Healthy Aging
At AAG Health – The Leading Hormone Specialists
“Healthy Aging is
possible! “
Managing the aging process for
a longer, healthier
life span is not a theory or a gimmick — it’s a reality and it works with hormone optimization and age management!
For many people, aging means a decline in health, a loss of muscle, increased body fat, decreased energy and low sex
drive, decreased mental acuity, less sleep, decreased physical activity and
diminishing enjoyment of life.
Although getting older is inevitable, how
you age is entirely within your
control. Take the first step toward a better quality of life with an
individualized healthy-aging program customized to your needs.
Call AAG Health
today! 1-800-325-1325
For information about AAG
Health’s hormone therapy, age management and anti-aging regenerative treatment programs, call one of our
experienced health advisors at 1-800-325-1325, fill out the quick info form or visit us on the web at www.aaghealth.com
Live Longer, Live Better. That’s what AAG
Health is all about!
AAG Health – where healthy aging is a reality!
AAG Health believes if you eat healthy, exercise, eliminate stress and optimize hormones (when clinically indicated); you will experience a superior quality of life and delay the onset of age-related disease.
We call it “healthy aging”.
Benefits of HRT may include:
• Decrease age related disease
• Improved muscle tone
• Decreased body fat
• Increased energy
• Increased sex drive
• Sharper thinking
• Improved mood
• Better quality of life
Call one of our health advisors at 1-800-325-1325 or visit us online at www.aaghealth.com.
The AAG Health age management program guides our patients on a journey of self-discovery, which leads to self-development, self-empowerment and optimal health.
As a result, our patients have a renewed zest for life, youthful energy, sharper thinking, improved libido, leaner muscle mass, reduced body fat, better sleep and a whole new attitude toward aging—one that defies conventional wisdom.
Find out more about the AAG Health’s hormone therapy (HRT), anti-aging treatments and age management programs, a unique combination of nutrition, exercise and hormone optimization, when clinically indicated.
“COME IN FOR A FREE CONSULTATION AND RECEIVE A COMPLIMENTARY GUIDE TO HORMONE HEALTH”
Our Health & Wellness clinic's staff would be happy to answer any questions you might have so don’t hesitate to contact the AAG Health Age Management Center now for an Age Management Doctor. 1-800-325-1325
AAG Health offers Hormone Treatments and Healthy Aging programs comprising individualized Physician-Prescribed Hormone Therapies
including Bio-Identical Hormone Replacement Therapy, Testosterone Hormone Therapy and Human Growth Hormone Therapy. You’ll gain access to Hormone Doctors who are Board Certified in Age Management Medicine, Bio-Identical Hormone Replacement (BHRT), Anti Aging Medicine, Weight Loss and Weight Management programs. AAG Health & Wellness serves male and female patients throughout the United States and worldwide with age-related and life extending therapies, such as Hormone Replacement, Hormone Optimization, Testosterone Replacement, HGH Replacement, Injectable Human Growth Hormone, Healthy Aging and Weight Loss Programs, Anti-Aging Nutritional Supplements, Antiaging Vitamins and Natural Hormone Supplementation. These healthy aging and hormone optimization programs are designed to meet your health goals.
Call AAG Health, the Hormone Therapy Specialists at 1-800-325-1325
Learn more about Age Management & Hormone Optmization
Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) Therapy
Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) Therapy is a
cutting-edge procedure that is revolutionizing the field of orthopedic
medicine. PRP Therapy is a new treatment that relieves pain and
promotes long lasting healing of musculoskeletal conditions. PRP Therapy
uses components of the body’s own blood cells to formulate a customized therapy comprised of platelets and growth factors that stimulate the natural healing process.
The Body & Platelets. The body’s first response to any soft tissue injury is to deliver
platelet cells. Filled with healing and growth factors, platelets jump
start the repair process and attract the essential aid of stem cells.
PRP therapy’s natural healing process magnifies the body’s efforts by
delivering a higher concentration of platelets through a simple
injection.
PRP therapy is associated with reduction in pain and faster healing, and has lower risks and lower costs than surgery. Platelet rich plasma (PRP) therapy is a rapidly
emerging technique that is showing exciting potential, particularly with
soft tissue injuries such as to tendons and ligaments.
