This past Friday, March 26th we had a Live Q&A Session with the president of our medical committee Dr. Gaviño through our facebook page ProgenCell – Stem cell therapies (https://www.facebook.com/stemcellstijuana/). If you missed it, watch now. (https://www.facebook.com/stemcellstijuana/videos/1963076207178954).
Here are the questions that were answered.

Regenerative Medicine Scientific Liaison: Hi everyone, thanks for joining us today in our Q&A Session for multiples sclerosis. My name is Kimberly and I’m a Regenerative Medicine Scientific Liaison here with ProgenCell and I’m with Dr. Jorge Gaviño is the president of our medical committee and he’ll be answering some questions for us about Multiple Sclerosis and Stem Cell Therapy Treatment.

Dr. Gaviño: Thank you.

RMSL: Ok, so we are going to start. Thanks for joining us today doctor, now the first question that we would like to start with is “ In what stage of MS can I receive treatment?”

Dr: Ok, in fact MS doesn’t have different stages. Since we diagnose the patient we know that he can have 4 different forms of the disease but there are not different stages in fact, then when we know that the patient is diagnosed with MS the advice is to begin with this program as soon as they realize that they have this illness because this is a chronic degenerative and progressive disease if we wait to long to begin with this treatment every day the patient can get worse, progressively worse. That’s why it’s important to start the procedure, the treatment for this type of patient as soon as we are aware of this problem.

RMSL: Ok, thanks for that! Now we know that there are as you mentioned different types of MS that you can not have actual stages but there are some different like Remitting MS and Progressive MS so can both be treated with Stem Cells?

Dr: Of course, because as we mentioned it is the same illness, the only difference is the way that the patient is affected. On relapsing remitting those patients have an attack of the disease, they rapidly progress with neurological symptoms but after that attack the patient may be stable without any progression on the disease for weeks, months or even years, that is the relapsing remitting MS. On the contrary, the primary progressive since the onset of the symptoms they never stop, they progressively get worse. Both receive the benefit of the regenerative Stem Cells, the benefit to control the disease and to stop the progression.

RMSL: Ok, so they are able to be treated?

Dr: Yes

RMSL: Alright, now for this treatment, the multiple sclerosis treatment. “What source of stem cell is the most recommended for MS?”

Dr: The advice is to use the most effective and most safe procedure and in that field autologous bone marrow stem cells remain being the best option for these patients. Of course we have different sources that we adapt to the condition of the patient, to the progression of the patient but the safest and the most effective at the moment is the autologous bone marrow stem cell.

RMSL: And How is the protocol? What is the protocol for Multiple Sclerosis Stem Cell Treatment?

Dr: We integrate different ways to apply the stem cells to those patients. One are that is important to get is Intravenous Infusion of Autologous Bone Marrow Stem Cells but is also really important to avoid the blood brain barrier that everyone has, in order to avoid that we use intrathecal injection because then, the Stem Cells are applied directly into the spinal fluid to travel to the brain and attach to those areas without damaging the blood brain barrier.

RMSL: And “What benefit do I get from the intrathecal injection from Stem Cells?”

Dr: This way we can deliver a higher number of Stem Cells that’s the main benefit that we achieve when we apply the stem cell directly into the spine. The number that we can send to those areas are higher because it doesn’t have to go through the brain blood barrier.

RMSL: I’m going to add an additional question here. “Can we use other sources of stem cells for an intrathecal injection?”

Dr: We choose not to and we advise not to do it because it implies more risks, and as I mentioned, the idea is to do the safest procedure for the patient, to avoid possible complications, to avoid all the risks that are related to other sources of stem cells.

RMSL: Now if I do decide to get the Stem Cell Therapy for Multiple Sclerosis “What improvement do I get in the short term?”
Dr: Here we have to mention little bit about the illness, MS is a chronic disease that affects the central neural system but it produce a lot of inflammation on those areas that are affected, then the short term benefit mostly is the control of those areas with the swelling to improve their function, that’s the main benefit.

RMSL: So that means that it can help recover the sensation and the mobily with the treatment?

