stem cell therapy for alzheimer's- siddhi jairath

“Stem cell therapy has been one of the most promising treatments for Alzheimer's disease patients.” - National Library of Medicine.

The human body is one of the most complex yet functional creations of nature, the most magical and appalling. Yet, one of the most remarkable parts of the human body is undoubtedly stem cells. Stem cells are the cells with the incredible ability to generate specialized cells - cells with a specific duty (such as; red blood cells, nerve cells, etc). Stem cells are where such specialized cells stem from. Stem cells divide and form more cells, such cells are termed daughter cells. The daughter cells then transform into either more stem cells or specialized cells. There are two main types of stem cells; embryonic stem cells and adult stem cells. Embryonic stem cells are cells that can be found in the early developing stages of an embryo, these cells develop and divide into specialized cells. Adult stem cells can be defined as cells derived from already developed parts of the body such as the brain, and the bone marrow. Though there is a small number of cells that can be derived from such tissues and usually, these cells are only able to generate a specified type of cell. For example, stem cells derived from the liver are likely to only be able to produce liver cells. The research into stem cells is quite a curious one since scientists believe that this study could help us understand the occurrence of diseases as well as help us fight those same diseases through the regenerative method (the generation of healthy stem cells to help replace the cells affected by the disease), serving as a potential cure for several seemingly fatal diseases. Stem cell therapy, widely known as regenerative therapy provides a second option for those requiring organ donations. It provides the solution for dysfunctional tissues and organs by using the derived stem cells. It replaced organ donation with cell transplantation. Several diseases, in theory, could be solved by stem cell therapy; leukemia, type 1 diabetes, cancer, and even Alzheimer's disease. Alzheimer’s disease can be defined as a brain disorder that tends to appear later on during life, which slowly destroys brain memory as well as simultaneously destroys thinking skills making it eventually challenging to complete basic tasks. The identity of a person is determined by the overall levels of organization between the different parts of the body, Alzheimer’s interferes with this and eventually kills the identity of a person. Therefore, the usage of stem cell therapy could potentially save the overall identity of a person. The essay below will discuss the advantages and disadvantages of stem cell therapy, the application of stem cell therapy to cure Alzheimer’s as well as the cultural, ethical, and economic factors/aspects that play into such a situation in a practical sense.

Alzheimer’s disease is, in simple terms, a brain disorder that causes the patient to lose their memory and thinking skills making it challenging to complete basic tasks. According to the National Institute of Aging, “experts suggest that more than 6 million Americans, most of them age 65 or older, may have dementia caused by Alzheimer’s.” proving how serious and valid this disease is as it is majorly affecting the public. In fact, Alzheimer’s disease is known to be ranked as the seventh leading cause of death amongst older adults. Alzheimer's disease is named after the infamous scientist, Dr. Alois Alzheimer in 1906 after he noticed the “changes in the brain tissue of a woman who had died of an unusual mental illness. Her symptoms included memory loss, language problems, and unpredictable behavior. After she died, he examined her brain and found many abnormal clumps' ' Symptoms of Alzheimer’s includes; Memory Problems, Mild cognitive impairments, and difficulties with a sense of smell. There is no specific cause for Alzheimer’s, though it is said to be a blend of genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors. There is also no known cure for Alzheimer’s, though, with proper treatments, the illness can be manageable. Therefore, if Stem Cell therapy is an applicable cure for Alzheimer's, this would be a breakthrough in the medical field. A complete leap forward! So, how exactly does stem cell therapy work? In simple terms, stem cell therapy uses stem cells derived from adult stem cells or umbilical cord blood - After birth, some people store their umbilical cord through companies proficient in stem cell banking in order to retain the cells for future generations. Though, if a person has a genetic error causing the disease, then, their own stem cells cannot be of use as those cells will have the same genetic error, so the cells would be of no use. Stem cells are mainly retained only for family members, relatives, and future generations - so that the cells have a match and can later be used to help out in case of a health concern. These stem cells would be used to replace and repair the dysfunctional cells causing the illness. According to ‘The Interventional Pain & Wellness Center’, “36 medical centers provided data on the effectiveness of stem cell therapy with clinical efficacy of 82.2 percent.” This same method of stem cell therapy can be applied to Alzheimer’s disease. Due to a defective blood-brain barrier, glucose is prevented from reaching the brain and so, also prevents the discharge and removal of toxic beta-amyloid and proteins. Resulting in the inflammation of the brain. The process of stem cell therapy includes the introduction of Mesenchymal (“cells that develop into connective tissue, blood vessels, and lymphatic tissue.” - National Cancer Institute) stem cells through an IV. When such cells are provided to a person in large quantities, these stem cells can find the inflammation in the brain and repair it. This cure to Alzheimer’s has a huge potential in the medical field as Alzheimer’s doesn’t have a treatment and several people are diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. In theory, stem cell therapy to cure Alzheimer’s should work, though there are several factors that play into the situation and that must be taken into consideration. These factors and aspects will be discussed in the following paragraphs.