A main benefit of PRP Therapy is that it provides pain relief and
healing and can eliminate the need for surgery and prolonged recovery.
It may also be used as a treatment for some people that are not good
candidates for surgery. PRP Therapy is a low-risk minimally invasive
procedure. It uses the body’s own cells and natural biological healing
process. The concentrated platelet rich plasma (PRP) that is injected
into and around the point of injury jump-starts and significantly
strengthens the body’s natural healing process. Recovery with PRP
therapy is often much faster than with surgery. Because your own blood
is used, there is a very low
risk of allergic reaction or transmission of disease.
PRP Injections are a much simpler procedure than
surgery. PRP Injections are short office procedures. To complete PRP
therapy, a sample of your blood is drawn (similar to a lab test sample)
and the blood is then spun at high speeds, separating the platelets from
the other components. The concentrated platelet rich plasma (PRP) is
then injected into and around the point of injury. No stitches are
necessary since just a needle was used.
The PRP Procedure. The PRP injection procedure takes under an hour, including preparation and recovery
time. Performed safely in the office, PRP therapy relieves pain without
the risks of surgery, general anesthesia, or hospital stays and without a
prolonged recovery. In fact, most people return to their jobs or usual
activities right after the procedure.
Up to three or more injections may be given within a 3-month time frame, usually
performed two to three weeks apart. You may, however, gain considerable
to complete relief after the first or second PRP injection.
The goal of PRP therapy is to resolve pain through natural healing. Initial
improvement may be seen within a few weeks, gradually increasing as the
healing progresses. Studies have shown PRP therapy to be effective at
relieving pain and returning patients to their normal activities and
daily lives. Both ultrasound and MRI images have shown definitive tissue
repair after PRP therapy, confirming the healing process. The need for
surgery can also be greatly reduced by treating injured tissues before
the damage progresses and the condition is irreversible.
Why use your own platelets?
Platelets are tiny cells that are critical to tissue healing. They are the
body’s primary source of bioactive tissue growth factors. The platelets
contain thousands of growth factors including the most essential for tissue healing and regeneration:
- Connective Tissue Growth Factor (CTGF)
- Platelet Derived Growth Factor (PGDF)
- Transforming Growth Factor-beta (TGF-?)
- Epidermal Growth Factor (EGF)
- Insulin Growth Factor (IGF)
- Basic Fibroblast Growth Factor (BFGF)
- Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF)
Together, these growth factors regulate and control your body's natural healing
process in response to injury and degenerative changes. By concentrating these growth factors and injecting them at the site of injury, a robust healing response is achieved.
PRP and Non-Healing Injuries
PRP
for non-healing injuries and scar tissue involves the application of concentrated platelets to the injured site which releases growth factors to stimulate recovery in scar tisuue and non-healing injuries. PRP
injections cause a massive influx of various growth factors, such as platelet-derived growth
factor, transforming growth factor and others which exert their effects of fibroblasts. Fibroblasts proliferate and accelerate the regeneration of injured tissues. Specifically, Platelet Rich Plasma injections enhance the fibroblastic events involved in tissue tissue healing including chemotaxis, proliferation of cells, proteosynthesis,
reparation, extra-cellular matrix deposition, and the remodeling of
tissues. Bottom line here is that PRP helps the healing process.
The preparation of therapeutic doses of growth factors consists of an autologous blood collection (blood from the patient), plasma separation (blood is centrifuged), and application of the plasma rich in growth factors (injecting the plasma into the area.) In other words, PRP is done just like any other Prolotherapy
treatment, except the solution used for injection is plasma enriched
with growth factors from your own blood. Typically patients are seen
every four to six weeks like any other Prolotherapy patient. Generally two to six visits are necessary per area.
PRP News
Recent news headlines have featured the amazing results that
professional athletes have experienced with PRP Therapy. Pro football
players Hines Ward and Troy Polamalu of the Pittsburgh Steelers received
PRP Therapy after injuries that should have side-lined them for months,
but they returned to play in a matter of weeks, winning the Super
Bowl. Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Takashi Saito received PRP Therapy
for an elbow condition and returned to play in just a few months, versus
up to 14 months that recovery from surgery would have taken.
