A patient inquires:
I was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease – is a stem cell therapy also able to help in Crohn’s disease?
The diagnosis Crohn’s disease is often only made after a longer history of suffering, after recurrent severe abdominal pain and diarrhea have led to a high number of doctor’s visits. Like ulcerative colitis Crohn’s disease belongs to the chronic inflammatory bowel diseases, whose exact cause is unknown until now. An allergic-autoimmune incorrect response of the immune system seems to be present. Mostly the symptoms are triggered episodically under stress, psychological strain, or by certain food components.
In Austria alone approximately 20,000 to 30,000 people are affected by Crohn’s disease. The common therapy is anything but comfortable. It ranges from a constant intake of anti-inflammatory drugs such as cortisone in combination with a drastic adjustment of nutrition through to surgical treatments, in which affected parts of the bowel have to be removed in case of severe forms.
Stem Cell Therapy in Inflammatory Bowel Diseases
Several studies stir up hope that finally an alternative to the common therapy has been found. In an experimental attempt with mice scientist succeeded in showing that a therapy with adult stem cells can help in Crohn’s disease very effectively.
It is assumed that these results can also be transferred to humans, which was also confirmed by studies in human probands in the meantime. International clinical trials have shown that autologous stem cells could especially help in auto-immunologically induced diseases. Even the daily clinical practice in treatment centers specialized in stem cells is proving this for years: Thus we are using autologous stem cells for the therapy of inflammatory bowel diseases in my clinic for several years.
A significant point seems to be the dosage and the frequency of stem cell administration. The more serious the disease, the higher are the dosages you have to give and the more it is rather recommendable to do repetitions of the therapy.
Thus there is hope that cortisone and surgical procedures can soon be waived or rather that such measurements are only needed to be used very shortly during an acute flare. Because stem cells are in general effecting an improvement of the patient’s overall well-being, the therapy would support the patient’s body in its fight against the disease instead of just treating the symptoms.
In any case I will keep you informed on my blog.
DDr. Heinrich, MD