Even though medicine has come a long way over the last couple decades, there have been recent developments that promise an exciting future. The latest medical breakthrough is a new method of increasing healing within the body, even in areas that have proven to be problematic for doctors, like the heart and joints. Recently, doctors have developed a new medication that can help promote healing and regeneration in damaged areas of the body, something ideal for seniors and those that deal with chronic disease.
This new drug is designed to help lure stem cells toward a specific location, encouraging growth and healing in that part of the body. In the past, treatments that involved stem cells were injected into the body in precisely the area where there was a need. This new method also relies on an injection for delivery, but the precision aspect of it is not as crucial. Researchers have known for about 15 years that stem cells tend to be attracted in inflammation. By mimicking inflammation within the body, researchers have found that they can get the stem cells to go where they want them to go.
This has big implications for several different diseases and illnesses. While injured and ill areas of the body often have increased levels of inflammation, naturally attracting stem cells to these portions of the body, this isn’t always the case. This is especially true when it comes to damage done by heart disease, stroke, and illnesses that have persisted for extended periods of time. In these cases, stem cells may not detect inflammation, making the therapeutic healing process impossible with this method of treatment. Those that suffer from chronic arthritis may also benefit from this type of treatment.
Inflammation can be dangerous, and artificially creating this within the body can have drastic negative consequences. Scientists involved on this project spent years creating a way to induce inflammation without the negative parts. In essence, they were able to use the benefits of inflammation without suffering the negatives. Even though this research is still in its early stages, it’s already being considered a major breakthrough in the field of stem cell research.
This is because it’s the first time that a treatment like this has been successfully tested. Researchers from the Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute designed this drug with the hope of helping more people to experience the benefits that stem cell treatments can provide. Although this type of therapy has seen its fair share of controversy, the most current uses of stem cell use avoid the use of unborn baby cells and focus on other types. Stem cells have received a bad rap because of these past controversies, but current methods are much safer than they were in the past. Hopefully, this new treatment can help people live safer, healthier, and less painful lives as they age.
This treatment is still in its early stages, so it’s not likely to be available to your primary care physician soon. However, it is worth asking about if you have questions. Your doctor will be able to give you more information about these types of treatments and help get you steered in the right direction so that you and your loved ones can live a higher quality of life.
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