Unprecedented results have also been reported for other professional
soccer, baseball, and football players. While PRP Therapy is just
beginning to become mainstream news, it actually has been around for
quite some time.
Although PRP Therapy is relatively new to the field of orthopedics,
it has been used for more than 20 years in dentistry. PRP Therapy has
been used to promote healing following jaw reconstruction for patients
with cancer. Its use has expanded to other medical specialties,
including cardiovascular surgery, sports medicine, urology, cosmetic
surgery, and ophthalmology. These studies show that recovery time is
quicker and the risks are lower with PRP Therapy. Researchers are now
focused on its use in musculoskeletal injuries.
In the field of orthopedics, PRP Therapy is being studied for use in the
joints, spine, bone, muscles, ligaments and tendons. Because the studies have
used a small number of participants, larger studies are necessary before
the results can be generalized. Researchers are optimistic that after
future studies, insurance will cover the procedure, and speculate that
the procedure may become a protocol before surgical treatment.
Blood contains bioactive proteins that initiate and control
the healing process. A small amount of the patient's blood can be drawn to concentrate
these proteins. Placing these proteins on the wound site help accelerate the healing
process. The protein load stimulates cell proliferation in a dose dependant
manner.
Bioactive proteins replace, repair, and regenerate tissue. These proteins
are natural components found in the body and are considered by many
to be a “new frontier” of clinical treatment. Increasing
the bioactivity at the wound site takes medicine one step closer toward
its ultimate goal of naturally accelerating the body's normal healing
process.
The
bioactive proteins carried by platelets are already being used succesfully
for hemostasis, wound sealing, and wound healing in surgical disciplines
such as: oral and maxillofacial, orthopaedic, neurology, otolaryngology,
cardiovascular, vascular, general, plastic and reconstructive, non-healing
wounds, and pediatrics.
Anti-Aging Regenerative Medicine
Stem Cell Therapy and Regenerative Medicine
Prolotherapy and Regenerative Medicine
Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) and Regenerative Medicine
Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) therapy is a relatively new
treatment designed to aid in the healing and regeneration of soft
tissues such as tendons and ligaments. To fully understand the
benefits of PRP therapy it is first useful to have some understanding
of the basic science behind tendon and ligament injuries. Tendons and
ligaments are made up of fibers of collagen. When these fibers are
stretched or torn we may refer to the injury as a “pull”, “tear”,
“sprain” (ligament) or “strain” (tendon). These structures are
vascular which means there are blood vessels in them. Thus, when they
are injured they bleed. If there is enough bleeding we may notice
bruising around the area of injury. Blood flow to the area increases
to aid in healing. The blood carries platelets and growth factors that
allow for healing of the tissue by creating new collagen fibers.
These new fibers need to be constructed in an organized, layered
fashion to heal correctly and allow the ligament or tendon to regain
its proper strength and flexibility.
Sometimes, however, the healing process does not work
correctly and instead of forming healthy collagen fibers there is
significant scar tissue that develops in its place. One of the risk
factors for this is not getting enough blood flow to the area to
provide those platelets and healing factors. The development of scar
tissue even further prohibits proper blood flow as new capillaries and
other small blood vessels can’t penetrate through the scar tissue to
provide blood flow to the injured area. The new development of small
blood vessels is called “angiogenesis” or “neovascularization”. When
scarred or disorganized tissue inhibits this process the blood flow to
the area becomes “blocked”. This means that the tissue will never
really have the opportunity to heal correctly. That is why sometimes
ligament and tendon injuries heal and other times they do not.
When these injuries don’t heal patients often become
frustrated. Patients may try anti-inflammatories and other pain
medications, topical creams and gels, braces, physical therapy,
massage, acupuncture and cortisone injections but nothing seems to
work. That’s because these therapies may try to treat pain and
inflammation but they don’t treat the underlying problem of scar
tissue, disordered fibers and poor angiogenesis (blood flow). The
result is many patients may give up and live with pain and disability or
may end up with surgery.
PRP therapy is the solution to this problem. In PRP
treatment the patient’s own blood is taken with a simple blood draw.
