An Up Close Look at Stem Cell Treatments

Many people have heard about promises made by advocates of stem cell treatment. There are many clinics that are dedicating themselves to IV vitamin therapy, stem cell therapy and hyperbaric oxygen therapy in an effort to enhance the lives of people who are getting on in years.

No one has ever said that death can be avoided, but research and experience seem to indicate that old age can be made more comfortable by a combination of healthy living and therapy of one sort or another. Are the treatments safe and effective?

There are different stem cells that are formed at different times in one's life or come from different parts of the body. Embryonic stem cells are existent only in the early stages of life; there are various stem-cells that stay with the individual for life that first appear in fetal development.

The human body makes use of specific, tissue related stem cells to fit a specific purpose. They are limited in their potential and are usually resulting from the cells from which they came. As a simple example, the cells found in bone marrow are the cells that are required to make blood, while cells in the brain, called neural cells, make more brain cells. A neural cell may not necessarily make blood no more than a stem cell from bone marrow make brain cells. It has yet to be proven that stem cells can solve all problems.

It is unlikely that a single cell can be harvested that can solve all problems, embryonic stem cells, however, are showing promise but unfortunately there is still a great deal of social stigma associated with the research. The most promising treatment in the meantime is with stem cells harvested from bone marrow. These cells have proven to be beneficial in treating immune system disease and show promise for treating bone, skin and corneal disease and injuries. This stem cell treatment is considered safe by the medical community.