According to the Alzheimer’s Association, more than six million Americans have Alzheimer’s disease. Alzheimer’s currently has no cure, and the best treatment options for this neurodegenerative condition are medications that may temporarily improve symptoms.
Regenerative Medicine, also known as stem cell therapy, offers new promise for managing Alzheimer’s disease, with studies showing that this form of regenerative medicine may be the key to unlocking the mysteries of this disease.
What Is Alzheimer’s Disease?
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a degenerative brain condition that slowly destroys brain cells, leading to a loss of memory and cognitive function. Over time, it eventually erodes a patient’s ability to live independently and complete everyday tasks.
One of the main hallmarks of AD is the buildup of two specific proteins in the brain: amyloid and tau. In patients with AD, abnormal levels of the toxic beta-amyloid 42 protein clump together, forming plaques that disrupt the normal function of cells and collect between neurons. Additionally, the tau protein buildup causes neurofibrillary tangles, harming the synapses that allow communication between neurons.
How Does Stem Cell Therapy Work?
All specialized cells in the body start as stem cells. Stem cells are the first cells present in the body from the blastocyst stage, which occurs five to six days after a sperm fertilizes an egg. As stem cells divide, they can produce more stem cells, called daughter cells, and specialized cells, like brain cells or blood cells.
Stem cells are always present in your body, lying dormant in tissues like bone marrow or fat tissue until they’re needed to generate healthy cells, replacing damaged cells.
Scientists can extract stem cells from a patient and guide them into becoming specific cells needed to treat certain diseases.
Can Stem Cells Treat Alzheimer’s Disease?
Numerous studies investigating the benefits of stem cell therapy in treating AD offer promising results. For example, stem cell therapy may halt the progression of AD and repair and regenerate damaged neurons. Additionally, a stem cell infusion into AD patients can allow the cells to find and repair inflammation throughout the body.
However, one of the most critical findings in using stem cells to treat Alzheimer’s is the therapy’s potential to reduce beta-amyloid 42 proteins in patients. This development may be the key to improving memory in AD patients and ceasing disease progression.
Alzheimer’s disease affects millions of Americans. Stem cell therapy may provide patients the option to help manage their condition with this new alternative science.
This post was written by a medical professional at Stemedix Inc. At Stemedix we provide access to Regenerative Medicine for hair, also Stem cell treatment for Parkinson’s. Regenerative medicine has the natural potential to help improve symptoms sometimes lost from the progression of many conditions.