Using a special centrifuge machine this blood is spun down to separate
out and concentrate the platelets and growth factors that are essential
for tissue healing. This small amount of fluid with concentrated
platelets and growth factors is called platelet rich plasma (PRP).
Nothing else is added to the patient’s own blood products so there is
no risk of allergy, reaction or rejection. PRP therapy is a purely
natural process using the body’s own healing factors. The trick is
getting them to the right place.
The physician then uses a diagnostic ultrasound machine to
identify the area within the ligament or tendon that is injured. The
newest ultrasound technology provides resolution to see every
millimeter of the collagen fibers as well as scar tissue and blood flow
to the area. The physician is then able to use a needle to inject the
PRP directly into the injured area and even between tightly packed
collagen fibers. The PRP can even be injected directly into very small
tears that are sometimes not apparent on MRI. Once these platelets
and growth factors are in the area of injury they then become
activated. They also recruit other healing proteins and factors to the
area and healing and regeneration of the tissue can now begin.
This therapy has been used extensively in Europe for several
years and is now becoming more popular in the U.S. as more people
become aware of its potential benefits and as more research is being
done. But the idea of getting blood to an injured area is not new.
For years many people have tried needling tissue or even injecting an
irritant into the tissue (prolotherapy) to attempt to increase blood
flow to the injured area. Now with the development of PRP we can
actually get the specific healing factors within the blood to the
injured area. This not only allows for healing of injuries which may
not otherwise heal, but it also speeds up recovery of injuries which
may eventually heal over a longer period of time. Thus PRP therapy is a
great option for two different patient populations. One is the
patient with the chronic injury that never seems to go away. The other
is the patient with an acute injury which might otherwise take 8-12
weeks to heal and is looking to do something to “speed up” the recovery
process. That is why PRP has become so popular among athletes and
there have been many media reports of elite athletes receiving PRP
treatment for injuries that occur mid-season or even right before big
events such as the Superbowl. But PRP treatment is not just for
athletes.
PRP therapy can be used with great success for the following conditions:
Acute and chronic tendon injuries (tendonitis, tendinosis, tendinopathy, tendon tears)
| Foot and ankle: |
Plantar fasciitis |
| |
Achilles tendonitis and partial tears |
| |
|
| Knee: |
Patellar tendonitis and tears |
| |
Quadriceps tendonitis and tears |
| |
|
| Thigh: |
Hamstring strains |
| |
|
| Elbow: |
Medial epicondylitis (golfer’s elbow) |
| |
Lateral epicondylitis (tennis elbow) |
| |
|
| Shoulder: |
Rotator cuff tendonitis and partial tears |
Acute and chronic ligament injuries (sprains)
- Foot and Ankle
- Knee
- Hand
- Elbow
And many other conditions associated with scarred or non-healing tissue.
Stem Cells & Stem Cell Therapy
The Healing Power of Stem Cells
Stem Cell Therapy empowers physicians to use the natural healing power of adult stem cells derived from a patient’s own bone marrow, fatty adipose tissue or blood to help heal and fight a wide variety of difficult-to-treat vascular, orthopedic and cardiovascular diseases.
Stem Cell Differentiatin
Stem cells can grow into or differentiate into the kind of cells depending in where they are put in your body. After inserted, stem cells can change and grow into other cells wherever you put them.
Where do Stem Cells Come from?
The two main sources of stem cells for therapy are:
1)Cultured Stem Cells which are FDA regulated.
2)Autologous Stem Cells - cells taken from the recipients own body - Bone Marrow, Fat Cells, or Peripheral Blood Cell.
The revolution instem cell technology is that physicians can now go to the human body itself as the source of stem cells for stem cell therapy.
Why Stem Cell Therapy is specialized
Stem Cells decrease in number and quality as you age and if they are too few in number or of poor quality they will not easily differentiate or grow into the desired target cells. That is where growth factors like HGH or human growth hormone become important. Growth factors and especially IGF-1 is essential in order for stem cells to properly change or grow into the target cells.
The Importance of Growth Factors in the Success of Your Stem Cell Therapy
There are many types of stem cells used in stem cell therapy today. The most common and safest is autologous stem cell therapy, which uses one’s own stem cells collected from one’s own peripheral blood.
