Asthma

Asthma is a common chronic inflammatory disease of the airways characterized by multiple symptoms including wheezing, coughing, chest tightness, and shortness of breath, reversible airflow obstruction, and bronchospasm. Asthma is clinically classified according to the frequency of symptoms, forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1), and peak expiratory flow rate. Asthma may also be classified as atopic (extrinsic) or non-atopic (intrinsic). It can be exercised induced or occupational. Asthma affects an estimated 300 million people worldwide. Traditional management usually focuses on reduction to allergen exposure and medical therapy that consists of beta-2-agonists, anti-cholinergics, or inhaled corticosteroids.

Lung disease

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is an umbrella term for various lung diseases, including emphysema and chronic bronchitis. Typical treatments such as steroids, bronchodilators, and antibiotics, are often ineffective. While there is no known cure available for these progressive lung diseases, stem cell therapy may improve these debilitating symptoms.

RESPIRATORY CONDITIONS AND ADIPOSE DERIVED MESENCHYMAL STEM CELLS

Adipose derived adult (non-embryonic) mesenchymal stem cells have an anti-inflammatory effect which in patients with asthma has resulted in significant subjective improvement in their symptoms. It is also postulated that stem cells may have the ability to be attracted to the areas of injury and regeneration and assist in the repair of nerves, blood vessels, muscle, fat, cartilage, bone, and many other structures. These cells are naturally recruited by cytokines (SDF-1 stromal derived factor one, HGF hepatocyte growth factor, and platelets), to sites of inflammation, ischemia, hypoxia, or injury and they assist in the healing process either by directly forming needed cells or secreting chemical messengers that promote healing. Stem cells are mobilized naturally from bone marrow when the body is healing but they are also found in human adipose tissue. These stem cells from fat are abundant in levels up to a thousand times greater than those found in bone marrow, and have equivalent regeneration potential to the bone marrow cells. The success of stem cell treatments appears to relate to the number of cells, giving adipose cells a significant potential advantage to regenerate human tissues. Mesenchymal stem cells have been used extensively around the world in the successful treatment of orthopedic, cardiac, pulmonary, and neurologic disease in both humans and veterinary models. By isolating a patient’s own adult stem cells obtained during a simple liposuction procedure, these cells are concentrated and infused back into the patient’s body via intravenous infusion. When infused into a vein, these cells travel through the bloodstream directly to the lungs.

Not all cases or patients respond to stem cell therapy and outcomes will vary from patient to patient.

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