What is a stem cell transplant?

Stem cells have been known to heal some of the most complex injuries. Lowvelder approached stem–cell specialist from White River, Dr Hein van Wyk to learn more:

What are stem cells?

• They are primitive cells in the body that does repair work in the body.
• They lie dormant within the body, ready to work once activated.
• Stem cells are activated when you cut yourself or graze your knee. Blood clots form to stop the bleeding, after which stem cells get to work to close the wound.
• They have the potential to differentiate into different cell types; for example, skin, muscle and bone.

Why are they important?

• They do all the repair work and replace cells that die.
• Stem cells are only active in living animals.
• “They can be cultured and kept alive in certain labs to be used again for various reason,” said Van Wyk.

Types of stem cell transplants.

• The newest type of transplant is platelet-rich plasma (PRP)
• Your plasma, not to be confused with your television set, is the translucent “goo” that can be seen when blood has been drawn from the body.
• After it has been separated out in a centrifuge, it is transfused back into the body.
• “Stem cells are an entity on their own,” says Van Wyk. “The platelets activate the stem cells to work,” he adds.
• It is a relatively new treatment that can treat skeletal and muscular, orthopaedic and brain-related injuries.

How are stem cells harvested?

• They are harvested from the body by liposuction or bone marrow aspiration.
• The cells are removed from the fat cells or marrow and are then mixed with a growth factor and then put back into the body.

Recovery.

• Recovery is patient- and injury-dependent. For example, an athlete may never run again, despite having fully recovered physically.
• The recovery of those with brain injuries, according to Van Wyk, is dependent on the part of the brain that was affected.
• Patients with muscular injuries may see results after four to six weeks; knee injuries, two weeks; cerebral palsy, three weeks; and spinal injuries can take up to three months.
• Neurological injuries might take up to two years to recover

According to Dr Van Wyk, if nothing else helps, stem cell transplants might be the solution patients need.