Abstract
Stem cell therapy has come to the attention of researchers, clinicians, and patients around the world because of its promising potential beneficial properties. Stem cell treatment is a method that uses the transplantation of cells to facilitate the process of cell regeneration. The modern sphere of health care experts to gain tremendous benefits from stem cell treatment because of the ability to grow cells in the lab environment, making this process highly cost-efficient. However, modern researchers have not come to a firm conclusion whether stem cell treatments could be useful in dealing with a wide variety of health conditions. Further clinical studies into stem cell treatments are needed to answer the question regarding whether such treatments can be truly effective.
Introduction
Stem cell treatments have acquired a reputation as promising therapy methods targeted at overcoming a large range of injuries and diseases as well as other conditions related to health. Importantly, the potential of this type of treatment has already been studied in the context of blood diseases. Stem cell therapy has saved the lives of children diagnosed with leukemia; moreover, progress has been made in the treatment of maladies of the bones, skin, and the surface of the eye. Investigating the effectiveness of stem cell treatment promises to be a worthy endeavor, and for this purpose, several noteworthy studies will be reviewed.
Background and Definition
Stem cells refer to a group of “cells that all descend from a single original cell and is grown in a lab” (Mayo Clinic Staff, 2013, para. 1). Stem cell therapy is a clinical method that implies the use of stem cells to prevent or treat health issues. Such cells are used to repair diseased and injured tissues in patients’ bodies. For instance, when a patient is diagnosed with heart disease, stem cells that have been grown in a lab are injected directly into the heart muscle to facilitate the process of repair (Mayo Clinic Staff, 2013). It is important to mention that stem cells have already been used in health care to treat diseases; however, most such treatments have been bone marrow transplants. In these cases, stem cells were used to replace damaged cells in the body that could not function properly after serious diseases or treatments such as chemotherapy.
Review of the Research
The discovery of stem cell therapy led to extensive research to evaluate whether it would be safe and effective to perform such treatments on patients who have been diagnosed with critical health conditions. For example, Nagpal et al. (2017) aimed to identify the effectiveness and safety of stem cell therapies among patients with stroke. The researchers concluded that administering several types of stem cell treatments to patients with early-diagnosed stroke offered high levels of feasibility and safety. However, the authors made a firm recommendation to further study the effectiveness of treatment by conducting bigger and more practical trials. The implications for clinical practice are mixed due to the challenges associated with the lack of sufficient evidence. On the other hand, health-care trends related to stem cell therapies suggest a possible benefit for patients with a variety of health conditions.
Volti, Zhang, and Teng (2016) conducted another noteworthy study that focused on exploring the effectiveness of stem cell therapy for treating ulcers in the lower extremities. The researchers performed a meta-analysis of randomized control trials, and their results showed that stem cell therapy (autologous type) had a healing effect on ulcers of the lower extremities and was associated with a reduction in the mean size of ulcers among patients. When the researchers conducted a subgroup analysis, they found that stem cells that had been collected from bone marrow and peripheral blood showed beneficial properties for healing ulcers. It is also important to mention that studies have found no association between stem cell therapies and an increased risk of negative health effects. Therefore, the study suggested that stem cell therapy could be an effective and safe method for dealing with such adverse conditions as pressure ulcers.
Discussion and Conclusions
The overview of the topic of stem cell therapy has shown that this innovative method of treatment requires further research and exploration. Even though some studies showed a positive correlation between the use of stem cell therapy and patients’ improved well-being, it is important to explore the perceived gaps remaining in this area of research to ensure that such treatments can be used safely for different health conditions. It is recommended for researchers in the sphere of health care to consider examining the use of stem cell treatments across a wider range of illnesses and conditions since the current research findings are not sufficient to support the possibility of using such therapies safely.
In conclusion, stem cell therapy is expected to provide a breakthrough in the treatment of adverse health conditions. With improved mechanisms involved in stem cell therapy and expanded clinical trials, this method of treatment can address the health needs of millions of patients around the world.
References
Mayo Clinic Staff. (2013). Stem cells: What they are and what they do. Web.
Nagpal, A., Choy, F. C., Howell, S., Hillier, S., Chan, F., Hamilton-Bruce, M. A., & Koblar, S. A. (2017). Safety and effectiveness of stem cell therapies in early-phase clinical trials in stroke: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Stem Cell Research & Therapy, 8, 191-196.
Volti, G., Zhang, X., & Teng, M. (2016). Effectiveness of autologous stem cell therapy for the treatment of lower extremity ulcers: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Medicine, 95(11), 2716-2719.