It is well known that the age of the donor (you, in the case of autologous stem cell therapy) and the donor’s level of growth factors, such as IGF-1, growth hormone, testosterone, and estrogen, are directly proportional to the age, number, and quality of the donor’s stem cells.
In order to have a good quantity and quality of stem cells collected, your physician checks the levels of the above-mentioned growth factors in the donor before starting the therapy.
Peripheral blood stem cells can be obtained from drawn blood and it is therefore recommended bringing growth factors up to their optimal levels. In order to ensure stem cell therapy success, increasing the levels of growth factors you are deficient in either due to age or health is the optimal approach to stem cell therapy.
In a study of tennis elbow involving twenty patients, fifteen were given stem cells (in the form of PRP) and five were given marcaine as a placebo. At eight weeks, 60% of those receiving stem cells improved, while 60% of those in the placebo group dropped out of the study to seek other treatments. At six months, 81% of the patients in the stem cell group were cured.
Why Stem Cell are Superior to Botox or Juvederm
Skin or dermal fillers for wrinkles and deep folds/grooves of the face:
Traditional skin fillers like Restylane, Juvederm, and Radiesse, which are used to plump up the face, are now outdated because they are absorbed by the body and must be redone after 12 months, or they are not absorbed, and as the skin ages, the filler becomes loose or hangs underneath the skin. As a result, the face looks worse than it did before, requiring a corrective procedure. The fillers never become part of the body, always remaining a foreign substance.
When your own stem cells are used as natural fillers, the stem cells become your facial skin cells, making the cosmetic correction permanent and natural. It may take longer for the stem cells to grow into collagen but the results are long-lasting and natural-looking.
There are two kinds of stem cells:
Adult Stem Cells - a supply of stem cells that can multiply when needed to repair adult organs and tissue. Adult stem cells are found in the human body and in umbilical cord blood. The most well known source of adult stem cells in the body is bone marrow but they are also found in many organs and tissues; even in the blood. Adult stem cells are more specialized since they are assigned to a specific cell family such as blood cells, nerve cells, etc.
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Embryonic Stem Cells - cells found early (less than 2 wks.) in the development of an embryo that can progenerate a developing fetus and ultimately a human baby. Embryonic stem cells are the most versatile because they can become any cell in the body including fetal stem cells and adult stem cells.
Stem Cell Research: The history of stem cell research had a benign, embryonic beginning in the mid 1800's with the discovery that some cells could generate other cells. Now stem cell research is embroiled in a controversy over the use of human embryonic stem cells for research. The history of stem cell research includes work with both animal and human stem cells. Stem cell research is used for investigation of basic cells which develop organisms. The cells are grown in laboratories. The tests are carried out to investigate fundamental properties of the cells. Currently, intense research is closing in on getting another way to research on the topic. The stem cell-research is an example of the, sometimes hard, cost-benefit analysis ethics scientists need to do.
Method of Research: The traditional source for getting human stem cells is ethically and morally problematic: An embryo, just days after conception, or a fetus between the 5th and 9th week, is removed from a pregnant female which is having an abortion.
Sources of Stem Cells for research work:
*
Embryonic: cells found early (less than 2 wks.) in the development of an embryo that can progenerate a developing fetus and ultimately a human baby. Embryonic stem cells are the most versatile because they can become any cell in the body including fetal stem cells and adult stem cells. Because they have the potential to become any cell in the human body, embryonic stem cells are commonly considered to hold the most promise for treating disease and replacing tissue and cells.
Embryonic Stem Cells
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Certain Adult Tissues: Adult stem cells can be extracted either from bone marrow or from the peripheral system. Bone marrow is a rich source of stem cells. However, some painful destruction of the bone marrow results from this procedure.
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Umbilical Cord Blood: Stem cells taken from the umbilical cord are a second very rich source of stem cells. Umbilical cells can also offer a perfect match where a family has planned ahead. Cord Cells are extracted during pregnancy and stored in cryogenic cell banks as a type of insurance policy for future use on behalf of the newborn. Cord Cells can also be used by the mother, the father or others.
