The most important mechanism of action of mesenchymal stem cells is their ability to secrete a large set of bioactive molecules that promote healing and tissue regeneration, reduce inflammation, and modulate the activity of our immune system cells.
Some of these molecules can stimulate our own resident stem cells to specialize into the cells that are needed to repair tissues.
Interestingly, even though these donor stem cells differ from the body’s stem cells, the immune system doesn’t usually reject them. A lot of scientific evidence shows how these cells can help improve specific health problems and age-related issues.
We get our Stem Cells from umbilical cord tissues donated by consenting women who undergo c-sections. Donor selection is a crucial process that requires the expertise of a microbiologist.
During this process, the potential donor is contacted and asked several questions to determine their health status (age, vaccination records, addictions, hereditary diseases, among others).
The entire cord collection process is explained to the donor, and they are given detailed information about the informed consent. If the donor meets all the requirements and is still interested in donating, the microbiologist schedules an appointment to collect the umbilical cord on the day of the cesarean section.
On the day, the microbiologist meets with the donor and the mother to sign the informed consent. A blood sample is taken from the donor.
Once the cord is collected, both samples are immediately transported to the laboratory for processing.
Upon arrival, the signed documents are reviewed, and the blood tube is tested for infectious diseases such as HIV, Hepatitis B, etc. If the sample passes this initial testing, Mesenchymal Stem Cells are extracted and expanded for a short period before being frozen for future use.
One additional quality control is to confirm the ability of the isolated Mesenchymal Stem Cells to proliferate and differentiate in vitro. If the cells from a specific cord are not showing optimal behavior in the lab, then the cells coming from that cord are not used and discarded.
Mesenchymal Stem Cells derived from carefully selected umbilical cords are very young.
Therefore, the quality of these cells is not limited by lifetime exposure to the environment, unlike MSCs obtained from other tissues of the patient at later ages, such as adipose tissue or bone marrow, through autologous stem cell transplant.
There is a common misconception that stem cells are obtained from aborted embryos or clones, but this is not true. This misinformation was spread through fake news. As you can see in the previous answer, consent is given by the mother, and, more importantly, no babies are harmed.
The umbilical cords would otherwise be discarded, making it a safe and ethical source of stem cells.
It is important to note that most insurance companies do not cover stem cell therapy. This is primarily because it can take up to a decade for new health treatments to be widely accepted and covered by insurance.
However, there may be some exceptions depending on your medical condition and the specific treatment recommended. The best way to find out is to contact your health insurance provider for information. While stem cell therapy may not be covered, there are instances where other aspects or associated costs may be substituted.
Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy uses the patient’s own blood cells to promote healing. Stem Cell therapies, on the other hand, use Mesenchymal Stem Cells, which can be sourced from umbilical cord tissues or previously collected from the patient’s body.
PRP therapy uses the platelets found in blood, a type of blood cell that plays an essential role in clotting and healing, which contains up to 12 growth factors and a minimal amount of stem cells.
In contrast, Stem Cell therapies using Mesenchymal Stem Cells can contain over 80 growth factors and many more biological elements.
Moreover, since MSCs are live cells, the pattern of factors secreted is not fixed and seems to adapt to the specific needs of the treated tissues.
Clinical applications of hematopoietic stem cells are well documented, with decades of experience and success in bone marrow transplants for blood cancers and other diseases.
Later, the research leading to applications of mesenchymal stem cells in humans has been exponentially growing. There are thousands of published papers and studies at the preclinical level (lab and animal models) and clinical level (humans), increasing our understanding of their potential to help many diseases related to autoimmunity, inflammation, and organ damage.
The areas where more human trials have been published are musculoskeletal, pulmonary, neurology, cardiology, and rheumatology. There are completed and ongoing human studies from Phase 1 to Phase 4.
All stem cells are remarkably similar, but how they are processed and cultured can significantly impact their viability. Stem cells are delicate and require careful handling to ensure their quality is not compromised. Inadequate testing and improper use of preservatives, radiation, and chemicals can all result in stem cell death and poor-quality yield.
At RMI, we have our own lab and a team of highly trained professionals to ensure a high viability rate, guaranteeing the most effective stem cells for you. This means you can benefit from both quality and quantity, giving you the best of both worlds.
One of the most important differences, and one of the advantages, is that no harvesting is involved in umbilical cord stem cell therapies.
Harvesting MSCs from the patient’s bone marrow or adipose tissue involves a surgical procedure with a needle placed into the bone, abdomen, or other selected areas. It can pose various risks and complications, including chronic pain, nerve damage, infection, organ perforation, and fractures. Also, depending on your age, the quality of stem cells declines rapidly. MSCs harvested later in life harbor the accumulated environmental and aging-related damage, and sometimes, the patient doesn’t have enough tissue to harvest.
Umbilical cord stem cells don’t possess the harvesting risks that bone marrow and adipose tissue have.
Umbilical Cord Stem cell therapy has several benefits; here are some of the most recognized:
It’s important to understand that no medical treatment can guarantee complete healing; that’s just the nature of medicine. It is unethical and inaccurate to claim that a therapy will cure a patient completely. Such claims have created a lot of noise around stem cells, causing more harm than good.
Patients who undergo umbilical stem cell therapy experience health improvements and relief. Still, it cannot be considered a complete cure. The healing power of stem cells is a collaborative effort between the body and the therapy. Therefore, the extent of the improvement depends on various internal and external factors; after all, we are all different people with diverse backgrounds and genetic makeup.
RMI is the only stem cell facility licensed by the Ministry of Health in Costa Rica to produce and use expanded Mesenchymal Stem Cells. It took us seven years to get that license. This means we are government-sanctioned and held to a higher standard.
We also operate our own ISO 7-certified laboratory, built entirely by scientists with extensive knowledge and experience in cell manufacturing and processing, specifically in molecular, micro, and cellular biology. Our Lab Director, Natalia Jimenez, and her team of experts have over 15 years of experience creating the most viable and effective stem cell lines.
Our highly qualified and certified medical and nursing team has extensive experience in various medical and patient care fields, constantly striving to improve and expand their knowledge and skills to provide the best possible care, ultimately committed to ensuring our patient’s physical and emotional well-being.