What Are Stem Cells And What Do They Do?

January 19, 2012 By Leave a Comment

You have probably heard the term “stem cells” at least a few times over the past decade or so. If so, you may be wondering just what are stem cells and how do they apply to you?

The Basics of Stem Cells and Their Promise

Many researchers all around the world believe that stem cells provide great opportunity for new medical treatments. Especially if you or a loved one is suffering from a serious injury or disease, you have probably been paying close attention to the news stories related to What are Stem Cellsstem cell research because of the promise they hold. The most asked questions regarding stem cells are:

  • What are stem cells?
  • How can stem cells be used to treat injuries and diseases?
  • Why is there such a great debate surrounding stem cells?

Long ago, researchers began asking ‘what are stem cells’ and since then more and more studies have been conducted, proving that the use of stem cells in medical treatments just may be the way of the future.

Defining Stem Cells

To answer the question, “What are stem cells?” here is a basic explanation.

Stem cells are the raw materials of the human body. All other cells with various specific functions are generated from stem cells.

Under proper conditions, be it within the body or in a lab, stem cells separate and form additional cells, which are referred to as daughter cells. Daughter cells may become new stem cells for self-renewal, or they may become specialized cells for differentiation to perform specific functions, such as brain cells, blood cells, bone, or muscle tissue. No other cells within the human body can generate new cells of various types as stem cells can.

Using Stem Cells

Now that you know the answer to the question, “What are stem cells?“, you are ready to learn about what they can do. Prepare to be amazed.

Stem cells provide a way for researchers to understand better many different diseases and their causes. Scientists can watch stem cells as they mature into muscles, bone, nerve cells, organs and other types of tissue. This allows doctors and researchers to learn more about a number of diseases and the conditions under which they develop.

Stem cells open the door to cutting-edge regenerative medicine by generating healthy cells as replacements for damaged or diseased cells within the body. Researchers are looking for ways to train stem cells to become specialized cells that are able to repair and regenerate tissue.

Individuals who may benefit most from stem cell treatment are patients who suffer from one or more of the following conditions:

  • Injury to the spinal cord
  • Type 1 diabetes
  • Parkinson’s disease
  • Alzheimer’s disease
  • Stroke
  • Heart disease
  • Osteoarthritis
  • Rheumatoid arthritis
  • Multiple sclerosis

Research is also being done to determine the effectiveness of using stem cells to create new tissue for transplant patients. Stem cells certainly do open up a whole new world in medical possibilities.

 

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Is There a Cure for Multiple Sclerosis?

August 1, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Multiple Sclerosis suffers could not have asked for a more credible spokesperson than talk-show host, Montel Williams!

Montel Williams visited the Dr Oz show on Tuesday, speaking of his affliction of many years with this disease. Multiple Sclerosis (or MS) is a disease, characterized by debilitating pain caused by nerve damage.

Multiple Sclerosis

Medical journals define Multiple Sclerosis as: “a disorder where patches of myelin and underlying nerve fibers in the eyes, spinal cord and brain are damaged or destroyed. It is most common between the ages of 20- 40. Most people with MS have periods of relatively good health, alternating with crippling flare-ups. The disorder tends to worsen over time.

Is there a cure for Multiple Sclerosis

Multiple Sclerosis

The cause is unknown, but medics believe that it might be caused by a virus caught in early life which triggers an auto-immune reaction.

There is no medical treatment that has been proven to cure Multiple Sclerosis, however this disease is thankfully being investigated by Stem Cell treatment protagonists.

Stem Cells

Stem cells are undefined cells produced by the bone marrow that have the ability to multiply and become any other cell, tissue, muscle and nerve in the body. The implications here are huge, because this means that there might soon be Stem Cell Therapies available for not only MS, but other chronic diseases like: Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, heart disease, and some cancers.

Currently the only Stem Cell Treatment that has been conducted with much success since the 1960’s is bone marrow transplant for leukemia patients.

Stem cell research in the United States has been stunted by the opinions of religious groups and human right activists against the source groups that researchers have used to test stem cells: Embryonic Stem Cells, Adult Stem Cells, and Cord Blood. These tests have been moderately successful and treatments are actually being carried out on an exclusive, sample group basis only.

Would Montel Williams consider this type of therapy for his MS? While on Dr Oz’s show (which aired at its usual time on March 29th 2011), he spoke very candidly about other controversial, alternative treatments. He said his prime aim in life was to do whatever it took to lead a normal and pain-free life.

Stem Enhance

StemEnhance is a dietary supplement now available for people who would like to test stem cell therapies. The recommended daily serving is 2 capsules twice a day, which trigger the body’s natural ability to increase the amount of stem cells to the blood.

Why it is possible that there is a supplement that would do what a Stem Cell procedure could do- and at a more affordable price, the reason is, one of the  key ingredients of Aphanizomenon flos-aquae (AFA) a blue-green algae which studies have found to have both L-selectin Ligand (supports natural release of stem cells) and a polysaccharide extract called Migrates (supports migration of stem cells into tissues), as well as other beneficial vitamins and minerals.

Learn more about the other ingredients in StemEnhancer capsules, and their benefits by visiting: http://www.stemcellsuniverse.com

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