A contentious topic in modern medicine, stem cell research is much debated. Embryonic stem cells and the controversy surrounding them has sparked curiosity in a less risky and more ethical option: using stem cells taken from adults to treat various diseases.

Understanding what the stem cell actually is, serves as a prerequisite to understanding the marvelous impact stem cells can have for modern medicine.

A single cell is the beginning of all life. A human being is an enormously complex organism and grows from just one fertilized egg. Special functions are carried out in each organ by specialized cells that “know” what to do. But stem cells are the original single cells and they can become any cells that we need them to be.

Our very first stem cell is in fact the fertilized egg. This single cell develops all the other cell types present within the human body. Adult stem cells have been collected from bone marrow for many years since adults still have stem cells in their tissues as the grow. The potential for these cells is tremendous.

Offering new parents a certain peace of mind by being saved or banked, adult stem cells can be found in the placenta and umbilical cord when babies are born. The stem cells can be transplanted without fear of rejection because cord blood stem cells are the child’s own. However, the number of cells that can be acquired is limited.

“It can save a child’s life if certain blood disorders develop in the early years, but there may not be enough cells to treat an older child,” Dr. Guerra explained. “Adult stem cells could hold the key to life-long health by facilitating treatment of devastating diseases and as a result increasing longevity.”

Heart disease, arthritis, osteoporosis, and many other diseases can be treated with banked adult stem cells on a future date. No concerns over finding a matching donor arise because a person’s own stem cells are used.

“A great benefit to using one’s own adult stem cells is the fact that you do not have to worry about rejection of cells since your own cells are used for your treatment,” noted Dr. Robin, M.D., M.B.A.

To place this in perspective, consider that less than 20 percent of patients who need a bone marrow transplant actually find a match in time to treat their disease.

Almost daily, new studies describing the clinical benefits of adult stem cells in the treatment of diseases are being published. Autologous stem cells are being researched in over 160 clinical trials. The possibilities of growing new skin, building cartilage, improving muscle, and regenerating the vital cells of a failing organ are being studied by countless research teams around the world.

Convenient stem cell banking methods are being driven by the growing interest in regenerative medicine. The results are promising so far.

73 percent of individuals with rheumatoid arthritis were able to be controlled on medication after being treated with stem cells as reported by The Journal of Rheumatology.

50 percent of patients with Lupus (SLE) treated with stem cells were disease-free five years after treatment as reported by The Journal of American Medical Association.

Adult stem cells have even repaired the vision of blind mice as the journal Nature reported recently.

Diseases such as diabetes, multiple sclerosis, and wound healing will likely bring more results and news after being treated with adult stem cells. Successful techniques could improve conditions that formerly decreased someone’s lifespan or quality of life, such as diabetes, blindness, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s; multiple sclerosis could be cured. We would have much less need for donor organs. Dr. Robin says that clinical trials are already under way in the cardiovascular department.

“As far as treatments go, great advances are being made in improving cardiac status of those individuals with end-stage heart disease and repairing the damaged tissue of those having heart attacks,” Dr. Robin said. “Additionally, you do not have the potential issue of tumor formation which has been seen with embryonic cells,” he added.

Adult stem cells, especially those stored from cord blood, are a bio-insurance for future use; and one that might just save your life. Through safe and non-invasive procedures, adults now have the option to collect and save their own cells.

Ed feels like a new man. But perhaps a more accurate description would be a cured man. Almost.

After receiving stem cell treatment in Mexico, the effects of his multiple sclerosis are not as pronounced.

After returning from his trip on October 13th, Ed’s renewed vitality has been increasing every single day.

Even the simple act of walking down the stairs was difficult prior to the treatment said Ed. But now he is cranking out repetitions on his personal gym machine in the downstairs basement of his North Boulevard home.

Since such therapies are not available in the United States, like many other Americans, Ed went to Mexico to receive the umbilical cord stem cell treatment.

Relying on a walker to get around his home, Ed was depressed and constantly exhausted. His declining condition had his family and doctors worried.

Ed’s physician, Dr. Thaddeus, was cautious in his endorsement of stem cell therapy for multiple sclerosis, despite the fact that it seemed to be that last resort.