Umbilical cord blood banking
has become an important source of hematopoietic stem cells for clinical
transplantation. However, the numbers of stem and progenitor cells in
individual cord blood units is usually limited and can vary
significantly between individual units. Furthermore other cell
processing methods have variable effects on cell yield and viability.
For these reasons, assessing the quality of cord blood units is
important. Physicians use an assay to evaluate quality of donor stem cell samples. The functional colony-forming cell (CFC) assay is normally
used to support evaluation of donor samples, including cord blood, for
stem cell transplants.
Research being undertaken by members of the Stem Cell Network will help in understanding the differences between stem cell types and assist in identifying those that offer the most potential for development of therapies.
There are two main issues concerning stem cell research with both pros and cons:
1.
How the knowledge will be used
2.
Concerns about the methods
Pros of Stem Cell Research:
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The benefits of stem cell research have such a great outcome, that it outweighs the ethical issues. (Cost-benefit-analysis)
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If someone is going to have an abortion, isn't it better that we use it for something useful?
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Adult stem cells would not be that interesting because they do not have the same properties as stem cells from a fetus.
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Another often mentioned advantage is that this research would give great insights about the basics of the body.
Cons of Stem Cell Research:
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Critics against stem cell research, argue that there are ethical issues do not justify the benefits.
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A life is a life and that should never be compromised. A fertilized egg should be valued as a human life even if it is in its very first weeks. Destroying human life in the hopes of saving human life is not ethical.
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We should (and will) develop more ethical methods (such as using adult stem cells) which will enable us to research ethically. We should wait to those methods are available.
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The scientific value has been overstated or has flaws. E.g. we do not know for sure that we can use stem cells to clone organs to be transplanted to oneself.
Stem-Cell Benefits
Benefits of Stem Cell Research in curing diseases: Stem cell research can potentially help treating a range of medical problems.
It could lead us closer to cure:
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Parkinson's Disease
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Alzheimer's Disease
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Heart Diseases, Stroke and Diabetes (Type 1)
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Birth Defects
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Spinal Cord Injuries
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Replace or Repair Damaged Organs
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Reduced Risk of Transplantation (You could possibly get a copy of your own heart in a heart-transplantation in the future) The stem cell-research is an example of the, sometimes hard, cost-benefit analysis ethics scientists needs to do. Stem Cell pros and cons must be valued carefully. When planning to investigate a phenomenon, you cannot defend a study ethically if the cost is higher than the benefits. The analysis needs to include human/animal discomfort, environmental issues, material costs/benefits and economy.
Stem cells are biological cells found in all multicellular organisms, that can divide through mitosis and differentiate into diverse specialized cell types and can self renew to produce more stem cells. In mammals, there are two broad types of stem cells: embryonic stem cells that are isolated from the inner cell mass of blastocysts, and adult stem cells that are found in various tissues. In adult organisms, stem cells and progenitor cells
act as a repair system for the body, replenishing adult tissues. In a
developing embryo, stem cells can differentiate into all the specialized
cells, but also maintain the normal turnover of regenerative organs,
such as blood, skin, or intestinal tissues.
Stem cells can now be artificially grown and transformed into
specialized cell types with characteristics consistent with cells of
various tissues such as muscles or nerves through cell culture. Highly plastic adult stem cells are routinely used in medical
therapies. Stem cells can be taken from a variety of sources, including umbilical cord blood and bone marrow. Embryonic cell lines and autologous embryonic stem cells generated through therapeutic cloning have also been proposed as promising candidates for future therapies. Research into stem cells grew out of findings by Ernest A. McCulloch and James E. Till at the University of Toronto in the 1960s.
The classical definition of a stem cell requires that it possess two properties:
Self-Renewal with Stem Cells Obligatory asymmetric replication - a stem cell divides into one father cell that is identical to the original stem cell, and another daughter cell that is differentiated
Stochastic differentiation - when one stem cell develops into two differentiated daughter cells, another stem cell undergoes mitosis and produces two stem cells identical to the original.
Potency definitions
Pluripotent, embryonic stem cells originate as inner mass cells within a
blastocyst. The stem cells can become any tissue in the body, excluding
a placenta. Only the morula's cells are totipotent, able to become all
tissues and a placenta.
Human embryonic stem cells
A: Cell colonies that are not yet differentiated.
