Philosophers and scientists throughout the ages have emphasized the importance of working in concert with others. Bernard of Chartres and Sir Isaac Newton described what we do as “standing on the shoulders of giants”. We at ProgenCell belong to many professional associations for this very reason. By working with others in our field, we learn about the discoveries of others and we are continually challenged to improve our own work.
Stem cells are found in many parts of the body. Your doctor exercises professional judgment in deciding which ones are to be used and how they are to be applied. We at ProgenCell have found that the stem cells in a patient’s own (“autologous”) bone marrow are generally the best choice, although in rare cases we also make use of stem cells in adipose tissue or cord blood derived from the same patient.
When ProgenCell started working with stem cell therapies in 2000, we were excited by the possibility of treating previously incurable diseases by means of an innocuous biological agent. It has been far too common for pharmaceuticals and chemotherapy to produce dangerous side-effects even when they don’t achieve their intended goal. The worst that stem cells do,
Systemic sclerosis, also called scleroderma, is a disabling disease in which a patient’s soft tissues become hardened by fibrosis. This can affect skin, muscles, vital internal organs, and blood vessels. Most patients also experience numbness in their extremities and intensified reactions to cold and to anxiety. The cause of scleroderma is believed to be auto-immunological.
Now that the United States is starting to get into stem cell therapy, some of our patients have been choosing ProgenCell just to save a little money. We think that’s a good idea, too, but we really want our patients to choose us for our higher standard of care.
Everyone brags about their standard of care – even if they’re just resting on the laurels of the “made in the USA” trademark – but we’ve been at pains to document ours.
Since the discovery of stem cells, we have found them in a variety of places. They are found, of course, at the beginning of life as the building blocks of the embryo. But they are also found in the placenta and in the blood contained in the umbilical cord and can be harvested from these sources without creating ethical dilemmas.
Neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a major cause of visual impairment in older people. The patient loses vision in the center of the visual field and is left with only the ability to see colors and shapes. This condition is currently being treated with laser coagulation and expensive monthly injections into the eye’s vitreous humor;
