It all depends on many different variables
Perhaps the most commonly asked question we receive is how long does it take for Stem Cell Therapy to Work? Well, it isn’t an easy question to answer.
It depends on the condition being treated, how severe the disease or damage is, the age, and overall health of the person being treated with the stem cells. It also depends on the type of stem cells. The following are types of stem cells.
Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are a promising therapeutic approach primarily due to their anti-fibrotic (anti-scarring), angiogenic (vessel growth), antimicrobial, immune-stimulating or modulating capacities, and organ protecting properties. MSCs exhibit many immune-boosting properties demonstrated in vivo as well as in vitro and are being studied in the treatment of sepsis. Because sepsis is rapidly deadly, the studies are demonstrating that MSCs are relatively quick in their onset of action.
Septic shock is defined as a case of sepsis where serious circulatory, cellular, and metabolic abnormalities occur due to a bacterial infection in the bloodstream that considerably increases the risk of death. The inflammation and immune response in sepsis is rapid and leads to a form of immune paralysis. Sepsis is now defined as massive dysfunction of the body’s response to an infection, leading to multiple organ failure.
Clinically, sepsis is measured or diagnosed by excess lactate (a harmful metabolite from acidosis in the blood as a result of low oxygen levels), failure to maintain blood pressure above 65 mmHg by adequate resuscitation, leading to use of potent drugs to maintain the heart function and raise blood pressure.
Because of the deadliness, severity, and rapid onset of sepsis, MSCs have shown promise in treating the condition because they are easy to isolate and grow. They have low immunogenicity, making them particularly useful in the immune-crisis in sepsis. There are no adverse effects of intravenous infusion and are deemed safe.
The immune response to the bacteria is disproportionate, with a massive influx of white blood cells that further increase the inflammatory response. This depletion of immune cells in sepsis is associated with low cell energy. As a result, organs fail as blood vessels are damaged, blood clotting is impaired, and fluid leaks out of the bloodstream that leads to excessively low blood pressure.
It promotes the repair of tissue or organs that are diseased, dysfunctional, or injured. It is a form of tissue and organ transplantation that replaces damaged cells so that the body can heal.
If the cells come from yourself or induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC), then the biggest risk is that it fails to work or does suboptimally. However, a bone marrow transplant has numerous risks. The particular risks of stem cell therapy depend on many factors, including the disease or condition that caused the problem, the type of transplant, your age, and overall health.
What are the possible complications from stem cells in a bone marrow transplant include:
There are two kinds of GVHD. Acute GVHD happens earlier, during the first months after the transfer. It generally affects your skin, gastrointestinal tract, or liver. Chronic GVHD typically develops many months later and can affect many organs. Symptoms and signs of GVHD included cough, shortness of breath, rashes, dry mouth, joint and muscle pain, diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting.
Other possible risks associated with stem cell transplants:
Diseases that might benefit from stem cell therapies include those with type 1 diabetes, spinal cord injuries, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, heart disease, stroke, burns, sepsis, cancer, and arthritis.
In stem cell treatment, stem cells repopulate the tissue, organ, or bone marrow cells damaged by chemotherapy or disease. They help the person’s damaged immune system to fight certain types of cancer and blood cell-related diseases, such as leukemia, lymphoma, multiple myeloma, and neuroblastoma.