Dr. Thaddeus was worried because the science is still so new.

To prevent Ed’s immune system from attacking his nerve cells, he took drugs that were specifically designed for his condition. But such conventional therapies continued to disappoint.

Some scientists say stem cells have the potential to repair damaged cells. But such treatment is not allowed in America due to federal Food and Drug Administration regulations.

As far as endorsement for these new treatments is concerned, medical journals are often conservative and slow to give the thumbs up said Dr. Thaddeus.

At his point, Ed has not visited his regular doctor since his return to the States. His occasional visit to the chiropractor and a masseuse are all the he has needed.

Ed moved easily with a limp while walking around his living room and kitchen during a recent interview. A small black cane which he carried if he needed some extra stability, was barley used.

He rarely needs to use the support railing when he is in the shower since his balance has returned to almost 100 percent.

“I’m getting ready much quicker,” Ed said. “It used to take two to three hours to get ready. Now, it’s only one.”

Ed’s mother has been quite surprised with the progress he has made.

“I came home from work and he said he had done a load of laundry, which floored me,” Joanne said. “He’s just moving better with a better attitude. He takes care of himself and all three dogs during the day.”

Joanne flew with her son to Mexico for the treatment.

“It was pretty good; everybody at the hospital were very professional,” Joanne said. “The people down there were just wonderful.”

They both agreed that compared to American facilities, the hospital was smaller. Instead of using chemotherapy, the facility uses alternative therapies to treat cancer.

“It was very clean; the people were amazing,” Ed said.

An IV of saline started off the procedure for Ed. They holed up the first dose of stem cells as the contents of the saline drained out. The vial was about the size of a triple-A battery said Ed.

Three stem cell injections in the back of the neck complete the procedure. The entire process costs anywhere from $24,000-$28,000, and lasts approximately three hours.

Chris, who is Ed’s 17-year-old son, was excited about his father’s progress. He walked down into the basement just as Ed was finishing up another repetition on his weight training machine.

“He’s getting better slowly but surely,” said Chris. “He’s getting better faster than anyone else. It’s supposed to take two to three months.”

As a transplant physician at SSM Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital, Dr. Donna was becoming discouraged with her job.

Donna was attempting to treat her African-American patients with illnesses such as immune system disorders, sickle cell anemia, and leukemia, about ten years ago.

Her aggravation began when she had difficulty finding good matches for transplanting healthy stem cells to her patients. She ultimately turned towards umbilical cord blood, and achieved success.

The St. Louis Cord Blood Bank at Cardinal Glennon has rapidly grown to become the second-largest independent public cord blood bank in the world since its inception in 1995 says manager Regan McDermott. The purpose of the bank is to take blood donated from an infant’s umbilical cord, and handle the collection, processing, and storage of that blood.

Eventually, in order to build up a person’s immune system and make human blood, the stem cells from the cord blood are used in the transplantation of hematopoietic cells.

The fact that they are treating illnesses and at the same time doing so in a manner considered morally acceptable by the Catholic Church makes things even better for Regan and the staff at the St. Louis Cord Blood Bank.

The stem cells at the bank derived from an infant’s umbilical cord blood are referred to as adult stem cells, unlike embryonic stem cells, which are derived by creating and destroying human embryonic life.

Adult stem cells come from any human being who is born.

The Church has repeatedly taught that these stem cells are morally acceptable for research and treatments and do not bring harm to a person.

While the adult stem cells are capable of becoming any of the 220 tissues in the body (multipotent), scientists lack the ability to regulate their growth outside of the body says Reagan.

Cord blood and other adult stem cells are more fitting for use in human therapies because they are more mature and their growth can be directed in a predictable manner added Reagan.

Acute leukemias, Hodgkin’s Disease, immunodeficiency syndromes, congenital disorders, and more have been treated since 1997, with more than 1,000 units of blood exported around the world.

“That’s a huge number considering there have only been around 8,000 (umbilical cord blood) transplants worldwide,” said Regan.

North America accounts for almost 84 percent of the cord blood unit export, but Europe, South America, Australia, and Asia, account for the other 16 percent.

“Because of the philanthropy of the women and doctors and nurses who work in this area, we have been able to serve people all over the world,” she said.