One of the major factors is the ethicality of Stem Cell Therapy. Due to the familiarity of the subject, Stem Cell therapy is seen as a quite an ethically controversial topic. One such concern is the ‘Playing God’ concern. Are we taking up a role designed only for nature? ‘Playing God’ is a very widely expressed ethical concern, especially in science. Several people feel that it is morally incorrect to “play god” and move into the domain, and that interfering with natural processes may be wrong. Though, 300 years ago, cutting open someone’s body and performing intensive surgery to fix something would have also been seen as “playing god” and interfering with the natural order of things. Who knows? Maybe in the near future, we would be commonly practicing stem cell therapy to cure several diseases, including Alzheimer’s. Another majorly popular ethical concern is: Is it morally acceptable to continue with Stem cell-based therapy in order to cure several diseases, at the cost of wrecking a human embryo at its earliest stages? This debate brings out several deeply rooted moral roots and cultural questions. This debate has also incredibly slowed down the development of stem cell therapy research. The third ethical concern is the ‘Misuse of Knowledge’ concern. With such powerful technology, an entire spectrum of opportunities for development opens up, which opens up a wide range of methods to misuse that same technology. With Stem cell therapy technology, the range of bio-terrorism acts widens up. Though, this is not an excuse to disregard the countless benefits and opportunities offered by such technology. In fact, with proper rules and regulations in place, this technology of stem cell therapy would boost the medical field in ways unimaginable, saving endless lives while also making it much more convenient. As well as that, in terms of cultural factors, most christ-focused religions with catholic origin ideologies don’t believe in such treatments, it is defined as“the creation and destruction of human life for medical research.” Though there are a few religions such as The Episcopal Church that believe in the research and subject, “The Episcopal Church celebrates medical research as this research expands our knowledge of God’s creation and empowers us to bring potential healing to those who suffer from disease or disability.”

There are also several economical aspects to take into account. One of which is the cost. The cost for stem cell therapy varies depending on the complexity of the disease as well as the number of injections required. According to ‘The Interventional Pain & Wellness Center’, “Stem Cell therapy can cost anywhere from $1,000 to $6,000 for one injection. Some patients may require multiple injections which may increase the cost of the treatment to $25,000 or more.” $1,000 is around 80,000 rupees. The average Indian makes around 29,400 rupees per month. So, the cost for one singular injection is around 3x the salary of an average Indian. This significantly decreases the chances of Stem Cell therapy being used in a more common manner as most people cannot afford it in the first place. According to The New York Times, people living in poverty or poorer conditions have a higher chance of brain changes and brain disorders. “For each one-point increase on the scale of socioeconomic deprivation, there was an 8 percent increase in the odds for Alzheimer's brain pathology.” With that, we can say that financially unstable people have a higher chance of developing Alzheimer’s making stem cell therapy for Alzheimer’s an economically impossible cure for most. Though, with an 82.2% success rate, going through stem cell therapy may actually benefit the person in a more long-term way. Alzheimer’s alters a person's life in almost every aspect. It makes doing simple, daily tasks difficult, making it almost impossible to do a job efficiently. A cure for such a disease may be costly, but from a long-term perspective, it is quite worth it. Stem cell therapy is somewhat permanent; it provides relief for several years as well as sometimes (depending on the disease), a permanent repair for tissues. Since Alzheimer's is a disease that is believed to be curable through stem cell therapy, this treatment for an Alzheimer's patient could be referred to as a “quick fix”, giving them control of their lives once again. Due to the method being fairly new, stem cell therapy is not currently covered by any insurance. Though, medicare does cover certain diseases depending on the guidelines issued by the FDA. Such diseases/illnesses include; cancers, immune system disorders, and blood disorders - Alzheimer’s not being one of them due to the overall disease being relatively more complex. Since stem cells have the capability of regenerating and repairing tissues and organs, the system of organ donation would be somewhat eliminated. Stem Cell therapy could potentially replace organ transplants as it gives organs the cells require to repair themselves. Though, currently, this complex yet effective treatment is only reserved for financially stable individuals.

Another aspect, arguably the most important aspect, is the safety and health concerns to consider beforehand. As mentioned, stem cell therapy has a success rate of 82.2%, specifically for Alzheimer’s. Though, like always, there is still a chance for failure or negative aftereffects. One of which is, the fact that Stem Cell therapy is a double-edged sword. A reason for this is that the treatment allows stem cells to restore damaged cells, while simultaneously dividing - resulting in the birth of several other cells. This makes it difficult to control cell division after the process. This could result in the development of tumors or teratomas. Currently, there is no way to ensure that teratomas and tumors do not develop but, according to ‘The National Library of Medicine, “recently published data 20 suggest that under controlled conditions, hESC-derived cells could serve as a potentially safe new source in regenerative medicine.”

Evidently, stem cell therapy to cure Alzheimer’s is clearly quite effective and convenient from a long-term perspective. But treatment is only reserved for those who can afford it. There are also several ethical questions when it comes to this topic. Though, such questions are not as relevant when considering the major developments and how big of a step stem cell therapy would be for the medical field. Alzheimer’s is a life-changing disease and bringing back normality in people suffering from such a disease is the best gift doctors can give to their patients. If we have the option and chance to change someone’s life, with a little risk, if their consent is given, we should be able to use stem cell therapy to cure their disease. As time goes on, technology will be more and more accurate, raising the success rate. But, this increasing success rate will only happen if we decide to take this “in theory” cure to practicality and bring change to such patients.