There is no happier family than the one where every member is healthy. Most people believe that maintaining a healthy lifestyle is enough to be in good shape. Thus, the process of taking some specific actions usually begins when symptoms preclude a person from living a regular life or an injury occurs.
We know how one family member can help treat relatives by donating stem cells to them.
Nowadays, family regenerative medicine offers an alternative biotechnology approach to taking care of family health, namely, preventing diseases using personal stem cells.
The therapy may be accessible to all family members. Indeed, isolating and preserving stem cells is possible for the whole family in several ways, and those ways are equally effective.
Stem cells collection and preservation during childbirth
First of all, stem cell preservation is available to young couples planning a pregnancy or expecting a baby. During childbirth, valuable biomaterials can be collected for further stem cell isolation, cultivation and preservation.
Both during normal delivery and cesarean section, cord blood collection is allowed. In the case of multifetation, the cord blood of each of the newborns should be collected separately.
Isolating stem cells from the umbilical cord does not require any surgical interference. Simultaneously, it provides more biomaterials that can be used to treat a baby or his/her immediate family members.
Upon childbirth, it is possible to preserve the umbilical cord blood and placenta stem cells. These particular biomaterials are a valuable source of mesenchymal (MSC) and hematopoietic (HSC) stem cells.
Umbilical cord MSCs are young cells that have not been exposed to damaging environmental factors, so they have extremely high capacity. An essential advantage of MSCs, isolated from the umbilical cord, is that the tissue collection for their production is painless and safe. Besides, if the MSC umbilical cord is preserved, these cells can be thawed at any time and utilized much faster than MSCs from other sources.
MSCs can inhibit inflammation after tissue damage, secrete growth factors that promote tissue repair and differentiate into many other cell types, including nerve cells, bone cells, fat cells, and cartilages. MSCs are the ones to be used in regenerative medicine to treat heart and kidney diseases, autoimmune diseases, multiple sclerosis and wound healing.
Umbilical blood contains many unique HSCs, from which all types of blood cells are formed: erythrocytes, platelets, and various types of leukocytes. These are HSCs that are used to treat hematological, oncological, genetic, and immune system diseases. HSCs can restore the hematopoietic system when it is damaged due to diseases or adverse external influences.
How can an adult patient preserve own stem cells?
Deva Clinique specialists have developed a unique technology allowing the patient to isolate and multiply autologous (own) stem cells from a small sample of own skin. These cells can be of three different types:
- neural crest cells
- MSCs
- dermal fibroblasts
How does it work? A minimal skin sample is taken from the area behind the ear that is least susceptible to damage by the sun’s rays (punch biopsy). After that, a small cylindrical section of tissue is transferred to the clinic’s laboratory complex. This procedure is simple, painless and completely safe. It is carried out with local anesthesia, does not require any preparation and lasts no more than 15-20 minutes.
Neural crest stem cells
Neural crest stem cells are responsible for developing the peripheral nervous system. However, after decontamination, these cells become capable of transforming into the brain and spinal cord cells.
Thus, autologous neural crest cells demonstrate high efficiency when used to treat autism, cerebral palsy, brain and spinal cord injuries, encephalopathy, dementia, multiple sclerosis and neurodegenerative diseases (Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease), apoplectic attack aftereffects and peripheral nerve restoration.
Autologous mesenchymal stem cells
Autologous MSCs are a unique and irreplaceable tool for healing injuries and treating musculoskeletal system diseases (bone fractures, cartilage defects, osteoporosis, joints degenerative changes).
MSCs have an intense secretory and trophic action, which allows them to stimulate the regeneration of various tissues and organs and affect in an immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory way.
Mesenchymal stem cell therapy has a strong anti-aging effect on the patient’s organ systems.
Dermal Fibroblasts
Dermal fibroblasts are the primary type of skin cells responsible for the collagen, elastin and other extracellular matrix components synthesis. They affect the skin texture, elasticity and number of wrinkles.
Young fibroblasts are injected into the facial skin with special thin needles. Upon injecting, fibroblasts actively and continuously are synthesizing collagen, elastin, hyaluronic acid. That improves the facial skin microstructure, makes it thicker and more elastic, reduces the number and depth of wrinkles.
Besides, skin fibroblasts demonstrate high efficiency in healing chronic wounds and trophic ulcers.
Isolation and preservation of stem cells from milk teeth
If parents decide to keep the baby teeth for stem cell isolation, they should be cautious about them. As soon as the first signs of tooth loosening appear, parents should contact a dentist to remove it safely.
Baby endodontium, in contrast to permanent teeth, contains several types of stem cells. They can help restore tooth tissues, grow pancreatic cells, and can also be used in the fight against diabetes, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases.
Baby teeth stem cells can also cope with the maxillofacial apparatus damages, the cardiovascular system pathologies, ischemic stroke, liver diseases, burns and injuries consequences.
That is why we recommend approaching a licensed specialist in case a tooth extraction is needed. After extraction, the tooth must be placed in a special container with a nutrient solution, which you will receive in the Deva Cryobank Personalized Kit. Thus, you can transport the container with the tooth to the cryobank by yourself or use a courier service.