A perfect match is not needed to be able to use the cells for treatment, which is the reason that stem cells from cord blood are so successful says Kathy, a nurse coordinator for the bank.

Cord blood stem cells have a better chance of adapting to another person’s system because they are more immature she said. However, a grown adult’s blood stem cells, in bone marrow for example, already are accustomed to the body in which they had been residing, and have a harder time adapting to another person’s system. Using human leukocyte antigen typing, a testing that determines whether a patient has a suitable donor for stem-cell transplant, a perfect match of six factors is needed for a bone marrow transplant.

But a match count as low as four out of six is acceptable for a cord blood transplant.

Thus, when trying to find a match, ethnic boundaries can be crossed.

“Maybe a Caucasian person is the best match for an African-American person. Or an African American is good for a Hispanic” person, said Kathy.

The survival rate of children who receive adult stem-cell transplants from umbilical cord blood is currently more than 55 percent and is improving for adults, said Regan. The practice of infusing two cords at once and the success of other newer applications is credited for the rate.

Traditional bone marrow transplants have a survival rate of about 35 percent, so cord blood transplants compare favorably said Reagan.

And those patients who cannot wait for a bone marrow search can benefit since cord blood products can be accessed more quickly.

Regan and the bank rely on the doctors and nurses and of course, the generosity of the parents who support the non-profit organization. More than 55,000 cord blood units have been collected since the bank started taking donations in 1996. To bring in donations, the bank works with 28 hospitals and 250 physicians in St. Louis and the metro East area.

The units were first only used in treating children because cord blood donations are so small, ranging from a teaspoon to eight ounces.

“It was thought that the numbers of cells that were in a cord blood unit that’s all you’ve got,” said Regan. “You can’t go back to the baby and draw more cells.”

But there are different ways in which adults could be treated using cord blood stem cells because of their adaptability, as researchers quickly found out. Now cord-blood products are used equally between children and adults confirmed Regan.

The transplant inventory holds between 25 and 30 percent of all the donated units, which translates to more than 14,000 units available for transplant. The remaining units are used for research purposes, she said.

Like other donor registries, such as bone marrow, it is more difficult to find minority donors stated Regan. She noted that the majority of cord blood donors are Caucasian.

In an effort to increase African American cord blood donations, the bank participates in the Charles Drew Community Cord Blood Donor Campaign, an effort of the American Red Cross, St. Louis University, Cardinal Glennon Hospital, St. Louis Children’s Hospital and the Washington University School of Medicine.

Thanks to affiliations with registries such as the National Marrow Donor Program and the Caitlin Raymond International Registry, both stem-cell donor registries, the bank continues to gain exposure.

Spinal cord injury, HIV/AIDS, multiple sclerosis, diabetes, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases are all conditions that will be successfully treated with cord blood stem cells. And treatments are already bringing hope to those with life-threatening illnesses said Kathy.

However, “we’re very sensitive about making those claims,” said Regan, because of the bank’s affiliation with the Food and Drug Administration as an investigational new drug application.

“The FDA tells us you can’t make false claims about your products,” she said.

“But there’s no reason we shouldn’t pursue all of those same applications from cord blood or adult stem cells that are being described from embryonic stem cells,” said Regan.

“We like to say with the technology available today, this is what we know will work,” she said. “We get those calls every day, “My daughter has diabetes,” or “So and so has this. Will it help?” We just say honestly we don’t know, but this is what we know it does today.”

A mother afflicted with multiple sclerosis is preparing to begin her journey towards a better life with the help of revolutionary stem cell treatment. In just 5 months, after her family and friends managed to raise the £13,000 needed for her treatment in Holland, 34 year old Tina is now in the books at the clinic.

If Tina manages to get a treatment appointment in the next couple of months, her mother Elizabeth said it would be easily be the best Christmas present ever.

“Tina wants to be mobile so that she can do things without having to ask someone for help,” said Elizabeth.

“She tried her hardest not to be in a wheelchair but the illness beat her to it.”

“I am very proud of my daughter because she has tried not to let things get to her. In having this treatment she wants to be an inspiration to other sufferers.”

Tina is hopeful that the treatment will enable her to leave behind her wheelchair and play with her two young daughters like any other mother. She now eagerly waits for the clinic to give her a date on which she can go and start her treatment.

