Stem Cells: A Potential Breakthrough in Crohn’s Disease Treatment?

Could there be a way to treat Crohn’s disease using stem cells? A case study from 2022 may be shedding some light on that very possibility. If you are curious to find out more read on.

Unpacking The Details: What Is This Disease?

Crohn’s Disease is a type of inflammatory bowel disease that causes symptoms such as fatigue, weight loss, abdominal pain and swelling of the tissue in the digestive tract. The exact cause of the disease isn’t known but there are some potential factors:

• Genetics
• Issues with the immune system
• Smoking
• Stomach bugs in the past
• Gut bacteria abnormalities

There isn’t a cure for this condition but there are ways to manage symptoms so that people can live as normally as possible. Even with management, there can be painful flare-ups triggered by anything from food to over-the-counter medications.

Treatments include medications and alterations to the individuals’ diet can help. Sometimes immunosuppressants are used in conjunction with steroids to help relieve symptoms.

Surgery is also an option but is only recommended if the benefits will outweigh the risks or if your current medications stop working.

Living with the condition is tricky but not impossible. Consulting your GP and making small adjustments to diet and lifestyle can help ease the symptoms.

The Case Study

A 25-year-old Caucasian American woman was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease in 2011 while also presenting with adrenal and thyroid issues, anaemia and gastrointestinal bleeding.

She was treated using umbilical cord blood stem cells or Mesenchymal Stem Cells. The treatment involves taking 300 million cord blood MSCs and implanting them intravenously.

Three months post-treatment the patient reported improvements and during a follow-up exam, the patent reported a reversal of her bowel and abdominal pain symptoms, better energy levels and was able to return to activities she had previously had to stop.

Seemingly the patient was able to stop taking steroids and had a better quality of life thanks to the mesenchymal stem cells.

Why save?

Of course, this one instance doesn’t mean all people will have the same response to the treatment. This type of treatment does require some further research.

However, umbilical cord blood is very much worth saving. Not only do these stem cells already treat over 80 conditions worldwide but there are always new clinical trials taking place to test the potential of the cell.

Saving cord blood provides your baby with a lifelong safety net. If you have any questions about cord blood banking in the UK don’t hesitate to contact us here are Cells4Life.