Stem cell research & therapy in Mumbai

To alleviate suffering & improve the quality of life of patients with incurable or intractable disorders & injury of the nervous system, by restoring functional abilities to a maximum possible, by extending a professional, holistic & caring manner, and to conduct basic & clinical research by constant work on innovation & development, so that the best therapeutic strategies can be evolved.

Some time ago donated organs were transplanted to replace the diseased or failed organs in the recipients. Soon the number of recipients exceeded the number of donated. To overcome this demand, cell therapy offered the possibility of replacement of the damaged cells of tissue with new cells. Stem cell infusion helps to treat a plethora of conditions including cerebral palsy, spinal cord injury, intellectual disability, and other neurodegenerative syndromes as well.

Stem cells have the potential to develop into different cells of the tissues (of the body) and the ability of self-renewal. When serving as a repair system, the stem cells divide without limit as long as the person is alive. As they divide, they remain as stem cells or develop into cells with more specialized functions, like a brain cell or a muscle cell.

Stem cells, from different sources, have three common properties: They can grow into specialized cell types such as nerve cells, muscle cells, and blood cells.

Impairments linked to neuromuscular conditions are usually irreversible due to inadequate cell regeneration or impaired cells in the central nervous system. It was observed that the cellular characteristics of autologous stem cells had the capability of treating major neurological disorders without incurring any side effects. With their neurotrophic properties, self-renewal & differentiation capacity, and immune modulation effects, the bone marrow-derived stem cells are considered as a promising candidate for treating disorders related to the nervous system.

For cell treatment, bone marrow derived mesenchymal stem cells are isolated from the marrow tissue (extracted from the patient’s hip bone) in an expedited, painless and safe way. By centrifugation procedure, a sufficient number of stem cells are separated from the unwanted tissue within a few hours. These injectable stem cells are infused intrathecally into the spinal area or the damaged muscle points, as per the need of the patients.

These bone marrow-derived stem cells have many useful properties that lead to great clinical improvement in post-cell-based therapy. According to various clinical trials, treatment with bone marrow derived mesenchymal stem cells have shown improvement in patients with traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury and other neurological disorders through axonal sprouting and remyelination, potential to replace/protect the damaged neurons/cells, and neovascularization.

How do the infused stem cells act? Once infused into the body,

– The infused stem cells journey toward the nervous system and blend into the neural circuits to mend or improve the disrupted synaptic transmission.
– Post infusion, improved neuropathological condition, upregulated Aß clearance and reduced deposition is detected within a short period.
– The infused stem cells reduce neuroinflammation and provide protective immunomodulatory effect.
– The stem cells secrete neurotrophic influence and nerve growth factors, bringing cognitive and memory improvement in patients.

Apart from encouraging effects, renewed brain plasticity is also observed in patients following intrathecal delivery of stem cells. With the new medical breakthrough in stem cell therapy, the treatment has become a highly sought-after curative. To know about the treatment efficacy, one must understand the efficiency of stem cells in terms of engraftment, migration, cytokines and growth factors. However, cell-based therapy is a promising contribution to regenerative medicine and has gained considerable clinical attention. Read more details on NeuroGen Hospital.

Occupational therapists evaluate a child’s needs by testing his or her fine motor skills, perception and oral motor skills. By observing how the child responds to touch and movements, the therapist can determine a treatment plan. The treatment plan typically involves positioning, reaching, grasping and releasing. These skills are important for a child to develop the ability to be independent. Occupational therapy for children usually involves a form of play to keep them motivated. Many children with cerebral palsy have sensory impairments that make movement difficult. Our senses help us recognize changes in temperature, feel pain and to be aware of the space around us. Senses, such as touch and balance, are important for motor skills like picking up objects and walking.

A few tricks to help your child with autism: Create a home safety zone. Carve out a private space in your home where your child can relax, feel secure, and be safe. This will involve organizing and setting boundaries in ways your child can understand. Visual cues can be helpful (colored tape marking areas that are off limits, labeling items in the house with pictures). You may also need to safety proof the house, particularly if your child is prone to tantrums or other self-injurious behaviors. Connecting with a child with ASD can be challenging, but you don’t need to talk-or even touch-in order to communicate and bond. You communicate by the way you look at your child, by the tone of your voice, your body language – and possibly the way you touch your child. Your child is also communicating with you, even if he or she never speaks. You just need to learn the language.

What’s the long-term outlook? Some people lead full and productive lives after a spinal cord injury. However, there are severe potential effects of a spinal cord injury. The vast majority of people will need assistive devices such as walkers or wheelchairs to deal with loss of mobility, and some may even be paralyzed from the neck down. You may need assistance with daily living activities and learn to perform tasks differently. Pressure sores and urinary tract infections are common complications. You also may expect to undergo intense rehabilitation treatment for your spinal cord injury.

Stem Cells: So far, umbilical cord blood has been successfully used in the treatment of over 75 conditions, such as various types of cancer, blood disease and immune deficiencies, such as leukemia, sickle cell anemia (siclemia), thalassemia, Hodgkin’s disease and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Stem cells also treat very rare, potentially fatal conditions, such as Krabbe’s disease or Sanfilippo’s syndrome. But from year to year new diseases appear on the list of 75 that can be treated with the help of stem cells.

Muscular Dystrophy encompasses a group of genetic disorders which are characterised by progressive loss of muscle mass and subsequent weakness. Dystrophy is coined from the Greek word which essentially means ‘bad nourishment’. Early detection of muscular dystrophy started with a study by Sir Charles Bell, on the increasing weakness of the muscles of young boys, in 1830. This study on Muscular Dystrophy talks about a set of less than 30 genetic diseases that can lead to an alarming rate of increasing weakness of skeletal muscles applied through all voluntary movements. All these different ailments differ through the arrival stage, seriousness and prototype of muscles that are affected. All the manifestations of muscular dystrophy worsens as the muscles continually deteriorates and starts to weaken, and hence, it is considered as a “progressive muscular disorder”. Read more info Stem Cell Therapy For Muscular Dystrophy.