B: Nerve cell Potency specifies the differentiation potential (the potential to differentiate into different cell types) of the stem cell.
- Totipotent
(a.k.a omnipotent) stem cells can differentiate into embryonic and
extraembryonic cell types. Such cells can construct a complete, viable
organism.
These cells are produced from the fusion of an egg and sperm cell.
Cells produced by the first few divisions of the fertilized egg are also
totipotent.
- Pluripotent stem cells are the descendants of totipotent cells and can differentiate into nearly all cells, i.e. cells derived from any of the three germ layers.
- Multipotent stem cells can differentiate into a number of cells, but only those of a closely related family of cells.
- Oligopotent stem cells can differentiate into only a few cells, such as lymphoid or myeloid stem cells.
- Unipotent cells can produce only one cell type, their own, but have the property of self-renewal which distinguishes them from non-stem cells (e.g. muscle stem cells).
Identification
The practical definition of a stem cell is the functional definition -
a cell that has the potential to regenerate tissue over a lifetime. For
example, the defining test for a bone marrow or hematopoietic stem cell
(HSC) is the ability to transplant one cell and save an individual
without HSCs. In this case, a stem cell must be able to produce new
blood cells and immune cells over a long term, demonstrating potency. It
should also be possible to isolate stem cells from the transplanted
individual, which can themselves be transplanted into another individual
without HSCs, demonstrating that the stem cell was able to self-renew.
Properties of stem cells can be illustrated in vitro, using methods such as clonogenic assays, in which single cells are assessed for their ability to differentiate and self-renew.
Stem cells can also be isolated by their possession of a distinctive set of cell surface markers. However, in vitro culture conditions can alter the behavior of cells, making it unclear whether the cells will behave in a similar manner in vivo. There is considerable debate as to whether some proposed adult cell populations are truly stem cells.
Adult Stem Cell
Stem cell division and differentiation. A - stem cell; B - progenitor
cell; C - differentiated cell; 1 - symmetric stem cell division; 2 -
asymmetric stem cell division; 3 - progenitor division; 4 - terminal
differentiation
Also known as somatic (from Greek ???????ó?, "of the body") stem cells and germline (giving rise to gametes) stem cells, they can be found in children, as well as
adults.
Pluripotent adult stem cells are rare and generally small in number
but can be found in a number of tissues including umbilical cord blood. A great deal of adult stem cell research to date has had the aim of characterizing the capacity of the cells to divide or self-renew indefinitely and their differentiation potential.
In mice, pluripotent stem cells are directly generated from adult
fibroblast cultures. Unfortunately, many mice do not live long with stem
cell organs.
Most adult stem cells are lineage-restricted (multipotent) and are generally referred to by their tissue origin (mesenchymal stem cell, adipose-derived stem cell, endothelial stem cell, dental pulp stem cell, etc.)
Adult stem cell treatments have been successfully used for many years
to treat leukemia and related bone/blood cancers through bone marrow
transplants. Adult stem cells are also used in veterinary medicine to treat tendon and ligament injuries in horses.
The use of adult stem cells in research and therapy is not as controversial as the use of embryonic stem cells, because the production of adult stem cells does not require the destruction of an embryo for stem cell extraction. Additionally, in instances where adult stem cells are obtained from the intended recipient of a stem cell autograft),
the risk of rejection is essentially non-existent. Consequently, more
US government funding is being provided for adult stem cell research.
An extremely rich source for adult mesenchymal stem cells is the developing tooth bud of the mandibular third molar.
The stem cells eventually form enamel (ectoderm), dentin, periodontal
ligament, blood vessels, dental pulp, nervous tissues, and a minimum of
29 different end organs. Because of extreme ease in collection at 8–10
years of age before calcification and minimal to no morbidity, these
will probably constitute a major source of cells for personal banking,
research and current or future therapies. These stem cells have been
shown capable of producing hepatocytes.
Amniotic Fluid Stem Cells
Multipotent stem cells are also found in amniotic fluid - a good source for stem cells. These stem cells are very active, expand extensively without feeders and are not tumorigenic. Amniotic stem cells
are multipotent and can differentiate in cells of adipogenic,
osteogenic, myogenic, endothelial, hepatic and also neuronal lines.