Tina is now eagerly waiting for the clinic to give her a date and hopes the controversial treatment, which is not available in the UK.

Tina was getting ready to start a new job as an assistant manager at Kendal’s department store in Manchester when she was diagnosed with the debilitating illness 12 years ago.

Tina hopes the treatment – which has a high success rate with 80 per cent of patients making a good recovery and 15 per cent making a noticeable improvement – will transform her life.

Tina’s mother said, “we are keeping fingers crossed that it will work, even if she is walking with sticks. She has been falling a lot recently and it has been very upsetting. There was a particularly nasty incident the other day when she smacked the side of her face on a chest of drawers. And she scalded herself trying to bring a hot drink in from the kitchen. She is trying to be independent but can’t be as much as she wants. But she hopes the treatment will have her back on her legs.”

“I would like to thank everyone who raised money for the fund, including a little girl who made jewelry in the summer holidays,” added Elizabeth.

Joanne, who is Tina’s younger sister, will travel to the treatment clinic with her. Tina has also promised to keep others suffering from MS informed of her stem cell treatment, who she recently met on an MS suffers website.

Read about Ed’s progress and see video after treatment on October 30th, 2006.

Alzheimer’s patients at a nearby nursing home were often kept company by Ed and his stepson Chris during their free time. But after Ed’s legs were hobbled and his energy sucked out of him by multiple sclerosis, he no longer could make the visits he and his son had grown accustomed to. But umbilical cord stem cell treatment may allow Ed to add the visits into his schedule once again.

Next week, John plans to journey to a Mexican treatment clinic because the federal Food and Drug Administration has not approved domestic treatment due to stem cells still being in the early stages of research in the states.

“Other countries have been doing this for years,” Ed said. “It’s the only hope.”

Ed has been relying on herbal and spiritual treatments to alleviate his symptoms as a substitute for conventional treatment for some time.

“All the medicine out there is toxic,” Ed said. “Everything I’ve heard is you take a pill and something else happens.”

The central nervous system is affected by multiple sclerosis and the hope is that stem cells can rebuild the damaged nerve cells.

A political barrier has been erected over ethical and religious concerns and this has hampered American research.

Instead of controversial sources of stem cells coming from embryos and aborted fetuses, Ed’s cells were derived from umbilical cord blood. It will take about an hour for Ed to receive his injections.

Ed reminisced about his sons Jason and Chris; he used to have stamina for street hockey and pickup football.

“Now I can’t do any of that,” said Johns, 43. “I went from working full time and now I work two hours, four days a week.”

Ed was not diagnosed until he was 30, but he thinks he has suffered from some form of multiple sclerosis since he was 10.

“He always had trouble walking,” said Ed’s mother, Joanne. “It never showed up as MS.”

Now walking with a cane, the multiple sclerosis has brought on extreme exhaustion, blurred vision, bladder and bowel problems, and depression.

“The legs feel like you have 100 pounds of extra weight,” Ed said. “Sometimes the feet just drag.”

Even though he is not guaranteed to get the exact life of a non-multiple sclerosis patient, after reading up on stem cell treatments, he is confident he’ll get a desired result.

“Across the board, everybody gets more energy and the depression seems to leave,” Ed said. “That’s at least what you’ll get.”

Jason, the 24-year-old National Guardsman last saw his father in April before moving to North Dakota. He said his father has run the gamut of conventional treatments and that his condition has deteriorated.

“I’m hoping to see a 100 percent turnaround,” Jason said. “If it’s not a complete difference, I hope it gives him energy.”

Joanne supports her son’s decision to go to Mexico for treatment he can’t get here.

“If you are hoping and pray it will do something good you have to take a chance,” she said. “We hope it’s what he is looking for.”

The treatment is expensive so the goodwill of others to finance his treatment, aside from his family, is what Ed has relied on.

Ed’s co-workers from the call center he works at donated $3,600 to help pay the cost. His boss Brett recalled how Alzheimer’s patients at the nearby nursing home were treated to roses on Valentine’s Day and gifts during Christmas… all brought by Ed.

“I’ve never seen anyone be that genuine before,” said Brett.