Dr: MS affects different areas of our body because it affects the area of the control of different functions in our body like the brain or the spinal cord. The area that controls mobility, that produces spasticity in the muscles is involved and this way the Stem Cells are able to travel there, then it is possible to improve the area and by doing that the patient physically manifests improvement on the mobility, the spasticity or the sensation.
It’s possible and it benefits.

RMSL: Alright then, for improvement on the long term what do I get from Stem Cell Therapy?

Dr: There the benefit is because when we use stem cells to improve MS we are controlling the autoimmune effect that the disease has , it means that the immune system of the patient is attacking their own brain, that produces the damage and the progression. We prevent further attack, further damage, and by doing that we prevent further progression and the speed on the progression of the disease.

RMSL: And for that, Is one treatment enough?

Dr: Never, there is one thing that we always have to mention to these patients; It’s a really hard disease to control, to think that is a magical thing that I give you one injection and you’re cured, that doesn’t happen. We need to control the disease and all the multiple factors that affect it . Stem Cells have that benefit because it improves the inflammation , it improves the autoimmune system, the strength and the function in general of the body, but we need to have that controlled as maintenance , so we need more than one injection.

RMSL: So the treatment will help the muscles not to get contracted as much as they use to correct?

Dr: Yes, the spasticity that is produced because the disease is affecting the brain or the spinal cord is improved by doing the regenerative process of stem cells on all of those areas.

RMSL: Ok, and after I receive my treatment how long after I receive it can I start noticing changes on my condition?

Dr: That’s a really hard question to answer, it depends on the condition of the patient, let’s imagine two patients who have the same diagnosis, both of them.
One of them has 6 months with the diagnosis, on this patient maybe he’ll notice in 15 days or in months the improvement and control of the disease.
On the other hand we have a patient that has 10 years with the illness, that he has received in the past several medications to control the illness, cortizone for example or all the other treatments that are available which are good for the patient but the problem with all of this medications is that they have side effects. One of the side effects of cortisone for example is that it affects all our body, then the response that we are going to have from stem cells is not going to be as fast as the other patient.That’s why it’s important to name the difference among all patients, even when they have the same disease.

RMSL: And know that you’re mentioning all these medications that are out there for MS, if i decide to take the treatment, will the medication affect my Stem Cell Protocol or they’re completely different?

Dr: It doesn’t affect the protocol , it doesn’t affect the procedure where we process all the cells and do the injection whether it’s Intravenously or Intrathecal. It affects when the patient is suffering from the side effects of all the other treatments or medication, that is the problem, because then the Stem Cells need to repair 2 areas, MS and the side effects of all the other medications.

RMSL: So if I’m getting the treatment it’s recommended to stop my medication?

Dr: Our suggestion is don’t stop those medications because a good number of patients are doing some benefit, the idea is to diminish as much as possible the side effects , that way the patient will get a good benefit.

RMSL: Now going back a little bit with autologous stem cells and the intrathecal being the most recommended for the patient, can you tell us about the risks of using other sources of stem cells in this case what are the reactions or what is it that you suggest more the autologous stem cells rather than other sources?

Dr: The risk to have something that doesn’t belong to our body is that our own immune system will be more active and if we know that part of the problem of MS is the activity of the immune system then that will produce a reaction that worsens the disease, that’s one part. The other of course is about safety, because if we use another source of cells different that don’t belong to the patient the name is Allogeneic , is we use Allogeneic stem cells that can trigger an allergic reaction, it can produce a rejection or can transmit a disease like a virus or other illness that are possible to receive. That’s why we avoid to recommend allogeneic

If you are interested in the field of Stem Cells or wish to find out if it can offer you a solution to any major health conditions or for wellness purposes contact us and find out if and how Stem Cells can help you improve your quality of life. At Progencell we are specialists in stem cell treatment for macular degeneration, stem cells for psoriasis and stem cell therapy for MS in Mexico. Contact one of our Regenerative Medicine Science Liaisons at 1 (888) 443 6235 or send us an email to info@progencell.com