Stem Cell Treatment for Diabetes
The use of stem cells in the treatment of type 1 diabetes helps fight the underlying cause of the disease, rather than its symptoms. It effectively resists both hyperglycemia and hypoglycemia.
By means of a catheter (in rare cases, intravenously) placed in a pancreatic artery, stem cells are introduced into the patient’s body. These cells are located in the bone marrow, which is previously extracted from the patient’s pelvic bone. The procedure is painless: the required area undergoes local anesthesia. The process itself is fast enough and after 30 minutes the patient can return home without requiring additional care.
Stem cells are extracted from the collected bone marrow, which are counted and tested for quality.Their main property, due to which the whole procedure becomes possible, is the potential for conversion to other types of cells, as well as the ability to regenerate damaged, for example, pancreatic beta cells. As a result, tested cells of the required quality level are implanted into the pancreatic artery of the patient. The operation is performed under local anesthesia and lasts about an hour and a half. At its completion, the patient remains in the clinic under observation for several hours, so that the doctors are convinced of the healing of the artery.
Type 2 diabetes
Due to the human disease of type 2 diabetes mellitus, the internal organs and tissues of his body cease to absorb insulin, and sugar balance is disturbed in the blood. This is the most common type of diabetes and almost 90% of all cases are affected.
Such a method of treatment as stem cell transplantation is a new step on the road to ridding mankind of one of the most widespread world diseases. It acts in a complex way: it has a stimulating and supportive effect, returns the sensitivity of cells to insulin, while protecting the walls of blood vessels from the damaging effects of glucose, and increases immunity.
The treatment process takes only six days and consists of one procedure – the placement of stem cells in the artery – and six days of relative rest for the assimilation of biomaterial.
