12 Feb Can stem cells treat kidney disease?
Kidney failure affects hundreds of thousands of Americans each year. The current treatment option is expensive dialysis while waiting in a long list for a transplant.
Fortunately, advances in regenerative medicine, especially stem cell therapy, have shown to be promising in the treatment of kidney failure.
Healthy kidneys filter waste from blood. Damage to the kidneys can result in accumulation of fluids, waste, and electrolytes, causing a wide range of negative reactions in the body. The kidneys have some regenerative ability but gradually, the damage caused by kidney disease becomes excessive. As a result, the patient becomes dependent on external dialysis or whole organ transplant to live.
Stem cells and kidney disease
Stem cell therapy produces anti-inflammatory effect in the body. This reduces the levels of chronic inflammation, allowing healing. In Kidney Disease, inflammation levels are high throughout the body. Reducing inflammation allows the body to regenerate the damaged tissue and resume normal function.
In addition, stem cells can also be used in organ transplants to eliminate the need for immunosuppressant drugs.
Currently, only general systemic stem cell therapy is available but scientists are working to isolate the specific cells needed for kidney repair.
However, stem cell therapy can help in a marked reduction in inflammatory markers and improvement in kidney function. This may not eliminate the need for dialysis after a single therapy, but should be able to reduce the frequency at which dialysis is required.
If you or a loved one is suffering from kidney disease, consult a specialist at the nearby stem cell treatment clinic.
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