All over the world, universities and research institutes are studying amniotic fluid to discover all the qualities of amniotic stem cells, and scientists such as Anthony Atal cell researcher and Giuseppe Simoni cell researcher have discovered important results.
Use of stem cells from amniotic fluid overcomes the ethical objections to using human embryos as a source of cells. Roman Catholic views on emryonic stem cell use and teaching forbids the use of embryos in experimentation; accordingly, the Vatican newspaper "Osservatore Romano" called amniotic stem cell "the future of medicine".
It is possible to collect amniotic stem cells for donors or for autologuous use: the first US amniotic stem cells bank opened in 2009 in Medford, MA, by Biocell Stem Cell Center Corporation and collaborates with various hospitals and universities all over the world.
Induced pluripotent
These are not adult stem cells, but rather reprogrammed cells (e.g.
epithelial cells) given pluripotent capabilities. Using genetic
reprogramming with protein stem cell transcription factors, pluripotent stem cells equivalent to embryonic stem cells have been derived from human adult skin tissue. Shinya Yamanaka and his colleagues at Kyoto University used the transcription factors Oct3/4, Sox2, c-Myc, and Klf4 in their experiments on cells from human faces. Junying Yu, James Thomson, and their colleagues at the foreskin.
As a result of the success of these experiments, Ian Wilmut Stem Cell research, who helped create the first cloned animal Dolly the Sheep, has announced that he will abandon nuclear transfer as an avenue of research.
Frozen blood samples can be used as a source of induced pluripotent
stem cells, opening a new avenue for obtaining the valued cells.
Stem Cell Lineage
To ensure self-renewal, stem cells undergo two types of cell division (see Stem cell division and differentiation diagram). Symmetric division gives rise to two identical daughter cells both endowed with stem cell properties. Asymmetric division, on the
other hand, produces only one stem cell and a progenitor stem cell with limited self-renewal potential. Progenitors can go through several rounds of cell division before terminally stem cell differentiating
into a mature cell. It is possible that the molecular distinction
between symmetric and asymmetric divisions lies in differential
segregation of cell membrane proteins (such as receptors) between the daughter cells.
An alternative theory is that stem cells remain undifferentiated due
to environmental cues in their particular niche. Stem cells
differentiate when they leave that niche or no longer receive those
signals. Studies in Drosophila germarium have identified the signals dpp and adherens junctions that prevent germarium stem cells from differentiating.
The signals that lead to reprogramming of cells to an embryonic-like
state are also being investigated. These signal pathways include several
stem cell transcription factors including the oncogene c-Myc stem cell.
Initial studies indicate that transformation of mice cells with a
combination of these anti-differentiation signals can reverse
differentiation and may allow adult cells to become pluripotent. However, the need to transform these cells with an oncogene may prevent the use of this approach in therapy.
Challenging the terminal nature of cellular differentiation and the
integrity of lineage commitment, it was recently determined that the
somatic expression of combined transcription factors
can directly induce other defined somatic cell fates; researchers
identified three neural-lineage-specific transcription factors that
could directly convert mouse fibroblasts (skin cells) into fully functional neurons. This "induced neurons" (iN) cell research inspires the researchers to induce other cell types implies that all cells are totipotent stem cells: with the proper tools, all cells may form all kinds of tissue.
Stem Cell Treatments
Diseases and conditions where stem cell treatment is promising or emerging. Bone marrow transplantation is, as of 2009, the only established use of stem cells.
Medical researchers believe that stem cell therapy has the potential
to dramatically change the treatment of human disease. A number of adult
stem cell therapies already exist, particularly bone marrow transplants that are used to treat leukemia. In the future, medical researchers anticipate being able to use
technologies derived from stem cell research to treat a wider variety of
diseases including cancer, Parkinson's disease, spinal cord injuries, Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), multiple sclerosis (MS), muscle damage, hormone related disease, and other age related health conditions.
Visit or call AAG Health Regenerative Medical Center at 1-800-325-1325 for more Stem Cell Injection and PRP Injection Therapy information.
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Explore Stem Cell Therapy at AAG Health Regenerative Medical Center
