Figure 1  Another type of adult stem cell is the mesenchymal stem cell, has entered the scene as a developing therapy. This cell type can become muscle, bone, cartilage or fat and it has the ability to modify immune function in certain experimental models. It has therefore become a cell of intense interest for treating musculoskeletal abnormalities, cardiac disease and some abnormalities of immunity (such as graft-versus-host disease after bone marrow transplant). There are ongoing studies to test the role of this cell type, some of which have been quite encouraging. However, mesenchymal stem cell therapy has not yet been shown to have an advantage over existing therapies, is not considered a standard of care for any condition and does not have regulatory approval for the routine treatment of any disease. (Citation 1)
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Stem Cell Therapy Stem cells are injected into the damaged area of the patient. The cells then differentitate into the surrounding cells. The organ "regenerates" and the patient recovers. Stem cells can also be used to treat inherited disorders of the blood, immune system and loss of bone marrow function can be cured with stem cell transplantation. They can also treat a number of diseases seen in Figure 1.  |
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