Kidney disease is a condition in which the kidneys become damaged and cannot filter blood properly. Kidney disease affects over 660,000 Americans and leads to 47,000 deaths per year in the United States. People with high blood pressure and diabetes are at greater risk for kidney disease. Treatment for kidney disease can be very expensive, and patients can wait years for treatment. Fortunately, advances in stem cell therapy have shown how the administration of mesenchymal stem cells may be able to help with organ regeneration and kidney healing. In this article, we discuss stem cell therapy for kidney disease.
What is Stem Cell Therapy?
Stem cell therapy is the use of stem cells to prevent or heal a disease or condition. The most popular form of stem cell therapy involves the transplantation of blood stem cells to treat diseases affecting the blood or immune system. Stem cell therapy can be very useful in helping manage and mitigate the symptoms of long-term medical conditions such as arthritis, cancer, and various kidney diseases.
What is Kidney Disease?
Kidney disease refers to a number of chronic conditions in which the kidneys are damaged and cannot function well. The first signs of kidney disease include shortness of breath, decreased urine output, fatigue, and nausea. Diabetes is the most common cause of kidney disease. Kidney disease can be chronic, characterized by gradual loss of kidney function over time. Or, it can be acute, characterized by sudden loss of kidney function accompanied by serious side effects.
How Does Kidney Failure Occur?
The kidneys are designed to remove waste from the body and prevent a build-up of toxic substances that can harm organs. When the function of one of the kidneys is reduced by at least 33%, chronic kidney disease may be diagnosed. If left untreated, chronic kidney disease will usually continue to worsen, potentially resulting in kidney failure. Once kidney failure has occurred, patients will require dialysis, a kidney transplant, or other procedures to filter waste from the body
Stem Cell Therapy for Kidney Disease
Properly functioning kidneys filter waste and fluids from the body. Improper or hampered function of the kidneys can lead to serious waste accumulation and negative side effects. Serious kidney disease can also lead to kidney failure, requiring dialysis and eventually, kidney replacement surgery.
Mesenchymal stem cell therapy is an anti-inflammatory procedure, meaning it has the ability to reduce chronic inflammation and allow the body to heal itself. If used for kidney disease, it could promote the healing of damaged kidney tissue and reduce inflammation. People with kidney disease can experience inflammation that can cause cardiovascular disease and other complications. By decreasing inflammation, stem cell therapy can serve as a preventative force against other conditions.
Stem Cell Therapy for Kidney Failure
Acute kidney failure occurs when the kidneys become unable to filter waste products from the blood. This can lead to dangerous waste accumulation in the body, and can even be fatal. Fortunately, there have been developments toward a method to inject stem cells into the body to supplement kidney cells. This procedure would involve transplanting mesenchymal stem cells into the kidneys and surrounding areas to repair diseased tissue and promote healing. Mesenchymal stem cells may also be used in conjunction with a kidney transplant or other form of treatment to provide healing in the case of kidney failure.
Can Stem Cell Therapy Cure Kidney Disease?
Kidney disease is a complicated condition with side effects that vary per patient depending on many factors. Often, kidney disease can be treated and mitigated, but not cured. Stem cell therapy has not been proven to cure kidney disease, but it can reduce inflammation around the kidneys and improve kidney function. Reducing inflammation and improving function can help reduce the frequency of kidney dialysis treatment for those dealing with kidney disease.
At the moment, only generic mesenchymal stem cell therapy is available to treat kidney disease. However, as we continue to research and learn more about the regenerative properties of stem cells, it is possible that we will be able to isolate specific cells responsible for kidney repair.
Summary
The kidneys are important organs that help to filter waste and harmful toxins from the body. Kidney disease is a condition that occurs when the kidneys are damaged and cannot filter blood properly.
Stem cell therapy is an anti-inflammatory procedure that uses mesenchymal stem cells to provide healing and relief for various conditions. Currently, only generic stem cell therapy is available for kidney disease treatment, but scientists are working to discover how stem cells can supplement regenerative cells already present in the kidneys.
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