus ↗

How it's thought to work

Stem cells may one day be used to make cells and tissues for treating many diseases. A review of studies on spinal cord injury noted that the central nervous system has a limited ability to restore cells, myelin and neural connections.

Sources: MedlinePlus (NIH): Stem Cells: MedlinePlus ↗ · PubMed abstract: Mesenchymal Stem Cell Therapy in Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury: A Systematic Review. ↗

What people use it for

• These approved products are for patients with disorders that affect the production of blood, and not for other uses.
• Examples of diseases where stem cells may one day help include Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, spinal cord injury, heart disease, diabetes and arthritis.
• A review of studies found that stem cell therapy has been explored for newborn brain injury from low oxygen, with certain protective effects.

Sources: FDA: Important Patient and Consumer Information About Regenerative Medicine Therapies ↗ · MedlinePlus (NIH): Stem Cells: MedlinePlus ↗ · PubMed abstract: Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy: Pathogenesis and Promising Therapies. ↗

What the research has found so far

A review of studies of spinal cord injury found improved impairment grades and sensory scores, and to a lesser extent motor scores.

Source: PubMed abstract: Mesenchymal Stem Cell Therapy in Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury: A Systematic Review. ↗

On Stem cell therapy and aging, PubMed lists 18 trials in people, 28 studies that watched people over time, 233 animal and lab studies. See the counts and searches

Side effects and risks

• The FDA lists blindness, tumor formation and neurological events as safety concerns for illegally marketed products.
• The FDA also lists bacterial infections, including life-threatening blood infections.
• The FDA lists reactions at the site of collection and administration.
• The FDA lists unwanted inflammatory or immune responses to the cells or therapy.
• The FDA says cells may move to another part of the body and turn into an unintended tissue or grow excessively, forming a tumor.
• The FDA lists contamination with bacteria, viruses or mold, and products not tested for infectious diseases like hepatitis and HIV.
• A review of spinal cord injury studies found no significant adverse events in the short and medium term.

Sources: FDA: Important Patient and Consumer Information About Regenerative Medicine Therapies ↗ · PubMed abstract: Mesenchymal Stem Cell Therapy in Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury: A Systematic Review. ↗

Who should be careful, and drug interactions

The FDA says anyone charged for these products outside a clinical trial is likely being deceived and offered a product illegally. A review of spinal cord injury studies said broad recommendations need caution because evidence is limited and long-term safety is unclear.

Sources: FDA: Important Patient and Consumer Information About Regenerative Medicine Therapies ↗ · PubMed abstract: Mesenchymal Stem Cell Therapy in Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury: A Systematic Review. ↗

Approval and legal status

The FDA says these products need its approval to be marketed, and clinical trial oversight comes before approval. The FDA says regenerative therapies are not approved for any neurological disorder, such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, MS, ALS, epilepsy or stroke. The FDA says they are not approved for orthopedic conditions such as osteoarthritis, tendonitis or back pain. The FDA says they are not approved for heart or lung diseases. The FDA says they are not approved for COVID-19 or its complications. The FDA says being listed on clinicaltrials.gov or registered with the FDA does not mean a product is legally marketed.

Source: FDA: Important Patient and Consumer Information About Regenerative Medicine Therapies ↗

• FDA: Consumer Alert on Regenerative Medicine Products Including Stem Cells and Exosomes ↗

Roughly what it costs

We don't have prices for this yet.

Questions to ask your doctor

• Is Stem cell therapy a sensible option for me, given my health and the medicines I take?
• Could Stem cell therapy interact with any medicine or supplement I already take?
• What side effects should I watch for, and when should I stop or call you?
• How would we tell whether it is helping, and when should we review it?