Introduction: Stem cells are cells that have the ability to differentiate into cell types, including embryonic cells, adult stem cells, and cord blood stem cells, and have unique characteristics. Their first characteristic is reproducibility, their second characteristic is the nature of non-differentiation, and their third characteristic is their ability to differentiate into cells of different tissues. The most important uses of stem cells include repairing damaged tissues and bone tissue, treating cancer, treating diseases and nerve and spinal cord injuries, repairing burns, treating diabetes, treating infertility and others.
Stem cells are a good source for treating neurological diseases.
Methods: A variety of neurological diseases and treatment by stem cells
A: Epilepsy:
According to a new study from Belarus University of Medical Sciences: Mesenchymal stem cells have been developed to compensate for the limited efficacy of antiepileptic drugs, which are unresponsive in many patients, so in order to test this hypothesis, researchers Intravenous injections also treated mesenchymal stem cells. The results of the evaluations showed that the patients who received cell therapy with antiepileptic drugs achieved a 30% improvement and did not experience any seizures for a year while these patients were monitored and did not have any side effects. was not observed.
B: Alzheimer's and cell therapy
So far, studies have been conducted on various sources of stem cells in this field. Transplanted mesenchymal stem cells in the brains of Alzheimer's mice become mature cells and improve memory and learning.
It should be noted that the use of stem cells in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease requires further research because in this disease, nerve cells in different areas of the brain are damaged and the exact mechanisms of this disease are not yet fully understood.
A: Multiple sclerosis
Stem cell transplantation from any cell source can be a safe and effective treatment for it, however, since there is no controlled study compared to stem cell therapy, finding a reliable answer about the safety and efficacy of this type. Treatment for patients with MS requires comprehensive research in the future with a large group of patients.
D: Parkinson
Stem cells including mesenchymal stem cells, embryonic cells and nerve stem cells are considered as suitable and practical alternatives for the treatment and control of Parkinson's.
In a clinical trial conducted in Turkey in 2016, 21 patients aged 42 to 79 years with Parkinson's disease were treated using neural stem cells extracted from the fetal brain by one-way injection of striatum at regular intervals. Significant improvement in motor function without side effects.
R: Stroke
Cell therapy can be an alternative intervention to change the treatment method. Different cells are considered as a suitable option for cell therapy. In basic science studies on ischemic stroke, cell injection has shown different results. Satisfactory results of basic science studies have been used in phase one and two clinical studies. Almost the majority of these studies have emphasized the safety and reproducibility of cell use. .
Results: Since the risk of disease recovery and success rate with drug therapy is low in neurological and spinal cord injuries, stem cell therapy can be used as a new method in the treatment of such diseases.
Also in this area, attention should be paid to the ethical problems and safety of stem cell use. In addition, the long-term safety of stem cell transplantation is still an unanswered question.
Conclusion: Cell therapy for the treatment of neurodegenerative disorders is in its early stages and still has room for improvement. There are many fundamental issues that need to be addressed. For example, recognizing the molecular properties of stem cell proliferation to cause genetic modification is one of the concerns today. In addition, in order to develop the use of stem cells in diseases, laboratory studies should also be performed on models of neurological disorders that fully reflect the symptoms of the disease in humans. Such models identify the potential benefits and risks of using stem cells in humans before using them in the clinic. It is worth noting that achieving a suitable cell therapy method in the clinical field requires a lot of time and effort, which in itself should not diminish our enthusiasm to achieve this goal.
Keywords: Application of stem cells, Neurological diseases