Stem Cell Therapy for Lupus: How To Improve Immunological Tolerance?
The most recent statistics of patient data highlight more than 200,000 systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients in the United States.
An astonishing fact about these figures is that more than 80% of the lupus patients are females. There are more than 180,000 female lupus patients while there are only 20,000 male lupus patients in the US.
More than 3.17 million people around the world are affected due to lupus.
More than 80% of countries around the world fail to give proper statistics related to lupus patients.
Brazil and the United Arab Emirates are two of the leading countries where people are affected by this condition.
Women who have reached the age to conceive a child are at more risk of developing lupus. 90% of women suffer from lupus during their reproductive years.
Multipotent mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are sourced from the umbilical cord (Wharton’s Jelly) possessing cell differentiation and cell regenerative abilities.
Stem cell treatment for systemic lupus can increase the number of healthy cells and enhance the functioning of the anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory cells.
Additionally, MSCs improve the number of protein cells called cytokines to strengthen the anti-inflammatory responses of the body.
Furthermore, MSCs act with B and T cells. Also, MSCs work with natural killer cells and monocytes. Also, antibody production is reduced for lupus patients.
What is Lupus?
Lupus is a critical autoimmune disease that causes inflammation in different parts of the body. The disease affects several body parts such as the heart, brain, joints, and muscles.
The immunity system acts as the protective layer of the body from harmful external and internal factors. However, patients diagnosed with lupus lose the ability of their immune system to distinguish between healthy cells and harmful factors. As a result, the antibodies attack both the harmful and healthy cells of the body.
Lupus can lead to 20 different types of neuropsychiatric syndromes. This damages the nerve cells considerably.
Moreover, untreated lupus can lead to gastrointestinal, respiratory, and cardiovascular diseases.
Diagnosis
A combination of laboratory, imaging, and biopsy tests are essential to diagnose the onset of lupus. The diagnosis methods include –
- Test for complete blood count – An overall estimation of red and white blood cells along with the platelet count to determine if the patient has anemia that is connected to lupus.
- Sedimentation of Erythrocytes – A blood test is performed to identify the time for RBCs to settle down at the bottom of a test tube.
- Urinalysis – A test to determine if there are high levels of RBC and proteins in the urine that can indicate signs of kidney damage due to lupus.
- Echocardiogram – An imaging test to check the real-time heartbeat images and determine problems with the heart valves.
- Biopsy – Biopsy of the skin tissues and kidney tissues is pivotal to determining the onset of lupus and the base treatment depending on the test results.
Symptoms and Causes of Lupus
The symptoms of lupus differ for each patient. A rash spread throughout the cheeks and nose is the most common symptom of lupus. This condition is commonly prevalent as butterfly rash. Primary symptoms of lupus are –
Symptoms
- Breathing problems
- Joint arthritis that causes pain and stiffness
- Fatigue and fever
- Sun sensitivity
- Loss of hair
- Blueish tinge color of fingers and toes
- Swelling of the glands and legs
- Inflammation surrounding the lungs and heart
- Abdominal pain, headaches, and dizziness
- Failure of the kidney due to Lupus
- Damage to the heart valve
- Myocarditis or heart muscle inflammation
- Vasculitis
- Low count of blood cells
- Atherosclerosis or accumulation of fat in the blood vessels
[Read Also: How To Treat Peripheral Neuropathy with Mesenchymal Stem Cell Therapy?]
Causes
Find out about the leading causes of systemic lupus –
- Genes – Genetical factors like high or low levels of protein that affect the immune system of the body.
- Environmental factors – Exposure to sunlight or viral infections can aggravate lupus.
- Immunity and Inflammatory Conditions – The body’s immunity system loses its ability to distinguish between healthy and harmful cells. The damaged cells are not cleansed automatically which leads to this confusion. The development of the autoimmune response to such situations can accompany lupus.
- Substitute medicines – Medicines consumed for blood pressure and certain antibiotics trigger the onset of lupus.
- Gender – Lupus is more profound in reproductive women compared to other entities.
- Age – Women aged between 15-45 are more susceptible to developing lupus.
- Race – The African-American community is mostly affected by lupus.
Lupus Treatment Breakthroughs with Stem Cell Therapy
Mesenchymal stem cell therapy is an innovative lupus treatment method that has taken the spotlight for alternative healthcare due to its immunomodulatory properties.
It is imperative to note that each lupus patient will require a personalized stem cell treatment regime.
MSCs reduce the production of antinuclear antibodies and anti-double-stranded deoxyribonucleic acid antibodies in the case of lupus patients.
Due to the low immunogenicity of MSCs, they are unrecognized by T cells which eliminates the chances of cell rejection.
MSCs prevent the generation of CD45+, CD1+, CD19-, CD56, and cytotoxicity of CD56+NK cells.
Furthermore, mesenchymal SCs have superior multiplication and cell differentiation abilities apart from immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory properties.
Benefits of Stem Cells for Treating Lupus
Exploring the overall benefits of treating lupus with stem cells, we may find –
- Inhibits B cell activation
- Prevents differentiation of CD4+ T cells
- Reprograms macrophages to reduce inflammatory effects
- Inhibits the growth of dendritic cells
- Enhanced energy process of autoreactive cells
- Blocks the T cell receptor
- Unlimited supply of healthy stem cells from human umbilical cord tissue-derived MSCs
- High cell regeneration capabilities
- Reduces and prevents inflammation
- No chance of cell rejection
[ Read Also: Stem Cell Treatment for Miami Patients ]
Results of Stem Cell Therapy for Lupus
Patients who are treated with stem cells for their lupus highlighted a wide range of improvement results. The most prominent result is instant relief from pain, swelling, and other lupus conditions after stem cell administration.
MSCs combined with the immunity of the body showcase –
- Overpower the reactions of mixed lymphocytes
- Production of IL-10, an immunosuppressive cytokine (protein cells)
- Produce enzymes such as 2,3-deoxygenase
- Stop dendritic cell maturation
- Accelerate T regulatory cell production
- Halt the pathological processes of lupus
- Reverse effects of kidney damage
Bottomline
Stem cell therapy for lupus ensures improvement of the tissue functions and energy levels. Most importantly, this is an aggressive method to repair and regenerate damaged cells.
Additionally, stem cells can reduce the damage to vital organs or the frequency of fevers. Also, it is a potent solution to reduce the antibody levels.
The Life Altering Stem Cell Therapy Institute is an American-owned and operated clinic with a group of experienced and certified doctors who are adept at administering painless and non-invasive stem cell therapy to patients depending on their eligibility.
Elevate the quality of your life, reverse the impacts of deadly diseases, and eliminate the root causes of lupus with our holistic approach.
